Lip obsession of the moment alert: TOO FACED MELTED LIQUIFIED LONG WEAR LIPSTICK. Now you guys know that I’m pretttty picky about my lip products, as in I normally don’t wear much lipstick, but I’m really loving this new creation from Too Faced. First off, the name “Melted” is pretty cool and second, the color is insanely pigmented the way you expect a good lipstick will be, BUT, it’s in liquid form, with a precision tip applicator, which essentially eliminates the need for a lip liner (thank god). Who actually likes lip liner, am I right?
I have a confession to make. I, Hannah Cranston, am a gold digger.
No, it’s not what you’re thinking—I’m not that kind of gold digger (although it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world for my barren wallet), but I AM a self-professed beauty gold digger.
As a #beautynewbie, I cannot just settle for any old make-up trend. I’m on the prowl for the biggest and best trends and products to add to my beauty arsenal. And this week, I struck gold…literally.
From The Grammys to NYFW to the Oscars, the gilded eye has become the golden rule for rocking one of the hottest beauty trends of 2014. I was absolutely inspired by AMY ADAMS at the Oscars…this look is almost as good as when she got up to dance with Pharrell, btw.
Naturally, I couldn’t pass up being a part of this cosmetics gold rush, so I decided to jump on board and get my glitter on.
I’m usually drawn to a bold lip or a dramatic eye but when I saw JESSICA BIEL‘s look from the 2014 OSCARS I was pretty into it. Jessica is known for the natural, girl-next-door makeup and hair and, lately, I’m really feeling the natural thing happening; she’s still glam but has that fresh faced look that I think is just really gorgeous…here’s how to get the look, from her makeup artist, KAYLEEN MCADAMS, ck one color global makeup artist:
THE INSPIRATION: “I wanted to do something really fresh, light and feminine. There were so many beautiful pastels in her dress, so I played with those tones.”
I finished her skin with ck one cream + powder blush duo in breath 100 right on the apples of her cheeks and set it with the powder side of the product to give the look staying power throughout the night.
I completed her eye with two coats of ck one volumizing mascara on the top lashes to pump up the lashes.
Then, I applied the same mascara onto an eyelash comb and combed through the bottom lashes to slightly darken them.
For Jessica’s lips, I used Tarte Lip Surgence in Lucky to cover her whole lip with a matte pink; I also used this product in the center of her lips to give dimension and add moisture to her look.
Blush has never really been my thing, I can’t lie. It’s not that I don’t like the idea of having some color on my cheeks, but basically because I have rosacea (e.g. rosy cheeks without blush), I’ve always just honestly been scared of the idea of adding a splash of pink to my already-red face…it’s a thing. I was recently introduced to a new blush, an HD (high definition) Blush, if you will, and I gotta say…color me impressed. At first I was intrigued by the idea that the blush is HD because, at least in my mind, anything HD is cool and hi-tech, but then I started getting tons and tons of compliments after the makeup artist put some on me which instantly had me SOLD. So what’s the deal? MAKE UP FOR EVER HD BLUSH is a cream blush (which can also be intimidating) and its formulated with a balance of oils, waxes, and powders that makes the blush really glide on your face easily. What’s also cool is that it can be worn over or under makeup, meaning if you’re not wearing any foundation (lucky you), you can still wear the blush without looking like a clown.
And speaking of clowns, here’s the best and most universal way to apply blush:
Apply the cream blush onto the apples of the cheeks in a figure “8” motion
Sweep from the top of the apple downwards, then up and back towards the top of the ear
Set the blush (especially if you feel like it’s REALLY bright) with a pressed powder (like Make Up For Ever HD Pressed Powder), which reduces shine, slightly mattifies the skin, and softens the appearance of fine lines and pores. By the way, this pressed powder is best applied with a Kabuki Brush.
And, if all that seems like way too much work for you (hey, I get it), you can always just apply cream blush with your fingertips…just don’t go nuts.
As I mentioned in my first post, I’m at a point in my life where I need to develop my “adult” identity—dare I say, I’m having a quarter life crisis. I am exploring all of the things that I believe my grown-up persona should encompass: how I will pursue my career aspirations, what my political beliefs are, and if I’m the kind of person who can pull off a chic crop top or not (Jamie’s note: she CAN. I’ve seen her do yoga) I know that the way that you present yourself to the world is crucial, but as a newbie to the beauty scene (you mean, there is more to a beauty regimen than eyeliner and mascara?), I have not quite figured out what that look will consist of yet. Am I a bold cat-eye kind of girl? Can I rock a hot pink lip a la Jessica Biel? Or, am I more of natural, Urban Decay Naked Palette, kinda lady? The jury is still out.
But, I invite you to join me on my Beauty Newbie journey, as I try out the latest tricks and trends (with some much needed guidance from the beauty expert herself, Jamie), discovering and developing my big girl self.
First up, contouring and highlighting—a simple but essential beauty trick. After catching a glimpse of Lena Dunham on the cover of Vogue’s February Issue, I couldn’t help but notice her gorgeous bone structure.
Now while I believe that every woman is beautiful, I think we all know she didn’t, in the words of Beyoncé, “wake up like dis.” To create a contoured and highlighted look like Lena, I followed this guide from Pinterest that provides a step-by-step on the process:
I only used two products to create this look: Josie Maran Argan Creamy Concealer Crayon in Medium 1 for the contours, and Benefit High Beam as a natural highlighter for my skin tone. I recommend using a contouring color that is one shade darker than your natural skin tone and a highlighter that is close to your skin color, with just a bit of sparkle. Because both of these products are in cream and liquid form, I just used my fingers to blend the colors into my skin to give it a super natural, ***Flawless look.
So far, I am digging what this quarter life identity crisis is doing for my “bone structure” and this is definitely one trick that I plan to keep in my beauty arsenal.
Have a beauty trend that you’d like to see me try out? Tweet me @han_cran, #beautynewbie, with your suggestion!
The sucker for packaging is taken to a whole new level when it comes to this Sleek Makeup i Divine eye palette. The waffle pattern reminds me of my thermal pajamas as a kid, and that’s a good thing, gotta say. The colors are super pigmented and I really love all of the shimmery pinks and taupe colors- they’re perfect for an everyday eye (hello, similar to Stila’s Kitten shadow), and then there’s that whacky bright blue for when you wanna get a little weird.
