Does white eyeliner widen eyes?

Today while packing I saw the white eye liner pencil and I got reminded of this post I wanted to write…
We have read/watched numerous tutorials showing usage of white eyeliner pencil in small eye makeup… some backup by the optical illusion theory… (its always nice to throw some jargon.. what say?).. But does white eyeliner really widen eyes?

Few years back I got the 17 white eyeliner pencil.. Although I felt it quite stupid, tried this theory….
I  think the few times I wore it.. I got saved from embarassment because…

1) the crowd around me were fairly under the impression that I am very stylish or
2) people genuinely believed I was trying the new eyeliner after my ink blue eyeliner..
3) thanks to my waterline.. nothing stays for more than couple of hours…

somehow I felt it was ridiculous and I stopped it myself… then started the search ,as always, after product fails to show its effect on me..

Finally I arrived at a conclusion that it’s the nude/flesh tone liner that gives a feeling that your eyes quite dint end yet (sounds silly but that what its supposed to be). . Now white is definitely not a nude eyeliner for brown skin… light browny biegy color with a more complex description would be a match… which nobody seemingly manufactures…

Amidst the invasion of color.. a ray of light is the Boots 17 having a ‘fawn’ lip liner… which is kind of beige color… but can you interchange an eye liner and lip liner? Yes .. no… may be… I am still working on that actually…. You will probably see a post soon…

Anyways getting back to the point this fawn liner definitely matches to brown skin tones… swatches below….
                    
                                             17 lip liner in fawn

so here is the complete look …. Makeup for small eye….

1) Use a single nude eye shadow
2) Line the water line with nude eye pencil
3) Line the upper lash line with brown/black pencil; possibly till 3/4ths. Remember the part you darken shows the actual length so lining it in full leaves no scope for illusions.
4) Line the lower lash line with brown/grey whichever suits you (but not black)
5) Keep your mascara not too thick…

To go a little further…

2) Use a little glitter shadow to draw a half line on the lower lash line towards the outer end of eye
3) Use your highlighter eye shadow on the inner corner of your eye

Its important to keep the look as little dramatic as possible… I really dint see it work with a smokey eye or something like that as the whole attention is diverted to the drama instead of the detailing on the waterline …

Maybelline dream matte mousse Foundation review

A great man once said “what’s in a name?”…. that’s not true here… Maybelline dream matte mousse… everything is in the name… This post is my take on the highly rated foundation..

As you might see from my haul post (here), I liked it in the first look… the texture and the way it disappeared when I swatched it on my hand in the store. My skin is really weird… my face is darker than my body… for that matter my neck and my arms are lighter than my face. I first took ‘sand’, as I dreaded it was lighter for my face. To match, I could put up all sorts of techniques if it was a liquid foundation.. mix moisturizer, mix another foundation, use a tint.. what not… but this being a mousse foundation I dint want to risk. so I went back this time looked at all the shades carefully…

Despite the huge selection of shades in them, I failed to find a match… I ended up taking two shades… One was ‘022 NATURAL BEIGE’ and the other was ‘060 CARAMEL’ …. swatched below…

                                                              Swatch without flash

                                                           Swatch with flash

                                                              Swatch in day light

                                                                     Blended

                                                Blended with the mixed shade that I wear..

(Apologies for the hairy hands… I am due for waxing)

The natural beige is my closest match but for occasions where my face gets darker and the fact that my exact shade is slightly darker than natural beige I took another dark shade… A darker + lighter shade = medium shade… that’s shown in the last pic in the box highlighted…

Okay as I really wrote an essay already in this post, lets get to point…

Pros –

1)      Packaging is real good. I cannot think of better way of presenting mousse foundation

2)      Matte finish foundation

3)      Really light. Doesnt feel like an added layer on skin like liquid foundation.

4)     Texture is as smooth as mousse - Thumbs up – does not need even a powder to finish

5)      Did not make me break out (most other foundations did)

Cons – (these are totally personal.. everybody might not feel them)

1)      Not very easy to blend (or I was not good at it.. )

2)      Light coverage, Does not cover pores

3)      My face feels oily/heavy after 6 hours  so not long-stay as such.. ofcourse the interesting part is I did not look greasy… I looked just more oxidized than morning but I felt heavy on my face..

Do I like it? Hmm.. Yes definitely… I have no major concerns. Although it doesn’t give me that ‘no-makeup’ look… the ultimate finish actually looked like a luminous veil..

On the whole I have mixed feelings about this …. I hope to continue using it.

What is your take on this foundation dears?

Another Haul: Holiday Shopping

With the weekend trip ahead, I had to go shopping you see… I tried to keep it to the minimal …

Ok why holiday shopping …  don’t I have these or any alternatives already? The answer is because When I shop, the world gets better, and the world is better, but then it's not, and I need to do it again as said by Rebecca Bloomwood in ‘Confessions of a shopohalic’… (why are you smiling reading this? Got reminded of something… ;))

Anyways let me explain... (products from left to right)

No.7 Beautiful Skin BB cream Normal/oily – Previously when I went on trips except for those special dinners I used to dab compact powder on my sunscreen/moisturiser and rush… this time I wish to try a little more by adding a BB cream.. gotta see how it goes..

Johnsons baby oil – makeup cleanser, massage oil for relaxing end of day… and many more uses

Johnsons baby lotion - mild moisturiser for hand and body

Maybelline Instant Anti-age skin retexturising primer – To reinforce the BB cream, for my pores and lines... :D

17 shine control powder – was wondering if it will be as hot as last week so bought this.

Bourjois bronzer – The only color cosmetic of this sect

Simple kind to skin light moisturizer, Simple kind to skin refreshing facial wash gel, Simple kind to skin cleansing facial tissues  – tried and tested products to give an instant fresh face. this mini versions for my handbag during the trip

And theres next section....

simple kind to hair gentle care shampoo – this is a first timer… will use and tell you why I bought it ;)

Johnsons baby shampoo - for mild and frequent cleansing; when I have to wash 3 days consecutively 2 of the times will be with this…

Batiste dry shampoo – tried and tested way of washed-hair-look

John Freida FRIZZ-EASE 3-day staright semi-permanent styling spray – Post blow dry setting spray

Superdrug Anti-Frizz serum – see.. instead of going to a salon and splurging money for a blow dry I am doing it at home.

Superdrug Heat Defense spray – same as above

simple kind to hair gentle care conditioner – the right conditioner for greasy scalp; mildest I have known till date

Now starts the next task of packing…. Which I hope doesn’t unveil the need of more shopping ;)