Dark Dramatic Winter Makeup

Since today is the official first day of Winter, I thought I would do a post on this dark dramatic winter makeup look. I know this may be way too much makeup for some people but you can always adapt it to suit your style :)

Eyes: For this look I started with the eyes. I usually do this when there is a lot of blending to do with dark colors and I don't want to deal with fall out all over my foundation after. Its so frustrating! I first primed my eyes with Urban Decays Primer Potion in Eden. Then, I used MAC's Paints Cream Eye shadow in black on my lid only to act as a base. I believe they no longer sell this product in black so you can use any cream black eye shadow or eyeliner you have. I then blended out the harsh edges with a blending brush and a little bit of black powder eye shadow. You really have to work at this. Stay close to your lash line and avoid taking the black to high up your brow bone. I make this mistake all the time and end up looking like I got punched in the face. Not the look I was going for...So really take your time blending! I also blended a little bit of the black eye shadow along my lower lash line to give it a smokey effect.

Once you are satisfied with the blending, add any iridescent eye shadow you have on top of the black. Again, don't apply this shadow to high - try sticking close to your lash line. For eyeliner I used Makeup Forever Aqua Eyes pencil eyeliner in Matte Black and lined my water line. I then went in with Kat Von D's Tattoo Eyeliner in Trooper and lined my top lash line. For Mascara I used Makeup Forever's Smokey Lash in Extra Black.

Optional: I added two rhinestones to my lids for dramatic effect. I used some cosmetic rhinestones and cosmetic glue to apply them with a Q-tip. Easy :)

Skin: In the winter my skin tends to get a little on the dryer side so instead of sticking to my usual matte foundation routine I sometimes reach for something a little more hydrating. I really love the Diorskin Forever Perfect Makeup Foundation and Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk foundation for a dewier complexion. For this look I used the Dior foundation. I blended it with my Beauty Blender until there were no harsh edges. For concealer, I also opted for something a little more hydrating. I used the MAC Moisture Cover Concealer in NC20 and used the pointy end of my Beauty Blender to blend this out.

Because my skin was on the dryer side I chose not to "bake" or add any heavy loose powders to my face. Instead, I brushed on a little bit of pressed powder under my eyes just to set my concealer lightly. For highlight I used MAC's Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft & Gentle. For blush I went for the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Amused and applied it lightly, just to add a little bit of color. I didn't want to do anything too dramatic for blush as there is so much already going on with the eyes. Likewise, I did very little in terms of contour and just added a little bit of the middle shade of the Smashbox Step-By-Step contour Kit to the hollows of my cheeks.

Brows: For my eyebrows I did my regular Anastasia Beverly Hills routine. I use the Pomade in Dark Brown to fill them in and then use Brow Wiz in Dark Brown to fill in any little gaps not covered by the pomade.You can also use the NYX Microbrow Pencil instead of the Anastasia pencil, if you would like to save some $$ It is quite a bit cheaper and also works really well. I am very lacking in the eyebrow department so I find this routine of using both a pomade and pencil work best for me.

Lips: On my lips I used three different types of  MAC lip products: lip liner, lipstick and lip gloss. The lip liner I used is MAC Lip Pencil in Vino and the lipstick is MAC Lipstick in Rebel. I applied the lipstick very lightly then topped it all off with MAC Lipglass in Russian Red. I wanted to add more of the red to give it a berry color.

Hope you enjoyed reading!

xo
Julisse