Harvest LOTD

Here's my toasty look for fall-

Step 1: Use a warm brown base. I used Loreal HIP Creamshadow Paint in 817 Heavy. Apply from upper lashline to just above crease, using ring finger.

Step 2: Apply a warm orange shade all over lid. I used the shade numbered "1" in this photo of the Coastal Scents Metal Mania Palette.

Step 3: Apply a medium toasted brown, such as the shade labeled "2" above all over where the orange was applied.

Step 4: Apply a deeper toasted brown to the entire crease, such as shade "3".

Step 5: Apply a lighter golden orange such as shade "4" to the inner corners.

Step 6: Apply a matte cream like shade "5" to the highlight and blend. Do not apply this to the inner corners.

Optional step: Use a dark brown such as NYX Dark Brown or black such as Urban Decay Perversion to outer crease and outer corner to darken it to your preference. I did this lightly.

Step 7: Apply concealer,  eyeliner and mascara- I used L'oreal Voluminous Carbon Black

The finished look:

Pre-eyeliner and mascara: 

                                                    

Completely Finished:

Love, 

Melissa the Dilettante

PLEASE VOTE!

"Fantasy" series won the last poll- now please vote on which you would like first!

Love ya,
Melissa the Dilettante

Nail Trend: Steely-Blue Nails

According to an article called "Will You Wear...: Steely-Blue Nails" in the December 2010 issue of Vogue magazine, many at Vogue have moved on from the "concrete/mushroom polish trend". Their newest love is blue. "Not navy-black (been there), not surf-punk neon (done that), but something veering between molten silver-gray and shimmering graphite." The article states that this is very inspired by all the metallics in NYC.

Personally, I am very excited about this. I have loved gunmetal and those "slate-blue" shades for at least two years if not more. In fact, it's always been one of my favorite shades for its depth and "simple complexity" (if that makes sense to anyone but me haha). My favorite converses are this color, and so is my favorite nail polish (what this post is mainly about) which I bought two years ago and is still going strong, Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear in 42 Gunmetal. Here's a look:

What do you think? Are you getting tired of the beige (etc.) nail trend? Will you try the gray-blue spectrum for fall?

Love, 

Melissa the Dilettante

Beauty Questions: Orange Makeup?

I'm all for interpreting makeup differently, yet this photo from Givenchy's Spring 2011 Line scares me a little. Surprisingly, I would have assumed that orange eyeshadow would only look good on brown eyes, but it emphasizes this model's green eyes. Still, I can't imagine this being wearable especially not the lip and eye combo. However, a toned down version would certainly be a good way to play around with this look. What I do love in this photo is the dark powder liner applied only to the model's lower lashline. I would not have tried this, and I really think it looks great. The orange lips are a pass for me, because as most in the beauty world know, orange undertone make teeth look yellow and blue undertones make teeth look whiter. I wouldn't want my teeth to look yellow.

Will you be trying this trend this spring?

Urban Decay Book of Shadows III

Drumroll please.......I bought it! It was a purposeful accidental planned coincidence ;). I planned an after-school Ulta trip with some friends, and (honestly coincidental) it happened to be a Urban Decay event, where if you spent $40 on Urban Decay, you received a special gift! I signed up for a makeover using the palette and here is the result:

I didn't like the products she used on my face- I look too dewy. Gross. Oily-ish. Yuck.

Overall, I was really pleased. I especially liked the glitter on the inner bottom lash line. Cute! 

So I ended up buying the palette (which I was planning on buying the next day) that day so I could get the free gift. Here is the palette:

It's so beautiful. My free gift came in this pouch:

And consisted of a full size eyeshadow in Kiddie Pool and a lipgloss in Red Alert (?).

Are you planning on purchasing this palette? From seeing of owning any of the book of shadows, which has been your favorite? And finally, would you recommend the Naked Palette to someone who rarely wears neutral eyes?

All Made Up's Christmas Giveaway

OOOoooohhh! I am so excited for this giveaway. The prize list is incredible, and (shh!) I was almost so in love that I didn't post this, so my competition would be less.

http://mytopbeautybuys.blogspot.com/2010/11/christmas-giveaway.html