Sakura Collaboration - Spring Cherry Blossom Eye Makeup Tutorial with Sugarpill Cosmetics

My finished sakura-themed look.  

I am thrilled about today's post.  Anna of Fenua Beauté and I were gushing about our love for Sugarpill cosmetics and had previously discussed how we are weak in the knees for any makeup product with incoperating the theme of sakura.  So, we decided over Twitter to collaborate to do a sakura-themed FOTD on our respective blogs using our favorite Sugarpill products.

In Anna's look, she paints delicate petals on the corners of her eyes.  Click here to see her look.  She looks ethereal!

I wanted to paint the actual blossoms on my face and extend the shadow to the hairline.  I think it would be awesome to bring this look to the next level and make it uber kawaii and outrageous.  But I wanted it to be somewhat wearable for most folks.  You can make this look more subtle by not taking the shadow out as far and limited the blossoms to one (or none). 

The Sugarpill products used.
See the step-by-step for details.  Above are Tiara (silver), Lumi (white) and Paperdoll (purple) loose eyeshadows.  The palette is 4-Color Palette in Sweetheart.  I used Dollipop and Tako pressed eyeshadows.  All products are available at sugarpillshop.com.  If you want to see a review of them, click here for the Sweetheart palette and here for ChromaLust Loose Eyeshadows.

Step 1: After you have put on your face makeup, prime your eye area (lid, undereye and to the temple) with an eyeshadow primer.  I used Nars Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Primer.
Step 2: To create a base, I mixed Inglot Duraline with Lumi ChromaLust Loose Eyeshadow.  Lumi is an irisdescent white with blue and green shimmer.  It is very sheer and makes a nice base for the eyelid.
Step 2 (cont'd): Cover the entire lid to the brow with this base.  Also apply to the lower lash line.  This will help hold color.
Step 3: Apply Dollipop at the crease.  Blend upwards.  Pack on extra color at the center of the eye for a pop of pink.
Step 3 (cont'd): Blend upwards and to the start of the eyebrow, creating a sort of Y shape.  Don't worry if this looks weird now.  You'll blend and mix later to soften edges and bring the look together.
Step 4: Where Dollipop ends, take Paperdoll and blend to soften the line.  Extend outwards towards the temple.
Step 4 (cont'd): Blend outwards towards to temple.
 Step 4 (cont'd): Keep going.... all the way to the hairline.
Step 5: Take a larger blending brush and dip in Dollipop.  From the hairline in circular motions create soft clouds of color towards the eye.
Step 6: With the same brush, dip in Tako and blend towards the eye.  Don't be afraid to go above the eyebrows or onto the tops of the cheekbone.
Step 7: Take Tiara on a clean brush and highlight the eyebrow and the inner corners of the eye, near the tear duct.  Using the same brush, apply Tako to the inner corners of the eye.
 Step 8: Blend Tiara to the eyeshadow in the temple.  Blend to make everything cohesive, but don't over-blend to muddle the colors.
Step 9: Line the waterline.  I used Stila Smudge Stick in Lionfish, a shimmering brown, vs. a black to keep the look soft.
Step 10: Line the bottom waterline with a white pencil.  I'm using Maybelline Unstoppable Eyeliner in Fluffy Cloud, a limited edition shade for Spring 2011.
Step 11: Apply top lashes.
Step 12: Apply bottom lashes for an extra doll-like look.  Define your brows.
Step 13: The fun part!  Painting the blossoms.  I'm using creme colors from Make Up For Ever's 12 Flash Color Case.  I mixed the white and fuchsia shades together to create the petals.
Step 13 (cont'd): Obviously, I'm not going for perfection here!  The petals can be more blobs, and then go in with another color to define.
Step 13 (cont'd): The smaller the brush the better.
Pretty petals!
Sakura! Spring is here!
Right eye (blossoms here are dotted with yellow and silver).
Go large or small on the petals.  No reason to just stop at 3.  Go above the eyebrow or onto the cheeks!

Thanks Anna for collaborating with me on this super fun project!  I had a great time doing it, and I hope it's one of many!

Do you like cherry blossoms?  Do go anywhere to see them? 

Eyeliner Road Test! Giorgio Armani vs. Stila vs. Tarte - New Video!

 Eyeliners from our road test.

Eyeliner technology has really advanced.  I used to never be able to wear eyeliner for fear of raccoon eyes, but the chemistry that goes into these products has really improved.  Waterproof isn't just a dream anymore.  Some products really do resist smudges, tearing and actually stay put.  I took three different brands with similar gel-style formulas and tested them against each other.  See the video to see who won!

Giorgio Armani's La Femme Bleue Long Wear Waterproof Eye Pencils are limited edition for Spring 2011.  KarlaSugar raved about these, so I had to check them out for the road test.  These are $27 each, which seems pricey for an eyeliner, but considering how much product you actually get in comparison with these other two brands, it's actually a better value.

Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner and Tarte emphasEYES Aqual-Gel Eyeliner both boast long wear and high pigmentation.  But, if you watch the video, you will see that the Armani beats them out in value and beats the Tarte in wear.

Let's geek out for a moment and do a math break down:
Giorgio Armani - $27 for 0.04oz, 1.2g = $22.50 per gram
Stila - $20 for 0.01oz, 0.28g = $71.42 per gram
Tarte - $18 for 0.003oz, 0.1g = $180 per gram

 We tried them out.... check the video for results!

  Black, Bark Brown, Leaf Green.
 Black, Bark Brown, Leaf Green.
GA's Bark Brown on the eye.


Giorgio Armani La Femme Bleue Long Wear Waterproof Eye Pencils are $27 for 0.04oz, 1.2g and available at www.giorgioarmanibeauty-usa.com.

Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner is $20 for 0.01oz at ulta.com and stilacosmetics.com.

Tarte emphasEYES Aqual-Gel is $18 for 0.003oz, 0.1g at tartecosmetics.com and qvc.com.

R U RCR? Red Carpet Ready? Stila E! Live From The Red Carpet Glamour Goddess Palette - Photos, Review and Swatches

Stila E! Live from the Red Carpet set in Glamour Goddess.

Want to be red carpet ready?  Whether it's for a party, a night out, a night in or just doing errands, we always want to look beautiful and glamorous.  But to be red carpet ready (RCR from now on), most celebs have an entire entourage to look good, but people like you and me have a team of me, myself and I.  However, in the famous words of Tim Gunn, we make it work

Stila E! Live from the Red Carpet Collection consists of three limited edition palettes exclusively for Ulta.  Each set is valued at over $100 but retails for $25.  Not a bad price considering what you get.  Glamour Goddess comes with a full sized Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in Lionfish, a bronze brown with copper shimmer, which is normally $20.

Getting RCR is pretty easy with these shimmery neutrals.  The eyeshadows are pretty and smooth in texture.  I think they would work with most skin tones and for natural or dramatic looks.  The eyeliner helps take the look from day to night.  Kitten, all over shimmer, is a pretty shimmer, but a little too frosty for me.   Glamour is one of Stila's famous convertible colors for lips and cheeks in a pretty azalea shade.  I have never been a fan of palettes that mix powders and creams in the same area.  Powder gets stuck in the cream, and it gets all gunky.  But overall, the value outweighs that minor fault. 

Are you red carpet ready?

6 eyeshadows, 1 shimmer powder, 1 convertible color and 1 eyeliner. 

Inside.
Eyeshadows, a mix of shimmer and matte shades.
Swatches.

Eye Shadow shades include:
- Glitz - pale golden beige, base shade
- On the List - pearly beige, lid shade
- Golden - warm gold, liner shade
- Flash - light peach with shimmer, base shade
- Star - bronzy peach, lid shade
- Glam - deep bronze, liner shade

Getting radiant.
Getting cheeky.
Swatches.

The palette also includes:
- All Over Shimmer Powder in Kitten
- Convertible Color in Glamour
- Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in Lionfish


Get RCR!
Love this liner.
Super pigmented.  I will review this in Stingray (the black shade) later.
 These are super long lasting.  Look for an upcoming review.

So if you want to get, RCR on a budget, you may want to check these out Stila E! Live From The Red Carpet sets for $25.  They are available at www.stilacosmetics.com and at Ulta stores.