Unpretty Rapstar (언프리티 랩스타) Cheetah (김치타) Inspired Make Up Look

While I might not look it, my favourite genres of music are hip hop and rap. My boyfriend got me hooked on a Korean reality/music TV show called “Unpretty Rapstar” (언프리티 랩스타), which features 9 female musicians rap battling for tracks with a renowned producer. Prior to watching the show, I had only been exposed to the upbeat girly-girl K-pop thing (and Psy). Unpretty Rapstar was a tangent from "normal" k-pop, as the contestants on the show masterfully strung phrases of both Korean and English together.

Enjoying the music was one thing but I also took notice of the beauty looks on the show. A majority of the 9 contestants on the show subscribe to the stereotypical Korean beauty look - puppy dog (downwards sloping) eyeliner, ombre stained lips, radiant skin, wispy false lashes. But one conetstant’s look (along with her stage presence and rap prowess) stood out to me most. Thick liner, dewy/wet skin, sculpted brows, contouring and a bold lipstick, topped off with a heavy band of false lashes CHEETAH (김치타) . In addition to her fierce makeup and nails, her wardrobe is also badass. 

And so... I went for it. 

Generally, the look is fairly simple. Winged liner, bold eyebrows, dark lips, lashes, a peachy brown wash of colour on the lid. The hardest part was creating dewy skin. For some reason I couldn't find any intensely dewy foundations, so I resorted to using a clear gloss on my eyelids and high points of my cheekbones (which messed up my eyeshadow and made my skin feel sticky... yuck). The result was a bit of a failure because my camera could hardly pick it up

FACE:

- Benefit Oxygen Hello Flawless WOW Foundation in All the Rage Beige

- MAKE UP FOR EVER Pro Sculpting Duo in #2*

- Wet n Wild Lip Gel (clear gloss)*

EYES: 

- Stila Stay All Day Brow Gel*

- Ardell Glamour Multipack in 105*

- Shu Uemura Drawing Pencil in M Black 01*

- Paul & Joe Liquid Eyeliner*

- Madison Street Beauty Moroccan Bronze (discontinued)

- Wet n Wild Lip Gel (clear gloss)*

LIPS: 

- Wet n Wild MegaLast Lip Colour in Cherry Bomb*

- OCC Lip Stain in Little Black Dress

Peace out

In another life, this would be my everyday makeup. Unfortunately, I don't think I was born to be a badass. For now, I'll just be a rapper in my dreams. 

Do you like k-pop/hip-hop/rap? 

P.S. Watch one of Cheetah's performances here.

 *Press samples denoted with an asterisk. 

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What's On My Face #5 - Coral Craze

'tis the season to wear coral. fa la la la la... la la la la. The flowers are blooming, the sun is shining, and it's time to bust out the corals. Nothing looks good with coral better than other orange/corals, so lately I've been wearing the shade on both my lips and cheeks. 

FACE: Since #NoMakeupMarch, I've been embracing my natural oiliness and sticking to the Biotherm Aquasource BB Cream, a light coverage, dewy finish base. For the cheeks, I've sparingly applied a spot of the Make Up For Ever HD Cream Blush in #410 Universal. I blended it out so that I have the softest hint of coral on my face. I've neglected it for the entire winter and I'm not quite sure why. 

EYES: I'm trying a couple new things on my eyes. The Pure Anada Mineral Eye Colour in Luna (soft, pearlized yellow-gold) and the Pure Anada Pureline Eye Pencil in Brown are both products I received at the Clean Beauty Awards. I haven't yet formed a full opinion on these but a full review will be up shortly. The Guerlain Cils D'enfer Volume Creating Curl Sculpting Mascara has done me good these past couple months, as I can use it on both my upper and lower lashes without getting smudges. 

LIPS: I lined the lips with the Paul and Joe Lip Liner Duo in #02 in Persian Peach which includes a soft orange shade and makes a great base for the Etude House My Jelly Lips Talk in Plum JOR203. Together, the duo makes for a sheer yet vibrant glossy orange lip. 

The sunshine has also got me in the mood for silly poses. So expect more of those... 

How do you wear coral makeup? 

Press samples featured

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The Modern Mulan // #NYCBeautyPro Challenge

This month's New York Color Beauty Pro Challenge was to create a look inspired by your favourite fictional character. I chose Mulan. Yes, we've got the Asian thing in common, but Mulan was more than just pretty looks to me - strong-minded, brave, confident and a little boyish. Her makeup is quite natural so I thought I'd pull from that. 

source link

I based my look on the photo above - a thin, winged liner; lightly flushed cheeks, and a pink lip. Mulan's makeup is super simple and understated yet pretty, something that I strive for my makeup to be every day! 

PRODUCTS USED: New York Color Big Bold Volume by the Lash Mascara ($4.99), New York Color Color Wheel Mosaic Face Powder in 723 Pink Cheek Glow ($4.99), New York Color CityProof 24HR Waterproof Eyeshadow in Murray Hill Champagne ($2.99) & New York Color Smooch Proof Liquid Lip Stain in Perpetually Mauve ($2.99) (also wearing Paul & Joe Liquid Eyeliner) 

What do you think of Mulan's makeup? 

Press samples featured

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FASHION MAGAZINE BEAUTY PANEL: Tom Pecheux for Altuzarra Spring 2015

A satin finish face, soft lips, and long lashes. Tom Pecheux's look for Altuzarra Spring 2015 tops my favourites. It's natural, a little romantic but with a haunting "pshycho doll" oddness to it with the false lashes. 

For the face, I used a light-medium coverage foundation with a satin finish to achieve natural-yet-perfected skin, contoured my face (quite a bit more heavily than I'm used to) to mimic a model-esque cheekbone, and added a touch of pink blush for a doll-like glow. 

I cut a wispy pair of false lashes into quarters and applied the longest pieces just slightly off-centre from the pupil towards the outer edges of the eyes. To blend my natural lashes and the falsies, I applied a lengthening mascara. Then, I applied mascara to my lower lash line, limiting my use to the centre of the lashes only. 

Lastly, for the lips, I blended my foundation overtop in order to ease a slight overdrawing of the lip line with a light pink lipstick. 

And there you have it. A re-creation of Tom Pecheux for Altuzarra Spring 2015. This isn't a look for everyday but certainly a unique twist on a natural look for the runway. 

Products Used: 

// eyes

- Make Up For Ever Artist Shadow in I-514*

- KISS Ever EZ Lashes*

- Make Up For Ever Smoky Stretch Mascara*

// lips

- Annabelle Twist Up Lipstick in Bubble

// face

- Guerlain Meteorites Baby Glow Sheer Makeup*

- Rimmel Stay Blushed in Pop of Pink*

- Make Up For Ever Sculpting Kit*

Do you follow fashion week (Paris, NY, Milan, Toronto, etc.) beauty trends? What was your favourite look this year? 

Press samples featured and denoted with an asterisk (*). 

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What's On My Face #4 - not makeup, that's for sure. // #nomakeupmarch

I know what's not on my face - makeup (see why here). While this isn’t a makeup routine per se, I still put a couple things on my face post-Miracle 10 skin stuff.  My focus is (1) protecting my skin from Canada’s arctic chills (-16C, feels like -35 this week… *sighs*) and (2) eyelash growth. 

Here's what's on my face when there's no makeup on it. 

// eyes

- Olay Regenerist Eye Sculpting Cream and Eyelash Serum* – My under eyes have been a little dry lately, so this is the first eye cream that’s ever touched my flabs of eye skin. No review yet but it’s moisturizing, that’s for sure. The other end is a clear lash-growth serum which I use like I would a mascara.

- fLash Eyelash Serum* – Why not get double the lash growing with two growth products? I run this along the base of my lashes. No results yet. Had this for a while but had no time to work it into my routine. Since I’ve got some extra time, it’s made it into my morning routine.

- Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler – hands down best eyelash curler I’ve ever used. Suits my almond-shaped eyes and perks up my lashes to perfection.

// face

- Bioderma Pore Refiner– oily face is a no-no and I’ve sworn myself off traditional “makeup” like pressed powders. This is more of a skincare item – an oil-slick-preventing lotion that keeps me matte for at least 5 hours.

- Biotherm AquasourceBB Cream* – For the most part, this is skincare. It feels like a hydrating daytime moisturizer. It has a tint but no coverage, if not a slight skintone evening property.

// lips

- Tata Harper Be AdoredLip Treatment* – A lip balm that smoothes over fine lines and adds a rosy glow to the lips. The slight tint makes me feel more put together than rocking the dry lip look.

Without makeup, I’ve simplified my mornings down to all of 6 products (not including my Miracle 10 skincare). Let’s call these my winter bare necessities. Bare in two ways. Bare as in makeup free and bare as in as minimal as I can get.

What do you wear on your face when you’re not wearing makeup?

Press samples and purchased products featured. Press samples are denoted with an asterisk (*).

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What's on My Face #3 - what he likes // Valentine's Day 2015

I asked my boyfriend to help me put together a post about makeup that he likes on me. Instead of the typical, "you look good without makeup"... puh-lease.His immediate answer was as follows: "Wear whatever makes you feel most confident, because when you're confident you smile more." Y U SO SWEET?? Say things like that and I don't ever need any gifts, just sweet, sweet words. 

Sweetness aside, he does have some preferences. So, we went through my dubious amounts of blog posts to determine what he likes on my face. Here's a few notes from our conversation: 

// eyes

- doesn't like too much colour 

- likes a soft brown in the crease

- likes winged liner

- HIM: I like your eyelashes in this post. ME: BUT I'M NOT EVEN WEARING MASCARA. 

// lips

- doesn't like hot pinks, light nudes

- likes neutrals

- if not neutrals, likes soft berry colours

// face

- likes a little blush

- likes a little bronzer

// hair

- likes the you just woke up look 

- if not, likes soft, loose curls 

What's ACTUALLY on my face: 

// eyes

- Shu Uemura matte brown eyeshadow

- Make Up For Ever Ink Liner

- Rimmel Wonder Lash Mascara

// lips 

- Benefit Posie Balm

// face

- Guerlain Meteorites Baby Glow Sheer Foundation 

- Guerlain Meteorites Blush in Angelic Radiance

- Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette 

The resulting look was soft and actually kind of angelic...sort of like my every day makeup! I usually dress up for myself, but it's always nice to do it for someone else, too! Special thanks to my boyfriend Charles - SHAMELESS PLUG. Check out his blog at stitchandcedar.blogspot.ca

What makeup will you be wearing for Valentine's Day? 

PS. This is an extension of a post that I wrote for the Fashion Magazine Beauty Panel

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GET THE LOOK: Make Up For Ever x Fifty Shades Of Grey // Valentine's Day 2015

A couple days ago, I reviewed the Make Up For Ever for Fifty Shades of Grey Give In To Me Set ($90 CAD). The included booklet included in the set features three looks created by Head of Makeup for the movie, Victoria Down, capturing Anastasia Steele's (the main character) transformation from an innocent college girl to a sultry, passionate woman. 

I thought it would be fun to make an attempt at the three looks. 

The Natural Look

Victoria Down's movie makeup secret: "...it was very important to start her as a very young, fresh-faced, uncomplicated girl. Her makeup was clean, her skin was bright and glowing..." 

How to get the look: I-514 (iridescent ivory) all over the lid, S-556 (grey taupe) at the base of the upper lash line, Smoky Extravagant Mascara over the lashes, and the Lab Shine D14 all over the lips. 

The Sultry Look

Victoria Down's movie makeup secret: "...I curled her lashes to open her eyes and then lightly applied black mascara brushed through so there were no clumps and no suggestion of heaviness."

How to get the look: ME-612 (metallic red brown) from the lash line to the crease and on the lower lashline, I-514 (iridescent ivory) on the brow bone and inner corner, Graphic Liner in the waterline, Smoky Extravagant Mascara on the lashes, and Rouge Artist Natural in N4 on the lips with Lab Shine D14 on top. 

The Empowered Look

Victoria Down's movie makeup secret: "As Ana gets involved with Christian Grey, she begins to dress the part...I gave her more maturity in her look. Her eyes became shaded a little deeper and stronger, her eyebrows were a little more groomed and shaped, and her lips became deeper-colored."

How to get the look: I-628 (iridescent reptile) from the lash line to the crease and on the lower lashline, S-556 (taupe grey) through the crease, I-514 (iridescent ivory) on the brow bone and inner corner, Graphic Liner on the bottom lash line, Smoky Extravagant Mascara on the lashes, and Rouge Artist Natural in N4 on the lips with Lab Shine D14 on top. 

My favourite is the Empowered look. It's kind of funny because I think that I look pretty "natural/innocent" in all of them. Perhaps it's because my face is more baby-like than that of actress Dakota Johnson. That aside, these looks, as well as the Give In To Me set are super simple to create and wearable for everyday. 

Which is your favourite of the three looks? 

Press samples featured

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Demi Lovato x New York Color #NYCBeautyPro

Demi Lovato is New York Color's first ever brand ambassador. From Camp Rock to Glee, I love how she's developed from a fresh-faced Disney character into total bad-ass. Even in the make-up department, she experiments with bold lipsticks, bright eyeshadows, and wacky hair dyes. 

This month, I'm channeling a little Demi. Not to the full extent of her bad-assery but I'm a light, neutrals kinda girl and dark makeup with eyeliner all the way around my eyes is NOT my thing. So, this, if anything, is a step outside my comfort zone. 

With a New Year also comes new releases from New York Color for Spring 2015! Yay! Here's what I used in my look. 

// eyes

- New York Color City Proof 24HR Eye Primer ($2.99), all over the lid and up to the browbone

- New York Color City Proof 24HR Waterproof Eyeshadow in 610 Tribeca Taupe ($2.99), all over the lid to the crease and on the outer lower lash line 

- New York Color City Proof 24HR Waterproof Eyeshadow in 635 New York at Night ($2.99), blended along the upper lash line 

- New York Color City Proof 24HR Waterproof Eyeshadow in 605 Brooklyn Mocha ($2.99), on the inner corner

- New York Color Smokin' Hot Showtime Volume Mascara ($3.99)

- New York Color Velvet Eyeliner in 951 Black Velvet ($1.99)

// lips

- New York Color Expert Last Lip Color Matte in 452 Red Suede ($1.99)

// face

- New York Color Big Bold Bronzer in MetropoliTAN ($4.99)

The look is easy peasy (as are most of my looks). A black cream eyeshadow layered over a taupe, with a touch of added bronze sparkle in the inner corner. Add a bold red lip and somehow I feel like I'm channeling Demi Lovato. Excuse me while I throwback to some Camp Rock jams. THIS IS REAL, THIS IS ME // I'M EXACTLY WHERE I'M SUPPOSED TO BE NOW // LET THE LIGHT SHINE ON ME. ALSO, reviews for the new NYC products coming very soon. 

Are you a fan of Demi? What's your favourite of her songs? 

Press samples featured

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What's On My Face #2 - Blue Brows, Lilac Lips

This is what happens on weekends. PLAYTIME. While testing out the Hard Candy 1,000 Lashes Mascara in Indigo Blue*, I thought that my blue eyes/brows would go REALLY good with a cool toned lip. Why not, ya know? 

FYI. Coloured eyebrows are on trend. I'm taking a page out of Jenn of a Beautiful Zen's book. See Badgley Mischka SS15

mascara // Hard Candy 1,000 Lashes Mascara in Indigo Blue*

brows // Hard Candy 1,000 Lashes Mascara in Indigo Blue*

lips // OCC Stained Gloss in Hedonist, the Body Shop Colour Crush Eyeshadow in Boyfriend Jeans* 

eyes and face // pretty much the same as What's on My Face #1 (subtle full face makeup) 

On top of my regular makeup, I added a few very subtle hints of colour. I ran several coats of a blue mascara through my lashes and brows to build colour. On the lips, I applied a baby pink lip gloss and then patted a baby blue lip gloss to create a matte light purple. 

Blue brows and lilac lips aren't really appropriate for the workplace but a nice detour from the neutral blahs.

Have you ever experimented with coloured brows? ... or Would you? 

Press samples denoted with an asterisk (*) .

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