Biteki Feburary 2014: Looks and Tutes

This issue of Biteki was rather slim pickings for looks, the bulk of the magazine being taken up with a 'best of 2013' retrospective (which I shan't bother scanning, because it's basically advertorial fluff raving over every product launched in the past 12 month it seems...) and the Spring 2014 collections booklet (previously posted here).

But the looks that are shown form quite a nice selection of wearable-with-a-twist basics that are simple enough to be manageable even with a brain at lowest ebb (who wouldn't rather be hibernating through every January morning?) yet zingy enough to add some interest to drab wintry days.


First up, colours in winter -- i.e. what to do now that makeup collections get released at least a full season ahead of their nominal 'season'.




Closeup: Shiseido Shimmering Cream Shadow BL722 is the sole point of focus, in a slightly elongated wing; the rest of the eye is kept totally bare [er, I can see white on the waterline :P And note that the liner is also brought around the inner corner and slightly down onto the inner lower lashline -- this placement is everywhere at the moment.] RMK Crayon & Glossy Lips 05 on lips -- the crayon all over, gloss kept to the centre of the lips. Blush is Elégance OR202.



Closeup: the pink (bottom left) shade from Chanel Quadrille quad blended inwards and upwards from the inner corner until the centre of the lid (i.e. a softer, more spring-y variation on the 'triangle' placements and inner socket accents carried over from last autumn), with the brown (bottom right) framing the outer corner on both lid and lower lashline. Fasio Quick Dry Gel Liner BR300 to line. Dior Addict Lip Gloss 442 Petillante on lips, Suqqu Balancing Cheeks N 01 in a perky, apples-to-cheekbones placement for a fresh flush.




Closeup: MAC Fluidline It's Physical taken all over lid and under the eye and smoked out with a fingertip to enhance its pearliness, lashline darkened with Lunasol Shiny Pencil Eyeliner 02 (a neutral deep brown metallic). Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet 44 La Diva -- a blue-fuchsia matte -- also applied at full strength to entire lip, then has its edges softened with a fingertip, and is contrasted with warm tea-rose on cheeks (Nars Love).




Closeup: your basic neutral gradation with the bottom two (warmer) shades from Lunasol Sand Natural Eyes quad 01 Neutral Sand (darker brown also used to shade outer lower lashline for depth), and KATE Colour Contour Liner BR-1 to line. Addiction Eivissa Dream lipstick (a bright but balmy orange) paired with Nars Final Cut blush.



The other set of tutorials focus on eye makeup placements rather than colour pairings, rounding up four current trends:





The most interesting thing about this feature is that it includes panels with suggestions for tweaking these placements to suit (left box) hooded or inner-double lids and (right box) monolids. For the first look they suggest offsetting the lower lashline shadow for hooded eyes, and keeping the central placement but lengthening the line to just beyond the edges of the iris for monolids. Possible liner tweaks are thickening the line earlier (for monolids) and keeping it thinner and angled higher (for hooded lids), though as always you should check with your eyes open and see what effect you prefer on your own lids -- just because you have hooded eyes doesn't mean they always droop at the outer corner -- mine don't, so the 'conventional' liner placement works better for me, for example.


It's probably easier to think of this as an open, partial cat-eye -- I know lots of us sketch out our cat-eyes  / big wings like this to check the shape before 'filling' the outlines in. This is a really pretty, delicate take on the more graphic partial placements seem in catwalk makeup over the past few seasons -- it gives the same lift as a traditional cat-eye/big wing, but with an airy lightness that feels very fresh for this winter-looking-to-spring season.

This look depends a lot on how your eye looks open vs closed and how the eyelid fold/lack of one plays with the curvature of your eyes, so take these suggestions with a grain of salt / feel free to experiment with these or other tweaks even if your lids aren't hooded/mono:
And again, let me know how you get on! I ADORE partial / sketched-out placements (because lazy) so am especially curious to hear about your experiences, if you care to try this one out :)


They call it 'spot lamé liner'...which is lame without the accent, IMO :P Patently, patently teardrops. Three of them, in sparkly silver, distinctly spaced out along the lower lashline in the area between the middle and the end of the eye. To make the boys come a-runnin'! (No, that's really what it says. Presumably for all those 'love scandals' that the similarly 'wet eyes' of do hwa makeup are supposed to presage...)
I chose seafoam-silver instead, in this look... for a muffledly delirious impression (cheers, random adverb adjective generator!)


Drunk on adjectives. Goodnight! Let me know if you fancy trying out any of these combos or placements!


(I should rechristen this series Magazine Mumbleday because seem utterly incapable of getting these posted on a Monday.)