8/23/10

My Pink Hat Society induction + makeup tutorial

Mommy & me in our festive party hats

This past weekend, my boyfriend's mom invited me and my mom to a Red Hat Society party. For those of you outside the loop, a red hat party is basically a bunch of older ladies gathered to be festive and wear red hats and purple dresses (pink hats and lavender dresses if you're under 50).

Here's a better description, from their website:
The Red Hat Society began as a result of a few women deciding to greet middle age with verve, humor and elan. We believe silliness is the comedy relief of life, and since we are all in it together, we might as well join red-gloved hands and go for the gusto together. Underneath the frivolity, we share a bond of affection, forged by common life experiences and a genuine enthusiasm for wherever life takes us next."

- Sue Ellen Cooper, Queen Mother

I LOVE a good excuse to dress up and be fancier than usual, plus events like this give me a chance to take my makeup to the next level. Since the colors for my age group were pink and lavender, I went ahead and did a Pink Hat Society inspired makeup look. Pics & info after the jump smile

Products used:
  • Base: NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils in Hot Pink and Purple
  • Shadow: MAC pigment in Bright Fuchsia (hot pink); MAC eyeshadow in Parfait Amour (medium purple); and Rocket City RC-37 palette on the browbone (light pink)
  • Liner: NYC Liquid Eyeliner in Black; Maybelline Define-A-Line in Ebony Black
  • Mascara: Maybelline Great Lash Mascara BIG in Black
  • Blush: Stila Color Push-Ups in Rose Flash (base); NYX The Ultimate Pearl Shadow in Gold Pearl
  • Lips: NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss in African Queen
First, les yeux:

I'm a big fan of gradient shading on the eyes. The key is to pick complimentary colors, that way they're easier to blend on the lid. If you're unsure which colors compliment each other best, consult a color wheel. And if you purposefully want your lid colors to clash, invest in good blending tools! For this look I used a regular soft bristled eyeshadow brush to pat on the shadow and a sponge tipped applicator tool to further blend the area where the purple and hot pink meet in the middle of my lid.

For my cheeks, I used Stila's creamy push-up blush in Rose Flash as a base color, then I applied NYX The Ultimate Pearl Shadow (yes, eyeshadow used as a blush folks!) in Gold Pearl over top. I like this combo a lot; first, the cream base helps the powder blush stay on longer, and second, Gold Pearl makes an excellent highlighter/blush. I think it compliments my skintone well.

Lastly, my lovely lips. NYX's African Queen is a gorgeous and bold fuchsia color with purple microshimmer. I love the smell of this gloss; it's a faint artificial cherry smell with no aftertaste. African Queen is the only shade I have of NYX's lip glosses, but if this product's excellent pigmentation, smooth application and great wear time say anything about NYX's other glosses, it certainly won't be my last.

The party itself was a success. I expressed some concern beforehand that I'd be the youngest person there but you'd be surprised (not really) at what a little champagne, cupcakes and feather boas will make you forget.

I'm like the Summer Pimp/Pink Hat Society version of my pimp costume from last Halloween:

Slayin' you hoes.