Totally Wearable Tutorials: The Mysterious Emerald

Every once in a while, you'll come across a very special eyeshadow color... The kind that independently stands out from the others. With this unique eyeshadow, I've done a tutorial for a soft but not-so-classic smokey eyes that's as simple as tying shoelaces. I really really really (x10) love this look and I couldn't believe how fast and easy it was. A one-wash color has never looked so good.

Read on for the tutorial, swatches and some color talk.



Emerald: Medium-deep cool green with green shimmer. It's more sparkle than pigment so I probably won't use it as a primary lid color
Cafe Latte: Almost no pigment at all. It's very sheer and soft beige with golden-beige shimmer. Works as highlight
Black Cherry: Deep maroon with dark red shimmer. A very pretty color to darken the crease or even as a lid color for more intense eye makeup. Resembles MAC Beauty Marked but not as dark
Mysterious: You need this color! This would be the very special star eyeshadow for the tutorial. It's medium taupe with reddish undertones and GREEN shimmer. A color like this gives so much dimension that it'll rock even on its own
Pink Pearl: Pink almost never come close to my eyelids. Warm-ish pink with pale pink pearl sheen. I've used it to add glow on the cheeks.
Fresh Rose (Blush): Sheer warm rose color. Quite a general shade. Regardless, it blends beautifully.

Having been so satisfied with Everyday Minerals foundation, I wasn't hoping to find another brand of mineral foundation that I like a lot. Lumiere Cashmere Foundation is highly similar to EDM's Original Glow formula; I would not say that one's better than the other. The powder is finely-milled and smooth, providing easy blending and no caking. Coverage wise, this should be suitable for those who prefer light to medium coverage. The shade that I'm using is called Medium Warm, which is a good enough match for me.

What I like even more than the Cashmere Foundation is the Lumiere Silk Powder. It reminds me of Silica Powder but greatly better. Used over foundation as a finishing powder, the Silk Powder renders a soft blurring effect to the skin so that lines and creases become less visible. Initially, it felt kind of dry but after settling for 30 minutes or so, skin looks impeccably sliky. Unlike Silica Powder, Silk Powder doesn't leave any white casts that will show up on camera (as you can see). It's also used to help mattify the skin and contribute to oil control.

Smokey eyes are not necessarily black and there is certainly more than one way to do the smokey eyes. You can wear this sultry look to casual night outings and your eyes will dazzle. To complement the green shimmer in Mysterious, I've used Emerald on the lower lash line for a little pizzazz. Black Cherry is optional in this look unless, like myself, you prefer your smokey eyes a tad darker.

Items Used:

Face:
Benefit Dr. Feelgood
Lumiere Cashmere Foundation in Medium Warm
Lumiere Pure Silk Powder in Sand

Cheeks:
Lumiere Blush in Fresh Rose
Lumiere Eyeshadow in Pink Pearl

Eyes:
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Lumiere Eyeshadow in Mysterious, Cafe Latte, Black Cherry, Emerald
MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack
Maybelline Turbo Boost Mascara
Majolica Majorca Lash Expander Frame Plus Mascara
Daiso Auto Eyebrow Pencil
elf Brow Kit in Light

Lips:
Stage Wondergloss in Venus (Love love love!!)

Prep lid with eyeshadow primer. Using a dense eyeshadow brush, apply Mysterious up to the crease. Then, with a highlight brush, sweep Cafe Latte beneath the brow. Without picking up any more pigment, blend Mysterious upwards above the crease with the same brush used before. To darken the eye makeup, take a small crease brush and place Black Cherry on the outer-V.

Blend Black Cherry, connecting it to the lower lash line. After that, with the same brush, apply Emerald along the lower lash line. To make the eyes more prominent, line the upper lash line thickly with black gel liner using the cat-eye technique. Finally, apply mascara heavily or you may even go for natural false lashes.