Thursday, February 20, 2014

Evening Look (Date Night)

*This post contains both products purchased by me as well as some sent for consideration

Evening Look (Date Night)-Tutorial

Welcome to part 3 of my makeup series.  Don't forget to check out parts 1 & 2 in the links below.  This post is my go-to evening look. It's perfect for a date, drinks out with friends or anytime you need to look a little more put together for a night out. Evening is definitely the perfect time to wear a bolder look. The general rule I like to chose, is to pick your favorite feature and play that up.  For example, if you love your eyes, play them up! Go with a smokey eye, or a bold liner, and pair with a neutral lip.  Luscious lips?  Rock a bold lip with nude eyes.  Perfect skin? Play it up with some contouring and highlighting. I tend to take a little bit more time for my evening look.  

So put on your favorite music, light some scented candles and lets get started!

Prime: I've been testing out this new CC primer from Tarte Cosmetics. It comes in a stick format, and has corrective properties to help neutralize redness in the skin while adding a brightening effect. This will give your makeup a matte finish, so I do not recommend it for those with overly dry skin. I applied this product directly from the stick to my T-zone and blended it out with a sponge. If you don't have this product, just use your favorite face primer instead. 


Foundation: For evening, I like to use a good quality foundation. During the daytime, I tend to favor BB Creams or tinted moisturizers, but for nighttime, I like a bit more coverage. One of my favorite high end foundations is Koh Gen Do Moisture Foundation. I find this one especially great during these cold winter months, because it really does add a bit more moisture into the skin, while still providing real coverage. I applied this using my new Zoeva 124 Grand Stippling Brush. I buffed it into the skin using circular motions.  This face brush works great! I just got it, so I'll test it a bit longer before I post a full review on it.




Correct/Conceal: Next, I cover up my under eye circles using a double ended roller ball from Physicians Formula. One end is a yellow based corrector, and the other end provides light concealing.  The cool metal of the roller ball helps depuff the under eye area.  This product doesn't quite provide enough coverage for me, but it is a good base for my other concealing products.  Before layering anything on top, I use a synthetic brush to blend the product under my eyes. Be sure to use a brush that is very soft, as the under eye area is extremely delicate. For added coverage, I applied a new concealer I am testing from Arbonne. It has a light creamy texture, and you only need a tiny bit.  I used this product under my eyes and on any blemishes around the face. To add light to the center of the face, I used a highlighting concealer pen from Trish McEvoy and applied it under the eyes, to the bridge of my nose, and the center of my forehead. You can apply any lighter concealer to your face on any areas that you want to highlight or bring forward. Use the same synthetic brush we used earlier to blend everything in. You want to really take your time with these steps to help create the perfect canvas for your makeup. 






Powder: Now we have to set all of that concealer. To keep the skin looking matte, yet healthy, I chose a translucent loose powder by Lavera. This is a vegan setting powder, that helps control shine without ever looking cakey.  Another great choice is Cover FX Illuminating Setting Powder which is great for winter because it also has moisturizing benefits, while still controlling shine. While the finish is luminous, it's not at all shiny. If you prefer a matte look, Cover FX Matte Setting Powder is another great choice. I applied this using my large Kelley Quan New York powder brush. I love using this brush for setting powder because it's so soft and fluffy, that it deposits a nice light coat of powder without disturbing the foundation underneath. 



Eye Primer: I always apply an eye primer before my eyeshadow. It makes such a difference for me, I don't know what I'd do without it. Even if you don't normally wear one, if you are going out for the evening, it is a good idea to try one out. It will make sure your eyeshadow look stays perfect all night. I chose one from NYX.  This Eyeshadow Base is white, which will help the eyeshadow colors appear more true. To get a nice thin layer of primer on your eye lids, I recommend applying and blending with a synthetic brush. 



Eyeshadow: You will need five eyeshadow colors for this look. Click on the link at the bottom of this post to see the five eyeshadow types everyone needs. You will need: a matte highlight shade (one that matches your skin tone or is slightly lighter), a shimmery shade that works great solo for the lid, a contour color (try a matte dark brown), a transition shade (a warm lighter brown), and a liner shade (matte black).  The actual colors you use can vary as long as you stick to these types of shadows. I was able to find all five shades I needed in the NYX 10 Color Eyeshadow Palette called The Runway Collection. This is a great, and super affordable little palette of shadows that will easily fit in your makeup bag.

Eyeshadow Application: First, chose your matte highlight shade. I chose a cream color from the palette. Pick up the color using a flat shader brush.  This will serve as a base for our look. Apply to the lid, under the brow, and on the inner corner of the eyes. 




Next, choose a shimmery shade for your lid. Flip over your brush and pick up the color right above the cream shade in this palette. Using a packing motion, pack the color onto your eye lid, stopping in the natural crease of your eye. The shade I chose is light, but has some nice shimmer to it.  Shimmer shadows are particularly pretty for evening makeup looks.



Using the same brush, pick up a dark matte brown using the tip of the brush.  Apply this shadow along the lower lash line smudging it as you you along. Start at the outer corner so the darkest concentration of color is there and sweep inward toward the inner corner of your eye. 




 
Liner: We are going to use matte black eyeshadow for liner. Using a push liner brush, pick up some matte black shadow. Push the color underneath the lashes along the top lash line.  This will give the appearance of thicker longer lashes. Simply push and wiggle the brush until you get the desired effect.



Now go back to your flat shadow brush, and using the tip again, pick up just a touch of the matte black shadow and work it along just the edge of your lower lash line, pulling the line out slightly. Use a clean brush to blend out the edge, pulling the color into the outer corner of the eye.


Using a fluffy crease brush, pick up the dark matte brown and sweep lightly into the natural crease of your eye. I find a duo fiber brush helps with getting a nice light layer of color. Just above that, chose a transition shade, a slightly lighter brown and sweep lightly in between the dark brown and your cream highlight shade we applied earlier.




After your colors are applied, it is always helpful to take a clean blending brush and blend over any harsh edges.

Brows: To frame the eyes, we want to make sure brows are neatly groomed. I like to run through the brows with a clean brow brush first.  Tweeze any stray brows if needed. Now, choose a matte cool toned brown shadow or brow powder and fill in any sparse areas using an angled brush. I used my Kelley Quan Wave brush, which is my absolute favorite brush for brows. Set everything with a clear brow gel.




Liquid Liner: Since this is an evening look, I decided to add some liquid liner to really play up my eyes. You can use any color you prefer, and black will definitely work here.  However, I decided to try something a little more unexpected, so I used a bright blue. To make sure the line is super precise, I applied it using the Zoeva Winged Liner brush. Use a Q-Tip to clean up any smudges.

Lime Crime Liquid Eyeliner in Lazuli (Bright Blue) 

Lashes: Curl lashes and apply generous coats of your favorite mascara. My favorite currently is Too Faced Better Than Sex. 




To make sure lashes are super separated, comb through lashes with a metal lash comb.  If you have trouble with curling your lashes, I recommend trying a heated eyelash curler, which I use almost exclusively in my professional kit. 
If desired, apply a waterproof rose gold liner in your waterline. 

Cheeks: For blush, I used the new Physicians Formula Nude Wear Glowing Nude Blush in Rose. To the cheekbones, I applied Milani Illuminating Face Powder in Amber Nectar as a highlight. 




Lips: For lips, I applied Ilia Lipstick in Neon Angel straight from the tube. I blotted it, then applied Nuance by Salma Hayek Ultra Shine Lip Gloss in Nectar. It's a very sheer, but high shine peach color, that still allows the lipstick to show through. Blot to remove any excess.



If desired finish the look with a spritz of setting spray. I'm really enjoying the ones from NYX currently, and find they are perfect for getting my look to last all night long. 

Here is the finished look:





I hope you enjoyed this makeup tutorial.  This is my go-to evening makeup look.  I usually use black liquid liner, but decided to switch it up for fun. What is your go-to evening makeup look? Please share in the comments below. 

Brushes used: Kelley Quan New York, Zoeva, Crown Brushes

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*This post contains both products purchased by me and samples sent for consideration. All opinions are my own. I do not get paid to write reviews or recommend products. I do not get any commissions if you purchase any of the products mentioned in this post.