Black Tie by Laura Mercier
+ tips from her National Artist
Tuxedo Quad - 4 shades in a compact with mirror
- matte black
- matte white
- irridescent white with a clear pearlized shimmer
- irridescent black.
She did a great job of designing a metallic black that doesn't shine with a blue gleam. This is a true black. Imagine a lava flow just cooling. The sparkle of the freshly heated pumice mixed in with the deep black rock... It is a deep black, like a dripping wet stone of onyx.
The purpose of this quad is to deepen, define, and line the eye. This limited edition quad might appear as an evening, New Year's Eve collection, but it is designed to add depth and dimension to any look. The purpose is similar to the Eye Design Kit... (see pic, this kit deserves it's own page).
The look is a very modern smoky eye. This is not smoked all the way out past the outside corner of your eye and to the brow bone. I hate to say it, but take a look at the runway. Take a look at the images from Zac Posen's fall line up Zack Posen Fall 08. Defininition is in, not the messy blacked out eye from the early 90's.
Today I actually had a little lesson on the Black Tie collection with THE National Make up Artist for Laura Mercier, Pamela. (For any Laura lovers she may have even done your make up, if you were lucky.)
Define: First, take the Black Caviar (one of Laura's favorite products, imagine the inside of a kohl pencil all nice in a little compact so you can manipulate it any which way you would like.) with either the Creme Eye Detail Brush or the Smoky Liner Brush and pack on the color (dry mind you) from the lash line to right under the crease.
Blend: Second, we take out Crease Brush and blend out the caviar to make the lid nice and smooth with an opaque black base.
We don't want to take is all the way up to the crease or over it as that would overwhelm the frame of the eye.
Pack on Pigment: Next we take our Eye Shadow Brush(stiff natural fibers designed for high impact laydown) and we press and wiggle (not brush back and forth) into the irridescent black in the Tuxedo Quad to load the brush. Then instead of brushing back and forth onto the eye, we press and wiggle where we laid down the caviar. This creates an intense, highly pigmented look with zero fallout.
Highlight: Next we take the irridescent white with our Ponytail Brush, and we highlight under the brow bone with a smooth windshield wiper like motion.
Tightline: Now for my favorite, we take our Flat Line Brush and wet it with water. We then press and wiggle into our Black Cake Liner to create a smooth shoe polish like texture. This is our Tight Line. We then, coming from beneath the upper lashes, press and wiggle the brush into the lash line.
We are defining the eye through the lashes, to create a sexy and detailed eye. We can even wing out the liner with one quick flicking motion, but be sure to wing out in a straight 180 degree angle instead of a 45 degree angle. We are going for classy, not 1980.
Smudge: Finally take the Smudge Brush into the Black Violet Kohl Pencil and across the lashline from the top. Blend out any edges with the Crease Brush.
Now you are ready to rock your new modern smoky look!
Where would you wear this look?
Do you think it looks cleaner than the traditional smoky eye?
Check back for more with the Go to Girl's Guide to Beauty.
- Thank you.
-The Go to Girl
All photographs from Laura Mercier.com
All bold words are products that can be purchased.
This site and Allure Magazine recomment the Nordstrom's Dallas Galleria Location for expertise and customer service.
Call 972-702-0055 and ask for the Laura Mercier Cosmetics Counter.
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