Divergent Makeup Series: Erudite

Hey, guys! So, you know that Divergent is a film out in theatres right now. I haven't seen it, but I was curious about it because many people compared the story to the Hunger Games series, which I've read and enjoyed. I decided to check out the Divergent series by reading it, first. I'm not sure whether or not I'll see the film.  I've gotten through the first book. It's not bad. I'm waiting for the other two to come in from Amazon before I have an opinion on the entire series. Anyhoo, back to makeup. The population in the Divergent series is divided into 5 factions. This inspired me to do a makeup series based on each faction. It's only for fun and it's my own, personal creative interpretation. I don't think there's much of a deeper meaning in my looks other than tying in the correct color to the correct faction. :P For the first in the series, I chose to do Erudite.

The primary color that represents Erudite is blue. Therefore I did a smoked out eye with a soft wing and added a pop of blue in the center. Interpret the smoke any way you wish…maybe manipulation or deception. (hope I'm not giving too much away)

 

Products/Instructions:

1. apply Ulta Eye Crayon in Black Tie to inner and outer corners of lid
2. layer matte black eyeshadow (I used Black Dog from UD's Black Palette) over pencil eyeliner
3. apply Sephora automatic eyeliner pencil in Blue to center of lid
4. layer Sugarpill eyeshadow in Velocity over blue eyeliner in center of lid
5. blend blue-black shadow (I used Sabbath from UD's Black Palette) into crease
6. use more matte black shadow to create a soft, wing shape on the outer corners
7. line lower lash line with Black Tie
8. set lower liner with blue-black eyeshadow (Sabbath)

To finish the look, curl lashes, apply mascara, and apply Ardell Wispies eyelashes.

Hope you guys enjoyed today's Divergent eyeshadow tutorial. I'll concentrate on bringing tutorials of the other factions in the coming week or so. I'm so excited to do them all! (I'm such a book nerd.)

Hugs,

Cat

Monarch Butterfly Inspired Makeup

Some really nice ladies from Instagram asked me to join them in a butterfly-themed makeup collaboration. Today was the due date and I'm still sick as heck, but I managed to come up with something reasonably cool.

I simplified the butterfly a bit, obviously. Had I felt well enough, I may have considered tackling a more accurate representation, but, ya know? All eyeshadows were from the Burning Heart palette by Sugarpill and ombre lips were fashioned from Make Up For Ever's Flash Palette. I also used a combination of pencil, gel, liquid, and pen eyeliners for the details.

Anyhoo, hope everyone is having a good weekend. It's raining here. :P

Hugs,
Cat

Simple Stila Sunset Eyes

Caught an icky bug the other day, most likely from a crowded, public space I was wandering around when I was in the city. Unfortunately, it looks like I'll be spending the rest of my spring break bed-ridden. Therefore, today's makeup tutorial isn't terribly complex. But, sometimes simple is best.

The primary ingredients for this look are 3 pressed shadows from Stila (Pigalle, Copper, and Azure), Maybelline Color Tattoo in Fierce & Tangy, Ulta brand Eye Crayon in Dark Denim, and Ardell #120 eyelashes.

Instructions:

1. blend Pigalle into or, in my case, above the crease
2. apply Fierce & Tangy to the lid as a base
3. layer Copper over Fierce & Tangy
4. line lower lash line with Dark Denim pencil eyeliner
5. set liner with Azure
6. line upper lash line using the same line-and-set method
7. curl lashes, apply mascara, and affix Ardell #120 eyelashes

I was really surprised with how pigmented, blendable, and vibrant these Stila eyeshadow are. I received a Stila gift set years ago that came with a shadow palette. They were possibly the worst shadows I'd ever used, barely pigmented and I couldn't blend them to save my life, the texture was atrocious! I'm really glad I've given them another chance, since. Good stuff!

Well, have a great weekend everyone, and thanks for reading! I'm going to go recuperate now. -_- Hopefully I'll have something interesting up before the weekend is out. :)

No hugs today, don't want to give anyone my cooties!

Cat

Epic Metallic Emerald Wings with Stila Magnificent Metals

Here's a look I did for a Kraftwerk concert I attended a couple nights ago. I figured, since it's a concert, I could get away with a less-than-conventional look. :)

Some quick cell phone snaps I took before the concert. Sorry about the crap-quality. XD And I keep on getting these weird, purple lens flares. Oh well.

I used Stila Magnificent Metals Foil Finish eyeshadow in Metallic Emerald for a pop of shimmering color. The rest of the wing was created using Libertine and Black Dog from the Urban Decay Black Palette as well as a generic black gel eyeliner. For my lips, I used Jordana Matte lipstick in Berry topped with the gold end of Maybelline Flipstick Stunner and Stila lip gloss in Vanilla.

Hope everyone's having a fantastic Thursday! Thanks for reading! <3

Hugs,
Cat

Metallic Bronze Gradient Cat Eye Tutorial

I'm really having fun making these pictorial tutorials and seems like everyone else is enjoying them, too. :) So, here is yet another. I'm just so in love with my Stila Magnificent Metals Foil Finish eyeshadow, especially the Comex Gold…it's such a vibrant shade of molten gold! Here I've created a sparkling gradient cat eye with warm, bronze tones with the help of Urban Decay's Naked and Naked 3.

Product/instructions:

1. Line upper lash line and draw a flick along the edge as a containment guide for the cat eye using UD pencil eyeliner in Corrupt.
2. Apply UD Darkhorse from the Naked palette to the center of lid.
3. Shape wing using Blackheart from UD's Naked 3 palette.
4. Blend Smog (Naked palette) from the center of lid towards the inner corner to create a gradient.
5. Apply Stila Magnificent Metals in Comex Gold to the inner corner and extend towards the center of lid.
6. Clean up shape with concealer.
7. Line lower lash line with UD eyeliner pencil in Zero.
8. Accent lower liner with Blackheart.

Finish by curling lashes, applying mascara, and affixing Ardell lashes in #120.

I look forward to doing more full-face and creative looks in the coming days. Stay posted and thanks for reading! :)

Hugs,

Cat

Etude House Sale on Cosmetic Love

Hey, everyone! Hope this doesn't come too late, but Cosmetic Love is having a sale on all Etude House products. 20% off and, as always, free international shipping! I'm stocking up on my favorite eyebrow pencils as well as trying some new items. I think the sale ends some time tomorrow, but my time zone is so far from theirs, so I'm not 100% sure.

I hope at least some of you will get your hands on some Etude House goodies before the sale ends, but, even so, their products are pretty affordable, about $5-$12 per item. Have a good night and happy shopping! :3

Hugs,
Cat

Navy & Gold Wings

Hi everyone! I'm enjoying my first, truly relaxing weekend in a long time, so I didn't really do anything very complicated in terms of makeup. I just thought I'd share a simple, navy and gold winged eyeliner look that I did today.

Whoops, forgot to number the pictorial. Lazy Sunday, indeed. So, I basically took some Ulta gel eyeliner in Ink and created a super-thick line on my lid. Then I made a flick at the end of the line and connected it to the primary line. Filling in that empty, little triangle of space completes the wing shape. Next, I outlined the wing in gold, using Maybelline Color Tattoo in Gold Rush. Then I took a little more gel eyeliner and lined my lower lash line. To finish, I curled my lashes, added a coat of mascara, and affixed a pair of Ardell Wispies. Nothing to it!

Well, the gold outline was a little challenging with the cream eyeshadow. I realized that I could have made things a lot easier by simply using gold liquid eyeliner…which I have. DUH! Oh well, lesson learned. XD

Happy Sunday, everyone and thanks for reading! <3

Hugs,

Cat

Copper & Cranberry Eyeshadow Tutorial

Happy Saturday, everyone! So, I'm absolutely in love with my Sleek Vintage Romance palette and I'm convinced that Stila Comex Gold Magnificent Metals Foil Finish eyeshadow is one of the most beautiful cosmetic products ever invented…thus, when I combine the two, I'm in eye makeup heaven! Here's a tutorial on how I integrated the two products.

Products/Instructions

1. blend Hollywood into (or in my case, above) the crease
2. apply UD eyeliner pencil in Corrupt to the inner and outer corners of lid
3. blend out with a pencil brush
4. layer Florence over the blended out pencil
5. apply Comex Gold to the center of lid
6. line upper lash line with Kate Super Sharp pen eyeliner in BK-1 and lower lash line with UD eyeliner in Zero
7. darken outer corners with London
8. accent lower liner with Florence

Finish by curling lashes, applying mascara, and applying Ardell Wispies.

Here's a quick camera phone snap that I took of my entire face before heading out. Oops! No eyelashes. I love the way they look, but hate the way they feel. So as soon as I'm done snapping the close up eye photo, I rip 'em off! Lol.

As always, thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

Hugs,
Cat

Spring Makeup Video Tutorial

Hi, everyone! So, for the start of spring break, I've got a new video tutorial up on a spring makeup look! Please give it a watch. :D

Thanks for reading, and watching! TGIF! <3

Hugs,

Cat

Easy Emerald Eyes with Stila Magnificent Metals

Almost done with finals and then I can go back to making higher quality video tutorials and full-face looks! Anyhoo, more Stila Magnificent Metals Foil Finish shadows arrived on my doorstep today, Metallic Emerald being one of them. I was simply too excited and started playing with it right away. Here's what I did!

Products/Instructions:

1. As always, begin with a primed eye and apply green eyeshadow to the inner and outer corners of your eyelid. I used the green shade from my Sleek Ultra Mattes V2 palette.
2. Apply Stila MMFF in Metallic Emerald to the center of the lid.
3. I'm really digging the soft eyeliner look these days. (foolproof) So I lined my upper and lower lash lines with a black pencil.
4. Accent lower liner with more green eyeshadow.
5. Darken outer corners with UD eyeshadow in Libertine.

To finish, curl lashes, apply mascara, and strip lashes, if you like. I'm wearing Ardell Natural Lashes in #106

Aren't these shadows gorgeously sparkly? (Well, ok, I did manually add that last little sparkle to make a point. XD) I'm so addicted! They're a little on the pricey side, $32 each, but coupon codes always pop up now and then, so keep an eye out!

Welps, one more final to go and I'm FREE…for a week. XD Happy Hump Day, y'all and thanks for reading!

Hugs,

Cat

White Gold and Wine Tutorial With Vintage Romance by Sleek Makeup

Good afternoon everyone! Here's a tutorial for my first look using my new Vintage Romance palette by Sleek Makeup. I love the way light gold looks paired with wine-colored tones, don't you agree?

Instructions:

1. blend Venice into crease
2. apply Madrid onto lid
3. blend Hollywood into outer corner
4. line top lash line and outer corner of bottom lash line with black eyeliner pencil (I'm going for a softness as opposed to my usual, sharp, liquid liner)
5. darken outer corner with Barcelona
6. highlight inner corner of lower lash line and tear duct with Madrid
7. blend a little Venice on the outer corner of lower lash line

Finish by applying Ardell Color Impact demi-Wispies in Plum to accentuate the purple tones. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I prime my eyelids first with Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden. This is a really beautiful palette with gorgeous, pigmented colors that are very blendable and compatible with each other. For only $12 each, I highly recommend it! I can imagine putting together a lot of vintage-inspired looks with this palette. I might try a 1920's Art Deco makeup look next. What do you think?

Thanks for reading and happy Monday! XD

Hugs,

Cat

Saint Patrick's Day Eyeshadow Tutorial

Happy weekend everyone! Well, not for me. I'm killing myself trying to finish my final project in time for Monday morning. (sorry I've been complaining about this so much, but it's excruciating and I'm miserable…so I appreciate you guys bearing with me while I vent on a daily basis.) Anyhoo…here ya go! I was able to carve out a few minutes to whip this up. Nothing new or really innovative, but green is so darn pretty and I rarely wear it.

Products/Instructions:

1. prime eyelid with UDPP in Eden
2. apply NXY Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk to the lid and blend out with finger
3. create a flick on the outer corner of eye as a containment guide with MBA Cosmetics black gel eyeliner
4. apply Sugarpill Acidberry to the inner corner of eyelid
5. apply Sugarpill Midori to center of eyelid
6. apply UD Libertine to outer corner, using the flick to guide the wing shape
7. define upper and lower lash lines with MBA Cosmetics black gel eyeliner
8. accent bottom liner with Sugarpill Midori

Finish by curling lashes, applying Maybelline Full N Soft Waterproof mascara, and adding Ardell Edgy eyelashes in #403.

Thanks for reading and enjoy the rest of the weekend! <3

Hugs,

Cat

Plush Red by NYX

This is the laziest post ever. (academics are closing in on me, guys. I'm cornered) Anyways…I REALLY liked my lipstick today. ^_______^ NYX Cosmetics Jumbo Lip Pencil in Plush Red.

Hugs,
Cat

Hi-Lustre Smokey Eye with Stila Magnificent Metals

So, I really tried to refrain from purchasing Stila's Magnificent Metals Foil Finish eyeshadows. Despite falling in love with the opaque, metallic formula…I just couldn't justify paying $32 for a single color. I went about foiling my metallic shadows and even read negative reviews about the Magnificent Metals to convince myself I didn't want them. Well, I found a 20% off coupon code a week ago and decided that $27, including tax and shipping for a single cake of Kitten wouldn't hurt. And now, Stila's website is having a 25% off sale with free shipping and no minimums…so I'm sort of eyeing the Emerald and Comex Gold now. XD

Anyways, here is a quick pictorial tutorial I did for the lustrous smokey eye I did the other say with Kitten. I chose this particular shade because it's a nude neutral with a touch of peachy-pink. I feel that it is among the most versatile of the Magnificent Metals. Therefore, if I could only have one, this one would be it.

Instructions:

• prime eyelid with UDPP in Eden
• apply Buxom eyeshadow in Pug wherever you would like to define your "crease". (because I have a nearly non-existant crease, I place the shadow in an arc above my natural fold)
• apply a soft pencil or gel liner to outer corners
• blend out eyeliner with Sephora eyeshadow in Starry Sky
• apply Stila Magnificent Metals in Kitten to lid
• line top and bottom lash lines. I used both liquid and pencil eyeliner.
• add a touch of Urban Decay's eyeshadow in blackout to deepen the outer corners
• highlight tear duct with a touch of shimmery, nude shadow
• to complete the look, apply Ardell Wispies eyelashes

A little of this stuff goes a long way. See that tiny little smudge on the brush? That was enough for one eye. This little cake will probably last me a lifetime!

I'd love to do a video tutorial on how to use Magnificent Metals as well as how to REMOVE them…I hear it can be challenging, but I've found a way to make it easy. ;)

Hope you guys enjoyed today's post! Happy Hump Day!

Hugs,

Cat

Teal Crease Smokey Eye

Hi, everyone! So, this is my last week of class before finals. You've probably noticed that I've slowed down a little. Can't wait till I'm on spring break so that I can, hopefully, make a couple more tutorial videos in order to catch up to tutorial requests! For the time being, here's a pictorial tutorial of a teal, smokey eye with a defined crease.

I used Urban Decay's limited edition 15 Anniversary palette for this. If you don't have one, just use another brand and similar colors…or even different colors. I'm just sharing the technique.

Thanks for reading and have a great Tuesday! :D

Hugs,
Cat

Horror Makeup Inspired by The Grudge

Oh, Mondays…lol. Just thought I'd share something a little different today. Horror makeup strongly influenced by the Japanese horror film, The Grudge. I have a supporting role in a student film that's being made this week.

BOO!

Normal Cat

What do you think? Have I found a new look? XD

- Cat the (not so) friendly ghost

Earth, Water, Wind, and Fire

Good afternoon, everyone! I am so excited to present a collaborative makeup project I've been working on with 3 other amazingly creative, international artists. We deified the four elements and interpreted them in our own, unique ways using makeup as our primary medium.

To view the complete photo set with detailed images of each look, CLICK HERE.

Ms. Saskia, the Earth deity on the top left corner has a delightful blog called Pretty Trivialities. I highly recommend you check her out, she does comprehensive product reviews and gives a lot of in-depth insight on beauty and other fun stuff. She also has a very engaging Instagram account.

Ms. Josephine, the Water deity on the upper right, is a consummate artist in many mediums…I've seen that she's amazing in makeup and photography, as well as digital work. She's a pure artist who simply enjoys art for art's sake, therefore you won't find her with a blog or Instagram…though she should really start one of the three so that her admirers, myself included, can stalk more of her creative work! She did start a YouTube, so, hopefully, more cool stuff to come from her!

Ms. Ayannah, the Wind deity on the lower left, flawlessly carries every look she creates. Not sure at the moment if she has a blog or YouTube yet, but you can see more of her work on her Instagram account. If she isn't already, she can definitely pass as a high fashion model and makeup artist, but I have a feeling that this is just a fun hobby for her, as it is for the rest of us. :)

Anyhoo, here are additional, detailed images of my interpretation of FIRE:

This was such a fun shoot and collaboration! It was a lot of work, but totally worth it. I'm really happy to have met and bonded with these ladies and look forward to doing more creative work like this in the future! :)

Hugs,

Cat

Chrissy Teigen Inspired Makeup

Ok, so we can't all be born looking incomparably gorgeous like Chrissy Teigen or live her incredibly charmed life - Hello! Making $$$$ off of your good looks and being married to John Legend, to boot! However, I CAN steal her makeup. That's the best li'l ol' me can do. Anyhoo, I suddenly felt the urge to recreate a celebrity look the other night and Chrissy came to mind. Being half Thai, she and I sort of share a southeast Asian background. Also, our coloring and facial structures are similar enough that I figured I could make something work. I came across a fabulous red carpet image of her while browsing Google and knew it was the one. I just adore this glowing, golden look with a warm, smokey eye. How do you think I did?

Haha, I don't think I'm any closer to looking like her, but I do think that this color scheme is pretty flattering on my complexion. I'm a little yellower than Chrissy and wasn't as heavy-handed on the blush as her makeup artist. Overall, I like the way it turned out. Here is a close up of the eyes, created with the original UD Naked palette.

I went a little heavier on the highlight and contour than with my normal makeup. I definitely don't see myself going out every day like this, but heavier makeup does look wonderful in photos. I think I'll reserve this look for special occasions.

Isn't it amazing what good lighting and makeup can do? I did not use ANY filters for these images. Anyhoo, thanks for reading and hope you guys enjoyed this post. Happy hump day, until next time! :)

Hugs,
Cat

Shimmery Purple Smoke with YSL Pure Chromatics #13

Good evening, everyone! Hope you're all enjoying a lovely Saturday. It's raining here in my neck of the woods, but temperatures are still in the mid to high 60's and we're in a drought so it's much needed. Why am I blogging at 8pm on a Saturday? Because I'm staying in this weekend, and for the next two, in order to finish this leg of my graduation project. :P

Anyways, just thought I'd share my EOTD that I created with the Yves Saint Laurent Pure Chromatics Wet & Dry eyeshadow quad in #13. It's a really pretty, purple toned set of shadows that's decently pigmented when dry and very opaque and metallic when wet. Here is a smokey look that I did dry over primer:

I used the same technique for this look as I did with the Rose Gold Smokey Eye that I did a video demonstration for the other day.

Anyways, back to work for me! Hope you all enjoyed this post, however brief. :) Happy Saturday, everyone!

Hugs,

Cat