I'm a big fan of a dramatic look, and I tend to concentrate on my eyes. I have really full lips, so my mouth is dramatic enough on its own. I've learned through trial and error to never mix a dramatic eye with dramatic lips, so I stick to sheer or clear lip glosses. I usually prefer Rimmel Kiss Off! and Rimmel Vynil Stars products. A trend I've recently noticed, and become a fast fan of, is dramatic eyes using liquid eyeliner. This isn't a new technique, but it has recently been made famous by Dior.
This is my favorite look. It eliminates the need for eyeshadow at all, though to play it up a little, I will usually sweep a bright colored eyeshadow across my lower eyelid with a precision angled eyeshadow brush. (By the way, never go cheap on brushes. The cheap ones are made of thick, synthetic hairs that will irritate your skin and make your makeup look like crap. I like Quo brushes). The liquid eyeliner takes some time to master the precision of applying it. I use a generic, super-cheap liquid eyeliner from the dollar store. It's super-black, goes on smoothly, without clumping, stays on well during the day, and virtually peels off when I want it gone. It's easy to remove with makeup remover and makeup removing wipes and comes in a generously sized bottle in comparison to higher end liners, and usually costs me less than $2. I've used more expensive liners, and I don't find them as flexible. When they dry, they feel cakey on the eye and make for a less comfortable wear. Play around with your brands until you find one that's comfortable and has some staying power. If you can find one that is all of those things but dries quickly, go for it. Application mistakes occur most of the time from blinking before it has dried.
A makeup trend that I've loved for several months, but hasn't been widely used, is peacock eyeshadow. It's super-briht, neon or day-glo colors that are applied in single colors. Some people like to mix and match several colors on their eyelids (I like yellow, orange, pink and purple, applied in sequence across the eye and then blended together in a gradient). Too many colors used too dramatically can be visually overwhelming and look gaudy.
To make these colors really pop, it never hurts to pair it with a matching eyeliner. I prefer Annabelle Kohl and Waterproof Eyeliner Pencils. They come in a bunch of super-bright colors, that go on bright. For an extremely dramatic look, wetting the tip of the pencil before applying it really helps.
Finishing these two looks off with a few tweaks will complete the effect. I recommend an eyebrow pencil or gel, and waterproof mascara. I am currently using Rimmel Sexy Curves Super Black Waterproof Mascara. For the lips, keep it to a clear balm (I like Bonne Bell Lip Smackers Chapstick) or gloss. My most recent lipgloss purchase was Bonne Bell Berry Whip Lip Glam Lip Gloss. I also love Hard Candy lip glosses.
