Stila Did It

Stila has some gorgeous new palettes that are a breath of fresh air this fall. All varying shades of earth tones in shimmers and mattes, you can't go wrong with any of these luscious combos!

Heart, Soul and Spirit are the three new palettes I purchased this week. Eager to try the tones and textures, and inspired by this image of model Karlie Kloss that I'd torn from a November, "Best Looks" spread, I decided to play with some of the russet and beige-gold colors.

After beginning with my newest investment, (more on that this week) in Shiseido's BB Cream Dark, I applied loose finishing powder and a drop of concealer above and below my lids to get the canvas primed.

Step one was to swipe the tone "Affection" across my entire lid, from lash to crease. 

Next I added a soft, off-white, matte shadow in "Light" to blend out the crease tone, and buffed  it with a large, blending brush. I ran a beigey-brown shadow under my lower lash line in "Thought" to create contour and depth.

 I blended and softened the lines, but kept the shadows a bit thicker than my normal routine. (A La Karlie).

I also used a swipe of Stila's ubiquitous "Kitten" shadow, (a favorite highlighter for many artists) to lift directly under the brow for a slight sheen.

Next I grabbed a mixture of the top left shadow, (Light) and mixed it with the middle lower shadow, (Heart) to create a blond, brow powder filler. Sometimes you can get the correct tone without resorting to an additional brow palette, as long as the colors are matte and fairly neutral or ash in tone.

I extended my lash line with my favorite Stila pencil, the creamy and perfect, russet colored, Tigers Eye.

 Voila.

For some additional warmth and sheen I added Benefit's Coralista (which is a peachy, shimmer blush), along with a highlighter from Rouge Bunny Rouge.

 Both applications were done with a flat brush to create depth and a slightly more edged line.

 Cheek in center, highlight from orbital bone to hairline.

 A coat of my favorite L'Oreal Manga mascara, and some gloss from Rouge Bunny Rouge sealed the deal.

Stila Eye Palette in Soul, RougeBunnyRouge highlighter and gloss in Sweet to Touch and Fleur Parfait

With Love,

Noa B

Skincare Giveaway: AuraVie!

 It's that time of year again, time to give away some free skin care!

 As a makeup artist I'm always testing out new products and new lines, and nothing beats finding amazing skincare. This week I'm giving away my new "best friend", this beautiful set by AuraVie. AuraVie is known for products that pack Omega 3, 6 & 9 and Vitamin A, E, C & D, all of which promote healthy skin renewal as well as nature’s most powerful antioxidants; Resveratrol & Acai Berry. The combined ingredients result in treatments that renew, revive, and replenish your skin for lasting beauty. The giveaway set includes:

1: AuraVie's  RENEW Facial Toner/Cleanser, designed to gently remove skin impurities including make-up, dirt and surface oils, without stripping precious lipids.

2: AuraVie's REVIVE Age-Defying Serum, an all-in-one serum that lifts and firms the eye area, face and neck, improving elasticity while diminishing dark circles, fine lines and wrinkles.

3: AuraVie's REPLENISH Day/Night Moisturizer, formulated to increase moisture retention, smooth skin texture, and encourage natural cell regeneration

The line is absolutely beautiful and truly a one-stop-shop for those needing a pared down yet effective regiment for their skin. This combo, the Skin Rejuvenation Regimen, is valued at $329.99 but I'm giving it away to one, lucky, contestant this month! Here's how to enter:

All you have to do!

1: Become a follower of Sunsetand5th via Bloglovin or GFC, (if you already are, let me know)!

2: Comment back here with your email address and why you'd like to try this amazing bevy of products. (If you already have a favorite, let me know)!

3: For a second entry, tweet this contest and let me know in an additional comment line.

4: For a 3rd entry, Instagram the contest and let me know in an additional comment line.

5: For a 4th entry, facebook or blog this contest and let me know in an additional comment line.

Entries are open worldwide.
Contest ends 9/13/14
Bonne Chance!

With Love,

Noa B

Rouge Bunny Rouge: Summer Color Review

My very dear friend Kacey set me on a task last week. She challenged me to use every available product in the Rouge Bunny Rouge line to create a fun and wearable, summer look. The test was to use one of everything while still looking natural. Having reviewed the line's incredible foundation in a previous blog here, I knew I was in for a treat!

The trick with most product is in knowing key elements of their application. So I began by priming my skin with RBR's original Primer, to which I added their Time Defying Foundation in Wheat Cream. I'm not a big foundation wearer by day, but RBR's liquid is so creamy and dreamy that it feels like applying liquid silk to one's skin. The result once blended is unbelievably poreless.

After dotting on the base where it was needed, I blended it into a seamless finish using a kabuki brush and a swirling motion.

 

Next I applied the finely milled, Flawless Face Powder in Piano. I love this product because it adds a warming element to the skin. I topped it with a highlighter powder across the t-zone and upper cheekbones, in Sweet to the Touch. This gave my skin a slightly glossy effect.

For eyes, I chose this summery, pastel duo to highlight with a wash of color. What could be more fun in June than pastels?

I swept the lilac base from lid to crease. The pigments are incredibly velvety and practically blend themselves. Next I added a plum colored liner along my upper lash line to enhance the color tone.

I added the mint green shadow from the eye duo to my lower lash-line and smudged a hint of black eyeliner into the inner water line to seal the deal.

Next came the shimmer pigments. I chose a beige coupled with a hint of gold to give the shadows some subtle, but extra highlighting. RBR's pigments are finely milled and because they come with an applicator, you don't get messy bits of glitter falling across your face as you apply. It's a great system for enhancing depth without creating mess.

I swept the applicator wand through my crease and tapped the color lightly into my inner eye corner. This added shine and additional highlight. 

Then came lips. I used RBR's extraordinary array of pink liners, lipsticks, and glosses for a bright and modern, pink tone. I wanted a pink that wouldn't look specifically "mod" or "60's". The key to a modern, pink lip is not to go too matte or chalky. I  filled in my lips top to bottom with the Long Lasting Lip Pencil in Vasco.

I also bulked up my upper lashes with black mascara but tipped my lower ones with RBR's burgundy mascara, which really brought out all the plum tones and added another layer of color depth. For anyone with blue or green eyes, this is a great trick to dramatically enhance lashes without feeling too dark and heavy.

After applying Sheer Lipstick in Fluttering Sighs and Angel's Play gloss, I polished off my skin with RBR's Original Skin Blush in Habanera. Just a swipe across the cheekbones gave me a flush of natural color. When creating a makeup look it's important to achieve balance. This look was all about summer eyes and shimmer. So blush and lips remained subtly soft.

RBR also makes a variety of glitter liners, called Quartz Liners. I pulled the Amethyst pen and ran it lightly under my lashes. 

 And topped it off with a subtle swish of black, liquid liner on my upper, lash line.

Just a narrow line at the eye's edge gave my lash line a framing effect.

And voila...

 The challenge was to create summer style, and find the balance with a variety of products. Here's my take.

You can find Rouge Bunny Rouge at their online boutique here.

With Love,

Noa B