Brunette Ambition (23 page)

2.
Using a cream color base and a flat eye shadow brush, gently pat a wash of fun color across your lid, building up the density of the color gradually. Violet, blue, green, and pink are all fair game. Then take a shimmery powder of the same color and pat more on. The shimmery powder will stick to the cream base beneath.

3.
Take a mascara in the same color family and wiggle the wand back and forth underneath the top lashes, to work the color throughout. Apply mascara to the bottom lashes by holding the wand vertically and swiping it like a windshield wiper.

4.
Apply a light pink gloss to the lips, skipping liner.

SUNDAY BRUNCH

MESSY BRAID WITH NATURAL TEXTURE

1.
Take a bit of light styling cream or lotion in your hands, warm it up, and then rake it through your hair to give a little hold and glossiness.

2.
Pull all your hair behind one of your ears (whichever you prefer), and then create a classic three-strand braid. Secure with an elastic.

3.
Tie a bit of ribbon at the bottom in a knot, not a bow—a slightly undone knot is best because a bow will look too precious on a braid that isn’t supposed to look perfect.

4.
You don’t want a lot of loose hair around the front of your face, so spritz hair spray onto a natural-bristle toothbrush and clean up any flyaways. The toothbrush is better than a reusable mascara wand when you are looking to tidy hair (rather than tuck it into an updo).

BUSINESS MEETING

WINGED LINER + BERRY LIP

1.
Before you apply liquid liner, angle your face up while looking in the mirror, and then stretch your eyelid to the side so it’s smooth and taut. Start about halfway across your lash line, pushing the liquid liner as close as possible. Apply light pressure to draw your line, increasing thickness as you move to the outer corner of the eye. Once you’ve reached the outside corner of the eye, look straight into the mirror and wing up the liner with a flick. Then carefully connect the wing to the rest of the liner. The more aggressive the wing, the more retro the look.

2.
Take a pointy Q-tip and douse it in a little eye makeup remover. While looking at yourself in the mirror, refine and sharpen the wing. Clean up any mess. If you want, you can take a little brush and face powder and tidy it even more. Then apply a lot of mascara, wiggling from the base of the lashes up.

3.
Take a blush brush and a very neutral, understated blush that is matte and has no shimmer or glitter, and brush it across your cheeks. Don’t make it too specific or too concentrated; instead you want something that’s slightly more amped than your normal skin tone.

4.
Pout your lips, and apply a berry-colored lip stain with your ring finger. Don’t use a lip pencil, and don’t finish the look with a gloss.