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Cream contouring palette has finally arrived on drugstore shelves! It's Catrice Allround Contouring Palette, which costs 4.29 € and has very similar but sleeker packaging than their Allround Concealer one. I dont' own any other cream contour kit, so this was my first time using a product like that. It has 5 shades – 2 dark ones for creating shadows, 2 light ones and a pretty pearl shade highlighter. The palette is quite simple to use and if you don't know where to put which shade you can always look at pictures on the back. Because it is a cream product, you have to warm it up a bit first for easier application, either on your skin (between your fingers or on the back of the hand) or on the metal palette with spatula as I usually do, which is necessary especially if you work on others, for hygienic reasons. The palette is nothing special really, but it's not bad either. I kinda got the feeling that intensity faded when I put on loose powder, but maybe I just applied too little - which brings me to the next problem. The packaging is quite small and wont last long but on the other hand  it's easier for carrying it around with you because of the same reason. For this pride is definetly worth buying.

SLO

Tudi drogerijske police so končno dočakale kremno paletko za senčenje obraza. To je Catrice Allround Contouring Palette, ki stane 4.29 €, in ima zelo podobno, vendar elegantnejšo embalažo kot njihov Allround Concealer. Ker do sedaj še nisem imela nobene kremne paletke za senčenje, sem sedaj prvič uporabila tak izdelek. Vsebuje 5 odnetkov – 2 temna za ustvarjanje senc, 2 svetla ter osvetljevalec perlaste barve. Paletka je precej enostavna za uporabo in če ne veš kam nanesti določen odtenek lahko vedno pogledaš za zadnji del embalaže. Ker je to kremni izdelek, ga je najprej  potrebno malce ogreti za lažji nanos, kar lahko storiš na koži (med prsti ali na zadnjem delu dlani) ali pa na kovinski paletki s spatulo, kot ponavadi naredim jaz, kar je  še posebej potrebno če delaš na drugih, zaradi higienskih razlogov. Paletka ni nič posebnega, vendar vseeno ni slaba. Dobila sem občutek, da sence niso bile več tako intenzivne po tem, ko sem čez dala še puder v prahu, vendar sem mogoče samo nanesla premalo intenzivno - kar pripelje do naslednjega problema. Izdelka v paletki je dokaj malo in se ga kar hitro porabi, kar je po drugi strani iz istega razloga zelo priročno, saj ga lahko nosiš s sabo kamorkoli greš. Za to ceno nakup definitivno priporočam.

BEAUTY TRENDS FOR SPRING/SUMMER 2016

It's been a reaaaally really long time since my last post, but I decided it's finally time to do a new one. You know, new year, new beginnings, with trial first month. I've also been quite active in the last week with creating a few last minute makeups for Pust (something similar to Halloween we have in Slovenia). I can make a few posts about how to recreate certain looks if anyone is interested. 

Okay, lets get into it. What makeup trends were seen for the spring/summer 2016 on the runways?

BLUE ACCENTS

Runways: Val Garland, Monique Lhulilier, Hugo Boss, Chanel, Diane von Furstenberg, Marc Jacobs, Sonia Rykiel

Blue color could be seen almost everywhere this season but in very different ways. From pastels to delicate strokes of eyeliner or full-on effect of »butterfly wings« that Path McGrath created for Diane von Furstenberg. When it comes to blue color, you can wear it any way you like, just don't try to recreate any 90's looks and pair it with strong lip color, since all looks on the catwalk kept lips pretty neutral. Great way to wear blue hues on your lids is to do your usual makeup with neutral eyeshadows or eyeliner and then put blue eyelinerit in waterline to emphasize the color of your eyes.

BOLD LIPS

Runways: Jason Wu, Givenchy, DKNY, Marchesa, Anna Sui, Oscar de la Renta, Badgley Mischka, Victoria Beckham

This year the most popular were candy apple red, berry lips and statement metallics – the more unusual colors the better. Think gold, blue, green, purple… Pair it with flushed cheeks and you're good to go.

GLITTER

Runways: Givenchy, Marc Jacobs, Naeem Khan, Giambattista Valli, Dries Van Noten

Glitters on the lids, lips, nails, everywhere! Discreet shimmer or huge chunks of glitter on the lids, glittery eyebrows and nails, you can not go wrong with anything. Maybe even use blue glittery eyeshadow and you can kill two birds with one stone (or in this case two trends with one product, please don't harm any birds).

UNEXPECTED FRENCH MANICURE

Runways: Monique Lhulilier, Tibi, Jonathan Simkhai, Cushnie et Ochs, Francesca Liberatore

This is probably my favourite trend of 2016. Forget about classic french manicure. You can still wear white tips of course, but play it up with different shapes, or use colors like oxblood, orange, green, silver…

HUGE LASHES

Runways: Louis Vuitton, Giorgio Armani, Marni, Tod's

It became rare to see models wearing mascara or false lashes on the runways, but now it's making a comeback in various looks: blue, red, futuristic falsies, thick and long…

PEACHY & PINK LIDS

Runways: Altuzarra, Lanvin, Erdem, Giamba, Jill Stuart

Peachy and pink colors look pretty and give softness to your face. This trend is also already called "the sunset eye". Dior's Peter Phillips described this look as »pure and sensual« and said that »pink is the molst flattering on all the girls«.

GRAPHIC EYELINER

Runways: Fendi, Mugler, Vionnet, Julien David, Monique Lhulilier, Jeremy Scott

This is not how we're usually used to wearing eyeliner in traditional cat eye look. It's all about exaggerated shapes and graphic flicks. You can go bold or very subtle.

GLOSSY TREND

Runways: Opening Ceremony, Marc Jacobs, Narciso Rodriguez, Marchesa, Proenza Schouler

Glossy trend or as  already known term »gym skin« is the new no-makeup makeup. It mimics the shine you have after a workout or after dancing all night. It's basically just a new term for flawless glowing dewy skin. On the runways, makeup artists achieved this look with dabbing Vaseline on top of the cheekbones, above upper lip, under eye area and on the lids. It looks pretty on runway and pictures, but it wouldn't last long on the skin in real life, and besides who wants to look like they just ran 10 km when doing errands or going on a date?

HAIR ACCESSORIES

Runways: Givenchy, Marc Jacobs, Oscar de la Renta, Michael Kors, Tommy Hilfiger, Anna Sui, Miu Miu

Headbans, tiaras, scraps of fabric can be used on punky updos and low ponylails. Your hair doesen't need to be perfect, ornate combs and other hair accessories look perfect in messy hair.

 BRAIDS, TWISTS AND UPGRADED PONYTAILS

Runways: Proenza Schouler, Oscar de la Renta, Dior, Alexander McQueen, Kenzo

Undone braids and messy ponytails are nothing new to the runways, except for the sleek two-strand plaits, whichis very easy to do and looks beautiful.

FLUSHED CHEEKS

Runways: Vivienne Tam, Narciso Rodriguez, Alexander McQueen, Simone Rocha, Philosophy

Year 2015 was all about contouring, but this year blush is having a comeback for a more natural and fresh look. It also helps contouring look softer, more flattering, and believable.

Stay tuned for for more new posts, which will hopefully be posted each week and not in another 7 months :)

Love, Lucija

Makeup Academy Part 1

Hello again! I know this is the post you've all been waiting for. Today I'm going to write about my schooling in Carpus Makeup Center. I actually wanted to post this sooner, I had half of this post already written in draft, but it magically disappeared.

So, this is how our workspace looks like - room full of mirrors and chairs with the table full of makeup in the middle. You can't see it, but on the right there is also a whiteboard, where our mentor Jasna Oklešen sketches for us, like how to contour different face shapes or how to shade different eyeshapes and so on. We also have a few other visiting lecturers, like lovely Romina Regvat, who thaught us how to blend properly, what is like working on a set, how to treat customers and so on. Yesterday we also had renowned hairdresser Matevž Majcen, to show us how to quickly do a few interesting hairstyles and how you can do different types of curls. 

Today, I'm actually focusing more on the beauty part of the course, which was also the longest. I'll post about other things we did or will do later, including the hairstyling part.

Atmosphere at Carpus, me and my model in the top left corner
Photo by Jasna Oklešen

We usually go in pairs and work on each other, but sometimes, if one of us can't make it, someone has to bring a model, whis is mostly one of our friends. The mentor always tells us at the beginning of the lesson what are we going to do that day, and tells us all about the look and technique we will be using. It's really interesting how different we all look at the end, because of different choice of colors, products, face and eye shapes.

We first started, of course, with how to choose and properly apply foundation and contour face. With different brushes and types of fountaions you get different finishes, and you have to choose the right one, according to the look and type of skin you're working on. Next, you have to contour considering the face shape and know, if you want to completely transform it's features, or just lightly emphasize bone structure.

Pin up look, makeup by Andreja Furlanič, hair and photo by Jasna Oklešen - huuuge thank you for the left picture

Then Jasna showed us the most basic eye shading. First and most commonly used is the fan technique. I don't know the proper term for it in English, but it's basically shading the outer corner of the eye in fan shape (the outer corner is the darkest color, then it gets lighter towards the inner corner). This technique can be used for every occasion - subtle daily makeup, or even very dramatic, dark look.

Next was banana. It's called like this, because we are applying shadow on the crease in the shape of a banana. This is most commonly used on deep set eyes to contour eye shape and it goes really well with the eyeliner and pin up look, which was also one of the looks we did (pictured above).

Smokey eye, makeup and photo by Romina Regvat

Romina taught us how to do a smokey eye and demonstrated it on me. Please excuse my dark circles, spring has really been hard on my eyes and nose (damn spring!!!). As I explained in one of the previous posts, most people confuse it with a dramatic outer eye corner shading. With smokey eye, you start with a black eyeliner on the lashline and then make the color disappear towards the brow bone. You can do this with any color you like, most commonly it's black, paired with darker and lighter shades of brown. You can put some pigments in the middle of the lid, to complement the color of the eyes, or make the whole look more interesting. Of course you do the same on the lower lid.

Eyeliner trend

Next was the eyeliner trend, which is very popular and a lot of the girls and young women wear this every day. It's just simply eyeliner with a trendy lipstick.

Bridal makeup by Clara de Andrea

Here you can see Clara doing bridal makeup on me. I don't have any pictures of the look I did on her, but since the wedding season is already here, I'm planning on making a post about this look very soon. For that reason, I'm not going to get into details about this makeup look just yet :)

Prom makeup by Vanja Zorman

This is prom makeup Vanja did on me. Prom makeup is usually more dramatic than bridal, with darker colors on the lids and fake eyelashes. She contoured my face, used matte eyeshadows on the lids and then lined them with eyeliner and black kohl pencil in the waterline. Then she finished the whole look  with a little bit of blush and slightly pink lipgloss.

Prom makeup

Here is also a prom look I did on Vanja. I decided to go a bit more dramatic with heavier contouring and used dark brown and gold shades on her lids. Fake eyelashes are almost necessary for this look, so I applied them after I lined the eyes with gel liner. I paired the whole look with this gorgeous dark red lipstick, which really suits her.

60' inspired look

The inspiration for the last look we did during this beauty part of the course was Sophia Loren and 60's double eyeliner on the lower and upper eyelid. I'm sorry I didn't take closer pictures of the details of the liner. I applied white eyeshadow as the base, and then really defined crease with black eyeshadow. With this look it's all about matte, no shimmer and a nude lip.

I hope you liked this post and all the looks we did. Also, you can follow me on Facebook HERE. If you want me to make a tutorial of any of these looks, please comment below. I will make Part 2 soon, so stay tuned!

Love, Lucija

Subtle Everyday Contouring and Makeup + Basic Foundation Rutine

Ok, I know this are some basic stuff, but since I just started this blog, I thought that it would be appropriate to discuss some basic rules about foundation. Everybody knows how to apply foundation, right? You take a brush, sponge or you simply use your fingers, put it on and your skin is instantly prettier. Yeah, sure, but how do you prepare your skin first?

First, you need to clean your skin. You can use toner suitable for your skin type, or micellar water. Micellar water is more gentle and great for all skin types. It's the safest product to use on clients and it's also a makeup remover, so double win on that. The one I have is from Garnier and it cost about 5€ for 400 ml. It's also a great dupe for the one from Bioderma, which is waaay more expensive because it became really popular amongst makeup artists a while ago.

Second, you need to use a good mosturizer. I always thought, that because I have combination skin, I don't have to use face creams, but I was sooo wrong. I've been using Moisture Match also from Garnier and it's great, because it mattifies and hidrates your skin, but it doesen't look greasy at all. If you have dry, or even combination skin, which tends to be sometimes dry on the forhead, or cheeks and you don't use mosturizing cream, you can sometimes see these dry patches on certain areas when you apply foundation, which looks far from pretty.

Last but not least, the primer. This step is optional, especially if you have dry skin, because you can easily skip this step, or swap it for a mosturizer, because primer is basically a cream that helps your foundation to last longer. But if you have oily  or combination type of skin, then I would really recommend that you use a primer.

The next step is to apply concealer around your eyes and anywhere you have any kind of imperfections. You can also skip this step, if there is no need to do this.  I am allergic to pollen and my eyes are currently killing me, because of all the itching and dark circles, which are so hard to cover! I'm using Collistar Lifting Effect Concealer, which is great for covering up, but I did not notice any visible lifting effect whatsoever. God knows I would really need it at the moment for my puffy eyes. 

For the foundation I used Illamasqua Skin Base in shade 6 for my whole face and shade 3 for highlighting. I finally found the foundation that really matches my skin tone and with so many shades it's hard not to (I think there are around 16 or 18 shades, you can also find a white one and in between shades like 3,5 or 5,5). The texture is not thick at all, but it still gives medium coverage and it can be built up to a full coverage. Even with the moisturizer and primer underneath, it doesen't feel heavy on the skin. I applied it with Real Techniques Expert Face Brush, which is my favourite brush for foundation at the moment.

Here are the products I used for the contouring. I alredy mentioned that I used Illamasqua foundation for the highlighting above, but for setting and contouring I used Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit. I used the middle top shade in Banana to set the foundation and concealer around my eyes and top left shade in Vanilla for the rest of highlights on my forhead, nose and chin. For the top of the cheekbone and for fuller effect of the upper lip, I like to use L'oreal Lumi Magique Primer. I know it's a primer, but it gives a really nice, dewy finnish and it doesn't look shimmery at all. I also like to use it in the inner corners of my eyes and on top of the brow bone, to help me look more fresh and awake.

Ok, I know that it's silly and you've probably seen this lines drawn on faces all around the web, but I also wanted to show you this for easier visualization. For contouring I used middle bottom shade named Fawn in the Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour palette. It's important that you don't go too far with the line under the cheekbone, because it won't look natural, you're going to look like you're sick or dying. I would say, that you can go as far as the outer third of your eye. I also contour my my forehead and jawline, because it's not naturally defined. If your forehead is small, then you do not have to do this. Contouring is essentially shaping your face to look more oval, so you don't necessary have to contour like pictured here and all over the web. Contouring the nose can be tricky if you have a bit crooked nose like me. You have to be careful that your line is straight, it doesn't have to follow the line of your nose. I wouldn't contour the nose, if it's quite long or thin, because you're just gonna make it look even more elongated and thinner, except if this is the look you're going for. At the end you can add blush on your cheeks like pictured above with the pink line, but for this look I didn't choose to do this. Since this is everyday look, I didn't want to overdo it and make everything too defined.

Different face shapes are contoured differently, this is just the one that suits me. Although oval is considered the "perfect" face shape, it doesn't mean that other shapes are not pretty. I personally often find heart or square shaped faces very beautiful and interesting, so contour however you want.

For the eyebrows I used Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Pro Palette in shade Soft Brown and Bobbi Brown Smokey Eyes mascara. I got as a gift with purchase at an online store and I really really like it, because it's not too wet and it really elongates my lashes. For the final finish I used Essence lipstick in shade Barely There, which is a gorgeous mauvy color and it's super cheap (about 2-3€ I think).

So, this is the final look. It's nothing special, but it's perfect for everyday. Below are pictured all the products and brushes I used, without the things I used to prime my skin. I hope you liked my first real post and please message me what you want me to show you guys in my future posts. You can also leave your impressions and opinions below in the comment section.

Till' next time, 

Love,  Lucija <3

Intro

Hello and welcome to my blog! 

My name is Lucija, I live in Slovenia and I am 21 years old. I have been following beauty blogs for quite a while now and I finally decided that it's time to start my own. 

  

Like most of the girls my age, I entered the world of makeup in elementary school, when I was about 11 or 12. Of course it all started with a black kohl eyeliner in the waterline, that I wiped off before I came home, so that my mom wouldn't see it. I started practicing more and more with different makeup looks throughout high school and I started getting better at it, but I also learned from my mistakes - and believe me, there were MANY.

Recently, I enrolled into a 3 month Makeup Academy led by the amazing Jasna Oklešen and started learning more about different techniques and products, and I really really like it! I already knew a lot about makeup from before, so it hasn't been really challenging yet, but I did pick up a few tips and tricks that make everything a lot easier. I'll make more posts about our learning process later on. 

Our workspace with the make up table in the middle

The main reason I started this beauty blog, is to share with you my journey to becoming a Makeup Artist and how my collection of makeup is getting bigger and bigger. Expect to se a few reviews, occasional tutorial, maybe a recipe here and there, because I also like to cook, and of course EAT (who doesn't?) and other rambles about my everyday life. So, that's it for my introduction. For more check out my Instagram and I will post a real article soon :)

Stay tuned!

Love, Lucija

Before and after - Pin up look a fellow student did on me
Photo and hair by our mentor Jasna Oklešen