How To – Brows In 4 Different Ways

No matter what sort of makeup you prefer, brows are always a priority. If you are in your teens or have full brows, you might want to stick to just combing them and setting in place with a clear brow gel.

For the rest of us, there are a couple of product categories to choose from:

• Powder

• Pencil

• Gel/ pomade

• Tinted brow mascara

Here are some things you need to know about these products.

•  Powders are best at giving the look of fuller brows

•  Pencils deposit the most pigment and are generally harder to blend giving a more dramatic look

•  Tinted brow mascara gives the most natural result

•  Gel/ pomade can be used for all kinds of results but it requires practice

Half of brow grooming is in shaping so remove extra hair that crowds your natural brow if you’d like. Remember, the eyebrow shape you were born with is best for your features so changing it will probably result in disaster.

Today, I am going to show you how to achieve four kinds of eyebrow styles with Anastasia Dip Brow Pomade in Ash brown, Morphe G12 angled brow brush, a spoolie and a concealer in one case. I will be discussing all the styles I have seen so far. However, I don’t agree with some of them for reasons which will become obvious as you see the comparison.

Feathery Brows

1.  Comb through the hair

2.  Using light feathery strokes, move towards the tail flicking the brush upwards as you go

3.  Comb in the shape of the brow to distribute the pigment

This is best achieved with a pencil in my opinion and works well for people with naturally fuller brows as they don’t really need much definition. It’s not for me as you can see I have sparse areas and bald spots this technique doesn’t address.

Boxy Brows

1.  Brush hair upwards in the inner corner

2.  Using light flicking motion, apply the product upwards in the direction of hair growth and comb them

3.  Comb hair downwards and fill them in a downward flicking motion (Only if your hair grows downwards in any part otherwise just do Step 2) then comb them in that same direction

4.  Comb through with a spoolie in the shape of your eyebrows to ensure no area is patchy

This is the style I see preferred by almost all Pakistani bridal makeup artists and it looks absolutely terrible as you can see. The entire eyebrow from corner to tail is of single depth and you wouldn’t have been able to see my hair if I had fuller brows. It looks like I have two caterpillars snoozing above my eyes, no joke. We all know eyebrows naturally have lighter and darker areas but no, let’s go for the painted look they say. What makes it worse is that I have close set eyes and this accentuates that fact, which I don’t want.

Instagram Brows

1.  Comb through to reveal your actual shape

2.  Line the entire eyebrow, top and bottom, from inner corner to tail (Yes, just like you did in kindergarten when you drew family portraits)

3.  Leaving out the very inner part, gently fill in with increasing depth as you move to the tail until you reach the point where your brow hairs become camouflaged underneath the pigment 

4.  Pretend like you have some hair in the inner corner by drawing them on gently with upwards flicks and comb the entire thing (Concealer clean up is optional) 

Of course, when we talk about makeup fails, Instagram and YouTube top the list every single time. These go from hardly filled to super filled as you move towards the tail in typical drag queen style. This makes your eyes look farther part, your face wider and sometimes, lifted, if you have arched brows. Basically, Instagram brows are for men who wish to transform themselves into women using makeup. Hence, the overdone aspect which works perfectly for their purpose but not so much for women who are already..uhh…women?  So, do you guys think I am halfway to becoming a drag queen?

Necessary Brows

1.  Comb through to see where you need to fill in and what direction your hair grows in

2.  Target only the areas where your hair appears the lightest. Brush and apply in an upwards motion for hair growing standing up and vice versa. Lightly fill in the inner corner and do not line anywhere expect for bald spots. Brush through to avoid clumps of pigment. My arch and tail need the most filling along with the bottom middle portion as you can see so that’s where I focus.

Obviously, this is the style that works best for me and probably for ladies with sparse brows as it only gives your eyebrows what they need and respects their natural shape. This is my own invention. Notice how it makes me look human. That’s what I always aim for ;)

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial as much as I enjoyed making it, even though skin beneath my brows was raw by the time I was finished with it.

How to do your Brows 4 Ways by thepoutpainters

How do you fill in your eyebrows and which products are your favourites?

Love,

Sadaf

Disclaimer: This is a personal blog edited by its owners and the opinions expressed here belong solely to its owner's. For questions and queries please email at thepoutpainter@gmail.com

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OFRA Cosmetics DupeThat Highlighters – Review & Swatches

I am obsessed with highlighters! I remember when I started taking interest in makeup I actually had no idea about a lot of cheek products other than a bronzer and a blush, I was pretty naive. MUA Golden Lights was the first highlighter I ever bought and the transformation it brought to my every makeup look was enough to leave me in awe..every..single..time. There was no looking back after that, I have hoarded a good amount of highlighters now and continue purchasing more. I’d blame Instagram as well for my obsession. A lot of instagrammers do go a little (or perhaps a lot) overboard with the product but still it is something every makeup fanatic loves.

About The Product

OFRA Cosmetics collaborated with the lovely ladies behind @dupethat to bring you two of the most stunning highlighters!

You Glow Girl is a gorgeous pink highlighter with the perfect amount of shimmer to bring out that blushed pinky glow on your cheekbones! The other beautiful highlighter You Dew You has a lovely golden tone to it giving ALL skin tones a peachy golden dewy highlight making those cheekbones POP!

What Do I Think?

The product comes in a pretty average-looking packaging with a clear lid which does not feel expensive at all. For a product to be priced this high I’d expect it to come encased in a rather above-average packaging which at least feels luxurious. Besides the feel and look of the packaging it holds the product pretty securely with the lid that shuts perfectly in place.

Pressed pretty firmly inside the pan the product shows little to no signs of fall out. Both the highlighters are much pigmented and feel super soft at touch. Another amazing thing I noticed about these highlighters is how easily, yet not excessively, the product gets picked up by the brush which gives you the choice to either flaunt the soft highlight or layer it up and rock that dazzling, eye-blinding highlight which is very popular these days among women. Although the shimmer in both “You Dew You” and “You Glow, Girl” is very fine and not at all chunky or visible to the naked eye unless seen up close, it will enhance bigger pores if the skin is not prepped well prior to foundation and highlight application – which by the way all powder highlighters tend to do.

There are strange days when I would feel like putting on just a lipstick and highlighter without worrying much about my dark under eyes, sparse eye lashes, undone brows and the uneven skin tone – have done with these highlighters as well. Although this observation probably does not matter but without any primer/foundation/makeup fixer these tend to stay good 2 – 3 hours before they start fading away. Don’t worry, any powder highlighter would behave the same way unless given a good surface to cling to and fixed with a spray afterwards. With a face prepped with primer and foundation and set with a setting spray at the end, the Dupe That highlighters last pretty much all day i.e. around 5 – 6 hours before I noticed the intensity fainting away.

You Dew You – A warm peachy golden highlighter which will flatter all the skin tones in my opinion. It has very fine golden shimmer which imparts a warm radiance to my medium complexion, goes pretty much in coherence with my undertone. Perfect highlighter to wear in day time I’d say.

You Glow, Girl – A cool pink highlighter with very fine silver shimmer which again, will look equally amazing on everyone. I was a little sceptical about this one since cool-toned highlighters are not my cup of tea but was left amazed by the ice-y highlight it gave to my warm skin which neither clashed with the undertone nor looked in-your-face type. I’d call it my glam highlighter, perfect for night-time looks. Does that look bad on my warm skin either in person or on camera? Not at all. It, in fact looks phenomenal in photographs, I’d go as far as to say it looks more wonderful than You Dew You. I have worn it in the look which I posted a few weeks back on my Instagram.

Women of colour would probably choose You Dew You staying on the safer side since it goes along easily with the undertones but I’d pick You Glow, Girl over it any day.

Price

$24.95 USD (for 10 grams of product)

$15.00 USD (for 4 grams godet refill)

Note: Please refer to the page for price in PKR

Availability

Makeup 4 U (For Pakistan Only)

Pros

Excellent pigmentation

Buttery soft texture

Little to no fall out in the pan

Very fine shimmer

Good staying power

Do not transfer

Cons

Pricey

Packaging isn’t at par with the price tag

My Rating

4.5/5

What are your favourite highlighters?

Love,

Fizzah

Disclaimer: This is a personal blog edited by its owners and the opinions expressed here belong solely to its owner's. For questions and queries please email at thepoutpainter@gmail.com

PR sample(s) for consideration. This, however, has not affected my sincere opinions as my loyalty is to the readers. For further details, check our Blog Policy.

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Summer's Treat - My Bronzer Collection

Hey girls! Summer is almost here, well here actually, so what better way to welcome it then getting our tan on? I prefer bronzing over contouring so I have a couple of options for my fair to medium neutral skin tone. Some may seem too warm to you but I have figured out ways to make them work for me because I hate perfectly good products going to waste.

What Is A Bronzer?

Just a little info for those of you who are confused about its purpose, contrary to popular belief, bronzer is NOT meant to make you look DARK. It gives you a sun kissed tan meaning it brings warmth to your skin (red/orange tones). It prevents you from looking pale like a mannequin especially after you apply foundation because that covers up your skin’s natural shadows, highlights, flush and tan. The idea is make your skin look healthy. However, if you are naturally pale and wish to keep it that way, that’s your choice. 

Contour vs. Bronzer

Contour creates shadows with its cool tone (grey hint) and bronzer warms up the skin (orange, yellow, red hints). Here is a comparison of MUR Ultrabronze with a cool tone medium brown eye shadow from BH 120 shade 5th edition palette, which I sometimes use to contour my face.

So, let’s begin shall we?

Makeup Academy Mosaic Bronzer - Natural Glow

This is the first one I got because well, look at it and of course, the price tag was too good to resist. You will notice it has many cool toned browns, which are basically for contouring, but fear not. It has shimmer so it cannot be used for contouring. Swirling my brush in the pan creates a pale neutral-ish brown that is excellent for cool toned fair/pale ladies because it is not too warm to make them look orange. The pigmentation is moderate so you don’t have to be afraid with this one.

Makeup Revolution Ultrabronze

I have had this for a couple of months now and I am in love. It’s bigger than my palm and costs only PKR 500. I mean come on! It’s matte, not orange and blends so well. It’s a slightly warm light brown and works well on light to medium skin. 

Sleek Contouring Kit-Medium

Yes I know it says “contouring” but this can only be used as a contour on warm dark skin like African American origin dark. This Sleek Contouring Kit is a matte dark neutral brown which is quite warm and dark for my skin but it works with a light hand and a big fluffy brush as a bronzer. 

LA Girl Pro Conceal - Toast

L.A. Girl Pro Conceal Toast is another product I originally bought for contouring but like the Sleek Contouring Kit, it cannot be used as a contour unless you fall into that very dark warm category. It is HELL to blend unless you use a buffing brush that eats up product like kids stuff down candy on Halloween. This praise is for the Real Techniques dupe I was recently scammed with (Review coming soon). I apply it sparingly over a dewy foundation so that helps. Otherwise you could try spraying your brush or sponge with rosewater for smoother blending. I do love the look of a cream bronzer honestly. It’s very natural. 

Makeup Revolution Baked Bronzer- Rock on World

The only baked bronzer in my stash. Swatching it is just Heaven! If you have ever tried a baked product from MUR you will know what I mean. Not only does it feel like Heaven it looks and blends like it too. I have never seen a rich copper bronzer like this ever. It might look scary in the pan but it blends out to give that lit from within glow we crave so badly. I have used it just over my sun block and it looked fine. However, I recommend applying it sparingly over a matte bronzer for a more even look if you are fair or have large pores.

ELF Blush Palette- Shade

I won this blush palette in a giveaway by The Beauty Finds and trust me, it is a gem. The pigmentation of all four shades is excellent and they all blend out well. It comes with a big mirror and the price cannot be beat for the packaging is sleek and sturdy too. This is the most orange out of all the bronzers I own. It has tiny specks of shimmer which look very pretty. Like Rock on World, it is better to use it over a matte bronzer if you feel like you want it a bit more orange toned appearance. Blending it backwards into your bronzer on your cheek also gives great results.

I have another bronzer in my BH Carli Bybel palette which is actually the darkest highlighter. It’s a pure deep baked copper-y bronze which will look great on dark skin but is a bit too much for mine.

I hope you guys now have a better idea about the drugstore bronzers available in the market and how they perform. I like MUR Ultrabronze best out of all these.

Which is your favorite bronzer for the summer?

Love,

Sadaf

Disclaimer: This is a personal blog edited by its owners and the opinions expressed here belong solely to its owner's. For questions and queries please email at thepoutpainter@gmail.com

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ColourPop Ultra Matte Lip– New Formula & Swatches Update!

We posted our review on the very famous ColourPop Ultra Matte Liquid Lipsticks a few months back and the only problem we had with the product was how tricky the formula was to apply. ColourPop is the one brand who takes their customers’ reviews very seriously and not long ago they introduced some new shades to the range with an improved formula. We were too excited to give the new and superior formula a try and immediately ordered ours. We surely are impressed, kudos ColourPop!

Product Claims

The thin and lightweight formula glides onto the lips smoothly and leaves super intense pigment-rich colour with a bold, ultra matte look. It's very long wearing and completely kiss-proof!

What Do We Think?

Since we have already written a detailed review on the product here we are only talking about the new formula. The consistency of the new formula is the same like the old one, thin and rather runny. It dries out quickly but gives you enough time to refine the application. Unlike the older formula, the newer one is not at all difficult to work with. You get enough time to perfect the application before it completely dries out. With the older formula there was a characteristic withering effect on the lips if not moisturized prior to the application, which is not the case with this formula. We use these without a balm and they still do not dry out the lips. However, if you have flaky lips, we recommend you exfoliate or apply a lip balm for perfect application before you apply any liquid lipstick. The staying power is amazing, 6 – 7 hours with eating and drinking before you experience any product chipping off. Like the older formula, the newer one if completely transfer-proof.

We mentioned a few tips to get the perfect application with a liquid lipstick, i.e. to line the lips and not to press them together while the product is not completely dry. Lining the lips gives you a better control over the application but pressing the lips when the product is still wet is not an issue with this formula. The pigmentation in both the versions is excellent however; layering up the product with the older formula would leave a mess on the lips, which does not happen with the newer one. Although unnecessary, since the pigmentation is good enough to give opaque coverage in a single swipe but you may want to go back and forth over the already applied product to get the perfect application and we are so glad the new formula is forgiving in that department.

Moreover, ColourPop has changed the formula of the entire range which means you can get the older shades with the better formula now. :D

Clueless – A rosy mauve shade.

Bumble – A very pretty pink-brown shade (pretty hard to describe exactly).

More Better – A deep wine berry shade.

Price

$6.00 USD

Availability

ColourPop’s Official Website

Pros

Improved thin and lightweight formula

Dries matte within a few seconds

Ah-mazing pigmentation!

Transfer-proof

Water-proof

Long Lasting

Kiss-proof

Cons

None

Our Rating 

5/5

We love the new formula! Do you?

Love,

Fizzah & Sadaf

Disclaimer: This is a personal blog edited by its owners and the opinions expressed here belong solely to its owner's. For questions and queries please email at thepoutpainter@gmail.com

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