"I'm excited about this dare, but definitely a bit nervous as well. I wear pretty much the EXACT same products, the EXACT same way -- every day. Being pushed out of my comfort zone is going to be quite challenging for me," says Amber who normally uses about eight makeup products a day.
How she used them:
"I applied the LipSurgence on my lips and to the apples of my cheeks, then used the NYX [shadow] as bronzer on my cheekbones, forehead and bridge of my nose. Last, I put the Greasepaint along both my top and bottom lashlines," says Amber.
What she thought:
"The LipSurgence is a great color, but I wish it had more shine for my lips and less for my cheeks. I have fairly oily skin, so using a creamy blush isn't the best option for me. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Greasepaint! It goes on super smoothly, no tugging and the color is awesome. Smudges really nicely, too. The NYX has a little too much shimmer for my liking (when used as a bronzer). I'm pretty sure someone in my age bracket shouldn't be sparkling this much during daylight hours! I do, however, love the color and am looking forward to using it on my eyes."
Photo 3/13
Amber: Look 2
How she used them:
"I applied the LipSurgence on my cheeks, the Greasepaint along my lower lashline, the NYX as eyeshadow. Then I mixed the Greasepaint and LipSurgence together on my lips."
What she thought:
"My hunch was correct -- the NYX is fantastic as an eyeshadow! I really like the contrast with my blue eyes. But, the mixed lip experiment is no good. I look like a zombie. The color is way too much and completely washed me out ... it's definitely NOT flattering for my skin tone. The color itself is really nice though, and I can see it being really pretty on someone who has a darker complexion."
Photo 4/13
Amber: Look 3
How she used them:
"I mixed the LipSurgence with my foundation and also put it on my cheeks, then put the Greasepaint along both my upper and lower lash lines. I also used the NYX as eyeshadow and as lip color. "
What she thought:
"After yesterday's washed out look, I decided I needed some extra color. I really like the glow the LipSurgence gave my skin. Of all the ways I've tried, mixing it with my foundation is definitely my favorite use of this product. I'll likely continue doing this when I feel I need a little boost in color. The NYX on my lips was pretty dramatic. I think it may work well when mixing just a bit of it with one of my glosses."
Final thoughts:
"This was a lot of fun! It definitely gave me confidence to try new things and find new uses for products. From now on though, if one of my experiments goes awry, I won't have to wear it into the office! By far, my favorite product was the MAC Greasepaint ... it will become a staple in my makeup bag. I'm really looking forward to trying it in several other colors (what comfort zone?)."
Photo 5/13
Lola: Look 1
"I like to multi-task with my makeup, so coming up with different looks using just three products is not going to be an issue � except one of the three things is a bright red lip stain. I never wear red anything, much less red lips. The challenge for me is definitely going to be getting comfortable with one of the looks being focused on lips -- very bright red lips."
How she used them:
"Today I applied the Mineral Glow lightly all over my face. Then I used the lip stain on the apples of my cheeks, and very lightly dabbed my lips for a �just bitten� look. Not enough to look like I was wearing any lip product. I used the eyeliner and blended it upward on my lids. I smudged a bit on my lower lid and lined the inside rims."
What she thought:
"This look was safe for me. I focused on the eyes, kept the lips fairly nude and tried to avoid the red as much as possible. Surprisingly, the stain blended really well on my cheeks. I was worried with the bright color, so one dot would be more than enough. It was easy to layer on the red and get just the right hint of flush on my cheeks."
Photo 6/13
Lola: Look 2
How she used them:
"Today I used the red lip stain on my lips. I used the Mineral Glow on my cheeks, forehead and chin, and went a little heavier with it on my cheeks. I dotted the eyeliner on my upper and lower lids and smudged it for a soft eye."
What she thought:
"To my surprise, I ended up really liking this look. It�s a different look for me and it took some time at home in front of a mirror to get used to it, but I would definitely try it again. I spent the rest of the day peeking at my lips and the stain really held up. It made my lips feel a little dry, so I tried putting on lip balm on top, but it didn�t blend well with the lip stain and looked lumpy. Eventually, I wiped off the red and was happy enough with the hint of dark pink it left behind. For a night out though, I'll bring the red lip stain back out."
It's 6pm. And you just got a last minute invitation to dinner with friends. There's no question -- you're in. Except for one problem -- you don't have time to run home and touch up your makeup , and you only have lipstick, one eyeliner and powder in your purse. What's a girl to do? Easy -- get creative and make those makeup products multi-task.
Sure, if you're like most of us, you normally use around five or more makeup products each day (including foundation, powder and mascara), but is it really necessary? We decided to find out. We selected four brave women to participate in one challenge: pick three makeup products and see how many different makeup looks can be created using only those products. They happily accepted the challenge and faired pretty well. Well, that's really for you to decide.
To help you get a head start, here are some tips these women employed to turn their makeup into multi-taskers:
Tip 1: Brown eyeliner can be used as eyeshadow if you smudge it well and blend it upward on your eyelid.
Tip 2: Lipstick is a great blush. Dot it on the apples of your cheeks and blend. It will give your cheeks a soft, dewy flush.
Tip 3: Bronzer can be used everywhere -- brush it on your forehead, cheeks, nose and chin -- then dab some on your eyelids. You can even blend it on your lips by mixing it with lip gloss.
Tip 4: Like lipstick, blush can double as a lip tint. Dab it on your lips and mix it with some lip gloss for a soft, sheer color.
So whether you need to quickly touch up your makeup or just want to try a new makeup look, now you know the possibilities are endless -- even if you only have three makeup products.
