Falling for Dark Lips

It's officially Fall, and it's time to trade in your candy-colored lipsticks for more sophisticated, sultry shades.  

The key to perfect this look is to keep the focus on the lips and leave everything else minimal.  My favorite way to wear this look is to perfect the skin with a tinted moisturizer topped with a light dusting of powder on the t-zone.  Contour the face: the cheekbones, around the forehead, and under the jawbone.  Lightly fill in the eyebrows, and apply mascara.  I prefer brown mascara for a softer look.  A liquid highlighter (Stila All Over Shimmer Liquid Luminizer in Kitten) on top of the cheekbones and on the inner corners of the eyes is a beautiful touch.  

Apply a dark shade of lipstick to complete this vampy look.  Dark plum, maroon, deep red, and brown are all perfect colors.  Keep it modern and undone by applying the lipstick with your finger tips to ensure soft edges, or apply it directly from the tube and soften the edges with a cotton swab.  Blot lightly with a tissue paper and reapply for long-lasting lips.  If desired, top with a creamy lip balm such as Smith's Rosebud Salve.

My Favorite shades for Fall:

Cyber by MAC (deep purple)

#49 Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Intense (deep purpled wine)

Cherry Chocolate by Mehron (rich cherry brown)

Black Cherry by Revlon Super Lustrous Creme Lipstick (deep blood-red)

Vamp by Chanel Hydrabase (dark red-berry)

Backstage at the Carlos Campos S/S 2013 for NYFW at Milk Studios with model Leebo Freeman. I'm wearing Cyber by MAC

Xoxo

@hollygowersmua

Ocean Drive: Splurge

Technically I should be in bed right now since I have to be up in less than eight hours, but I'm trying to calm the butterflies in my stomach after my makeup splurge today. 
Tomorrow I have a shoot with Ocean Drive Magazine for their annual Swim Issue out in July for Miami Swim Week. I'm doing the makeup for the cover and the swim story. I am so excited! I probably can't go into detail regarding the inspiration for the shoot, but I can tell you that it's a throwback; and the model will be wearing swimsuits. You're just gonna' have to wait. Listed below are the new products that I felt I simply could not live without. I mean, no one should.

Stila Custom Color Blush Self-Adjusting Coral: Kinda' self explanatory. It's like a mood ring blush.
Stila All Over Shimmer Liquid Luminizer in Kitten Shimmer: Beautiful champagne shimmer. Not too pink. Not too gold. Just right.
Stila Smudge Pot in Black: For the perfect winged eyeliner...or double winged eyeliner. Shhh! No more hints.
Too Faced Royal Oil Coconut Oil Body Bronzer: Drop what you're doing and buy it. Seriously. Go.
MAC Amplified Lipstick in Impassioned: Beautiful, creamy hot/neon pink with a hint of tangerine.
MAC Eye Shadow in Antiqued: The perfect bronzey brown. My favorite color in the world.
MAC Eye Kohl in Teddy: A shimmery brown, easy to blend eye liner. My favorite eye pencil in the world.
LUSH Eau Roma Water Toner: Okay. This product is only for me. I ran out of Celestial lotion and needed a sample to tide me over for a bit. I didn't want to seem cheap, so I bought this. It smells pretty freakin' spectacular. (fresh rose petals and lavender)

Alright, I'm going to bed. I think.

xoxo

Holly Gowers