Breakup Makeup Plan, Part 3

It's time to take, what I like to call, a "beauty dare." In my past Breakup Makeup posts, we focused on getting repaired and rejuvenated, but now it's time to unleash that inner tigress (or tiger, in my case!) and take on a beautiful beauty dare! Oftentimes when we’ve lost a relationship/job/opportunity, we become down on ourselves—I find that taking on a beauty dare can lift your spirits. This can range from the mild to the wild, depending on your comfort level, but above all, this is the step that will allow you to flex your versatility and have FUN. So color inside or outside the lines, my love, as long as you take on a beauty dare!

Dare #1: Try a Bold Eye

Don’t be afraid to ”sex up” the eye! Lady Gaga immediately enters my mind as a daring beauty diva, and part of her fierceness emanates from the eyes. She rocks long lashes, bright eye colors, glitter, and even painted-on lightning bolts with the greatest of ease. Since not everyone can pull off the lightning bolt look, I suggest easing into this dare, and one way to do that is to play with faux lashes. Laura Mercier has an amazing lash collection you must get acquainted with. If you’re going out to a restaurant with friends or with that new cutie you’ve asked on a date (since you are single and able to mingle), try a set of Mercier's "corner faux lashes," which, when applied to the corner edges of your lash line, will look like a natural extension, giving you the eyes of an innocent fawn. For a more dramatic look with volume and intensity, try Mercier’s celebrity-inspired "full faux lashes.’

Another way to sex up the eye is with one of my most requested looks—the smoky eye. It’s a subtle seduction, my darlings. For the perfect smoky eye, use creamy black, intense eye pencil. NARS makes a fabulous one that stays on all day and ALL night. if you get my drift. I also love Christian Dior’s selection of smoky eye shadows, as they have a terrific range of shades that work for all eye colors. Remember, my darlings, smoky eyes do not always have to be charcoal black, they can be colored in washes of rich brown, burgundy, and even beautiful hues of mossy green. The key steps to creating this look are: priming with an eye base, lining and smudging with a classic eyeliner pencil, and blending matte shadow across the lid. Remember—eyes are windows to the soul—so press play on your Gaga CD and sex up those eyes!

Dare #2: Dare to Go Bare

Maybe your mood is less glam and more natural. I’ve got something for you in my bag of tricks, too, dear reader. It’s certainly daunting to let go of those heavy concealers, blushes, or foundations that you might use as a crutch—but come out from under that foundation, girls, and enjoy a daring make-under! Try putting the lipstick aside for a weekend and wear only a natural-colored gloss. CosBar.com and Sephora.com both have a wonderful selection of organic lip glosses that would fantastically enhance the natural you. One I suggest you pucker up to is paraben-free Korres Lip Butter. Since part of being naturally gorgeous is taking care of your skin, I want to steer you to something that EVERYONE should have close at hand for skin protection and conditioning—my beloved Laura Mercier Lip Balm SPF 15. To say that this vitamin-rich and nourishing protectant balm is pocket-size perfection would be an understatement. Slip this into your purse and take it everywhere to combat dryness, protect your skin from the sun’s aging rays, and look fresh while going beautifully bare. 

Dare #3: Let Go of Some Restraints   

Dare to give into a beautiful temptation. Buy that handbag or pair of hot shoes that have been calling your name. Go to your stylist and have them try something new and exciting with your hair (maybe some extensions?) just for the fun of it. Stop wearing the same shade of lipstick you’ve been rocking since college and have your cosmetic artist recommend something new that will dazzle and delight the senses. Try a new hobby that allows you to create beauty, like painting, pottery, or photography. As long as you dare to step out of your comfortable box and into the better you, you can’t go wrong.

Breaking up is hard to do, my loves, but as I’ve attempted to show you, small efforts can make it easier to cope. A quote from one of the most inspiring books I’ve read, The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, says, “Decide what you want... believe you can have it, believe you deserve it, believe it’s possible for you.” I want to help all those that I can believe in the beauty that is possible for them no matter what the circumstances.

XOXO~

Andrew