The Best Black Liners

I love winged liner! The cat eye, the flick - it can be thin, thick, sexy, smokey, edgy, chic, timeless, classic, and everything in between.

That gorgeous elongated shape it creates is flattering on everyone. Here are some of my favourite deep black liners to use when rocking one of my favourite looks!

Cream
Laura Mercier Creme Eyeliner in Noir

Clinique Brush-On Cream Liner in True Black

Liquid
Physicians Formula Eye Booster Pen in Ultra Black

Kat Von D Tattoo Liner Pen in Trooper

NYX Liquid Black Liner

Pencil

Nars Larger Than Life Eyeliner Pencil in Via Venito

Stila Smudgestick Pencil in Stingray

MJ Inspired Cut Crease

You guys know I'm a sucker for a mod 60's look so naturally I had to put my own spin on this Marc Jacobs Beauty promo image.

Pro Tip

Lightly filling in your brows with a pencil or powder will keep a dramatic makeup like this looking grounded and polished. Without the brow grooming the makeup is noticeably incomplete and can start to look messy.

Eyes and Brows

Shu Uemura Hard 9 Brow Pencil in 'Seal Brown'

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Bare Minerals Eyeshadow in 'One Hit Wonder'

Make Up For Ever Eyeshadow #60

Laura Mercier Creme Liner in 'Noir'

Illamasqua Liquid Metal in 'Phenomena'

Buxom Amplified Mascara

Marc Jacobs Mascara

Complexion

Kat Von Dee Tatto Lock-It Foundation

Tarte Smooth Operator Concealer

Tarte Smooth Operator Setting Powder

Laura Mercier Dune Bronze

MAC Beauty Powder in 'Oh, So Fair!'

Bat Those Lashes!

The easiest way to make any look glamourous? Glitter and lashes! Here's an easy look that's simple and fun for the holidays!

(The eyes were super sparkly, but didn't pick up in the photo's very well, sorry!)

1 Apply foundation all over and concealer in areas of concern. Set with an illuminating powder to maintain the look of glowing skin.

2 Blend a sheer golden bronze blusher or bronzer onto the apples of the cheeks, back through the cheekbones, around the sides of the hairline, and touch the nose and chin. This sheer wash of glistening colour will give the skin a healthy, glowing look!

3 Apply gold glitter all over the lid from the lash line up to the brow bone.

4 Line your upper lash line generously with a black cream, cake, or liquid liner and extend the end into a dramatic flick.

5 Lightly coat your lashes with mascara before applying a pair or long and thick, wispy lashes for lots of drama!

6 For a more sultry look, apply a deep gold pencil liner onto the waterline (inside of the eye).

7 Lightly coat the lips with a sheer pinky gloss for a more natural look... or go glam with a bright glossy red!

(click photo's to enlarge)

Products Used:

Diorskin Airflash Foundation

Givenchy Mr. Light Concealer

Stila Illuminating Powder

Bare Minerals Healthy Radiance

Sephora Collection Retractable Brow Pencil '04'

Lorac 3D Liquid Lustre Drops

Laura Mercier Cake Eyeliner 'Black'

Burberry Volumizing Mascara

Velour Mink Lashes 'Naughty Me'

Laura Mercier Kohl Eyeliner 'Black Gold'

Bare Minerals Lip Gloss '7 Layer Cake'

xo candice

www.candicegroen.com

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Modern Pinup!

Here's a more modern take on the classic pinup look! Think sharp brows, sharp liner, and a sharp lip line!

 I originally had black liner on the waterline but decided to take if off for the final look. For my girls who can't live without lining their waterline... this look is great that way too!

1 Smooth on primer and apply your foundation. Pat concealer under the eyes and on areas of concern.
2 Buff on bronzer high in the back of the cheeks, temples, hairline, and chin. Buff a bright pink blush onto the apples of the cheeks.
3 Strongly define the natural shape of your brows with a pencil. Then using a powder further define the shape, paying special attention to creating a bold arch and sharp edges.
4 To further define the edges of the brows trace along the bottom line with a light concealer and blend downward.
5 Dust a light champagne coloured shadow all over the lid from lashline to brow bone and lightly define the crease with a matte brown shadow (or use your bronzer).
6 Press a fine glitter all over the lid from the lashline to the brow bone.
7 Slowly and carefully draw in your eyeliner with a gel or liquid liner and create your flick. Make sure to tightline the upper lashes (inside the eye under the lashes) so that there are no gaps showing. For tips on how to perfect your eyeliner check out my Get Perfect Eyeliner... Everytime post!
8 Apply a light coat of mascara to the upper and lower lashes before applying your lashes tight to the upper lashline. Remember to wait 30 seconds for the glue to get tacky before placing the lashes. Try looking down into a mirror and using tweezers to apply your lashes. (I'll have a post with some tips for applying falsies in the future)!
9 Powder under the eyes and in the t-zone with a translucent powder.
10 Draw a fairly thick line around the lips with a red lip liner. Apply hot pink lipstick and a purpley pink glittery gloss on top! Having the lipliner slightly darker than the lip gives the lips lots of dimension!

(click photo's to enlarge)

I wish the glitter would have photographed better... it really sets this look apart! The glitter and pink toned lips make this classic look much more modern. Do you think you can have some fun with this makeup look? It works great with cute retro hair styles!

Product Used:
Benefit Pore-fessional Primer
Makeup Forever HD Foundation '120'
Stila Perfecting Concealer 'C'
Korres Wild Rose Powder 'WR3'
Laura Mercier 'Warm Bronze'
Urban Decay Afterglow Cream Blush 'Quickie'
Anastasia Brow Pencil 'Strawburn'
Urban Decay Eyeshadow 'Buck' (Matte Brown)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow 'Virgin' (Light Satin Champagne)
Two Faced Eyeshadow 'Like A Virgin' (Matte Dark Brown)
Makeup Forever Diamond Powder 'Champagne 11'
Clinique Gel Liner 'True Black'
Laura Mercier Lengthening Mascara
Sugar Lashes 'Flirt Angel'
Annabelle Lipliner 'Flame'
Makeup Forever Lipstick '36'
Two Faced Girls Dig Pearls Lipgloss 'Tropical Pink' (discontinued... you can find similar colour in the Lorac 3D Glosses and the MAC Dazzleglasses!)

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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Retro 60's Look

I recently did someones makeup who requested a modernized 60's look. She used bright colours but I really love the traditional black and white. This has always been my favourite makeup era to recreate because it's such a bold look, and it's really when face painting and riskier makeup really started to take off!

1 Apply foundation all over, concealer in area's of concern, and set with a mattifying translucent powder. Pay special attention to highlighting under the eyes with concealer.
2 Sweep your light pink blush from the apples of the cheeks back and up to the temple. I used a matte blush because this was common of the 60's but you can use shimmery blushes as well.
3 Pat your eyeshadow primer all over the lid, and sweep your nude eyeshadow all over from lashline to brow bone.
4 Map out the general shape of your crease with your grey eyeshadow and an angled brush. Take your time lightly making your guidline.
5 Take a pointed blending brush and apply your grey shadow to the crease in windshield wiper motions. Slowly build the colour by blending your edge then adding more. (I love Stila's Eyeshadow Brush #30 for doing this).
6 Take your black shadow and angled brush and deepen the crease colour slightly.
7 With a gel or liquid liner trace along the upper lashline and create a flick that meets up with your grey crease shadow.
8 Run a white pencil liner all along the waterline (inside) of the eye and onto the inner corner of the eye. Blend a bit of the liner under the brow as well.
9 With your angled brush run your grey shadow along the lower lashline and apply mascara to the top and bottom lashes.
10 Apply a thin strip of glue to your lashes and wait 30 seconds (for the glue to get tacky) before applying your lashes. I apply my lashes with tweezers by placing the lash in the middle, and then tucking in the sides.
11 Finish by lightly smoothing concealer over the lips, and then adding a nude lipstick, lipgloss, or both!

Getting the correct positioning and angle of the crease colour can be tricky with this look which is why I suggest lightly mapping out a guidline with your angled brush before going ahead and really defining the line. Work slowly to avoid mistakes.
This is a fun look that can be adapted to suite a more wearable, everyday makeup.


Products Used:
Benefit Total Moisture Facial Cream
Nars Sheer Glow Foundation 'Santa Fe'
Laura Mercier Secret Concealer 'SC-01'
Anastasia Brow Powder 'Brunette'
Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush 'Dollface'
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Stila Eyeshadow 'Nude'
Stila Eyeshadow 'Storm'
Makeup Forever Eyeshadow 'Black 4'
Laura Mercier Full Blown Mascara
Nars Eyeliner Pencil 'Iceberg'
Makeup Forever Lashes '023'
MAC Creme Sheen Lipstick 'Innocence, Beware!'
Laura Mercier Lip Glace 'Baby Doll'

xo candice
www.candicegroen.com
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