Is this look wearable? I guess it depends on who you’re talking to. If you’re chatting with El Hub, he’d probably say, “Um, not really,” and he would encourage you to *not* wear this sooty smokey purplish blue smokey eye to pick up a small child at her preschool.
(Side note: I seriously considered it, but then I chickened out at the last minute, and now I deeply regret not cementing my legacy as the crazy-@ss mom who showed up at pickup in black lipstick.)
If you ask Samantha, though — she’s the Halloween ghost who haunts my doorway — she would first say, “B*tch stole me look!” LOL. Then she’d she’d say, “One hundred percent, YES, channel your inner goth Billy Idol White Wedding bride.”
This is my “take two” at Samantha-inspired makeup! I wanted to push it a little further this time and tried to go more “edgy,” as opposed to wearable, but ultimately I think it ended up looking kinda casual cool, and yes, totally wearable. If we were back in the ’90s when I went through my (very brief) baby goth phase, I would’ve legit worn these lips and eyes everywhere.
Layering is the key
I really, really enjoyed putting this face on, and part of the reason was because it happened so quickly. I didn’t really think about it. I just started layering and mixing and blending and 20 minutes later there it was. With this type of smokey editorial/edgy eye makeup, I think the following things really help:
- Embrace the imperfection. This is the type of smokey eye makeup that, I think, almost looks better the messier it gets. Let your brushes and your imagination push past what you’d normally do, and take your products higher up the lid and further down the lash line than you’d usually go. It might look weird to you at first (it always does for me because I’m not used to seeing that type of placement), but do it anyway.
- Layers, layers, layers. Really, this is key. If you want the effect of a puff of smoke around the lids, where that super-blended gradient leads one color easily into the next, bust out ALL THE THINGS. At the minimum, you’ll need your favorite smudgy eye pencil, a cream shadow or two, and some powder eyeshadows that you also like that work with your color palette.
- Blend that sh*t. When your fingers are about to fall off, you’re probably close to done.
Oh, and about that black lip…I applied a matte liquid lipstick first (MAC Caviar), then defined the edges with a super sharp matte black pencil liner. Yes, girl. Black eyeliner as lip liner! My friends and I used to use it both as liner and lipstick back in the ’90s when we wanted to wear matte black lips.
Makeup worn in this look
- Eyes: Urban Decay 24/7-Glide On Eye Pencil in Empire, Clinique Chubby Stick Shadow in Portly Plum, Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Third Eye (a purple shade from the Stoked Vibes Palette), Maybelline Color Strike Cream-to-Powder Eyeshadow in Ace, Laura Mercier Caviar Mascara, Neutrogena Smokey Kohl Eyeliner in Jet Black, Urban Decay Brow Beater in Neutral Brown
- Base: It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better Foundation + Skin Care in Tan Warm 42.5 mixed with Tan Warm 41, Kevyn Aucoin Super Natural Concealer in Medium EC05
- Cheeks: MAC Give ME Sun Mineralize Skinfinish Natural
- Lips: Urban Decay Perversion eyeliner and MAC Caviar Retro Matte Liquid Lipstick
A couple weird things
I was craving an egg over easy yesterday for lunch and look what happened when I cracked my egg open…
I dunno, maybe I’m fully in superstitious Halloween mode, but I was kinda freaked out! I couldn’t help but wonder if it’s part of a scary Filipino old wives tale, and even though it (irrationally) scared me a little, I still ate most of it…although toward the last few bites I ended up psyching myself out.
On a (somewhat) related weird note, look what I found this morning in the middle of my bed!
I’m guessing Rosie Posie got hold of it during the wee hours of the morning, LOL!
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
NAILED IT! I think it’s wearable. I also started watching Hung Vanngo’s YouTube videos (he’s a complete master) and he loves to embrace imperfection, too. I like that M.O.
Yours is such a spooky household, Karen, with the mysteriously appearing makeup brushes and twin egg yolks! lol
He is SO GOOD. His blending is a work of art!
Will you guys be doing anything for Halloween?
Probably people-watching. Watching people get cited on the beach for not wearing a mask. Tourists gotta get with how serious we are over here.
Will you and Connor Claire be handing out candy or attending socially-distant festivities?
We’re going to an outdoor pumpkin patch (a socially distanced one), then carving the pumpkins, and if I can get my act together, she’ll have a candy hunt around the neighborhood! 🙂
Spooky Karen is a sexy babe! I love this look on you so, so much!
Aww, thanks Rachel! Not my usual look but still fun!
A double-yolk egg! We used to get those once in a while when I was a kid and eggs we got from a farm were a lot more likely to contain double-yolks than those from a supermarket. Doesn’t seem creepy to me at all. I always thought a double yolk was twice as cool as a more “normal” one. I always liked the brown-shelled eggs too, even though hey didn’t taste any different from the white ones at all. I’ve even seen very light grr
I’m also a fan of brown shelled eggs too! 🙂
Hi! Looks wearable and you look amazing btw.
I’ve been told two egg yolks are good luck and go by this. Take care!
I’ve been told that by a few people. I’ll take the good luck!
That egg was definitely haunted. You look so tough in the dark makeup, I would not mess with you!
I just need some hoop earrings! LOL!
My dad used to sell to a chicken farm. They would have trays of double yolk eggs going to waste, they were thrown away because they don’t want 2 chickens from the same egg, they will be smaller. The superviser would give Dad as many trays as he could take and we would hand them out to friends and neighbours. I got so used to eating double or even triple yolk eggs that it seemed weird to eat a single yolk egg LOL.
Loving your Halloween look! Don’t know if I could pull it off with my pale skin, I would legit look like Samantha ?
How funny! This is my first time ever seeing one. I don’t know why but I was so shocked!
BTW Samantha would love it if you stole her look. 🙂
These dark, vampy looks really work on you Karen!
Thanks, Rachel!
BTW how are you doing? Have you started to be repulsed by strong smells yet?
It comes and goes, haven’t been super nauseous yet! I think last night was the first night I slept really good since finding out, I’ve just been totally freaked out about it!
GIRL, JUST YOU WAIT. I remember smelling my neighbor two doors down frying onions and being so repulsed I almost went over there to ask her to stop!
LOVE IT!!!!!!
Thank you, Karyn!
On you, The look is quite beautiful, Karen. And don’t be freaked – I have had a double yoke a couple of times in my life. Twins, actually, right?
Thank you MJ!
Very cool look! I *may* just try it this weekend. Maybe after a glass or 3 of wine 🙂 I would’ve taken the double yolk as a sign to go buy a lotto!
I see Rosie strikes again, that little stinker!
This is awesome!! I think everything is wearable on you. 🙂 What’s the Filipino old wives tale about double yolks? I think this egg will bring you good luck. We can buy double yolks from some local farms and I always like them because the yolk is my favorite part of the egg (of course it is – HAHA!).
There isn’t one that I know of but I feel like there should be one, LOL! I guess I’m getting more superstitious… Or perhaps it’s just 2020 kicking my butt. Btw I had no idea you could actually purposefully buy double egg yolks!