The risk you with a dramatic change of hair color is that none of your clothes or makeup will work with the new look. The Kiehl's tinted moisturizer I'd been using happily for months now suddenly looked a bit ruddy with my new blonde, as did my earthier lipsticks, so off to MAC I went, in search of some colors with a bit more, ah, va-voom.
First, all bottle blondes need a perfectly pitched red lipstick, and mine turns out to be Ruby Woo, a bluish red that goes on bone dry and has a true eggshell finish. Because it's so dry, it can be applied with precision, stays in place well and never comes off on my teeth, smears or feathers, so I do not end up looking like a crazy old lady. It's the rare red lipstick that I can completely forget I'm wearing.
Next, I found a perfect color match in MAC Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15 foundation in NC30, and it, too, has a retro matte finish without feeling dry on my dry skin. Where the Kiehl's had a pleasantly warming effect when my hair was cooler and darker, this has a yellow cast and curiously enough, looks buttery instead of sallow now that my hair has a yellow tint to it as well. (I have noticed that right after I take the big heat curlers out, my hair looks like nothing so much as a giant kernel of buttered popcorn.)
Finally, I found myself craving a true white eye shadow, to go with the creamy beige skin and red lips, so I picked up some eye shadow in White Frost. I have taken to using MAC Paint Pot in Bare Study, a nude with some shimmer, as an eyeshadow base, as it resists creasing and gives a little glint to the eye. This seems to be the new cult product, too, as it's currently sold out. I keep it below the crease, as a shiny browbone makes this look veer catastrophically into the 80s, then just dab the White Frost over the center of the lid as a white highlight.
That's Summer Look #1. From this picture I can see that I need a more defined brow to finish it off. Coming soon.
Hillary, this is a gorgeous picture of you.
Posted by: Franziska | April 23, 2008 at 08:09 AM
Loreal's HIP brand also has shimmer eye creams in little tubes (just like oil paint tubes). There is a vanilla and also "nervy" a shroomy shade - I'm newly in love with both as both grip hard all day for solo or base use and you can even do a little vanilla shade and a little shroomy accent and have 12 hour eyes in moments. Many drug stores have HIP on sale or buy one/get one often so the price can't be beat.
Posted by: MJ | April 23, 2008 at 12:44 PM
I love Ruby Woo - it's the ultimate red lippy!
Posted by: Joy | April 25, 2008 at 06:21 AM
What a gorgeous sexy pic!
and yes, those shiny browbones- the horror! I wonder when they'll roll back around.
Posted by: Alice Bachini-Smith | April 25, 2008 at 06:40 PM