Avengers week continues, this time with my tribute to Hawkeye; note the arrows lining my eyes ;)



Products used:

Lorac Behind the Scenes Eye Primer
Manly Palette
Lancome Eyeshadow in Ciel du Soir
Lorac Front of the Line PRO in Black
Stila Major Lash Mascara

Time for another theme week! The Avengers comes out this week, and I'm super excited. This week I'll be doing an eye for each character. Today: the Hulk.



Products used:

Lorac Behind the Scenes Eye Primer
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk
Manly Palette
Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes in 0L
Eyeko Curvy Brush Mascara

I'm sitting at my parents' house right now, shivering after a morning of garage saling in the cold, drizzly weather with my mom and husband. We've got a little while before we head out to our next excursion-- a spaghetti dinner-- so I'm taking the time to do a blog post. (I also went to a smelt fry yesterday... I'm being delightfully Midwestern this weekend!)



Products used:

Lorac Behind the Scenes Eye Primer
Manly Palette
Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Demolition
Eyeko Curvy Brush Mascara

I've been using a lot of eyeliner as eyeshadow lately; today I scribbled some NARS liner on my lids for shadow.



Products used:

Lorac Behind the Scenes Eye Primer
Sephora Nano Liner in Nuage
NARS Eyeliner in Campo de Fiori
Bare Minerals High Shine Eye Color in Vapor
Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes in 0L
Eyeko Curvy Brush Mascara

Today I played with the new MAC eyeliner that I bought yesterday... and oh my gosh, I've never used a creamier eyeliner. I applied it in the crease and blended up, and it went on in a perfect line.



Products used:

Lorac Behind the Scenes Eye Primer
MAC Pearlglide Intense Eyeliner in Undercurrent
Buxom Lashliner in Leatherette
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Zero
Benefit They're Real Mascara

In my travels today, I visited a MAC counter. I'm not much of a MAC girl-- mostly because I've never really tried their products. The lovely Kelly assisted me today and, after I'd expressed interest in the Pure Pigments, gave me this eye look:



Now, the tired-eye look is my fault, I'm running on three hours of sleep and was also sedated for an MRI this morning... so my body is all sorts of DO NOT WANT TO BE AWAKE.

Products used:

MAC Painterly Paint Pot
MAC Pure Pigments in Tan, Old Gold, and Golden Olive
MAC Pearlglide Intense Eye Liner in Undercurrent
MAC Mascara (not sure which one she used-- she didn't write it down for me)

What do you think? I totally bought the eyeliner, but I know where I can find pigments like this for less than $20, so I skipped them.

This is a trick I love. When I don't know what I'm going to wear, and want a little time to think about it while doing my makeup, I'll do a basic smoky eye. Then, after I select my shirt, I come back and pat some matching eyeshadow over the dark shadow on the eyelid.



Products used:

Lorac Behind the Scenes Eye Primer
Lancome Eyeshadow in Ciel du Soir
Too Faced Eyeshadow in Nice Ash and In the Buff
Manly Palette
Buxom Lashliner in Leatherette
Eyeko Curvy Brush Mascara
Stila Major Lash Mascara

After so much color lately, I decided to go fairly neutral today.



Products used:

Lorac Behind the Scenes
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in X, Chopper, Half Baked
Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes in 19L
Urban Decay Lush Lash Mascara

If you ever saw me without makeup, you'd ask me what the fight was about. That's how dark my dark circles are. I've spent my whole life in the pursuit of diminishing them, and today I want to share my success with you.

Dark circles can be genetic, which means that baby, we were born this way. That's me and, most likely, most of you with dark circle problems. The skin around our eyes is the thinnest in the body, and as blood flows through our veins, it produces a bluish tint. The thinner or more transparent the skin, the darker the circles.

The other main cause of dark circles? Not enough sleep. Losing out on your zzz's actually makes your skin paler, which causes the veins to jump out more.

Dark circles become more noticeable with age as the collagen production decreases. They'll also get worse during allergy season (if you're rubbing your eyes all the time), and an iron deficiency will also cause paleness (anemia, pregnancy, and "that time of the month.")

All right. Now that we know the causes, let's take a look at a four-step plan of attack.

1.) Treat: Murad Lighten & Brighten Eye Treatment, $67

I've tried several eye creams which promised to lighten dark circles; none of them gave me noticeable results. Then I stumbled upon this gem. It's got hydroquinone, a skin lightener, and also ingredients to reduce under-eye puffiness, ridding the area of shadows. It's a little tube, but a little goes a long way; you only need about a grain of rice to take care of both eyes. Pat it on the orbital bone before applying makeup, and again before going to bed.

2.) Conceal: Benefit Lemon-Aid, $20

If you're like me, shopping for a concealer is a nightmare. The ones that cover enough are too thick and cakey, sinking into lines. The ones that are the right consistency don't cover a thing. This is the perfect compromise.

First of all, yes, it's yellow! The reason why a yellow concealer is best is that yellow is the opposite of blue on the color wheel, and opposites cancel each other out. Yellow-based concealers (like Kat Von D's Tattoo Concealer) are good; this is better.

To apply: grab a mirror and tilt your forehead down so that you're looking at your chest. Then, keeping your head in that position, look up to the mirror. The dark circles should pop out at you (they'll look scary!) Take your ring finger, tap a bit of concealer on the dark circles, and blend in.

3.) Conceal: Kat Von D Tattoo Concealer, $25

On normal days, the Lemon-Aid is enough to hide my circles. On days I haven't had enough sleep, I need an extra pick-me-up. That's when I call on Kat Von D's Tattoo Concealer, which is highly pigmented and lightweight. Tip: go a shade lighter than your foundation.

4.) Distract: Benefit Moon Beam (or Sun Beam, or High Beam, depending on your skin tone), $26

Highlighters can open up your eyes and draw attention away from dark circles. Make a greater than/less than sign around each eye with the Moon Beam, dotting it below the eye on the cheekbone, coming to a point on the temple, then above the eyebrow, stopping above the pupil. Blend in with your fingertip. You can also use it from the corner of your eye, down the sides of your nose.

There we are! Four easy steps to conceal and heal dark circles. Also, don't forget to get your sleep!

To celebrate Earth Day, I did a globe-colored eye. A friend pointed out that I forgot some white for the clouds... let's just say it was a completely cloud-free day over this part of the globe ;)

Products used:

Lorac Behind the Scenes Primer
Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream #22 (Green)
L'Oreal High Intensity Pigment Color Truth Cream Eyeliner in Midnight Blue
Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Deviant
Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes in 0L
Manly Palette
Benefit They're Real Mascara

Sorry this is a day late; my husband's birthday was yesterday, and we were up late celebrating :)

The winner of the giveaway is...

Alexis!

Alexis, I did receive your e-mail with your contact information, and I'll be in touch.

Thank you everyone for entering and following! More giveaways to follow... stay tuned! :)

Today's eye was created using nine different colors from the Manly Palette: three trios of green, blue, and purple.



Products used:

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk
Manly Palette
Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes in 20L, 3L, and 11L
Eyeko Curvy Brush Mascara

Products used:

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk
Manly Palette
Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes
Eyeko Curvy Brush Mascara

Since getting hooked on the NYX pencil, I've really been into bright colors! It's just amazing how well it works. I don't even use a primer beneath it; the pencil acts as a primer. As a matter of fact, I've found that putting a primer beneath it makes it look worse.



Products used:

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk
Manly Palette
Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes in 11L and 0L
Eyeko Curvy Brush Mascara

Today, I looked at my array of makeup and just sighed. Then I turned to my husband and said, "Which colors should I use today?" His choice: orange. Oh boy. It wouldn't have been my first choice (especially because I'm cheering heartily against the orange-clad Philadelphia Flyers right now, and enjoying the 10-3 onslaught) but it was a challenge, so I took it.



Products used:

NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk
Manly Palette
Charlotte Ronson All Eye Need Palette in Nicole
NYX Ultra Pearl Mania in Orange Zest
Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Lucky
Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes 19L
Make Up For Ever Aqua Liner 1
Eyeko Curvy Brush Mascara

I don't use my Too Faced Sweet Dreams palette nearly enough, so I used it for today's look:















Products used:

Lorac Behind the Scenes Eye Primer
Too Faced Eyeshadow in Copper Peony, Honeymoon, Label Whore, and Lovey Dovey
Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes in 2L
Eyeko Curvy Brush Mascara

I'm loving this NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk! I saw so many people using it as a base that I just had to run out to Ulta and buy one. It makes my colors so much brighter!



Products used:

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk
Manly Palette
Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes in 0L
Eyeko Curvy Brush Mascara

...and I really don't even like John Mayer all that much (see title). But creativity for naming is at a low at 3am. ;)

It seems that whenever I do a wedding, I like to do a bright color on my own eyes. It just makes up for all the neutrals I'm applying to people. So this is today's look:

Products used:

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk
Manly Palette
Eyeko Curvy Brush Mascara

This one's named in honor of my crazy family and our theme song from today's quilting and crafting retreat. :)



Products used:

Lorac Behind the Scenes Eye Primer
Benefit Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow in Fahrenheit Fab, Get Figgy, and Stiletto
Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes in 18L and 2L
Eyeko Curvy Brush Mascara

Lipstick really is a mood-changer. When I put on my Moulin Rouge from Make Up For Ever, I feel a lot stronger and sassier. And since I've been having a terrible week, it was time for smoky eyes and red lips.



Products used:

Kat Von D Smoky Eye Primer
Manly Palette #43
NARS Soft Touch Shadow Eye Pencil in Hollywoodland
Make Up For Ever Aqua Black
Stila Major Lash Mascara

I wanted to hold off until LGBT Pride Month for this one, but I'll just do a different rainbow eye when I head to Pride... maybe a brighter one with some Make Up For Ever colors. :)




Products used:

Lorac Behind the Scenes Eye Primer
Manly Palette 63, 75, 77, 78, 17, 18 20, 26, 40
Lorac Front of the Line PRO
Eyeko Curvy Brush Mascara

A blog post I came across gave me the idea to layer colored pigment over black pigment for a different smoky look, so I tried it this morning:



Products used:

Lorac Behind the Scenes Eye Primer
Bare Minerals Eyecolor in Azure and Wildflower
Colorevolution Trio in White, Gray, and Black
Buxom Lashliner in Leatherette
Eyeko Curvy Brush Mascara

I had a sample of a color from the Make Up For Ever Flash Color Palette that I was dying to try out, so I used a bit of that this morning:



Products used:

Lorac Behind the Scenes Eye Primer
Make Up For Ever Flash Color Palette #008 Green Leaf
Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream #22
Make Up For Ever Aqua Liner #1
Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes 0L
Stila Major Lash Mascara

Today, I wore a pair of anchor earrings, and decided to match it with a nautical-themed eye:



Products used:

Lorac Behind the Scenes Eye Primer
NYX Ultra Pearl Mania in White Pearl and Light Blue Pearl
Manly Palette
Bare Minerals Eyecolor in True Gold
Lorac Front of the Line PRO in Black
Eyeko Curvy Brush Mascara

I've really been into the earthy tones lately. Today I wanted to use some cream shadows:



Products used:

NARS Cream Eyeshadow in Savage and Cosmic Girl
Bare Minerals Prime Time Primer Shadow in Racing Green
Benefit Cream Eyeshadow in Birthday Suit
Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Pencil in Demolition
Eyeko Curvy Brush Mascara

This was a look requested by my coworker Val! We have a monthly featured color at work, and this month it's turquoise.



Products used:

Lorac Behind the Scenes Eye Primer
Manly Palette 36, 21, 22, 23
Cargo Tahiti Palette
Laura Mercier Kohl Eye Pencil in Black Turquoise
Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes in 7L
Eyeko Curvy Brush Mascara