Nov 25, 2012

FOTD - Subtle Sultry & A Tiny Giveaway

This is yet another attempt for a wearable smokey eye look.

As much as I love black and grey (my winter outfits basically consist of black and it's variations), I find it quite difficult to wear straight black or stark grey in my makeup looks. They just look too harsh on me.
So I tried dark browns instead.


The filter effect on Instagram does many wondrous things.




This is a close up on my eye makeup (no filter).



It is a very simple look created with black kajal eyeliner and three different eyeshadow colors.
I used the Java, Barefoot Contessa and Wheat from stila Sunrise palette.
(I left Oasis out since it was a bit too warm for the colors I was going at.)

Here is the simple steps I went through for this look.

- Fill in my folds with black kajal eye liner (L'Oreal Voluminous Smoldering eye liners in Black) concentrating on the outer corners
- Layer eyeshadow colors over starting from the darkest shade (Java on the outer corners, Barefoot Contessa in the middle and Wheat on the inner corners)
- Blend and add more colors where needed
- Apply eyeliner and mascara
- Fill in brows (I also used the Java shade for this)


Overall look
Now I know that I should NOT open my eyes wide in order to show the eye makeup colors..
but I always end up looking sleepy rather than sexy. *sigh*


I wanted muted cheeks and lips for this look, so I used a tame English rose colored matte blush  and super pale lip color.
jane blushing cheeks Blushing Petal is my favorite go-to color whenever I want to use some warmth on my cheeks but don't want to draw attention to them. 
On my lips, I put on a concealer nude colored lipstick (that I am tempted to use as concealer for real since it completely washes me out -Revlon ColorBurst lipstick Soft Nude), then topped with a darker nude lipgloss (to look alive, at least).


Makeup products used for this look
Revlon PhotoReady Makeup Shell (003)
Borghese Mineral Veil powder Ivory Veil
Milani Liqui'Eye liner (upper waterlines)
L'Oreal Voluminous Smoldering eye liner Black
Revlon ColorBurst Lipstick Soft Nude
Urban Decay Lip Junkie gloss Heavy
jane blushing cheeks Blushing Petal
L'Oreal False Faber Lashes wp mascara Black


And, please bear with me..
I've always wanted to do this pose.

"I secretly enjoy the polish smells..." pose

It came out awkward since I didn't want to touch my sticky lips..lol
I am wearing Spa Ritual Smart Cookies on my nails.
(Digging this sophisticated oxblood shade, btw)



And I just remembered..

I have another BN jane Blushing Petal blush, which would be my tiny giveaway for you.
(See the swatch HERE)


To enter, you just need to leave a comment saying something like..
"Enter me!"
and leave me your email address.

No strings attached.
No following required although I would appreciate it if you follow me on any gear of your convenience.

This giveaway is internationally open until December 1, 2012.
The winner will be announced on December 2, 2012.


Thank you! :)



Join the conversation!

  1. Your shadow is absolutely stunning. I'm completely inspired to try recreating it this weekend :)

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  2. love the eye makeup!! wow i love how you blended it, it looks like a beautiful gradient look! i'm gonna try this next time i do a smokey because i usually just pile it on lol and it doesn't look as elegant as yours :)
    ps: digging ur oxblood nails as well hehe

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  3. lol. thank you!
    i felt weird posing like that. i just did it for fun. (hoping it'd come out sexy, of course!)
    i usually just pile and blend in myself. blogging kinda pushes me to develop some new skills, i think. :)

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  4. thank you, Catherine! :)

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  5. Your makeup looks really gorgeous. I tend to use greys and browns a lot too.

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  6. hi Trishie! :)
    i agree with you. brown and soft greys are so much easier to use. ;)

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  7. This is a great look. Simple enough and also nice for an everyday look =)

    Love from the NaNa girls xoxo
    feedmenana.blogspot.com

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  8. hi Anna!
    thanks for stopping by! :)

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  9. Your makeup looks very pretty! Following you and would love to enter your giveaway. Email:buttonsapart@gmail.com. Holding a giveaway on my blog if your interested!
    http://buttonsapart.blogspot.co.uk/

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  10. hi Sita!
    thanks for adding me to your list and entering!
    following you as well. ;)

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  11. That's such a gorgeous look, it makes your eyes pop out. The gradient effect worked out really well, I sometimes have issues over blending these kinds of looks ;-) And I love the lips as well! Pretty nude color, goes really well with darker eye looks in my opinion.

    I'd love to enter your give-away, it looks like this is just my color. And I mostly just want some warmth on there as well, instead of an eye-catching effect. My address is isabelle at nailsandcupcakes dot com. :)

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  12. aww thanks Isabelle! i appreciate your comment. ;)
    this blush is very tame and understated but it works so well on any makeup look, really.
    thanks for entering! :D

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  13. Really lovely makeup and the smokey eyes it´s really soft and nude, I really like it your Blush is lovely.

    Xoxo

    Sakuranko Blog
    My Facebook Fan Page

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  14. thank you Raimar!
    you are so sweet! :D

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  15. Pretty! It looks very close to grey actually but yes that slight hint of wamrer brown makes it perfect! I really love your pose tho, haha and that np is to die for!

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  16. thank you, Teri!
    i used the black base and the browns are quite neutral so it has some grey tone to it as well, i guess.
    haha i really wanted to do one of those magazine poses, but it wasn't easy! ;D

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  17. love your eyes! I often find that I use browns too because black looks too harsh

    xo Jackie
    ...livingaftermidnite

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  18. I'm going to try this out right now1 thank you so much for sharing! You look so prettttttty~

    -liv
    http://chocolivlovelaugh.blogspot.kr

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  19. hi Olivia!
    thanks so much ;)

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  20. You look absolutely gorgeous! Love the look.
    I would love to enter :)
    sheriberrix@gmail.com

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  21. thank you Sheri!
    and thanks for entering. ;)

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  22. lookin sexy Lena ^_~ gorgeous smokey look but not too over the top. love it!!

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  23. awww thank you so much! :D

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  24. Love the look, it really lives up to the blog post title ;) I love how you've applied the shadows and the gradient effect of them. Soft Nude looks really pretty on you too. You've expertly pulled off the smelling nail polish pose too :p Would love to enter your little giveaway - my email is sleepandwater@gmail.com :)

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  25. thank you so much!
    i feel like i always do the same eye makeup only with the color variations, though.
    i wish i could wear soft nude by itself. it is a true concealer shade for me. ;-/

    thanks for entering! :D

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  26. the gradient browns look so pretty on you! and yeah I think you've made me realise why I suck at smokey eyes- maybe the blacks are too harsh on me too. will try dark browns like you have! :) entering your giveaway too :) metallicpaws(at)hotmail.com

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  27. ah nonsense, Izzy! your makeup always look very pretty. and i really like your winged eyelines. some people just look so good with that look ant you're one of them. :)
    thanks for entering!

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  28. i cant wear black either. its wayyy too harsh on me. but if i'm going for a bolder look, i'll use black eyeliner. your makeup looks sooo pretty :)

    happyleeliving.blogspot.com

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  29. thanks, Marsa!
    this post weirdly challenged me, however, so i tried it with black/grey look with the same method yesterday. lol
    turned out okay. will post it soon. ;)

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  30. thats nice make up!! thanks a lot for sharing!
    i've followed you! i'm your new follower! hope you follow me back too!
    http://www.fatiguechic.blogspot.com

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  31. thanks for following! :)

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  32. Hi Lena, I love composition of your instagram photo! I'll take myself out of the contest running, but the blush color looks really soft and beautiful :)

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  33. thanks, Dovey! :)
    i am having so much fun on instagram sharing a little bits of my everyday life.
    and it allows me to look around myself more and i get to find something new by doing so! :D

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  34. You are too funny with your poses! Always so cute girl! I love your eye makeup and ENTER ME in this lovely contest! I'm in need of a beautiful blush like that and would love to win. Fingers crossed! HAHAHA My email address is averysweetblog@yahoodotcom
    http://www.averysweetblog.com/

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  35. lol it wasn't meant to be. i wanted a sexy pose but it came out like that. oh well. ;p
    thanks for entering & good luck! :)

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  36. Hi Lena,

    Great blog and lovely post. I'm really glad I discovered your blog. Thanks for hosting this awesome giveaway. I'd love to be entered into your contest! =) Anyways, I really love this smokey eye! Your eyes truly smolder. Are you korean by any chance?

    xoxo
    Let's keep in touch, beautiful girl!I can't wait to read more!
    http://sensiblestylista.blogspot.com/
    Twitter: Sensiblestylist

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  37. hi Kimberly! :)
    thanks for visiting and entering!
    and thanks so much for your sweet comment. ;)
    yes, i am korean. are you, too? :)

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  38. That lipstick/lipgloss combination looks really good on you! I'm not good with lipgloss at all - knowing that my hair may stick to my lips makes me feel uncomfortable :P

    Enter me too, please~ I'm coffeenotesblog at gmail.com, thank you! :)

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  39. hi, Becky!
    i feel the same way about the sticky lipgloss especially i have lon hair, too!
    i like lip tint or balm better for myself.

    thanks for entering! :)

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  40. I really like how you blended the shades together on your eyes! Please enter me in the giveaway, my e-mail is selli-cosmeticpie@libero.it
    Thank you very much!

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  41. thank you so much, Selene!
    good luck! :D

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  42. Love this look on you! You look good with smokey with light lips, as well as, light with red hot lips.

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  43. thank you Alyssa!
    you're so sweet & encouraging. :D

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  44. im loving the look! really gorgeous ^_~ oh and i'm loving the blush too so I'm joining the giveaway..hehe ~
    Enter Me
    allaboutjyl@gmail.com

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  45. aww thanks, Janet! :D

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  46. That make-up looks so pretty and elegant :) I love it! I'm your newest follower via GFC.

    I suppose I'll enter the giveaway too, although I have horrible luck with these things! - erin[DOT]kristensen[AT]gmail[DOT]com.

    - Erin xo

    365mu.blogspot.co.uk - One girl's attempt at creating 365 different make-up looks in as many days

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  47. hi Erin :)
    thanks for adding me to your list. i am following you as well. ;)
    good luck!

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  48. I just checked and they still have it on beauty.com!! But thank you; either way I will get my hands on those shadows hhehehe...

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  49. hi Cassie! :)
    i think the colors from the palette are available separately as well so you can build the same palette if you like. beauty.com might still have it, too.
    hths! :)

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  50. Wow, stunning look!! And how the heck have I never heard of that stila palette before!?!??!? It looks GORGEOUS... must add it to my wishlist! Thank you so much for the giveaway as well... I'd love to be entered :)

    Cassie
    thriftthick.blogspot.com
    thriftthick@gmail.com

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  51. I will definitely try this out! I love the combination of grey and black eyeshadow, but hate how harsh it looks so this is awesome! Lovely look~
    Please enter me, and thank you!

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  52. thanks, Agatha!
    i think grey with purple or other undertone is much easier to use, too. :)
    btw, please leave me your email just in case.
    thanks for entering!

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  53. great makeup!!

    ♥♥♥

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  54. I actually can't wear browns so well...they end up looking muddy on me! But grays and blacks can look stark and cold, too. Can't win ._.

    (oh, I'm not entering! <3)

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  55. red browns look terrible on me. i look like a crazy drunk woman. ;p
    i always go for grey with purple undertone and they seem to work for me. it took a couple of mono toned eyeshadow quads for me to realize i can't wear black & white grey!

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  56. Hi Lena, love the look. Despite what I'm wearing I can never pull off a straight black or grey smokey eye. It just looks too cold. Especially if I'm using a lot of matte shadows it tends to make me look older. I love the combination of shadows you used and I think the brown definitely adds a touch of warmth to the look. The lip gloss over the nude lipstick looks great. I know the death on your lips look you're referring to.

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  57. hey Fannie! thanks! :)
    i totally agree with you. if the grey is just a combo of black and white, i can't wear. i need it to be taupe or something with purple undertone.
    browns are tough for me as well since i can't really pull off warm brown colors. ;)
    i got the lipstick based on the raves from others, but it only works as a clean base for other lip gloss colors for me.

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  58. Love the makeup! :)

    xo - Sheila
    www.sheislovelyblog.com

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  59. I love this makeup look! It looks great on you!

    Enter me!
    Coma_nik@yahoo.com

    Thanks for the giveaway!
    xx

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  60. thanks for entering!
    good luck! :)

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  61. enter me!!!
    and you look awesome..i love the smokey eye!
    debiparna_chakraborty@yahoo.com

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  62. thank you, Debi!
    good luck! :)

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  63. Enter me!!
    I love the colour.
    http://takeshapefitness.blogspot.com.au/
    takeshapefitness@gmail.com

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  64. I love your blog, makeup is a very difficult thing for me. Follow each other?

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  65. you didn't leave me any link..;-/

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  66. Enter me, please!
    Lou My make up compulsion
    amissionofbeauty@gmail.com

    Thanx!! :)

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  67. thanks for entering!
    good luck! :)

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  68. Great look :)
    Would like to be entered to the giveaway (enter me!).
    Email - kkellutska@gmail.com

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  69. thanks, Kelly!
    good luck! :)

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  70. Awww... Such a nice giveaway Lena :)
    Enter me please! ^.^
    Email: ladieshomejournal.blog@gmail.com

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  71. thanks, Fenny!
    appreciate your retweet and entering! :)

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  72. Awesome smokey look! I have seen many looks but they seem very dramatic and too much for me to try. Like yours and very "learn-able" and practical. Thanks!

    Yes, enter me please
    bgen28@hotmail.com

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  73. aww thanks so much! it means a lot. :)
    i will try to include step-by-step pictures next time.
    thanks for entering!

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  74. I also love the scent of nail polish :) don't worry, your not alone :) And please do enter me in this giveaway. Thanks, my email add is laarni.madrid@yahoo.com

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  75. lol! thank God i am not the only one. ;D
    thanks for entering!

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  76. The smoky eye is so pretty on you Lena! I love that it's wearable during the day.
    & enter me! littlemissandreablog[at]gmail.com
    Thanks for the giveaway!

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  77. thanks, Andrea!
    for me, this is dramatic enough. i'd look scary if i go for more than this. ;p
    thanks for entering! :)

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  78. Pretty look! I love the smokey eye-nude-lip combo and you can really work it!

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  79. Soft Nude looks beautiful on you :D I need that lipstick!
    You can enter me also!
    mishellesleepytime@gmail.com
    x

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  80. it will wash you out if you don't top it with something, though.
    it makes a good clean base for any lipgloss. ;)

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  81. it will wash you out if you don't top it with something, though.
    it makes a good clean base for any lipgloss. ;)

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  82. Enter me!! :)
    I really like that look...I can't wait to try that our when I get my MUA palettes! :)
    amy_he@live.com.au

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  83. thanks Amy!
    any deep brown shades can create the same look, i think. ;)

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  84. Enter me! :)
    I adore your eye makeup! Loving how it is neutral yet looks sophisticated :) xo

    http://reveriebelle.blogspot.com.au
    karen-chin@live.com

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  85. aww thank, Karen!
    good luck! :)

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  86. I'm not entering the giveaway, but I'd like to say this smokey eye look is gorgeous :-)

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  87. thanks, Pam!

    colorburst foundation works for me during the colder months but not so much in summer. it does illuminate my complexion and covers nicely but it tends to oxidize. i like that the color range is better than colorstay foundation, though. ;)

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  88. Lena, this is gorgeous!!! Btw, I see you wearing Revlon photo finish foundation.. how do you like it? it doesn't work for me ://

    oh and I'd try my luck here! enter me :))
    xx
    pam
    jadeinthepalace@googlemail.com

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  89. Lena, you're so beautiful!! You're makeup is wonderful.

    Xoxo

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  90. thank you Moeri! you're so sweet. :)

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  91. Aww Lena, you should do this more often. You look GREAT with smokey eyes! I already have way too much lying around, so I'd give this nice opportunity to other people :)

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  92. thanks, Sunny!
    i admire blogger who provide step-by-step photos...i attempted to do it once but miserably failed..;;;;

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  93. Love the eye makeup! n_n

    I'd like to enter please! email:beekyooteblog@gmail.com
    Thank you <3

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  94. thanks for entering, Bee! :)

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  95. Lol! Love the hand modeling pose. I actually really like the eye look and want to copy it tomorrow. What brushes do you use for your eye shadows? I find the generic ones around here to be too big for my eyes and have to fight hard to keep everything down close to the lashes.

    And that's a nice blush so I guess I'll enter. :)

    beautyreductionista@gmail.com

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  96. lolz. you do know it wasn't intended. i did want to look like other cool bloggers posing super cool, you know.
    i couldn't help but coming up with "i enjoy polish smells" after i saw the pic myself, though. ;D

    most of my eyeshadow brushes are cheapos from elf or sonia kashuk. i like the 1 dollar eyeshadow brush from elf and the blending brush from the studio line. they are not not that big.

    thanks for entering! :D

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  97. I love your make up! Lovely blog, following you. <3


    http://bernadette-czle.blogspot.com/

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  98. thanks so much!
    following you as well. ;)

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  99. You look beautiful:) the colors compliment you very well.

    Enter me please! Yescampos7@gmail.com

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  100. thank you, Yessie!
    and thanks for entering. ;)

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  101. hehehe. I totes dig that smelling nailpolish pose :) hahaha. I also really love the eye look here! I usually use a combo of black and greys daily, but these dark browns don't even look brown at all! LOVE it :)
    ps. I'm not entering the giveaway. I'll let others get the chance to win :)

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  102. lolz. it still makes me laugh, too. lolz ;D
    the browns are on the cold side so i could pull these off. red browns are my enemies, actually. heh heh

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  103. Wow, this eye make-up is super pretty! o: It's very enchanting; I can't help but continuously scroll up to see it again. c:

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  104. awww Junjun, thanks so much!
    you're very sweet! :)

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