The end may not be near but the end of 2012 is! Why not go out with a dramatic she-BANG.

model: Sage Dakota
makeup by me

I started with basing Sage's lid with Tom Ford's Noir Absolute (below)- the texture really grips the shadow. The edges are not the easiest to blend out after the shadow is on so make sure you smudge the edges before you apply shadow especially if you want a soft edge.

Don't forget to tighten up the lash line with a fine brush - details Ladies - we don't want floating lashes!

Tom Ford Beauty Noir Absolute For Eyes  $35.00 USD at Neiman Marcus BTW - you could wear this on it's own on your lid dragging it out like a smudged cat's eye which will give you a grungy Rockstar look or simply use it as a liner.

Tom Ford Beauty Eye Color Quad, Crushed Amethyst  $75.00 USD at Neiman Marcus

1. I applied the highlighter (top left from the quad) to the inner corner of the eye
2. The matte colour (bottom right) I applied into the crease and blended up to the brow bone
3. The brighter amethyst (bottom left) I applied onto the lower lash line and swept across the lid

Eye Brows in Brunette  $15.00 USD at M·A·C was used for a slight fill in.

L'Oreal Double Extend Lash Extension Effect Mascara $9.99 USD at Ulta - Sage has killer lashes so I didn't use the primer on her.

Because everybody and their daughter wants to contour these days... Sage's base was a combination of FACEatelier Ultra Foundation in 0+, 2 and 4.

Powder Blush / Pro Palette Refill Pan  $17.00 USD at M·A·C

I used MAC Cosmetics Azalea blush (pictured) and then blended the crap out of it - then blended some more... and then some more... the colour is really strong for pale skin but I love it!

Lip Lacquer  $24.00 USD by NARS Cosmetics in Chelsea Girls to finish off the look. I am LOVING this lip pot and just may have to snag some other colours. The texture goes on smooth but not sheer.

If the blush is a little too 80s for you, choose a softer colour or skip blush altogether.

This was the back of Sage's hair - I'll tell you how to do this chic deconstructed updo soon!

[Sage will be off to college soon and #stuffZoiesays is a little too young for these beauty blog posts of mine...I'll have to stockpile a bunch of posts with Sage or recruit more volunteers!]

I've said it before: I love a makeover; especially when I am in control. *wink*

Therese has a fabulous blog, articulate and interesting. We first met when I had a Twitter giveaway for MINX nails.

Therese popped by my petite studio for another go in the beauty hot-seat.

Luscious locks right? A hairstylist's dream to be given carte blanche. Thanks Therese!

With all the mirrors covered Therese could only guess how silly she looked at this point.

After cutting the perimeter and point-cutting her layers with my scissors I wanted to add a little texture with my razor.

NOTE: Don't shy away from a hairstylist's razor as the effect can be quite cool. I love it for added texture and volume for free-style hairstyles. You just need to make sure your stylist's razor is sharp otherwise your hair will split. I put in a new blade minutes before cutting Therese's hair. Need a middle-woman for your hairstylist? Take my tips with you.

The big reveal...

Ta da!!!

The colour breakdown: I put 2 shades of foils in her hair, cinnamon and dark mahogany; leaving the top of her hair and hairline her natural colour. Why? Her natural shade is beautiful. Asian hair has a tendency to absorb light without dimension so my goal was to create dimension and a low maintenance but fun style for her. Find more Asian hair colouring tips here.

Prepping for makeup. One of my favourite things that I have found in Singapore is this dohickey velcro hair thingy. It works great for keeping a fringe (bangs) swept out of the way without a clip mark left in the hair when you remove it. Beauty Geek loves these too!

Another fave of mine: Shadow Shields, they catch the eyeshadow fallout. I do have some for sale if you live in Singapore and want some. DM me for details.

The finished makeup.

What I used:

FACEatelier Ultra Foundation #5

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Nectar

Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in RSVP [I constantly give them love and no one from Benefit has ever tried to reach out to me so I mention them out of pure love for the product with zero industry perks. Translation: it's THAT good.]

A light brown Ben Nye eyeshadow in the crease or you can get Wedge by MAC Cosmetics, same thing.

Bobbi Brown Gel liner in Bronze

Mascara on top of Therese's beautifully permed lashes! OMG - totally seeking eyelash perming now... I WANT!

Lips were glossed with a bronzey-lipgloss I got in one of my BellaBox boxes. Beauty subscriptions are such a fab idea!

The new Therese!!

I blew out Therese's hair with a medium size round brush using Marc Anthony's [no, not the singer] Anti-Aging leave-in treatment and the Strictly Curls spray for loose bounce and waves.

We had soooo much fun. Click to see Therese's blog about her makeover experience.

Who's next??

A little while back Luxola invited me [ok, I invited myself...] to tagalong on their beauty deliveries to deliver makeup tips to their customers.

So many times I hear women desire a smoky eye but they feel lost on how-to, where to start, etc...

Breakin' it down

Step 1: Base your lid with a dark cream shadow. Choosing one with a metallic texture adds dimension to a smoky eye. I love Benefit's Creaseless Cream Shadow in Busy Signal

 Step 2: Apply a darker shadow in the crease and upper and lower lash lines. Try the SLEEK iDivine palette as seen in the ambush video - it has many choices and is cheap and cheerful!

Tip: Apply crease with your eyes open for a better visual for placement.

 Step 3: Apply black eyeliner heavily onto the inner rim of your eyes. The more you apply the better. If you are heavy handed the liner will slightly smudge – this is the goal. The must-have is MAC Powerpoint Engraved

 Step 4: Apply fake lashes using tweezers for precision and placement. Try Ardell Cluster Flares versus a full strip of lashes for an easier blended look.

Note: Don't give up! You can do it! Don't constantly add makeup, just blend what you start with and add only more if you need it. Dark colours do go a long way.

Always check your makeup as I like to say: conversational space away from a mirror - this gives you a truer view of how your makeup looks.

If you are a little messy - get Shadow Shields - a makeup maven's must-have! I show them in action above.

 [Bonus: this video for Clean & Clear's Top Best Friends, Asia campaign also has a quick facial sculpting tip!]

I have this lovely limited stock of Shadow Shields available for purchase only in Singapore.

DM me for purchase and I will post them out tout suite!

Why do I love them?

Well - you don't get flaky shadow bits leaving streaks in your makeup or on your skin.

Why not use powder under your eyes to catch it?

That trick doesn't work for many reasons, the two major ones:

1. You are left with powder residue under your eyes
2. Too much powder under your eyes eccentuates fine lines

There are 30 shields in each box. Check out some of the shoots and stories that I've used them on here!

Not convinced? Another blogger's review here.

How much? In the US they retail online for $9.99 USD so doin' the math to Singapore dollar = $12.25 SGD + postage

NOTE: I have paypal but am failing at adding the option here. :) I can't be all beauty AND brains.

Makeup palettes are the LBD [little black dress] of your cosmetic bag; the go-to collection of day or night beauty. Not sure where to start? First decide your makeup look; are you all about the DRAMA, sophistication or a simple day look?

Makeup For Dummies

 Simple Beauty Math: 1 base colour (lid) + 1 contour colour (crease) + 1 liner (lashline) = Gorgeous!

 Drama Beauty Math: 1 base colour (lid) + 1 contour colour (crease) + 1 liner (lashline) + 1 Highlight (tearduct and brow bone) = STUNNING!

 Note: Base colours tend to be lighter/brighter. Crease shades are darker/dramatic and liners either match the crease colour or tend to be even darker. [email me if you don’t know what a highlight is]

 *Tip: Inspire from that celeb everyone says you look like! Tape a magazine page onto your mirror and refer to the picture as you apply your makeup.

 Find cosmetic palettes overwhelming? Just because your palette has twelve colours doesn’t mean you need to wear all twelve; in fact, please don’t. Eye makeup should never exceed five colours or three for the novice; and don’t forget to blend, Blenderella, blend!

Stila Eye for Color Eye Shadow Palette

Features 13 new, ultra-wearable eye shadow shades for endless, easy to-create looks. This compact version is perfect for the on-the-go Stila girl and is an amazing steal-a (get it? Stila Steal-a...?) !

Urban Decay Book of Shadows

 Included are 2 pencils which can double as a great base for eyeshadow! Filling in your entire lid with eyeliner adds depth and longevity to your eyeshadow. The creamy consistency of the Urban Decay eyeliners makes the application tug-free on the delicate eye area.

Too Faced Enchanted Glamourland 

A perfect palette to begin your fairytale evening! Included are 15 high-pigment shadows, an anti-crease shadow primer, and beautiful shades of gloss, blush, and bronzer to create a range of versatile looks fit for a fairy princess. AND three ‘Get the look’ instruction cards!  

Overwhelmed with the plethora of colour before you? Decide on your colour theme before you dive in brush first!

Sephora Colour Play 5-in-1 Holiday Palette

 For the makeup maven or aspiring beauty queen! Each of the five palettes is packaged within the colour range that compliments each other so no colour confusion here!

  *Don’t be a hot mess, apply eye makeup using Shadow Shields which catches all the flakes!

 ** Cosmetic palettes make great gifts! No guess work as most colours will suit all skin tones and personal style.

 If you have a makeup maven to buy for where the last thing she needs is another palette then you may want to suggest some light reading?

 WWD 100 Years 100 Designers: A compilation detailing designers and their creations. 

 Hint: I have lots of makeup... but not this book... yet.  

How does one go from this:

To this:

Recently I had the honour of being shot for Simply Her for their Luxe For Less page. (Thanks to Faz, my partner in crime for suggesting me.) It will be out in November! I was thrilled to be asked!! And, apparently, I'm told a little ground-breaking for the Singapore magazine to feature a Western (ang moh)  woman! (above photo and guest appearance on the video below courtesy of Alisa.)

Where do I shop to find my Luxe For Less?

Well, I do travel so that is an added perk to great finds but here's a list of my go-to stores, including online:

JCrew Quite frankly, I only hit the sale link. I love their dresses! (I fit the JCrew U.S size 8 perfectly, makes online shopping a little too easy) 

JoeFresh is a MUST when I visit Canada.

 Target is my U.S must. When I was living in Texas I went to Target more often than I changed underwear. However, my thoughts on their designer collaborations, although cool in photos, the fabrics and wearability tend to be a little disappointing with the odd exception.

AllSaints I discovered ALLSaints while working with Lady Antebellum. Hint: check out Hillary's dress! I double-checked my measurements with their size chart; according to that I would be a UK 12 - I could actually have a UK 10 in everything I bought. I believe they would exchange it but what I bought does not require a tailored fit.

BCBG is another line that takes up a huge collection in my wardrobe. I think I own 10+ of their pieces! My plea to BCBG "Dear BCBG, please sponsor me a dress a day for a year - I will wear it wherever I go. Even to get groceries." Click their sale link too!

Winners, a brands for less store. Seriously. For. Way. Less. I got a Kate Spade bag for $98! Everytime I travel back to Canada, I shop, [to my husband's dismay] and one main stop on the shopping trail is Winners. You should go!

Nordstorm Rack , Saks Off Fifth, DSW.... oh my list could go on and on!

It's the thrill of the find! At Saks Off Fifth I found, sitting lonely on a shoe rack, calling my name.... python leather knee high boots. They were my size. It was a sign. Regular price $1500. What I paid.... $100.

To sum up:

1. Yes, I realize that I may have a problem and retail therapy may not be the answer.
2. If I am an example of LUXE For Less then one of many reasons to subscribe to Simply Her to get the inside scoop on where to shop and get stretch your dollar!

 International Sizes

Across the board runways showed us variations of beauty. For me this
is a great statement for women as not only are we many from various
backgrounds but we don't always want to stick with 'a look' for 2
months until the next season tells us what to wear.

Summer 09 shows pantone colour, we see monochromatic neutrals and we
see bold brows. In order to translate runway to everyday keep in mind
the less is more theory: inspire from the strong pigments but apply in
sheer dusting's of strong pigments or apply lippy with fingertips for a
stain effect.

Some of my top picks are:

Michael Kors: the lips are a creamy coral-orange highlighted with a
gloss. try FACEatelier lipstick in Coral Reef paired with a thin layer of
lipglaze in Artic Gold. The strong lips are complimented with a
dusting of golden bronze with a peach undertone swept across the face
concentrating on the cheeks, forehead and bridge of nose. Dab your
powder brush into your bronzer and then into FACEatelier Peach Glaze blush gently
sweeping on your face - start with cheeks for concentrated colour and
without adding more product, dust the remnants over the rest of your
face.

 TIP* At the cocktail party - lick the lip of your glass prior to
your sip, your saliva is just the thing to avoid your lipstick
transfering on to it. If there's a cute guy in your eyeline and you are single work that glass edge ;)

Gucci: Season after season, Gucci tends to be my favorite make up
inspiration. Summer bold eyes are taken where no eyes have gone before
- peacock blue with black smudged kohl. The runway showed the blue
blended from the inner corner right up to the to eyebrow, the kohl is
applied at the lashline on the top lid and carried around slightly
thicker on the bottom lid. To translate this eye to be wearable -
apply the blue to your eyelid and for day, use a charcoal grey shadow
instead of black. Apply the grey with a pencil-tip brush for a less
percise, smudged-look.

My fave grey kohl - MAC Powerpoint pencil in Grey Utility, for a great blue use FACEatelier's Cerulean Blue.

 TIP*
Apply your eye make up prior to your foundation - this way any
coloured flakes dropping onto your skin can be cleaned away and
therefore not smudging into your already made up skin. (powder under
the eyes to catch flakes will cause your make up to cake and crease)
or try www.shadowshields.com - I've tried and tested these - AMAZING! And they will also double as a guide to even your make up if you need an edge to follow.

Donna Karan: This is a beauty look that truly is stunning and ready-to-wear.                                                                                             No need to soften this. The mixes of metalics on the eyes, slightly bronzed skin and biege-pink lips - a trend that
is wearable by all and quickly applied! This can be your 7 minute make
up regime! The eyelid is based with a neutral brown but don't shy away
from reflective shades - shimmer is always flattering! The best
invention since the foundation brush, shimmer on the inner corner -
this is a great compliment for every woman - whether applied on it's
own or with a smokey eye you have instant starlet eyes! (Shimmer
shadows and pigments are great too as they also create depth and shape
on the eye.) FACEatelier Copper on the lid mixed with FACEatelier Shimmer in White gold
on the inner corners of the eyes, a light dusting of bronzer and the finishing touch, YSL 
Touche Brillance #7 - a perfect make up for any summer occasion - day or
night.

TIP* Apply the shimmer into your tearduct area with your pinkie
for a less than perfect natural look - fingertips are the best blenders!