Tutorial: Purple Lipstick Evening Look

First off, just wanted to apologize for the lack of posts.  I am busy preparing for wedding season and learning how to style hair as well (undos and whatnot).  I don't mean to neglect my blog, especially since it is still pretty new!  

Here is a tutorial for a relatively simple look that works well for night time, and the purple lipstick is a little bit unexpected compared to a red or pink.

1.  Prep skin with moisturizer of your choice. If you live in a cold climate (or have dry skin), the more moisture the better!  I like to blend Mario Badescu's AHA and Ceramide Moisturizer with some BareMinerals Tinted Moisturizer.

2.  Conceal dark under eye circles and any redness (acne, rosacea, etc) with concealer of your choice. This step ensures an even skin tone that will not compete with the lipstick shade.  I like Nars Creamy Radiant Concealer for the under eye area and Bobbi Brown Touch Up Stick for the rest of my spots.

3.  Apply foundation (if you want or feel you need it), like BareMinerals Original Foundation with a big brush.  If you prefer liquid foundation, I also suggest using a stippling brush or Beauty Blender sponge for flawless coverage.

4.  Apply bronzer to hairline, down the bridge of your nose, cheekbones and jawline. Then apply a light peachy pink blush.  I routinely use Nars Laguna Bronzer and Orgasm Blush.

5.  Fill in your brows!  If you want to know how, watch my video tutorial:)

6.  Prime eyelids with your favorite primer to ensure long-lasting eye makeup.  As you may have read previously, I LOVE Urban Decay's Original Priming Potion.

7.  Apply waterproof black eyeliner on upper and lower waterlines, smudging into the base of the lashes.  This does not need to look perfect, since it will be blended for the finished look.  I love Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil in Zero.

8.  Using a pencil blending brush dipped in a cool-toned taupe eyeshadow, blend and smudge the eyeliner so the line looks diffused and soft.  Blend from the lash line up toward the lid.  You can add more liner to the waterline if you prefer.  I used Urban Decay's Naked 2 Palette for the eyeshadow (I believe I used "Pistol")

9.  Swirl on a lighter eyeshadow ("Verve" is the shadow I used) onto the lid using an eyeshadow blending brush (no need to use a shader brush).  Then with the same shade of eyeshadow used to blend the liner, apply color to the crease of the eye with the same blending brush.  Blend until everything looks as seamless as possible.

10.  Curl lashes and apply mascara of your choice.  I think I used L'Oreal Voluminous here.

11.  Line lips with a neutral lipliner, then apply purple lipstick straight from the tube  (I used my favorite MAC Heroine lipstick).  Blot lips with a tissue and you are good to go:)

Please let me know how you like this tutorial and / or if there is anything you would like to hear more about!