Golden Bronze Eyes

Here's a new look inspired by the great weather we've been having lately! Summer is right around the corner, and what better way to warm up your look than bronze, gold, coraly pinks, and peaches!

1 Apply foundation all over and concealer in areas of concern (under the eyes, around the nose, on any blemishes) and set with a translucent powder.

2 Buff a shimmery bronzer down the back of the cheeks, onto the temples and around the hairline. Lightly dust it onto the bridge of the nose and chin as well for a truly bronzed look. Apply a shimmery apricot coloured blush onto the apples of the cheeks.

3 Pat eyeshadow primer all over the lid and press your bronze gold shadow from lashline to crease.

4 Apply your light gold shadow along the lower lashes, through the crease of the eye and just above the crease. 

5 Stamp a pink champaign highlight colour onto the inner corners of the eyes for a complimentary highlight.

6 Using and angled brush and a shimmery black shadow, lightly trace along the outer half of the top lashline. It will create a softly defined liner look and help to camouflage the false lashes we'll be applying later. 

7 Apply mascara lightly to upper and lower lashes and apply a black or dark gold pencil liner on the inner rim of the eyes.

8 Choose natural feathery lashes, apply glue to the strip and wait 30 seconds for the glue to get tacky. Place the lashes first in the centre and then tuck in your inner and outer corners. Try using tweezers and looking down into a mirror when I apply my false lashes.

9 Pat on a light pinky coral lipstick. This colour plays beautifully off of bronze, and golden sunkissed looks!

I hope you're enjoying this look and the great weather!

Products Used:
Benefit Total Moisture Face Cream
Lancome Foundation
Two Faced Concealer
Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder
Benefit Bronzer 'Hoola'
Urban Decay Blush 'Score'
Anastasia Brow Powder 'Ash Blonde'
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Urban Decay Eyeshadow 'Half Baked' (light gold)
Nars Eyeshadow 'Lola Lola' (warm bronze)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow 'Sin' (pink champaign)
Nars Eyeshadow 'Night Clubbing' (black)
Laura Mercier Mascara
Laura Mercier Pencil 'Black Gold'
Quo Lashes '806'
Shiseido Perfect Rouge Glowing Matte Lipstick 'PK224 Sugababe'

xo candice
www.candicegroen.com

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Quick Tip: Blending Edges

No matter what look you do, it will always look amazing if your edges are properly blended! Here are a few tips on how to easily blend harsh edges.

My best trick for blending shadow is to use a matte eyeshadow colour close to, or just slightly lighter than, your natural skin tone and to apply it onto the brow bone and just along the edge of your eyeshadow. It will automatically help blend that edge and won't look like you've placed any additional product, but just have a perfectly blended edge! This trick is especially great for blending out harsh edges that, no matter what you do, are giving you are hard time and just wont blend out! Matte shadows can be hard to find sometimes, but have a look at brands like MAC and Makeup Forever... they do great matte shades!

Another great tip is to remember that blending is one hundred times easier if you blend with a clean brush that has no product on it... so have several blending brushes on hand. Brushes are expensive but are a necessity for great makeup! What's the point in having tons of amazing eyeshadow colours if you don't have the proper tools to make them work to their full potential? My favourite blending brush of all time is the MAC 217 (which I have three of)! It's the best for blending edges with ease, and also works great to deposit shadow all over the lid and into the crease!

Try out these two ticks and let me know how they work for you! You're guaranteed to be a blending master if you follow this rules!

xo candice
www.candicegroen.com
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Get Perfect Eyeliner... Every Time!

I know that eyeliner can be very difficult for some people, so here are a few of my best tips and tricks for you to start scoring the perfect sharp eyeliner look!
Celebrities really love this look and you'll see it on a lot of ladies like Angelina Jolie, Lauren Conrad, and Nicole Ricci!

1 Practice: My first and best tip is practice practice practice! I've done eyeliner on myself and others hundreds of times over many years so I've had tons of practice, so liner comes much easier to me now... but when I first started playing with it I had a hard time!

2 Choose Appropriate Products: Are you going to be using a liquid, gel or pencil liner? Pencils will give a softer look and are great for smokey eyes. Liquid and creams (gels) will give a much more precise and sharp line and are great for flicks and winged liner looks. If you are going to line the water line (inside of the eye) use pencils or creams... make sure you NEVER use a liquid liner on the waterline! Experiment with brushes. For me... super thin pointed brushes work best. You may find that an angled brush is easier for you. I highly recommend cream liners for beginners because they are much easier to work with. (My favourite ones are by Clinique and Bobbi Brown)!

3 Steady and Set Up: Before getting started you want to make sure you have a steady surface. Resting your elbows on a table will help steady your hands and prevent your hands from shaking when coming toward the eye. Resting your pinky or ring finger on the cheek while lining your eye will also prevent a shaky hand.

4 Focus on the lashes: Try to imagine that you're lining the root of your lashes as apposed to lining your lid. This will ensure that you get nice and tight to the lashes, and will help you get a very thin line. Most people tend to start tight to the lashes and then naturally slowly raise the liner coming up to high. If you think that you're drawing it on the lashes and not the lid, it will help you stay close and thin to the lashline. Always start thin and slowly build your thickness as needed. Generally you want a very skinny, barely there line at the inner corner of the eye that gradually gets thicker toward the outer corner.

5 Map It Out: When it comes to adding in the popular eyeliner flick my best trick is to use an angled brush and a powder eyeshadow close to your skin tone to mark out guidelines of where you want your flicks to be. Because the shadow is light and temporary it is easy to remove and redraw as needed. This is going to get you perfectly symmetrical angles. Theres nothing worse than uneven eyeliner! Unsure of where to place those flicks? Imagine your lower lashline extended out past your eye... this is where the flick should be.. it will be unique to each individuals eye shape. Avoid a flick that is too low (it will make your eyes look droopy and downturned) and avoid a flick that is too high (it will look awkward and cartoonish).

6 Keep your eye open: Do what is easier for you, but I find it is best to apply your eyeliner with the eye open looking down into a mirror. If you close and stretch your eye when you open and let go the line wont be anything like you thought it would! Keeping the eye open ensures you're placing product exactly where you want it... plus, stretching and pulling on the delicate eye area isn't ideal! Start from the centre of the eye and move back along the lashline in small short strokes. You can extend the line toward the inner corner afterward.


7 Take your time: Work slowly. Eyeliner looks quick, easy, and effortless but taking your time and slowly building a perfect sharp line is what it's all about!

I love having fun with my eyeliner... here's a fun liner look I did last year!

Leave a comment and let me know if you found this post helpful!

xo candice

www.candicegroen.com

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Quick Tip: Bold liner

When I'm in a rush I think the easiest thing to do is quickly throw on basic makeup (like concealer, bronzer and mascara) and then run out the door. But if I need to move quickly and still want to wear fun makeup this is one of my favourite things to do!

Throw on a cute flick of a bright liquid liner! My favourite is blue but this works great with any coloured liner to add a pop of colour and fun to your look!

I hope you enjoyed this quick tip!

Products Used:
Makeup Forever Aquarelle 'Bright Blue 3'
Dior Show Extase Mascara

xo candice
www.candicegroen.com
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Nars Summer 2011 Inspired Turquoise Shadow!

As promised... a look inspired by the Nars Summer 2011 Collection!

The light teal shadow in the visual comes high up straight onto the brow bone. In my version I only use the light teal just above the crease to make it more wearable. I also added a fun sparkle to the lid!

1 Apply foundation all over and concealer in area's of concern. Set with a translucent powder.

2 This look is all about contoured and bronzed cheeks so buff your bronzer high in the hollow of your cheek, straight back and up into the temple and around the hairline. Slowly build your contour so that it is quite defined. I used a matte cream bronzer first, and then a shimmery powder bronzer to create depth.

3 Pat an illuminator on top of the cheekbones. This will aid in achieving that glowing dewy look to the skin.

4 After applying your eyeshadow primer all over the lid, apply your darkest teal shadow close and tight to the lashline on the upper and lower lashes.

5 Press a mid toned teal all over the lid from just above the lashline to crease, and all along the lower lashes, wrapping around the inner corner as well.

6 Blend your lightest teal shadow into the crease of the eye to blend out your darker colours.

7 With a deep teal or forest green pencil liner, rim the inside of the eyes top and bottom before applying mascara to the lashes.

8 Press a blue or green toned light glitter ontop of the shadow on the lid and along the lower lashes for added sparkle and shine. I used a very fine glitter that looks more modern and lightly accents the look.

9 Apply a light nude lipgloss. My lips always show up very pink in pictures... in person they are quite pale and frosted.

 The sparkle didn't photograph well with the flash. Here are some not so great shots, but you can see the glitter a bit more!

This is actually a very simple look with few steps. These teal colours are so pretty for summer on any skin tone... and another great way to where this colour is in a bold eyeliner! (Laura Mercier makes a pencil liner called 'Black Turquoise' that is especially stunning on dark skins)! And don't forget that when making a statement with your eyes, you want to keep the rest of your makeup quite neutral.

I hope you enjoy this look as much as I do... until next time!

Products Used:

Lancome Absolute Replenishing Radiant Makeup '210W'

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage 'SC01'

Laura Mercier Translucent Powder

Anastasia Brow Powder 'Brunette'

Nars Multiple 'Cap Vert'

Nars Bronzer 'Laguna'

Nars Illuminator 'Orgasm'

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Urban Decay Eyeshadow 'Green Goddess' (light teal)

Urban Decay Eyeshadow 'Haight' (mid tone teal)

Urban Decay Eyeshadow 'Loaded' (dark teal)

Makeup Forever Diamond Powder 'White Turquoise 7'

Makeup Forever Aqua Eyes Pencil Liner '20L'

Diorshow Extase Mascara

Nars Lipgloss 'Harlow'

xo candice

www.candicegroen.com

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Review: Nars Summer 2011 Collection

Omg have you guys seen this stuff?! I'm going crazy over the new Nars 2011 Summer Collection that just hit Sephora's at the beginning of the month.

Nars has always been one of my all time favourite brands, but I haven't been so impressed with a collection by them in so long. It screams true to all the summer trends with bright washes of teals, greens and blues on the lids, and hot pinks, corals, and oranges on the cheeks and lips!

I had a hard time choosing which products I wanted to pick up and add to my Nars collection because I really just wanted them all (and then some)!

Here's the visual for the summer collection which you can expect to see me doing a makeup look on soon! They're also featuring blusher in 'Desire' with this collection, which isn't a new colour but has made me fall in love with it all over again! Think matte, hot pink. Amazing on the darkest to the lightest skin tones and perfect to sport with a sexy summer tan. New lipgloss in 'Wonder' is a bright juicy orange which is sheer but still very pigmented (similar to lipgloss in 'Easy Lover' which is a bright juicy amazing pink). Gorgeous on it's own and incredible over your peaches, reds, and pinks to turn them into custom made trendy summer orange lips. Another super unique product from Nars this summer is their limited edition Highlighting Blush Powder in 'New Order'. It has a very sheer light pink wash of colour with warm golden sparkle and oh my goodness it's to die for! It's not like the 'Super Orgasm' Blush chunky silver sparkle... it is very fine and warm. Check it out! Also check out the Duo Eyeshadow in 'Dogon' because it's another truley unique colour. The deep navy blue and taupe colour actually shine a teal/seafoam green in the light and are so pretty! Both are really flattering colours to make a deep smokey eye or a more defined natural look!

I love all of the products from this collection, the colours, textures, and and quality are all amazing!

Nars has also come out with a great bronzing collection based on their world famous bronzer 'Laguna'! Check out the new 'Laguna' illuminator, body bronzer, multiple, and limited edition zip up case featuring Nars' three star products... 'Laguna' Bronzer, 'Orgasm' Blush and 'Albatross' Highlighter! Love love love!

xo candice

www.candicegroen.com

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My April Favourites!

My first April favourite has to be the Ole Henriksen On The Go Gel Cleanser for normal/combination skins. This is by far my favourite cleanser ever ever ever!! My skin is normal to dry and this cleanser doesn't leave my skin feeling dry and tight after I've used it. My skin feels clean and soft, and looks fresh and bright after... plus it smells amazing and removes all of my makeup (even mascara!). It's a bit pricey ($38) but it's a massive 355mL bottle that lasted me, no joke, 7 entire months! I even got it for my sister and she loves it too. So, if you've been searching for a great cleanser check this one out! You won't be disappointed.

This next product is one I talked about in my 'What's In My Makeup Bag' post... the Nars Sheer Glow Foundation. This foundation is ideal for normal, normal to dry, or dry skins. Nars also makes a Sheer Matte Foundation for normal, normal to oily, and oily skin types. This foundation looks so natural on the skin, is lightweight and smooth, and delivers a light to medium coverage. Another cool thing about this product is that with regular use, it will help improve skins texture, radiance, and brightness! I find myself reaching for this foundation on a daily basis, and it mixes in beautifully with my moisturizer if I want just a sheer veil of coverage.

I haven't had the chance to play with this product much but it's one that I'd really like to get my hands on soon! I'm usually not a huge fan of Smashbox products for some reason, but I recently got to play with their highlight and contour palette and I fell in love with it instantly! It may not look like it but it works great for all skin tones and comes with a highlight, contour, and bronzer! The highlight has a very subtle sheen to it (gorgeous) and it comes with a small angled brush as well as instructions on where to place all of the colours! This is a great products for girls who like natural looks (these colours would work great as everyday eyeshadows too) and for girls who love to play up their cheeks!

And lastly, I've been loving my Burts Bee's Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream. I like the fresh lemony scent and it's a great little size to through in your bag. I've been finding that the skin around my nails has been very dry and peely lately with the weather changing and this really helps to soothe and hydrate. I don't know how much these usually retail for but I grabbed mine from Winners for about $3!

What products have you been loving this month?

xo candice
www.candicegroen.com
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