Blend it till you make it
WHAT TO DO FIRST
Everyone has a different way of going about at things, some like to do their eyes first, while others do their base makeup first.
There are pros and cons to both ways. If you want to do your face/base makeup first, the problem you might have to face is the fall out of the eyeshadows on the tops of your cheekbone. If it is not dealt with in the proper way, you might end up having streaks of eyeshadow all over your face.
Now, you can easily just get rid of it by applying some loose powder under your eyes before starting with the shadows. And once you're done, just take a big fluffy brush and dust the powder off your face.
However, if you start with the eyes, I find it a bit difficult to apply foundations around my perfectly drawn eyebrows. In that case, just take a small concealer brush and make your way around the brows. I personally forget about that step and always end up having to go over and fix my eyebrow.
ALL ABOUT THE BASE:
Always remember that you will have a much easier time doing your makeup if you prep your skin at the very beginning. The very first step that you should take if you have large pores is to take a cube of ice and just run it around your t-zone. This will shrink the pores.
Next, you should moisturise your face. If you happen to have dry skin, you should use something more hydrating. Otherwise, you're going to see some serious flaking on your face. However, if you're on the oilier end of the spectrum, use a gel-based moisturiser, like the Neutrogena Hydro-boost or The Body Shop seaweed gel moisturiser. A primer is also advised if you want the makeup to last for a long time.
Pick a foundation that matches you, and by match, I mean it should be the same shade and should be of the same undertone. Many of us make the mistake of buying something a few shades lighter. Firstly, it's not going to match your body, and secondly, you're probably going to look post-apocalyptic with no warmth whatsoever.
For the application, you could use either a brush or a sponge. And if you're super extra like me, you're going to be using both.
Tip: Now, what I like to do, is apply it all with a brush with a dabbing motion-- a combination of bouncing and slightly dragging the product all over my face.
I then take a damp beauty sponge and bounce it around my face to get rid of any visible brush strokes I might have. Now you can just use the sponge, but it takes a bit of the coverage away.
The next step is to conceal. Contrary to popular belief, do not draw a huge triangle under your eyes. Too much product may look cakey, and as we are mere humans and have lines under our eyes, the product will sink in much quicker. Just dot it under your eyes and blend it, if you need more, all you have to do is add.
You are going to want to set the concealer before it creases, and I find that using the loose powder on the damp sponge gives the best effect.
Tip: The water retained by your sponge will help the powder melt into your skin.
With the foundation and concealer in place, you are going to look like a blank canvas. And it is very important to bring the warmth back into your face. Use a big powder brush to do the job. Swirl it around the bronzer of your choice, but before you put it on your face, tap off the excess. You can add more later if you need to.
You face naturally has shadows, some parts are tanner than the others. The outer parameters, in particular, are a shade or two darker than your cheeks. Following the natural order of things, apply the bronzer just on the hollows of your cheeks, your jawline and the areas where your skin and hairline meet.
Tip: Remember to use light and circular motions to blend the bronzer.
It should look like it is a part of the rest of the makeup, not something that has been drawn on.
Now for my favourite part of the makeup—blush! It is absolutely necessary if you want to look alive and healthy. Too much of it, however, concentrated on the apples of your cheeks, may make you look like a Russian doll. So the goal is to take a little at a time on a fluffy powder brush. Sweep it from the apple to the temple.
Tip: Do not forget to blend it in with your bronzer, we don't want it to look like an ice-cream sandwich.
Highlighting is all the rage right now, and girls everywhere can't get enough of that. And most of the time, they go a bit overboard, to the point that it looks like they have a blinding white stripe on each of their cheekbones. Opt for a small highlighting brush rather than a fan brush. With sweeping and circular motion, blend it into the high point of your face.
Tip: Do not bring it all the way into the apples of the cheek.
This will emphasise your pores, or any type of texture you might have on your face. Makeup is there to enhance your beauty, not take away from it.
You can also highlight the bridge on your nose and your cupid's bow if you like. But, don't put it all over your face. It's not as flattering as you think.
Tip: Take a clean powder brush and lightly go over your face once, so that it all looks like an extension of the other.
And at last, spritz your face with some setting spray to lock the look into place. You can select the kind of finish the spray will leave on your face, and there are many to choose from. Do remember to use it from about a foot away and test the spray once away from your face, so that you don't get a mouth full of the spray.
Tip: Before the spray dries completely, take your sponge and go over all the powder you put on your face, this helps the products to really sink in.
Every person has their own techniques of doing their makeup, some methods work on many, while others don't. Your job is to find out what suits you the best. And the only way for you to know is with practice. And we all know how that's what makes us perfect.
By Qazi Mustabshara Tabir
Photo: LS Archive/Sazzad Ibne Sayed
Comments