If you haven't noticed, we here at MSA are just smitten with Ipsy! This makeup subscription box delivers month after month on amazing products from notable brands, all while being shockingly affordable. (Subscriptions start at just $10!)
Ipsy is particularly fun for someone like me, who doesn't wear a ton of makeup day-to-day but LOVES to play with creative colors, especially on special occasions. And what better time to go all out with makeup than the holidays! I asked local makeup artist extraordinaire, Brazil Raine, to help me put together a striking, edgy holiday look using items from my latest Ipsy Glam Bag and Glam Bag Plus boxes. If you don't know, Ipsy offers two levels of subscriptions—the Glam Bag offers full- and sample-size products and a monthly makeup bag, while Glam Bag Plus contains all full-size items (with a retail value of $120+!) and sends you a makeup bag once per quarter. I got both boxes last month with no overlap—I'll call out which box each item in this tutorial came from so you can get an idea of the products that come in the different subscriptions.
And don't forget, if you like what you see and feel like learning more about Ipsy, check out our $10 Glam Bag reviews, and our $25 Glam Bag Plus reviews.
Edgy Holiday Makeup Tutorial Using Ipsy Goodies
Before we got started, Brazil prepped my skin using two products from my latest Ipsy Glam Bag Plus. First, she cleansed my skin using my super gentle First Aid Beauty Pure Skin Face Cleanser. (It has a whipped consistency and a milky lather that left my skin feeling refreshed, but not depleted.) Then, she patted on moisturizer and perked up my sleepy eyes with the Dr. Brandt Needles No More Baggage eye depuffing gel, also from my Glam Bag Plus. That stuff is seriously amazing at waking up my under-eye area.
I love my eyebrows. Defining my brows with a pencil or gel is one thing I actually try to do every day, since it's such a quick way to make my face look "done". To kick off this look, Brazil used my new Skone Brow Wand in Chocolate that I got in my Glam Bag. The end of the pencil has a chisel tip that makes it easy to dash in hair-like lines or create really defined edges. And the opposite side of the pencil has a spoolie brush built right in.
My latest Glam Bag Plus box came with a set of SLMISSGLAM brushes in addition to some awesome makeup products! Brazil used the P15 brush I got (a fluffy eyeshadow brush) to pat The Balm Cosmetics Foiled Again eyeshadow in the shade "Cahoots" (from my regular Glam Bag) all over my lids and up into my crease. I like this pewter shade a lot. It has the same shimmer as a typical silver, but with a mushroomy tone to it that I find really flattering.
Next, Brazil used the P24 brush to blend the shadow further up into my crease and brow bone. Since my eyes are on the bigger side, it's helpful to draw the color up and out a bit more. That way, even if my eyes are open wide, the shadow is still visible rising up along my brow bone in a little halo of color.
I've learned so much from Brazil about the power of setting spray! In this case, Brazil wet her the P17 brush with setting spray before patting the brush in the same Cahoots shadow. Mixing shadow and setting spray instantly gives the color in question extra oomph. Just look at the difference between this application of Cahoots (in which she focused specifically on the center of my lid) and the spray-free application in step 1!
It's honestly incredible how much drama Brazil created using just one shadow! Brazil used the same setting spray trick on this brush before applying Cahoots to my lower lash line to ensure the color had as much pop as possible.
Because this look features such dramatic eyes (and lips—we'll get to that in a sec), Brazil opted for a relatively subtle color for blush. This Tarte Double Duty Beauty palette came in my last Glam Bag Plus order and features three blush shades (and a really nice big mirror). Brazil used a color called "Live", which is the peachiest of the trio. I think it really helps warm up the look, given my pale complexion and the cool tones of the silver shadow.
Okay, time to turn up the volume on the drama! I'm so into this Foiled lip gloss by Makeup Geek, which I got in my Glam Bag Plus. The color, called "Set List", is a deep burgundy laced with oodles of coppery shimmer. The consistency is awesome—it's buttery going on and so richly pigmented.
Last but not least, Brazil tight-lined my eyes and added mascara to finish the look.
I love the modern vibes of the silver shadow and the metallic shine of the dark lipstick. The colors look edgy and bold without being too over-the-top. I could see wearing this look to an office holiday party—it's expressive and true to my personality, but still polished and not so daring that it would raise eyebrows.
Remember, if you're into the products in this tutorial, you should definitely check out Ipsy. We've got reviews of the glam bag and reviews of the glam bag Plus to help you learn more if you're curious!
Would you wear a makeup look like this one? Which Ipsy items have you been wearing lately?
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