Although fall ushers in winter (booooo!), it does come with a really awesome color palette. Autumn’s all about rusty reds, deep browns and awesome metallic orange and gold. And that means all new makeup looks.

That’s why I created the Autumn Leaves makeup tutorial.

This fall-inspired look pairs drama and metallic shimmer with the colors of the season.

What You Need

Although I use very specific products for Autumn Leaves, you don’t need to follow the brands exactly. Just look for similar colors and you can create this look with just about anything. You’ll need…

• Mixing medium or other sticky pre-shadow medium to help you create a bold, foiled look. I used Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy.
• 5 super shimmery eye shadow colors: light beige, orange, rusty red, black and white. I used these colors from my Lanmei 24 Color Eye Shadow Palette.
• Brown eyeliner, preferably in a self-retracting gel liner. I used the Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in Lionfish.
• Brown mascara, though dark brown is best. I used Almay Intense I-Color Volumizing Mascara in Raisin Quartz.
• Reddish brown lipstick or gloss. I used Luzier Lipstick in Merry Cherry as a base with MAC Lustreglass in Ornamental over it.
• Face makeup to complete the look. I used Pixi Wakeup Concealer in Cream under my eyes and L’Oreal Bare Naturale All-Over Mineral Glow in Rose Glow on my cheeks.

Autumn Leaves, Step by Step

Start by spreading a sticky pre-shadow medium, like Pixie Epoxy on your eyes. If you use mixing medium, apply it as you use each eye shadow color, as normal.

Apply the light beige eye shadow at the corner of the eye. Spread it upward and out just below the brow following the line of the eyebrow. Smooth a little bit on the lower lid as well.

Blend the orange eye shadow on to your lid, from the lash line to the crease. Apply some on the middle two-thirds of your lower lid as well.

Blend the rusty red eye shadow around the outer corner of the eye and up into the crease. Blend it upward from he crease to about a centimeter below your eyebrow. Apply it to the outer one-third of your lower lid.

For finishing touches on your eye shadow, bust out the black and white. By lightening and darkening certain parts, you’ll add dimension to the look.

Blend a dab of white shimmer shadow at the inside corner of the eye and sweep it lightly under the arch of your eyebrow for some highlight.

Darken the crease with a bit of black eye shadow for some depth.

Line all around your eyes with brown eyeliner. The line should be thicker near the outside corner of the eye, and super thin at the inner corner. To line the bottom, spread the brown liner on your water line.

Apply brown mascara to both the top and bottom lashes.

Apply your favorite brownish-red lip color.

Finish the look by cleaning up your face. Remove any fallout from the shadow and use powder or concealer as needed. I filled in my eyebrows, used concealer under my eyes, blotted out my skin with powder and warmed myself up with some blush.

Autumn Leaves in Action

I felt pretty in this look. Even though I’d rather it still be summer, I don’t mind strutting around town with this fall-inspired makeup.

What about you? I hope you’re enjoying the season-change!

Truth is, zombies are becoming a part of every day life. Can you blame them? After all, they seek brains almost as fervently as a nerd looking for love.

With all this zombie talk, I just couldn’t help myself. I had to create a makeup look inspired by zombies. No, I won’t help you look like this:

(FYI, that’s from the original Dawn of the Dead by George A. Romero, king of the zombies. Zombies + Shopping Mall = WIN)

I’m not going to show you how to look like a zombie. You can find that all over the Internet. But I will show you how to do your makeup with the same darkness as a zombie, with colors inspired by their rotting flesh.

Yay!

Time to get started.

Start with a good primer all over your eyelid, and under your eyes as well. I used the primer from the NYC IndividualEyes Custom Compact.

Next, put a greyish green eye shadow on your lid from the lash line to above the crease like shown above. Also, put it along your lower lid, just below the lash line. Pick a color that reminds you of the rotted, green flesh of the undead. I used Urban Decay Eye Shadow in Mildew.

Time to get dark, just like the sunken eyes of a zombie. Use a black eye shadow in the crease and outside corner of your eye, follow the outline you made with the first eye shadow and blend the colors together. I used Urban Decay Eye Shadow in Oil Slick.

See, zombies aren’t all clean and crisp. They’re actually pretty disheveled.

Add some whitish grey to blend up the edges of your shadow. I used the Revlon Matte Eye Shadow in Vintage Lace, which is a light beige that’s a few shades lighter than my skin.

Blend this under the eyebrow and in the inside corner of the eye.

Finish up the eye with super dark eyeliner and mascara. Line all around the eye including the lower waterline. Use mascara on both the top and bottom lashes. I used the Maybelline Define-A-Line Eyeliner in Ebony Black and Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara Jet Black’>Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara in Jet Black.

Now, you’re probably going to have a lot of fallout, so clean that up. Then, cover your face in super light translucent powder.

Don’t use blush. Don’t use bronzer. What with the lack of blood flow, zombies can’t blush. It’s a proven fact.

Also, if you like to fill in your eyebrows, go a shade darker than normal. Trust me.

Nice, huh? A zombie-inspired makeup look that’s still super glamorous.

“Braaaains…”

But wait…are you inspired by a shambling, walking dead that can barely lift its arms, let alone attack someone? If so, leave your lips bare.

But if you’re inspired by the zombie that finds human flesh, especially brains, a delicacy, paint up your lips in the bloodiest red lipstick you can find. I used Luzier lipstick in True Red and Merry Cherry.

Blood red lips? Totally like a bloody-mouthed zombie. You see the correlation, right?

Oh, the horror!

So icy and blue and awesome. It was so cute and everyone liked it, so I thought I’d do a tutorial.

And, just to be even more awesome, I did a video tutorial. If you want to do this makeup look, just follow along.

This look is perfect for people who are afraid of blue eye shadow or don’t think they can pull it off.  I always felt that way, but look! Super cute! So, try it out! It has subtle blue but is still dramatic.

For this look, I used…

• Sephora Eye Shadow in Aspen Summit
• Urban Decay Eye Shadow in Sin
• Urban Decay Eye Shadow in Shattered
• MAC Eye Shadow in Submarine
• Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pen in Black Blue
• Maybelline The Colossal Volum’ Express Mascara in Glam Black

If you follow this tutorial, I’d love to hear about it!

If you don’t know who she is, she sings such popular songs as “Tik Tok”, “Blah Blah Blah” and “Your Love is My Drug.” I have to admit: I like her music.

Although her music gets a lot of talk, her look often elicits the most gossip. To put it bluntly: Ke$ha looks like she just woke up in a gutter. To put it not so bluntly, she sports smudged up makeup from the night before and a boatload of glitter.

I see a challenge there.

Time for a makeup tutorial of celebrity proportions. Let’s do our makeup like Ke$ha!

First, start relatively fresh.

Don’t load up on the foundation or anything. Heck, don’t even do your hair. This is what I call my “Day-2 Hair.” I don’t normally like people to see my hair in such a mess, but it fits for this. Ke$ha doesn’t seem to brush her hair. I’m already half-way to looking like her.

Apply a thick line around your eyes with a black kohl eyeliner. I used Prestige Soft Blend Khol Eyeliner in Jet Black.

Now smudge up the liner. Use a smudger, a cotton swab or your finger. Don’t worry about getting messy.

Now for eye shadow. We’ll be using two colors. First, a neutral, silvery, shimmery color on the lid and up past the crease. Put some on your lower lid too, while you’re at it. I used Maui Wowie from the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Ammo Shadow Box.

Don’t use an eye shadow brush! That’s strictly prohibited! Use your fingers instead. It’ll make it look like your makeup is two days old, even though it’s fresh.

Time for the second eye shadow color. This needs to be black. It’s best if it’s shimmery or glittery. Apply it on your lid in a very sloppy way with your finger. I used Oil Slick from the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Ammo Shadow Box.

The messier the better!

Now you need to add the glitter. Ke$ha wears glitter around both of her eyes, although she has more on one side than the other. Coarse, silver glitter is best, although you can also get away with gold. I used the Barry M Glitter Eye Candy Kit to get silver glitter all around my right eye and partially around the left eye.

Keep the glitter off of your eyelid, but around your cheeks, brow and temple. And of course, be messy.

Don’t forget the mascara! Use your clumpiest mascara and apply multiple coats to the top and bottom. I used Maybelline Lash Stiletto Mascara in Very Black.

Ke$ha keeps her lips nude, but since mine are a dark shade naturally, I used a lighter lipstick to make them more like Ke$ha’s. The lipstick was from an old generic makeup set from a drug store, so I don’t know the brand.

You’re done! All that’s left is to throw on dangly earrings and some mismatched necklaces and you’re ready to be just like Ke$ha. Check out the final results:

There. Now you know how to do your makeup like Ke$ha. Try this out for Halloween, costume parties, or if you just want to look like your favorite singer.

And I’ll need a fire hose to get all of this off…

Today, I decided to show you how to use red and pink eye shadow to create an adorable look. All eye shadow colors were matte. I’ve dubbed it Candycane. And, as luck would have it, it’s a video makeup tutorial!

View the tutorial below:

Here are the products I used in this tutorial:

• L’Oreal Bare Naturale Soft-Focus Mineral Finish in Translucent
• Cupcake Cult Eye Shadow is a red, matte tone
• Elite Pro Cosmetics 88 Eye Shadow Palette in a pale, matte pink
• Revlon Matte Eye Shadow in Vintage Lace
• Maybelline Define-A-Line Eyeliner in Soft Black
• Max Factor Volume Couture Mascara in Black Brown

After watching this, have you changed your mind about red and pink? Go ahead and try it out.

Next time you want a bright makeup look but don’t know what to do, check out one of these YouTube makeup channels.

JennisseMakeup

Jenn of JennisseMakeup provides tons of makeup tutorials for really bright, dramatic eye shadow looks. She also does nail tutorials and product reviews.

You may remember me following one of her tutorials to come up with my orange smoke Face of the Day. Here’s another example of her eye makeup prowess:

Makeup Geek TV

Marlena of Makeup Geek TV will school you in all things beauty. She is especially good at showing new makeup trends or giving you tips on how to emulate the look of a celebrity like Kim Kardashian or Angelina Jolie. She also reviews some of the more popular beauty products.

Makeup by Jacqueline (brilliantbrnette81)

Jacqueline does some really bright makeup looks. She’ll use colors that you may not think go together and produce a show-stopping, completely adorable look. Not sure what to do with your eye shadow? Check with her first.

Michelle Phan

Michelle Phan is one of the most adorable people on YouTube. In addition to the occasional makeup tutorial, she also talks about beauty in general and talks to the camera about her life. If you’re Asian and looking for makeup tips to help with your almond eyes, she’s the person to see (though her tips can help everyone else, too.) Her videos have high production value.

Pixiwoo

Pixiwoo is the lovely beauty duo of Samantha and Nicola. These women are true beauty insiders. They have news and tutorials not just about eye makeup but about hair and other aspects of beauty as well. They really know their stuff.

Know of any other great makeup tutorial artists on YouTube? Let us know in the comments!

Stila came out with an eye shadow quad called ‘Charmed’. Not only is it metallic, but it has real 24k gold in it. Fancy! (It’s on sale for $10 right now.)

I’ve decided to do a little makeup tutorial featuring all four colors of this quad. I’m calling the look ‘Bejeweled’.

Get ready for some serious makeup tutorial goodness!

Here are the products I used to get this look:

• L’Oreal True Match Blendable Makeup in Honey Beige around my eyes.
• Luzier Translucent Powder all over my face, setting the foundation.
• Stila Charmed Eye Shadow Palette
  • Pink on the crease
  • Plum on the crease
  • Blue on the lid
  • Gold on the lid and crease
• Elite Pro Cosmetics 88 Eye Shadow Palette in a light beige at the inside corner of the eye.
• L’Oreal Pencil Perfect Eyeliner in Carbon Black on the top lid and on the bottom lid’s water line.
• Jane One Liners in Snowline on the top and bottom lid at the inside corner and in just about a centimeter.
• Max Factor Volume Couture Mascara in Black Brown on the top and bottom lashes.
• L’Oreal Bare Naturale All-Over Mineral Glow in Rose Glow as a blush on my cheek bones and temples.
• L’Oreal HiP Color Presso Lip Gloss in Trendy.

Now onto the tutorial. This is a bit different from my regular makeup tutorials. There’s less words! Just follow the pictures.

Tip: You may need to add a bit more blue after the last step, as I obviously needed to do.

Tip: Clean up any edges with a cotton square soaked in eye makeup remover.

Tip: Since the eye shadow is so bold in Bejeweled, stick with subdued lips.

What did you think? Would you try this look?

Today, I’m going to do something a bit more work appropriate. I’ll be using Smog, Chopper, Sin and Polyester Bride from this makeup palette, plus some other beauty products to finish off the look.

Let’s get started.

You know the drill. Before you start using shadow, you need to get your face ready. Today I used some translucent powder to smooth out the skin around my eyes and nose. Learn more here: Priming the Canvas: Getting Your Face Ready for Makeup.

Once your face is ready, it’s time for some shimmery eye shadow.

I started with Smog eye shadow moving in an arch from just under the outside corner of my eye (on the bottom lid) up and into the crease of my top lid.

Blending with a bristled eye shadow brush will help make it smoky and well-blended.

Now, you use Chopper in the middle part of the lid. Blend this to the outer edge a bit and up into the crease.

Next is Sin. I seem to use this shadow in every tutorial. It’s my favorite in the makeup palette.

Smooth this from the inside corner and blend it into Chopper. Also, blend it in at the top edge of Smog to soften it a bit.

Finally, use Polyester Bride as a highlighter. Put a dab right at the inside corner of your eye as well as right underneath your eyebrow arch.

Now that you are done with eye shadow, you can finish up your entire look.

For the eyes, I used Incolor FabuLiner Liquid Eyeliner in Brown on the top lid. Then, I used Cover Girl Lash Blast Waterproof Mascara in Very Black on the top and bottom lashes.

For the lips, I used MAC Lustreglass in Ornamental.

Here’s a look at the final results:

It turned out pretty nice. It’s a classy, shimmery look that’s subtle enough to be work appropriate. Plus, since it uses brown shades, it can go with a lot of different outfits.

This week, using the same eye shadow pallet as before (and pictured above), I’m going to show you how to do a mossy green/blue eye. This will use the Mildew, Shattered, Maui Wowie and Sin colors from the Urban Decay palette.

You won’t need any other brand of eye shadow.

So, let’s begin.

As always, you’ll want to start by priming your face.  Normally I would at least use some translucent powder. Today: nothing. I didn’t do anything to my face, other than some moisturizer this morning. It may be different for you, though, so check out Priming the Canvas: Getting Your Face Ready for Makeup.

Last week I used Sin as a primer over the entire lid. Not this time. I just start right out with the good stuff.

First, I used the Mildew shadow on the outer half of my eyelid. Starting from the outer corner of the eye, I used this metallic green eye shadow all the way to right in the middle of the lid.

Next, I used Shattered, a blue metallic shadow. I started about a centimeter from the inside corner of the eye and blended it right into the green shadow from the previous step. Don’t blend all of the Mildew away, but about half of it.

Now it’s time for Maui Wowie. This is a slightly glittery beige color. I used this at the inside corner of the eye and blended it into the Shattered color a bit. I also used it to highlight the brow bone by placing it just under the arch of my eyebrow, as you can see in the picture above.

Almost done. I used Sin, a light beige metallic shadow, just above the green and blue to soften the edges and to make the look more cohesive. It fills the gap between the shadow on the lid and the highlight on the brow bone.

Now that we’re done with eye shadow, we need to finish off the look with eyeliner and mascara.

It really makes a difference, doesn’t it?

I used:

• L’Oreal Pencil Perfect Eyeliner in Carbon Black. I lined the top lid, very thin, and the bottom lid only on the water line.
• Lancome Fatale Exceptional Volume Sculpting 3D Mascara in Black. I used this for the top and bottom lashes.

If you want to throw on some lipstick, go right ahead. Here’s what I used:

• Luzier Lipstick in Chilled Burgundy.

And we’re done! Now it’s time to admire the overall beauty of this mossy makeup tutorial:

Done! Very pretty, in my book.

Stay tuned to Makeup Files because I’ll be having at least one more makeup tutorial using the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Ammo Shadow Box.

Well, guess what? I got it! With some X-mas money and a trip to Sephora, I picked up the Ammo Shadow Box by Urban Decay. It comes with ten colors which are either shimmer shadows, or glittery shadows.

Since then, I’ve been experimenting a lot with the colors, coming up with some good looks. Today, I’ll teach you a purple smoky eye look using only the shadow from this compact  So gather around to learn somethin’.

Before you begin following the directions in this makeup tutorial, you’ll want to get your face ready for makeup. Personally, I used some translucent face powder, but that’s about it. This is the point when you should foundation up, if you so choose. You can find out more about this step by checking out this previous post: Priming the Canvas: Getting Your Face Ready for Makeup.

Alright, now that that’s over with, it’s time to use some eye shadow.

First, we’ll use Sin. This is the beige shimmer color.

Here, you’ll see that I used the Sin eye shadow over my entire lid. I’m using this kind of like a primer. It’ll help make the rest of the eye shadow go on smoother, and acts as a good base.

Next, use the Last Call shimmer shadow in the crease. You should start at the outside corner of the eye and work it from the lash line to just above the crease. Then, work it across your lid just in the crease. You should stop about two thirds across the lid. Blending is important here, and it’s a good idea to use a bristled eye shadow brush rather than the sponge-tipped applicator provided.

Once that’s done, you can use Grifter, a light purple, sparkly shadow, on your lid. This should go in the middle section near the lash line, and blend it in to the Last Call shadow you used in the previous step.

Time to use the Sin eye shadow again. Start at the inside corner of your eye and work the shadow into the Grifter, light purple shadow.

It’s also a good idea to use Sin right above the darkest part of the shadow to soften the lines a bit.

Finally, you can use Polyester Bride as a highlighter. This is the white, sparkly shadow in your Ammo Shadow Box. I used it at the inside corner of the eye, as well as just under the arch of my eyebrow. Just a dab will do you. Don’t overdo it.

Now that the shadow is over with, it’s time for the finishing touches. Here’s what I used to finish the look:

• Sephora Keep Kohl! Waterproof Liner in Keep Blue, just on the water line of the lower eyelid.
• Maybelline the Colossal Volum’ Express Mascara in Glam Black, on both the top and bottom lashes.
• Almay Ideal Gloss in Wine Shimmer.

Check out the final pictures to see how it all came together:

Nice, huh? Stay tuned because I’ll have a few more tutorials using the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Ammo Shadow Box.

And if you’ve used this before, what do you think? I’m certainly liking it. This palette is awesome.

We want the attention on our lips!

I’m calling this makeup tutorial Daily Lipstick Look.  Because, frankly, I couldn’t think of anything better.

And it is replacing the daily look for today.

In today’s look, you’ll also learn a bit of a cat eye using liquid eyeliner.

Let’s get started!

We always start with a bare face:

Yeah, lovely…

I used just a bit of translucent powder today.  You can use whatever right here, whether it’s foundation or whatever.  You can learn more about this step here: Priming the Canvas: Getting Your Face Ready for Makeup.

Also, you may want to beautify your eyebrows in this step.  I used eyebrow powder.

Now you’ll need your supplies.  Although you can use whatever you want (as long as it gets a similar look) here’s what I used:

1. Elite Pro Cosmetics 88 Eye Shadow Pallet
2. N.Y.C. Liquid Eyeliner in Jet Black
3. Maybelline the Colossal Volum’ Express Mascara in Glam Black
4. Loreal Color Riche Lipstick in Penelope’s Red

Now that we have everything, it’s time to really start.

Now, the colors you do for your eyes are completely up to you.  This look can change because the colors you choose are going to be subtle anyway.

Since I’m wearing pink, I chose pink.  See?

First, I picked a bright, hot pink from the Elite Pro Cosmetics 88 Eye Shadow Pallet.  I swept just a little bit from the middle of my lip out to the outside corner.

Then I used a lighter, softer pink.  I blended this into the first color and used it across the lid, leaving the innermost inch empty.

Finally, I used a light white/beige color at the inside corner, blending it into the light pink.

Such a soft, subdued look.  Just what I wanted!

Now, eyeliner.  I swear that line looked straighter in person.  I swear!

I used N.Y.C. Liquid Eyeliner.  I swept it from the outside corner inward.  To make the cat eye, I took small, slow strokes so that I had the most control.

You can see the desired shape in the picture above.

Then, mascara.  I used Maybelline the Colossal Volum’ Express Mascara. I used it liberally on both the top and bottom lashes.

Lips!  Here’s the boldest part of the whole look.  I used a red lipstick because it stands out the most.  I used Loreal Color Riche Lipstick in Penelope’s Red.

I didn’t use lip liner, because I didn’t want it to look harsh.  Instead, I just took the lipstick and applied it straight from the tube.  No lip brushes for me!

Blotting is important.  It gets rid of excess lipstick and can help set the color.

Now, it’s time for the after shots:

Tah dah!

I’d say it’s pretty.  And super bold where the lips are concerned.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the Daily Lipstick Look makeup tutorial.

Smokey eyes have been in high demand for quite some time now.  While I’ve done some smokey eyes makeup tutorials in the past, why not try another one?

Today, I’m doing a smokey eye, as stated.  I’m also doing a look that uses as few beauty products as possible.  Most of my looks use, like six products.  Today, I’ll only be using four.

Another difference with today’s look is the lips.  Normally, I do some lip gloss or neutral lipstick and that’s it.  Not today!  I’ve got some red lips to show you!

Anyway, the main color scheme is gold, so today’s tutorial is entitled: Gold Smoke.  Makes sense, right?

As always, with start with a fresh face.

Don’t I look like a deer caught in headlights?  Yikes!

Before proceeding, you should do any of your face tricks you use before a regular makeup look.  Today, I used foundation and translucent powder.  Oh, and some bronzer on my cheeks, nose and forehead.  You can learn more here: Priming the Canvas: Getting Your Face Ready for Makeup.

Now, get your supplies for this makeup tutorial:

You can use whatever you want, as long as it’s similar to what I used:

1. Loreal HiP Metallic Shadow Duo in #806 Gilded
2. Incolor FabuLiner Liquid Eye Liner in Brown
3. Maybelline the Colossal Volum’ Express Mascara in Glam Black
4. Loreal Color Riche Lipstick in Penelope’s Red

Smokey eyes usually have some sort of dark color.  I’m using the Loreal HiP Metallic Shadow Due today.  It’s called ‘Gilded’ and has two colors.  For this step, I am using the dark grey color.  It’s a chalky black with gold flecks.

Spread this color across your crease into the outside corner of your eye.  Don’t worry too much about how it looks because it’ll be blended up.

The other color in this duo is a super-metallic gold.  Put this over your entire lid until just above your crease.  Doing this will blend it in so much that the first application of the dark grey will have faded significantly.

Because it faded, I reapplied some more of the dark grey on top of the gold.  This made it look more smokey.  I applied it in the same spot that I did in the first step, and not on the entire lid.

I also added some of the dark grey to my bottom lid.  Using a thin eye shadow brush, I lined the lid from the outside corner and in about 1/3 of the way.

For eyeliner, I used Incolor FabuLiner in Brown.  They call this a liquid liner, but it applies like a long felt-tip marker.  I like that.

I used this only on the top lid.  The line is thickest at the outside corner and gets thinner as you move in.

A final touch to the eye: Mascara.  I used the new Maybelline the Colossal Volum’ Express Mascara in Glam Black.  It makes my eyes look like giant leggy black spiders are climbing out of them.

I kind of like that.

To finish off the look, I did some red lips.  So rare for me!  Mostly because I have the hardest time finding a red lipstick that looked even halfway decent on me.

Turns out that the Loreal Color Riche lipstick in Penelope’s Red looks best.  That is supposed to be celebrity Penelope Cruz’s perfect color.  We match! Me and Penelope are twins.

Okay, we’re done.  Now strike a pose!

I’m not totally convinced that those red lips go well with the overall look.  I mean, they’re good on their own, but maybe not with those eyes.  I think it would help if my hair was down and I was wearing an appropriate outfit.

What do you think?  Do the lips go well with the eyes?

All in all, though, I really liked the Gold Smoke look.  I hope you liked it, too!

Pink is my favorite color.  Can you tell?

So, of course, I need to do a look with some great pink colors.  Heck, the vast majority of my clothes are pink.  I might as well match.

Today, I’m going to show you a super cute pink look that sort of reminds me of geranium flowers.  That’s why I’ve called it Geranium. Creative, no?

You may notice that the pictures in this tutorial are better than previous ones.  Yeah, I’m getting the hang of this.

So read on for the Geranium makeup tutorial.

As always…

Yeah, I’m not wearing any makeup.  If I look better than normal, it’s because I just re-tweezed my eyebrows.  Nice!

Before I show you this makeup tutorial, you should do all of the steps you normally have in your routine.  This means any lotion, foundation, powder, whatever.  You can refer to a previous article for help: Priming the Canvas: Getting Your Face Ready for Makeup.

It’s makeup time.

Of course, you need products, right? You can’t put on makeup with your mind.

Here’s everything I used to get this look:

1. Cupcake Cult Eye Primer
2. MAC Eye Shadow in Post Haste
3. Luzier Eye Shadow in Burgundy Ice
4. Elite Pro Cosmetics 88 Eye Shadow Pallet
5. N.Y.C. Liquid Eyeliner in Jet Black
6. Maybelline the Colossal Volum’ Express Mascara in Glam Black
7. Claire’s Lip Gloss

That’s it!  And away we go.

First, we’re going to use Post Haste, a MAC Eye Shadow.  This is a darkish, slightly muted pink.  I put this on the outside corner (where it’s darkest) and into the crease.

Then I added the Luzier Eye Shadow, Burgundy Ice.  This is a shimmery mixture of pink and yellow.  Blend this over the entire lid and just above the crease.

Since I felt that it still didn’t have enough pink, I used a bright ‘hot pink’ from my Elite Pro Cosmetics 88 Eye Shadow Pallet.  I used just a little bit over the first pink color, and onto more of the lid as well.  See the picture!

Then, I used a very light beige, also from the Elite pallet.  This time, I used it on the inside corner of the eye (blending out about one centimeter).  Then I used it under the arch of the brow to create a highlight.

That’s all for eye shadow in this makeup tutorial.  Super quick.

For eyeliner I used N.Y.C. Liquid Eyeliner because I wanted a look that stood out and that was a bit retro.  I used this just on the top lid.

And yes, I screwed it up a bit.  Liquid eyeliner is hard!

I used Maybelline the Colossal Volum’ Express Mascara in Glam Black on the top and bottom lashes.  Man, it sure does make them look long!

Last, but not least, lips.  I didn’t want to go too overboard today, so I just added some shimmery pink lip gloss from Claire’s.

Done!  Check out the ending pictures:

Nice, huh?  I loved doing the Geranium makeup tutorial.  Pinks seem to look good on me.  And, news flash, pinks look good on a lot of people.

What did you think?  Not too bad, huh?

This look is called Fire Season.  I live in a state that has a yearly fire season (no, not California.  Montana).  In fact, just about a week ago, or most important mountain was on fire.  While it looked neat at night, it’s serious business.

Anyway, the classic fire colors are red, orange, yellow and white.  Of course, the fire is hottest when it’s white.  Right?

Using these three colors, I created the Fire Season makeup tutorial, which is so scorching hot!

Read on, ladies.

First thing’s first, you’ll start completely nude.  In the face anyway.

Look at my nakedness.

Then, you need to get your face ready so that the makeup blends well.  I only used powder.  It is summer after all.  Learn more here: Priming the Canvas: Getting Your Face Ready for Makeup.

Now, get your materials.

Here’s all the makeup that I used.  You can use something else if it looks similarly.

1. Elite Pro Cosmetics 88 Eye Shadow Pallet
2. MAC Eye Shadow in Orange
3. MAC Eye Shadow in Chrome Yellow
4. Loreal Pencil Perfect Eyeliner in Carbon Black
5. Maybelline The Colossal Volum’ Express Mascara in Glam Black
6. Cover Girl WetSlicks Fruit Spritzers Lip Gloss in Raspberry Splash

Now, it’s time to get eye shadow’d.  The first color is red.  I used a darker red color from my Elite Pro Cosmetics 88 Eye Shadow Pallet.

Apply this to the outside corner and up to the crease as shown in the picture above.

Next is orange.  I used MAC Eye Shadow for this color.  Apply it from lash line to crease, blending it into the red color.  Don’t go much farther than halfway across your lid.

For easy blending, you should use a medium eye shadow brush, like I did.

Here’s another MAC Eye Shadow in yellow.  Blend this in with the orange and start it about one centimeter from the inside corner of your eye.  Don’t put the yellow in the corner.  There’s still one more color left.

The final eye shadow color is from the Elite Pro Cosmetics 88 Eye Shadow Pallet again.  This time, use a very light, almost-white beige color.

Apply this to the inside corner of the eye, blending it into the yellow.  Also put this under your brow, blending it into the crease a bit.  This will soften up the overall look.

We’re not done, though.  Now we need to use the eye shadow on the lower lid.  Using a thin, angled eye shadow brush with soft, stiff bristles, fill in the lower lid.

Start at the outside corner with orange and go underneath the lash line almost all the way to the inside corner.  Then take yellow and go over the orange starting in the middle of the lower lid and work till almost the inside corner.  Next, take the light beige and blend it on the lower lid starting at the inside corner and working into some of the yellow.

You can see the outcome in the picture above.

After shadow, we need liner.  Today, I am only lining the lower lid on the inside of the lash line.  I used Loreal Pencil Perfect Eyeliner in Carbon Black.

Then, mascara.  I used the new Maybelline The Colossal Volum’ Express Mascara in Glam Black.  You should use the mascara on both the top and bottom lashes.

Lips!  I wanted it to be subtle, since the eyes are so bright.  I used Cover Girl WetSlicks Fruit Spritzers Lip Gloss in Raspberry Splash.

Done!  Here’s the after pictures:

I ended up really liking the Fire Season look.  I’ve just started doing looks with white/beige in the inside corner (like last week’s Plum Smoke) and I’m loving the way it looks on me.

And of course, it really went well with that red halter dress I was wearing, too!

What do you think of the Fire Season makeup tutorial?

Purple is so in right now.  I went to a clothing store the other day and almost everything on the racks had purple in it.  (It’s a shame.  I wish pink was in right now, but I guess purple is the new pink.)

In the makeup world, smoky eyes is in right now as well.  I decided to put these two trends together, so I created Plum Smoke.

Did you know that you can do a smoky eyes look without using any grey or black eye shadow?  It’s true.  The smoke in this tutorial is subtle, but still so totally adorable, without any of those colors.

This look also has a vintage feel based on how I did the eyeliner and mascara.  If you like vintage makeup techniques, then you’ll like this look.

Read on for the Plum Smoke eye shadow tutorial.

Of course, you have to start this tutorial with a clean face.  Them’s the rules!  And that’s what I did:

While it may look like I’m naked in that picture, I’m totally not!  I was actually wearing a plum colored, striped tube top.  I swear!  I wore it because it was the only thing I have the matched this tutorial look well.

And after doing this look, I may need to buy more plum clothes.

Before we gather our supplies, you’ll want to get your face ready.  I suggest at least using facial power on your eyes, which will make it easier to blend your eye shadow.  To find out more: Priming the Canvas: Getting Your Face Ready for Makeup.

Now, we can do supplies.

I’m actually using three different brands of eye shadow for this look.  It’s a good example of how you can use just about anything and still look good.

Keep in mind, you can substitute all of this if you don’t have it, but this is what I used, in order of appearance:

1. Luzier Eye Shadow in Wisteria
2. MAC Eye Shadow in Shadowy Lady
3. Elite Pro Cosmetics 88 Eye Shadow Pallet
4. N.Y.C. Liquid Eyeliner in Jet Black
5. Maybelline The Colossal Volum’ Express Mascara in Glam Black
6. Mary Kay MK Signature NouriShine Lip Gloss in Gold Rush

Alright!  Let’s get started!

This is a bit hard to see, because it’s so subtle.  The first step uses Luzier Eye Shadow in Wisteria (Desperate Housewives, anyone?  I didn’t think so.)  This is a soft plum color, which is somewhat light and has a bit of shimmer.  I’m using this as a primer and a base.  I’ll explain:

Layering is important with shadow. It helps you blend.  Since I’m going to be using a dark shadow next, it’s even more important to have a base.  So, I blended this eye shadow into the crease and just above and below.  I also blended it in to the outside corner of the eye, up from the lash line.

Now we’ll use the darker shadow.  This is a MAC Eye Shadow in Shadowy Lady. This is a dark plum, matte eye shadow.  It looks mostly dark grey in the packaging, but when you put it on, it has this interesting smoky plum color, perfect for this look.

I blended this in at the outer corner of the lid and into the crease.  Try not to go too much out of the crease.  The color should be darker at the outside corner, and lighter as you go in.  You can achieve this by blending back and forth with a medium eye shadow brush.

Then, I used the Elite Pro Cosmetics 88 Eye Shadow Pallet.  I actually used two different colors.

First, I used a lighter purple/pink color.  This is blended into the rest of the eyelid, starting at the inner corner and working your way into the rest of the previous eye shadows.  You can see this in the picture above.

Then, I used a very light beige color for highlights and accents.  First, I put it right below the arch of my eyebrow, from the arch to the end.  This adds highlight and makes my eyes look bigger.   Then I put it at the inside corner of my eye, blending it into the purple for about a half an inch.

You can see those results in the next pictures.

I decided to do the eyeliner in a bit of a vintage look.  For this, you will need liquid eyeliner because it gives a harsh line that was really popular in the 40s, 50s and 60s.  I used N.Y.C. Liquid Eyeliner in Jet Black, which I’ve actually reviewed.

Use this liner to create a straight, sleek line from one corner to the other on the top lid.  It should be thickest at the outside corner, and it’s a good idea to end it in a point there.  Check out the picture above to get a good idea of what I did.

I didn’t line the bottom lid.

Another vintage trend from the same era was to accentuate the top lashes instead of the bottom.  You see, the trend right now is to mascara both the top and bottom lashes.  Today, I’m only doing the top.

I used Maybelline The Colossal Volum’ Express Mascara in Glam Black, which I reviewed a few weeks ago.

Finally, the lips.  Since the eyes in this makeup tutorial are sort of soft and subtle (although super adorable and smoky) I decided to make the lips subtle as well.  I used Mary Kay MK Signature NouriShine Lip Gloss in Gold Rush, which is a medium brown/gold color with shimmery and shine.

We are SO done.  Check out the after photos:

Again, I’m not naked, just wearing a tube top, which you can’t see.

In the end, I really loved this look.  I couldn’t stop looking in the mirror, which is a good sign.  It’s right up there with Rainbow Eyes, which is also one one my favorites.

The Plum Smoke look would be great with a lot of things.  Since yellow is it’s complementary color, you could wear this look with a yellow themed outfit if you don’t have any purple.  Also, since it’s so subtle, you could wear it with a lot of other colors as well, including green and brown.

Ugh, I love it.  What do you think?