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A couple of months ago, I tried my first Winky Lux product via the PopSugar Must Have Box – Bunny lip velour. I was insanely impressed with everything about this product: the vintage-inspired pill-shaped packaging, the mousse-cream texture, the long-wearing, yet comfortable soft-matte formula, and the beautiful berry color. I immediately hopped onto winkylux.com to learn more about the brand and found out they are cruelty-free, paraban free, phthalate free, non-toxic and heavily pigmented. They don’t test on animals and they insist that their suppliers don’t either. Score! Whenever a brand can achieve high-performing products while maintaining all of those -frees, they’re A-OK by me. So I was crazy excited when Winky Lux agreed to partner up with me to create two Valentine’s Day makeup looks – one natural and one dramatic.
How cute is this vintage-inspired packaging? Reminds me of something my GREAT grandmother would have had in her cosmetics drawer. So chic.
In this look, the eyeshadow application technique is called “halo eyes.” It’s where you first apply darker shades to the inner and outer corners, but then keep the center open for a brighter/lighter color. It can be a bit tricky to get right, but if you have the right tools (e.g.: smaller detail eyeshadow brushes – less super fluffy ones), then you can get it done.
Products used:
(all products are by Winky Lux*, unless noted)
Use your concealer as an eyeshadow primer. Using the Smoke + Roses eyeshadow palette, apply the skin tone/beige shade all over the lid from lash line to brow using a fluffy brush. Apply the bronze shade through the crease with the same fluffy brush. Using the detail brush from the Winky Lux palette, concentrate a mixture of the bronze and black shadows in the outer and inner corners – leaving the center of the lid empty. Using your finger, apply the skin tone/beige shade intensely onto the center of the lid. Take the Winky Lux brush to gently blend any harsh edges. Clean off the Winky Lux brush and pick up the white shadow shade to pop it in your inner tear duct for a little brightness.
Using a pencil brush, line the upper and lower lashes with a mixture of the brown and black shadow. Add a brown liner to the lower lashes. Apply a light coat of mascara (or two coats if you’re not going to apply falsies). Pop on a pair of falsies of your choice.
Fill in your brows with brow product of your choice.
Apply foundation and then apply concealer, where needed. Set with Diamond Complexion Powder for a healthy glow. Bronze the top of the forehead, cheeks, tip of the nose, chin, and jaw line. Use the pink eyeshadow from the Smoke + Roses palette as blush.
Apply Meow lip velour to the lips and add a touch of Birthday Cake gloss just to the center for a fuller lip look.
This look is all about having fun and giving zero Fs (as Nicki Minaj would say). I was a little unsure about rocking the pink shadow and the vampy lip but I can imagine having a fabulously fun night out with my girl friends with this makeup!
Products used:
(all products are by Winky Lux*, unless noted)
Using your concealer as eyeshadow primer again, take a fluffy eyeshadow brush and pick up the pink eyeshadow from the Smoke + Roses palette. Build this color up through the crease slowly. Using the small brush that came with the Winky Lux palette, apply the beige shade to the lid, up to the crease. Then use the same brush and apply the bronze shade to the outer corner, about 1/3 of the way in. Taking the black eyeshadow with the same brush, apply black right over the bronze, but stay about 1/4th of the way in (concentrate on the very outer corner). Add more pink shadow through the crease, if needed.
Using a pencil brush, pick up the white shadow and apply just under the brow bone. Using that same pencil brush, apply the pink shadow to the lower lashes – don’t be afraid to smoke it out (you may look sick for a minute, but it will all come together)! Use the bronze shade and apply it over the pink. Apply black eyeliner to the lower lashes and use your favorite black gel eyeliner to make a dramatic wing on the upper lashes.
**You don’t have to do a wing, this look is still super dramatic with a simple black line on the upper lash line.
Apply a light coat of black mascara to upper and lower lashes and pop on falsies of your choice. Fill in brows with brow product of your choice.
Apply foundation all over the skin and conceal where needed. Use bronzer on the top of the forehead, cheeks, tip of the nose, chin, and jaw line. Set the entire face with a dusting of the Diamond Complexion Powder for a glow and use the white eyeshadow as a highlighter to the tops of the cheekbones and bridge of the nose. Use the pink eyeshadow from the Smoke + Roses eyeshadow palette as blush – it really ties the whole look together.
Apply a layer of City lip velour, blot with a tissue, and apply a second layer. This helps these darker shades last much longer.
Don’t mind my Invisalign buttons on my teeth… more on that coming in a future post!
You cannot go wrong with their lip velours! They’re a mix between a matte and satin lipstick and I just love the packaging. So cute to keep in your purse or at your desk. The Diamond Complexion Powder is also equally incredible. Great to use all over the face if you love a good glow, or concentrate the application for a natural highlight. I have shade Medium but if I were self-tanned or it was summer, I’d need shade Medium Deep.
The Smoke + Roses eyeshadow palette wasn’t my all time favorite, to be honest. However; I got quite a few compliments when I was playing around with it the weeks’ prior to creating these looks. More than usual, actually. So maybe I’m too critical (well, I know I am).
What did you think of these two Valentine’s Day makeup looks? Would you recreate a similar look for a night out? Tell me your favorite in the comments!
-Steffanie