Make Up By Magda

This speaks volumes, L’Oreal!

Magda — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 04:05:34 +0000

Do you remember in the 80s when the first Walkmans came out and everyone thought they were the coolest thing EVER!? And then the 90s introduced us to Discmans, an improvement on the original concept? No way could this possibly get any better, so we thought…Lo and behold! The 2000s graced us with iPods and mp3 players. Far superior to the original wonder…

This, my friends, is exactly how I feel about L’Oreal Voluminous mascara

My love affair initially began with that grey little tube of wonder. The texture, the brush, the colour! All traits to be desired. This original diamond in the rough already had an upper hand on some of the department store brand ( I’m talking to you, Mr. Dior!). Providing ample volume AND length, it was a dream come true. And it only got better from here…

As someone who looooooves dark, thick lashes (yes, I’m THAT girl! ), version 2.O was a much welcomed tweak! L’Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black, really kicked it up a notch, giving that dramatic, soot-y look…not for the shy and subtle And the brush? Oh, the brush…separation, magnification and lengthening, a winning trifecta! Pretty sure I’ve personally boosted the L’Oreal shares from the repeated purchases of this alone. This is my personal go-to, as well as for clients, as it never flakes and wears like a champ…

You can only imagine the squeal of joy when I feasted my eyes on the newest addition to this series, L’Oreal Voluminous False Fiber Lashes. For someone that dabbles in falsies (there, I said it! ), this was a dream come true! All of the above PLUS the appearance of falsies minus the work. That’s one equation I can follow. Suspended within this formula are actual fibres that adhere to your natural lashes increasing their length and volume! Though it may not stop global warming, research money well spent, L’Oreal, I say!

I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before L’Oreal improves yet again on this gem, and you can be sure I’ll be keeping my voluminously lashed eyes peeled

Ladies, are you lovin’ this as much as I am? Let me know…

From 9 to 5…and beyond!

Magda — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 18:22:49 +0000

Well, hello there blog world. I feel like I’ve been absent for eons. Work has kept me occupied and away from providing you with my “two cents”. ( Who knew there were so many people in need of translation?!? A.k.a my day job ) Since I’m unable to channel my creativity in that direction ( something about “accuracy and fidelity” ) I figured I’d redirect it over here .
A little while ago, you saw me (well, sort of ) raaaaave about the Wet n’ Wild here. Well, words aren’t worth much unless there is concrete proof to back them up! And since a couple of you requested a look using this palette, I am merely giving the people what they want..( If you build it they will come? No?!? )
Well, let me tell ya, I’ll do you one better! I can honestly say I’m VERY amazed by the versatility of this palette, so I decided to show you two looks: an everyday, more subtle look appropriate for work, and an edgier, evening look for after work. And the beauty ( pun fully intended! ) of it is, that you can attain the edgier night look by merely building on the existing day look all from one palette…Bonus!

For this look I primped my lid with MAC Painterly, and then applied the colour labelled “lid” to… the…lid! Next, using a fluffy dome brush, I applied the colour labelled “crease” to the…you ready?…crease! ( with me so far?!? ) Lastly, I lined my upper lash line with Yves Rocher Waterproof liner in Black and smudged it with the shadow labelled….”definer” ( had you going there for a while, didn’t I?) To finish it off, I applied L’Oreal Carbon Black mascara to curled lashes…all in under two minutes! ( Man, I should do infomercials! )

For this one, working with what I already had, I applied a smidge (scientifically defined as “don’t overdo it or you’re screwed”) of the “definer” shadow in the crease, and blended it out with a fluffy dome brush. The unbelievable pigmentation of these “definer” shadows makes them apply more like a silky, smooth cream rather than a powder. UNREAL! Next, using any residual shadow I had on the fluffy dome brush, I applied it to the lower lash line. To add a bit of drama (the good kind) I lined my water lines with the same Yves Rocher liner, and threw on a pair of lashes! Voila!

Eventhough, the second look is a bit more fierce, it’s still neutral enough that you can pair it with the oh-so-of-the-moment bright lip. Like a bright coral, or even fuschia. But, just keep the blush subtle…otherwise you’re ready for a whole OTHER profession!

Thanks for reading!

P.S. Both of these looks were created using the left side of the palette. For my rendition of the right side, you gotta stay tuned!

All is not gold that glitters…it may be bronze!

Magda — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 19:18:39 +0000

As I mentioned here, a few weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending the IMATS show. One of the seminars presented was by Kevin James Bennett, titled “Runway Redefined”. He had recently keyed the Flaguni & Shane Peacock show during NY Fashion week, and mentioned that there was a HUUUUUUGE trend for metallics. ( you can watch the interview here) He then proceeded to give the model a stunning coppery bronze eye. Well, let me tell ya, that man sure knows his makeup! ( not two words I often use in the same sentence )
Since this is a look I gravitate towards VERY often, I was glad to hear I’ve been au courant this whole time!
Normally, on days where I feel ‘uninspired’, I reach for MAC Bronze, and top it off with MAC Teddy liner. For my rendition here I decided to kick it up a notch, adding some gold….

Nars Ponderosa Cream shadow-base
MAC Bronze-lid
MAC Woodwinked- inner corner * I think that’s what it’s called It’s the same shadow I used here

Coastal Scents Black Gel liner

L’Oreal Carbon Black Mascara-applied to curled lashes

Yves Rocher Waterproof liner in Black-waterline

Lashes-Ones I bought at IMATS

Fluffy dome brush-application and blending

I like this eye look best paired with peachy-pink blush and a fairly nude lip. Depending how heavy handed you wanna be, it can either be quite subtle or really dramatic…

If executed properly, the sparkle in your eye won’t be the only thing shining!

So tell me, do you ever take inspiration from the runway?

Magda in IMATS land…

Magda — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 05:15:04 +0000

This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending IMATS (International Makeup Artist Trade Show) in Toronto. To say I was like a kid in a candy store is an understatement (if this post disappears halfway through it’s because the drool running down my chin fried my keyboard ) Not only does it feature many brands unavailable in Canada, many sell at ridiculously discounted prices! Yay!
Being the responsible mommy, I made myself a “wish list” with a budget beforehand, and the first thing I did as soon as I stepped foot inside was get rid of it! (at least the budget part! )

I got there on the first day, a little after noon, and the place was PACKED! Like a determined hockey player on a breakaway, I headed for the Crown Brush booth. The lovely lady handed me a rather large basket, and I let the good times roll! A mere 15 minutes later, 7 brushes had accumulated! I picked up a small contour face brush, a large fluffy eye shader ( I use these for powder),a duo fibre crease brush (I’ve been DYING to try these, thanks EnKore Makeup!), a stiff medium shader, 2 fluffy dome brushes ( you always need a backup for the backup, right?!? ), a small contour brush, and a mini kabuki. At these prices (between $2-$5) I’m surprised this is all the damage I did…

Next, I scoped out the OCC booth. I’ve been curious to try this brand for a while, but was waiting to see the products ‘live’. Their famous lip tars where on display and within seconds the back of my hand resembled an abstract art painting. After much deliberation, I decided on Grandma, a pinky, bright coral ( LOOOOOOVE them corals!) Also, since their nail enamel had been getting much hype, I decided to test-drive it as well. I picked up two bottles of Extravaganza ( a certain Marta at Chitchat Nails will be getting one too… I had to get a second opinion, you know… )

Ok, 2 down and 456578 more vendors to go! Further feeding my brush addiction off to Royal&Langnickel I went.. A bent liner brush and a medium stiff shader were begging to be taken home, so I caved…

The single conscious thought that DID stick in my head during this state of euphoria was that I MUST pick up Nurturing Force blotting paper. I love, love, LOVE this stuff! The one I bought smells like roses…*swoon*

Just when I thought my retail endeavours were done, I came across lashes at Nigel’s Beauty Emporium. Done.

Yup, 7 pairs are mine…this drawer doesn’t replenish itself, you know!

With bags in hand and a grin on my face, it was time for the learning component. Even though, I love Eve Pearl I chose to attend the Kevin James Bennett seminar instead ( I heart him!) He’s a phenomenal public speaker and a wealth of knowledge. He demonstrated a du jour metallic eye look…tres chic! (keep your eyes open for my rendition coming up soon!)

Slowly coming off my buzz and still giddy, I decided to head home to test this stuff out. Let’s not kid ourselves, I barely made it to the car before I was trying it…

Anyone else attend IMATS?

A brow raising rant…

Magda — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 05:45:09 +0000

Ok, I’m about to, unapologetically, use today’s post as a rant/therapy session. There. Consider yourself warned!
During one of my recent shopping escapades, I’ve noticed there are a LOT of people out there with some reeeeaaalllly gnarly brows. Which, for me, brings a wise, age old saying to mind: WTF?! ?It completely infuriates me (steam coming out of ears and all ) to see some of the ridiculousness out there…
Sure, we’ve seen various offenders in this category. Whether from neglect, like this specimen

Or, over zealous plucking like this one here

Neither one produces a desirable effect. I just can’t fully grasp why people would willingly aspire for the “deer in headlights” perma-surprised effect?!? On the other hand, brows neglected enough to the point where they obstruct your vision aren’t great either. There’s a fine line (pun completely intended ) between proper grooming and completely distorting the natural shape of the brow. This is the one feature that can single-handedly change the complete appearance of your face. Thin, overplucked brows can make your face appear fuller than it actually is. Take this for example:

See?!? Your brows should be framing your eyes subtly, without distracting from your other features ( If you can’t stop staring at someone’s brows during conversation, chances are SOMETHING’S off! ) Ones in proportion will begin at the inner corner, hit their highest point over the iris and finish at a 45 degree angle from the outer corner. This can be achieved through various methods, tweezing being the easiest. If you’re gonna attempt this one on your own, take a white eyeliner and outline the shape you’re aiming for while standing a bit away from the mirror. This will give you a better perception than looking up close. And, never, ever free hand it in a magnifying mirror!!! You’re bound to look like Joan Rivers.

Recently, I’ve been hearing that waxing may not be the best approach as it tugs on the delicate skin surrounding the eye and may lead to sagging over time. Ugh, can’t have that, which is why I’ve switched to threading. Pretty impressed, I must say! Threading definitely eliminates the post waxing swelling and redness…
Also, for you ladies with fairer arches, tinting may be an enticing option. It gives definition and can really make a huge, yet subtle difference…Brows tend to lose colour as we age (and in the sun!) so tinting them might give you a sharper (read: youger looking ) appearance…

With the various emotions raised eyebrows can convey, let your well groomed ones do all the talking…

Which method do you prefer to groom your brows, if any?

P.S. Formore on eyebrows, check out this post from Alicia at Funny Face Beauty…

I’ll sugarcoat this…

Magda — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 18:01:46 +0000

A while ago, during one of my London Cosmoprof escapes with Marta, I picked up China Glaze Sugar Plums. I was suuuuuuper excited about this colour, as I do love me some plums. That excitement hit the ground, face first, after I applied it. The colour in the bottle is a gorgeous reddish plum with multi-coloured micro glitter. Once applied, it looks gritty and grainy and the glitter is BARELY visible…ugh, such a disappointment
Taking my “half-full glass” approach I decided to “fix” it…yay, stamping

Like fixes like, right?!? Taking China Glaze 2030 and Konad plate m63, I applied a swirly stamp to try to enhance this measly polish…
Not too shabby…However, even after applying a stamp AND topcoat (Essie Good to Go) the graininess was still visible. Hmmm, maybe I’m just new to glitter polishes?

Note: There is a ridiculous amount of sparkle ALL OVER my hands from those Christmas beads

Much like other sugary confections, this one looked impressive initially only to disappoint later…

So, tell me, do you find other glitter polishes grainy?

Chocolate, with a flair…

Magda — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 15:26:50 +0000

So, the polish I’ve used in today’s post has been sitting in my stash for a while, just waiting to be used. It was given to me by Marta, as part of one of her Poland hauls ( for those of you that don’t “know” her personally, she’s one of my bestestest friends not only because she feeds my polish addiction, but also because she is one of those people you truly cherish having in your life!)
Well, this particular colour I’ve been staring at, and thinking what exactly I could do with it. The shade itself, Essence Absolutely Stylish, is quite peculiar because its a rich chocolate brown creme, but within is suspended a bright green micro glitter visible only at the right angle! Quite striking, really…

Letting my creative juices flow, I decided to add a little “zing” to it. Using China Glaze Robotika, and Bundle Monster plate 216, I applied a half stamp. I figured, that way you get the best of both worlds, the gorgeous polish by itself on the bottom, and a little excitement up top ( like a mullet…kind of…business in the front, party in the back? )

After seeing the final product I realized that the Robotika stamp was contrasting enough to stand out, yet still subtle enough to not distract from the stamp or polish….

Yup, this chocolate definitely has enough flair for my liking…

What do you prefer, subtle stamping or contrasting stamping?

Seeing things rosy…

Magda — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:04:56 +0000

It’s Wednesday. I know a lot of you lovely ladies wear pink, but as we’ve seen here I don’t. Can I has pink eye instead? No, not the kind readily spread by snotty first graders! This kind…

MAC Painterly- lid primer

Joe Fresh Vintage Pink-lid colour (are you starting to see a pattern here? )

MAC Cranberry- crease

Nars Mandchourie (the darker one)-crease

MAC Naked Lunch-inner corner, brow highlight

Yves Rocher Waterproof liner in Black-upper lashline

L’Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara

Andrea 21 lashes

My first endeavours into this new realm of pink happened when i fell in love with MAC Cranberry, and realized how much it accentuates my eye colour. The only word of caution, ladies, when working with anything with red undertones is to be careful when putting it near your waterline. It will immensely amplify any redness you already have in your eye…
The way to make something this bright wearable, as we learned here, is to pair it with a neutral. I used a greyish navy (navy is KINDA neutral, no? ) in the crease and the bottom lash line. Normally I’m not a big fan of a harsh black line along the lash line, but in this case I think it adds structure to the whole look and anchors it quite well…

Sporting such colourfulness today, the world took on a completely different hue…

So ladies, are you also feeling adventurous today?

A Walmart gem…

Magda — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:55:08 +0000

Usually when I use those two words in the same sentence it refers to the various “gems” that can be found on the pages of http://www.peopleofwalmart.com . This one, however, truly earns this title.
After reading various reviews on many sites, including Temptalia and Makeupalley, I decided to hunt down this little treasure. The “pot of gold” I’m alluding to is the Comfort Zone palette by Wet n’ Wild. Yup, THAT Wet n’ Wild, notoriously known in the 90s for frosty lipstick and chalky shadows. Well, they’ve definitely stepped up their game!

Primed, indoor light Primed, natural light
The 8 shadows in this palette are incredible! Not only are the pigmentation and colour payoff UNREAL, I swear a bunch of them are exact dupes (quality and colour) for MAC shadows. Oh yeah, and this set set me back $4.64 for EIGHT shadows. I almost felt like I was stealing…almost
So, on the top of the left side we have a yellow beige labelled “brow” ( for you novice ladies ) which really reminds me of MAC Rice Paper. Next, we have a warm peachy pink labbelled “eyelid”….*cough* MAC Jest *cough*. This is followed by a warm bronze shadow labelled “crease”. No joke , this is an exact dupe for MAC Bronze, which I have gone through 674535 of. The last one in this column is labelled “definer” and really, really reminds me of MAC Beautymarked, though a bit lighter.
On the right, up top, we have a grey shadow with a pearlescent sheen labelled “browbone”. I find this one to be thisclose to MAC Vex. Below that is a warm green labelled “eyelid”. This is probably the only one that I couldn’t find a dupe for. Still very pretty, though. Right underneath we have a grey with a gold shimmer, which is meant for the crease. OK, I lied. I don’t have a dupe for this one either . And the last one in this column is a brown with a greenish duo-tone. Very, VERY reminiscent of MAC Club. Word of caution, the “definer” shadows are SUPER pigmented and are kinda dark to blend out in the crease. Let’s just say I MAY be speaking from experience
So there you have it. That’s what I call beauty on a dime…
And I have a funny feeling that the gems AT Walmart won’t be sporting the awesomeness OF this Walmart gem

Question: would you be interested in seeing a look using this palette?

Birds of a feather…

Magda — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 16:23:33 +0000

Hi, my name is Magda and I have an addiction. To makeup that is! So much so that when I see the various wonders nature has to offer the first thing that comes to mind is “How can I take this concept and translate it into makeup?!?” Take peacock feathers for example. The average person sees the unbelievable melange of rich, saturated jewel tones. I see an eye “look” . Yeah, it’s THAT bad…
So, when I recently saw these magnificent feathers popping up all over the runways and in accessories, I figured it must be a sign! I MUST recreate! Aaaaaannnd….voila!

MAC Painterly-lid primer

Joe Fresh Peacock-lid colour

Kat Von D Johnette-outer lid

MAC Bronze-crease

MAC Coppering-inner corner * I’m not a 100% sure on this, as all my shadows are depoted and the name is gone

Nars liner in Campo de’Fiori-inner corner

MAC liner in Teddy-upper lashline and lower waterline

L’Oreal Voluminous False Lashes Mascara

Andrea 21 lashes

I’m a big fan of jewel tones to start with, so putting them together only seemed like a natural progression. Don’t get me wrong, this is definitely not a Saturday-morning-Home-Depot-shopping kinda look, but in the proper setting it’s quite stunning! It being Hallowe’en today, the opportunity is definitely there to test drive it…

And if you ask me, these colours flock together quite well…

Ladies, what do you take inspiration from when it comes to makeup?