Face of the Moment: Berry Picking

Inspiration: See my comments on Karen's page. I was just about to visit the MAC store at Ala Moana when I realized that it was on the same floor (and a few blocks across the way) as the Apple Store... which means that I'm deathly sure that the mall was going to be crowded with all sorts of geeks and trendspotters. I was also inspired by the rich colors of summer - the blue sky, fresh fruits, and especially the ocean. Not to mention the blue satin nightgown that I'm wearing in the photo, which looks more like a dress, and all the picnics I'll be attending tomorrow.

But it all came down to this: I have two MAC eyeshadows named Vex and Contrast. And I do know how to use them.

Skin: By now I'm finding myself reaching more for the L'Oreal mineral foundation than for any other foundation, if for no other reason that I'm finding that the mineral powder stands out more in pictures. In combination with the BareMinerals All Over Face Color in Warmth, it's actually a great way to come up with a shade that's as good as my own skin, but so much better. And, yes, I did forget to put on some concealer under the eyes this time. Hopefully, I'll be able to rectify this situation soon.

Eyes: Because this is a "test" shot (since, um, I'm not actually going out tonight with this face) I decided to skip the mascara and the eyebrows. Here's how the whole deal looks:

• MAC Vex (pale green-gray w/ pink shimmer) all over the lid and browbone as a highlight/wash


• Stila Twig (bronze/brown) in the crease and lid


• MAC Contrast (purplish-blue with blue shimmer) as close to the lashline as possible

I still love Vex because it's got the amazing ability to cancel out the dark tones on my lid, and the pink shimmer is so feminine and happy-making. That said, nothing still beats the combination of Vex with Club (and oh, how I mourn the loss of *that* eyeshadow), but combining it with Contrast yields a really pretty combination of icy pink and blueberry-purple - a Jamba Juice-worthy combo if there ever was one. I slipped the brown in there to make the look a little warmer, but next time I'll try the combination again with a more yellow-toned gold or beige.

Lips: This time I used the Jaqua Girls lip gloss in Tuscan Orange - which still looks mauve in the tube, but if you look at the picture above you'll see how the gold slips through, giving the whole deal a pretty blood-orange hue. Still a nice contrast to all that intense blue and purple on the eyes.

Hair: Tied back in a ponytail. Keeping it simple. :)