VandL: Pin Up Makeup Tutorial

Ready to get sexy??!! The Pin Up look is classy, sexy, and fun... red lipstick is by far my favorite. I enjoy wearing other colors but red lipstick alone gets me in a good mood... hands down it's one of my top five go to looks. I'll be sharing different styles with all of you as our blog progresses and I can't wait! I attended makeup artistry classes after high school because I secretly wanted to be JLOs makeup artist (just kidding, I just thought it was really cool) but seriously I learned so much! I tend to lean towards more dramatic makeup, I think it's the artist in me. I love bold colors, the more colors I can mix together the better.

Enough about me already, let's get this makeup party started....

To start you'll need....

Your damn sexy self, some half decent makeup, makeup brushes, and a mirror.

Once you've applied your moisturizer we'll begin with concealer (I use Estee Lauder) under your eyes and on any problem areas you may have. I personally like liquid concealer, cream is too heavy for me and I hate how it creases under my eyes. Liquid is more sheer and gives me just the right amount of coverage, remember to blend!

After you blend your concealer it should melt right into your skin, you can contour and highlight to intensify your features but I'm keeping it simple today.

Next you'll apply your foundation, currently I'm using a powder foundation from Rejuva Minerals (Golden Honey). I love it because it doesn't irritate my extremely sensitive skin, I purchase it online because it's not carried in any department stores. It's lightweight, free of common skin irritants such as mica, gluten and vegan free, it's pretty much as pure as you can get. It leaves me with a matte finish, since I tend to get oily pretty fast I go for matte.

Next you'll apply your bronzer (I use Laura Mercier MATTE BRONZE), it complements the red lips better than blush but blush can be used too (just my personal preference). You apply your bronzer to your cheeks and blend up to your temples, I apply it in a circular motion to avoid that streak look on the side of your face. I also blend a tad on my forehead and on my jawline, I don't have a strong jawline so any little bit helps. I also applied a hint of orange blush to the apple of my cheeks, it gives me a nice glow that I love. Yes I said ORANGE, it sounds crazy and looks intimidating but trust me just a hint makes a HUGE difference.

Moving on to eyebrows, they are soooo important. They frame your beautiful eyes and can make or break your look. Ever seen a woman with beautiful eyeshadow but her eyebrows are too thin, drawn on like sharpies, or have that tadpole look going on (thick dot connected to a skinny line)??? Dios mio!!! Anyway I fill my eyebrows with an eyebrow pencil for a more defined look, if I'm lazy or going for a softer look I'll use a brush and eyeshadow.

For my eyes I used three colors (all eyeshadows I used are from Bobbie Brown), a bone color as my base placed heaviest on my brow bone (as seen below). A light brown in my crease and a darker brown also in the crease to add a little bit of drama (as seen above). Blending is key so when in doubt blend some more.

I prefer to curl my lashes before applying eyeliner or mascara because I avoid removing any makeup or clumping my lashes.

Now it's time to apply your winged eyeliner, I use black gel eyeliner by Maybelline and I apply it with an angled brush. I love it because it's as intense as liquid, doesn't crease, and dries quickly.

I've seen women complete this look with different shades of red lipstick and it looks great either way. Select a red that compliments your skin tone and depending on your hair color cooler or warmer tones may look better. I decided to wear BRICK lip liner by MAC, I always prefer to use lip liner as my lipstick because I can apply it more precisely and it last way longer than lipstick and lipgloss. Plus I can create fuller lips which is a plus for me :).

Finish your look by applying your mascara, I currently use Illegal Length by Maybelline. I use to swear by Lancome but Maybelline is just as good for half the price. The mascara I currently use also has elongating fibers that make my lashes look really long which I LOVE. I rarely use false lashes, if I'm going for a more dramatic look I'll use them but not for everyday.

Your look is complete! I styled my hair with a bandana to give it a more vintage feel, have fun with it and try different clothing and accessories.

To add a little extra drama to your already fabulous look you can line your bottom lash line and apply mascara. I used an espresso brown, or use black to create more of a vamp look. Have fun and try different things, either way I think you'll love the results.