Miss Tified Beauty Blog: Make-up, Beauty, Looking Good

I'm So Over This Part II: L'Oreal HiP

Okay. Maybe it's because I'm not daring with my eye shadow, or maybe because I don't want to look like a clown, but I just can't figure out the deal with L'Oreal's High Intensity Pigment, particularly pure pigment shadow sticks.

Sure I can make this stuff look good. On my hand. That's when I can apply a lot of pressure and use it like a crayon. But on my eyes? Not so much. The contact with my skin and oils has made the stuff almost useless. On their website, they say "for best results, sharpen before each use with L'Oreal Paris dual sharpener." I assume that's part of my problem. But seriously, for drugstore makeup, shouldn't it be a bit easier?

I haven't had much luck with Shocking Shadow Pigments in the HiP line, either.

Anyone have advice about this stuff? Yay or nay?

Sephora Blockbuster Palette: Back in January

As an update to my Sephora Blockbuster Palette post from December 24th, I called Sephora and a salesperson said that they will definitely be restocking the Blockbuster Palette some time in January. The date I've seen online is January 7th.

Looking for some palettes to tide you over until the Sephora Blockbuster Palette is back in stock? How about some suggestions:

Dior Logo Palette for Eyes: "A hot-off-the-runway color collection of six eyeshadows in a portable Dior signature case, complete with a double-ended applicator is the ultimate accessory!Palette includes powder shadows in black shimmer, light pink, matte white, baby blue, peach, and deep aubergine."

Sugar Cosmetics Best Friend Makeup Palette:  "A mirrored, trifold palette containing 16 eyeshadows, 12 lip glosses, a blush, a bronzer, and a face highlighter, plus all the tools you need to get gorgeous."

Sephora Piiink My Preciiious Palette: If you can get passed the name reminding you of Gollum from The Lord of the Rings, then this kit is for you. "This pretty pink palette has it all (literally).Two slide-apart trays filled with 12 shadows and two blushers open to reveal two more trays loaded with lip gloss, and as if that wasn't enough - the fully-loaded lower compartment holds all the essential accessories and highlighters you'll ever need."

How to Apply Eye Shadow

Lips, cheeks and face are a relative breeze to apply in comparison to eye shadow. That's my biggest application problem area for sure. I was never given instructions on how to get it right and though I've read how to do it in magazines, the lack of three dimensions prevents me from really knowing my base shadow from my highlights.

Fundamentally, I know this is what you're supposed to do:

1. Apply some sort of base (foundation) to prime the eyes
2. Sweep a light color from below brow to lash
3. Apply medium tone with smaller brush to lower lids
4. Contour crease with dark color
5. Blend

Recently (at Sephora) I was taught to use dark eyeshadow as an eye liner instead of liquid eyeliner or a pen. If there is a tip to the eye shadow business, I think that's it. Using shadow to line the eyes makes for a must more subtle eye and it's much easier.

If you were to explain to someone how to get the perfect eye, what would you say?

Sephora Blockbuster Palette

If anything would make applying makeup easier, I would imagine it would be the Sephora Blockbuster Palette.

Sephora's description: "A triple-tiered palette for eyes, face, and lips, plus all the tools you need to put together endless looks. Who says you can't have it all? This sleek, mirrored, palette is loaded with 64 eyeshadows, 32 lip colors, seven cheek colors, one translucent shimmer powder, four double-ended shadow applicators, two blush brushes, and two lip brushes."

I read about it at my hair stylist's studio during November (when they were doing a heavy push of the thing and it was in every beauty magazine I read) and I bought it the next time I visited Sephora.