Fall 2014 Makeup Trends from #MACCosmetics

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Recently I had the pleasure of attending MAC’s A/W 2014 Trends presentation up in LA. I got to hear about the 4 main trends for the A/W (that’s Autumn/Winter for you non-fashiony peeps) from 4 mega-talented MAC Senior Artists.

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Off-Color presented by Cynthia Rivas

The Off-Color trend is a deconstructed take on colors found naturally occurring in your complexion. The same shades we found in summer makeups are still there, but in a more muted way. The focus is generally on the eye or the lip (sometimes both). The skin is as natural as possible. For a more natural look, Cynthia suggested applying bold colors with a fluffier brush to diffuse color onto the lips.

Try it! To get the diffused color look on the lips, try a fluffy eye brush like the MAC 239 Eye Shader Brush instead of a traditional lip brush.

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Streamlined presented by John Stapleton

Streamlined is a trend John describes as a return to 90s grunge but in a sophisticated way. Brows are bold and defined, even a bit tomboyish. Liner pops with unusual shapes and surprising colors. Picture a brown or grey smoky eye with a pop of yellow liner underneath or up top. For a more wearable look, John suggests smoking out your eye look with navy instead of the usual black. While black is always on trend, navy actually makes the whites of your eyes look brighter.

Try it! In the look John was creating above, he used MAC Fluidline in Black Ivy.

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On Reflection presented by Gregory Arlt

Now we’re talking! Gregory presented a look that is all about adding pops of shine to an otherwise matte face. He created an ‘ombre of shine’ by giving his model a bit of a glossy eye with more subtle shine to highlight her face. If you’ve ever tried the glossy eye look you know they look incredible, but last about 3 minutes before they need serious attention. If I were going to try this look “in real life” I’d opt for highlights on the face and an uber glossy lip– quite a bit more manageable for touch-ups.

Try it! Gregory used two MAC texture products, their Mixing Medium Shine, and Clear Gloss LipMix. He also used two shades (Grey Matter & Toasted Chestnut) from the Fall Trend Forecast Eye Palette.

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Unprocessed presented by Caroline Donnelly

Unprocessed is a celebration of a subject’s natural beauty. It’s natural, but not nude makeup. The colors are pulled from the natural undertones in the skin. Foundation is as sheer as you can get away with, and only used where necessary (so yes, bust out your MAC Face & Body – it’s that kind of look!). The blush Caroline applied with a 188 Duo Fibre brush for a very natural, diffused application. She also applied it slightly lower, to look like a child’s cheeks as she put it. Rather than apply a lip color, she actually just removed excess foundation from the model’s lips and let her natural lip color be the lipstick. If you don’t naturally have pigmented lips, a lip color in a shade to a natural lip pigmentation patted on could substitute. The brows, like the rest of the face in this look, are groomed but not overly so. They’re left a bit bushier, perhaps just a bit of gel on to keep them in place.

Try it! Caroline used a 188 Duo Fibre brush on her model’s cheeks.

What do you think? Are any of these trends intriguing to you?

Get The Look – Orange Lips

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Y’all know I love me some orange lips! But wearing bright orange lipstick can be intimidating since it’s such a bold, fashion-forward look! Luckily L’Oreal has this great little video that shows you a very simple look with orange lips. Even better is all of the products in it are available at the drugstore. I like using drugstore products to experiment with a look I’m not sure I’m going to love. Don’t buy a super expensive high end orange lipstick as your first one! Try the beautiful one in this video instead for under $10. Hooray!

 

By the way, this video contains links to buy the products featured. These are not affiliate links, so I’m not slacking in disclosing affiliate links. :) xoxo Feel free to buy via the links though! 

Halloween Makeup Inspiration

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What are you guys doing on Halloween? With the holiday fast approaching, I turned to Pinterest to gather my Halloween makeup inspiration. I am the appointed makeup artist for the family Halloween gathering (my grandmother’s birthday is Halloween, so we are making it a family party). What better way to browse inspiring makeup looks than by creating a Pinterest board for them?!

Introducing my Halloween Makeup Inspo Pinterest board! Over 200 images and counting of all things Halloween makeup, from scary to cute to downright gross.  Check it out! And while you’re at it, check out my other boards too for lots of makeup, hair, nails, and cute fluffy animals (because what Pinterest account is complete without fluffy animals?).

What are you going to be for Halloween this year? I’m going to reprise my butterfly costume from a few years ago, hopefully now with much better makeup skills. I did okay last time, but I was wearing the costume to work so I had limited time to put on my face! This year promises to be much better. ;)

How To Wear It: The Vampy Lip

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I’m really loving dark, sultry, vampy lip colors right now. While they are super popular in fall, and as evening makeup, I actually think they can look quite posh and sophisticated during spring– and yes, even in daytime.

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