Happy New Year, my dear friends! I wish you a healthy and fulfilling new year. 

It's been a while since the last time I did a Look Book post. I almost always include overall looks in my swatch/review posts but I can't say I have been wearing my makeup in a creative way lately. Hopefully, I will share more of wearable makeup looks in 2021.

This is a simple yet glamorous look that I put together for New Year's Day. During my year-end vacation, I didn't wear makeup so this was the first in a while. I didn't have any particular look in mind and grabbed the items as I went. I ended up with the usual suspect (smokey eyes and red lips) but it was quite fun. There are a few new-to-me items that I used for the main colors and I will show you quick swatches of them at the end of the post.

I did this look a while ago but wasn't sure about doing a Look Book post with it. For one thing, many products I used to create the look are either discontinued or hard to find. Also, I wasn't very happy with the outcome - it's a classic case study of "personal color analysis". Some colors - in this case, green and muted rose - just require more efforts of me who usually is analyzed as a "winter bright" or "clear". It is frustrating, but I will always be open-minded towards new things and different colors/textures.

You might think Suqqu is all about those elusive limited editions but you'd be surprised to find so many elegant and easy-to-wear selections in their core lineups. I have put together a neutral makeup look that is appropriate for any occasion mainly using the Suqqu makeup in my possession. All colors used in this look are from the permanent collections. I have reviewed most of them here on the blog except for the lip gloss. These are sophisticated everyday shades that would suit many different complexions. I think it might be a good idea to look at their core lines first if you're new to the brand.

Here is the second installment of "Look Book". It is officially a series, then! 

Today's look is about blue eye makeup, lighthearted pink lips, and glowy cheeks.

I did some major decluttering around the house, and I have to say it felt so good. Although I can never fully agree with the Konmari methods, the periodic exercise of tidying up does some good for the soul. I still have a sizable stash but now it's about 65% of what I had before, and I am darn proud of it. Technically, I have less but this has helped me to better realize what I have or what don't have (aha!). As result, I have been having more fun going for different makeup looks using what I already own. For a while, I mindlessly reached for neutral eyes and red lips but now I enjoy airy pastels and shimmer again. This look is about cool dusty pink and purple plus lots of shimmers. 

Maybe it is time for me to admit that Huda Beauty Mauve Obsessions (swatched here) isn't the best-looking palette on me. I keep trying because I find these saturated mauves and purples irresistible and partly because I feel challenged. I've found most pink-based eyeshadows don't really complement my natural eye color but also make me look quite pale. The solutions would be to get new eyeballs or warm up the complexion (ditching the palette is not one of them, obviously). This post is about the latter although I have to say it's more fun to play with the first option (I mean color contacts with subtle green or gray hues, not actual eyeballs).

Happy new year, everyone!

Rather than publishing a few more posts that are overdue, I changed the blog design yet again and thought of starting a new series. This is same as good old stash shopping underneath, but I'd like to call it "Look Book". Each post will consist of a tray (an unused dinner plate, actually) of makeup products and an overall look. I did one a while ago on Instagram and people seemed to enjoy the idea of seeing these two together. The track record shows that I am terrible at doing a series so I can't promise anything, but let's have a little faith as I even made a cover picture for this one.

It doesn't make me look very smart talking about a soldout limited edition from a sale that had happened a month ago, yet here you have it. This was my first foray into the ever popular Charlotte Tilbury makeup. While it wasn't my last purchase (I did buy a few more things later on), it didn't change my mixed feeling towards the brand.

This is the makeup look that I put together a few months ago reviewing Lunasol Nuance Shade Eyes Romantic Scene (reviewed). It is a burgundy-themed makeup and obviously not very summery, but it's so sweltering hot that I wanted to pretend it's autumn and our lives are back to normal already. To think about it, I have been wearing deep jewel-toned colors often regardless of the season.

I don't know why I keep buying makeups with these muted rose hues, because generally speaking, this evergreen makeup trend doesn't play well with my own complexion. I know there are so many different colors of rose, but saturated red roses are the only ones that I feel comfortable wearing and that's mostly limited to my lips. The pinks that I like to wear are usually not described as "roses", either. Regardless, I always see people rocking these muted rosy shades on the web and naturally get tempted to try them for myself betraying my better judgment. So, today's look is my practical attempt to put these rosy-colored makeups I've accumulated into work.

As I promised, here is a makeup look featuring Tom Ford Eye Color Quad Honeymoon (reviewed here). I played with this quad for 3 days in a row because I liked it so much. This was my second try aiming for a full warm smokey with dramatic color contrast. A softer look for daily wear can be easily achieved with Honeymoon as well.

This look is about the blue-tinted contact lenses that I have been loving for some time. The whole series, LensMe Mochi (silicone hydrogel) is awesome for both design and comfort, and I have tried every color offered except for the pink. Unfortunately though, now the fun colors like the blue, pink, and green (wearing it in this look) are discontinued and this upset many fans including myself. The blue color is my favorite because of the true blue tint but it is very subtle by the unique halo design. It allows me to wear makeup with low-contrasting colors.

Until recently, I had stayed away from this popular makeup trend, contouring. If the broad concept of contouring includes both highlighting and shading, then yes, I've been contouring. But, my idea of adding dimensions to the face is more about luminosity and for that, I have almost entirely relied on highlighters. I paid very little attention to shading products or bronzers. I did not own a real concealer nor did I know that many people use concealers to contour, not necessarily to cover up blemishes. 

I had a video conference yesterday and although I didn't have to, it seemed a perfect excuse to wear some makeup. It did feel weird in a way because I had been makeup-free for more than 10 days. Before this stay-home period started, I barely managed to put on sunscreen, some powder, and lippie of the day and did not feel like wearing makeup on most days. Now I miss it. To think about it, what I miss may not be the activity itself but the routine that was a part of my version of the norm. 

Back to the look, it is rather a simple one with neutral eyes and glossy red lips. Here I am wearing Romand Glasting Water Tint in Red Drop (recently reviewed here).

I put together a very simple yet bold look using two recently reviewed items - Pat McGrath Platinum Bronze (reviewed) & Givenchy Le Rouge Framboise Velours (reviewed). 

Huda Beauty Smokey Obsessions is a great neutral smokey palette with a good mix of matte and shimmer plus a rather excellent matte black (you can see the swatches here). Unlike the Mauve Obsessions, I find this one very easy to wear and versatile. Please read on for the look I recently created with this universally flattering palette.