Am so stupidly excited today about Christmas!!

I am always childishly hyper (hubby would say annoying) in the run up. It has got ten times worse since having my own kids, as I just feed off their innocent hope and wonder towards all things “Santa”!!

It totally hasn’t helped that @cimota presented me with this “surprise” package yesterday. I have absolutely no idea what it contains but can’t WAIT to find out!!!

So in an effort to keep calm I’ve turned to my make-up for a half hour

This is a smokey purple look, almost charcoal looking, but as you can see in the third picture under certain light you see the pretty purple haze. Its very sultry and would be gorgeous for wearing to a Christmas Eve party or even New Years Eve. I have taken the sparkle up an extra notch using body glitter over the lid but you could leave that step out for a more subtle shimmer.

Click on pictures to enlarge

What did I use?

Face

• Revlon Color Stay Foundation 180 Sand Beige
• Barbara Daly @ Tesco Concealer Medium
• M&S Autograph Dark Circle Concealer under eyes
• MAC MSF So Ceylon (highlight)
• Paula Dorf Cheek Color Ballet

Eyes

• UDPP (base)
• NYX Jumbo Shadow Pencil 606 Baby Blue (main lid)
• Coastal Scents Neutral Palette Soft Pink (2nd row, 3rd from left) (brow bone)
• NARS Night Rider (main lid)
• NARS Barbuda (crease & under lower lash line)
• Coastal Scents Neutral Palette Purple Black (top row, far right) (smoked into crease)
• Barry M Loose Body Glitter 8 (applied with mixing medium all over main lid)
• Max Factor Master Piece Glide & Define Liquid Liner (top lash line)
• MAC Powerpoint Pencil Engraved (water line)
• L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara Carbon Black

Lips

• Chanel Gloss 108

Its a rainy, dark, dismal day in Northern Ireland

So in an effort to cheer myself up I created this icy blue look.

Excuse the reddish tinged brows in the close-up, I thought I would try a different eyeshadow as a filler, and lets just say it doesn’t quite work

So what did I use……?

Face

• Revlon Color Stay Foundation in 180 Sand Beige
• Barbara Daly @ Tesco Concealer in Medium
• MAC MSF in So Ceylon
• Coastal Scents Blush Palette (second row, 2 from left)

Eyes

• UDPP (base)
• NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in 606 Baby Blue (main lid & under lower lashes)
• NYX Shadow in White (crease to brow)
• Barry M Dazzle Dust in 20 (outer two thirds of lid and crease)
• No 17 Eye Dazzle in Star Crossed (inner third of lid and under lower lashes)
• Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Electric (top lash line)
• Jemma Kidd Crushed Jewel Gel Liner in Diamond (over Electric)
• L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara in Carbon Black

Lips

• Gosh Lipstick in 134 Darling
• NYX Lip Gloss in 104 Sweet Heart

This is a nice look if you like your safe browns but fancy trying something a bit more daring. I have used 3 different shadows on the lid & crease, sable which is a beautiful shimmer brown with undertones of plum and bronze, cranberry and a soft matt brown. The first picture shows the colour under flash, the one under that is taken without flash, you can see the rose tone better.

Its very dull here today though and hard to get great lighting. Its good to bear in mind though that when you wear eyeshadow, blush, lipgloss etc, depending on what lighting you are under you will get a different effect. That is why I am quite fond of a veluxe pearl or lustre finish, you get a number of different tones and effects from one shadow dependent on surroundings. If you do like these finishes though remember to always balance it out with matt eyeshadow somewhere in the mix

The secret to this is Blend Blend & Blend especially if you are fair skinned like myself. These colours will work effortlessly on medium to dark skin types but for us pale and interestings you will need to keep a lighter hand to avoid looking like you just have sore eyes!! Pinky bronze is hard to wear but so worth getting right as it makes brown/ green eyes pop beautifully.

I used a black kohl eyeliner pencil and completely lined my eyes, upper & lower including the water line. Flick/ tick is optional but instantly sexes the look up. Finish with 2 coats of black mascara.

If I was wearing this out for an occassion I would definitely make sure I have a fake tan done and bronze up my cheekbones with some MSF, but you get the idea. Have fun with your eye make-up, experiment

(if you can’t pose on your own blog, where can you, eh?!!)

Eyes

• MAC Paint Pot in Painterly (eye base)
• MAC Eyeshadow in Sable (main eyelid)
• MAC Eyeshadow in Cranberry (crease & outer corner)
• MAC Eyeshadow in Soft Brown (crease and lid to blend harsh lines)
• Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Zero (upper lashline, lower & water line)
• L’Oreal Double Extension Mascara Carbon Black

Face

• Revlon Colorstay Foundation in Sand Beige
• Barbara Daly @ Tesco Concealer in Medium
• NARS Blush in Deep Throat

Lips

• Benefit Color Plump in Love Ya
• Bobbi Brown Lipgloss in Nude

I took inspiration for my eye make-up today from MakeupByTiffanyD (You Tube). First I prepped my lids with MAC’s Paint Pot in Painterly. The main lid colours are MAC’s Mineralize Eyeshadow Duo in Illusionary/ Burning Ambition. With MAC’s Mylar on the brow bone.

I absolutely love this look, the colours are so warm and perfect for brown/ green eyes. You could go a lot heavier with this look to take you into the evening, but I think its nice like this, where when your eyes are fully open it looks quite neutral and pretty and yet when you glance down, people get a flash of the gorgeous shading and shimmer.

Eyes

• MAC Paint Pot in Painterly (eye base)
• MAC Mineralize Duo in Illusionary/ Burning Ambition (main eyelid)
• MAC Eyeshadow in Mylar (browbone)
• Max Factor Masterpiece Liquid Eyeliner (upper lashline)
• Rimmel Exaggarate Eye Definer in Emerald Sparkle (lower lashline)

Face

• Revlon Colorstay Foundation in Sand Beige
• Barbara Daly @ Tesco Concealer in Medium
• NARS Blush in Torrid

Lips

• Rimmel Moisture Renew in Vintage Pink