Among the many eyeshadow palettes making their way into the hearts and homes of lovely ladies and makeup-lurving gents this holiday season, I’m betting there’s bound to be at least one (or two!) bright colors in the mix, and if you’re anything like me, some of those brights can be completely terrifying.
For me, it’s usually the bright pinks…
I have no qualms about wearing bright pink on my lips, but my eyes are a different story. It’s like, bright eyeshadows take a different kind of cajones, and sometimes I just don’t feel cool enough to pull them off.
But I know it’s just a state of mind, and so over the weekend, I busted out some of the bright eyeshadows I hardly ever wear and began to experiment. I was just messing around when I stumbled on something by accident…
Wow! Starting with a black base works wonders for bright eyeshadows!
And pretty much any formula should work, be it paint pot, smudgy liner or a creamy kohl. Just apply on your lids, smudge it out, and pat your bright eyeshadow directly on top. The black base sort of grounds the bright shadow, toning it down.
For these pics, I applied a layer of matte black Sephora Collection 12HR Wear Waterpoof Jumbo Liner in Black and topped it with shimmery hot pink Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Noise (from the Vice Palette).
Noise is a lot…noisier in its pan than it is here. In the pan, it’s a hot pink with golden glitter, but smudged and blended atop a black base, it transforms into a much more wearable, yet still intense, dark plum.
Cool! 🙂
I’m so glad you’re back for another edition of Share a Tip Tuesdays! I loved the makeup and hair care tips you left in last week’s installment. Here are just some of the ones that caught my eye…
I love love love Suave Dry Shampoo (in the silver can with the yellow lid). So cheap, and it absorbs oil like nobody’s business. As far as shampoo/conditioner, though, nothing “budget” leaves my hair actually feeling clean and conditioned, so I will continue to stick by my beloved Aveda.
–LIZI’m dark skinned, and I love using bronzer as a brow highlight. It helps me make dents in the huge bronzer pans (it’s almost impossible to finish a bronzer), and it also subtly highlights my brows without making them too obvious.
–FIERANI’m obsessed with the L’Oreal Vive Pro Glossy Volume Shampoo and Conditioner — gives my fine hair a bit of shine without weighing it down, smells clean but not overly perfume-y, and it’s economical.
–CHELSEAFor lush lashes (and I am sure someone has already mentioned this), as I apply, I start right at the root of the lashes, and as I slooooooowly pull the brush up through my lashes to the tops, I wiggle back and forth gently. It combs through and really coats the lashes. I also always do one final coat just at the very tip to make them look extra long.
–JENNIFERI absolutely love the L’oreal Ever Pure Smooth shampoo and conditioner. I never used to use drugstore shampoos and conditioners and thought only expensive salon products would work on my fine but thick hair. It not only leaves my hair soft and manageable, but it doesn’t weigh it down.
–SHANNONAs a fair-skinned feline, my go to colours for eyes, lips, and cheeks aren’t necessarily restricted by my skin tone. With the right techniques and a light hand, porcelain princesses can rock almost any look. I love experimenting with colour and finding ways to make them work!
–PERIOUSLY PALEThe tips of my eyebrows are quite sparse, and filling them in with my regular taupe eyebrow pencil looks a bit drawn in. What I do is after I line my eyes with black gel liner and an angled liner brush, I dab my brush to get rid of any super dark residue, and then use the faint amount of product left to feather in the “hairs” in that area. I dunno, just makes them look more real and less drawn in.
–ANNA
Molte grazie! 🙂
So let’s get to it. Per usual, any and all of your makeup/beauty/hair/skin tips are welcome, but here are a few broad brushstrokes to get the conversation started…
- What are your top picks for Best Budget Hair Product?
- What techniques and products do you use to make your lipstick wear longer?
- What’s your top tip for applying liquid liner?
- Do you have any tried-and-true beauty tricks to make tired eyes look perkier?
- Are there any skin care products you absolutely swear by?
Leave your tips/tricks/suggestions here in the comments, or tweet ’em to me on Twitter @karenmbb using the hashtag #shareatiptuesday. 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. To my fellow Americans, Happy Election Day 2012! 
Peachy highlight on the inner corners of the eyes and brow bone is best to perk up tired eyes. Since I know that peach correctors work well for under eye dark circles, I don’t know why it was such a huge surprise to me when I tried it with MAC Arena, but whoa! A shimmery peach works so much better than champagne, which used to be my go-to highlight shade.
Wow! What a great tip! I’m totally going to try this now with UD Woodstock!
I wonder how it would work for bright turquoise colors…
Oh, and in terms of skin care products that I absolutely swear by, I would recommend Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque. This stuff is the business and works so well at sucking impurities out of my pores. It feels tingly and cooling while you’re applying and my skin looks refreshed and clean afterwards. Plus, I find that it’s gentle enough for me to use multiple times a week, if I want.
Also, sometimes I’ll put a dab on really nasty pimples right before bed. It works wonderfully as a spot treatment!
You can find it on Amazon for $4.61 + $1.31 shipping.
These are my top picks for budget hair products:
1. Pantene Volume Shampoo & Conditioner: I have fine, flat hair, and when I use these products, they really make a difference. I read somewhere about using conditioner at your roots to help “plump” up the hair and I find that really works!
2. John Frieda Volume Mousse: Another great product to help give some volume to my flat hair.
I love trying different hair products, but these are the two I reach for most often.
The best bright eyeshadow tip ever! Going to bust out my brights asap!!! I have so many unloved colors in 88 palettes, going to experiment for sure! Thanks 😀
Love your tip for toning down bright shadow! If you want to make bright shadow look bright, do the opposite: put white liner/shadow/primer underneath bright colors – it really makes them pop!
WHAT ARE YOUR TOP PICKS FOR BEST BUDGET HAIR PRODUCT?
~Garnier Fructis Fall Fight Leave-In Conditioner – I have noticed a difference in the amount of hair that I lose. I have lost less, and had less breakage from pulling it back.
~Tresemme Cashmere Touch serum (leave-in) – really amps up shine and makes hair very soft. Meant for damaged hair (mine is pretty healthy with some breakage and dryness because it’s fine, thick, and long).
~Garnier Fructis Argan Oil – can be used several different ways, from being added to your conditioner in the shower to being used as a leave-in conditioner and shine booster. I am a big proponent of argan oil because I have seen how it protects my hair and makes it a lot softer and shinier. I also add argan oil to my hair dye so that my dye doesn’t dry out my hair.
WHAT TECHNIQUES AND PRODUCTS DO YOU USE TO MAKE YOUR LIPSTICK WEAR LONGER?
~When I do wear lipstick, I use the blotting technique: apply lipstick, blot with a tissue, and apply another coat. I will sometimes use concealer or nude lip liner as a base, too.
WHAT’S YOUR TOP TIP FOR APPLYING LIQUID LINER?
~Rest your arm on your makeup counter/sink to steady your hand. I still apply liquid liner like I apply any other liner: I pull my eyelashes down, holding my lashes away from the liner and keeping my skin taut. I am basically holding that eyelid shut that way. I keep the liner as close to my lash lines as possible and clean up any mistakes with a Q-tip and makeup remover. I apply liquid liner first, usually, and touch it up after my eyeshadow.
DO YOU HAVE ANY TRIED-AND-TRUE BEAUTY TRICKS TO MAKE TIRED EYES LOOK PERKIER?
~I use the gold or white shadow/liner in the inner corner trick to perk up tired eyes. I will also use shadows that give more of a glow – Maybelline Luminous Lights in Rose Lights eyeshadow is great for a quick look and makes you look well-rested. You can also use your blush as an eyeshadow and it will have the same effect. Another trick, if you’re not into pinks, is to use gold or nude-colored eyeshadows. My personal favorite is UD in Midnight Cowboy – it’s not too gold and not a matte nude. Midnight Cowboy, with Bourbon as the liner, is a great neutral look that is quick, easy, and perks up tired eyes. I will use mascara with shimmer as well to make me look more awake. My favorite one is L’Oreal Double Extend with black at one end and copper at the other. The copper gives subtle “lash highlights” over the black and really wakes up tired eyes as well as enhancing eye color. If you’re having a case of red-eye, navy liner is supposed to enhance the whites of your eyes and your eye color. Almay makes a good navy liner as part of their Wake Up Makeup collection, and Rimmel Exaggerate in Deep Ocean is a good one with staying power.
ARE THERE ANY SKIN CARE PRODUCTS YOU ABSOLUTELY SWEAR BY?
~Bath and Body Works body butters and lotions are good, and you can pick from many scents. I love St. Ives Mineral Therapy lotion, it really hydrates well and has a subtle smell so you can wear perfume with it. I swear by retinol, it can be any brand, but it works wonders at brightening skin and getting rid of cystic zits. I have tried retinol so far from Garnier, Olay, and Neutrogena, and all three brands are pretty good. I am going to try the Garnier Overnight Peel for Dark Spots (I have some zit scars), and see how that works. For face lotion, I swear by Aveeno Positively Radiant. It works as an illuminizer, and it is good on sensitive skin. I also love Garnier’s BB Cream because it’s very hydrating. I use that as my foundation now.
Karen, that eye look you created by mixing Noise with the black base is SICK! It’s funny that you came across this tip by accident because I found a similar solution for toning down ballsy eye colors a few months ago. If you mix brown eyeshadow with the more dramatic colors in your eye look, you’ll get a softened version that usually translates into a more comfortable look. This tip is especially good for people who are just starting to add brighter/deeper colors to their eye looks. ie: If you’re worried about blue eyeshadow being too BLUE!, then throw some brown in there. Just make sure the brown you’re using complements the overall tone/darkness of the eyeshadow that you’re adding it to.
Great tip! I have been loving playing with dark bases to change up my looks lately. The MUFE Black Tango cream palette has been great for this.
A skincare tip I swear by (well a lip care tip!) is Lansinoh Nipple Cream as a lip balm. I started using it years ago and I have not had chapped lips for even a minute since using it. I couldn’t live without it!
HIIIII!
What are your top picks for Best Budget Hair Product? Currently loving CLEAR Scalp Therapy!
What techniques and products do you use to make your lipstick wear longer? I am a huge fan of the apply, blot, then apply again technique.
I also use the ELF Lip Lock pencil to keep my lipstick from feathering – its a 3 dollar wonder!
What’s your top tip for applying liquid liner? Take your time, do it in stages and take your time. 😀
Do you have any tried-and-true beauty tricks to make tired eyes look perkier? Some blue eyeliner = that 3 hours of sleep you missed. Also, an under eye brightener like Bare Escentuals Well Rested makes you look, well, Well Rested!
Are there any skin care products you absolutely swear by? Philosophy Facial Cleansers, First Aid Beauty moisturizer and Caudalie. 🙂
The absolute best way to make tired eyes look perky is to skip liner on the lower lashes (even if it’s not black) and apply a flesh toned or white pencil to your waterline. Then apply a satin or shimmer eyeshadow to your eye’s inner corner. If you have large eyes, use a satin or matte eyeshadow, a shade lighter than your skin color.
I love love love Pangea Organics Egyptian Calendula cleanser. I wrote about it on my blog, I buy it as gifts and I basically advertise for the company, even though I don’t receive a check. LOL. It has changed dramatically. The only problem is that it’s a touch pricey ($28 for 4 ounces).
It has changed my skin dramatically. That was what I meant to say.
Love that color on your eyes. I swear by tarte maracuja oil. I use it every night and by the next morning my skin is soft as a baby.
What a great idea, it looks fabulous!!
I swear by Clinique Stay Matte Hydrator. It makes my skin so soft and smooth, but not oily!
Wow! What a fantastic tip! I am definitely going to try this! I am so glad you stumbled upon this, it is a perfect solution for those just starting to venture into bright eye makeup!
For liquid liner, I start roughly 1/3 of the way in and hold against the base of my lashes to get a fine line across my lid and stop about 1/4″ from the outer corner of my eye. Then, I flip the liner around so the point faces toward my temple. Place the tip of the liner where I want the end of the line or flick to be and press it against my lid and line “backwards”. It achieves the perfect cat eye every time. Then, just go back in and mesh where the lines meet.
For skincare products I swear by, it’s Paula’s Choice BHA lotion for an exfoliator and La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 for a winter (heavy) moisturizer. (My skin is sensitive and dry.)
I like to use my regular concealer as an eye primer and eye brightener! I make sure to use the concealer all over my eyelid and in the inner corner of my eyes. Makes a huge difference, you might not even need an eyeshadow!
Need an all-in-one bottle of magic for your next trip? Are you a Trader Joe’s regular like a certain makeup blogger? Go by the personal cleaning section and pick up the small bottle of Trader Joe’s Jojoba Oil. It is seriously a multi-tasker. Just to name a few things I do with it:
1. Leave-in conditioner for hair
2. “Waterproof” makeup remover
3. Face moisturizer (and I have sensitive skin!)
4. After shower body moisturizer
5. Lip balm (just a touch)
6. Massage oil
I got this idea after realizing how fun it was to mix and match Inglot pans. Get some regular magnets from your local home improvement store (or Rare Earth magnets online). Glue them to the back (or front, depending on the brand) of your eyeshadow. Put them on a magnetic surface. See how pretty it all looks? Take it a step further, group them on a magnetic dry erase board and label them ‘for Saturday dinner’ or ‘Work week colors’ or ‘I’M FIERCE’
Karen,love that purple on the eyes..neat trick!
My picks:
What are your top picks for Best Budget Hair Product? I use Organix Moroccan oil shampoo..its sulphate free and gives my hair a shine..I love the couture color pequi oil..not too pricey if you buy the small bottle..gives perfect shine and tames frizz.
What techniques and products do you use to make your lipstick wear longer? I actually dont bother about it lasting too long..but blotting,powdering and reapplying definitely helps on those days.
What’s your top tip for applying liquid liner? I keep my elbow firm to my body,side of my boobs and do with small strokes,not a continuous line.
Do you have any tried-and-true beauty tricks to make tired eyes look perkier?highlighter underneath eyebrows and a bright shade all over the top area,white eyepencil on water line and black below it and lots of mascara helps
Are there any skin care products you absolutely swear by? havent found an HG one yet,dont have a problematic skin either..I use couple of them on and off so cannot swear by one..But I love B&B and Korres lip balms a lot.
fantastic tip will be trying this! xx. gigi. food and beauty blogger @ http://www.gigikkitchen.blogspot.com
WHAT ARE YOUR TOP PICKS FOR BEST BUDGET HAIR PRODUCT? Head and Shouders. Flakes aren’t cute.
WHAT TECHNIQUES AND PRODUCTS DO YOU USE TO MAKE YOUR LIPSTICK WEAR LONGER? I think using a brush helps. Also, some brands last longer than others . I love Bobbi Brown Lip Color.
WHAT’S YOUR TOP TIP FOR APPLYING LIQUID LINER? The the pen type of liquid liners is great. Stila makes an awesome one.
DO YOU HAVE ANY TRIED-AND-TRUE BEAUTY TRICKS TO MAKE TIRED EYES LOOK PERKIER? Yes, I like a nice bright highlighting shade over the lid. I like Nars Alhambra duo (the champagne color)
ARE THERE ANY SKIN CARE PRODUCTS YOU ABSOLUTELY SWEAR BY? I swear that Purity Made Simple is an awesome cleanser. I also swear by Bobbi Brown BB cream. It’s a moisturizer, primer, and foundation in one.
Thanks for the great eyeshadow tip. I have a hot pink Mac shade from the hello kitty palette that I’ll try that with tomorrow.
1. Budget hair products- I really like the suave dry shampoo you mentioned and the suave hair heat protectant spray. To be honest I really don’t use much hair product.
2. Not really a tip but I really love the bare escentuals pretty amazing lip colors. Those last long without feeling drying.
3. I love liquid liner. One tip is if you feel shy about a stark black line try starting with brown. I really like the physician’s formula fine tip liners. They have a black and a down and come in a silver cap. They last all day and are easy to use and inexpensive. Cvs is always have great deals on this brand.
4. I need tips on this.
5. My go to skincare is bare minerals, I love their purifying cleanser. It is gentle enough to run directly on my eyelids and them wipe off with a washcloth. One tip…though…wipe it off first. Don’t rinse or it may sting your eyes. Super gentle and doesn’t leave my skin too tight,
Lately, I’ve been addicted to Herbal Essences Drama Clean Shampoo + Conditioner. I have some major problems with 2nd day greasiness, and this stuff rids my hair of that as well as making it soft and shiny. Plus, it smells so good!
Unfortunately I bought Long Term Relationship Shampoo + Conditioner at the same time, and it is horrible.. still trying to use it up on the weekends when I don’t care if my hair gets greasy.
Liquid liner has been MY JAM since sophomore year in high school! My ultimate savior when it comes to cat eyes: the pointed q-tip. Take either a sharpened pencil or some dark shadow on an eyeliner brush and lightly sculpt out the shape you want. Getting the eyes symmetrical is as easy as just removing any mistakes with the pointed q-tip (I like to go by the angle my lower lash line makes – just run the q-tip up from that angle to get a perfectly sharp line). Then go over with liquid liner. A bit more time-consuming, but it beats having to mess around with smeary liquid liner in order to correct a mistake.
1. What are your top picks for Best Budget Hair Product? I LOVE the Suave Dry Shampoo!
3. What’s your top tip for applying liquid liner? Use gel liner instead… haha.
4. Do you have any tried-and-true beauty tricks to make tired eyes look perkier? I do the light-and-shimmery eyeshadow in the inner corner of my eye thing. Also, curling my lashes and using a lengthening but not thickening mascara. I will be using these tricks tomorrow because I know I will be up late obsessively looking at election results.
5. Are there any skin care products you absolutely swear by? I really like Clinique’s Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel, the Queen Helene Mint Julep Mask, and my Clarisonic. I just recently started using Ole Henriksen’s line of skincare stuff and I love it so far.
Thank you for all these great tips, everyone! Please keep them coming. 🙂
WHAT ARE YOUR TOP PICKS FOR BEST BUDGET HAIR PRODUCT? – I’m going to stick with the L’Oreal Vive Pro Glossy Volume Shampoo and Conditioner you quoted me on (eee!) I don’t do much with my hair!
WHAT TECHNIQUES AND PRODUCTS DO YOU USE TO MAKE YOUR LIPSTICK WEAR LONGER? – Nars Matte Velvet lip pencil is great for long wear without being overly drying. If I’m doing a bright lip and want it to last, I fill in my whole lips with a matching lipliner, and do the layer of lipstick, blot, layer, etc.
WHAT’S YOUR TOP TIP FOR APPLYING LIQUID LINER? – You know, I must be crazy, because liquid liner is the easiest form of eyeliner for me to use! I love L’Oreal Lineur Intense felt-tip, Maybelline Line Stiletto, and Lancome Artliner – I find them very easy to use.
DO YOU HAVE ANY TRIED-AND-TRUE BEAUTY TRICKS TO MAKE TIRED EYES LOOK PERKIER? – Peachy undereye concealer/corrector! It counteracts the blues in my circles, and it’s wonderful.
ARE THERE ANY SKIN CARE PRODUCTS YOU ABSOLUTELY SWEAR BY? – Well, I picked at my skin and have a scab or two on my face right now, so I don’t feel great about it. But! I started using a moisturizer a few weeks ago that is absolutely brilliant for my dry, sensitive, breakout/reaction-prone skin – Tri Derma Facial Redness Repair moisturizer is great – There are always times, especially in the winter, where my skin just can’t tolerate anything but hydrocortisone cream, but I try to limit that because it can thin the skin. Well, this stuff has similar ingredients (aloe, vitamin e, vitamin a) plus arnica, and it has helped my skin amazingly – usually if I find something my skin can tolerate, it’s not moisturizing enough, but this is great, it has antioxidants in a significant amount, and works for day and night (although I obviously add sunscreen during the day!)
WHAT ARE YOUR TOP PICKS FOR BEST BUDGET HAIR PRODUCT?
L’oreal Hair Masks
WHAT TECHNIQUES AND PRODUCTS DO YOU USE TO MAKE YOUR LIPSTICK WEAR LONGER?
NARS Velvet Matte pencils!
WHAT’S YOUR TOP TIP FOR APPLYING LIQUID LINER?
Short strokes
DO YOU HAVE ANY TRIED-AND-TRUE BEAUTY TRICKS TO MAKE TIRED EYES LOOK PERKIER?
Bobbi Brown correctors
ARE THERE ANY SKIN CARE PRODUCTS YOU ABSOLUTELY SWEAR BY?
If you have dehydrated and acne-prone skin, I recommend Shiseido Hydro Nourishing Softener. Hydrates, calms and heals any post-acne disasters. This is my life-saver.
Tip day is more like Story Day for me and I have a funny one for you. I was making up one of the boys for Halloween and he wanted dark, zombie eyes. So I used black liner as a base and a couple of colors from Lorac’s Private Affair palette (where fallout was a bonus). We had about 5 minutes and he kept looking dubiously in the mirror. I was like “I’m sorry, I’m not much of a makeup artist…” and he replied “I was thinking the same thing about you.” HAHA! He was happy with the finished product but I just thought his honesty was a hoot! 🙂
Are there any skin care products you absolutely swear by?
I really love Clarins HydraQuench line, so worth the try if you have dehydrated skin.
1.What are your top picks for Best Budget Hair Product?
Trader Joe’s Nourish Spa Conditioner. No parabens, waxes, or anything nasty –just conditioning goodness for $2.99!
2.What techniques and products do you use to make your lipstick wear longer?
Layer. Lipliner all over the lip, then blotted, then lipstick, blotted, then another coat of lipstick on top. I like the long-wearing formulas… and I may break down and buy a OCC lip tar before Xmas…
3.What’s your top tip for applying liquid liner? I support my elbow on my sink so it doesn’t shake. And I also like using artist’s brushes for eyeliner — really nice lines from those puppies.
4.Do you have any tried-and-true beauty tricks to make tired eyes look perkier?
White-gold shadow on the inner corners, concealer all around the eye socket. White tightline and blue mascara.
5.Are there any skin care products you absolutely swear by?
Sunscreen. I haven’t found my Holy Grail product, yet, but Shiseido’s SPF 50 comes close — non-greasy, full-spectrum, absorbs quickly. Right now I’m test-driving a sunscreen from the Korean company, Skinfood, and it’s like a BB cream without the color — moisturizing, brightening and SPF 50…but the jury is still out until I’ve used it for at least a week.
I will have to try using a dark base under my bright shadows to see what they do… I use white base fairly often — really makes metallic shadows pop!
A shout-out from a cold, but not yet snowy Sweden!
The skincare product I absolutely swear by is (unfortunatly) a product that I am unsure if you can get outside of Sweden (or at least Scandinavia) its called A-creme. It’s a vitamin A creme that you can use all over – I mostly use it on my face since it is the best damn moisturiser I have ever tried. (am super-dry and sensitive) When using that my face clears up and feels soft and balanced.
And Karen – love how you write! Keep it up, you are awesome =)
What lipstick are you wearing? Looks so good on you!!
Wow! I love this look – dark plum shadow, pink lips. So pretty!
I have hair that is really fine, dry and is very prone to breakage. I would look into my brush and there was enough hair to make a wig…. SERIOUSLY! Herbal Essences “Honey Im Strong” really strenghtened my hair and im so happy that its not expensive.