Emerald-Green & Black-Gold Cat Eyes

I created this wintery look for one of my recent art openings, I wanted it to feel festive yet dark and go along with the style of the two photographs that I had hanging. I also wanted to wear these amazing hand-crafted skeleton finger earrings, so I picked rich colors that would go along with the tones in the metal. I have been really liking this smoky 'cat-eye' shadow shape, keeping the dark colors only on the outer edges really elongates the eyes.

Eyes
1. Prime the eyes to ensure longwearing, creaseproof shadow application, I used my Mac paintpot in 'Painterly'.
2. Carve out the crease of the eye with warm brown tones, I used two Bobbi Brown shadows in 'Toast' and 'Taupe'.
3. Smudge a green/brown cream shadow onto the outer edge of the eyes to create an intense base, I used Laura Mercier's Caviar Stick in 'Khaki', and then topped it with her Baked Eye Colour in 'Black Karat'.
4. With a damp brush, for a more intense color, pat Laura Mercier's Baked Eye Colour in 'Emerald' onto the center and outer portion of the lid.
5. Highlight the inner third of the eye with a light iridescent shadow, I used my Make Up For Ever Star Powder in #940.
6. Highlight the browbone with a matte cream color to break up the dark shades.
7. Add a black cat-eye with liquid liner and top with mascara, I used my Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in 'Trooper'.
8. Blend the same two warm brown shadows from Step 2 along the outer edge of the under eye, and highlight the lower inner corners with the same shadow in Step 5.
9. Finish the look by filling in the brows, I used my Anastasia Brow Powder in 'Medium Brown'.

Face
Foundation: Nars Sheer Glow
Concealer: Mac Pro-Longwear
Powder: Hourglass Ambient Powders in 'Ethereal' and 'Dim'
Bronzer: Nars 'Laguna'
Blush: Nars 'Goulue'
Highlight: Laura Mercier 'Highlight 01'

Lips 
Lipgloss: Estee Lauder Pure Color Gloss in 'Praline Paradise'

***

I met the artist of these earrings, Wendy Yothers, in 2010 at Peters Valley Craft Center and immediately fell in love with her work. It is mysterious, dark and whimsical and draws from the realm of fairytales. I love unique jewelry and anything that has to do with skeletons, so when I saw a photo of these earrings in her presentation I knew they had to be mine. I had been talking to her assistant Preston, and he told me that another pair was going to be cast that night for the auction in the morning. The students of the photography class I was assisting ended up purchasing them for me as a thank-you gift and they have been my favorite earrings ever since!

"The teapots (below) were designed to illustrate a Russian Fairy tale about Babba Yagga--a terrible witch who dwelt in the forest in a house on chicken legs. Instead of a black cat as a familiar, she had an animated skeleton to do her bidding. The pots are her's for brewing light and dark spells. The glass shapes were designed by me and blown by George Kennard at the Corning Museum of Glass. I learned to engrave glass there, my mentors are Juri Harcuba and the wonderful Max Ehrlacher. The engraving on the dark pot is cameo engraving with diamond wheels.  The engraving on the transparent piece I designed to resemble the steam rising from a hot cup of tea--and the figures one can imagine in the steam as it rises."

"These knives have sterling bolsters that are cast and chased, the blades are handmade Damascus, and the handles are hand carved white tail deer antler."




Images and text taken from 'The Society of American Silversmith's Member News'

Check out this great interview with Wendy in 'Hue Magazine' as she talks about her work and process.

Ms. Yothers ran Tiffany's silversmithing and award design department for a number of years and has been a long-time teacher at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, as well as teaching in Hawaii, and given numerous workshops throughout the United States.

These were my two self portraits from the show opening, so you can see why I wanted my makeup for the event to stay in the same dark-ethereal style. Being a photographer and artist myself, I enjoy featuring the works of other fine crafters and artisans. I was thinking of starting a new mini-series on my blog about these makers and their work & process, as many of my creative makeup looks are heavily influenced by art. Would anyone be interested in a series like that?