Makeup tips?

[Emma H.]

Hello, everyone!

It's been a long time since I've posted here. Here's what's up: I'm going over to my girlfriend's house in a matter of 5 days. I've been to her house before many times, but what makes this time special is that she is going to have me dress up while I'm there. So I'm bringing my makeup and clothes. The problem is, I want to look as good as possible. And it's pressurizing, like I've forgotten everything about makeup! :S

Give me whatever tips you have, especially on contouring, or eyes/eyebrows, because those are really something I lack. In case it's helpful, I've listed what makeup I have:

Loréal True Match liquid foundation - it's paler than my actual skin tone, but girls are typically paler.
Victoria's Secret mascara
Victoria's Secret black pencil liner
A cheap makeup kit from Claire's with a palette full of eyeshadows, 1 blush, a bronzer, a translucent powder, and some stuff I haven't bothered toying with.
Three lipsticks, one orange-red, a red, and a magenta.
A liquid liner from Hot Topic.
Victoria's Secret Tinted Moisturizer - A little darker than my skin tone.
A few lip glosses.

Thank you so much!
~ Emma

[SallyStone]

Emma,

I hope this post isn't too late for you. Anyway, I actually wrote this recently and posted it on another website. I'll post it here on the off chance you can pick up a tip or two that works for you.

I know most of us have a tried and true makeup routine but it is always a good idea to try new techniques and tricks. Sometimes a minor alteration to your routine can make all the difference. Therefore, I thought I'd share my current makeup routine with everyone in the hopes that someone will benefit from one of my techniques. Keep in mind that my techniques are not the be all end all of makeup routines but they do work well for me.

Step 1:

This is the preparation step and it is probably the second-most important part of the makeup application process. I'll discuss the most important step later. If it is possible, I don't shave my face until the stubble has grown out a bit because the longer the whiskers the more bite the razor has. This helps pull each hair out of the follicle so the blade can cut it below the skin line making for a much closer shave. Before shaving, I use inexpensive hair conditioner to soften the whiskers. I let the conditioner work its magic for several minutes then rinse it out with the hottest water I can stand. Then I shave slowly and methodically using Jack Black Beard Lube. This stuff is excellent and really helps the razor shave closely without irritation. I pat my dry face with witch hazel or some other astringent to help tighten the skin and pores, let it dry, and then I apply primer to my face and neck. I use a product that contains many of the same ingredients as expensive primers but is a fraction of the cost. I use Monistat Anti-chafing gel, which is not sold as a primer but is just as effective. The key to using it is to apply it sparingly and let it dry completely before putting on foundation.

Step 2:

Applying concealer is important especially if you have to hide beard shadow or flaws. I start with Maybelline Yellow concealer applying it to the areas of my face where beard shadow tends to show. I also cover any dark circles that might be showing under my eyes. Before blending the concealer into my skin, I dot the same areas with a bright red lipstick so it looks like I have chicken pox. Red is really most-effective at neutralizing the blue beard shadow. You might want to consider using an inexpensive lipstick that doesn't contain all the additives or moisturizers that more expensive brands do. The moisturizers can actually make your foundation oily and adversely impact how long it wears. After blending the concealer and the lipstick the covered areas should have a slightly red tone kind of like sunburn.

Step 3:

Now comes my foundation. I use Derma-blend because I love the way it wears and covers. Because it covers so well I use very little of it, just enough to create a uniform tone all over my face including my eye areas. I apply foundation over the concealer and over the areas without any. Use caution because it is very easy to apply too much full-coverage foundation. I start with very little and then add tiny amounts if the initial coverage isn't enough. I use my fingertips to apply concealer and foundation. Be aware that if you use a sponge it will result in a more transparent look.

Step 4:

Now comes the most important step, the contouring step. I honestly believe this is the make or break step for most of us. More than anything else contouring transforms the masculine characteristics of our face to a more feminine outline. It is extremely effective when done properly. To create the contours I use two different colors. I use white and I use a dark shade approximately two shades darker than my foundation shade. I use Maybelline concealer sticks as my contouring makeup. The key to effective contouring is to use the dark shade over the characteristics you want to minimize and the white shade over the areas you want to highlight. In my case, I use the dark shade in the hollows of my cheeks, on top of my brow ridges (just above my eyebrows) and along the bridge of my nose. I use the white concealer over my eyelids, over my cheekbones, along the sides of my nose, and in any prominent creases like the ones that go from the the corners of my nose down past the corners of my mouth. I also highlight the upper edge of my top lip with the white concealer because I have found that this accentuates my upper lip making it look fuller and more feminine. I use foundation brushes to apply and blend the contouring makeup. Just like foundation, apply sparingly at first and add as necessary. However, the most important thing about contouring is that you have to blend the colors so it is impossible to tell where the contouring begins or ends. I have three different brushes for contouring: one for the dark makeup, one for the white makeup and one for blending. I keep the brushes moistened with water while using them and after use I clean them thoroughly with soap and water. When you are finished contouring, your feminine features should stand out and your masculine features should be camouflaged.

Step 5:

Step 5 is actually two similar steps combined but they both involve the use of powder. First, I set my makeup with a shaded yet translucent powder. I use Translucede from Loreal. Before I set with powder though I give my foundation and contouring makeup the chance to “cook-in.” This takes about to ten minutes and lets the foundation settle. It contributes greatly to how well the the makeup wears over time and it enhances greatly, the effect powder has on setting the foundation. I cover my entire face with the powder using a powder puff. I gently press the powder into the foundation, let it set for a couple of minutes and then I gently brush away the excess. Using a translucent powder ensures the contouring shows through. After the setting powder I use blush to accentuate my cheekbones. I have a bit of a long face so I apply a peach colored blush (darker than my foundation color) in a rectangular pattern just below the ridge of my cheekbone down to the hollow of my cheek and then blend it thoroughly. Then I apply a very light peach blush to the apples of my cheeks and feather it back along the ridge of my cheekbone to the hair line. Again, I blend thoroughly. The dark blush below and the light blush on top combined with the contouring really makes my cheekbones pop.

Step 6:

Step 6 includes all of the finishing touches. It involves doing the eyes and the lips. I have deep set eyes that are a bit droopy so I use a technique that tends to bring my eyes to the forefront. This means a light color shadow on my lids, a complimentary but darker color above the lid and up to the brow. I finish by applying a smoky shade of shadow in the crease. The overall effect I look for is lighter shades closer to my nose and progressively darker shades as I move outward. I line my upper lash with a black pencil and then use a blue pencil to line my lower lash line. On the lower, I start at the outer edge of the lash and only line to the outer edge of my pupil. Going any farther tends to make my eyes look smaller. One other trick I use to make my eyes look larger is to use a white eye pencil to line my lower water line all the way across the eye.

Finally, we are almost finished and I always finish with my lips. I use long wearing lip color for two reasons. The first reason is that with it I don't have to worry about the lipstick bleeding into the fine lines around my mouth and secondly it is pretty much maintenance free. I put it on once and I only have to reapply the gloss after eating or drinking. Remember that during the highlighting step I applied white concealer to the outer edge of my upper lip. This has the effect of making my upper lip look much fuller and it allows me to apply lipstick beyond my natural lip line without looking clownish. Fuller lips definitely enhance my overall appearance.

And there you have it ladies, my process for doing makeup. As you can probably tell the process is quite involved and it does take a good bit of time to accomplish each and every step. If you have ever had a professional makeover though you know that perfection takes time and effort. Every time I do my makeup I'm actually giving myself a complete makeover. Is it worth the effort? Absolutely!

Hugs,

Sally

[MichelleZ]

Applying makeup is a difficult art for me...comes out different every time usually makes for a good zombie look

[Sarah Beth]

I hear you Michelle it seems that way for me too.

I am going to try this technique though and see if I can get it to work