This post is the third in a series of hints and tips to enable you to choose and use make-up confidently.Part 1 looked at brushes and applicators and why you should use brushes to apply your make up, for hygiene as well as economic reasons.
In Part 2 we focused on your skin, how to hide those little problems with concealer, choose and apply foundation for a flawless finish and of course the finishing touch for your canvas, powder. And then once you have perfected your base how to be confident using blusher.
Here we focus on eyeshadow, eyeliner and mascara and how get it all to stay in place!
Part 4 will focus on lips and Part 5 will be all about your hands!
If you want beautiful eyes, first you have to lay the right foundations!
Obviously, make sure your eyes are clean and fresh before you start!
Even your skin tone, hide those dark circles... get out your concealer!
In order to help your eye shadow last the day, and to give you a good clean "canvas" to work on, dot concealer over your eyelid and around your eye, make sure you don't miss out the area between the inner eye and your nose.
Blend the concealer (so you don't have any obvious pale blotches!) and lightly dust over with face powder to "fix". Right, now you are set to start applying your colour...
Choosing your eyeshadow
Pressed powder, mineral, cream, liquid or gel?
Pressed powders and minerals - These are the most popular because they are easiest to apply and of course in the case of minerals they contain no preservatives or chemicals either. Use a brush as it will give you more control as well as save you money by using less product and will keep your make-up cleaner for longer. Applying with a damp brush will give you a darker shade, which is useful if you are on a budget (who isn't at the moment?!) and can also turn your eye shadow, with the use of the correct brush, into an eyeliner.Cream eye shadows - These are generally oil based and come in little pots or compacts, again apply with a brush. These are often a good choice for drier or more mature skins that need a little extra moisturising but avoid if you have oily skin as they will often just crease and "disappear".
Liquid eye shadows, cream to powders and gels - Often waxed based, the creamy texture means they don't drag your skin when you apply them, either use a brush to apply or often the liquid shadows come in tubes with a built in applicator.
Choosing your colour
Ok, so now you need to choose what colours to use. You might have your favourite eye shadows or you might consider the following;- Choose a colourway that is complimentary to your skin tone, is your tone cool (very pale, almost a blue undertone) or warm (ivory, cream with a yellowish tinge)?
- Having decided cool or warm, for every day wear the following suggestions might give you new ideas to try..
or alternatively you may have your own
Applying your eyeshadow...
So you have decided what kind of shadow you want to use, you have your brushes all ready and you have applied a primer or concealer and a light dusting of powder to clean eyes... we are ready to start!Adding the colour to accentuate your eyes!
First apply the highlighter (the lightest shade in your palette) using a brush and add a light dusting over the whole eyelid and up to the brow bone.
Second take your middle toned colour and apply to the eye lid, taking care to blend it gently with the highlighter at the eyelid crease so you don't have an obvious stop and start line.
Lastly, take your darkest shade from your palette and apply to the eyelid on the outside corner blending in carefully towards the middle of the eyelid and up, again we are trying to avoid harsh lines.
Using a fine brush also apply a very little under the lower eye lashes blending from the outside corner in toward the middle of the eye, be careful not to apply too much, we are going for sophisticated glamour rather than Chi-Chi the Panda!
Eyeliner, and how to apply it so you don't look like a panda!
What form of eye liner?
The choice here is between pencil, liquid or gel (unless you are using a damp fine brush and the darkest of your eye shadow shades).Pencil eye liners - these are the easiest to use, and can be applied to both the upper eyelid, under the lower eyelashes too and even in some cases to the waterline of your eye. Make sure your pencil is soft enough to not drag or tug at your skin.
Liquid and gel eye liners - these require a more confident and steady hand and are best kept for the upper eyelid only and not on the waterline.Let's get drawing!
Don't try to do the whole line in one sweep unless you have really steady hands, this is particularly important if you are using a liquid or gel eye liner. Instead use small even strokes heading towards the outside corner of your eyelid. Use a cotton bud or q-tip to gently stretch the eyelid up and give you a smooth base to work on, don't use your fingers as they will put too much pressure on your eyelid and stretch it too much.Start drawing the line very close to the lashes in the middle of the eyelid and work with small strokes to the outside corner then come back and finish from the inside corner back up to the middle.
If you are applying eye liner to the lower lash line use a cotton bud/q-tip to smudge and soften.
If you are doing a "wing" it needs to follow the natural up-sweep line of the lower eye line (if you do not use eye liner under your eyes start it from the outside corner of the upper lid) and carry on its natural sweep up and out. Different lengths of wings suit different eyes, experiment!Drawing on the eye water-line (the inside edge of the lower line) is a personal preference, but be wary if you have small eyes using a dark eye liner here can make your eyes look even smaller!
If you want a little visual guidance here is the wonderful Michelle Phan's video tutorial for applying eyeliner...
Flutter your lashes... use mascara!
Mascara is the last thing you apply, after your eye shadow and your eye liner.There are many colours to choose from such as Black, Dark Blue, Medium Brown, Dark Brown, Dark Purple and Dark Green.
Many manufacturers will promise you fantastic lengths, curls etc because of the wand they have created, but in fact a short, straight mascara brush will give you the most control and is the easiest to use. A word of good advice is to never pump the wand in and out of the tube as this just pushes air into the tube and makes the mascara dry out faster, instead just turn the wand inside the tube for a twist or two and this will coat the brush evenly for you.
Before you start check the wand for any clumps and gently sweep them onto a tissue, better there than on your lashes!
Apply the mascara to the upper lashes from beneath the lashes, holding the mirror slightly up so you are naturally looking upward and use a gentle zig-zag motion to coat as much of the eyelashes as possible, don't forget the lashes at the outside corner of your eye.
To apply to the lower lashes, hold the brush vertically and sweep from the root down to the tip, this takes practice (not to poke yourself in the eye!) but the result is worth it.
Separate your lashes using a lash comb.
If at any point you make a mistake (or sneeze!) use a cotton bud or q-tip dipped in cleanser to wipe away.
Eyebrows are your final framing touch
Eyebrows provide a frame for your eyes and tend to look best when they follow the natural shape of your eyes.To find the start and end point for your brow take a pencil and hold it against the outside of your nose and across the tear duct (in the corner of your eye) the tip of the pencil will point to where your eyebrow should begin, next tilt the pencil so it runs from your nose to the crease at the outside of your eye and this is where your brow should end, simple!
Pluck out the excess hairs or feather in where brow is missing using an eyebrow pencil that matches your natural colour and use an eyebrow comb to neaten.
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