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!

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What You’ll Need:

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It’s almost the most wonderful time of the year -New Year’s Eve – new beginnings, clean slates, and this year – a new decade. Because it’s the holidays and I know you have better things to do than listen to my ramblings, I’ll get straight down to business. For those of you heading out to the club or a friend’s party, you’ll surely want to get the right kind of makeup look to go with your sequined outfits. Later this week we’ll be sharing a quick basic smokey eye for those that want to bedazzle on Thursday night. For now, here’s a tutorial on how to get the perfect red lip without feathering, bleeding and smudging. 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 »

When I think of face powder, I immediately cringe. I can’t help it – I was traumatized as a child by the aunties of the 80s and the thick plaster and splotchy white powder they applied to their faces in order to achieve the “fair and lovely” look. As a result, I’ve often ventured out without setting my makeup with any powder at all, even risking a shiny nose or two, in the fear that I will end up looking just like the ladies that scared me in my youth. But, as much as I hate the product, sometimes it is in fact a necessary evil, especially for oilier-skinned ladies when the weather turns warmer. The problem is, many of us find it difficult to choose and apply the right kind of product for our skin types and tones. Part of the confusion stems, like with foundation, from which color to use, but the truth is, the most important choice you will make regarding your powder is which form you use, loose or pressed. And, with the proper application, you may just be able to prevent yourself from looking like the lead actress from Memoirs of a Geisha.

Like many of you, I have been the victim of sales assistants at makeup counters that don’t want to take the time out or simply don’t know enough to explain the use of certain products. When I’ve asked the difference between loose and pressed powder, I’ve been told “oh, it’s just the consistency you prefer and what’s easier for you.” Ladies, this is not the case. Yes, ease of transportation and application is a vital point, but cosmetics companies would not waste time and energy finely milling powder into two different consistencies just because they are nice and want to give us a choice. There is more to the loose versus pressed decision. Read the rest of this entry »

Wise men have said that the eyes are the window to the soul; what they forgot to mention is, the cheeks are the drapes that adorn said window. Just as one can feel the emotion emanating from your pupils, excitement is further depicted in the deep flush of your rosy apples while despair can be perceived through your sallow, colorless skin. But, unlike the eyes, which cannot be masked, the cheeks are yours to camouflage – you can imitate the perfect pink cheeks with the right blush and dupe the world into seeing exactly what you want it to.

But, before you excitedly reach for your favorite makeup brush, stop for a minute and inspect the consistency of your blush. What most ladies tend to forget is that just as with products like foundation and eyeliner, it is important to find the right formula for your cheeks before settling on a color. The wrong consistency can exacerbate red, bumpy skin while the right one can give off the impression of “just coming in from the cold” winter cheeks.

We are given a myriad of options when it comes to blush: cream, liquid, creamy liquid, cream sticks, stains, tints, powder, the list is endless. So, which one to choose? The answer is a mixture of preference, weather and most important, skin type. Read the rest of this entry »

We’ve all seen the photos of the unfortunate girl with the caked on foundation too light for her skin tone and have gone out of our way to make sure we don’t end up like her. But, in our desperate attempts to make sure our neck matches our jawline, many of us end up neglecting another area on our face prone to a similar error in color judgment – the circle of skin around our eyes. While some are less noticeable than others, many ladies are sporting panda eyes (black liner encompassed by a ring of white ) that shine from across the room like two bright halos. Incorrect shade choices and application techniques are to blame for this dreaded effect that can easily be avoided by keeping a few key pointers in mind. While both the concealer as well as the method of application are important, we’ll focus today on how to make sure you have the right color on hand, step one in total eradication of the Panda flu infecting ladies everywhere.

The first mistake most girls make is in picking the wrong consistency of concealer, understandable seeing as there are enough options out there to confuse anyone. Textures range anywhere from dry, solid sticks to creamy pots to tubes and wands of liquidy cover-up. So what is the best choice for you? Several factors come to play in this decision, your age, your skin type, what exactly you are trying to conceal and obviously, your skin tone. Read the rest of this entry »

Photo Credit: www.planetbollywood.com

For those of us who grew up watching Bollywood movies in the early 90s, the image of Madhuri Dixit smiling and dancing across the screen is still quite clear in our minds. But, for those of us who were into makeup even back then, the awful three inch thick foundation caked on her face is an even more vivid memory. As we entered the age of high-definition television and digital cameras, cosmetics companies began working harder at providing us with weightless makeup that made the foundation from the 1990s look like it belonged in the 1890s. Yes, we are lucky to be living in this age, but an HD lifestyle means we need to be all the more careful about finding the right color foundation, or our makeup blunders will be forever captured and posted for all to see on the latest social networking site (evidence: the foundation faux pas I shared with you in my last post).

Choosing the right foundation shade can be nerve-wracking, but there are a few tried and tested ways to make it (slightly) easier. Let me begin by saying, girls, please, do NOT let department store sales assistants pressure you into buying a foundation before you have tested it out the right way! They may mean well and seem to know what they’re talking about, but only you and those who are familiar with your features (a sister, a close friend) can truly determine if a color is right for you and your daily needs. Trust me, I’ve been through a LOT of different foundations. And by a lot, I mean almost every brand out there. Don’t stop until you find the perfect one!

The first step to choosing the right color is to determine Read the rest of this entry »