And now on to the fun stuff. :)
The Brushes, oh the Brushes
Okay. so first, take a look at the mason jar of brushes and applicators. I saw this little tid bit on Pinterest. It's filled with coffee beans to help them stand up, and also, who doesn't love the smell of coffee in the morning? Now, again, brushes are an area to really spend money in. A good brush makes a world of difference not only in the way that your makeup is applied, but also, a good brush won't irritate your skin or leave those pesky little strands of themselves behind. And there's no particular brand I adhere to, but generally, the more expensive, the better. They make a noticeable difference in the application of eye shadow. A good eye shadow brush will help your colour go on with more intensity and stay on a little better.
My preference in terms of eyebrow tools is a set of scissors and some angled tweezers. Maybe I'll do a demo on how I do my eyebrows some other time, but those are the tools.
The bottle at the side of the jar is Sephora's Daily Brush Cleanser. It's a good thing to keep around, just lightly spray down all your brushes when you're done using them. Now, you should also have a brush shampoo to get a more thorough cleaning of them. Over time, your brushes build up bacteria, so you need to keep them clean to avoid break outs and possible infections. Never use soap on your brushes. It will severely damage them and leave behind residue that will make them more susceptible to bacteria.
The Process
Now, I'm just going to go from step one of my makeup application process in terms of all that stuff up there. I tried to number them so hopefully you can see it.
1. Put on moisturizer! I use Olay Complete All Day Moisturizer with Broad Spectrum SPF 15 for Sensitive Skin. You'll notice I make sure to tell you it's Broad Spectrum. This is important. With the growing number of skin cancer cases and concern for sun protection, it's important to note that broad spectrum means UVA and UVB, which are different and it's important to protect against both. UVB rays are what will turn you into a little lobster. UVA, will go deeper, burning the underlayer of skin and can literally cause damage to the genetic tissue. This is what leads to cancer. It's also important to read labels. For instance, you might see the words "All Day" in the title, but it will tell you in the directions that for the sun protection effects to be properly applied every two hours or so. Only the moisturizer is all-day, the SPF, like all sun protection, wears off after a little while. And yes, ALL sun protection wears off about every two hours.
*Now, as a side note, wait around 2-5 minutes in between each layer of steps 1-6. Yeah, I know, a long time. But there's a reason for this. Each layer needs time to properly set before the next is added or else it won't be as effective. #4 can be done alongside another layer since it is confined to the eye area.
2. I've started using an all-over facial setting spray to help my makeup stay put. Since I sweat a lot and have oily skin, my makeup will tend to wear off or smudge easily. I picked up a bottle of Urban Decay's De-Slick setting spray. They make a few different kinds but this one is supposed to help with oil-control. Give your face a good light cover. I spray once to the forehead area, chin area, and each cheek angled towards my nose slightly to get the sides of my nose. Hold the bottle about 6" from your face to get a more all-over spray. You will have to add this again later as a way to sort of seal your makeup.
3. Makeup primer. I know, what's the difference between this and the one above? The De-Slick seals and controls makeup. This is sort of like a buff and buffer. It helps smooth the skin and create a layer over your skin that moisturizes and keeps your foundation from getting absorbed too much into your skin, which helps avoid breakouts. I use Laura Mercier Foundation Primer. The link is a costly pick, but I got a trial size and let me tell you, a little goes a long way with this stuff.
4. Eyeshadow primer! This is very important for your eye shadow. Pigments, especially blue for some reason, have a tendency to bunch up in the creases of your eyes if they are not properly applied or set. Another reason to go for the more expensive shadows. I was recommended Too Faced Shadow Insurance by Columbia because it's less expensive and still effective. It comes in colourless primer and also some shimmery shades.
5. The foundation. For being called the "foundation" there are sure a lot of steps before it, huh? Anywho, again, I've gone with Laura Mercier because they've got a great tinted moisturizer that's not too heavy and has just enough colour to mask the discolouration in my face without being literally a mask. Also, it has SPF 20 and mine is the oil free kind. When you apply liquid foundation, it's important to pat it on and not smear it on. This gives you better coverage without streaks or a caked look. I use my finger to apply it. Sponge applicators pick up and retain bacteria all too easily and are really not very good at the actual application part. I was able to get a tinted moisturizer that match my skin tone well enough that I really only apply it to problem areas.
6. I love love love this stuff. Dr. Feelgood Face Balm gives your skin this satiny sort of feel while smoothing and adding a bit of matte. Also, it smells so good. It's got this nice calming lavender sort of smell. Also, it's also great to wear on a day you don't even need to put make up on because it actually aids your skin since it has Vitamin C and E in it. Now the instructions say to put it on last, but I usually put it on before my powder.
7. Powder foundation can be used with liquid foundation or alone. The mineral foundations are the best, but for now I'm using Smashbox powder foundation. The little container is actually pretty cool. It's a pressed powder with what's essentially a grinder on top of it, so you twist when you need it and it turns the pressed powder into a loose powder which makes for easier and better application. Since you control how much you grinder into loose powder, the rest stays pressed and you get to avoid the irritating mess that potentially comes from a whole case of loose powder. I use this bronzer brush, but you can also use a kabuki brush or face brush.
8. Now this one is interchangeable with the next one or skippable altogether. This particular product is actually Benefit Hollywood Glo, which has been discontinued. But it's a rosy coloured liquid highlighter basically so you could go with any one of their other highlighters still on the shelves. The High Beam is likely the closest to the Hollywood Glo that I use. I like Benefit's cosmetics in general. They are a pretty reliable brand. People with already pinky tones to their skin should use the High Beam or Girl Meets Pearl whereas those with light tan/yellow tones should use Watts Up or Moon Beam. Darker tones or olive tones might look to Sun Beam or One Hot Minute.
9. Bronzer. I'm so pale I'm literally translucent in places. So bronzer might seem like a weird thing for me to own. But Too Faced has me covered. Say hello to the Snow Bunny Bronzer. It's almost perfect for pale tones that want a little glow and colour in the summer months. It's got a lot of gold shimmer to it so it's great for those days on the town or on the water and if you dust is on lightly with a stippling brush it adds just the right amount of shimmer without it looking like you took a marker to your face.
10. Next goes the eyeshadow. Yea! Make sure to use the proper shadow brush. One with denser bristles will get the eyeshadow on more intensely.
11. I use powder as a liner. Frankly, it stays better, doesn't hurt when you try to put it on (ehem, pencils), has a better pigment, and is easier to put on (ehem, liquid liner). Powder, powder, powder. I use Bare Escentuals mineral eyeshadow in black leather. It was part of one of their eyeshadow sets, but you can use nearly any black (or brown, or any colour for that matter) powder. Pressed or loose, although loose works better, but it's a little harder to work with than pressed. I also used the black in the Urban Decay palette for years until I ran out of it (Zero or Oilslick) so you can pick up one of the singles if you want. Use an angled liner brush. Wet it slightly. Get the powder nice and rubbed in on the brush without pressing down too hard. I use my makeup mirror high magnification side to apply. If you do it right, it goes on easy, dries fairly quick, and s-t-a-y-s. It looks like liquid without the hassel, stays better than creme or pencil, and is as easy to apply as pencil is. Seriously. Good stuff. Takes a little practice to get the lines just right, but so does any other method I suppose. Now, you'll notice that the shadow I marked for liner has two number. That's because at this point, I only do my upper lid. Next comes....
12. The mascara! I was well endowed in the lash department, but they are also uber light. But I this also means I can give you a better idea of what actually works because I can see the difference better. Benefit BADgal Lash works pretty well. The mascara itself stays fairly decently for not being a waterproof, and since I cry a lot, and tear up a lot, that's important to me. The wand is also great at separating lashes making them look fuller. Fresh makes a good mascara as well. I had gotten a trial size of two different kinds of their mascara, one being the linked product. I can't seem to find the second unfortunately. The one linked is good at volume though, so it's worth a try. The one I'm using now, however, is Benefit's They're Real! mascara. And yes. I have totally had to say that. Like I said, my lashes are already pretty well off, though, so *results may vary. But the wand is great because it volumizes, like the BADgal wand, but the tip also has the mascara ball on it which is great for me because getting into the out corner lashes can be a hassel. So, it's a highly recommended pick.
To apply mascara, try to scrap as much of the excess of as possible, then place to wand as close to the base of your roots as you can and move the wand back and forth horizontally. You'll want to look as straight ahead as possible to avoid getting it on your upper or lower lids. Then, as you move the wand back and forth, pull it gently forward to coat the entire lash. Repeat as desired. If you add more than one coat, do so quickly. If the mascara dries before you get the second coat on their, you'll likely end up with spider lashes. Before the mascara dries, I take a separate, dry mascara brush to mine and brush them out really quick to keep them from sticking and pulling excess off. You can grab one of these next time you're at Sephora or Ulta. They have them around so you can sample mascaras, just grab one (maybe a little inconspicuously). They last forever. I use them on my lashes and on my brows. Since they are designed for omnidirectional volume, they work great on both.
13. Lower lid liner. On my lower lids, I use a smudge brush and I don't wet the powder. Gently tap on to your lid/water line or (the better-for-you-area) the lash line. It's a good idea to hold a tissue under your eye to cover your cheek lest excess powder sprinkle on your skin and create a modern art piece on your newly laid blush.
14. Spray on De-Slick, same as before. You are sealed, and done. Congrats!
*PLEASE NOTE: The brushes I've linked are not necessarily the exact brand I use, they are more to give you an idea of what the brush looks like. I highly recommend getting the travel size of a brush set as you'll get a varied pick of your most needed brushes at a cheaper price. I have two set of brushes as well as random others I've picked up, but the pouch set you saw with the shadows in the previous post is this set here. It works great and has the bare essentials. A face brush, a smudge brush, shadow brush, angled liner brush and a crease brush. Brushes can get very expensive. You don't need to get the super high end ones. A middle range is just fine. But be warned, spending $20 on a single brush is about what you'll be paying for a decent quality brush.
Please, Curb Your Odor
No one likes to smell bad and no one likes to smell someone who smells bad. Personally, I am finicky about perfume. It can't be too heavy or overbaring. I don't like fruity smells and besides lavender and the occasional gardenia I don't like floral smells. My favorites are things like musk. Something "woody" or "earthy". Up there I have True Religion's Original perfume. It smells like rain.
When you apply your perfume, I recommend you do that first, that way is has time to set. A freshly sprayed perfume, no matter what it is, will tend to be overbaring at first. Every woman puts their perfume on differently, whether it's on the wrists or the neck, or does the spray shower...But however you do it, do it naked. Yup, I said it. Perfume can seep into your clothes and actually damage or stain the fibers. So spray on your perfume. Do your makeup. Then get dressed. If you really don't want to be naked that long, put on a bathrobe, but leave your clothes be while it sets. Personally, I hold my bottle 6" away and do a single spray to cover my neck and chestplate. That way the scent cover greater area, that is mostly exposed and away from clothing, and is much lighter.
There you have it. My routine. Will get some designs up soon. :) Have fun makeup buddies!
- KissMYGorgeous
Trust me, death is the best argument for moisturizer. ~Coupling
No comments:
Post a Comment