The Modern Cat Eye.

Hello City Girls! There are occasions that call for a cat eye, some of which are a casual Tuesday morning. My lovely model Ally stopped by with her new Eyeko duo wanting a lesson in application. She, like many of us, loves the look of a defined lash line, but had bad luck with other products that did not make it past 2pm without flaking off. I’ve been a loyal customer of Eyeko after hearing that it was the cornerstone of Adele’s signature look, and recommended she buy it. 

The keys to modernize this retro look: dewy skin, flushed cheeks, and a pink pout.

Ally’s skin has been extremely dry due to the low temperatures we’ve been having in New York. I used Bobbi Brown’s Tinted Moisturizing Balm on a Real Techniques stippling brush, and buffed it all over her face in a circular motion. Next, I concealed the darkness under her eyes with my all time favorite Bobbi Brown corrector and concealer (she calls it the secret of the universe). I primed her lid with The Balm Put a Lid on It, and dusted a pale pink shimmer shadow up to the crease. To define her lid, I put a golden brown shade into her crease and blended it with a clean brush until it resembled a shadow.

To start the Eyeko liner, I held it like a pencil with the tip pointed toward her ears. I worked it backwards in a downward slant over the lash line so that it was thicker at the outer corners and thinner as it moved toward the nose. **Expert tip: with the ring finger, lift the lid up the tiniest bit while the eye is closed to ensure the liner hits the lashes. If not, it could look like it’s floating on the eye** After both eyes were finished, I swiped on 2 coats of the Eyeko skinny mascara which thickened and defined her lashes. I mean, look at those!

To finish the look, I took the same stippling brush with Nyx Rouge cream blush in Hot Pink over her cheekbones. I dabbed a little bit more cream blush on a lip brush and patted it over her lips. What do you guys think? Do you dare to create a cat eye for day?

Makeup Tutorial: blue smoky eyes

     

I have had way too much fun creating makeup looks on my model Ally. She’s already beautiful, so my work is easy. That said, I created this navy smoky eye for a night out. This isn’t your great-grandma’s robin-egg-blue shadow of the 50s, this is a grown-up, sultry look that when paired with a sleek outfit for a night on the town, is eye-catching, not overwhelming.

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The Best of Stila Cosmetics

      

One of the very first makeup lines I used and adored, is Stila Cosmetics. What you see is what you get, with this range of products. For me, no trip to Sephora is complete without checking out some of their products.

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Every Day Makeup

     

My lovely model Ally does not usually wear much makeup— a tinted moisturizer & blush is all. Her skin is dry & sensitive, and told me she has not been able to find a makeup routine that works. She wanted me to teach her how to look like the flawless, dewy-skinned version of herself. She also bravely allowed me to take a before and after shot in natural light and with a flash, to show how the makeup looks at different times of day. My aim was to give her a polished look that’s pretty and feminine, that does not distract from her natural beauty.

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My Favorite Mascaras.
To love a mascara, it has to have 3 important properties— it must be super black in color, no-flake or residue around the eye area, and it must be user-friendly— no gimmicks. 
Here are a few favorites that range from designer to drugstore that really do the job:
Trish McEvoy High Volume —this hi-tech formula creates a tube around each lash so it literally won’t budge.
Dior Diorshow —even with the steep price tag, I find myself splurging for this now and again for the volume and curl it imposes.
Benefit BAD gal —gives me fluttery lashes & the bigger the brush, the better.
L’Oreal Collagen —stays on all day (even in a heat wave) and the wiry brush coats even the hard to reach lashes.
Maybelline Waterproof Volum’ Express —a truly waterproof formula, for less than $7, with a foolproof brush.
Covergirl Natureluxe —the inky, mousse-like texture gives my lashes a glossy finish and the plastic bristles work like a built-in separator. 

My Favorite Mascaras.

To love a mascara, it has to have 3 important properties— it must be super black in color, no-flake or residue around the eye area, and it must be user-friendly— no gimmicks. 

Here are a few favorites that range from designer to drugstore that really do the job:

Trish McEvoy High Volume —this hi-tech formula creates a tube around each lash so it literally won’t budge.

Dior Diorshow —even with the steep price tag, I find myself splurging for this now and again for the volume and curl it imposes.

Benefit BAD gal —gives me fluttery lashes & the bigger the brush, the better.

L’Oreal Collagen —stays on all day (even in a heat wave) and the wiry brush coats even the hard to reach lashes.

Maybelline Waterproof Volum’ Express —a truly waterproof formula, for less than $7, with a foolproof brush.

Covergirl Natureluxe —the inky, mousse-like texture gives my lashes a glossy finish and the plastic bristles work like a built-in separator.