Lipstick Masala

Ten years ago, when the countdown to the new Millennium began, I sat on the Washington Mall bundled up in three layers of clothes watching Bill Clinton and Ricky Martin ring in the New Year. I was so cold I could barely enjoy the huge fireworks display over the Potomac River. A decade later, I choose to avoid any outdoor festivities and instead stay inside with my friends, in the warmth of central heating and a comfy couch under my behind. This year, instead of picking out which down jacket will keep me the coziest, my biggest dilemma is whether or not to coordinate my sparkly shirt with dark lips or eyes.

For those of you contemplating a smokey eye look for New Year’s Eve but not comfortable with the technique, I’ve broken down a basic tutorial that’s both quick and easy. Don’t be afraid! What’s great about the smokey look is that you can adapt it to any color, and best of all, it doesn’t have to be perfectly tidy! The concept of “smokey” doesn’t apply to one specific look or color, rather, it is the blending technique used to “smoke out” an eye shadow. So, go ahead and use any combination you wish to!

This tutorial should take practiced hands about 5 minutes and beginners no more than 10-15. Don’t worry about perfecting each step – when it’s time to clean up and bring the look together, we will!

.

What You’ll Need:

Read the rest of this entry »

As a woman of color, it takes a lot of effort to find products that complement my skin tone. Most often, shades look wondrous in the pan, but appear almost nonexistent when applied to my skin. When mineral makeup was introduced to the market, I jumped for joy – thinking the pure, intense pigments would solve my problem. But the deep colors came at a price – while mineral

Photo Credit: themineralista.com

makeup was said to be natural, most cosmetics lines used cheap fillers and chemicals to help adhere the products to the skin. I quickly backed away from the mineral products and continued to shell out $$$ for sub-par products.

It was then that I discovered a product line called, The Mineralista (www.themineralista.com), created by one of our very own, a South Asian woman with a vision and the solution to my makeup woes. The Mineralista currently focuses on mineral pigments that can be used as shadows, blush, and are even mixable with clear polish to create multiple fun and funky shades for your nails. The line began as a personal venture for the founder who, like me, was appalled when she learned most shadows had a 90% chemical content and so set out to create natural products for herself and her friends. The shadows quickly gained popularity in her community, and she soon decided to create a line for the public. Lucky for us! Read the rest of this entry »

Every week, I go to my local grocery store and buy the latest issue of In Touch magazine. And now that my sister is back in town, every week I will be fighting her over who gets to read it first. She updates herself on the latest Brangelina breakup rumor and I pore over the pages searching for the newest shades of lip gloss or nail polish. This was how I discovered the technique known as “foiling.” Oftentimes, I would find myself questioning why my eye shadow never had the same finish as celebrities at the Golden Globes. Sure my eyes looked nice enough, but it seemed I was missing the key ingredient or miracle product that would make my shadow gleam like JLO’s or last all night in the way Scarlett Johansson’s makeup did.

After countless primers and pigments, I finally discovered “foiling,” which is essentially applying your shadow wet to create a vibrant, metallic sheen (hence the reference to the metallic foil). Now, some of you may be thinking “ew, why would I want disco ball lids?”

Don’t worry, like all makeup, there are varying degrees of intensity to foiling. You can foil your whole lids or simply your liner, you can choose to look like a drag queen or keep it simple and elegant like Penelope Cruz. If you do wish to stick to a light look, a little wet application can still transform your dull shadow – it won’t exactly be a “foil” look, but it will emphasize the color and texture of the product and allow your shadow to last longer rather than melt down your face in the summer. Read the rest of this entry »

Woodwinked is on lid and lined under eye. Photo Credit: www.flickr.com/silentcharon

I used to spend hours getting ready. I took so long that my entire family still teases me to this day – if we have to go out at 9, my sister knocks on my door at 4 and asks me “aren’t you running late?” I loved experimenting with different colors and cosmetics and would spend forever painstakingly making sure every hair was in place. But, as I grew older and time seemed to move at a faster pace, I didn’t have the luxury of spending half an hour on my eye makeup. I wanted an eye shadow that I could use in a hurry for when I went out in the evenings that looked good just by itself, without me having to apply three different shadows at once, as well as something that looked phenomenal with almost anything. I literally kissed the MAC counter when I found Woodwinked.

Ladies, trust me when I say that Woodwinked is one of the most important eye shadows you will own. Woodwinked is part of the Veluxe Pearl shadow line and is described by MAC to be a “warm antique gold.” I know a lot of Desi girls who own this one, and pretty much all of them seem to love and swear by it. Read the rest of this entry »