Miyo Sia

heya chicas! i was inspired to come up with a new look today so here's a tutorial for those who wish to try this makeup.

1. prime your face. primer would help makeup application easier and also makes your skin feeling supple and smooth. i used paul & joe moisturizing primer. you can either use a wet sponge or a foundation brush in applying primer.

2. even out skin tone and remove blemishes. i used the makeupforever 5 color palette to take care of the blemishes in my skin. for my under eyes, i used the orange tone and dabbed a small amount on the area. i blended it out so the sides are feathered and look blended on the skin. the i used the green tone around my nose and under my brows to neutralize redness in that area. then i applied concealer on those areas to even out my skin.

3. apply foundation. using a stippling brush, lightly apply foundation starting from the middle part of you face going out. take time applying the foundation so you can achieve an even application and an airbrushed effect. i used the mac studio fix fluid in nc42.

4. set foundation. use a loose powder or pressed powder to set your makeup. i used a stippling brush and gently pat on body shop translucent powder all over my face. make sure you do not swipe the brush against your face as this will remove the airbrush finish that you have done when you stipple the foundation on your skin. then using a contour brush or blush brush, i applied another layer under my eyes and forehead by swiping the brush very lightly for a flawless finish.

5. define your brows. make sure that you don't choose a very dark color for your brows. a lighter shade than your hair color can be used and just fill in the color. use small light strokes to make it look natural. i used the paul and joe eyebrow powder and used a flat angled brush to apply.



6. work on eye makeup. i used the coastal scents 88 palette and another 88 shimmer palette (no brand) i got from singapore. prime your eyes before applying makeup.
      a. using a blending brush, apply bright pink eyeshadow in the mid section of your eyelid starting from the outer corners of your eyes going towards the inner corner. leave the area above your lashes empty. make sure that you blend it out as you go near the inner corner of your eyes. for wide set eyes, extend the color up to the area between the bridge of your nose and your eyes to reduce the space between your eyes. don't worry if the edges are too harsh since we will blend it later.
     b. using the same blending brush, apply a deep purple color on the same area where you applied the pink eyeshadow but stop around the center of your eyes. blend it out to remove harsh lines. then apply whatever is left on the brush to the inner half. don't put the same intensity as the outer half since we want to gradually let it fade as it gets to the inner corner of your eyes. apply the same color to your lower lashes.
    c. apply a shimmer violet shadow on the same area. this part is optional but i added it anyways :D
    d. using a pencil brush, apply a black eyeshadow at the outer corner of your eyes and define the outer v shape. blend out any harsh line but do not overblend. apply the same color to your lower lashes.
    e. using another pencil brush or a flat eyeshadow brush, apply a light blue shimmer eyeshadow on the area above your lash line. this will add dimension and will also open up small eyes. blend it out.
    f. add shimmer color that is lighter to your skin in the corners of your eyes and just below your eyebrows.

7. apply eyeliner. using a flat angled brush, apply a gel liner or a liquid liner starting from the outer corner making a diagonal line going to the center. start with a small angle and increase the thickness of your liner gradually. extend the liner outward to give a cat-eye effect. then apply liner from the inner corner and connect it to the center. make sure you apply as close to the lashes as possible and do not leave out spaces in between. then using the rest of the product, apply liner to your lower lashline and blend out using a pencil brush or a q-tip. for wide set eyes, apply around the inner corners of your eyes and blend it out using a q-tip.

8. curl ur lashes and apply mascara. i used shu eumura eyelash curler (the best i've used so far) and body shop mascara. wiggle the mascara wand from the roots going up to the tips of your lashes.

9. apply highlight, contour and blush to your face. avoid too much pink blush for this look. use light peach color or neutral ones. i used chanel powder blush in 13 candy very lightly on the apple of my cheeks.

10. apply a light pink lipstick to soften the intense look brought by the eye makeup. add gloss to the center of your lips.

:) enjoy your new look!

products used:
sigma essential brush kit
shu eumura eyelash curler
paul & joe moisturizing primer (03)
mac studio fix fluid (NC42)
makeupforever 5 color cream palette (No5)
by lauren luke cream eye liner (raven black)
by lauren luke shadow primer (nude slip dark)
body shop loose face powder (02)
body shop divide and multiply mascara
chanel powder blush (13 candy)
coastal scents 88-color matte eyeshadow
6-color contour palette
88-color shimmer palette
maybelline watershine pure lipstick (B24)
dior addict ultra gloss reflect (257)

hi guys, if you have been wondering what to give to your mom, sisters and friends for mother's day, sigma makeup has 3 cool $98 value combos  you can choose from for only $68. :) also this is not limited to just moms since the products included in the package are so lovely!

i know i am addicted to sigma brushes and i have been wanting to buy the Nice in Pink travel kit so I might as well buy myself the romantic mom combo to get a good deal :)

sexy mom combo contains

1 Large makeup bag in red
1 Dazzle heart rhinestone makeup mirror in red
1 Synthetic retractable kabuki in red
6 Full size essential brushes

romantic mom combo contains

1 Large makeup bag in pink
1 Dazzle heart rhinestone makeup mirror in pink
1 Synthetic retractable kabuki in pink
1 Travel kit Nice in Pink

stylish mom combo contains

1 Large makeup bag in black
1 Dazzle heart rhinestone makeup mirror in black
1 Synthetic retractable kabuki in black
1 Travel kit Naughty in Black

most asians have monolid eyes and the usual way of applying eye makeup don't work for this type of eyes. monolids don't have a defined crease and sometimes the upper eyelids either look puffy or flat. knowing the right technique of putting eyeshadow and eyeliner on monolids will help enhance the look, define the eyes and make it look bigger and rounder.

the hardest part of doing makeup for monolids is that it is very hard to bring out colors once the eyes are open. so it is better to apply eye makeup in such a way that you maximize the visible space above the folds of the eyelids to make the color more obvious.

the different eyeshadow techniques that work well with monolids are faking the crease or some people call cut the crease technique, graduating color from the lash line towards the browbone, and the cat-eye effect. each technique require proper selection of tools and color to make eyes stand out and not look too made up. lining the eyes also play a very important role in defining the shape of the eyes. adding the flick, tightlining and controlling the thickness of the eyeliner around every section of the eyes can either make your eyes bigger or appear smaller.

faking the crease/cut the crease
*photo from www.style.com
this technique is the hardest among the three since you need precision when it comes to drawing the crease as well as choosing the color to be used. the objective of this technique is to make the crease look as natural as possible. overdoing it would make it look drag and unnatural. unless you intend to make it look that way, then playing around with colors is ok.

i recommend using a good blending brush and angled brush to do this. it has to have the right density to blend in the colors well.

first you need to prime the eyes to make the colors pop and blend well. then apply an eyeshadow on the lids using a color that is a little bit lighter than the skintone. this will help the eyes look fresh and bigger. then using a 266 angled brush draw the crease using a darker shade starting from the outer corner of the eyes moving towards the inner corner close to the bridge of the nose. don't draw the crease too far from the lash line so it doesn't look unnatural nor draw it too close as it will not make any difference. at first the lines will be harsh and too obvious, this is ok since you will need to blend it out.

using a 219 pencil brush blend the drawn crease line up towards the brow bone. blend it in such a way that you maintain the definition of the line above the lash line and it gradually fades away up towards the brow bone. do not blend out too much that the color is way too high. make sure you leave a space below your brows for highlight.

then using a lighter color than the color u used for the crease, use a 217 blending brush to enhance the shape and make it more dramatic. starting from the outer corner of the eyes, lightly apply the color and blend it moving towards the center. you can either make it look round on the corner or combine it with cat-eye effect to make it very dramatic and sexy by also making the outer v more defined.

use the 224 blending brush to add highlight below the brows and remove any harsh lines. then apply eyeliner and mascara. i will discuss later the eye lining techniques later in this entry.

gradient
*photo from www.nymag.com
this technique is the easiest, safest and fastest way to enhance monolids. you simply apply the eyeshadow in such a way that the darkest shade starts from the lash line and gradually fading towards the brow bone.

you can play with different colors with this technique without making it overly done. this look is also good as everyday look and can either be worn subtle during the day or dramatic during the night.

with a 252 flat brush, pack in the color just above the lash line. make sure that you don't apply all over the lids and don't apply too much right away. it is easier to add color than reduce it when you have applied too much. make sure that you apply enough to cover up to the folds of your lids. using either a 219 pencil brush or 217 blending brush (use pencil brush if you have very small eyes) blend out the colors to create a gradient going up the brow bone. follow the curvature of your eyes with the mid section having the highest point of the curve. add more as you like.

tip: i usually use a dark brown shade and layer another color (say pink or purple) to make it look more fun. dark brown gives emphasis and make eyes look more dramatic than just adding color straight to your eyes. black would sometimes work with some people but this can be worn during the night. when you use black, you pack in the color first before adding the black on top of the color.

some add highlight in the mid section of the lid by layering a lighter shade to make the eyes look rounder (same as the picture above) you can experiment using different colors and have fun with it. :) also do not forget to add highlight below your brows for a fresh look. then apply eyeliner and mascara as usual.

cat-eye effect
*photo from www.style.com
the cat-eye is one of my favorite eye shading techinique since it perfectly work for my eyes :D this technique is almost the same as gradient just that we don't pack in the dark shade on all sections of the eye. instead we concentrate on putting the darkest shade on the outer corner creating a dramatic outer v shape.

using a 252 flat brush, pack in the color over your eyelids. make sure that this is the color that is not too dark or too light. then using a 217 blending brush, light apply a darker shade to the outer corner of your eyes and slowly blend it in using circular motion towards the center of the eyes. define the outer v shape by blending it outward and up forming a v shape using a 219 pencil brush. you can either just blend out or make it very dramatic by adding a black shade to your outer v. use the 217 again to blend the colors and remove harsh lines. add highlight below your browbones and in the inner corners of the eyes to make it pop out. put eyeliner on and apply mascara. adding a flick when you put an eyeliner will look really nice and sexy.

eyelining techniques
there are several techniques available to make monolid eyes bigger and dramatic. tightlining is the most effective way since it doesn't make your eyes look smaller and it looks natural. it enhances your eyes in such a way that it makes your lashes look thicker. also it gives definition to your lash line without making your eyes look smaller. you can check my other entry on how to do tightlining.

also using a waterproof liquid liner is effective for monolids, when dried up, this do not smudge out and it is easy to apply and help you define the thickness or thinness of the line that you want to put above your lash line. make sure that you line as close to your lashes as possible. depending on the shape of your eyes, the thickness of the line in each section varies. if you don't do this, this will not make any difference at all. if your eye shape look flat in the mid section (just above the pupil), apply the liner thicker than the inner and outer corners. this will make your eyes rounder. if the mid section is round but eyes look small on the outer corner then the liner should be applied thin from the inner corner and gets thicker as it goes out. when doing this, i usually start from the outer corner by drawing a diagonal line towards the center of the eyes and line the eyes from inner corner connecting it to the other half. make sure that you use a good angle brush or a felt tip liner. also make the angle as small as possible and just increase the thickness as you like. this is better than starting with a very thick line and later on realize that you made it too thick. same with the under eyes, depending on your eye shape, you could either make the mid section or the outer section thicker. avoid putting liner on the inner corner of your eyes if you have close set eyes. but for wider set eyes, adding liner on the inner corner would enhance the look.

there are other techniques out there that may also do great for monolids so don't stop experimenting and trying out new ways. always remember that adding makeup should help enhance your looks and not the other way around :)

apply antiperspirant to areas where sweat is released before applying makeup - forehead, around the nose, above the lips and temple. :) it can be awkward at first but works really well! then you can pretend you are always looking fresh even when dancing all night at a club ^_^

have you ever wondered why your blemishes are still visible even beneath so many layers of concealer you put on? that is because some skin discoloration does not get covered by concealer alone. you basically need a corrector to neutralize the color before you conceal it.

MAKE UP FOR EVER has the 5 camouflage cream palette in no 5 (professional corrective shades) that helps you achieve flawless looking skin. this palette works well for highly discolored skin caused by acne scars, dark undereyes and bruises.


the palette has 5 colors: no 13 - light concealer, no 16 - dark concealer, no 17 - green, no 18 - purple, no 20 - orange.

so how do you make use of these? we basically just need to remember the color wheel and basic color theory which i will discuss in more details in another entry.

complementary colors are colors that are opposite each other. these are also known as contrasting colors. when you layer 2 contrasting colors, they neutralize each other and when you place 2 contrasting colors adjacent to each other then they enhance each other. so for discolorations, we need to look at its shade and what color will neutralize it.

looking at the palette and the color wheel we can then identify that the orange will be correcting discolorations that are bluish. these are the areas under the eyes or dark pimple scars. as for the violet one, it will help you even out yellowish discoloration on your face. lastly, the green will cover up redness like pimples and area around your nose.

the 2 additional shades can be mixed to achieve the exact shade that you need to layer above the corrector creams as your concealer.

*i bought this product at sephora for S$59.

make-up as any other product expire. contamination could usually shorten the product's shelf life so it is important to handle your makeup properly so you can maximize the shelf life of your product. hygene is very important to prevent it from contamination as well as keep you from having separate sets of makeup that you use for yourself and other people. here are some points that you need to remember.

1. always sanitize your hands. use a hand sanitizer or alcohol prior to handling your or someone else's face.
2. always start with a clean, toned and moisturized face.
3. when using cream or liquid products, do not touch the product directly with your finger, brush or any other applicator that you use to apply the product on the skin. when you do this, you are directly exposing your product to germs and bacteria. what you should do is take a spatula, scoop a portion of the product and transfer it to your mixing plate or palette. make sure not to take too much product to avoid wastage. this also should apply to cream liners, lipsticks and gloss.
4. when using loose powder or pigmented shadows, you may also use a spatula and transfer it to a container before applying the product using your brush. pressed powders do not absorb much bacteria since its surface is dry and bacteria like damp or wet areas.
5. when using an eyeliner pencil or lip liner, ALWAYS sharpen the pencil before and after using it. sharpening it removes any germs or bacteria dwelling on the surface of the product. if your liner is strictly for personal use, then you may opt to sharpen it once a week.
6. don't pump the mascara wand and send in air in the tube that could contaminate the product. instead, as you draw the brush out, turn it slowly to scrape the product from the inside of the tube. throw away mascara after 3 months.
7. throw away liquid liners after 3 months. i recommend using gel liners as it has longer shelf life than liquid liners when using spatula.
8. store your makeup in the refrigerator. this also help you preserve its quality.
9. use disposable sponges instead of using the sponge included in your makeup package. if you are not comfortable using disposable ones, clean your sponge weekly and discard it after a month. DO NOT reuse sponge to more than 1 person.
10. always clean your brushes. make sure you clean your brushes after you use it. daily spot cleaning is recommended using a brush cleaner and weekly deep cleansing must be done using a mild baby shampoo.

here is a comparison of how long you can keep your makeup products when doing the tips above and when you use your make-up the usual way.

Product	Usual Shelf Life	Prolonged Shelf Life
mascara	3 months	4-6 months
liquid liner	3 months	3 months
lipstick/lip gloss	6 months to 1 year	1-2 years
liquid/cream foundation	6 months	1-2 years
pencil liners	1 year	2-3 years
cream/gel liners	6 months	1-2 years
powder based products	5 years	5 years

tightlining is an eye lining technique used to emphasize your eyes and make your lashes look thicker. instead of putting the liner above the lash line, the liner is applied underneath the lash line for a more natural look. tightlining needs a lot of practice and "getting used to" since 90% of the time, this technique would make you teary eyed. to be able to achieve the perfect tightlining, you must be able to darken the lash line as much as you can and as close as you can to the lashes. also you should avoid getting the liner to your waterline to prevent irritation.

finding the right product is important when you are doing this technique. since you will be applying the product near the water line, make sure that your liner is waterproof to prevent smudging. if you are using a pencil, make sure that you sharpen your pencil for a more precise application.

most people pull their eye lids up to easily apply the liner to the lash line, but doing this makes me teary and gives me more chances of poking my eyes. also too much pulling of the lids can cause premature aging so it is better if you can prevent doing this. what i usually do is position the pencil or an eyeliner brush just below my lashes and apply the liner using small strokes until i get the intensity that i want. it is also good to apply in between lashes to make your lashes look thicker.

if you are more comfortable with tugging your eyelids when tightlining, it is better to do this before putting on your eyeshadow to prevent the makeup from smudging. if you want to retouch the liner after applying your eye makeup, use a q-tip to tug your eyelids instead.

don't forget to curl your lashes and apply a mascara to thicken your lashes. make sure that you concentrate on applying mascara on the roots of your lashes and wiggle the wand left to right as it goes up to the tip (moving your head left to right as you brush the wand up to the tip is also another technique).

have you been applying chapstick or any other commercial lip conditioner to your lips almost every few minutes and yet your lips dry out with it? chappy and dry lips have always been my problem until i discovered a very effective way to moisturize.

after doing this for almost two months, i have reduced my use of lip balm throughout the day.

daily regimen: apply petroleum jelly after brushing your teeth in the morning and at night

weekly exfoliation: apply generous amount of extra virgin olive oil to your lips and let it set for 10 minutes. this preps ur lips and makes it easier to remove the dry skin. mix a teaspoon of granulated sugar and olive oil until you create a paste. use a toothbrush to brush the paste over your lips until the dry skin is removed. wipe lips to remove paste then apply small amount of olive oil to keep it conditioned.

*virgin coconut oil is also a good replacement if you are having problems finding olive oil.

let me know and post your comments if this also works for you :)

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