i’m going to try something a little bit different on here… makeup tutorials, so to speak. some of you may already know i used to post tutorials years ago and i stopped doing that for a while, but i think every once in a while it’ll be fun to include a few. with a certain day quickly approaching (a romantic day, so to speak… or even a treat yoself kind of day), hopefully i can help out in the beauty department. shay mitchell always rocks beautiful makeup thanks to her makeup artist, patrick ta, who creates looks i am obsessed with.

i love this look here, especially the warm, soft eye makeup, glowing skin, and sultry lip. it’s a look that works. if you want to give this look a try, there are a few key things you need to gather:

– burgundy red lipstick (try mac diva or nyx burgundy), highlighter (try nars copacabana or nyx liquid illuminator), neutral eyeshadow colors (try urban decay naked palette or l’oreal the nudes), voluminizing mascara (try urban decay perversion or l’oreal voluminous mascara)

there are two different types of people: those who apply face makeup before eye makeup and those who do the reverse. i am the former. to get this started complete your normal face routine and add a little bit of bronzer on the hollows of your cheekbones to add some warmth to your face. one of the key parts of this look is the glow or “strobe” effect. by applying highlighter to the tops of cheekbones, the bridge of the nose, and your cupid’s bow. this is the very basic way to highlight, but if you feel like going crazy just look up some tutorials.

now, for the eyes begin by applying a light tone in the inner corner to open up your eye (urban decay virgin) and buff into the inner 1/3 of your eye. blend a warm brown throughout the rest of your eye, which includes the crease and remaining parts of the lid) and along the lower lashline (combine urban decay buck and naked). to achieve that shimmer effect that shay has on the inner half of her eye and lower lashline, take a bronze or gold tone shadow and lightly pat it onto these areas (urban decay sidecar or half baked). finish off by lining your upper lashline very closely to the roots of your lashes; this will allow for your lashes to look thicker without ruining this ~soft makeup~ by looking like you’re wearing a ton of eyeliner. finish off with a few coats of mascara and you are good to go.

now for the lips… make sure your lips are prepped beforehand, meaning they should be moisturized and dry skin should be removed by gently exfoliating with a spare toothbrush. apply one layer of lip color, blot with a tissue, and finish off with a second coat. check your teeth (since getting lipstick on them is not the greatest look) and you’re ready to head out the door.

stay tuned for more beauty posts!