FOTD: Picadilly Purple & Dolly Pink

I haven't done one in so so long! I have been so busy and half the time I do 1 shadow, liner & mascara- good to go! The other 1/2 of the time I do get ready, & do a nice eye look, I dont have any time to take pictures!  I dont know about you guys but it takes me like 15-20 minutes to get good ones lol

Like always, I have been loving purples on my eyes. I really feel my best when I wear purple and yes I do have brown eyes (obviously). I think they really compliment well. So Alex (bfff) bought me this sweet little palette. for 3 bucks. A great Christmas present! I think im going to showcase it in my Christmas buying guide because I have some swatches and some pictures I already took.

I thought it would be fun to also include what brushes I used for each step- ever since I ordered new brushes from Sigma and Elf, I took my talent up a notch! My Aunt Lori always says "it's not the makeup you have, but the brushes you use" in her philosophical tone....well she doesn't have a philosophical tone,  I just thought it sounded right.

Face:

Maybelline 24/7 Concealer- Actually just put this around my eyes as they can become red- I apply this with my finger with a patting motion as opposed to rubbing it on.

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup- I apply this to the back of my hand and then dab my blush + bronzer brush from mark. in the product. This brush is basically a flat top kabuki. Then with a stippling motion, go to town. I always like to start on my neck line and then go up my face. I personally like to use sponges better then any brush. I find it applies much more evenly and smoother. Maybe I just haven't found the right brush. 


Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer- I actually have been putting this on before and after I apply my foundation/concealer. I heard it will help mattify your face. I personally do think that it may but I think it is a combination of this and my ELF HD powder.

ELF HD Powder- Like I just mentioned, it will help mattify your face and does so, I really love this stuff. I find that the puff it comes with works best to apply it.

ELF Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder- I like to dip my Large Angled Contour Sigma brush (F40) in both side's twice, shake off the excess and contour my cheeks bones, taking it around my fore head and also behind my ears, swiping it towards the center of my neck. If you are new to Contouring, I highly recommend watching all of the videos you can find on it. Take what you want and leave the rest- that's how I learned.

Light Pink Blush- This is a generic blush that I got last year in a Markwin's Christmas Gift and I love it so much. It reminds me a lot of Dandelion by Benefit (which I dont have, but want so badly!) a perfect pale pink for a lighter skin tone like mine. I Apply this on my apples and then sweep up towards my hairline, Following right next to where I contoured. I use ELF's stippling brush (picture) which works well.

Eyes:

YBF Automatic Brow Pencil in Universal Taupe- I got this in my Birchbox and I have been loving it ever since

Smashbox Photo Finish Lid Primer- I apply this with my finger's on to my lid.

Nyx Jumbo Pencil in Milk- I went underneath my brow and near/around my tear ducts. Then with my ring finger, I blended it out- perfect.

Physician's Formula For Blue Eyes Shadow- With my Sigma Eye Shading E55 Brush (a dense flat shader brush) I grab the lightest color you see highlighted in the picture below and apply that exactly where I put the Milk Jumbo Pencil. I do not tap off excess- I first go in near my tear duct and then what ever is left on my brush, take it to my brow bone. 

Hot Looks Glamif Eyeshadow- This is the palette that is only $3 at Dollar General. With the other clean side of my E55, I pick up the color you see highlighted below from the palette. I simply pat this right next to where the silver color is on my lid. I took this color all the way to the end of my lid. I like to blend the 2 colors together, switching sides of the brush and pulling colors opposite direction of each other until blended.

Mark. Piccadilly Eyeshadow (matte Purple)- If I could go back and do it differently, I would have made this my last color that I apply in the outer v with my Small Tapered Blending E45 by Sigma (which is a tear drop shape). But with this FOTD, I applied this in and above my crease with my Sigma Tapered Blending Brush (E35) in a windshield wiper motion, pulling up towards the edge of my eye brow to create come contour on my eye. 

  

Physician's Formula For Blue Eyes Shadow- The darker color you see highlighted (in the above picture of the palette), I did the exact same thing with that as I did with Piccadilly

At the very end, I wiped off my E35 really well and picked a generic color that matches my skin tone to blend the previous 2 colors. I just went back and fourth on the harsh line right below my brow bone. 

Wet n Wild Cream liner in Black- I tightlined my eyes with a slanted eyeshadow brush which I find works really well - I got it from Icing, it's awesome! Then I squished the liner in between the top lashes to make sure I dont have any gaps of my skin color showing.

Revlon Colorstay Liner in Black- I put this in my water line and also adding another layer on the top too. I didnt concentrate that much on the top water line, I just closed my eyes and ran the pencil across it.

Lastly I took my ELF Waterproof Eyeliner Pen to line my lids. I just bought this a couples weeks ago and as you can tell, it is very splotchy and separates which makes it hard to draw a straight line. I worked a little better when I first got it, but since then it has dried out. I don't recommend this thing to anyone......

Lips

Nyx Lip Liner in Dolly Pink - Lined those fuckers

Nyx Matte Lip Cream in Tokyo- Put on my lips.....easy enough! Waited for it to dry.....

Revlon Lipstick in Prim Rose -over top of it all

that completes my how-to look! I hope you guys liked this format for my FOTD and took at least one thing away from it - what have you guys been wearing on your face today? We would love to know! 

Till next time,

xoxo Erica J

Erica's October Favorites

Sigma small tapered blending brush E45: Out of the 4 brushes I bought last month, this one is my favorite and the most unique brush I have thus far. I love that it is tapered because it fits perfectly into my crease. You can place the color where you want it precisely, because of the finer tip. You can also blend it out because it is tapered. Press a little harder and more bristles will hit your eyelid, making this brush an easy blender as well, making it a 2 in 1. I dont use this strictly for blending, I would rather use my Sigma blending brush. If you so wanna apply precisely and then blend it a bit, this is your brush! Review will be coming for this brush! Too much to say in a favorite's post!

 Here it is in comparision to Elf's Duo Fiber brush

Physician's Formula Shimmer Strips "For Blue Eyes"- Even though I do not have blue eyes, and i would have preferred the "for brown eyes" one because I love purples, this palette works for me.  Just because it says "for {your non-eye color here} eyes" dosen't mean you can't wear it! Im on to your marketing ploy, Physician's Formula! I know you guys know that, so I dont even hafta explain! I only wish there were a couple of matte shadows in there, but I have a few matte shadows, so im good to go. The palette is still awesome, even w/out the matte colors. I swear every time I use the silver one, it looks like a did the foiling technique..I didnt even have to try that hard! With a primer, they do not crease and I can make it thru an 8 hour shift with shadow mostly in tact by the end of it (as long as my eyes dont water!! any suggestions?) great pigment, great formula (haha), great shadows.

I love using these 4 color together: from left to right: 1) outer v. 2) crease. 3) lid & inner corner. 4) blending color for outer v

I also love using these 3 together: 1) crease 2) blending crease 3) lid, outer corner

Nyx Round Lipstick Narcissus I have raved about this here, complete with swatches and details- I am in love with the color (and scent/taste) making it my absolute favorite lipstick to date...However, because the lipstick is so soft, it rubs up against the container making it really messy and not very "on-the-go" worthy- Nyx needs to work on that! Otherwise it is the greatest lipstick there is! It makes me sad that I cant throw it in my apron and use it at work- boo!

Radiance Enhancer in Spotlight - again: Review, Swatch, & Comparisons here 
In a nut shell, I like to use this as a highlighter on my face. I love that it is subtle enough to be a highlight (once buffed in) but also very pigmented. The end result leaves a perfect shine to highlight. I also do use powder's to highlight but since I have been experimenting with cream ones I have noticed such a difference. The powder gives off a different sort of highlight- something much less subtle-and not quite as reflective-  than cream.  I apply this with the brush on the end of it, and then buff in with my fingers.

Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder in Blushed/Bronzed by ELF- A light hand is required, as this packs pigment. I like to dip my angled contour brush (from Sigma- they are clearly my favorite!) in to each side twice, tap off the excess twice (it's my ritual, and it works lol) and then go in above where I should contour and below where I should apply blush. I love using it that way- it's shines a whole new light on contouring for me! I have fairer skin- I think this is a good color, and even people who are a couple tones lighter and also darker than me can pull this off. Review along with swatches, comparisons, & the like coming soon on this baby! only $3! Love using this with the highlighter I just talked about!

there's my fav's for October (my b-day month!) dont forget about my give-away people! I think I am going to extend it into December so you still have plenty of time!