So eyes are my favourite part of my face to make up. There are so many possibilities, colour combinations, textures etc. But for those that are beginners, or those who don’t have a lot of time, just a few simple steps could give you a polished look.
The Brows
Before I get into eyes, I have to speak of the eyebrows. Your eyebrows are absolutely important as they frame the eyes and the face. It’s one of the first places that people see. Many people have their brows shaped via threading, waxing or tweezing but really and truly, combing your eyebrows will make them look groomed. This is where a spoolie or eyebrow comb comes in handy. I think the metal brow combs are the way to go! The plastic ones break every 5 mins! Also get a shape that suits the way the hair grows, eye shape etc. Overly plucked brows are a no-no!
So in celebration of the amazing warm weather we’ve been having, I decided to make use of one of my favourite colours of the season, coral. Honestly, I don’t know why it took me so long to discover this colour. I think it had something to do with a wedding that I was in as a child, and had to wear the MOST hideous peach bridesmaid dress ever…..and the makeup was just wrong…..sigh….
So I was browsing the M.A.C. website and was looking at the face charts that they published for the collection.
Temperature Rising Face chart, courtesy of maccosmetics.com
I was instantly drawn to this stunning coral look, with a shot of turquoise along the waterline. I loved it! Coincidentally, oranges and blues are complementary and look amazing together in the right proportion. So the coral makes the turquoise liner pop even more!!!! A great summer look!!!!
Coral, bronze, turquoise LOTD
I may repeat this look soon, so I’ll try to take better pics!
So Memorial Day has come and gone, so that means that summer is here, unofficially!!!!
Y’all know that summer is my absolutely favourite time of year. Hot, humid, bright….that’s all me!!!! I love wearing bright colours, soft fabrics like linen, the beach weather, I’m a true Caribbean girl!!!
Enough about me!
So this Memorial weekend had the best weather that I could remember in a while!!! NYC was just sunny and warm. I hung out with a great friend of mine, Jackie. She is the founder and author of CooklikeJackie.com. She’s a foodie and enjoys the art of cooking, dining and everything involved with making food amazing!!!! You like cooking gadgets? Find some great reviews here.
So Jackie asked me to help her pick some colours to wear to break out of her no-colour phase. I suggested OPI‘s Hot & Spicy from Hong Kong Collection. She’s about NC 35 or so (I’m purely guessing!) and I think that that colour would look great on anyone with bronzey skin!!! Especially paired with summer whites!
Jackie in OPI' Hot & Spicy
It just says SUMMER! Be sure to check out this colour!!!
But before I get to that, let me talk about the event held Saturday night by Erin a.k.a Scandalous Beauty. This was a meet and greet at the Taj II lounge in Chelsea. A very relaxed, chill event where I got to meet some people that I have been watching on YouTube since I discovered it, including Erin from Scandalous Beauty, Cindy aka DRBrooklyn730, Aina from Lacquerholic and Ivette from Girl Can Paint. Also met some fashion and music bloggers, photographers from all across the East Coast and it was great interacting with such a diverse crowd. This was just a preview of things to come!!
I was not 100% sure of what to expect of The Makeup Show, so I bought a ticket for only one of the two days. Note to self: Make sure yuh buy ah ticket for de two days nex’ year. It’s absolutely worth it!!!!!!!!
This is an event held yearly in NYC by the Powder Group and Michael DeVellis. There are other shows hosted in other cities like Miami, L.A. and Chicago. Check the Powder Group’s website for details.
The NYC version is the biggest trade event for makeup artists, makeup brands, bloggers and enthusiasts. I got there at about 9:20 am and there was already a line outside the Metropolitan Pavilion!!! Once inside, I literally was blown away! Many of the top makeup brands had booths: M.A.C. Pro, Make Up For Ever, Inglot, Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics, Eve Pearl, Smashbox Pro. There were some lesser known brands like Yaby and Youngblood. Airbrush company Temptu Pro, well known professional lines Mehron and Graftobian, Crown Brushes and Nigel’s Beauty Emporium also made appearances.
This was an amazing experience!!!! So many people, all different styles of makeup, body painting. I was in awe!! I was able to learn a lot of little tricks and tips. I was able to see how other famous makeup artistes worked and watched them create, in my opinion, gorgeous results that seem so effortless. I hope that one day, I could attain that level of skill!!! I walked around in circles just looking at all that makeup and products. MUFE had a perpetual line for their cashiers, like 30 people deep! All day long….
I have been coveting this mascara for months now! I had to try out Givenchy’s Phenom’Eyes first, which is amazing, and is often compared to the new Hypnose Drama. I purchased it at Sephora.
So, what’s my opinion…..
I love this mascara!! It baaad!!!!!! They once again have made a gem. I got super volumunious, fringey lashes. Like wearing thick, fanned-out false lashes!!! Love! It definitely brought the drama.
The Technology
This mascara features an S-shaped brushed dipped in a complex containing saturated waxes and rich, intense, deep black pigments. It also contains Pro-Vitamin B5, which helps condition the lashes. So the formula is designed to coat each lash to instantly thicken them.
The S-shaped brush
The brush is the main feature of this product. This is where you get your mega volume. To maximize its full benefit, Lancome advises that you first use the mascara with curved, U-shaped part of the brush facing down. This allows you to brush the lashes following the natural curve of the eyelid and eyelashes. It deposits the pigments and gives volume that you can build on. Then flip the brush over so that the U-shaped part curves up. This is what fans out the lashes, and separates giving you full flirty lashes!!!! 🙂
Bare Lashes!
With a couple of coats!
It’s not super lengthening, but I think with the volume and the fanned out effect it creates, you won’t miss it at all!!!! It clumps after about 3 coats but by then, your lashes look pretty dramatic. I did not have any problems with flaking or smudging. It lasts all day and comes off with eye makeup remover.
This is a must try and this will be in heavy rotation….along with my Givenchy and Lash Stiletto.
Coincidently, I compared this product to the newer Maybelline Lash Stiletto Voluminous.
Lash Stiletto Voluptuous vs. Hypnose Drama
They both have similar S-shaped brushes and both promise volume, but I felt that the L.S. Voluminous fell short. The results that it produced were no different to the original Lash Stiletto (which is supposed to provide length). Did not give me the volume that I expected. I was disappointed especially since I love my original L.S.!
The one thing that may bother some people is that you have to take your time with this mascara, no applying it running out the door, no applying it stuck in traffic. Your lashes will love your for it!!!!
Lancome Hypnose Drama, side view
Overall Rating: A!
This is available from Lancome and Sephora.
Laters!!!
FTC Disclosure: All products mentioned were purchased by me, Noire Tropical Beauty. For more information on my disclosure policy, please check out my disclosure page.
