Makeup is one of the ways for you to feel more comfortable and confident in your skin. Although it has the power to change your appearance completely, its real job is to enhance what you naturally have. Therefore, with the right makeup and application techniques, your features can go from looking tired to energized and ready to face the world.
But, that’s the key – you need to be doing your makeup the right way. The wrong color and placement of color can achieve results opposite to what you want. So, in the guide below, you will learn professional makeup strategies that will highlight your natural beauty and overall make you look and feel better.
The Guide
1. The true foundation of beautiful makeup is skincare.
Never apply makeup without doing skincare first. Clean your face thoroughly and apply the specific serum for your natural skin condition, followed by eye cream, moisturizer, sunscreen, and lip balm. A well-prepped face will improve the way makeup products apply on your skin.
2. Always color-correct before concealer.
Color correction will neutralize whatever discoloration you have that makes you look tired. Do not apply too much color-corrector though, especially under your eyes. Use a small paddle or concealer brush for targeted application on undereye circles and apply leftover product on the brush for other areas such as the sides of the nose and blemishes.
Afterward, get ready to conceal. Use a concealer that’s one shade lighter than your skin. Again, only place the product on the problem spots and not in big triangles and stripes. Wait about a minute before blending everything with a damp makeup sponge.
3. Use your perfect match of foundation sparingly.
Your foundation should not make your skin look fairer or tanner. It should match your natural skin color and make it look healthy.
And when it comes to application, use just enough to even out your skin tone. It’s best to apply with a flat brush to target problem areas and sheer the product out by dabbing it with a damp makeup sponge.
4. Pinch your cheeks to find your natural blush color.
Your natural blush color will look most flattering. The best way to find out what shades you should be using is by pinching your cheeks first. The flush you get from doing that is our natural blush color. Stick to those shades that are very similar to it.
5. Apply your blush in a letter C shape.
Most people apply blush in a straight, stripe motion – this is a no-no for flattering makeup. What you should do instead is to load up a big fluffy brush with your natural blush color and place the blush high up on the apples of the cheeks.
Then, sweep it lightly toward the top of your ears and drag it down in a curve like a letter C about an inch and a half above your jawline. This will create the prettiest flush.
6. Use lipliner with your lipstick.
When applying lip liner, avoid doing so using the tip of the liner. It’s better to lay the pencil in a slanted position above your lips and applying the color as if you’re sketching the natural line of your lips. By doing it in this motion, you avoid creating a sharp lip line.
Finally, apply lip color that is in the same color family as the lipliner. It’s best to use a lip brush for easy blending.
7. Use a brow product that is the color of your hair’s root color to fill in your brows.
If you want to know the perfect color of brow product to use, base your choice on the color of your hair roots. Here’s a fool-proof guide for when you buy eyebrow makeup online: if you’re a blonde, taupe-grey will be your match. If you’re a redhead, brown with a coppery undertone is usually the best choice because that’s typically the color or red hair’s roots. And, if you have brown hair or black hair, deep brown would look great on you.
Also, use a small angled brush or spoolie to diffuse the color and define the shape of your brows without making it look too drawn on.
8. Stop concentrating your crease eyeshadow on the outer V of your eyes.
The best way to enhance the shape of your eyes is by applying a light base color all over the lids and following it up with a slightly darker shade using a fluffy crease brush right on the entire crease. This just the universally flattering way to define the eye shape using eyeshadow.
9. Use the double-lining method to darken the lash line and elongate the shape of the eyes.
If you like to elongate the shape of your eyes, the best way to do so is by lining your upper lash line with a gel liner or liquid liner and flicking it toward and upwards the outer edge. For better definition, thicken the line slightly with a smudge-proof pencil liner. This trick will make your eyes look awake and bright instantly.
10. Lastly, use two mascaras.
For thick and curly lashes, use two kinds of mascaras: one to hold the shape of your curled lashes and also separate the hairs, and another to volumize your lashes and dramatically define the curl.
As for the lower lashes, use the first mascara just to darken the hairs.
Finish everything off with a light sweeping of finishing powder to lock everything in and make the look completely seamless.
The guide is quite easy to follow, right? But, as simple as the techniques shared above are, you can trust that they will make you look gorgeous without altering your natural beauty.
Author Bio
Toni Malt is the Middle East’s leading international editorial makeup artist and the woman behind the highly anticipated Toni Malt Makeup Academy in the heart of Dubai, now training the next generation of key makeup artists. From minimalistic looks to freestyle artistic creations, Toni’s creative work has been published in top international fashion magazines around the world including VOGUE, ELLE, L’Officiel, Marie Claire, Harper’s BAZAAR, Grazia and Cosmopolitan.
Akif is a Web Designer, Developer and Educator specializing in WordPress and Expression Web. He has Published and Designed several Websites. He spends a lot of his time thinking about and sharing his knowledge of the internet, Information Technology and Web design and Development. Also he is passionate about Fashion Industry. In 2012, he started publishing Fashion related Blogs. Sizzling Magazine is one of them!