Makeup: Bronzed Goddess Tutorial

On Friday I attended a surprise party for one of my friends. It was an outdoor, end of summer type of dinner with a fire pit and s'mores. I decided that I would go with a neutral smoky eye for this occasion. I used mainly bronze colors. It was a cute night time look, but not too much for a BBQ style dinner. I finished the look off with a sheer berry gloss. For a step-by-step explanation of what I did to achieve the final look (pictures on the bottom) keep reading.
I apologize for some of the pictures. They turned out a little discolored. The final pictures are true to color, however!

Products I Used:

• Physicians Formula Mineral Wear powder in Natural Beige
• Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Fast Fix concealer in Medium
• Elf blush/bronzer duo in St. Lucia
• Bronzer does not show up muddy or orangy on the skin
• Blush is a pretty peachy coral color with subtle gold shimmer
• Maybelline Color Tattoo in 05 Too Cool
• Smashbox Eye Wish Palette
• Came out as a limited edition palette for the 2010 holiday season.
• For this look I used to bronzey/golden shades. They are numbered so in the step-by-step description, I will be referring to the numbers that I used to make things a little easier.
• Wild & Crazy Eyeliner in Coco Brown
• Eyelash curler
• Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes mascara in Very Black
• Stila Lip Glaze Stick in Berry.

Steps:

1. First do your face makeup as you normally would. I covered up any blemishes with my concealer first and then applied a light layer of powder foundation all over my face. I like this in the summer because it is light and absorbs any oils and perspiration on your face so you won't look shiny.

2. Contour your face using the bronzer side of your Elf duo. Focus this product in the hollows of yours cheeks (make a fish face if you have a hard time identifying your hollows), your temples and hair line, your jaw line, and a little down your neck.

3. Smile and apply the blush color to the apples of your cheeks. Blend out towards your temples.

4. Apply a thin, even layer of the Color Tattoo all over your lid as a primer. This is a white base so it will make your eyeshadow pop and be more vibrant. (You could use a bronze shade to make the lid more intense if you'd like.)

5. Using a fluffy angled shadow brush, brush on a non-shimmery color a little lighter than your skin tone (I used number 3 in the palette) to your brow bone.

6. Pack a bronze color onto a flat shader brush (I used number 5). Sweep this all over your lid over the area where you applied the Color Tattoo.

7. Dip a creese brush into a darker bronze shade (I used number 9) and put it into your outer corner. Bring it into your creese about half way. Start off with a little and then add more. It is easier to add more than to take it away.

8. Using a clean blending brush, blend out any harsh edges.

9. Pick up a gold shade (I used number 1) with the tip of your flat shader brush and dab it into the inner corner of your eyes for a highlight and to brighten that area up.

10.  Using a brown liner (you can use black, but I thought that brown wouldn't be as harsh and would go better with these shadow colors) line your upper and lower waterlines.

11. Curl your lashes and apply a coat of mascara to your upper and lower lashes.

12. Finish the look off with applying the glaze to your lips.

Here is what the finished eye look should look like:

This look does not require you to use a lot of colors and it did not take me much time to accomplish this. You will look put together and it is a nice way to work with neutrals. I tend to reach for these colors a lot all year round!

If you have any requests for specific looks/colors, leave a comment and I will be glad to come up with one for you!

- Michelle

August Favorites

Hellooo! Yes, we are a few days into September, but I thought that I would write a post on my August favorites! This is my first "favorites" post so I'll explain what they will usually include: beauty, hair, nail, and random products normally in no particular order. Let's get into them!

Beauty:

• eos lip balm in summer fruit. This smells AMAZING! It is so fruity and I literally want to eat it. It is also good at making my lips feel nice and soft.
• Revlon Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti. First off, the product is aaamazing. It is so creamy and moisturizing to the lips and the colors that I have tried out are all really pretty and pigmented, especially for a lip butter. This shade has been my favorite this month because it is a bright orange and perfect for summer and into the fall even. They aren't super long lasting (middle ground between a lipstick and a gloss), but I don't mind it at all.
• Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Loose Powder in Natural Beige. I don't like wearing a lot of makeup on my face ever, but especially in the summer. I only wore this when I went out this month and it evened out my face and looked natural. It absorbed any oils or sweat which is a plus.
• Elf Contouring Blush & Bronzer Powder in St. Lucia. They used to only have this in one color, but they recently added 2 new shades so the original one is now called St. Lucia. I love both of these colors and this is the only blush and bronzer that I used this month. The bronzer is neither orangey or muddy. Great for contouring. The blush gives your cheeks a nice peachy golden flush.
• Urban Decay 24/7 Electric eyeliner set. This came out in the later months of 2011 and was limited edition. I did buy this set around June or July in my local Nordstrom Rack and I recently saw that they still have them so yours might as well! My favorite colors this month have been Woodstock (hot pink), Ransom (purple), and Radium (aqua). I have been wearing these on my upper lash line for a pop of color. Check out my Daytime Colored Eyeliner tutorial to see how I like to wear them.
• Maybelline Color Tattoo in Too Cool. This is a frosty white color that I use all over my eyelid as a base to brighten up shadows. Stays on all day without creasing.

Hair:

• In the summer I mainly only scrunch my hair. This month I have been using Suave Mousse Max Hold. It defines my curls without making them crunchy. It gets the job done and I like how it makes my hair look.

Nails:

• Sadly, I do not know the name of this nail polish, but it is an electric blue color from Forever 21. It came in a 4-pack with the blue, a purple, a red, and a hot pink, but the individual colors did not have names and I don't think that the pack is sold anymore. That color has been my favorite this month, though. Looks great on the toes.

Random:

• Archer Farms Simply Balanced Freeze Dried Strawberries are delicious. I have been eating them all month either out of the bag or I put it into my cereal. Healthy, yummy snack.
• Lay's Kettle Cooked Jalapeno chips. I love spicy foods and these are sooooo good! I am not big on chips, but I can't resist these once in a while especially when they sell them at work. :/
• Keurig <3 My parents bought one a few weeks ago and lets just say that I am addicted to it. I am saving so much money by not buying coffee at work anymore which is a MAJOR plus. The coffee is also delicious and I can mix up the flavors and brands and everyone can make a cup of whatever coffee, tea, etc they want one after another. I have become a huge fan!

I hope you enjoyed reading about my favorite products and I hope that you comment and let me know if any of these are also your favorites. Also, let me know some of your favorite. I love discovering new products!

- Michelle

Makeup: Play On Plums Tutorial

Let me start off with this: work is draining! I hate going out after work because all I want to do is lay in bed while reading or watching tv and then go to sleep. However, last week my friends and I all gathered together for a end of Summer dinner before everyone went back to school on Monday. Who doesn't like a reason to get to do their makeup, right?

I decided to go with a pinkish/purplish eye which wasn't too overwhelming. This was a simple going out look with very few products. You don't have to use these products, but this is what I used and the steps that I took to achieve the final look.

Products I Used:

• Physicians Formula Mineral Wear powder in Natural Beige
• Lightweight powder foundation that looks natural on the skin
• Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Fast Fix concealer in Medium
• Elf blush/bronzer duo
• Bronzer does not show up muddy or orangy on the skin
• Blush is a pretty peachy coral color with subtle gold shimmer
• Maybelline Color Tattoo in 05 Too Cool
• MAC mineralize eyeshadow in Play on Plums
• Came out with the Electroflash collection in 2008 and was repromoted in 2010
• peachy golden bronzey pinky color on one half and a bronzey purple burgundy on the other
• MAC Eye Kohl in Smolder (plain rich black color)
• Eyelash curler
• Smashbox Lash DNA mascara in black
• MAC lipglass in Cha Cha
• Came out with the spring 2010 Color Forecast collection
• Pinky coral color with gold and pink shimmer

Steps:

1. First do your face makeup as you normally would. I covered up any blemishes with my concealer first and then applied a light layer of powder foundation all over my face. I like this in the summer because it is light and absorbs any oils and perspiration on your face so you won't look shiny.

2. Contour your face using the bronzer side of your Elf duo. Focus this product in the hollows of yours cheeks (make a fish face if you have a hard time identifying your hollows), your temples and hair line, your jaw line, and a little down your neck.

3. Smile and apply the blush color to the apples of your cheeks. Blend out towards your temples.

4. Apply a thin, even layer of the Color Tattoo all over your lid as a primer. This is a white base so it will make your eyeshadow pop and be more vibrant.

5. Mix all of the colors on the lighter side of the eyeshadow duo onto a flat shader brush. Once the color is packed on the brush, apply the color to your entire lid.

Tip: Apply it using a patting motion, not a sweeping motion to avoid any fallout.

6. Swirl a crease brush in the darker side of the shadow duo mixing all of the colors together. Pat your brush into your outer-v area of the eye. Then sweep the color into your crease.  Wipe off your brush and blend the two colors until they smoothly transition into each other.

7. Using a small pencil brush, apply some of the darker shadow onto the outer 1/2 of your lower lash line.

8. Using a fluffy brush, pick up some of the champaign color (it's okay if a little light pink gets on the brush) on the lighter side of the shadow and sweep it across your brow bone as a highlight. Blend it with your crease color for a smooth transition. Also apply some of that color to your inner corner to open up your eyes.

9. Apply a thin line of black liner (I used pencil, but you can use pencil, liquid, gel, etc.) to your upper lash line. Follow the shape of your eye. You can make it a little ticker toward the end of your eye but keep it think near the inner corner.

10. Curl your lashes and apply two coats of black mascara to your top lashes and one coat to your bottom lashes.

11. Finish the look off with applying a layer of gloss to your lips.

You will look look you put a lot of time and effort into this effortless look. It is a natural look using colors. It will also make green eyes look super green! Purples and pinks have that effect. I think this is a perfect look for a dinner with family/friends/a date or just hanging out at night.

- Michelle

Makeup: Daytime Colored Eyeliner Tutorial

On a day to day basis I am not one to wear a ton of makeup. My daily look usually consists of a little bit eye liner, mascara, and lip gloss. Considering it being summer right now, I enjoy switching up the usual black or brown eye liner for a colored liner. This is look is EXTREMELY simple. Here are some tips to wearing a colored liner.

Products I Used:

• Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner pencil in Woodstock
• Smashbox Lash DNA mascara in black
• Stila lip glaze stick in fruit punch

Steps:

1. Using your favorite colored liner (pencil, gel, liquid, etc.) draw a thin line on your upper lash line. Don't overdo it. You want a pop of color not a colored in lid.

2. Curl your lashes and apply your favorite mascara to your upper and lower lashes.

3. Since this is a day look and you have a pop of color on your eyes, don't overdo the lips. I used a sheer pink gloss stick to wrap the look together.

This is a super quick look that won't take up much of your time in the morning, but it makes you look fun and put together. If you have a little more time, you can put on a light wash of pink blush to your cheeks.

Michelle

Nails: Fruity Pebbles

This simple nail design can be achieved using any nail polish colors you wish to use. I used random colors and random finishes and it turned out nice. It reminded me of Fruity Pebbles cereal! This would also look cute if different shades of a color were used (such as different pinks: light pinks, dark pinks, bright pinks, etc.) I originally saw this design on YouTube (missjenfabulous has a video on it). She used different colors than I did and both look equally as cute. In the tools portion I am listing the colors that I used. Feel free to change them and use colors that you like.

Tools:

• Nail file, cuticle clipper, etc (anything you normally use to prep your nails)
• Base coat
• Base color - gray
• Dot colors - medium purple, electric blue, shimmery lime green, shimmery orange, pale yellow, and white
• Bobby pin or dotting tool
• Top coat

Here are the steps to creating this look:

1. Prep your nails. Make sure that they are not too short for this to work.

2. Prepare the nail polishes that you are going to be using. I used 1 base color and 6 colors for the dots.

3. Paint your nails with a base coat. Let dry.

4. Paint 2 coats of the gray on all of your nails. Let dry.

5. Put a few drops of your first polish (purple) on a plastic or styrofoam plate. Dip your dotting tool or bobby pin into the color and start making random dots on your nails. I did 4 dots on my pinky, 6 dots on my thumb, and 5 on the other nails of each color. Concentrate the color at the base of the nail and make them more dispersed toward the tip.
Hint: If you are using a bobby pin, open it into a straight line so it is easier to hold and control.

6. Repeat step 5 until you have applied all of your colors (I applied them in the order that I have them listed in the tools portion). Don't worry if you overlap the colors, that's the point. You want them clustered. Be completely random with this. No 2 nails should look exactly the same.

7. Finish off with a top coat and you are done!

This is a really easy nail design and does not take long once you get the hang of it. It looks a lot more complicated than it is so prepare to get a lot of compliments on it!

If you try this design on yourself, leave a picture in the comments. I would love to see your renditions!

- Michelle

A Little About Myself

Hi! For those of you who don't know me, I would like to let you know a little bit about myself. First off, you're probably wondering what the name of my blog means. Well, I have a really Russian last name which isn't always the easiest to pronounce. My freshman year of college I introduced myself to someone and their response was "Wait, your name is Michelle Borntodancesky?!" I never noticed it before, but my last name does sound a lot like that. Ever since then it just sort of stuck around (mainly because I liked it too much to let it go).

My fascination with nail polish, makeup, and hair began when I started competing in ballroom dancing around the age of 10. During competitions it is important to stand out so besides the flashy dresses, you need heavy makeup (it looks like you're barely wearing any from the sides, trust me) and bright nails, along with a lot of self tanner which was never my thing. At 10 years old I was like a kid who could not color inside of the lines when it came to nails so that was my moms responsibility along with the ballerina buns. My makeup was usually done by older girls in my studio or my instructor. It always looked so glamorous and I wanted to learn how to do it. When I started doing my own makeup for competitions I looked like a clown on more than one occasion.

Around my junior year of high school, I started painting my nails for fun and a year later, I was really good at shaping my nails and painting them. On my more than one occasion people asked me if I was wearing acrylic or gel nails or if I at least got them done at the salon. I also got better at makeup. That year I started wearing products like mascara, eyeliner, and gloss when I went out. I never wore anything to school. Senior year I started expanding and would use eye shadows and bronzer/blush on occasion. By the time I graduated, I got pretty good at it. I still learn new things and the options are endless. I am also a fan of doing my hair in creative ways and just being silly. If you want to see interesting nail, makeup, hair, etc creations, just keep reading my blog. :)

- Michelle