Monday, September 30, 2013

Manic Makeup: Know Your Lines!

With eyeliner styles trending hot and heavy this season, we have had a ton of questions on what is the difference between 'cat eyes' and 'wings'??? There are actually 4 eye liner styles that are trendy but often confused but easily identified once you learn the differences! 

Eye collage


The "Flick" Liner
The flick is a very simple line and great for an everyday liner look. Characteristics of a the flick:
  • Follows the natural shape of your eye
  • Line is thinner and about the same width across the span of the eye
  • Outer corner of the line turns up slightly to create "the flick"
  • A bottom line typically isn't worn

The "Winged" Liner
Winged liner is the big sister to the flick. It elongates the eye and is a more dramatic look. Characteristics of the wing:
  • Follows the natural shape of the eye before extending
  • The extension of the line is more straight in nature and extends toward the temple with a slight flick at the end
  • The line can be thick or thin but keeps about the same thickness across. May be a bit thinner at the inner corner and increase slightly toward the outer corner
  • A bottom line is optional and is normally thinner is worn



The "Cat Eye" Liner
Cat Eyes are normally the most mistaken lines, but a true cat eye look is bold & dramatic! Characteristics of a cat eye:
  • Doesn't follow the natural shape of the eye
  • Line starts off very thin at the inner corner and thickens dramatically at the extension
  • Line extends dramatically upward toward the eyebrow, not outward toward the temple
  • A bottom line that angles upward to join the extension is normally worn


The "Arabian" Liner
Arabian liner like Cat Eyes are very bold and dramatic no matter what! Characteristics of the Arabian line:
  • Doesn't follow the natural eye shape
  • Line is thicker in nature and increases in thickness as it moves toward the outer corner of the eye
  • Line always extends in past the inner corner of the eye
  • Line extends more toward the eye brow than the temple
  • A heavy bottom line is always worn extending into the top line and waterline is filled as well

Monday, September 23, 2013

Find Your Perfect Shade of Red Lipstick

Red lipstick is red hot this fall! It can be an intimidating color but once you know how to pick the right shade to compliment your skin tone, you will be sporting your red lips non stop!

Red is a bold color that will draw the eyes to it, it can make a statement or make you look like a mess but finding the right shade and applying with the proper technique can make you look like a siren!

Fair Skin
If you have fair skin with pink or peachy undertones:
Perfect Shade: Cherry Red with a slight orange or pink undertones
Our Picks: Makeup Forever- Rouge Artist Intense
                   Maybelline- Red Revival
                   MAC- Lady Danger
 

Fair Skin
If you have fair skin with yellow undertones:
Perfect Shade: Deep/Brick Red with blue undertones
Our picks: Revlon ColorStay- Fashionista
                   NARS- Heat Wave
                   NYX- Electra


Medium Skin
If you have medium skin with olive or gold understones:
Perfect Shade: True Red (Fire Engine)
Our Picks: MAC- Brave Red
                   NYX- Eros
                   Bobbi Brown- Vintage Red


Light Brown Skin
If you have light brown skin with warm gold undertones:
Perfect Shade: Bright Red with orange undertones
Our Picks: Lipstick Queen- Rust Sinner
                   MAC- Hourglass Raven
                   NYX- Femme
               

Dark Brown Skin

If you have dark brown skin with cool chocolate undertones:
Perfect Shade: Deep Red with blue or brown base
Our Picks: Lancome- Fiery Attitude
                   NYX- Hero
                   Revlon- Ravish Me Red                

Thursday, September 19, 2013

OBSESSED! e.l.f. Primer & Liner Sealer

When I sat a department store makeup counter over 15 years ago learning how to do my makeup primers didn't exist. I have always hated spending so much time doing my eye make up just to have ugly color creases, color fade out & black eye boogers by lunch. Primers are a new wave in the makeup world and made to prohibit that exact thing! To make it better there seems to be a primer for everything, so which do you pick?!

Obsessed!
I am absolutely OBSESSED! with e.l.f. products as a whole.They make a great, drugstore product with a low price point and their stuff holds up to the name they put on it. And this little doozie takes the cake! I have numerous primers that I use for various times and reasons I use one over the other but this is my GO TO daily primer for my everyday looks.

Why I am OBSESSED!
e.l.f.'s eye primer & liner sealer is a great dual product and anything that gets me a two for one has already started off on a good note! And the price point is ridiculously low for such an amazing product!
Eye Primer:
The twist up primer has the consistency of a lipstick so it glides gently across the eye lid for easy distribution. The primer comes in several shades to give you a natural, skin toned base to work off of. A lot of primers out there give you a whitish color which isn't great if you are going for a neutral or darker look.
This primer keeps my eyeshadow in check for the work day & then some. I don't get those oily creases and my color doesn't fade out.
Liner Sealer:
 I am a lover of black eyeliner and I like dragging it very far into the corners of my eyes. I'm also knows for wearing double wings and colored lower liners too. The oil from my skin causes the liner to run after a while producing those nasty black eye goobers. This sealer goes over your eyeliner to lock it in place all day. You can even dip the wand into a colored eyeshadow to create a custom colored liner.

How I Use Them
Eye Primer: 

  • On a clean face gently swipe the primer over your eye lid (and I use in the dark parts of the eye/nose bridge to help lock my concealer). 
  • I use a concealer brush to smooth the product out. More is not better with this product, if you get too much your shadow will get cakey.
  • Tap your shadow into your eye unless you are blending. This gives you more concentration of color & pushes the shadow into the primer for better hold. For colors that I want to stay extra vivid & locked in place I dampen my brush with Mac Fix Plus then tap the color in (see our OBSESSED! archive to learn the other ways I use Fix Plus).
Liner Sealer:

  • After applying your eyeliner, remove sealant wand from tube. Make sure to drag off the excess inside the tube. You don't want this product running into your eyes, it will sting.
  • Gently tap the wand along the liner line & allow to dry.
  • I've used this to set eyebrow fills as well.
  • To create a custom liner, dip the wand into a loose pigment color & draw on like a liquid liner. This stains the wand so be sure to wipe off the excess before reinserting back into the tube. 
You can pick up this great little duo for $3 at Target or buy online straight from e.l.f. At that price I stock up! 

Monday, September 16, 2013

Summer How To: Foolproof Cat Eye

Cat eyes have been slowly making a comeback and we will see them full force this fall! While it can be intimidating to do such a bold look if you aren't a heavy liner wearer, with a couple of simple tricks and a tad bit of practice, this is a look anyone can pull off with ease!

Check out our Foolproof Cat Eye tutorial for a super easy look that anyone can wear!


Monday, September 9, 2013

Fall Makeup Trends You Should Start Wearing Now!

The fashion world shocked the runways for fall by showcasing makeup looks that were uncommon for the cooler seasons, but hey, we aren't complaining! 

Here are the top 5 fall makeup trends to start wearing NOW as we get ready for the season change!

Bright eye colors
Bright colors are the norm for spring & summer but they are being stretched out through fall this year! Yaaay! for those of us who went wild on our summer makeup hauls or just love these colors!

Cat Eyes
Cat Eyes and flicks have been trending for some time but this fall, we saw the lines go extreme! This is the season to go wild with your favorite cat eye styles!

Metallic Eye Shadow


Candy Colored Lips
Pastels unexpectedly showed up all over the place for Fall/Winter fashion shows! Lips in ever candy color imaginable graced the cat walks. So get bold for a night out and find a shade you love!

Orange and Bronze Shadows

Fall makeup wasn't all full of surprises, we saw the warm, earthy hues of bronzes and oranges but in very bold ways!

For a full line of Fall makeup tutorials on these looks, stay tuned to www.youniqueu.co/makeup

Thursday, September 5, 2013

OBSESSED! Tarte Clean Slate Poreless

Tarte's Clean Slate, is exactly that, a clean slate for your face! This primer gives a perfect, smooth surface to apply makeover for a flawless finish! 


Obsessed!

Why I Am OBSESSED!
Tarte is committed to producing natural products and when it comes to primers, they win hands down with this one! Clean Slate is natural so i doesn't contain sulfates (which strip your natural oil & dry out your skin), parabens (a preservative that mimics estrogen & has been linked to cancer), mineral oil (which clogs pores); what is does have is Avocado oil (rich in vitamins A, B1, B2, D, E, protein and is known for its skin soothing properties) and Rosemary (anti-aging & skin soothing properties).
Smoothing this product on first gives you a waterproof, 12 hour secret to smoothing out fine lines, minimizing pores and perfecting your skin while helping to keep your makeup in place. Skin instantly looks smoother and more refined.

How I Use It:
Prior to applying foundation, smooth a light layer of the product over face and neck area. Be sure to rub it in to your skin well. Apply foundation, tinted moisturizer or BB cream over for a flawless look that lasts 12 hours. Tarte has multiple primers that focus on different areas but this one specifically focuses on minimizing pores which is crucial when creating a flawless skin look!

Get yours at Ulta, Sephora or Tarte Cosmetics for $30.

Monday, September 2, 2013

Summer How To: Girlie Glam

Every girl needs a glam look in her makeup book for a night out or anytime she wants to get all dolled up.

Check out our favorite Girlie Glam look inspired by all the pink and ruffles flying around this Summer!