KISS

In high school, my freshman science teacher was also the varsity football coach.  When it came to written reports, he had one rule: KISS, or Keep It Simple, Stupid.  He meant it in good fun, and now as an adult I can also see that he didn't want to spend all of his free time grading papers. Makeup should, at least in my opinion, follow the same route.  I always aim to get the most bang for my buck, which is an ever-evolving process as I continually learn not only about makeup in general, but also my personal preferences.  Right now, that means a streamlined routine that brings out my eyes, that I can apply in 10-15 minutes, and that lasts all day with minimal to no touching up.

This is the finished product, and to see how I achieved it click HERE:

Brunch Makeup

A couple of weeks ago I tried out my new cream contouring palette from Anastasia Beverly Hills.  I usually don’t like palettes because I end up using only one or two select items, but guess what.  Together, the cream and powder palettes from this line give you an entire face: foundation, blush, setting powder, highlight, contour, eye shadow, lips, concealer, corrector, and brows.

Items left-to-right, then top-to-bottom:

1. Anastasia Beverly Hills Cream Contour Kit in Medium:

2. ABH Powder Contour Kit in Light:

3. Maybelline Falsies Mascara
4. NARS Lipgloss in Greek Holiday
5. NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Floralies
6. Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint (this is my sunscreen, so you can skip if you get your SPF elsewhere)
7. MAC Eye Kohl in Costa Riche and Smolder
8. NARS eye shadow in Galapagos

Not pictured: Urban Decay All-Nighter Setting Spray

Here’s the finished product:

Here are the steps:

1. Apply tinted moisturizer all over face
2. Blend the peach cream into apple of cheeks (I used my fingers for the creams)
3. Blend a light shade of the cream under your eyes, around nose, center of forehead, and eyelids; use a corresponding powder to set
4. Blend a dark shade of the cream in hollows of cheeks, down sides of nose, around jawline, and around hair line; use a corresponding powder to set
5. Use an appropriate powder to fill in brows
6. Apply a dark powder in the eye crease and a lighter powder just under the eyebrow and inner corners
7. Apply the brown eye shadow to the outer eye corners in a sideways V and blend towards inner corners; apply same shadow under bottom lash line
8. Apply brown liner to top lash line and smudge (or use one of the creams…this is optional, especially if you have a smaller lid area), then apply black liner to roots of lashes and add mascara
9. Line lips with the pencil and push the peach cream into lips; top with a little gloss
10. Set with setting spray (if you’re oily, blot with one ply of a tissue first)

{This post, like all the rest, is not sponsored – I’ll let you know if that ever happens.}

Going Bare

Sometimes the most glamorous look is easy, clean makeup that you make a little special. I recently purchased the NARSissist Dual-Intensity Eyeshadow Palette and have been playing with it nonstop thanks to the creamy, super-blendable shades that may be applied wet or dry.  For this particular look, I used Himalia all over the lid and Andromeda to brighten.

That's why I love makeup.  A few simple tricks can instantly elevate a look (or your mood), and you don't have to spend an hour to get "on fleek" or whatever it is the young folks are saying these days...

Here's the final look:

And how I did it:

1. Tinted moisturizer

2. Concealer under eyes and around nose, cream blush, bronzer

3. Sweep a nude shade (I used Urban Decay Foxy) all over the lid and a slightly darker shade (UD Buck) in the crease

4. Spritz a shadow brush with water or setting spray, then apply a metallic nude (Himalia) to the lid

5. BLEND all the shadows with a clean brush

6. With a dry shadow brush, tap a shade that is much lighter than your skin (Andromeda) just on the center of the lid

7. Press a color that brings out your eyes (MAC Embark) into the bottom lash line, and blend with a slightly lighter color in the same family (MAC Antiqued)

8. Fill-in brows, then add black liner on top lash line followed by a lash curl and mascara

9. Apply neutral lips (Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in Milkshake with Burt's Bees Lip Crayon in Samoa Sand)

10. Mist face with setting spray

Valentine's Eyes and Cheeks

There are so many great examples of Valentine's makeup, but since many of my favorites seem to focus on pink or red lips, I created a couple of looks that highlight the eyes and cheeks. Whether you're going out for a romantic date or, like me, having a movie marathon with family, pizza, champagne, and cupcakes, both looks are quite wearable (aka no fake lashes) and require little makeup elsewhere.

The first look is inspired by Cara D. (tan and perfect bone structure optional, clearly):

1: Primer, tinted moisturizer, concealer where necessary

2: Set face and eyelids with powder

3: Apply a dark shade of shadow underneath lower lash line and in crease (MAC Embark)

4: Tap a slightly lighter shadow in the same color family onto lid (MAC Folie); using a windshield-wiper motion, blend both shadows together with a clean brush, then line eyes

5: Mascara, fill in/set brows, and add a little bronzer to cheek hollows and perimeter of face

6: Add a little concealer to lips, then lightly line with a neutral pencil so they don't disappear

This second look is freakishly easy, but it made my husband do a double-take since I rarely wear blush (visit this post for ideas on what colors look best and where exactly to put said blush):

1: Primer and foundation/tinted moisturizer/whatever you use; set face and lids with powder

2: Add a bit of bronzer or light brown shadow to eye crease; line eyes

3. Brows, mascara, and a neutral lip (or concealer trick mentioned above)

4: Tap on tons of bright blush that works with your skin tone.  NYX Cosmetics offers several wonderful options at great prices!

Happy Valentine's Day to you!

Happy Twenty Fifteen

Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season filled with spending time with loved ones and eating lots of good food.

At Electra Lane, we’re busy finding ways to make you feel as beautiful as you are by helping you master your beauty resolutions.  My personal goals include a renewed focus on skincare as well as streamlining my makeup routine, so here are a few things I picked up over the holidays to help me achieve those goals.

Just before Thanksgiving, I purchased Urban Decay’s Naked on the Run palette.

Thinking it would be a great travel palette, I found I wanted more variety and it ended up being too bulky with my other items.  Where this palette fits best into my routine is for touch-ups: it’s perfect for adding some color to your features throughout the day when all you have time for in the morning is tinted moisturizer, concealer, and mascara.

It’s probably psychological but RIGHT after turning 30, I noticed some things drooping changing on my face, specifically around my eyes.  I switched from my Kate Somerville exfoliator to a gentler version and added a retinol-infusing eye mask to my weekly at-home facial.

For a little, no pun intended, fun, I purchased these adorable, limited-edition Charlotte Tilbury mini lipsticks.  As a huge fan of trying something before committing to it, this was a great introduction into the K.I.S.S.I.N.G. lipsticks.  And they fit into the tiniest clutch.