MakeUp Trends For Fall 2014

Kerry Washington with colored lashed out eyes and fresh-faced pink lips

Hello stylish readers, before we delve into the always entertaining make up trends for the year 2014, I really have to say a few about one of my best designers who just passed away. Oscar de la Renta died at the age of 82 after a long battle with cancer. He lived a full and creative life and we are blessed to have known him in our lifetime as one of the most accomplished designers we will ever know or study about.Coincidentally, I did a feature on him in my Designer of Interest Category a few weeks ago.If you haven’t done so already please check it out to know more about this favourite designer of mine.. I know that we will miss seeing him on the pages of magazines or on our screens and I pray for his family must already miss him so.

Our make up trends for fall this year are nothing short of dramatic and eye-catching. The eyes took centre stage as we saw looks from the metallic and fully covered smokey winged eyes to the heavy lids and under eyes.

The metallic look was all over the fall runways from Rodarte to Armani who in his case, spared the lips and focused squarely on the eyes. All lashed out- lashes are being stretched to give a wide-eyed look and then deep lines below and above the eyes. Colors are not left out in the intensity of the eyes.

Followed up on the runways of Ralph Lauren and Diane Von Furstenberg was the glowing fresh-faced look which I like so much. Smooth with just a hint of color on the cheeks and lips.

And then we have the nude face much like the glowing skin but with little or no color. Models on the runways of designers like Isabel Marant and Stella McCartney smoothed out their faces for this look.

Old 60s make up laced a few runways and the old hollywood glamour look with rich eyes and equally rich berry lips are hard to miss! Red is always a favorite in the fall with romantics like Dolce and Gabbana.

So go all out this season with your eyes and when you’re not going metallic, a fresh glowing face never hurt anyone. I’m a fan of the red lips too and if you want to unleash your bohemian personality, try darker shades in burgundy or berry.Till tomorrow then.

Hugs:))

Molekor

 

 

 

 

 

 

photos: citizens of beauty.com Harpers Bazaar, Elle.com , popsugar.com , fashion style mag.com

The Best Make Up for Ebony Black Skin…

I’ve got this friend who’s got this beautiful ebony complexion who sent me an email asking what colors of lipstick would suit her skin best. She’s quite dark and finding colors she could use to enhance her skin had been quite a task for her, I mean the ebony skin tone  is one of the most beautiful complexions a woman could have but finding the right make up for this particular type of skin is not as easy as you would wish it to be. Blending a lip color with black that would speak for itself is as challenging as it is exciting as actress Lupita N’yongo shows us time and time again.

Oluchi

Genny Nnaji

Tiwa Savage

The African black skin has two tones- the warm and the cool. Simple test: Turn your wrist over, take a close look at your veins… what color are they? if you see greenish lines marking you veins then you most likely have a warm skin tone, bluish? probably the cool of winter is your season. First off, although you may find colors that match your skin tone in a lot of brands, I would say stick to brands that produce make up specifically for women of color as you are more likely to find lipsticks and make up that would suit your skin tone best.

The warm brown in your skin tone will do well with a lipstick that has a touch of maroon in it – giving your lips color in a soft subtle way.Lipsticks with brown undertones and reddish hues will also be a good way to blend in your lips.Purple hues in grape, violet or plum will also work for you. Pink is also fantastic for you in delicious hues of candy and bubble gum or even nude.Using  rose-orange tones in your blush could be a good way to match up your lipstick too.

If you’ve got the blue- purple undertones in your skin like my friend does,accentuate it by wearing lipstick colors that make your lips pop. Purple in a rich pure shade,Pink lipsticks in nude, or hot fuschia. Orangey-red, and glosses with a clear violet hue. Also, make these lip glosses your companion for simple looks that add softness to your make up.

Berry and burgundy are always hit colors for dark skin tones which can be used as gloss alone or in a rich lipstick shade and for days when you want to move attention on your face to your other awesome features, a nude or neutral shade in matte will be a good choice to make, maybe with a little sparkle or you could put gloss over it for a more luscious finish.

Dior Rouge lipcolor-in blazing red

Nars lipstick in pago-pago

Korres Raspberry antioxidant liquid lipstick in berry

Sephora Pantone universe tangerine-tango cream lipstic

MAC lipsticks in Russian Red and Ruby Woo

Shades of tangerine and orange are a good trendy way to add color to your dark skin, this is one way to really highlight your skin tone and make your lips pop!Brown lipsticks for dark skin are incredibly versatile. You can get a darker, chocolaty shade for something really dramatic. If you want something more neutral, a lighter shade works. Pair with lighter colors on your eyes, and make sure you choose a shade that really complements your skin tone!

Cool Burgundy lipstick

Burgundy and berry lipsticks

Amazing cosmetics-lipstick in scarlett

Finally, when in doubt, if you are at the cosmetics counter, always hold the tube of lipstick against your face. If the tones of the cosmetic and your skin work well together, then the shade will work for you.Don’t be afraid to be daring either, go out of your comfort zone sometimes especially if it suits your mood and show off your beautiful black skin the best way you know how!

Are there other colors you may have discovered for the ebony skin tone? let us know OK? let’s help my friend out?

Hugs::))

 

Molekor

 

 

 

 

photos: google images

The Abuja Make Up Fair Through My Eyes…

Hello my ever stylish readers, how was your weekend? mine was quite eventful as you will soon see, I attended this yearly event called the Abuja Make Up Fair. If you have attended any, you would know one thing is guaranteed- an opportunity to feast your eyes on as much make up as you can afford to buy!!! it’s a make up haven for lovers of make up like me, where you find so many brands of make up sold by a number of retailers in one place! It’s also a place for make up artists to advertise their talents and buyers of make up to be wooed over and convinced on which products to buy and from which retailer… lovely right? I bring good news- if you couldn’t attend it, here’s more than a look at what went on, in pictures:

These pictures should give you an idea of the atmosphere and the fashion at the fair which by the way was sponsored by Maybelline NY in Nigeria.They had a huge presence and offers of free make up tutorials by make up artist, Bimpe Onakoya if you purchased a pair of their Kajal and compact all-in-one make up powder. There was also a general practical tutorial on how to make up given to the attendees… practically all you need to update your make up knowledge. well, I couldn’t attend as I already own the products in question so well, I moved on.

Maybelline models- Isabel and Theresa

15 minutes day time Make up how-to.

Also, the make up  products I got to see were captured here, make up artists doing their stuff for customers and showing off their products.

I saw this lady who fixes ‘semi permanent’ eye lashes they are called. Looks quite real?what do you think?

 

Ran into this nice lady, Linda who retails Milani, Smash box and other make up products. She lives in New York but comes in every year for the fair and boy, does she know her stuff!

So many products from Zaron,MAC, Mary Kay,Flori Roberts to Tara,a local brand that has an awesome global reach. I never tried any of their products until today though as I got one of their lipsticks to try out and you know what, I do like it… maybe I’ll get more.

The people…

A make up buyer, love the yellow satchel and the tee.

Lovely face art!

With bloggers, Jenny Chisom and Jacinta

Blogger, Jenny Chisom

Make up artist, Hawua

I did have a lot of fun and of course I bought a few stuff from make up sponges (you can never have too many I tell ya!) to lipsticks. I also decided to try this Smash Box High Definition foundation. Anyone used it before? any tips or experiences to share? holla ok? in the mean time, here are my buys:

Smashbox High Definition Foundation N3,000

Make up sponges

Tara Satin Lipstick N1,200

…Like I said, more than enough make up stuff going on in one place! I’m looking forward to the next one to update my make up drawer and of course meet up with fantastic models, make up artists and retailers!!!

Hugs :))

 

 

Molekor

 

Top Make Up Pieces To Have.

Hello stylish readers. Ladies, today we’re talking make up! We shouldn’t go out looking good and then neglect the real completer piece which is our make up. As a matter of  fact, did you know as a woman, no matter how good you dress, if your hair, nails and make up are a mess then your total look will be a mess also? that’s why every look must be complete with good nail, hair and make up especially the eyebrows.

So, if you really are not into that kind of stuff (make up) but want to get that complete look anyway, where do you start shopping from? what are the first things you get? You know you can’t log off this page without learning a thing or two, don’t you?so here we go:

For a healthy start, you should invest in great skin care- moisturizer, make up removers, serum, acne treatment, sun screen etc. Find great products that work for you, are affordable and easy to find in the shops and be loyal to them, that means no jumping from one product to another because you will end up confused by the millions of products out there and your skin will be also. I like alcohol free, perfume free products that do not dry out the skin and the closer to nature a product is, the friendlier I get to be! If you are like a million other moms and busy women out there who do not have enough time for the everyday facial routine, just get really good wipes that do everything from make up removal and cleansing to toning. I use this product called ‘Pure 3 in 1 make up removal’.It has a hint of a scent but also aloe and glycol. I still moisturize afterwards with natural Shea butter, one of the best moisturizer you can ever use. You do know that the older you get,the more interested you should be in moisturizing. A good moisturizer will help prevent dryness on your skin and who doesn’t need their skin looking  plump and dewy all the time? you tell me!

When all that’s in the bag, then go for these:

Foundation/ Powder:

Foundation gives your make up an even surface to build from, a great foundation has to be your skin color, but note that if your skin is oily you could try a shade lighter because the natural oils on your skin will give the illusion of a slightly darker shade. Also make sure it’s SPF proof and one that moisturizes your skin. It is not compulsory to slather it all over your face all the time. If you don’t need much, you could apply just a little spread or use tinted moisturizer instead which is a great way to cut down on the clutter on your face.Also, your foundation once it’s opened should last you for about 6 months to a year before you change it and if you are brown or black-skinned, products like Bobbi Brown,Milani, Lancome, Black opal, Fashion Fair etc, make products specifically to include the brown and black skin range.

Powder is usually used to set the foundation, reduce shine and absorb oil but some are made with such good coverage that they could be applied alone without foundation. They come as cream, loose and matte finishes . For a lighter feel, translucent powder is recommended too.

Clinique Almost Make-up

Estee Lauder Invisible-Fluid Makeup

Maybelline Foundation

Laura-Mercier Foundation

Clinique Tinted moisturizer

LÓreal True Match Super Blendable Make Up

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation

Concealer:

This is to hide blemishes and under eye circles. It’s very important to have concealer because you could wake up with a blemish without warning and it’s either you have your concealer on hand or you use multiple layers of foundation and you don’t want me to go there! Some concealers are so good you could use them as foundation too. When shopping, you should make sure the concealer is warmer than your skin tone, not necessarily lighter and if you have brown/black skin, get one with orange or golden undertone . Also make sure it’s creamy so it glides over your skin and not settle to create fine lines. To buy, test around the area below your ear close to your neck. I use a dermablend (maximum coverage) concealer called the ‘Black Opal Total Coverage Concealing Foundation’ in Nutmeg- 21 which matches my skin tone to the Tee! its fantastic for brown/black skin and when I use it, I forget I have bags under my eyes( an inherited blessing…or not!) It’s hypoallergenic, 2 in 1 which means it’s part concealer, part foundation and the container might be small but believe me when I say a little goes a long way! It doesn’t dry or flake and you can wear it all day! more good news- it’s so affordable! I got mine for about 2,000 Naira! I usually use my finger tips or a brush to apply my concealer as the sponge doesn’t give me the effect I want but there is this never-ending argument of what is best. I think what is clean and works for you is best.

These are some good Concealers in the market you could try:

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Concealer although this works more to illuminate than conceal.

MAC Concealer

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer

MAC Concealer

Esteé Lauder Concealer for dark circles.

Back Opal Total Coverage Concealing Foundation

Eye Liner:

Liquid or pencil, I would recommend black. The contrast it provides against your eyes is face defining! It enhances and defines your eyes.

E.L.F Precision Liquid Eyeliner

MAC Liquid Eyeliner

Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner in black

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mascara:

Some people would not leave home without their mascara on and for good reason- Mascaras enhance and define your lashes which in turn frame your eyes. One or two sweeps is ok because you don’t want to clump up your lashes. Black or brown is best but blue if you want a really dramatic look and if it suits your eye color. I use ‘ MAC Plush Lash Mascara’  and although the reviews are so-so about it, I like it. It instantly plumps and lifts the lashes and gives you that needed volume, it doesn’t flake and the applicator is a bit tricky because one side of the brush is short and the other long and I don’t really get the reason for that but you will get results if you use it. One noticeable ‘ Con’  though, was how it smudges a bit after some hours if applied to your under eye lashes. When you find a good mascara though, the best use time period is usually 3 months. We all exceed that but try not to go overboard and you definitely should not be caught pumping the wand into the bottle before applying it. It allows air to get in and dries it up quickly.

Others you could try:

Maybelline Volume Express

Yves Saint Laurent Volume Faux Luxurious Mascara

Mascara L’Oreal Collagen

Eye Shadow: 

This provides color for your eyes. A compact palette with a neutral to darker more dramatic shades best suited for your eyes for special occasions is best as neutral shades are what you may choose to use everyday. A good eye shadow should last you for at least 2 years.I use Sleek and MAC palettes:

 

Wet n Wild Sparkle – til- morning.

Sleek Vintage Romance Palette

MAC 12 Color Cream Eyeshadow Palette

Lipstick/Lip gloss/Lip liners: 

You should have at least two lipsticks in your make up bag- one neutral color that matches your lips in either beige, brown or soft pink and make sure you get moisturizing lipsticks or glosses too, but if you are not sure, have a good moisturizing lip balm to use before you apply your lipstick. Lip glosses are good for those days you want a quick stained or colored look without the serious effect of the lipstick. For the best colors, first find out your skin tone so you can find the best colors-For fair skin: coral reds or dark reds with pink undertones. For medium or olive skin: pink and cranberry shades, and brick reds. For dark skin: reds with burgundy or brown tones.Also remember, when using bright color lipsticks, keep your eyes simple and vice versa so you don’t come off to heavy. Also try to avoid using exact color lipstick for your lips and clothes. Fire engine red dress and lipstick may be a bit too much for the eyes that have to look at you! That being said, good brands abound in lipsticks from Tom Ford to MAC, from Revlon lip glosses to L’Oreal. I must say one of the brands that has won me over is MAC. They’ve got colors that fit most skin tones like the “Ruby Woo Red”.

Lip liners are pencils that are used to line the lips when applying lipstick to keep the lipsticks in and gives off a perfect finish. Most lipstick brands make good liners in colors similar to their lipstick colors. If you have thin lips, trace your liner outside your natural lip line and if you have fuller lips either on your natural lip line or just inside. blend it in and then paint your lipstick inside. It also gives your lipstick a longer lip life span so always try to have some shades as close to your most frequently used tones as possible.

 

 

 

 

 

Pink-Perfection_pack-shot

 

 

Blush/Bronzer: 

Blush adds color to your skin and warms up your complexion to appear fresh and vibrant. Bronzers add more color to your face too especially in areas where light naturally falls on your face. It gives light skin a tanned look without the sun damage and whether you use it daily or occasionally depends on you. Same as the blush.

Clinique Peach Pop Blush

MAC Modern Mandarin perm Blush

nyx Flamingo blush

Rimmel Natural Bronzer

Sephora Bronzer

Brushes: 

Applying make up with a brush gives a smoother more professional finish, making one part of your make up blend right into the other from the foundation to the blush and eye shadow. There are specially made brushes that do these functions so you should ask at any store where you are shopping for them. The MAC brushes shown below are some of the brushes I own.

MAC Brushes

 

Other make up products you may want to have around: 

Shine Eraser:

These are really light, sheets that are meant to blot out oil from your face. You can carry them in your purse and use when you feel the need to. I use the e.l.f Shine Eraser below which does a good job of blotting the oil off my face. It’s just so light I have to use more than two sometimes but they are so cheap it’s OK. They cost about 500 Naira in Nigeria. Other good brands include the Nutrogena.

 

Nail Polish :

Remember we talked about keeping your hair, make up and nails always looking good? Buy good quality nail polish and make sure you keep them clean and never chipped. I like those pastel and neutral colors but sometimes I enjoy those unexpected mixes or edgy colors that draw attention in a good way.

I like to have some lashes lying around too for any occasion that calls for it.

So there you have it folks, my A list in make up! and now I have got to sleep!

;))

Molekor

 

 

Photos: essie.com, blackopal.com

Stuck in a foundation rut? Here’s what you need to know :

Foundations are such an intrical part of the make up process! If you get it wrong here, you’ve messed up your total look so ladies, let’s get the foundation right! 😉

Bianca's glam

THE PREP

• Exfoliate twice a week to help your foundation go on more evenly.
• After, wait a couple of minutes for your moisturiser to sink in before you apply your foundation.
• Try a primer, they all have different skin benefits so don’t settle for a ‘one suit ‘all formula’. I recommend Photo finish more than primer Blemish control which is £28

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“EXPERIMENTING? IF YOUR SKIN LOOKS FRESHER, BRIGHTER AND MORE EVEN, YOU’VE PICKED THE RIGHT WINNER! ” , SAYS BOBBI BROWN.

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A FEW TIPS EVERY GIRL SHOULD KNOW :

LIQUID

Best for all skin types.

Having a bad blemish day? Go for a matte foundation – a luminous finish enhances spots.

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Make Your Lipstick Last.

 

 

Making lipsticks last is a skill that any one can learn.

Following the steps above may take a few more seconds than usual but it’s definitely worth it! Your lipstick should take you through the day and that’s counting about 9 or 10 hours! if that isn’t good news, I don’t know what is!

The next time you need to put your lipstick on, take a cue at these steps and let me know how many hours yours took you through ok?

Molekor

picture culled from thebeautydepartment.com