Sharon Tate California Chic Makeup

As we all know my love for Sharon Tate knows no bounds. She was such the California girl of the 60's, from head to toe. 

As the recipient of the Lash Bash hostess prize, from Benefit Cosmetics, I wanted to put their products to the test.

 I bring to you the official Miss Lady Mo review of Benefit Cosmetics and Sharon Tate makeup tutorial!

                                

Before I get knee deep in my Benefit Cosmetics review, I must give props to Clarins. My dear friend/idol/big sister I never had, Erika Ellestad Frye got me hooked on Clarin's Beauty Flash Balm way back in '98. We were both stationed at Ft. Lauder, but broke rank and went AWOL to beauty lines like Clarins and Borghese. 

BFB is not, I repeat, NOT a BB Creme! Ugh, I'm so over this skincare fad. Don't get me wrong, I am the supreme curator of all that is skincare and cosmetic, but there are a lot of crap products out there right now. That is a story for another time kidlets!

After applying your skincare, like the civilized person that you are ;) , pat BFB all over face and neck. Seriously, pat and smooth into skin, do NOT rub in. Here's a link to what I'm talking about if you have difficulty following directions, no judgement..... http://youtu.be/iv_c0lHc3VY  .

This will give your skin the glow and provides the perfect canvas for makeup. If you aren't using foundation, you can still use this in your routine, as it will give your skin a radiance that tricks people into thinking you A. aren't in your late 30's.  B. Have a psycho 2 year old and C. Get regular naps and 8 hours of sleep a night.

                      

Onto the Benefit Cosmetics review and tutorial. I'm playing around with the format of how I show off the products and application based on some requests, let me know how I can make these tutorials easier!

In the collage above, I have a collection of products that I will be using: Peek A Bright Eyes, Creaseless Cream shadows in Bronze have more fun and Bikini-tini, Watt's Up, Hoola bronzer, Hervana blush and (not pictured) They're Real mascara. The only non Benefit item I am test driving is, Samantha Chapman for Real Techniques Stippling Brush.

Let's go!!!

Using the Bikini-tini Creaseless Cream shadow as a base, apply evenly from lid to brow. I like using the flat concealer brush that comes in the Peek A Bright Eye's set.

                      

Using a flat brush, I will create the blueprint for the deep crease that Sharon Tate made a signature look. Starting from the outer corner, work Bronze Have More Fun into a soft "V" shape. Instead of stopping at center of the lid, you will want to bring it up above the crease, towards the inner corner.

Using the beige-pink pearl shadow from Peek A Bright Eyes, use the brush that comes with the set and pat on the lid. Taking a clean blending brush, buff the shadow into the beginning of crease, making the bronze cream shadow look like it is melting into the beige-pink.

Make sure to clean the brush thoroughly as you will be using it again.

                     

To create the outline of the deep crease, use a flat angled brush with the center color, a deep bronze. Begin in the inner corner of the eye, sketching the line at a slight angle. Create a soft corner with the shadow and then sketch the shadow up and over the crease, following the ocular bone.all the way to the lower portion of the outer corner. Basically, you want it to line up diagonally with the outer corner of the eye. 

After creating the outline, fill it in with the same bronze shadow, using the brush from the set. It will be a thicker crease and is defininitely not subtle. There is little about the makeup from the late 60's that was subtle.

                     

To clean up and brighten up the inner eye area, use the flat concealer end of the brush duo and apply the pink creamy brightener to the inner corner. Blending upward and out towards the bridge of the nose will really keep the eyes looking open and bright as opposed to hooded and small. 

The color I used for the brow bone was the matte ivory shade. For application I used a flat shadow brush and took extra care to highlight the arch, without erasing the defined bronze crease.

                    

The eyeliner on the top lid is very subtle and nearly non existent. Take a fine lining brush and dip into the Bronze Have More Fun cream shadow. Follow the natural lash line and create a very fine line, brushing into the lashes.

The lower lash line is more emphasized in this look. The next step is optional, but I feel makes the eyes look wider, which is key in a dramatic look like this. I cheated and used a beige eyeliner from Illamasqua and lined the lower waterline. You can use a white liner, but the light beige looks more natural.. The liner is one that can be used as a lip or eye liner, possibly even for concealing. If you choose a concealer pencil or lip liner and because you will be using it on the water line, please make sure it is sharpened and sanitized! 

Before cheating on Benefit (again!), I used their Porefessional on my problem areas, the nose and surrounding areas. Porefessional is a balm that is not only oil free, but can be used before or after makeup. Using it prior to foundation, it makes makeup last longer, which is why I prefer that method of application. Truthfully, I haven't used it over makeup yet, so that'll be my next experiment.

I was especially excited to play with this Real Techniques stippling brush! When I was an artist at Chanel, I lived for their version. It made foundation and cream blush or bronzers go on as if they were airbrushed.

I do not own any Benefit foundation, so I had to cheat on them with Maybelline Fit Me foundation in #240, Golden Beige. I loved the how this foundation applied during previous usage, but the stippling brush really made a difference in how flawless the finish was. 

The brush is inexpensive, but is almost as amazing as the Chanel version and at a fraction of the price, I give this brush high marks and strongly recommend it! It is also very easy to clean and care for. As with any brush, I try to use brush cleaner as little as necessary and only if I use a brush twice for one look. I prefer using a mild face cleanser or even baby shampoo (specifically Mustela) to cleanse the brushes. The stippling brush cleans up quickly and easy as pie. 

GO. GET. THIS. BRUSH..............RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!

For concealer, I used Benefit's Fakeup. I love the coverage that the center color of the tube gives, but the clear balm surrounding it pampers and hydrates my skin without looking greasy or causing creasing. I really recommend this for anyone with dry or crepey undereyes. The best part is how well it wears throughout the day, no creasing or smearing.

I have dry under eyes and normal to dry skin, but if you are more in the oily range or don't enjoy a hydrating concealer, this may not be for you 

                   

To get that patented Benefit glow, you must check out Watt's Up, Hoola and Hervana. I used all three to create that California glow that Sharon Tate exuded.

Watt's Up was applied to the high points of the face: cupids bow above lips, bridge of the nose, top of cheekbones and mid-forehead. 

I had to cheat on Benefit again, as I don't have any face powder from them, so I used Palladio's loose translucent rice powder with a fluffy powder brush. This is a favorite powder for me because of the delicate finish it gives and how it lets cream blushes and highlighters shine through without looking chalky.

I used Hoola, a matte bronzer, to contour the face, sides of the nose and temples. The brush that it comes with is cute, but not practical, so I gave it to my daughter and used a contouring blush brush instead.

The same brush comes with Hervana, so again, the kiddo got the brush and mama used a rounded top blush brush. I applied Hervana on top of the outer portion of the cheek bones, upwards to the temples, in a "C" formation. This method of application gives generous color with a gentle lifted look.

My face looks flawless right now. The Benefit glow is something that everyone deserves. Even if you aren't going for an all over dramatic look, you can get this glow, slick on mascara and a great gloss and you're good to go!

                   

Speaking of mascara and gloss, we're almost done, but don't forget your brows! Sharon Tate had lovely, full eyebrows instead of the pencil thin brows that were starting to be the rage. 

To get this brow look, I used a matte brown shadow (cheated again, using The Balm's Matt Batali), applied with the same flat, angled brush I used to sketch the deep shadow crease. I really made an effort to not only fill in the brows, but to also highlight the arch in a softer, less sharp motion. I really recommend this style of application, as to not overwhelm an already bold eye. Finish by grooming the brows into place with Gimme Brow. I used the medium/dark shade for this look, but try to stay with a shade appropriate to your coloring  to avoid the Groucho effect.

Next up: lashes! Benefit's They're Real, is not only awe inspiring, but genius in brush construction. The rounded, spiked end of the brush ensures that no lash is left behind! I like to start applying mascara to the top of the lashes first, combing them forward and removing any shadow fall out. Afterwards, I start applying mascara to the lashes beneath, in a rolling motion, from root to tip. That rounded, spiked end of the brush works wonders at grabbing those lashes in the inner corner, without the tragic mascara smudge that can destroy or just annoy.

Oops I cheated again! I don't own any Benefit eye or lip liners, so I  used ole faithful: MAC's Spice lip liner!!! Using soft strokes and filling in the middle of the lower lip, the liner will act as a magnet and will hold all lip products in place. I love a good lip balm, like Tokyo Milk's Let Them Eat Cake, to prep the lips for lipstick or gloss. It's also nice to use in combination with lip liner, creating a custom lip color, which is what I did to finish up the look.  

                 

Initially, I had some problems receiving some of the goodies meant just for me, the hostess with the mostest. Ipsy (formerly MyGlam) had partnered with Benefit for the Lash Bash and my experience with Ipsy's customer service was really bad. I contacted both companies to resolve the issue and Benefit went above and beyond, while Ipsy gave me the run around.
Benefit hooked me up with some incredible deluxe samples as well as full sized beauty items, all of which you see in this review. They didn't pay me, nor did they fish for a product review, they just provided what they have consistently provided for the last 37 years: the best!

Benefit gets an A from me, no question about it. My only deduction was the quality of the brushes that come with their bronzer and blush, but really that's kind of the story with most brushes that come with makeup.

Winning the Benefit "Lash Bash" contest was the coolest prize I've ever won! Benefit supplied me with goodies for my own "Girls Night Out" makeup party, held at Silvan Ridge Winery in Eugene, Oregon. My family and coworkers got to each have their own customized look, created by moi and each received some deluxe samples along with full sized products I purchased on my own.

Aside from being founded in the year I was born, Benefit was founded by Jean and Jane Ford, alums of my sorority. Over the years I have fallen in love with their Moonbeam and Sunbeam, Honey Snap Out Of It, Kitten glittery powder, Georgia beauty powder, plus many more. I fell in love harder, though, when they gifted me the Lash Bash party and even more so when they reached out to me and made sure I was taken care of.

Thank you Benefit Cosmetics for such a fabulous opportunity and I hope that we get to work together again very soon!