“People often say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I say that the most liberating thing about beauty is realizing you are the beholder.” ~Salma Hayek
“Girls of all kinds can be beautiful – from the thin, plus-sized, short, very tall, ebony to porcelain-skinned; the quirky, clumsy, shy, outgoing and all in between. It’s not easy though because many people still put beauty into a confining, narrow box…Think outside of the box…Pledge that you will look in the mirror and find the unique beauty in you.” Tyra Banks
Holidays for me are a wonderful time to get dressed up, put on a beautiful dress and add your best accessory – smiles, happiness and love! I get so excited for Christmas time to get together with parents, family and friends and that always calls for dressing up, nice dinners or get togethers. This year for Christmas Eve I took my mother and step father out to dinner at a restaurant that me and my fiance love called Bellisimo’s in New Jersey. It was decorating so lovely with holiday lights and a Christmas tree. The food was great like always but the whole atmosphere felt warm, inviting and charming. I wanted to wear a little black dress so that I could focus more on some fun, glamorous make up with a new lipstick I had just picked up that week. The color is fantastic and when I first bought it at the MAC counter I thought for sure I wouldn’t like it. The color is called “Amorous” and it’s a bold, berry color but really isn’t as dark or vampy as some of the others I have tried. I think this look would work for most skin tones, even on those of you (who like me) get pale in the winter and sometimes get nervous to go with a darker lipstick.
As you can see the color is so beautiful! It makes your lips look very conditioner and last for a long time. I also paired this with a berry colored lip liner from Sephora to help keep the color inside the lines and to prevent any excess bleed from this dark color. It didn’t dry out my lips like some other darker colors do on me from MAC.
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So let’s quickly go over all the great products I used to do my makeup for this Christmas Eve look:
For Face:
Tarte Pore Minimizing Primer, Tarte Marcuja Miracle Liquid Foundation, Graftobian concealer palette, MAC Prep & Prime translucent powder
For Highlight & Contour:
MAC Prep & Prime Highlighting Pen in Light and Too Face Cosmetics Bronzer in Chocolate
For Eyes:
European Wax Center eye brow powder, Urban Decay eye shadow primer, Tarte Cosmetics Amazonian Clay gel liner in black, Smashbox Eye Brightening Mascara, Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette
For Cheeks:
For Lips:
MAC “Amorous” lipstick, Rosebud salve lip balm and Sephora lip pencil in berry color (forgot the exact name)
All of these items are big favorites of mine. I went with the Naked Basics palette on my eyes because I really wanted the focus to be on the berry lips. I always play it safe and make only one area on my face dramatic in any make up look. If my lips are bold then I play down my eyes, if my eyes are the focus I do a light or neutral lip. That’s always a safe bet! I also loved using the Tarte gel liner, which I got for Christmas and I love! It is so soft and smooth and doesn’t smudge or wipe off on your eyelid. It also came with the brush which was a nice bonus! This is also made with Amazonian Clay which makes it feel so soft and light. If you like to do a dark liner or winged eyeliner this is a great item to buy for sure. I also love the Smashbox Eye Brightening Mascara which I got as a sample from Sephora and am a huge fan of now. I don’t even need to use false lashes when I use this mascara, it’s amazing.
What I loved about this look was the foundation wasn’t heavy and I didn’t feel overwhelmed by the lipstick because the rest of the look was subtle. The blush I used was Coppertone which is a nice tan/bronze color which I usually always go for when I do a red or berry lipstick. The last thing I want is bright pink cheeks and a bold lip, so this is a great blush for these looks.
As you can see the focus is on the lips and not on the rest of the face really. I also love how MAC prep and prime products add just the right light boost in the areas you apply it. I used the highlight pen on the bridge of my nose, middle of my eye brows and on the top part of my cheek bones. The light bounces right off and makes for a pretty glow. The Coppertone blush is also great when you start to get pale because it adds some depth to the cheek bones and contours as well.
Next time I will make sure to grab my Canon DSLR to take better photos so you can see a bit more clearly. This was done on my iPhone quickly since I was rushing to get to dinner 🙂
I hope you all like the look and let me know some of your favorite staple products as well. Happy Holidays and Happy New Years!
xo – Adrienne
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