The Tuesday Face : Vampy All The Way

Today's look had to be a vampy one; with Fall coming our way, it was only matter of time before I went back to the dark side (not that I ever left it really - vampy shades are my everything all year round, no matter the season). It's no news that I can't get enough of bold lipsticks, especially vampy shades. We all have that one magic trick up our sleeve that can make a really sh*tty day instantly a bit more bearable, whether it's a pretty dress, a pair of heels or a kick-ass lipstick. Nothing makes me feel more put together and powerful than a dark lip. People do stare, but that's expected with any statement you may make - and quite frankly, I do love the made-up and slightly unapproachable look a vampy lip arms you with. It screams a "don't-you-dare-talk-to-me" for you on those days you just cannot be bothered with small talks - or any talk. 

Base: Chanel Perfection Lumière Velvet, MAC Pro Longwear concealer, Hourglass Ambient Lighting powder in Diffused Light and Mood Exposure blush, Nars Laguna bronzer, MAC Soft and Gentle Eyes: Urban Decay Buck eyeshadow, MAC Soft and Gentle, Charlotte Tilbury mascara, Stila Kitten eyeshadow, Suqqu brow pen Lips: MAC Vino lip liner

I kept everything pretty simple with a wash of colour on the eyes and a natural-ish base, and then threw on some Vino lip liner which looks so good on its own I didn't even have the heart or need to add anything else on top. Bonus ? Lip liners last forever and are the handiest if you somehow manage to mess it up during the day and need to touch up. Easiest look e-ver for those days when you want to look decent but seriously couldn't be bothered to make an actual effort. 

What Men Want

"I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best." - Marilyn Monroe.

I've been meaning to write an article about make-up tips and tricks to go on a date for months. I had it all planned and I believe I had some pretty good advices up my sleeve. I've had my fair share of experiences and disasters, heard and told enough to come up with a pretty solid list of sensible recommendations. I was going to tell this funny story (not so funny back then) about that time I went on a date and had the not-so-brilliant idea to slap on a brand new foundation I had never tried before, because it was from a good brand and was meant to make me look fabulous right? Guess what - it was a total catastrophe. I never felt stickier, cakey-ier nor more suffocated with foundation in my entire life. Oh, and obviously the color match was hopelessly off. I was a total wreck and had no time to start over. So, yeah, I was young, inexperienced, messed up big time with make-up and was anything but confident when the time came and I had to sit in that guy's car. Was it the worst date ever ? No. Did I wish I had known better ? Sure. Do I believe it would have made any difference to the outcome of the relationship ? Absolutely not. Which is why I don't feel comfortable writing that post after all. I swear it seemt smart to me at first and all I wanted to do was to spare you the many embarrassments I myself and fellow women suffered. I wanted to give you some safe tips and an approachable guideline to make it easier for you and help you feel good about yourself on those nerve-racking rendez-vous.  But I came to realize how pointless the whole idea was. There's no book nor rules when it comes to what men want and thank God there's no such thing as a "What Women Want" textbook either. I'm all for that girl-power which, whether we're willing to admit it or not, make-up provide us with to some extent. But hell, make-up shouldn't be a concern when it comes to relationships. I'll gladly advise what make-up look to wear on an interview, everyday at work or even for a wedding or any other type of occasion that calls for careful planning, but not for a date. You can't plan a date and quite frankly shouldn't even try to, no matter how tempting. Don't wear make-up if you don't want to. Wear a full-coverage foundation if you feel like it. For God's sake, go all out with some falsies and your favourite red lipstick if you want to. You do you, is the best and only advice anyone could ever give. Don't lose yourself and start betting on you . And please, remember that if a little make-up -  or none at all - scares him off, he wasn't the one anyway. 

The Tuesday Face : What's On Your Eyes ?

What's on your eyes ? was without a doubt my most asked question this summer - from classmates to friends, to make-up artists on beauty counters, even random strangers in bars and in the tube. Everyone seemed fascinated by the bold metallic sheen of what was proudly dressing up my eyelids for a month straight. So, yeah, this post was bound to happen. If you too are wondering what's on my eyes, keep reading darling.

Base: Covergirl Ready Set Gorgeous, MAC Studio Finish concealer, Hourglass Ambient Lighting powder and blush, Illamasqua highlighter in Aurora, Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting powder. Eyes: Nars Dual Intensity eyeshadow in Himalia, Urban Decay eyeshadow in Buck, MAC Swiss Chocolate, Stila Kitten and Charlotte Tilbury mascara Lips: Suqqu lipstick.

Meet Nars Dual Intensity eyeshadow in Himalia, the star of the show. The Dual Intensity eyeshadows launched last year and were a hit, for good reasons. The meaning behind the name of "dual intensity" is that those shadows are specifically meant to be used both dry and/or wet. Now, it's no news that you can use your eyeshadows wet to get a better pay-off and more dramatic effect, but it is true that not all shadows are designed to be mixed with water and in some cases, it can truly ruin them. Worn dry, the Nars' shadows deliver a beautiful sheen and a buildable pigment. The real magic happens when you use them wet; they can truly surpass any pigment. I personally like to use MAC Fix + on my brush and then dabb it into the pan, but any type of mist would do - hell, water would do. Once I laid down the color, I like to set it by using my finger and some of the dry shadow. This will also add some extra sparkle. There's nothing you can't do with this shadow. I particularly like this shade as it is a lovely golden-y bronze neutral that goes with everything and can be dressed up or down depending on the time of the day (hint hint, it looks f-a-b with big lashes and a bold lip on a night-out). I'm not going to lie, the price of this baby is outrageous - 21£ or freaking 50 swiss quid for one shadow seems impossible to justify, so much that I myself, a make-up-alcoholic, had a hard time to make the move. I can't begin to tell you how glad I am I did. If you decide to take the plunge, I'd suggest healing your financial wound by reminding yourself that a little bit of this fairy dust goes a loooong way, so if your credit card's lucky she won't have to go through this traumatising process again. Just sayin'. 

Spotlight: Mac Studio Finish

Spotlight aims to draw attention to those behind-the-scene products that make daily life - or more so daily make-up application - much easier yet often remain in the shadows, and give them the love they truly deserve. Some will be unexpected while others may come as no surprise, but I promise they'll all be fabulous. As thrilling as it is to keep up with the never-ending list of brand new innovations and as much as I love to discover, try and share my thoughts on the glamorous products of the moment, I feel like we all have those staple products we always go back to no matter what, to the point we forget we even use them - which sounds sadly unfair. I hope to bring back to the front scene some of those hero-products through Spotlight while asserting my love and gratitude for those little gems that somehow always find their way back into my make-up bag.

If there is one product that makes absolutely anyone look better, it's concealer. I don't care who you are, concealer will change your life too, if it hasn't already. We're all human beings here, we all have imperfections whether it's dark circles, redness, spots, scars, hyper-pigmentation, you name it - and truth is, there's nothing wrong with getting a little help sometimes. That's the job of a good concealer. I found the MAC Studio Finish in my draw a few months ago, amongst the fancy and much hyped Urban Decay Naked and Nars Radiant Creamy concealers and felt ashamed for abandoning it for so long. I took it with me to London and literally reached for it every-single-day-since. I still love my numerous other concealers, but I remembered how this one did it all then, and sure as hell can do it all now. It's thick, waxy and a bit odd to work with at first, granted - but once you get the hang of it, believe me you won't let go. It's full coverage, does not budge or get cakey, ever. The best and in my opinion only way to use it is with your fingers. I do like to place it with a brush (because I'm a freak and can't get my head around dabbing my fingers into the damn thing for some reason) but I always blend it with my fingers, so the warmth of my skin melts the product and make it look seamless. It's honestly genius; it can cover pretty much anything, you don't need any unnecessary tool and it's so tiny you can take it everywhere with you so it can have your back at all times. Ladies, it's a keeper. 

The Tuesday Face

Welcome to The Tuesday Face, a new column that will be featured   on  *you guessed it* Tuesdays on Drop The Mask. I find FOTDs (aka Face Of The Day) quite enjoyable as they offer a quick review of a couple of products, suggest a way to use them and most importantly deliver a straightforward swatch en pleine action. You know I can be a bit - or a lot - wordy, so this will offer you a break and hopefully remain short and sweet. I'll try to be as creative as possible and feature different type of make-up looks, from your typical on-the-go looks to bolder, more evening-appropriate ones. I hope you enjoy them !

Base: Covergirl Ready Set Gorgeous, MAC Studio Finish concealer, Hourglass Ambient Lighting powder and blush, Illamasqua highlighter in Aurora, Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting powder. Eyes: L'Oréal infaillible eyeshadows in Amber Rush and Bronzed Taupe, Stila Kitten eyeshadow, Charlotte Tilbury mascara, MAC Teddy eyeliner. Lips: Suqqu lipstick and Charlotte Tilbury lip cheat in Pillowtalk. 

I kept it fairly simple for the first Tuesday Face and came up with a soft warm smokey eye and a fresh base. As summer is coming to an end and knowing I'll have over four months to bore you with grungier looks and vampy lips, it felt only right to celebrate the warmer months one last time. To do so, I reached for a light base, used as little concealer as possible and generously applied a cream highlighter on the highest points of my face. What really inspired the whole look was two drugstore gems that I was itching to use for quite some time but somehow never got around picking out of my stack. Silly, silly me, I had no clue of how good they are. The L'Oréal infallible eyeshadows are epic in many ways; beautiful shade range, incredible pay-off, extra long-wearing, easy to work with and such a bargain ! I used Bronzed Taupe all over the lid and Amber Rush on my crease to warm up the look. I also used it on top of Bronzed Taupe for some extra sparkle, and voilà ! If you don't own those already, I'd highly recommend picking them up sooner rather than later because trust me, you're missing out on something big here.