Eye Make Up

Make Your Eyes Pop by Knowing How to Apply Eyeshadow

Posted on January 9, 2012 by SharonWalker

No Clowning Around

Little girls grow up anxious and excited about being able to wear makeup. They can’t wait for the day they can put on a little eyeshadow and some lip gloss. It’s practically a rite of passage. However, if they aren’t shown how to apply eyeshadow effectively, they can wind up looking like a clown instead of accentuating their beauty. Learning how to apply eye makeup is not hard, it simply takes time to learn and some makeup education.

Buying Eyeshadow

It might be tempting to go in and buy every color of the rainbow in eyeshadow. However, it is best to learn which colors are flattering and which ones are best left for a night out on the town or other special occasion. Runway models make it look easy to wear some pretty extraordinary colors but they are not the image with which you should gauge your eyeshadow. You want your eyeshadow you make your eyes look brighter and pop a little without going overboard.

When you first start wearing eyeshadow buy a few neutral tones and use those to learn how to apply colors. You will soon enough know how to apply it correctly so that you can use practically any color you want, with the right technique.

You should also buy good quality eyeshadow if you want it to last all day. Some of the cheaper versions tend to be faded away before you even get through your first coffee break. Some of the more expensive brands have a richer palette of colors as well.

You should also avoid glittering, super shimmery eyeshadows unless you are young and completely wrinkle free. The shimmering aspect may make your eyes appear brighter but it also highlights any wrinkles and lines that you may have forming around your eyes. If you simply must use something shiny, use a matte, neutral on your eyelid and a light shimmer on your brow bone.

Primer

Many women don’t learn about eyeshadow primer until later in life, unless they happen to have someone teaching them about makeup that knows all the tips and tricks. Primer is applied before the eyeshadow to help the eyeshadow stay in place longer. This allows you to go to the office and stop for drinks after without having to reapply your makeup.

Makeup Brushes

Invest in a set of quality makeup brushes; you will be glad you did. There are many different eye makeup brushes from an eyeshadow brush with a square head to a blending brush that is softer and tapered. At the very least you should have these two brushes. If you can, you should also have a crease brush for applying color in the creases.

Applying Your Eyeshadow

There was a time when everywhere you looked you saw monochromatic eyes. Women wore one color of eyeshadow and it extended all the way to their eyebrow. In hindsight this look is not at all attractive. You should at least have two colors that complement each other and your eyes.

After applying primer to the eyes, you should start with a base color. This is the color that is going to cover the area of the eyelid that is directly on the eye and slightly above it. Use your eyeshadow brush to sweep the color across the eyelid and approximately halfway up the eye. You can extend to the outer corners if you like in a V shape or you can leave as is.

If you are using three colors to create a more dramatic effect, the next color will be your contour color. It should be applied in the crease of the eye and extend to the outer corner. This should be where the V shape is if you are using this second color, otherwise, the V shape will be from the base color.

Next, if you are using two colors only, apply the lighter color to the brow bone area. Avoid getting eyeshadow in the eyebrow. This color should accent your eyes and make then pop, not be a rainbow of color.

At this point, if you are not going to use a third color, you should take your blending brush and use it to blend the areas where the colors meet so that there are no obvious color lines from one to the other. Blend each area and look closely at your eyes when finished. If you aren’t able to see distinct lines between the colors, you are ready to add some eyeliner and mascara for drop dead eyes.

When you learn how to apply eyeshadow correctly without going overboard you will have fun creating different looks using various colors and even changing up how you apply it, such as creating smokey eyes instead of bright eyes. You will soon find that you can accentuate your beauty without overpowering it and be all that you can be.

Posted in Basics | Tagged eye makeup, eyeshadow | Leave a comment

How to Apply Mascara Like a Pro

Posted on December 26, 2011 by SharonWalker

How to Apply Mascara

Mascara can be the key component to making your eyes stand out. It doesn’t matter how beautiful your eyeshadow is, if you forget your mascara no one is going to notice your eyes. On the other hand, if you don’t know how to apply mascara, everyone is going to notice the clumps on your eyelashes and probably the raccoon circles under your eyes. Don’t despair, knowing how to apply mascara is simply a matter of practice and some tips from the experts.

Buy the Right Mascara

It might be tempting to save money and buy the cheapest mascara available, until you get home and put it on only to find out that it smears too easily or doesn’t go on well. It is well worth the money to invest in quality mascara. Some things to keep in mind when purchasing mascara:

Formula: Some mascaras state that are designed to create extra long lashes, others are for sensitive eyes, while others are for thickening the eyelashes. Make sure you read the label and choose one that is right for you.
Waterproof: Waterproof mascara is good for people who are going to wear it for a long day, who perspire a lot or are going to be in the sun and perspiration is inevitable. It is more difficult to wash off, but then again that is why you buy it. Women with sensitive eyes should avoid waterproof mascara since it contains chemicals to help make it waterproof.
Colors: Some women like a variety of colors while others simply want the one they wear everyday and others want a colorless mascara to simply lengthen their eyelashes. Colors can be fun, especially at night for going out. Black is the typical color of choice, it adds drama and creates a sexy, fuller look.

Applying Mascara

Now that you have bought your mascara you are ready to apply it. The first time you do may be awkward; however, you will soon find yourself able to put your mascara on just about anywhere there is a mirror.

First, don’t make the mistakes that many women make and pump the brush in and out of the tube. This not only doesn’t get mascara on the brush it pushes more air into the tube which causes the mascara to clump up and dry out faster. Open the tube and pull the wand slightly out of the bottle but not to where you can see the brush. Twirl the brush around a few times and you will have enough mascara for your use on one eye. Repeat for the second eye.

Check the mascara wound to make sure there are no hairs that could have fallen onto it from your head. If you start applying mascara and there is something on the wand, you will get mascara on your face and have to start over.

Next, start applying the mascara to one eye. Start at the root of the upper eyelid. As you bring the brush up the eyelash, slightly zigzagging as you pull it up the eyelash to help keep the individual lashes separate. If you want your eyelashes to sweep to outer corners of the eye, pull the brush that direction as you apply the mascara.

Apply one or two more coats for the perfect look. You need to apply your second and third coats while the first one is still wet or you will get clumps that are unattractive. This means that you put your second and third coats on quickly and before you move to the other eye.

At this point, some women use an eyelash curler to make their eyelashes curl upwards and out. If you are going to use one, you should do so before the eyelashes dry and then apply a final coat of mascara after you curl.

Once you have the upper eyelashes complete on the first eye, repeat the process with the second eye. You will come back to the lower lashes. This will give the upper lashes time to dry so that if you blink while doing your lower lashes you won’t have mascara underneath your eyes.

Lower Lashes

Now that you have completed the upper eyelashes on your second eye, go back to the first eye and apply mascara to the lower lashes. Use less mascara on your lower eyelashes than you do your uppers. You should start at the base of the lower eyelid and very slowly pull the brush down the eyelash. Repeat with the other eye.

Knowing how to apply mascara is a technique that takes time to learn. You will undoubtedly have better days than others. If you notice you have clumpy eyelashes, check your mascara, it may be time to get a new tube or even switch brands. Pay attention to your eyes at the end of the day also, if your mascara has rubbed onto your skin and you look like a raccoon, you might want to try a waterproof one. In time, you will have beautiful eyelashes just like Cleopatra.

Posted in Tips and Tricks | Tagged makeup, mascara | Leave a comment

Create Dramatic Eyes with Smokey Eye Makeup

Posted on December 12, 2011 by SharonWalker

Smokey Eye Make Up

The newest look in eye makeup is the smokey eye look, even though it’s not necessarily a new look. The allure of this classic look transforms any woman’s eyes from daytime office to nighttime sophistication. You don’t have to be a runway model to have dramatically enticing eyes; you simply need to learn how to apply the smokey eye make correctly. Hopefully, the information included here will help you get the sexy, irritable eyes that make every head turn.

Tools of the Trade

An artist can’t a create a beautiful work of art without the right paint and brushes and the same goes for creating beautiful eyes, you have to use the right tools. The following are the basic necessities needed for making smokey eyes; however, keep in mind this does not include your base or foundation, moisturizer and other basics, this is strictly a list of tools needed to make smokey eyes.

Eye Pencil: Black eye pencil or even kohl if you prefer. However, don’t use liquid eyeliner for smokey eyes as it is for much cleaner, crisper lines, not the sultry, smokey look.

Two or three colors of powder eyeshadow: base, contour and highlight in your choice of colors. The base color should be slightly darker than your skin tone, non-metallic but rich and shimmery at the same time. The contour color should be a matte, dark color that is only slightly shimmery and the highlight color should be slightly shimmering or even simply use face powders. The highlight is to enlarge the eyes. You can find smokey eye shadow collections that have three coordinating colors in the beauty section of your favorite store.

Brushes or Sponges: You can use whichever one you prefer, some women like the soft application of the brush while others prefer the deeper application of a sponge.

Mascara: Your mascara should be rich, deep black that lengthens your eyes. There are mascaras on the market today that are designed to create dramatically longer lashes which aid in the smokey eye effect.

Applying the Eye Makeup

The first thing that you should have done before starting your eyes is to moisture, apply your foundation and any other daily products you use such as concealer. Make sure you have powdered your face to get rid of the shine. You should also consider using an eye shadow primer to make your eye makeup stay on longer. Once you have your normal routine completed, you are ready to start.

1. Eyeliner: Use your black or kohl eyeliner pencil to outline your entire eye. You should have a thicker line on the upper eyelid than you do the lower lid.

2. Base Color: Using your small sponge applicator or eyeshadow brush, apply the base color to your eyelid, across the entire part of the eyelid that moves. This area feels like your eyeball. Carry this base color slightly above the crease to about the halfway mark between the base of the eye and your eyebrow.

3. Contour Color: You will need to use a smaller brush or a pointed sponge to apply the contour color. First, use the pointy sponge or applicator to put the contour color all the way around the eyes, following the eyeliner that you applied earlier. If you use eyeshadow brushes, a cotton swab works well for this part.

Slightly close your eye and use your applicator to put the contour color in the crease of the eye.

Define the shape of your eyes using your applicator to apply the contour color to the outer corner of the eye. You should aim for creating a ‘v’ shape with the contour color. Don’t worry about the appearance at this time; you will blend it all together in the next step.

4. Blend: You now need to blend the colors to get a smooth look that doesn’t have extremely unique distinctions. Using slightly larger round applicator or brush blend in the colors on the eyelid, keep in mind that you aren’t trying to create one color, simply soften the demarcation. Next, blend the colors on the bottom eyelid and the corner of the eye.

5. Contour: This is the application that makes the eyes appear larger and really stand out. If you don’t want to use a contour color, face powder will work as well. Using your applicator, apply the contour color or powder to the area just beneath your eyebrow. Smooth this color down as you apply it and watch your eyes appear to become smokier as this light color draws attention to the darker colors and accents them.

6. Mascara: Apply your black mascara as you normally would; however, apply an extra coat and sweep the brush toward your outer eye. This adds to the dramatic smokey effect.

You should now have beautiful, smokey eyes with rich color radiance that gradates across the eyes and is darker toward the outer corner. You can create this look using a variety of color trios but you should stay in the darker color family for the best results.

Posted in Tips and Tricks | Tagged eyeshadow, smokey eye | Leave a comment