Spring 2014 Wearable Beauty Trends

With Spring 2014 officially here (based on the calendar but not according to the snow on the ground), I am compelled by my beauty instincts to talk Spring trends of 2014. If you reside in the mid west of the states or anywhere in Canada, I am sure you have been hit with random snow days (with more approaching said the weatherman).  Don't be in despair soon old man winter will fail. And with that being said, lets start with the trends to come!

The Lips

Soft berry (like) lips are always a staple where the is hope for longer days of sunlight and warm weather, and this year is no different.   Think radiant orchid (Colour of the year 2014)!

The much talked about Bright Orange Lips, which could easily be worn if you take into account, your skin's undertone isn't for the faint at heart but lining the lips with a darker hue (reds, browns, purples-yes! purple), to create a 'wearable' ombre effect can make this trend easily wearable and fun!

Some of my favourite orange/shades of orange lippies come from MAC cosmetics.  Namely Morange, Lady danger, Hot chaud and Saigon Summer- all of which are available in the regular line. 

The Eyes

Then there was blue, a hue of any blue on the lids will create the perfect match for the warmer weather to come!  Am I the only one who is excited to match Blue eyes and Orange lips?   Will be bold but so beautiful if done right!

Where there is blue, there is green and this season this is no different.  Use a pop of green on your lids to freshen up any look!

The magical ethereal white eyeshadow is a hit this Spring. Therefore if you aren't into the bold blues or dashing greens, you can tone it down with a quick wash of a frosty white.

Metallic eyes are also very in for Spring 2014, wear this bold look in the evening by easily smoking it out. Rustic golden lids featuring pigmented orangey coral lips.  Can you see I'm still 

excited about THE orange?

Cat eyes, whether the season is always a fun route to take and this season is no different. Use your favourite liquid or gel eyeliner to create this bold cat eyed look.  

I find with the warmer weather approaching and my very oily skin, gel liners will be my best friend for the weather to come due to the staying power.

Skin

Now that drab winter has dried out our skin, it's time to get dewy and radiant. Remember to moisturize your skin and feature some glowing highlights and bronze where needed! 

This season features bold colours.  Remember trends are always open to interpretation so have fun, be you and stay beautiful!

What are your favourite Spring 2014 beauty trend?

Guest Blog: Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place Flawless Wear Concealer

Conceal, conceal, conceal. It’s not that you have anything to hide, let’s call it enhancing some problem areas. At least that’s what I tell myself when I conceal my under eye. If you’ve been looking for an undereye concealer I’ve got just the one for you. Two words, one famous brand. Estee Lauder.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place Flawless Wear Concealer, retail price ($27 CAD, 0.24 oz) is my everyday staple concealer. Very lightweight and provides great coverage quickly with its sponge applicator. Check out the picture below:

Without Camera Flash

With Camera Flash

 This concealer ranges in various colours from Extra Light to Extra Deep. I happen to be a Deep (see image below). When I’m rushed for time, trying to head out at 7:00am, this concealer allows me to save time quickly. I absolutely love it. I own other concealers, but this has been my favourite for my everyday work look.

 So you get the gist of it, appears as a darker colour before on application, but when the flash is used appears lighter in colour. I call it concealer magic. See below the boxes the applicator comes in:

   

Your best friend is a concealer. Don’t leave home without it. It’s a bit pricey, but in comparison to other high end brand concealers, I’m loving it. I've had this concealer for approximately 5 months, and it shows no sign of slowing down. It’s best to be lighthanded. I’d highly recommend trying the entire Double Wear line from Estee Lauder, especially if you have combination/oily – more towards oily skin type. This concealer lasts me my entire day from sun up to sun down.

Left eye: with concealer                          Right eye: Without concealer

 What’s YOUR favourite under-eye concealer?

Would love to hear from you!

- XO CW

Getting to know a little bit more about me

I wanted to share a little bit more of me with my readers.  So here goes....

As a child and into young adolescence I had a nag for art (visual) as a late teen and into adulthood, I took that skill and love for makeup and combined it.  As a result, I became really good at makeup application.

Self taught freelance makeup artist

My favourite high end makeup line: YSL and Make Up For Ever
My favourite drugstore makeup line: Milani and Revlon

My favourite high end skin care line: Boscia, Estee Lauder and Ole Henriksen
My favourite drugstore skin care line: Neutrogena and Body Shop

My favourite Canadian makeup line: Annabelle Cosmetics
My favourite Caribbean makeup line: Sacha Cosmentics

Hobbies:  I love cooking and nail art (I find it therapeutic).  If you follow my instagram (@daredbeauty) you could see weekly pictures of recipes prepared and nail art done by yours truly.

Blogger secret:  This isn't my first blog.  When I was in my late teens into young adulthood, I had a journal blog.  Unfortunately after a few years, I ended it.

Obsessions?  I have a shoe collection within a full walk in closet and a vanity overstocked with makeup.  In a nutshell, anything that relates to beauty and fashion, I am obsessed.




Share something with me in the comments below, that other bloggers might not know about you?

My Natural Hair: Protective Style

Kinky Twist
(warning #bareface) 

For those of my blog readers who aren't aware, I am a naturalista with fine 4c type hair.  Within the recent months, I have found my hair has not been doing so well with the harsh dry cold weather we are receiving in  Canada. Yesterday I decided to sit and finally install a quick (5 hour) protective style.  I haven't done an install on myself in over a year so I wasn't sure how it would turn out, but to my surprise, I did well and wanted to show my handy work! 

My 'perfect' attachment (planting)

Nape area (didn't do small parts to avoid tension)

My apparent 'fine' hair 

Are you having hair issues due to the harsh weather?  What steps are you using to protect your hair as much as possible?

My wearable Valentine Look and NOTD

Valentine's Day for me this year meant to keep it simple sultry and sexy (with a pop of Spring).  Here is what I came up with.

Nude Eye using different tones of brown
Lips: OCC Hoochie (no lip liner)

Lip: OCC Hoochie and MAC Heronie

Milani La Vie En Rose Polish

Did you do a Valentine look?  Leave a message and I'll definitely check it out.


Follow my instagram (@daredbeauty) for more makeup looks and Nails of the Week.

My Eyebrows

If you don't have eyebrows, you don't really have a face.

Saoirse Ronan

I have recently become obsessed with perfecting my eyebrows.  Especially since I was over waxed and desperately needed to remedy the situation for my own confidence.  With a lot of experimentation, I have finally found the 'perfect' products that make my brows look 'back to normal'.  With this new found regime, I wanted to share my finds.

Here are some before and after pictures! (excuse the lack of makeup #barefaced)

Before

After

Impressed?  So was I!

Here is a list of products I used to get my 'perfect brow'.  Oh and did I mention it doesn't budge (even with my oily skin!).

Products:

Anatasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow™ Pomade (creamy smudge-free, waterproof pomade that glides on skin and hair smoothly to create clean and defined brows) available at

Sephora/Ulta

Mac cosmetics Studio fix Concealer (I prefer to use a thicker concealer to ensure clean lines and great coverage

Annabelle Eyebrow in medium brown (allows me to get a more faded brow beginning by toning down the brow pomade)

Tools:

Tarte eyebrow brush (came with Amazonian clay waterproof brow mousse) Great double ended brush that came with a spooly on one end and angled brush on the other.  Offers great application.

Cala Brow/Liner Offers great persision for cream based products (I use this for applying the concealer)

Splurge vs. Save (Dupe Version): Make Up For Ever Aqua Shadow vs. Shadow Eyez 12 Hr Wear

Top: Make Up For Ever (Aqua Shadow) in 30 E
Bottom: Milani (Shadow Eyez) Champagne Toast

One of my favourite high end makeup brands is Make Up For ever, due to the versatility in products and overall quality. With that being said, high end is always going to be pricey and today I come with a dupe to one of their popular products (with a dupe shade!).

As I was cleaning through some of my shadows and pencils I stumbled across Make Up For Ever Aqua Shadow and Shadow Eyez 12 Hr Wear. When I saw them at a quick glance, it seemed to be the same colour. Yes, ladies I wasn't aware I had a hiding dupe in my stash. As much as I love makeup, I am not one for buying two of the same product! So I decided to do a quick swatch to confirm what my naked eyes already knew. And guess what? Same shade, finish and texture. I am referring specially to Make Up For Ever Aqua Shadow (30E) and Shadow Eyez 12 Hr Wear (Champagne Toast).  Both shades can be described in colour as a pearly pink beige.

Let's Look in Depth

Side by side comparison! (Can you spot the difference?

Formula:

Though I consider these two dupes (very close to being identical), the Milani champagne toast has a very slight frostier finish. However has seen in the swatch above, they look the exact same when tested against my skin tone!

Longevity:

I have to say that both formulas, stand the test of time. I wore both for 10 hours and the wear of them were the same!

Packaging Details:

Make Up For Ever Aqua Shadow (4 grams of product), I find aqua shadow to have a more secure cap on the pencil. Which in the long term prevents the product from drying out.
Milani Shadow Eyez 12 Hr Wear (2.8 grams of product), has a bit of softer application (applies smooth as butter!)

Final Thoughts: Definitely SAVE! If I knew I had the Milani shadow pencil in champagne toast, the Make Up For Ever Aqua Shadow would've stayed on the shelf :)!



Have you ever found a dupe in your stash?