Tutorial: Neutral to Night Out

You already know how versatile makeup is.  You can easily go from a soft daytime look to something more dramatic for an evening out.  We all want to amp it up a bit for a night out on the town, but have you tried neutrals at night?  Neutral... The word doesn't exactly stir visions of sexy smoky eyes, but try this look out for yourself and you may just be pleasantly surprised. 

Step 1: Foundation 

Any good look begins with a good foundation.  I have seen my fair share of fashion magazines trying to convince women that "a dab" of concealer is all you need - false.  The reality is even supermodels wear a full face of foundation, or enjoy the glories of Photoshop.  Your skin produces oil naturally, and environmental factors can dry out your skin; all of this can be controlled by foundation.  Foundation suggestions?  LORAC Cococin' Cream Foundation, Bare Minerals Original Foundation, or The Body Shop's Oil-Free SPF 15 Foundation  

Step 2: Base Shadow

Once your foundation is set, select your eye shadow palette.  Since your eyes are the focal point of your face and, therefore, your makeup, starting there helps you build the total look.  Prime eyes with your favorite, pre-shadow primer.  My current favorite? NYX HD Eye Shadow Base (did I mention it is under $10? Bonus!).  

Select a shimmery neutral shade, something to add light to your eye without heavy glitter.  I'm loving Pacifica's Duo 1:

Swipe the lighter shade from the inner corner of your eye all the way along the brow bone, blending with a soft brush toward the outer corner.  Next, apply the darker shade across your eyelid.

Step 3: Eye Shadow

Any shade from copper to dark chocolate is in the "neutrals" family and can be a part of your nighttime look.  I chose two shades from Urban Decay's Mariposa Palette: Rockstar, a purple-based dark brown, and Gunmetal (don't forget to go to your Naked palettes for other choice shades).

Follow the crease of your eye - the space between your eyelid and your brow bone.  Blend Gunmetal along the crease of your eye and follow up with Rockstar around the outer 1/4 of your eye lid.  Remember to use a fluffy shadow blush to blend everything together.

Remember the shimmery neutrals you started with?  They'll help to make blending easier and give the entire look a glow.  Tip:  Note how I've applied the darker shade at an angle starting from the outer corner of my eye and angling up toward the end of my eyebrow.  This helps to give your eye a naturally lifted look.

Step 4: Liner, Mascara, Brows

No look can be complete without a swipe of eyeliner and mascara.  Urban Decay's 24-7 eye pencils are soft and smudge-able, making it more difficult to mess up a smoky eye liner.  Simply drag the pencil along your upper lid, staying close to your lashes.  Use your fingertip or an eyeshadow sponge to gently smudge the liner.  Next, add your favorite mascara.  Start at the root of your eyelashes and wiggle the brush upward to the tip of lashes. Don't forget to comb your brows and set them with a brow gel (colored or clear depending upon your preference).

 

Step 5: Bronzer

A woman who loves her makeup cannot live without a matte bronzer.  These beautiful creatures add color and are perfect for contouring.  Too much shimmer in a bronzer can draw attention to enlarged pores and fine lines whereas a matte bronzer draws attention to your cheekbones.  I'm loving Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer.  Suck in your cheeks and find the angle of your cheekbones.  Brush your matte bronzer along this angle, which is below the apple of your cheeks (the apple is that wonderful, pinch-able part of your cheek that is front and center when you smile).  Blend upward toward your hairline.

Step 6: Lips

Apply a neutral gloss or shimmery lipstick in a neutral shade.  I used Impulse Cosmetics (see my review on these lipsticks) Opaque Matte Lipstick in Ever After.  Voila!  Your look is complete!

All of the angles you added will give you a quick face lift and add subtle sheen that won't age you.  You can experiment with the shades you already used and lighten your hand for daytime.  Now, bust out your favorite neutrals and get your night started.