Category: Make up

How I wear bold bright eye shadow colours without looking too 80’s

~ Emmie Reve ~ 1 Comment

I don’t know too much about the 80’s.  Obviously because I wasn’t really around for them, but from photos, movies and shows, I know this much is true.  They liked their electric coloured eye shadows, and acid wash denim.  Also, they liked big permed hair do’s, no, am I right?  Anyways, not that that was a bad look during that era, but trying to pull that off these days is hard because you look like you’re in a time warp.  I noticed today’s make-ups are more neutral in colour.  Lot’s of tans, bronzes and browns. And if there are colours, they are also rather neutral. More like mauves of purple, pink and peach.  Light pastel blues.  But nothing too out there.  Or if they are more visible, it is the smoky grey look.

I recently got tired of this pretty, quiet eye make-up trend and wanted to make some noise, make my eyes pop and wake up a bit so I found this eye shadow set online and immediately wanted it.  It had all the bright fushias, tarty-purples, and electric blues that most eye shadow palettes shy from.  Ironically it was called the “60’s” era collection of colours, but they looked more 80’s to me.  The only bad thing with wearing bolder colours was that if I was not careful, my eyes would look too loud and not classy.  In a retro-prom-queen gone wrong kind of way.  I had to wipe off some of it the eye colours the first few times I wore it to tone it down.  Garish looking is not too desirable in an eye make-up even if I did want to shake things up a bit.  So a better way is this:  Break up the colour on the lid by using a few colours.  I put the neon colour just in the corner, and wear a more neutral shade on the middle and inner lid.  After laying two colours on your lids, erase the lines with a blending brush, smudging all over to to create a gradient.

Three colours is all it takes to do an interesting rainbow effect on your eyes!!
Three bright colours is all it takes to do an interesting rainbow effect on your eyes!!
Use a really soft blending brush! This is a must. When wearing bright colours, nothing looks good if you don't create a gradient by blending colours during a transition.
Use a soft blending brush! When wearing bright colours side by side, harsh transition lines break the illusion. Smudge the lines all over with a brush.
I am trying to show you guys the finished result in this photo. Can you see the three electric colours I used, and it doesn't look garish...yay!
I am trying to show you guys the finished result in this photo.  I used a bubblegum pink in the inner center lid, a bold fushia in the outer lid and lined the bottom lid with an electric ultramarine blue.  Not too garish, but still fun.

Finish the look with liquid liner and line eyes subtly.  If wearing bright eyeshadow colours, it is loud enough without big graphic eyeliner on top of it. The bottom lid gets attention too, with a dash of electric blue, just in the corners…and voila, I can wear bright colours and look expressive, not dated.  Add mascara and false lashes for extra drama! (optional)

Nail design: nude nails and a splash of colour

~ Emmie Reve ~ Leave a comment

I saw this trend a while ago online in various fashion articles.  But only recently I tried to get it with a few trial and errors!  It is this way of painting each nail with colour polish only partially, so that the nude bare nail still shows up and is part of the look.  I think of it as a variation of french tips, where instead of just painting the tips of the nails, you work with other parts of the nail to create negative space and interest.  I think partially colouring your nails is super fresh looking, because it shows part of the bare nails, and hints at idea of being naked, natural.  It gives the nail a more graphic, designed look as well!

Hello bare clean nails! If you have healthy well-shaped nails, you really can skip polish and rock those! But adding colour never hurts!
Hello bare clean nails! If you have healthy well-shaped nails, you really can skip polish sometimes.  But I always feel I need a bit of polish, which is why the partial colour is great.  You get a bit of both worlds.

Steps to doing a Colour on Nude Nail Manicure

  1. Start with clean, well shaped nails.  This is an obvious must when trying to achieve this half painted look because your nude nails are actually the star of the show!  (I wash and moisturize my nail shaft for a day or two resting them without polish, to let it breathe and grow more healthy)
  2. Just before painting them, wipe your nails with a tissue moistened with water, to remove excess oils that can cause the chipping of polishes.
  3. Let your nails dry from the wiping.
  4. First paint your nails with a transparent base coat all over the nail shaft.  The base coat helps so much because naked nails don’t receive colour evenly, so it is like a foundation.  Base coats also smooth out ridges in the nail, just make sure it is transparent so the nude nail shows.
  5. Carefully paint the design in with the colour of choice.  I like to do the moons of the nail, which is the bottom half closest to the cuticle.  I do an arched shape.  I find middle-toned polishes to work the best with this look: ie. not too dark or not too pastel.
  6. Let the first colour coat dry, then do a second coat of colour, being careful to mirror the shape from before. (This step is optional: intricate designs are not easy to apply a second coat to)
  7. Put on a clear top coat All over the nail shaft to seal it in. I love to use a clear matte polish as a topper just because it looks super natural on an uncoloured nail.
So this is the finished product. A nude nail accented by a burst of colour! There are endless variations of the nude nail with colour! An single coloured stripe would also look cool!
So this is the finished product. A nude nail accented by a burst of colour! There are endless variations of the nude nail with colour! An single coloured stripe would also look cool!

Graphically designed and painted nails that show off the natural gorgeousness of the naked nail!  Try it yourself and let me know how you like it.  I’ve seen different variations, you can do a vertical strip, do a star shape or even dot nude nails with a few jewels.   The possibilities are practically endless.  Main point to do is remember to use a base coat and top coat for best results. 🙂

Summer skin care: sun protection is key!

~ Emmie Reve ~ Leave a comment

I recently discovered summer skincare is very different from the rest of the seasons.  I think because in Canada, we really only have two months of summer.  UV rays from the sun are present and dangerous all days of the year, but there is something about summer that just scorches and you can actually feel its damage. In all the other seasons we can be indoors a lot, but not in summer.  I like getting outside, but I never really was a fan of the tanned look, and well, I am kind of afraid of the premature aging that is said to happen to from frequent tanning and sun exposure.  And even with vanity aside, developments of skin cancer are unfortunately proven to be higher for people who love the sun too much. 😦

This was an outdoorsy summer. I was on a trip to beaches near Lake Erie, and it was not a good time to forget the hat. I got baked on that trip.
This was an outdoorsy summer for me. I was on trips camping, trips to lakes and beaches.  So it was not a good time to forget the hat. I got tan lines all over my collar and the summer is only half done!

Staying away from the sun is easier said than done.  This summer is an active one for me.  I walk a lot everyday with my kid for errands and exercise, I also just came back from a weekend at the beach, and the previous weekend I had gone camping.  I see all these tan lines on my collar, and although I know that my natural sun block is protecting me to some degree, I am also getting a lot of sun exposure and sometimes I was forgetting to put it sunscreen on!  Yikes! (At least I have no shortage of vitamin D recently) But still, I have to be careful for the rest of this summer, because though I have been skipping heavy make-up, I can’t skip sun protection.

My 6 Summer Skin Savers:

1) My cocoa butter & zinc oxide sunscreen, SPF unknown, since I make it myself.  It goes on a bit streaky, but knowing it’s all natural makes me and my skin happy on blazing summer days.  It is a bit greasy, so it must be worn on its own, not under make-up.  And I spread it everywhere that is getting exposure.

2) Rose water skin toner.  Also all natural, since my toner is literally just rose water straight from any supermarket. I put the bottle in the fridge and dab it on with a cotton ball whenever I need refreshing on my face.  Toners are generally used after face cleansing. But you can use rosewater anytime your face needs a splash of actual moisture and it smells so wonderful.

3) BB Cream!  I know there is a bit of a debate over which is better: BB cream or foundation.  But for SPF protection, BB’s are unparalleled.  Most of them are 25 SPF and up, and that’s only one of the many things BB creams multitask at.  They also provide coverage and blurring effects for the summer days that you still need to look a bit more polished.  Soften bb cream’s heavier coverage by skipping powder and you get a natural dewy, slightly shiny look that is supposed to be “in” at the moment, while still getting the sun protection that you need. Also powder make-up can turn cake-y in hot weather–not the best looking.

4) A big straw summer hat. Worn not for fashion, but for a constant shade for your face. Not necessary the most cooling item to wear on top  your head during a hot day, but a MUST to keep your face and collar in the shade, away from intense sun.  I went strawberry picking during the weekend and without it, I would have been seared by the midday rays!

5) Best stay indoors during the hours of 11am-4pm.  Unless you have to, why do your outdoors activities under the hot midday sun?  The intense heat of the summer sun at that time also puts you at risk of a heat stroke.

6) Drink lots of water.  Skin does hydrate from the inside out too, so the hotter the weather, the more water you should be drinking.  I don’t like sodas or sugary drinks that much, so ice water is my go to for hydration!

Shying away from the sun is good. I got in my hand my current bb cream from Holika Holika at SPF 30 and my sun hat from Ardene's for only $12, so there is no excuse not to shade yourself!
Shying away from the sun is good! I got my current bb cream from Holika Holika at an spf of 30, it has a natural coverage.  And my sun hat from Ardene’s was only $12! so there is no excuse not to protect yourself!

There is totally nothing wrong with sunning or tanned skin.  I don’t necessarily think pale skin looks better.  Mostly, I like to think about what is best for the health of my skin in the long run, which would appear to be less sun.  What are your favourite summer skin savers?