Independence Day MOTD



Happy Fourth of July, everyone! Hope you're all having a fun and safe Independence Day. Since I don't often do 'Makeup of the Day' posts I thought I'd put one together for the look I'm wearing today to celebrate the good ol' U.S. of A. It's a little bit different from what I usually go for (aka I'm terrified of wearing red lipstick) but here's what I used.







The look I was going for was kind of minimalist looking but with bright, in-your-face red lip. I started off by patting the Make Up For Ever Step 1 Mattifying Primer into my t-zone to try to prevent excess oil. I wanted a light coverage base so I went with my Pixi H2O Skin Tint in Cream which literally feels like water on your skin but gives smooth, almost-matte, light-but-buildable coverage. To brighten my dark circles and conceal any blemishes I used the Pixi Correction Concentrate and Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer in Fair Neutral. I set that all with my trusty Neutrogena Shine Control Powder to make sure everything would stay in place and shine-free throughout the day. To finish off my complexion I contoured and added some bronzed warmth with my Smashbox Step-by-Step Contour Kit then added some glow to the inner-corners of my eyes, cupid's bow and tops of my cheekbones with a bit of Wet n Wild's Color Icon Bronzer in Reserve Your Cabana. I decided to forgo blush as I wanted the focal point to really be my lips.








On my eyes I tried to keep things really simple. I just dabbed on some of my MAC Paint Pot in Groundwork, which is a warm taupey-brown cream shadow that's very long-wearing. I used a blending brush to soften out any rough edges in the crease, curled my lashes and applied two coats of my holy grail mascara - Maybelline Colossal Cat Eyes Waterproof Mascara. It always keeps my lashes looking full and curled, which seems to be nearly impossible for me to find. I normally can't be bothered with eyeliner but I made an exception because it was a holiday and I had some extra time to get ready. I lined my upper lash line and tight-line with my new MAC Eye Kohl in Teddy which is a gorgeous bronze/brown that's a bit more subtle than wearing black but still makes my lashes look fuller. I swiped a bit of my Rimmel ScandalEyes Waterproof Kohl Eyeliner in Nude on my waterline just to make myself look a bit more awake. To get my brows tamed and shaped I used my Anastasia Brow Wiz in Dark Brown and Anastasia Clear Brow Gel. This was actually my first time using the Brow Wiz and I can totally see why it's a cult favorite. The pencil is so incredibly thin you really can mimic little hairs and get a very defined arch.

La pièce de résistance was of course the lips. I primed them with a bit of my Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Balm to get them smooth and moisturized, since liquid lipsticks can sometimes be drying. I chose my Sephora Cream Lip Stain in 01 because it's the most long-wearing, bold, POW-tasic red I have in my collection. If I was going to go bold I was going to go all the way. This liquid lipstick is so red it almost has a neon glow. It goes on really smooth and dries down in place quickly so you don't smudge it everywhere. It's a little tricky to get your lip shape just right with an even, straight border but I think that's really more due to me being a novice than the applicator itself. This is the kind of red that makes your teeth look a lot whiter, which I can totally get behind!

My finished look was bold, fun and a bit retro. It's not really like anything you would normally see me wearing on a regular basis - mostly because I love blush and am afraid of red lipstick - but I really like the way it came together. Independence Day should be about taking risks, being bold and celebrating freedom and that's what I feel like this look did for me. 


What kind of look did you all go for today? Something bold and bright or more natural and muted? Let me know if you have a favorite red lipstick I should try to get me over my fears,


2 comments

  1. I would love it if your makeup posts had pictures of the makeup on your face! LOL. It sounds silly but since we are both pale, it gives me a great idea of what I can expect in terms of color payoff etc, on my fair complexion. :D

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    1. I know! A MOTD post without actually seeing the finished face is a bit lame but I was little selfie self-conscious. Will definitely post one with the next one!

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