Tag Archives: Sephora

Monochromatic Love

Who here is tired of contouring?

*raises hand*

A firm believer that everything has its place, contouring is no exception.  HOWEVER… I think everyone has gotten a little carried away with the art.  Myself included.  And I came to this very conclusion when I realized that this technique, once reserved for nights out, had somehow become part of my “every day face” routine.  Finding myself puzzled on how I was running late (again) one morning, I retraced my steps to figure out exactly where the extra time was being spent.

And one guilty look in the mirror confirmed it.

I’ll be the first to admit I’m not taking one single step outside of my house without some sort of coverage.  And before you even go there, its not because I need it.  I don’t need to wash my hair either.  Or for that matter, even my body.  But we all have our routines that make us feel put together.  Ready for the day ahead of us.  Daily showers and makeup just happen to be part of mine.

#Preach

But perfectly carved cheekbones?  A nose that appears slightly slimmer?  I’m fairly confident I’m able to take on the world without those things.  And I definitely could use the extra 20 minutes in my mornings.

So it was a relief to see a new trend take center stage for Spring.  Some call it the Tonal Trend, others Monochromatic Makeup.  I’ll just refer to it as my new “every day face”.

Some of you may remember Gigi Hadid making a stunning debut of the trend at the Sports Illustrated Awards a few weeks back….

gigi hadid monochromatic makeup sports illustrated beauty blog liberata dolce

And it was that look right there that made us want to put down the contouring brushes.

Enough said, right?

So what exactly is monochromatic makeup?  Exactly as the name implies.  Its the use of one color, in varying shades, on multiple areas.  In this case, the eyes, lips and cheeks.  But more importantly, its about enhancing one’s natural features- not manipulating them.  And while there’s still a little work involved in the process, your pores will thank you.  And probably your boyfriend.  Not to mention- its SPRING.  Who wants to be weighed down with layers of creams/powders/bronzers?  The increase in temperatures alone means an increase in maintenance throughout the day.

So take a much needed break and lighten up.  Literally.

So now the “How?”….

The key here is to take one color, and first pick the feature you want to put the focus on.  Whether its your lips, cheeks or eyes, that area is where the strongest/brightest version of that shade should go.  Take Gigi for instance.  Burgundy was the drug of choice in this killer look, with the attention on the eyes.  Then two softer burgundy shades were used, 1 for her cheeks and 1 for her lips.

Side note- this is an awesome excuse to use all those colors in your pallets that you usually ignore.  You know what I’m talking about.

Looking for an even easier route to go?  Then just go with two.  You’ll just have to pay closer to attention to your color choices, as working with two shades makes it super easy to get all matchy-matchy.  And that is not what this look is about.   For example, if you choose to go with a bright pop of color with the eyes, then the lips should be muted.  Or vise versa.

My personal favorite?

Violet Eyes + Lilac Lips

liberata dolce monochromatic makeup beauty spring 2016 peach violet bronze red metallic pink coral orange liberata dolce monochromatic makeup beauty spring 2016 peach violet bronze red metallic pink coral orange

Even easier, yet just as lovely?  Concentrate on your cheeks and lips.  Coordinating these two correctly is absolutely stunning when using an unexpected color.  Like coral.  And before you immediately write that off, give me a chance.  I wrote before about a beautiful orange hued blush I picked up at MAC.  It was one of those products that when the artist applied it on me, I wanted to hug her.  But I only used it as more of a highlight, adding it softly on top of my primary blush (usually pink).  Until now…  After finding a soft coral tinted gloss that compliments it, its now moved confidently to primary position.

liberata dolce monochromatic makeup beauty spring 2016 peach violet bronze red metallic pink coral orange

You can visit to links below to purchase:

MAC Powder Blush in Devil

MAC Mineralize Glass in Precious Fruit

But the look I absolutely cannot get over?

Metallic.

Gold, silver, bronze- they all work beautifully.  And you wont have to worry about going through highlight withdrawal while on your contour ban.

PS:  For my Urban Decay Naked Palette lovers, this is allllllllll you.

liberata dolce monochromatic makeup beauty spring 2016 peach violet bronze red metallic pink coral orange spring 2016 monochromatic makeup metallic trend beauty

So you’ve probably already realized that going monochromatic can be as subtle, or as bold as you’d like.  The only real consistency here is the most important one: ENHANCEMENT.   In other words, instead of trying to create the features that you want, focus on the beautiful features you already have.

They deserve the attention.

I promise you- a confident face will always outshine even the most flawless contour.

But a little blush will never hurt, either.

That’s A Matte.

Every now and then, a game changer comes along….

Fashion and beauty go hand in hand. And with NYFW just weeks away, we can all admit we’re just as excited to see what makeup artists will dream up to top off the sure-to-stun collections as they set the tone for fashion magic. Working closely with designers, it will be determined whether fresh faces will dominate- or a single feature. Dark lips? Neon lined eyes? Pink pouts? Its all one giant puzzle where the final image has yet to be determined.

But sometimes, just sometimes, it can be as simple as one tiny little revolutionary product. Something totally new that seemed so (up until now) impossible. Convenient AND chic. Glam AND foolproof. Liquid AND matte…. wait, what?

Do I have your attention now?

Good. Because what we’re talking about could be considered the unicorn of lipsticks. The hydrating, pigment packing, couldn’t smudge it if you tried prowess of glosses. We’re talking about… LIQUID MATTE.
I first caught wind of this fairy tale product back in December while in MAC. I was on the hunt for a vibrant purple, perfect for those days when all you need is a dramatic lip. I fell in love with Heroine instantly. Edgy, boldly bright and just a little dangerous- ironically, just how I like my men.

mac cosmetics heroine lipstick matte lipglass liberata dolce beauty fashion spring trend report summer 2016 mac cosmetics heroine lipstick matte lipglass liberata dolce beauty fashion spring trend report summer 2016

I bought it in both the matte lipstick, and the lipglass. Cause I’m also a girl that likes options. And THAT was when my MAC girl changed my life with one little sentence- “You know, in January, we’re releasing our new matte lipstick… it will be like having both of these products in one”.

Sign. Me. Up.

But fortunately, I didn’t have to wait till January. I hopped over to Sephora next (again, options!) and that’s when I saw it. Or them, rather. 12 beautiful shades in a glorious row of color, pigments bursting. I reached immediately for a beautiful lilac shade. I easily justified that I needed it, as it had more pink than Heroine.

mac cosmetics heroine lipstick matte lipglass liberata dolce beauty fashion spring trend report summer 2016 sephora lustre

And its been love ever since. My own personal game changer.

Why, you ask? Well, let me just try to explain the significant differences that has left me a lifelong fan.
Lets start with the applicator. Most gloss tubes have a soft, sponge-like end. Which is perfect for that casual smudgy effect. But when you’re dealing with something more permanent, application is crucial. And the tip on these babies is like a built in lip pencil. Its firm, and lets you draw the finest line around your lips, perfectly eliminating any possibility of the color bleeding (red lipstick is famous for this). Then, after lining, you continue to use the applicator as normal to fill in your entire pout. But again, the firmness makes the final process SO much more precise. More dramatic. Trust me, no matter what color you choose, your lips will scream “EXPERT”.

Okay, so now you’ve got it on, and you’re looking fierce. Like always. So again, whats the big deal?

The fact the you will still look just as fierce, even after your first (or fourth) latte. Also worth noting- when you first apply it, your lips will literally feel like silk. And will continue to do so, even after the product has dried- which takes a minute or two. Now usually, anything that needs to dry means it will have your lips screaming for moisture by noon. Again, not so with this. My lips can go practically all day with nothing more than a minor touch-up. And I mean literally one minor touch-up. Not 3. Not wipe it all off and totally reapply it from scratch. Which means you can also stop worrying that you have lipstick on your teeth all day. Or why people never tell you when you actually do?? And just to clarify, its Girl Code to never let a friend leave a bathroom with toilet paper on her shoes, or lipstick on her teeth.

End. Of. Story.

But lastly, lets not forget the most important reason. The reason you’re even wearing it in the first place. The COLOR. Both MAC and Sephora managed to pack so much pigment into these tubes, its hard not to think about the staining disasters that could result. But they wont. Well, after the first minute, of course. And trust me, as a single girl, I’ll happily confess- I drink a lot of lattes, and I kiss a lot of boys. So trust me when I say I’ve done my research for you on this.  You’re welcome!

mac cosmetics heroine lipstick matte lipglass liberata dolce beauty fashion spring trend report summer 2016 sephora lustre

        mac cosmetics heroine lipstick matte lipglass liberata dolce beauty fashion spring trend report summer 2016 sephora lustre

 And while Sephora and MAC are not the only ones to carry this new genre of lipstick, they are my two personal favorites for this particular product.  Soon to be a cult classic, nestled right along side NARS blush in Orgasm, the only real question remains is which shade will hold the most power in the long run.

Because just like the killer pout you so perfectly applied, this formula is here to stay.

Now go.  Head on down to MAC.  Or Sephora.  And enjoy your latte, lipstick free.  And take the poor girl with lipstick on her teeth with you.