Winter's sunset

Here in the land of oranges and honey, winter comes just as rapidly, but far prettier than most places.  Our sunsets during the colder months are no less stunning than when they are during our lush, subtropical summers.  The following look may appear to be a tropical beachy affair, but I promise - it was based on a sunset from this very past week! :)

UDPP, MSC Lust, Strange Potion, Unicorns and Glitter, Never Ending Summer, Honey Badger, Bitch Slap, and Effin' Perfektion Powder.  ELF under eye concealer, NYX shadow base in white, W&W plumping mascara and W&W kohl black eye liner.

Brushes! (and wine! The wine is optional, though.)

Now, I know I've talked before about the importance of a good, soft cloth and high quality toner.  I want to go into that a little more in-depth right now.  Many people assume that they don't need a toner unless their skin is "problem" skin, but that's untrue.  Everyone's skin collects a surface layer of dead skin, oil, and dust/dirt particulates.  Your lids and lashes are no different.  Unless I've JUST gotten out of the shower, I will always use a mild toner in order to provide the cleanest possible canvas.  Makeup is art, after all.  Don't we want to make sure that we're working with materials of the highest caliber?

Freshly toned face! And bleary eyes!

After applying your UDPP, go ahead and work on those under-eye circles.  Mine are particularly stubborn- a mix of allergies and lack of sleep, so I really tend to pat on the concealer a little more densely.  When you've done so, let it set up for a moment.  You want it to still be tacky and blend-able, but not so wet that your payoff is more on your fingers than it is under your eye.  You also want to make sure you're patting it with the pads of your fingers, never rubbing.

See the difference between the right and the left? ELF is MAGIC, I say!  When you've done both eyes, set it with a sparing dusting of Effin' Perfektion Powder.  This will also help your eyeliner from wandering down your face.

Now apply a light layer of NYX's shadow base.  You want just the barest hint of white there, since you're using some subtle colors that can get lost and muddled if there's too much going on underneath.

Starting out with Never Ending Summer, bring that down into your lash line and stop about a third into your lid, or where your iris begins.  From there, pick up your Honey Badger and finish bringing that out to your outer corner.

Now it's time for Lust and Strange Potion.  I wanted to juxtapose the more subtle colors across from each other, so Lust went in the inner halves of my lids, and Strange Potion on the outside.  DON'T BLEND YET.

Bring the Bitch Slap in at the very very barest outer v of your eye, and up into the crease.  Blend it down gently with the pads of your fingers, taking the time to now just barely eliminate the clear lines of demarcation between the other four colors.

See? You can clearly see that there are multiple colors involved, but it has a cohesive appearance without being muddy.

Now take your Unicorns and Glitter, and use it both in your duct and across your orbital bone for just the lightest shimmer of pinky-gold to highlight.

Line with black liner first, and set the liner with more Bitch Slap.  Add the mascara of your choice, and....

Voila!  A beautiful look set to eliminate those winter sads by reminding you of the beauty that this time of year brings with it.  Stay Madd, darlings!