Does it take 30 minutes, five eyeshadows and three different brushes to do a smoky eye look?
Nuh-uh. Not at all. This look took 15 minutes, and I only used one cream shadow stick and one eyeshadow for my eyes.
Seriously, if you strip away the extra stuff, that’s all you need to do a quick smoky eye look.
And I’m talking about the entire look from start to finish — the whole thing took 15 minutes. That includes brows, skin, mascara — the works — and I think the key is to simplify what you do on your lids, because, as you know, it is easily possible to spend A LONG time on smoky eyes. But you don’t have to.
I applied a purple shadow stick from one of the new NARS Sarah Moon holiday sets directly on my lids from the stick, then blended out the edges with a fluffy blending brush.
Then I just dipped that same brush into a matte brown shadow from one of the other NARS Sarah Moon holiday palettes, buffed that on top and did my best to fade the edges of the shadow up into my brows.
At that point, I grabbed a clean blending brush and buffed out the edges even more to smooth everything out. Then I just lined my upper lash line and smudged it out with a bit of black eyeshadow from the same palette.
The rest of the look was super easy. A bit of foundation, some concealer blended on top with a beautyblender, set that with powder, and then add blush, gloss, and that’s it.
Well, mascara, of course, and then brows… But that’s it.
So you CAN do a complete smoky look in 15 minutes. It’s definitely possible.
EYES: Black liner and matte brown and shimmery black eyeshadow shades from the NARS Sarah Moon Look Closer Eyeshadow Palette ($49)/purple shadow stick and mascara from the NARS Sarah Moon Shadow Side Velvet Shadow Stick Set ($39)
CHEEKS: Gold and peach blush from the NARS Sarah Moon Non-Fiction Touch Up Kit ($65)
FACE: Hourglass Vanish Foundation in Beige/Sephora Bright Future Gel Serum Concealer/Light Reflecting Setting Powder from the NARS Non-Fiction Touch Up Kit
LIPS: Lip gloss from the NARS Non-Fiction Touch Up Kit
Novato’s newest sushi spot!
Next time you’re rollin’ through Novato, check out Sushi Tree off Highway 101. I went there for the first time last night, and the fish didn’t taste funny…
Wait — let me explain. Ever since I had Connor, I haven’t liked the taste of fish. Don’t know why, but I just haven’t liked it, but I had it last night, and it tasted fresh and delicious.
The restaurant is one of those places that doesn’t look like much from the street, but it’s like a C.S. Lewis book when you go inside. It looks like a completely different place, and they have a beautiful garden in back.
I’m so excited about being able to eat fish again! It was the strangest thing… I just didn’t have a taste for it.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
That sushi looks awesome! I have been craving some.
I really like the overall shades and swatches of the Sarah Moon collection. Now to have some self control. I just picked up one of the new Nars velvet lip glides today. Really enjoy the formula so far!
Hi Elena,
I loooove the Velvet Lip Glides. 🙂 What shade did you get?
I adore this look! You have to be kidding, you did this in 15 minutes???? That’s way out of my league.
We would go to sushi more but it’s so expensive. Have you ever made homemade sushi Karen? It’s easy you can roll it with wax paper.
I did it once a long time ago! I remember it being really fun. 🙂
I love soft smoky eye makeup on you. Now I am hungry for sushi. Lol.
I’m hungry for sushi again too! What’s your favorite roll?
I love your look! Such a simple and easy look. Yummy! I love sushi. I just had a sushiritto this past weekend! It was so good. It’s basically a sushi roll in a burrito size.
What a pretty little garden! As per usual I love the look, you look fab.
Thank you!
I’m loving these 15 minute looks! This smokey eye look is so pretty and I love the lip color.
Sushi Tree is kind of a funny name, but the food looks yummy! What a pretty setting too. Glad you’re able to enjoy it again!
Hi Ruchita,
Thank you! It’s quite the challenge to figure out different ways to wear makeup in 15 minutes (since it’s so easy to fall back into my usual patterns), but it’s fun to see if I can actually do stuff.
As for sushi, do you guys have any good sushi places in your town? The restaurant that I went to is the best one I’ve found so far. The other ones are meh.
I love sushi! I can’t imagine loosing a taste for something like that for so long!
Me neither, but it happened, LOL!
Whhhhhaaaat, this is the Hourglass Vanish foundation?! Your skin looks amazing!
Welcome to motherhood and to the art of speed-makeup 😉
I have been doing my makeup in 10-15 minutes since the last decade – ever since I became a mommy – but my makeup is nowhere as flawless as yours.
Karen, I had a real problem with fish throughout my pregnancy…to the extent that I could detect if a steak had so much as shared a grill with salmon! Just the smell of even the lightest, most fresh, fish would turn my stomach. It took me at least a year after giving birth to deal with fish and even now, 17 years later, unless it’s very fresh, I have to pass.