FAQ- what are my favourite eyeshadow primers?

My top 3 primers in order:

1. MAC paint pot
2. Urban Decay primer potion
3. Too Faced shadow insurance

I do not like using NYX jumbo pencils as a primer but they're alright as a base. However, i have noticed they crease much more than i expected on oilier lids. I'd stick to either a MAC paint pot or Make Up For Ever's aqua cream for coloured bases, but they are quite expensive so just blend really well if using NYX.

Concealers are also pretty good as a base but once again, they crease on oilier lids. Generally if your lids are oily you're going to have to invest in a good eyeshadow primer, thats what i've come to learn in my 2 years of freelancing.

Tip: to help prevent creasing, try setting it with an eyeshadow the same colour as your skin before applying your makeup. This helps lock in the primer & will stop it from sliding around your eye lid as much.

***PLEASE NOTE that each person will have a different opinion on what primers work for them. Cheaper brands seem to crease more on myself than more expensive brands. I generally go by the term "you get what you pay for" but i know some of my friends & even clients ive worked on have great luck with just using their concealer on their eyes. Shop around, chances are you'll have a different experience with each product than i have. These are just my personal favourites & the more expensive the brand, the more pampered my client feels.

xoxo Victoria.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!

Happy Christmas everyone! I know im just a little late with this post but i didnt have time to post a blog until now. I've been at my parents house the past few days & now im back home so i uploaded my photos. I had a wonderful day & i hope each & everyone of you opened your hearts to your family & friends. The presents are nice, but its the season of giving & appreciation. Dont take it for granted :)

My look on Christmas was a dark smokey eye, using mainly "scene" & "plumage" from MAC. I've noticed that "scene" doesnt photograph very well on myself or clients, so keep that in mind when using this colour!


eyes:

1. prime your lids with MAC "painterly" paint pot
2. using a 217 brush, sweep MAC "plumage" into the crease using windshield wiper motions
3. create a C shape on the outer corner of each eye
4. next take MAC "scene" with the 239 & pat this colour onto the lids, blending with "plumage"
5. with a 214 brush, take MAC "carbon" & smudge a little but into the very outer corner of "plumage" 
6. blend with your 217 brush
7. line your lower lash line with "plumage" using the 214 brush
8. using a MATTE highlight colour, for me this is MAC "blanc type" & blend out the edges of "plumage" with a big fluffy brush (i use a "doe foot" brush from coastalscents.com)
9. apply MAC "shroom" along the brow bone 
10. with a 275, apply MAC "white frost" to the inner corner of your eyes
11. fill in your brows
12. using a black eyeliner pencil, line your tightline and waterline, i used Urban Decay "24/7 eyeliner pencil" in zero- smudge it!
13. using any black eyeliner (gel, cream, liquid, pencil) line your upper lash line, i used ELF "studio cream liner" in black
14. apply your favourite mascara, i used Sephora "lash plumper"

face:

1. first prime your skin using clean fingers with either a moisturizer or foundation primer, i used Clinique "dramaticlly different moisturizing lotion"
2. apply your foundation using a 190 brush or a sponge, i used MAC "studio sculpt" in NC15 with a damp sponge
3. next conceal under your eyes and any imperfections with a 194 brush or your fingers & dap into the skin, i used MAC "pro longwear concealer" in NW15
4. then set your face makeup with a face powder using a 150 brush, i used Rimmel "stay matte pressed powder"
5. next take your contour colour with a 168 brush and contour the hollows of your cheekbones and anywhere else you'd like, i used Coastal Scents "dark camo quad" in the darkest shade
6. apply with a fluffy dome brush (i used the "blush" brush from Visage), MAC "bite of an apple" blush (limited edition) to the apples of your cheeks & blend up along your cheekbone
7. finally dust a little of Too Faced "snow bunny bronzer" onto the top of your cheekbones up to your temple as a highlight with a 188 brush

lips:

1. prime your lips with a lip primer or lip balm, i used California Mango lip balm
2. line & fill in your lips with a blue-based red lip liner, i used a generic brand
3. next apply MAC "cyndi lauper" lipstick
4. apply Sephora "bronzed beauty" lipgloss over top

xoxo Victoria.

Gilded Greens

I went Christmas shopping today & i decided to do a green look to support the holiday season :) enjoy!

eyes:

1. prime your lids with TooFaced shadow insurance
2. lay down a dark brown base with a NYX jumbo pencil in "dark brown"
3. take a 239 brush & pat Lime Crime pigment "princess caraboo" onto the outer half of the lid
4. next take MAC pigment "gilded green" with the 239 as well & pat it onto the inner half of the lid
5. with a 224 brush take MAC "wild by nature" (limited edition) & lightly sweep it along the crease with windshield wiper motions, blending out the pigments
6. take a 219 pencil brush & line Lime Crime "princess caraboo" along the lower lashes about 3/4 in
7. apply your highlight colour, for me this is MAC "blanc type"
8. add MAC "gesso" to the inner corner of your eye & right under the brow
9. fill in your brows
10. using a black eyeliner pencil, line your tightline and waterline, i used Urban Decay "24/7 eyeliner pencil" in zero- smudge it!
11. using any black eyeliner (gel, cream, liquid, pencil) line your upper lash line, i used ELF "studio cream liner" in black
12. apply your favourite mascara, i used Sephora "lash plumper"

face:

1. first prime your skin using clean fingers with either a moisturizer or foundation primer, i used Clinique "dramaticlly different moisturizing lotion"
2. conceal under your eyes and any imperfections with a 194 brush, i used MAC "pro longwear concealer" in NW15
3. then set your face makeup with a face powder using a 150 brush, i used Cover fx "matte fx blot pressed powder" in light
4. next take your contour colour with a 168 brush and contour the hollows of your cheekbones and anywhere else you'd like, i used Coastal Scents "dark camo quad" in the darkest shade
5. apply with a fluffy dome brush (i used the "blush" brush from Visage), MAC "bite of an apple" blush (limited edition) to the apples of your cheeks & blend up along your cheekbone
6. finally dust a little of Too Faced "snow bunny bronzer" onto the top of your cheekbones up to your temple as a highlight with a 188 brush

lips:

1. prime your lips with a lip primer or lip balm, i used California Mango lip balm
2. line & fill in your lips with a nude lipliner, i used Jordane Cosmetics "spirit"
3. next apply Gosh "darling" lipstick
4. gently pat MAC "blanc type" onto your lips to set the lipstick (dont overdo it, this isnt to achieve a matte lip)

Birthday!

My 20th birthday was on tuesday (dec. 14) & it was absolutely the best. I generally have a cursed birthday, something always goes wrong & of course things didnt go as planned but it was still amazing. I got lovely gifts from my best friends, family & my boyfriend. Definitely MAC giftcards lol, who wouldve guessed?! I held the sweetest chinchilla, chilled with some besties & then opened presents with my family & James (boyfriend). I got 2 dresses & the rest were things for my new apartment like mugs, pots & pans, oven mitts, cutlery, cutting boards, clothes drying rack, ect. It was a tad depressing but i needed all of it. James & i werent able to go out for dinner because, of course, it snowed like a mad man which it does 90% of my birthdays so far. So my birthday plans got pushed super late. We went out tonight, heres a photo of my makeup. My eyes are open cuz i totally forgot to take makeup photos lol.

I wore MAC mythology, mystery, blanc type, white frost on my eyes & my face is the same as my face of the day posts. Nothing is on my lips except lip balm, i have really bad wind burned lips :( My bunny's name is Brooks, hes not allowed to move with me so we took photos tonight so i can frame them in my apartment lol.

I just wanna say thank you to everyone who wished me a happy birthday on myspace & msn, & all my friends, family & my boyfriend who celebrated with me. Love you!


xoxo Victoria.

FAQ- what are my favourite makeup brands?

Im asked the question a whole lot on myspace & i have a little FAQ blog on there where i have an answer thats about 2 years old. I thought i'd use this question as my first FAQ blog just because it is probably the #1 question im asked & the answer needs an update lol.

So i have to say im a huge MAC fanatic, but really, who isnt? I definitely devote almost all of my earnings to MAC as i am an extremely loyal customer. Their products are extremely well made (well most of them anyway) and they have such a variety of products that 9 times out of 10 you'll always find what you're looking for. Now another reason why i love MAC is because it is such a known & trusted brand. If im doing makeup on a client, they usually know what MAC is and since it is a high end brand, the luxury of having expensive makeup used on them is definitely still there. I generally go for brands that are well known for their amazing quality, it puts the client at ease. My foundations, however, are 100% CoverFX. They are a little pricey but definitely worth it. I doubt i'll ever switch to any other brand. Im in love.

Urban Decay, TooFaced, Smashbox & most recently MakeUp ForEver (way expensive) are brands that im also constantly reaching for. My collections for these arent the biggest as i do tend to stray towards MAC over Sephora but im extremely loyal to these brands aswell.

Loreal & Rimmel London are probably the only drugstore brands i'll touch. Revlons foundations are very good aswell but thats the only thing i will use by them.


***PLEASE NOTE that these are just my personal opinions and i am in no way bashing any brands i havent mentioned and i am NOT promoting the brands i have mentioned. Use WHATEVER YOU LIKE because makeup is all personal opinions and personal techniques. What works for me may not work for you & please dont think the bigger the price tag the better the product. That is NOT the case at all. Just test out whatever catches your eye, drugstore or high end. 

www.myspace.com/__tornado (thats TWO underscores)

xoxo Victoria

Snow White Inspired

I went to meet with a photographer yesterday for a portfolio photo shoot at my dad's yacht club so i decided to take some pics & teach you how i did this look. Excuse the lack of focus the photo has, my camera is having issues these days lol :) enjoy!

eyes:

1. prime your lids with Urban Decay primer potion
2. take a clean 217 brush & sweep Too Faced "hot cocoa" into the crease, blending upwards to the brown bone
3. using a 239 brush take L'Oreal HIP duo in "adventurous" with the beige colour and pat it all over the lid blending with hot cocoa
4. with the 217 brush bring hot cocoa down along the lower lash line about 2/3 of the way
5. add MAC "vex" to the inner corner of the eye
6. apply your highlight colour, for me this is MAC "blanc type"
7. fill in your brows
8. using a black eyeliner pencil, line your tightline and waterline, i used Urban Decay "24/7 eyeliner pencil" in zero
9. using any black eyeliner (gel, cream, liquid, pencil) line your upper lash line with a thin line then wing it, i used ELF "studio cream liner" in black
10. apply your favourite mascara, i used Hourglass "superficial lash"

face:

1. first prime your skin using clean fingers with either a moisturizer or foundation primer, i used Clinique "dramaticlly different moisturizing lotion"
2. apply your foundation using a 190 brush or a sponge, i used MAC "studio sculpt" in NC15 with a damp sponge
3. next conceal under your eyes and any imperfections with a 194 brush, i used MAC "pro longwear concealer" in NW15
4. then set your face makeup with a face powder using a 150 brush, i used Rimmel "stay matte pressed powder"
5. next take your contour colour with a 168 brush and contour the hollows of your cheekbones and anywhere else you'd like, i used Coastal Scents "dark camo quad" in the darkest shade
6. apply with a fluffy dome brush (i used the "blush" brush from Visage), MAC "bite of an apple" blush (limited edition) to the apples of your cheeks & blend up along your cheekbone
7. finally dust a little of Too Faced "snow bunny bronzer" onto the top of your cheekbones up to your temple as a highlight with a 188 brush

lips:

1. prime your lips with a lip primer or lip balm, i used California Mango lip balm
2. line & fill in your lips with a brownish red lipliner, i used Jordane Cosmetics "coffee"
3. next apply Clinique"shy" lipstick
4. blot your lips & avoid lipgloss, this lipstick is extremely creamy

xoxo Victoria.

IM MOVING! :)

Im moving out this week, im so excited. Ill be living on my own for the first time ever. I'll probably upload some before & after shots. But im pretty sure my blog posts are going to be a little slow until i get settled. I'll have a birthday blog on Tuesday (20th birthday!) & i'll have a house warming party blog a week today with some photos. Just thought i'd give a little update. I dyed my hair Thursday night & cut it yesterday so i'll most likely have a post on hair care & red hair care coming soon, within the next 2 weeks or so.
Hope everyone's weekend was great!

xoxo Victoria.

Nails of the Week: Dec 6 - Dec 12

No nails this week this week, sorry! I had a nails exam today so I couldnt have polish this week. Next week for sure :)

xoxo Victoria

My Skin Care Routine

So i always get compliments on how nice my skin is the past few years and really, i owe it all to accutane. But accutane doesnt keep the acne away, you must take good care of your skin once you're off of it otherwise pimples will slowly come back into your life. I do, of course, get breakouts here & there, usually around my period or if im extremely stressed out, but for the most part i have a very clear complexion. Last month there was a little mishap with a girl who used unclean brushes on our faces in class and few of us broke out like crazy due to the bacteria & old foundation left in the brush that she used. Unfortunately i was one of them :( For about the past 2 weeks or so i've been focusing on taking care of my skin and i thought i would share the products i use.
Quick fact: it took around 7 days for my skin to go from breakout city to the complexion shown in the photo below (no photoshop used). i have no problem keeping my skin clear but i thought that one week was a quick amount of time to diminish the acne caused by germs, bacteria & old makeup from those brushes & it prevented under the skin blemishes from getting anywhere near the suface.

 

click the photo to enlarge it :)

1. first i use a damp wash cloth with very warm water to wet my entire face
2. then i use my L'oreal "go 360 clean" cleanser for sensitive skin on the scrublet provided and i cleanse in a circular motion all over my face to remove my makeup
3. then i gently go over my eye area with the scrublet to get all my eye makeup off (this product is amazing for removing makeup!)
4. then i scrub my lips to remove lipstick
5. i take my wash cloth again and rinse my face really well
6. i wash my face a second time to actually cleanse the skin, because the first cleanse only removes surface makeup
7. this time i use Clean & Clear "continuous control acne cleanser" containing 10% benzoyl peroxide (be careful! this ingredient bleaches fabrics)
8. i put a pea size amount onto my fingers, wet it a little bit, then i gently rub it onto my face in circular motions with my finger tips (avoid the eye area and lips)
9. then i let it sit for one minute, allowing my skin to be penetrated by the acne medication
10. i take an exfoliating cloth and i exfoliate the facial cleanser into my skin for 15 seconds, also in circular motions
11. then i wash it off with my regular wash cloth
12. i pat my face dry with a clean towel
13. using a cotton ball or cotton pad i apply Clean & Clear "deep cleaning astringent" for sensitive skin all over my face, avoiding the eye area and lips
14. i let it dry for about 20 seconds
15. next i use Clinique "dramatically different moisturizing lotion" all over my face including the eye area & lips
16. then i use The Body Shop's "hemp hand protector" as an overnight eye cream (i have never had any issue using this around my eyes & i've been doing it for months now. i asked a sales lady if i should stop using it for the purpose of an eye cream & she said it should be fine because its a natural product)
17. lastly apply some lip balm to sooth the lips

Two things that weren't mentioned were my weekly treatments

1. at the end of every week i use a face mask to really deep clean my skin, i use Clean & Clear "blackhead eraser cleansing mask" - i leave it on for about 10 minutes then wash it off 100%
2. another thing i use is from my dermatologist for on the spot treatments, its a 10% benzoyl peroxide cream that i put on any problem areas before i go to bed

**PLEASE KEEP IN MIND that i am a cosmetology student & that what i use & do may be too harsh or strong for your skin. i wear makeup EVERY DAY and some of it isnt the most high quality of brands. i have extremely sensitive skin when it comes to makeup products so i do extreme cleanses every night. this is just a little insight for you on what products i do use, this is by NO MEANS telling you that you must follow my routine.

xoxo Victoria

Smokey Browns with a Pop of Purple

 

I rarely rock a neutral eye, but when i do its never boring! Excuse the beastly brows, im attempting to grow them thicker & my hair is a post-gym mess :) enjoy! 

eyes:

1. prime your lids with Urban Decay primer potion
2. take a clean 219 brush and create a strong outer V with L'oreal HIP duo in "devious" using the brown colour, blend inwards
3. using a 239 brush take MAC "patina" and pat it all over the lid blending with the brown
4. with a 224 brush, take the brown colour and sweep it into the crease, blending slightly towards the brow bone
5. again with the 219 brush, take a little of MAC "furiously fabulous" and outline the outer V
6. blend with the 224 brush
7. smudge the brown colour along your lower lash line
8. apply your highlight colour, for me this is MAC "blanc type"
9. an additional step that i did was add a little shimmer right underneath my brows using MAC "white frost" with an angled liner brush
10. add a pop of colour to the inner corners with MAC "beautiful iris" using a 275 brush
11. fill in your brows
12. using a black eyeliner pencil, line your tightline and waterline
13. using any black eyeliner (gel, cream, liquid, pencil) line your upper lash line with a very thin line, i used ELF "studio cream liner" in black
14. apply your favourite mascara, i used Clinique "lash doubling mascara"

face:

1. first prime your skin using clean fingers with either a moisturizer or foundation primer, i used Clinique "dramaticlly different moisturizing lotion"
2. next conceal under your eyes and any imperfections with a 194 brush, i used MAC "pro longwear concealer" in NW15
3. then set your concealer with a face powder using a 150 brush, or put on your foundation using a 190 brush and set it, i used Rimmel "stay matte pressed powder"
4. next take your contour colour with a 168 brush and contour the hollows of your cheekbones and anywhere else you'd like, i used Coastal Scents "dark camo quad" in the darkest shade
5. apply with a fluffy dome brush (i used the "blush" brush from Visage), MAC "bite of an apple" blush (limited edition) to the apples of your cheeks & blend up along your cheekbone
6. finally dust a little of Too Faced "snow bunny bronzer" onto the top of your cheekbones up to your temple as a highlight with a 188 brus

Lips:

1. Prime your lips with a lip primer or lip balm, i used California Mango lip balm
2. Line & fill in your lips with a nude lipliner, i used Jordane Cosmetics "spirit"
3. next apply MAC "lady gaga" lipstick
4. i prefer this colour mattified so i took a light pink matte eyeshadow from the Coastal Scents 88 palette and dabbed it onto my lips

Bitter

A bright smokey green eye that i wore to class on friday :) enjoy!

eyes:

1. prime your eyes with Urban Decay primer potion
2. using a 217 brush, sweep MAC "sumptuous olive" into the crease with wind shield wiper motions
3. next take MAC "humid"& create the outer V, blending inward with a 219 brush
4. pat MAC "bitter" with a 239 brush onto the the inner half of the eye, blending with "humid"
5. take your 219 and blend over top of "humid" with MAC "furiously fabulous" (limited edition)
6. blend "sumptuous olive" into the crease again with the 217 brush to eliminate any harsh lines
7. with a 275 brush, dab MAC "white frost" into the inner corner of the eye
8. then highlight with a MATTE eyeshadow that matches your skin tone, for me this is MAC "blanc type"
9. fill in your brows
10. line your tight line and water line with a black eyeliner pencil, i used Palladio "black" pencil
11. line your upper lash line with any cream liner, i used ELF "black" studio cream liner
12. curl your lashes & apply your favourite mascara, i used Sephora "lash stretcher"

face:

1. apply a foundation primer or moisturizer, i used Smashbox photo finish
2. next apply your foundation using a 190 brush or whatever you prefer, i used MAC "studio sculpt" in NC15
3. dab concealer onto any areas that need extra coverage with a 194 brush, i used MAC "pro longwear concealer" in NW15
4. set your makeup with a setting powder using a 150 brush, i used ELF "high definition powder"
5. apply contour to the hollows of your cheeks & anywhere else you'd like with a 168 brush, i used Coastal Scents "dark camo quad" in the darkest colour
6. blend MAC "bite of an apple" blush (limited edition) onto the apples of your cheeks & lightly up to your temples using a fluffy dome brush, i used a Visage "blush" brush
7. sweep some highlight powder on top of your cheek bones with a 188 brush, i used Too Faced "snow bunny bronzer"

lips:

1. apply a lip primer or lip balm, i used California Mango lip balm
2. line your lips with Jordane Cosmetics lip liner in "spirit"
3. lastly, apply MAC 'intricate" lipstick (limited edition)
4. lipgloss is optional - wouldnt recommend with "intricate" lipstick

Venemous Villians

I purchased a few products from MAC's venomous villains collection & i hadnt really used them much so i thought i'd incorporate some into today's look :) enjoy!

eyes:

1. rub Urban Decay primer potion all over the lid
2. next sweep Urban Decay "eldorado" in the crease with a 224 brush
3. then on a 219, take MAC "de-vil" (limited edition) & create the outer V shape
4. take the 224 brush with a little bit of "de-vil" & blend into the crease
5. next take MAC "paradisco" with a 239 brush and pat it on the rest of the lid
6. grab your 219 again & smudge Sigma "indian girl" into the very outer V
7. blend inward with a clean 224
8. then for your highlight, use whatever MATTE eyeshadow matches your skin colour, i used MAC "blanc type"
9. dust MAC "pink freeze" into the inner corner
10. fill in your brows
11. using Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner pencil in zero, line your tightline and waterline
12. take ELF cream eyeliner in black and create a thin line along your upper lash line
13. lastly all you need is two coats of your favourite mascara, i used Cargo lash activator

face:

1. first prime your skin using clean fingers with either a moisturizer or foundation primer, i used Clinique "dramaticlly different moisturizing lotion"
2. next conceal under your eyes and any imperfections with a 194 brush, i used MAC "pro longwear concealer" in NW15
3. then set your concealer with a face powder using a 150 brush, or put on your foundation using a 190 brush and set it, i used Rimmel "stay matte pressed powder"
4. next take your contour colour with a 168 brush and contour the hollows of your cheekbones and anywhere else you'd like, i used Coastal Scents "dark camo quad" in the darkest shade
5. apply with a fluffy dome brush (i used the "blush" brush from Visage), MAC "bite of an apple" blush (limited edition) to the apples of your cheeks & blend up along your cheekbone
6. finally dust a little of Too Faced "snow bunny bronzer" onto the top of your cheekbones up to your temple as a highlight with a 188 brush

lips:

1. prime your lips using a lip balm or lip primer, i used California Mango lip balm
2. next line your lips with a yellow based red lip liner, i used a generic brand (no label)
3. apply MAC "toxic tale" lipstick (limited edition)
4. lipgloss is optional

xoxo Victoria

Nails of the Week: Nov 29 - Dec 5

OPI: can you dig it?
Jordana: blue glitter

Apply base coat first, two coats of OPI can you dig it?, one coat of Jordana blue glitter, & one coat of a clear polish (top coat).

xoxo Victoria