My Current Favorite Look Tutorial

Hello! Long time no see :) One of my favorite pop groups, KNK, had a comeback this month with a repackaged album that has the title track, Rain. They dropped music video teasers for each member, where Jihun’s eye makeup totally stole my heart. It was very simple but it defined his eyes beautifully. Rain is a sad song and they are all men so there wasn’t much vibrancy in the makeup. It was based on defining the facial features. So, this is something anyone can wear for any event and tweak it to your personal taste. This kind of high impact versatile sophistication is exactly what’s missing in our local scene.

Figure 1. Jihun in Rain MV

Let’s get started with the tutorial!

Figure 2 Step by step tutorial

1. Base Colour

I used only one brush for this eye look: Royal and Langnickle Revolution BX-66. The base for this eye look is a medium matte brown which should be darker and warmer than your skin. I used “Sweet Shop” from the Makeup Revolution I Heart Makeup Naked Chocolate eye shadow palette. Notice how I have defined my crease properly and blended the edges so that the color fades into my natural skin color. Remember to define your lower lash line well. It is not meant to be a thin black line rather you recreate the shadow naturally present in that area. No, I am not talking about dark circles which extend way past your lower lash line.

2. Smoked Eye Liner

You need a soft kohl pencil or gel liner which will blend easily but not go all over the place. I used Rivaj UK kohl pencil to make a thin line (slightly thicker on the outside) on the outer half of my upper and lower lash lines. Then I simply blended it out making sure not to blend it too far. Decide that according to your lid space. Since I have partially hooded eyes, I have moderate amount of space.

3. Tight Line & Water Line Definition

Use a long lasting precise black kohl pencil or gel liner to define your upper and lower water lines. Then blend out the lower water line kohl gently into your lower lash line so it’s not visibly separate.

4. Mascara

You can use false lashes if you like. I used Essence I <3 Extreme Volume Waterproof mascara.

Optional

Blend a matte cream/ beige shade on the highest point of your brow bone and inner corner. If you are going to do this, I recommend doing it before you apple the base color.

Brows

Of course, do your brows in whatever way you prefer. As this is a natural look with earthy looks and strong definition, I suggest doing softer brows. I used Luscious Brow Luxe Eye brow Definer Pencil in Cool Brunette.

Complexion

The original artist recreated Jihun’s natural complexion so I did the same for myself. I wasn’t going to spend time and energy on covering up every single little scar because I have a lot of those at the moment. I used RCMA foundation as a concealer and a thin layer of Inglot HD Foundation 73. I set it with RCMA Translucent powder because it’s hot and humid here. I don’t have the liberty of applying dewy foundation like Jihun. Instead, I highlighted my cheekbones with the highlighter from Sleek powder contouring kit-Medium. I have a natural bronze so I warmed up my face with the bronze blush from ELF Blush palette - Light. I used the neutral pink from the same blush palette focusing on my apples and blending it backwards and upwards. I contoured under my cheekbones, on my temples and under my jaw line with Inglot HD Sculpting powder 505.

Lips

I wasn’t sure what lip color Jihun was wearing, probably a simple lip balm. Gradient lips are really popular in Asia so I created a natural plum one using Essence XXXL Long Lasting Lip gloss in Hot Brownie. It’s actually a matte lip cream in a pretty plum shade. I took some on the back of my hand, smudged it and applied it like a lip balm all over my lips. Then I took the wand and applied some right in the center of my lips. I patted it gently to create a soft fade.

Figure 3: My Recreation

There you have it! All done :) Let me know what you think in the comments below.

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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Makeup Revolution Ultra Pro Cream Contour Light Medium

Photo Source: TamBeauty

Hey guys! Hope you are staying out the heat and keeping yourself hydrated. Unfortunately, many of us have summer weddings to attend so the hunt for worthy products is on. The contour & highlight craze still hasn’t down in mid-2017 so I’m concerned. On the bright side, more consumer brands are coming out with options for the average makeup hoarder. Makeup Revolution came out with cream and powder contour-highlight palettes before but the shades were too warm in my opinion. During the last few months, they released new versions with different shades and packages. These looked about right to me. I already have two singles for powder so I wanted the cream one in Light Medium. It comes another shade, Medium Dark.

Product Claims

Sculpt, define and enhance your features with our new HD Pro cream contour palette. Available in powder and cream formula. Our cream contour palettes are great for a natural finish. A mix of highlight, contour and bronzing shades in warm and cool undertones so you can find the shades to suit you. Long wearing, highly pigmented and creamy formula.

Contour shades can be used to add definition and depth to the hollows of your cheekbones, jawline and temples. Highlight shades can be used to brighten under eyes, and enhance your cheekbones, cupids bow and wherever else you desire.

Apply with finger tips, or a synthetic brush. Blend with a damp blending sponge or synthetic hair brush.

What Do I Think?

Contouring redefines the shadows naturally present in the receded areas of your face after the foundation has made an even base hiding them to some degree. Your contour shade should be a few shades darker and cooler than your natural skin color. I was slightly disappointed that it only had one cool toned shade with the right depth for people around my complexion. Anyone considerably lighter and cooler than me would struggle with this shade. There should be a shade cooler and lighter than this one.

The top row is made of highlighter shades and there is no shimmer in them. They are meant to be used alone, mixed with each other or your concealer to brighten up the lifted areas of your face. You may apply them lightly under your eyes, top of your cheekbones, forehead, chin and the bridge of your nose. There is another highlighter shade on the bottom right for some reason. Starting from the top left, I will now describe the shades. Remember that the pictures taken do not represent the true color. It differs in various lighting conditions.

We have a warm cream/ivory, light peach, medium tan and medium warm brown/ caramel shade. The bottom right highlighter shade is like vanilla custard. I think the highlighter shade range is good for neutral and warm toned people but not cool toned people. The bottom row starting from the left has a dark cool brown. I wish it was a bit cooler so that people more cool toned than me could use it easily. If someone wanted to warm it up they could have just mixed in the caramel shade. The next is a warmer and lighter brown like milk chocolate and after that we have a dark warm brown like a nutty brown. I use the caramel one as a bronzer and mix the custard with some light peach to make a highlighter shade. The dark cool brown is the contour shade for me but I wish it was slightly cooler. I think this shade range is ideal for Desi skin tones because there aren’t many cool toned people in South Asia.

The packaging is simple and sturdy with a transparent lid so you can easily find it in your stash. The ingredients are printed on the cardboard that covers the palette. It has propylparaben but I don’t really mind since the studies about parabens being harmful are inconclusive. The net weight is 20g but it’s not bulky so you can carry it around while traveling.

The problem with this palette is that its formula is not exactly easy to blend. It’s better during the summer. It feels creamy when you touch it in the palette but once it’s on your skin, it’s a different story. You can put some moisturizer on your brush to help blend it or mix some facial oil in the product. I can confidently say that it lasts reasonably well because it actually stains your skin. I guess this is a good thing but you have to be accurate in your placement.

I suggest never using the war-paint-swipes-on-your-cheek technique with this palette. Firstly, that is never a good idea and secondly, you will have cried a river by the time you’re done blending that on your face. Use your finger, spatula or flat brush to deposit some product on the back of your hand. Then take your fluffy synthetic contour brush and gently lift some product off it. Then you can make a duck face and start applying the cream contour to your face. I’d recommend doing the same when you use the highlight shades minus the duck face. Imagine putting a thick hard-to-blend cream under your eyes. It will just happily sit there and emphasize your wrinkles. Remember, the less product you use the better the results. You can always add more if you want in thin layers buffing away each as you go.

I don’t recommend buying this product if you are a beginner. If you think you can make it work, the price tag seems reasonable and you are out of options then go for it. Let me know what you think and if you have any other questions about it.

Price

1500 PKR

Availability

Tambeauty.com or Daraz.pk

Pros

Light weight

Travel-friendly

Transparent lid

Highlight & contour in one

Wide shade range

Affordable

Good value

Cons

Hard to blend

Less shades for light cool toned skin

My Rating

3.5/5

Have you tried any of the contour palettes by Makeup Revolution?

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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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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Soft Smokey Fall Look - Step by Step Tutorial

Hey guys! Since fall is officially here, we have all transitioned to appropriate shades for this season. Fall / winter in Pakistan means wedding season so, I thought I would share my all time favourite technique for soft but sultry eyes for any event which you can pair with a deep lip and glowing cheeks.

The Eyes

Step 1

Do your brows and prime your eyes. I used the Essence colour and shape brow gel and I <3 stage eye primer.

Step 2

For the eyes I used my Makeup Revolution I <3 Makeup Naked Chocolate palette and my BH Cosmetics 120 colour palette 5^th edition. Blend in a medium mauve-brown colour (Milky) in your crease with a fluffy eye blending brush like the Morphe MB23.

Step 3

Deepen the outer half of the crease with a dark burgundy or plum shade (Choc-fest) with the same brush and blend it out.

Step 4

Use a black pencil like the Essence I <3 stage smokey eye pencil and a smudge brush like the Morphe M213 to create blended smokey eyeliner close to your lash line. Tightline your upper lash line directly with that pencil or use a flat definer brush like the ELF Flat eyeliner brush.

Step 5

Apply a shimmery rose pink (BH Cosmetics 120 colour palette 5^th edition) to your entire lid with a flat shading brush like the Sigma E55.

Step 6

Use a deep chocolate brown (White) to further deepen the outer crease with a tapered blending brush like the Sigma E45.

Step 7

Highlight your inner corner and brow bone with a cream matte shade (Smoothy) using a small dense shader like the Sigma E57.

Step 8

Define your lower lash line with that same deep chocolate brown (White) from Step 6 using a pencil brush like the Sigma E30S and merge it with the outer crease.

Step 9

Apply your favourite lengthening mascara like the Catrice Lashes to Kill Volume mascara and false lashes if you prefer.

The Face

Step 10

After moisturizing your face and getting rid of any eye shadow fallout, apply your foundation or BB cream. I used the Garnier BB cream for combination to oily skin in the shade Light with my Real Techniques Expert Face brush. This is the part where you shape your eyes. I like to follow my lower lash line in this regard. You may apply concealer/corrector above or below this layer depending on your preference.

Step 11

The lips are the focal point of this look and we have colour in the eyes as well so I wanted fresh glowing cheeks. I used the cream blush Macaroon from the Sleek Blush by 3 in Pink Lemonade. It is a soft natural pink that must be concentrated on the apples of your cheeks. It gives that lit from within glow so I skipped highlighter and face powder or fixing spray. You may use your fingers but I prefer my Real Techniques Expert Face brush.

Step 12

For soft sculpting I used Makeup Revolution Ultra bronze as a contouring shade with an angled blush brush from BH Cosmetics Wild Purple brush set.

The Lips

Step 13

Fill in your lips with a vampy lip liner like Makeup Revolution in Rebel. Top it off with a pretty plum gloss like Golden rose Ultra brilliant lip gloss in 31 to soften it up.

You are all done!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and found it helpful. Please let me know what you think the comments below and if you have any questions about it.

Share your idea of a Go-to Fall look in the comments below

Love,

Sadaf

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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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I ♡ Makeup I Heart Chocolate palette & I ♡ Makeup Naked Chocolate palette: Review & Swatches

Hello chocolate lovers! Today’s post is about the two most coveted eye shadow palettes from the I Heart Makeup range of Makeup Revolution London namely,  I ♡ Makeup I Heart Chocolate palette and I ♡ Makeup Naked Chocolate palette. These combine the two greatest loves of ours-chocolate and makeup! There is another palette in this range but it is sadly not available in Pakistan at the moment. Read on to learn of our experiences with these delectable products. 

I ♡ Makeup Naked Chocolate Palette

Product Claims

Naked Chocolate contains 16 stunning eye shadows for perfect bare to smokey eyes, mixture of shimmer and matte shades. 3D chocolate palette with full size mirror and applicator.

What Do We Think?

This has become our favourite eye shadow palette for a multitude of reasons, which are all justified completely. It comes in a cardboard box with white chocolate printed on the front and back and purple text embossed over it. The front presents a mouth watering view of a delicious melting white chocolate bar. On sliding the bar out, the plastic feels quite sturdy so travelling with it shouldn’t be an issue considering it comes with a full sized mirror inside. The names of the individual shades have been printed on a clear plastic sheet that covers the rectangular pans, two of which are longer than the others (Smoothly and Way). The names all go brilliantly with the chocolate theme and the palette gives off a seductive cocoa scent. It comes with a two sided white sponge applicator, which is nice and firm. The quality is the best we have tried so far with amazing pigmentation.  The texture is superb as each shade glides on effortlessly and blends like a dream. Wearing them over the Makeup Revolution Focus & Fix eye primer, they still looked freshly applied after six hours on a summer’s day so I am certain their lasting power is pretty good. We adore this unique collection of mattes and shimmers.

Smoothly – Pale beige (matte)

Divine – Soft copper (shimmer)

Mocha Lover – Medium cool brown with pink tones (shimmer)

Dipped – Pale brown with mauve tones (shimmer)

Choc-fest – Deep burgundy (matte)

Adorable – Cream (shimmer)

Buttons – Chocolate brown (shimmer)

Frosted Choc – Golden brown/ caramel (shimmer)

Delight – Dark grey (shimmer)

Sweet Shop – Dark red toned brown (matte)

Sugar – Dark brown with a hint of plum (shimmer)

Double-dip – Mango gold (shimmer)

Tob-le-rone – Deep mauve-brown (matte)

White – Very deep chocolate brown (matte)

Milky – Medium mauve (matte)

Way – Pale gold (shimmer)

Pros

Superb quality

Stunning pigmentation

Excellent texture

Easy blending

Superb lasting power

Comes with a mirror

Attractive package

Travel friendly

Smells like cocoa

Affordable

Cons

None

Rating

5/5

Price

PKR 1500

I ♡ Makeup I Heart Chocolate Palette

Product Claims

Pick and mix for your eyes. You will want to try EVERY chocolate in the box! Mixture of mattes and shimmers.

What Do We Think?

This is rumoured to be a perfect dupe for the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette. The packaging is exactly like the Naked Chocolate palette except for the colour, which represents an irresistible melting milk chocolate that looks good enough to eat! The sponge applicator is black in colour but the arrangement of the mirror and pans does not deviate from its sister palette. The quality of all the shades is not consistent but the majority of them perform really well. The pigmentation is really good except for Meet Chocolate. The names are pretty interesting and follow the romantic chocolate theme as well to enhance the chocolate-y experience. Using the Makeup Revolution Focus & Fix eye primer, they looked perfect even after six hours on a summer’s day. The lasting power actually depends on the individual performance of each shade and how oily your lids are. It offers a nice variety of matte and shimmer shades for day and night looks both.

You Need Love – Cream (matte).  It’s a bit chalky.

Piece Me Together – Dark grey-brown with gold shimmer (shimmer). It has some fall out due to its crumbly texture and a bit hard to blend.

One More Piece – Dull mid-tone brown (matte). It’s a bit chalky.

Love Torn – Deep plum with gold shimmer. It has slight fall out and is a little hard to blend.

Stolen Chocolate – Deep cool toned brown (matte). It’s a bit chalky.

Thank Friday – Dull coral-brown (matte). The texture is a slightly chalky.

More! – Pale gold (shimmer). It has great texture.

Pleasure Girl – Dark chocolate brown (matte). It performs superbly.

Meet Chocolate – Pale pink (matte). It is a little chalky.

Unforgivable – Indigo (shimmer). It has some fallout.

Love Divine – Dark red toned brown (shimmer). It performs well.

Smooth Criminal – Medium warm caramel brown (shimmer). It has amazing texture.

Chocolate Love – Pale golden brown (shimmer). It works wonderfully.

You Need More – Deep cool brown (shimmer). It has brilliant texture.

What a Way to Go – Deep plum (shimmer). It’s a bit hard to blend.

Endorphins Ready! – Cream (shimmer). It has wonderful texture. 

Pros

Good quality for the price

Mostly good pigmentation

Most have good texture

Blending is wonderful for the most part

Good lasting power

Attractive packaging

Comes with a mirror

Travel friendly

Affordable

Cons

Mattes are a slightly chalky

Some shades are a bit difficult to blend

Some shimmers have fall out

Rating

4/5

Price

PKR 1500

In conclusion, we feel the Naked Chocolate palette definitely wins in terms of quality but it really depends on what your priorities are. The problematic shades in the I Heart Chocolate palette are not hopeless and can be made to work with a little effort. The fact that it is an extremely affordable dupe for Too Faced Chocolate Bar tilts the scales in its favour for those who find the Chocolate Bar too expensive. It offers a splendid variety of plums, chocolate browns, golds, grey-browns, some pretty highlight options and a gorgeous shimmery indigo. It presents a few nice matte brown crease choices too.  The Naked Chocolate palette revolves around soft browns, chocolate browns, golds, golden browns, plums and mauve hues. It has excellent mid-tone and deep matte crease shades and delicate shimmers including a copper. Both palettes are remarkable for the price tag and a must have for chocolate lovers!

Here is an EOTD done with I Heart Chocolate palette. Check out our Instagram for EOTD done with Naked Chocolate palette and more looks!

Availability

Online at Just4girls.pk, Daraz.pk or the Makeup Revolution Official Website

Have you tried any of the I Heart Makeup Chocolate palettes? What do you think?

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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