FEATURE: Lovestruck with a Glass Trick

I love New Years... it's like looking out a beautiful horizon. It's a "becoming" and nothing best fits the schedule than to seize it.

Instead of a frownie, let us all think positively and envision a great year. Perhaps "love" will be climbing up our wall.

When I searched for the Lovestruck campaign ad, I didn't expect such beautiful dress! Behold, it's fashion's most perfect expression of being Lovestruck. Very sexy, sculpts the body very well and is enchanting. Very Vera Wang. Judging by the campaign, it's obvious that the inspiration for the fragrance is the classic love story, Romeo and Juliet. Lovestruck evidently is a scent that captured the feeling of a woman "struck" by love, and enveloped by passion. It is feminine, it is romantic and it is modern--very cosmopolitan.

My first Vera Wang perfume was Princess and down to Lovestruck, I can't help but notice how her fragrances are always extravagant when it comes to the bottle cap. So nice. Lovestruck's fragrance is an entirely different story though. It is an addictive floral scent with the hypnotic punches of pink guava and mandarin. It is a luscious scent for a spirited perfume.

Coming off from a scent inspired by a great love story, left me share with you my 2012 inspirations... yes, I'd be calling them inspirations as historically speaking, resolutions don't normally work.

For my first 2012 post, I'll be sharing with you an eye make-up look that follows the inspired bottle of Lovestruck by Vera Wang. I mean, if beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then it's just practical to have beautiful eyes too, right?

This year, I want to be focused. I had a muse before (it's only recent that I realized that maybe I wasn't in love, maybe I was in muse--or I guess I'm finding comfort in thinking I have no love to move away from, but  only a musing feeling to resist)... anyway, I had a muse before and my muse would always tell me I should be focused, while implying-slash-complaining that I'm so not. This year, I want to realize my potentials by keeping that smart focus in tact, you know, like cameras. They take the clearest and the best pictures when they are "focused" properly.

This 2012 I want to develop myself dramatically. It's going to be the year of the dragon in a month's time and that only means it my year--so yeah, I don't mean to let this pass.

With that, I figured I should combine my 2012 plan no.1 with how I felt inspired by the Lovestruck by Vera Wang fragrance. Keep on reading and do check out my captions below to be enlightened with what I would like to indulge you with.

Interpreting love and passion, let me share with you how to achieve this wearable Lovestruck eye make-up look.

Special thanks to Leighton Meester for being so beautiful in the Lovestruck campaign,

and of course Vera Wang for indulging us with yet another memorable fragrance. While I can't afford your gowns, I'm happy to know I can keep you in my bag so I can always feel like a princess--and smell like one too!

Okay, let's move forward to showcasing the Lovestruck feel through color cosmetics.

If you have deep-set eyes or if your lids are a darker region of your face, don't skip this step. Oh especially if you have dark lids because you want to look in love, not punched after we're done. Prime your eyelids to neutralize your lids natural tone and make it more color-friendly.

I used Benefit Stay Don't Stray eye and concealer primer for the eye on the left (note: eye on the right is the constant for this "experiment" :p) Notice the huge difference? My lids are lighter but it looks cleaners and fresher with the primer--not to mention it helped me reduce discoloration round the eye area and to slightly cover up those eye veins.

To ensure that sparkly finish later, set your primer with a shimmery eye shadow (if it's in powder format) or in my case, I warmed up a shimmery eye shadow and gently pat it on my lids using my fingers. I'm using the white glitter cream base shadow from my Majolica Majorca Illuminator palette in Pink/Rose (RS354). 

I used the left-over cream base to extend the luminescence under my eyes--very helpful in brightening up my horrid eye bags.

As finishing touch, I used a Rejuvenating Illuminator Pen in 02 from Guerlain to bring out a happier glow around the eye area. 

Guerlain Precious Light has a twist bottom cap design that smartly dispenses just the right amount of product on to its brush application tip. Precious Light is ideal for brightening the surrounding areas of the eyes, nose and even lips.

See, for someone who has irreversible under-eye circles, Precious Light is definitely one of those saving graces in my pouch.

For the eye shadow, I used this bejewelled palette from Majolica Majorca Trick On line. This is the BR751 palette. I am pleased to try this palette especially for this special 2012 feature because the color performance of each these shades surprisingly embodied the characteristics I aim for my year 2012: definitive, strong and moving. Based on this palette, the Majolica Majorca Trick On line is definitely eye-enhancing. For proof, scroll down.

Closer to the case...

Like most of Majolica Majorca's products, the Trick On powder palette has the trademark whimsical Majo-Majo vibe. It comes in a clear plastic case that some beauty geeks may not like, but I like it because it's easier to find a product when the packaging is clear--especially because Majo-Majo, being of Japanese-descent, it's helpful to "interact" face on. So for me, the clear plastic packaging worked, but the way products were named (using numbers and codes, not creative names like for example how Nyx round lip sticks are named was a bummer. 

The palette I received was manufactured last 03 09, and as much as it is assuring that the products come with their manufacturing dates in tact, I'm a bit bothered, how long may this palette last? I know some product shelf lives start to tick upon opening, but you know, it's still more comforting if products are fresher.

Majolica Majorca Trick On eye shadow palette in BR751: despite the poor lighting in my room at the time I got to photograph the palette unused, imagine my surprise to see that it still sparkled. Just think, how magical it would be in broad daylight! :)

Shades (L-R): "Trick On" powder, Glittered Bronze/Brown, Silver, Light Gold

The swatches above were again taken in a sadly lit room, so here you go. Check the "swatches" as they work their magic in giving me tantalizing eyes. Steps would be used as Photo intro;however, side comments, if any, would be placed as captions below the photo.

With your perfectly primed eyelids, you get to enjoy a clean canvass to play colors with. Instead of working your way from light colors, I began the look by marking a heavy and a very obvious streak of glittered brown following my eye crease. This is to shape the eyes with a lovely mysterious shadow. Majolica Majorca's Trick On line is perfect because the colors on their palette greatly complements each other--especially if you want to achieve a three-dimensional glittered party for your eyes.

Don't worry about the line being unrealistic, we'd blend out later.

Using a Deep Fuchsia Pink shadow (not baby or bubblegum pink, it must be close to Magenta), follow the curve your created for your crease. It should look like a fancy color-coordinated rainbow. Don't blend yet. Let the colors meet side by side.

I suppose another great thing about Majolica Majorca is their color range. I love the pink that comes with my Illuminator RS354 palette. It's extra-ordinary, so I'm glad I got to use it for a less Japanese look: click how I used Majo-Majo makeup here.

After applying the pink hue, use the golden shadow of the Trick On palette as (1) a pop of warm color to catch light at the center of your lids and (2) to create an amazing gradient from your lash line to your crease. Cue in, blending brush.

Pack on color as you please, carefully making sure that the colors are blended well but are not mixed-up together. You want to achieve a healthy separation between the shades so you get to preserve the lovely golden gradient for your eyes.

When you're satisfied with the color your achieves, use your finger to carefully blend our the pink and brown shades up to your brow bone. Don't use the same brush which touched the gold. Again, you want to be sure the each color is secured where you applied them. Afterwards, use a liquid eyeliner to line your eyes. I used an E.L.F pen to line my eyes. I used the black E.L.F. felt tip liner pen.

If you love winging it (the cat's eye liner technique), resist it. You want the attention to be on the magical blend of colors on your lids, :)

For your dose of Cat's Eye, use Maybelline Volum Express Cat's Eye Mascara instead. It's really wonderful in thicker and fuller lashes. Don't forget to also apply mascara for your bottom lashes, and tadaa. Flutter like a queen in love.

The photo above is in natural room lighting (or semi-) against the sun light. Photo below would show how the colors capture light  when showcased in broad daylight.

Have fun. Be brave. Focus on the good things and keep your ground. Good things come to those who work hard for it, and can also wait.

Speaking of fluttering, remember my other bare eye, I intentionally kept it bare so I can show you an alternative or a modification for this look. If you want to get going on that sparkling feeling of love, why not use a sparkling mascara?

The famed Lash Expander Plus just released its limited edition Blue Black tube, and I know what you're thinking, "Blue Black"? What is Blue Black? Well, keep on reading to know.

For this comparison eye, I used both the Majolica Majorca Lash Bone Fiber as a mascara base and the Lash Expander Limited Edition tube for my lashes.

To begin with, let me share with you my thoughts on the Lash Bone mascara base. First off, great name. I love product names because I know no (quality) brand would name a product with nonsense. Lash Bone definitely made sense for a mascara base, and an even more sense when I got to try it on. It's unique qualities lie on it having fine fibers that are coated with a transparent fluid which adheres to the natural lash and makes it look longer. Compared to other mascara bases, Lash Bone doesn't clump and doesn't wash out your lids. Because it's transparent, you can easily play up later, say with a Blue Black mascara. :)

Check out it's comb brush. The white comb makes the black fibers more obvious. At first I was freaked thinking, oh my goodness what a dirty mascara. But I got to my senses and remember, no no those are the fibers that would prettify your lashes!

Lash Bone in action. Check out how long and "spikey" it made my lashes look like. The effect is very subtle and refreshing.

Now let's move on the the limited edition Blue Black Lash Expander Frame Plus mascara from the Majolica Majorca Glass Trick Collection. Check out the lovely blue comb--and again, like the lab rat that I sometimes am, I forgot the lesson and freaked when I saw this. Were you too? Don't be! Those fibers would prettify your lashes--in a very unique-I'm sorry it was so hard to capture on cam-way. :)

I "swatched" the mascara against my skin to show how long the fibers are (they're as long as my natural lashes, how epic!). I also want you to see what "Blue Black" gel is. Check out how it's a deep royal blue which ranks it as a very classy mascara and not as a Halloween tube like other oddly colored mascaras out there. The best part? It sparkles! Can you see it? :)

The ultimate best part, while this limited edition lengthening mascara fortifies your hair with mascara fiber to create an illusion of longer lashes, it also gives a sparkling shimmer whenever light hits your lashes. I mean, isn't that cute! Say goodbye to boring black.

Disclaimer, and I'm glad I caught it on cam. There may be tendencies when the fiber would be overly "dispenses" and would hang from your lash. Remove this gently with your clean finger or else it'd poke your eye like crazy! :)

As you all know, my ultimate mascara is Maybelline's Volum Express Cat's Eye Mascara. It's the only mascara that satisfied my expectations on length and lash thickness.. well until I experience the magic of a sparkling blue lashes. Cat's Eye still has deeper game when it comes to thickness, but check our how they're equals when it comes to lengthening prowess. Not with the added advantage of a sparkling finish, these two are my "number ones".