I tend to get a lot of wacky ideas in my dreams. Usually, they seem great when I'm half-conscious, and then I wake up and realize that they make no sense at all. (The logistics of that doll-factory movie do not work, me!)
Other times, I just have terrible nightmares about being chased into rooms with too-tiny doors, or I dream about beautiful architecture. The latter is actually quite frequent, which makes me think I'm some kind of amazing, lucid-dreaming super-genius. I will literally build houses with my brain in my dreams, and if something doesn't look how I want it to, I get all magician-like and morph it with my mind until it looks right. I wish real life was like that! Everything would be amazing!
But it's not, except for this one instance.
Yeah, last week, I dreamt up this makeup look, right down to the exact lip shade. I think it was partially inspired by having just seen The Great Gatsby and being absolutely transfixed by Carey Mulligan's fantastic makeup. She had this lilac-y, lavender tone on her lips and incredibly gleamy cheekbones that hinted at the horribly hot Long Island summer air, which I remember being enamoured by when I first read about it in the book back in senior year.
Personally, I find that overheated sweatiness very sexy. Soft humidified wavy hair and flushed skin, fanning yourself with some elaborate paper fan, lightly dusting yourself with rose-scented talcum with a big ol' puff, and wistfully sipping a grapefruit-and-gin.
I mean, being hot in reality actually sucks. There are many times in the middle of summer where I've been tempted to jump into public fountains. But that's beside the point; I don't want to ever focus on the actuality of things, but the flight-of-fancy aesthetic interpretations.
So this is my flushed, rich flapper look for people with modern-day air conditioning. Look sweaty, don't be sweaty, ya dig?
It's also a very easy look because I used only five products, and the easier the better, no?
The first step was to get the eyes looking all seductive and sleepy and a bit smoky, so I smudged MAC Eye Shadow in Sable (described by MAC as a "gold-plum with bronze pearl"--ooh) onto my entire lid, a bit up into the crease, and along my lower lash line, just using my middle and ring finger.
Then for sooty, glossy lashes I applied a coat of Clinique High Impact Mascara to my upper and lower lashes, let it set for about a minute, and then applied another coat for even more volume.
For my face I kept it simple and summery, and used a big fluffy brush to blend Lancome Star Bronzer Natural Matte Long Lasting Bronzer Powder in 02 Sunkiss onto my cheekbones, the bridge of my nose, tip of my chin, and temples. I'm so obsessed with bronzer this summer, you guys, and this is one of my favourites.
Finally for the face, I used one of my favourite beauty products ever, RMS Beauty Living Luminizer, to highlight my face and give myself that glowy, dewy, slightly sweaty look. I applied it at the top of my cheeks, just below my eye socket, up onto my cheekbones and in a curve that led up to my browbones (with my fingers!). I also added a pinky fingertip application to my cupid's bow.
TIP: This stuff should go on last, because if you apply it before any powder products, they will stick and look all patchy and weird. So yeah, this is your final face step.
And then, for that dreamy, perfect lip colour that I can only really describe as "orchid"--not quite purple, not quite fuchsia, just purrrrfect--I used OCC Lip Tar in Hoochie. I applied it with a Q-Tip so that it went on as more of a stain.
Oh, did you notice I cut my hair? I guess it's a little hard to tell here. I'll write an article all about that soon. I highly recommend the lob (long-bob) for summer. I feel so much lightah.
Anyway, tell me the best idea that ever came to you in a dream.