Jack & Hill: A Beauty Blog - make-up, cosmetics, perfume, and the substance of style

Barry M Dazzle Dust

I just got back from the UK, with four pots of my new favourite beauty treasure: Barry M Dazzle Dust. Barry M is a British company, founded in 1982 in the New Romantic craze. Ten years ago, presumably only make-up artists and drag-queens remembered their name; now, with the recent colour trends (big article in December Brit Vogue) Barry M is enjoying a big resurgence and lots of space in Superdrug.

These pots of power shadow are £4.50 but Superdrug just had a 3 for £10 offer. They are great value for mid-range make-up, because you get an awful lot of eyeshadow in there, the colours are fabulous and they look intense and professional when applied properly. The downside is the mess. Unless you press on very tiny amounts gradually in layers, the powder falls all over your face. My daughter and I made the mistake of dipping our fingers in the tester pot and trying to put a bit of cherry red on our eyes. Within about six seconds we looked like Adam Ant wannabes at the end of a very long party. Just try this stuff on your wrist, like a sane person.

(nb: the shades above are not my favourites: they do 60 colours, including many deep, rich and flattering party-friendly non-primaries.)

Redeye

I am fascinated with red eyeshadow these days. Here is MAC Paint Pot in Artifact, described as a "dark burgundy with red pearl." The secret, I discovered, is a heavy hand. Apply too little of this and it looks like an allergy attack; slather it on and it's suddenly dramatic.

How to wear bright eye colours (in the real world)

I wrote before about the joys of my Urban Decay Shadow Box, a collection of very bright and pretty eye colours which is lots of fun to wear. But it can feel scary using shades like those, and considering the examples we are being given by the fashion press, I'm not surprised this trend is failing to catch on as much as I'd hoped. For instance, here on the left is some inspiration from a recent British Vogue. Worth copying? If you happen to be a drag queen, definitely. For the rest of us walking round the grocery store, pasting it on this thick and rainbowish could hardly be less tempting.

But things were not always this way with colourful eyes. Here on the right, we have Agnetha from Abba, in the video for Knowing Me, Knowing You, circa 1977. I think we can learn from make-up history here.

Things to note:
1. One colour of eyeshadow is all you need.
2. Black liner works well with most brights, but it is optional. You can also use the same colour of liner, or slightly darker, or just mascara.
3. Keep lips simple. Clear gloss works fine.
4. Back in the 70's, the rule was blue shadow for blue eyes and blonde hair; green shadow for brown eyes and hair. But the shades they make now are more complex and flattering, and you can experiment to see what complements your hair, skin and eyes - and your outfit. (My Urban Decay blue tones with my red hennaed hair just as well as the green.)
5. Agnetha's blue looks pretty and flattering, attractive like a pretty pair of earrings, or bright nail varnish. This is make-up as decoration, not as nature enhancement. If you've ever done super-thick black liner with flicks on the ends, this is no more "unnatural", in fact it can be much gentler.

Basically, you can have fun and it doesn't have to be outrageous. A good place to start is by just wearing coloured liner. Try gold or silver to make your eyes sparklier than ever before. The whole thing can end up being quite addictive fun- what colour shall I paint my eyelids today?

To prove this look can go beyond trapeze artists and seventies pop stars, here I am (looking very serious, struggling with the camera) in a green shadow which sings along with the green in my dress. The real-life colour is a bit brighter and prettier than in this picture. Other make-up: Mac Zoom Lash mascara, and Vaseline Lip Therapy (the one in the little blue tin, from England).

How thick is your line?

  I love low resolution cameras 
  Originally uploaded by dynamist.

I am almost always displeased with my eyeliner. I don't have a steady enough hand to do liquid liner, and my pencil lines always strike me as way too thick (or too thin). As ever, I am a woman of extremes.

How about you? Any tricks up your well-starched sleeves?

Ruby Woo

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.

Target Brand Eye Makeup Remover

  Target Brand Eye Makeup Remover 
  Originally uploaded by dynamist.

I have no idea why this doesn't seem to be for sale on Target.com, or why no other website on the whole wide internet seems to have any information about it. This is a product worth shouting about.

My friend Kelly recommended it to me on Saturday, and a few hours later I'd bought my first bottle, for a little more than $3. This puts it a good $2-3 cheaper than the L'Oréal eye makeup remover it's sold near (good luck finding it - even the store assistants found it a tricky one). It's oil-free, very gentle, and works like a charm. I'm kicking myself for not buying many more bottles.

This means I can save my tubes of the more expensive Almay eye makeup remover gel - which is fabulous itself - for travel. Those will be easier and less of a spill hazard, and can tuck right into my cursed quart-sized resealable bag for security theatre.

MAC Plush Lash Mascara

  Testing seven new MAC products! 
  Originally uploaded by dynamist.

I've been told that, internally at MAC, no one thinks much of the company's mascaras. I found that surprising, as I quite liked how MAC Mascara X separated my lashes and made them look thicker (though I still needed a coat of Lancome Definicils to lengthen decently).

This week, MAC sent me a shipment of samples which included MAC Plush Lash mascara. Boy, am I taken with this one! It separates, volumizes, and lengthens without a mess. (My only complaint about Lancome's mascaras is that waaaay too much product is left on the brush after pulling the wand out of the tube.) No wiping excess mascara off the brush with Plush Lash.

(Aside: Am I the only one who never, ever wears mascara on her lower lashes? It's just asking for trouble - and beady eyes.)

In the photo above, I'm also wearing MAC Technakohl Liner in Brownborder, MAC Satin eyeshadow in Modest Tone (the pale shade swept up to the brow bone) and MAC Matte eyeshadow in Rich Flesh (the darker shade on the lids). I very rarely play around with different shadows these days, but this combination is a keeper.

MAC Indigo eyeliner in action

  MAC Indigo eyeliner in action 
  Originally uploaded by dynamist.

The more I use it, the more I like it. (Again, it was a PR freebie.) Worn here with MAC Mascara X and MAC Lipglass in Nico Now (also freebies). Ignore my brows, which will be tidied next week, and my bedhead, which will likely remain.

MAC Indigo eyeliner

  MAC Indigo eyeliner 
  Originally uploaded by dynamist.

I am loving this (yes, it was a PR freebie), especially worn with a grey sweater and lips adorned only with balm. If your winter needs brightening, try a smudged, inky eye.

Chanel Inimitable

  Sky-Long Lashes 
  Originally uploaded by
♥ Lin Pernille Photography.

Guest contributor Helena Handbasket contributes the first in a series: The Mascara Trials of Helena Handbasket...

Two essentials for trying any mascara:

Tweezerman Iashcomb--the best in the universe

Eye-makeup-remover-filled Q-tips. A few brands make these, such as Modelco and Bloom. If you are less lazy than I you can use regular Q-tips (also known as cotton buds in Commonwealth countries) dipped in remover, mild lotion, or even plain water for non-waterproof formulas.

Chanel Inimitable

BRUSH--Closely spaced, flexible rubbery bristles. Identical to Max Factor's Lash Perfection/Masterpiece.

FORMULA--Barely wet

APPLICATION--Oh so easy! The flexible bristles allow you to apply right near the root of the lash without that infuriating eyelid smear. Not a clump in sight.

LOOK--Sexy and fluttery. Look elsewhere for volume, but otherwise this is worth paying Chanel prices for.

WEAR---Fantastic.

PACKAGING/PRICE Chanel black and gold with white lettering. Excessively priced of course, but absolutely worth it.