Skitch-I-Y: 4 Different Ways to Wear Blue

If you've ever found the most beautiful blue eye product, bought it and got frustrated because it seems that whichever way you apply it makes you look like a clown, don't feel bad. It's happened to all of us. Although blue seems like an easy color to pull off, it's very hard to do sometimes because overdoing it or choosing the wrong blue may go from spectacular in the package to clown-tastic on your face! Alike lots of colors, it's all about what tone of blue you chose and how you wear it. It all comes down to balance.

photo via style.com

I must admit I wasn't too keen on wearing blues because somehow I always ended up looking kind of sick because I've got deep set eyes and quite a bit of dark circles under them, so I used to stray a bit from blue and shun it with fear and you all know that I do not fret when it comes to wearing bold colors with my makeup. It's a little strange because blue is actually the color that best suits my eyes. Well, lately I've been kind of obsessed with the color and I've recently gotten some super sweet blue hues for my lids. I decided to give blue a try and boy, I'm not going back! I've gone from hesitant to bold! Also, I'm really excited because it's a color that was featured on many runways for fall.  Prabal Gurung had his heaven and hell models with bold cobalt smokey eyes. So believe me when I say, I'm VERY excited for fall makeup trends.

Here are the 4 different way's I've used to solve my blue-eyed dilemma:

 Cobalt Waterline

This is the look I wear the most being as I'm a sucker for cat eyes. The easiest way to play up a simple look is with bold colored eyeliner. This is the most moderate way to add a touch of color that impacts enough to make a statement. You can actually play with any tone of blue here since the rest of the look is so toned down. Same goes for the rest of the face. Since this eye look is demure but just the right amount of bright, you can play up your lips. 

For this look I used Wet n' Wild's Mega Liner in Black, NYX's Retractable Eye Liner in Deep Blue, MAC's Sea and Sky and on my lips I went with Lanvin x H&M's Red. On my cheeks I went with Gosh's Cheeks and Lips in Back to Nature. 

            Blue Wing

This one basically keeps the same principle as the Cobalt Waterline look: simple but bright. Instead of doing a typical black wing, turn it blue! But be warned, if the tone is too light, well... it might look just plain bad. You want to keep it classy. Go for a deep navy for a classic look or a cerulean for a playful look. Anything lighter and you've eliminated any tastefulness for this look. With this eye, you've got space to play around with the rest of the face since it's quite toned down. Add a bright pink lip or a beautiful coral for summer. For more formal affairs, go with a blush lip tone.

I kept mine playful because I wanted something suitable for the bright summer trend so I went with NYX's R.E.Y. in Deep Blue with a light dusting of Warpaint's Totes Turq over it and MAC's Pfloof! for inner eye highlighting. For cheeks I used Gosh's Cheeks and Lips Back to Nature with a little bit of Nars' Sin and for lips I went with Sephora's Hot Hues Lipbalm in Paradisso Purple with Covergirl's Eternal layered over it.

                      Blue Slate

This is probably the hardest one to pull off since the color borders on what could go right or wrong, but done right and it can play up any eye color (at least in my opinion it can!). Go for a more silvery blue and a soft navy crease with a simple liner for better eye definition. Apply some of that navy underneath you bottom lash line and keep the waterline either dark for a look that smolders or light for a bigger looking eye. A tip I learned from Marlena of Makeup Geek: if your eyes are cool, keep the rest warm to balance out the look and vice versa.

For this look, I used MAC's Sea and Sky, the blue shadow in Mark.'s On the Dot compact, and MAC's Pfloof! I also used my NYX Deep blue liner. For cheeks I went with Nars' Orgasm and on my lips, some NYX Matte Lip Creme in Stockholm and Hot Topic's Foil Lip Gloss in Batch #F1711.

       Smokey Jewels

Save this look for the extra special events, although if it were me I'd use it for everyday. To get extra pay-off always start off with a dark base color. Any cream shadows (in moderation to prevent creasing!!!!) should do the trick. Layer over it a deep blue and take it all the way up to the crease. You can choose to use a lighter blue to blend it out or neutralize the brightness like I did with a orangey-brown color. Highlight the brow bone and inner eye corners. Take a bit if that dark color to the outer corner of your lower lid. Remember to keep the rest of the face soft as this eye look is very strong. Balance, my loves, is key.

For this look I used Tarina Tarantino's Creme Shadow in Meteor Night, MAC's Sea and Sky (you can tell I love it), both MAC's Blue Brown and Saffron on the crease and MAC's Amber lights for a jewel toned effect and contrast on the inner corner highlight. On the rest of the face, I stuck to Gosh Cheeks and Lips in Back to Nature and NYX's Soft Matte Lip Cream in Stockholm and Hot Topic's Foil Lip Gloss in Batch #F1711.

I invite you all to give blue a shot and be wise on your color selection and balance. Blue is a challenging color for eyes, but nothing anyone can't master. 

Also...

... if you're wondering about my jewelry, I want to thank the amazing Miss Erika Peña for creating such AMAZING pieces. I am literally obsessed with these earrings! These are hot off the oven and they've just arrived to the boutique!  Love the geometrical shapes and structure! They go perfectly with the kasar finish of my Ulan ring. Shop 'til you drop for more of her amazing accessories at www.erikapenashop.com or stop by her Facebook page: www.facebook.com/erikapenaboutique for more details.

Also, don't forget to enter my Big 100 Giveaway if you haven't for your chance at some sweet swag! Stop by my Facebook page and follow me on Tumblr and Instagram. I'm LilaLane! See you guys next time! 

Face Laced (A Skitch-I-Y)

Well, hello! A bold return! Last time I dared look at my blog it was February. Woah! A LOT has been going on. Finished my internship, did some work, now I'm back on the job search cycle again, my plans for Parsons are rounding up, etc. Since I'm in between jobs, I have quite a bit of free time on my hands. Not that that's a bad thing, but I did realize I can't go back to my lazy ways. I enjoy having something or too much to do all the time. These past few days have been bugging me. I mean sure, I'm a very creative person and I've got plenty to make but somehow I've found myself waking up and sticking myself to my bed with my lappy on hand and a good cup of joe and lo and behold... there goes my day! It sucks, I know. Maybe I'm in a bit of a rut but let's just face it, these past few weeks have been a bit hard on my soul, my head, and my pocket. Leave it to me to find an expensive outlet for my woes. I head towards the makeup department, maybe more so than the fashion one. It's like child's play to me. It's art but practical and direct. Slap that on and walk out the door easy. Problem? I'm broke. So I decide to do something about it. I lay out all of my stock of makeup in front of me and I think, "If I can't get myself anything new, I'll work with what I've got and make it new.". It's just a matter of techniques, I suppose. 

Oh boy, was I right! I'm always really into graphic patterns and designs, so it's no surprise I also reflect that on my makeup aesthetic. I've always loved a good, lacey pattern too so I took it upon myself to spontaneously work that into my eye makeup. Here's the how-to on getting this really cool stenciled lace work on your peepers or any place on your face and body. It's so intricate, it's actually too easy to achieve.

You'll need:

A primer. Depends if you're doing this on your eyes or face, you'll either use a face or eyeshadow primer. My reccomendation is Nars' Eyeshadow primer or Make Up Forever's HD Face primer.

A white base. Leave it to NYX's Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk to transform your old, boring eyeshadows into an "OMG THIS IS AMAZING PAYOFF!" product.

Any good, flat shadow brush. Flat as in not paddle-like, but flat as in not tappered. Or just about any good blending brush will do. These are from Estée Lauder.

Eyeshadows and pigments of your choice. This technique I find works best with dry products, so I'd leave the cream pigments and shadows out unless you work them with a sponge but I fear that'll blend in too much with the NYX Eye Pencil base and you'll loose the effect. 

Lace or ribbon of your choice. This is my absolute favorite ribbon. I use it for absolutely EVERYTHING! I love that it's so organic.

How to:

Step 1: Prep and prime your skin. I didn't do it  for this tutorial because I'd be wiping it off as soon as I'd finish it so I didn't want to waste my primer on it but if you're going to use this for an event or costume, it's best you do.

Step 2: Take your white base and distribute it evenly on the surface you want to place your design on. Don't put on too much, because this can crease if overdone.

Step 3: With your finger, blend out the product until your get a nice, even coat. This will help the colors stick and the contrast between the colors and the stencil outlines pop.

Step 4: Place the lace over the white base. Hold it firmly in place.

Step 5:  Take your brush, dip it into the color of choice and start stippling it over the area. Remember to keep the lace steady in place or your design will shift and you'll loose the effect! Be as creative as you want. You can blend in different color variations or play with shine!

Step 6: Remove lace... 

And you're done! 

You can play around with this technique however you wish. It's great for a reptile effect or scales. This is how I used it. I didn't realize it was a bit of Black Swan-ish until after I finished the look but whatever. I didn't plan it so this is how it turned out and I loved it! I kept the lips nude because of course, there was so much going up on the eyes that I didn't want it to turn out like a face fiasco.

Products used: 

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NC30

Sephora Mineral Foundation

Nars Blush in Sin

Nars Blush in Desire

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle

Nars Bronzer in Casino

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk

MAC Eyeshadow in Beauty Marked

Crown 88 Palette

Wet N'Wild Eyeshadow in Envious

Makeup Forever Starpowder in 44

Milani Liquif'eye Eyeliner in Black

Benefit Bad Girl Lash in Black

EOS LipBalm

DUO Eyelash Glue

Black Feathers

I also did this technique on my lips!

Products used:

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk

MAC Pigment in Blue Brown

Skitch-I-Y: Prabal Gurung s/s 2012

Photo via MAC Cosmetics.

With winter gracefully fading away, spring is here and it's time to pull out some color here and there. I'm more of a winter gal because I can't get enough of chunky fabrics and wrapped up looks, so when it's time for spring and summer I usually show off with makeup and accessories instead of my clothes. My wardrobe pretty much stays the same hues all year long but my makeup gets experimental. I absolutely loved Prabal's s/s 2012 collection (and don''t get me started on pre-fall!!!). It's strange that I was so intrigued by such a colorful collection but it's really pretty fantastic. The color schemes are well... delicious. And the makeup doesn't fall behind either. 

The inspiration for this season's makeup was flowers beginning to wilt and bursting orchids. MAC's Charlotte Tillbury was in charge of this look. The focus was on the lips. She opted for ombré colored lips in fuschia and burgundy and kept the face clean with just a sweep of silver on the eyelids. Since they used MAC Pro products and these are limited only to professional makeup artists, I'll show you guys how to recreate this look with other similar products and dupes. Let's get started!

Avon Intense Lip Color Conditioner

Nyx Matte Lipstick in Sweet Pink

 I used:

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer
in NC30

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish
Highlighter in Soft and Gentle

Clinique High Impact Mascara
in Black

MAC Satin Lipstick in Cyber

Sephora Mineral Loose Powder
Foundation in Light

Makeup Forever HD Powder

MAC Eyeshadow in Phloof!

Nars Bronzer in Casino

Backstage at Prabal, Tillbury used MAC Pro Process Magenta Chromographic Pencil with a blunt tip to draw in the pink lip with a soft border and then mixed MAC Pro Lipmix in Black, Burgundy and Fuschia to achieve the dark ombre color. Being as those are Pro colors, only professional makeup artists have access to those. 

I found that NYX's Matte Lipstick in Sweet Pink and MAC's Cyber are dead on dupes. They both have a satin finish (regardless NYX's says matte) and easier to find. Cyber is part of MAC's permanent collection and NYX is found at any Walmart or at your local drugstore. Plus, it goes around $6 so that's way cheaper too.

Step 1: Prep and prime your face. Remember the look should be dewy and soft. I have really dry skin so it's difficult for me sometimes to get that result. I like to spritz som MAC Fix + Before and after applying my foundation. Since I'm using a loose powder mineral foundation, I like to put on my concealer first where I need it and then apply the powder foundation. After that I sweep some MUFE HD translucent powder on my t-zone which usually turns into a shine fest.

Step 2: Prime your lids. With a soft, fluffy brush gently sweep some Phloof! eyeshadow all over the lid. Take it a bit above your crease so the color shows when your eyes are open. Don't overdo it. Just put on enough to give a little shine when the light hits.

Step 3: Apply just one layer of mascara. The lashes need to look almost bare but still noticeable. If necessary, take a lash groomer and brush though your lashes to remove any clumps the mascara might add. 

Step 4: Contour and highlight your skin very lightly. Add the highlight to the top of your cheekbones and contour right under them ever so softly. Also, contour under your chin and on your temples if needed to make your face look thinner. 

Step 5: Condition your lips. This will help with the ombré effect and will also keep your lips looking soft. 

Step 6: Take the Cyber lipstick and apply it to the inner part of your lips. Take it about 1/3 of the way down. Smack your lips together a couple of times so it'll fade out nicely.

Step 7: Take NYX's Sweet Pink and using the pointed tip along your outer lip line, sweep it across your lips while blending it with the Cyber. If necessary, take a lip brush and touch up the borders. Smack your lips again a few times and the colors will blend themselves out. No need for messy fingertips! 

And you're done! A simple and easy look that will definitely cause heads to turn and will welcome the spring season nicely! Here's the finished look: 

Hello professional life!

Fashion Internship Interview Attire at Erika Peña by desiree-velazquez-rodriguez featuring aldo bags

Diane von Fürstenberg bodice dress, $498
Forever21 jacket, $28
ALDO peep toe high heels, $80
Aldo bag, $60
Forever21 spiked necklace, $5.80
Forever21 fish hook earrings, $1.50
Milani Liquif'Eye Metallic Eyeliner Pencil | Walgreens, $6.49
Pocket Rocket Lip Gloss by Urban Decay (Official Site), $20

Hey guys! Guess what? I interviewed today for a fashion internship at Erika Peña and I got it! I start on Wednesday! I'm so excited! Why am I so excited? Well, I'm definitely not excited for my agenda. Poor thing! With my job at Forever 21, this internship, my sewing classes, my gallery expo and the boyfriend... I don't know how I'll have any time for myself anymore! I am excited though because I will get to work behind the scenes in a fashion company, so I'll get to learn how the industry works, what's going on behind the glitz and glamour and what it takes to move along a flourishing business. So, I scrunched up this Polyvore set to show you guys what I wore today. Lately a lot of my friends have come to me for interview suggestions, so I thought I'd make this idea board and share my personal tips and pointers so you can get an idea of what to do and how dress for an interview. I also had a professor in college that was like a mentor to me in all that is personal presentation in the job industry (¡Gracias, Millán!).

OK. The first thing you've got to think of when choosing your outfit for the interview is what kind of company or employer would you potentially be working for. Is it a very reserved and formal company? A more creative one or a very hip and stylish one? That could pretty much set the breaking point for the entire outfit. In this case, I was interviewing for a designer so I had to show that I am indeed very much interested in the latest trends and my personal appearance. Erika Peña's company aesthetic circles around the colors black and gold (a combination which I am very keen on lately) so I decided I should somewhat incorporate that color scheme into my look to catch her eye a bit. I used my go-to little black faux leather sheath dress from BCBG Max Azria (not shown there because I couldn't find it on Polyvore, but check it out here. It's the first one shown. I actually got it on sale for $100 a few months back for my graduation.), and I layered over it a creme colored blazer from Forever 21 that I actually got on sale for $21. I decided to give my look a kick with my Aldo leopard pumps and accessorize with a gold statement necklace and little pyramid stud earrings. The clincher: my new Aldo satchel purse in black and gold which I actually got on sale for $45. Most of these pieces I had laying around in my closet for the longest. I've had those pumps for a good five years already! Classy, timeless, and on a budget.

Based on the type of company you'll dress for, you also have to remember to always give your attire a little personal twist. I did this with my jewelry. Studs and spikes are my thing but I did it in a very classy and toned down way. I also did so with my makeup. When you do your makeup, keep in mind that it can certainly make or break you. Since I was interviewing for a creative and fashionable company, I decided to do my trademark cat eye but give the look a twist with a red lip. I used NYX Matte lipstick in Merlot ( It's not shown there. It's a darker red than the one posted above.) and let me tell you, these lipsticks are TO DIE FOR. They are eternal on your lips, they don't bleed and their color will stay as pungent 4 hours later as they did when you first applied it. I used my new Urban Decay Pocket Rocket lipgloss in Jesse and Milani's Liquifeye Liner in black which is my go-to liner. 

So, here's the run down:

• Stick to classic color palettes and neutrals with a personal twist on your outfit for any type of interview. If you're going for prints, make sure they're a bit muted and simple. Crazy prints can scream... well, crazy (regardless if you aren't).
• You can add touches of color with your accessories or one piece of your outfit. Maybe add a bright sleek scarf, a  color block blouse underneath your blazer or a bold color detail on your purse.
• Keep your makeup clean and simple. Neutral shadows or barely there makeup is the right way to go. Don't experiment with your makeup for these things that day. Stick to what you know and keep those lips classic! Same thing with nails: no neon greens or crazy attachments on your nails, please!  Also, make sure the nail color isn't chipped. That could say you're forgetful and don't pay attention to detail. If it's easier, just keep them in a skin tone color or no color at all. A clear, glossy coat should do.
• If you're going to go sleeveless, don't use spaghetti straps or expose too much skin. Always make sure it is a wide strap and take any piece that you can use for covering up your shoulders just in case. Blazers are a great way to go. It kind of gives your potential employer a look into ~the future~. A nice, structured cardigan might work too. You never know who'll be interviewing you and their take on style.
• If you're going to use a dress like I did, make sure it is a reasonable length. A few inches above the knee is fine. If you wear a shorter skirt, a dark stocking could do the job. The trick is to balance your top half with your bottom half or vice versa.
• Under any circumstance, DO NOT wear jeans to ANY interview. It doesn't matter if it's Saks, Zara, Express or even Panda Express! Jeans scream lazy, tacky and clueless. It doesn't even matter if they're dark wash or black. JUST DON'T. You want to show that you clean up nicely and can manage a polished look. That can be a real deal breaker a lot of times. A nice, clean trouser, skinny or straight legged pant should give you that professional look. You can look like a million dollars with little money! You just have to plan out your attire and be on the look out for great deals. 
• Another NO-NO: open shoes. I don't think anybody wants to see your feet exposed (eek!). Closed shoes are spot on. A classic pump looks great. The only exception would be a peep toe pump. It's barely showing anything. Keep those piggies well tucked! If you don't want to risk the pain, some flats will do you good. You can play with color with your shoes too!
• In terms of the actual interview, always practice potential Q&A's before hand. 
• Always ask the interviewer if it is necessary for you to bring any additional documentation with you. 
• Research a bit about the company you'll be interviewing with before hand. You never know if any surprise questions related to that might pop up in the interview!
• Confirm your interview the day before just in case the interviewer has had a change of plans. It also show's you're looking forward to it.
• Always show up 15 minutes before your interview. It demonstrates that you're incredibly interested, you're punctual, and it could help you out in advance like it has done for me. I've interviewed many times before others and before my appointment because I've arrived earlier, thus helping me snag the job. Don't make a photo-finish entrance on an interview. Don't go ahead and show up an hour early either, just with a few minutes in advance so both you and your interviewer settle in and prepare. 
• Take a deep breath, relax and go!

I hope those pointers help you guys out in your endeavors for the right job. I know these tips have helped me loads when it comes to job hunting!