The 007 Countdown (Esperanza Guide Pt. 4)

It's time, agents. Your mission begins in just two days...are you ready?

I'm sure all you Bond ladies already have your espionage ensembles lined up and ready to go (if you don't, check out 6100 blogger Danielle's guide to femme fatale fashion), but before you embark on your journey to Esperanza, let us send you off with 7 last-minute makeup tips and tricks to ensure your night is a success:

007.A LOOK TO KILL:BALANCING YOUR COLOR PALETTE

Everything is about balance. One rule I personally swear by is highlighting only one facial feature at a time. For example, the classic combo I always opt for is a dramatic smokey eye balanced by a neutral or nude lip. 

Let's be real here, every femme fatale's gotta have her smolder. Smokey eyes scream sexy and seductive. If you want your eyes to pop (and possibly even captivate the gaze of a handsome Bond man across the dance floor?), this is the way to go. If you're less experienced with dramatic eye makeup, the traditional dark smokey eye is your best bet. However, if you're feeling a bit more daring, try your hand at a gold or bronze smokey eye. When pulled off right, these are absolutely BEAUTIFUL.

SERIOUSLY.THEY'RE GORGEOUS.

Urban Decay's Naked 2 Palette has some great colors (most famously their Half-Baked)that would be perfect for this golden look. 

On the other hand, if dark, dramatic eyes aren't your thing, try complementing a neutral eye with a dark or bright lip. Now that fall's here, it's the optimal time of year to whip out your maroon, plum, and burgundy shades. 

Pairing dark, matte lips with lighter eyes always guarantees a mature, sophisticated look.(On the topic of lighter eyes, here's another tip: Applying shimmery or bright white eyeshadow to the inner corners of your eyes opens up your eyes and makes them appear bigger and more awake)

Though definitely pricier than your drug-store go-to's, MAC lip liners and lipsticks are high-quality and absolutely perfect for this look. 

But to be honest, makeup is a chance for you to express YOUR own personal taste and style. Feel free to follow the rules and keep your features balanced, or make a statement and put yourself out there with a bold eye-and-lip look. I mean, Severine herself did it in Skyfall.

One word: Fire.

006.FOR YOUR EYES ONLY: EYELINER SECRETS

There's no better opportunity than a night as grand and special as Esperanza to rock some eyeliner. When done right, eyeliner can truly enhance and pull your makeup look together. Here are three of my personal tips and tricks:

1. If you're inexperienced with eyeliner, PLEASE PRACTICE BEFOREHAND. There is nothing as stressful and terrifying as desperately trying to fix uneven or smeared liner right before a big event. Trust me, I know. If you're new to eyeliner or makeup in general, definitely try it out a few times first and keep things simple - a well-done, simply lined eye looks a million times better than a beginner's attempt at wings.

2. Clean up uneven liner or minor smears with a Q-tip dipped in eye makeup remover. This trick works every time. Dip one end of a Q-tip into eye makeup remover and carefully tidy up your liner and wings for a smoother, cleaner finish.

3. Want to try your hand at wings? Use tape! Nailing perfect, even wings is actually mission impossible. However, a little help from scotch tape does make the job easier. Elle has a great guide on how to use tape and liquid liner to create a beautifully winged look.

005.ABORT MISSION: THE MENACE OF MASCARA

It's happened to all of us at least once before. It leaves you feeling devastated, all your hard work and dedication gone to waste: the invincible mascara smear. You don't have time to deal with mascara residue all over your upper lids, especially not when you're racing the clock to make it to Esperanza. Outsmart the enemy and check out makeup goddess Michelle Phan's neat trick - all you need is a business card to terminate mascara mistakes forever. 

004.CODE RED: CRACK THE CODE FOR THE PERFECT RED LIP

You can never go wrong with a red lip. It's classic, bold, and sexy - everything a Bond girl should be. 

Don't forget, there's many different shades of red out there. Find the one that screams "you".

Lock in on the perfect red lip in four easy steps:

1. Apply a small amount of concealer to your lips before getting started. The concealer will nude out your lips and give you the chance to change your lip shape before adding color.

2. Line and fill in your lips with a red lip liner. Outlining your lips first helps you carve out a perfect, smooth shape, and filling in your lips with liner before using lipstick helps them hold onto the color longer.

3. Apply your red lipstick straight from the bullet. Avoid using a lip brush - application from the bullet yields more pigment so you don't (and shouldn't!) use too much.

4. Finally, seal your lips (and spy secrets!) with powder. Yes, the same powder you use on your face. As weird as it sounds, the powder creates a beautiful matte finish and prolongs the wear of your red lip. Gently press a matte powder onto your lips using a soft eyeshadow blending brush.     

003.PRIME TIME: SET YOUR LOOK

You can dance the night away, but the clock never stops. The last thing you want is for your makeup to smudge, smear, or run before the night ends. Apply facial primer and eyeshadow primer as bases before you begin the rest of your makeup to lock your look in place and keep you looking fresh and #flawless all night.

*channels inner Beyonce*

Smashbox's Photo Finish Foundation Primer is a crowd favorite and gives your skin a soft and silky finish, creating the perfect base for the rest of your makeup. For the eyes, I highly recommend Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Primer Potion - it's a great base that holds onto eyeshadows SO well AND - if you're feeling glitzy- its "Sin" shade (the primer comes in 4 different shades)has a gorgeous, shimmery champagne finish and works well as a base eyeshadow itself. Just add a darker shade to your crease and outer corners, blend, and you're done!

002.MISSION ESSENTIALS: ON THE GO LIFESAVERS 

No Bond girl can take on the world without her secret weapons (you probably could anyways, but secret weapons do help). Keep these two trusty tools in your clutch for quick touch-ups throughout the night:

1. Lip balm and lipstick ~ Beat the chilly fall wind and keep your lips moisturized all night. Also, don't forget to bring your lipstick for that post-dinner touch-up.

2. Oil-absorbing sheets ~ Keep the shine away and stash some handy oil-absorbing sheets in your bag. Clean and Clear's are great to take on-the-go - they instantly remove any excess oil that could make your skin seem shiny while leaving your makeup smudge-free. Moreover, oil-absorbing sheets are much easier to carry around than a powder compact and essentially achieve the same purpose. 

001.CAUGHT ON CAMERA: PHOTO-READY TIPS

As a sought-after Bond lady, you're sure to be chased - by the camera I mean. Be ready before they hit the flash:

1. Avoid overly glittery/shimmery makeup. Excessive glitter won't photograph well. I promise.

2. Opt for HD foundation. Actresses live for this stuff. High-definition foundations (Make Up For Ever HD Foundation is a good one) appear near invisible on your skin and leave the perfect, photo-ready finish. It's worth the investment if you're serious about that #flawless selfie.

*channels inner Beyonce again*

Last and definitely not least, don't forget to smile! This may not exactly be a makeup tip but it's definitely one of the most important. I know each and every one of you is going to look beautiful on Saturday night. Good luck, have fun, and show 'em what Bond girls are all about.

This message will self destruct in 3...2...1...

(P.S. For more makeup tips/a more thorough guide, check out Kai's Esperanza makeup post)