November 18, 2008

Look: 50's red lips with Benefit's Lipstick in Frenched

I reached home last Sunday to find my father looking bereft. Mom was supposed to accompany him to a black-tie wedding dinner and she bailed on him. So, despite my exhaustion and scruffiness I agreed to accompany him and do the impossible - get ready in 30 minutes flat. I think I kinda succeeded. How'd I do it? Read on to find out:

With only half an hour to freshen up, get dressed and slap the makeup on I decided to forgo my usual smokey eye look and test out the old chestnut, "bright red lipstick is instant glamour". Plus I was dying to try out my new Benefit Silky Finish Lipsitck in Frenched (RM75 normally, RM25 at the warehouse sale). It's a lovely, very intense, cool cherry red with a creamy finish that brings back the swinging 50's.

Not having time to wash my hair, I refreshed it with Batiste dry shampoo, and slicked it back into a high-ponytail, securing it with my firmest black elastic.

Since I already had nude day-makeup on, I blotted, dusted over a fresh coat of mineral foundation, and mattified with powder. Then I lined my lips and carefully, with a lip brush applied the (truly silky smooth) lipstick, blotted, and reapplied until I achieved the intensity I wanted. The lipstick is naturally moisturising and lightly glossy, so no gloss or balm was needed!

With the strongest element on my face in place, I cracked out my new favourite, Benefit's 10 powder box (review pending, and yes I'm a Benefit 'gal). The bronzer and pink highlighter contoured my face, emphasised my cheekbones and gave me enough colour so I didn't look flat or washed out. I also dusted some bronzer on the sides of my nose and used my EM Eye Kabuki Brush to apply a streak of highlighter down the bridge of my nose. The effect is subtle, but I like to think it helps. =D

As I already had brown eyeshadow in place, I perked it up with a dusting of shimmering Cashmere eyeshadow (Silk Naturals), and refreshed the brown in my crease. Then I amped up the black liner, applied a fresh coat of mascara. And I was done!

What do you girls think?

Products Used
Face
Za Concealer, Silk Naturals Heavy Coverage Foundation in Buttery Gold, Silk Naturals Oil Control Primer, Pure Luxe Silica Powder.

Cheeks (and nose!)
Benefit 10 Bronzer / Highlighter Duo

Eyes
Silk Naturals shadows in Live (shimmery cream), Bittersweet (shimmery dark chocolate) and Cashmere (warm velvet shimmer pink), Prestige Waterproof Automatic Eyeliner in Black, Shu Uemura Ultimate Expression Mascara

Lips
Urban Decay LipLiner Pencil in Urban Cowboy, Benefit Silky Finish Lipstick in Frenched

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

*is bowled over* Gorgeous! I love that red lip! And I like Benefit's Silky Finish lippies too!

beetrice said...

half an hour to dress and spruce up your face? woman, i'm AMAZED... :) *heart*ing the red lippie too!

Kahani said...

Ooh thanks ladies! 'Tis the power of the red lippie! Intant glam. =)

Paris: I'm so addicted to benefit it's NOT funny. They're so pricey!

Beetrice: You should check out the 'classic' red Chanel lippies. I have a feeling they'd suit you - they were a bit too matte for me. =(

Btw I have a free internatiional shipping coupon at the old rate of US$100 that I think will still work. Lemme know when you girls are hankering for stuff and we'll bring it in!

Anonymous said...

Half an hour? Woman, thou art my hero :p

And the red lippie? Tres chic darlin' ;)

Kahani said...

lilsweetkatz: Thank you so much!

Tine: I think I may keep pulling out the red-lippie look. Seriously it's so much easier and faster than a smokey eye.

Anonymous said...

You look just gorgeous, K. And excellent point about red lips as a faster option than the smokey eye -- in most cases. (Sometimes a smokey eye is as quick as black liner on inner rims and smudged out, but it takes a confident hand.) Now I wanna go red-lip myself *grin*

Kahani said...

Ooh, thanks Janine. But lol I gotta admit that my eyes in the pic ARE smudged eyeliner. It takes so SO much more to get a smokey on me... *sighs*