Makeup tips for your eyes

Eye Makeup Tips Everyone Can Use

February 6th, 2012 . No Comments »

Eye Make Up Tips

The eyes are the windows of the soul and every window looks better when it has window dressings on it. One way that many people choose to dress up their eyes is with eye makeup. It can take many years to become a skilled at applying eye makeup. However, you can benefit from the tips that others have learned from their years of applying eye makeup. Included here are some of those tips divided into various parts of eye makeup and how to make the most of them.

Eye Shadow

Colors: Perhaps the most important part of eyeshadow application is choosing the right colors. If you are using more than one, and you should, the colors should complement each other and your eyes.
Never put eyeshadow above your brow bone and use a highlighting color on your brow bone to accentuate and bring out your eyes.
Choose quality eyeshadow that will last during the day. Cheaper eyeshadow tends to wear off quickly, leaving you with eyes that are half made up.
Cream eye shadows have a tendency to show creases and wrinkles very easily. If you have lines and wrinkles on or around your eyes you should be wary of using cream eyeshadow. Cream eyeshadow also tends to smudge easily.
Shimmering or glittery eyeshadow also tend to show wrinkles and lines and should only be used if you are secure in your eyes.
Eyeshadow primer should be considered a must have. It increases the wear time of eyeshadow.

Place a folded tissue under the lower lashes of your eye while applying your eyeshadow, this will catch any powder that flakes off your brush and could ultimately land on your skin.

Mascara

Never pump the mascara wand in and out of the mascara tube, this will cause it to clump and dry out more easily.
Choose the right mascara, don’t buy cheap mascara if you know you need one that lengthens or thickens.
If you are going to be outside in the heat or doing water sports, use waterproof mascara or a clear one so that you don’t have raccoon eyes.
Purchase some colors. Many people are afraid to use colored mascara; however, it can be a great accessory for the eyes at night.
Use an eyelash curler before you apply mascara or wait until the mascara is dry.
Heat the eyelash curler with a hair dryer before using but don’t overheat it.
Turn the eyelash wand vertical to put mascara on your lower lashes to help separate the lashes.

Eyeliner

Liquid eyeliner is more dramatic than pencil eyeliner and should be used on the upper eyes only.
Darker eyeliner colors highlight the shape of your eyes.
Apply your eyeliner to the base of your eyelashes with your eyes looking downward and your head tilted back while looking in the mirror.
Thick, heavy lines are dated and make you look tired. Use thin lines and smudge them with a cotton swab if necessary.
You can use the same liner pencil on your eyes and lips if it is eyeliner, which is safe for eyes whereas the lip pencil might not be.

These tips are some of the tips that have been tried and proven to be work to create beautiful, dramatic eyes. However, once you have your eyes created, at the end of the day you need to know the best way to take that makeup off and allow your skin to rest.

Makeup Removal

Eye makeup can be stubborn to remove, especially if you use waterproof mascara. However, if you don’ remove it every night, your skin doesn’t have a chance to breathe and that can cause breakouts.

There are many commercial products on the market for removing makeup. Yet, when it comes to removing eye makeup it can be hard to find the one that works best for you. You don’t want your eye makeup remover to be oily because of the oily residue that it can leave on your skin. Oily eye makeup removers can also cause eye irritation.

There are some wipes on the market that are excellent for removing eye makeup remover and at the same time not leaving oily residue on the skin and eyes.

Some professionals use soap and water followed by a moisturizer. This can be a natural, inexpensive option as long as you use the moisturizer afterwards to avoid the drying effect that soap can have on skin. If you use waterproof mascara, you can use baby oil to remove your eye makeup and follow with soap and water to remove the oil.

As you can see, there are many tips and tricks that are available through the Internet, fashion magazines and many other resources. You don’t have to apply makeup in the same manner that a runway model does in order to be able to use the tips they can offer you.

How to Apply Makeup Like an Artist

January 23rd, 2012 . No Comments »

Be an Artist at Home

Applying eye makeup is can be as simple as putting on some mascara to as detailed as putting on false eyelashes for a very dramatic appearance. As they say, the devil is in the details. Most women want to learn how to make their eyes more attractive and have a little bit of ‘pop’ without being overly glammed up. Some of the essential steps to applying eye makeup are included here and as you learn to bring your eyes out, you will add to your knowledge base.

The Tools and a Clean Palette

Before an artist can create a masterpiece he has to have the right tools and before you can apply your eye makeup you need the right tools. You should always make sure you start with a clean face that has been properly moisturized. If you use foundation, you will want to apply this before starting on your eyes. The other tools you need include, but are not limited to:

Primer: This will go under your eyeshadow to help keep it looking fresh all day.
Concealer: If you have dark circles or other imperfections, you might want to use this help hide them.
Filler: This relatively new product helps to plump up the under eye area and fill in lines.
Mascara: Choose one that is non-clumping. You should also look at the different types available, such as waterproof, hypoallergenic, thickening and lengthening. You can also get different colors if you like.
Eyeliner: You should always have a good black on hand in both pencil and liquid form. You can also have different colors if you want to bring out certain colors in your eyes.
Eyeshadow: The sky is the limit on colors; however, keep in mind that you are accenting your eyes, not painting them. Choose colors that will enhance them. Often, women find several colors they like and stick with those.
Tweezers: Your eyebrows are part of your eyes and if they get out of shape you can quickly pluck those stray hairs.
Eyebrow Pencil: Sometimes, as women age, their eyebrows become too thin. An eyebrow pencil can help fill in the gaps.
Brushes/Applicators: Some people prefer to use sponge applicators for applying eye makeup; however, for a professional look and ease in applying, brushes are recommended. There are many different types of eye makeup brushes including: base brushes, crease brushes, highlight brushes and blending brushes. You can also get an eyebrow comb/brush if you would like.
Eyelash Curler: This is a tool that will help curl your eyelashes before applying mascara or after, depending on whom you talk to.

Once you have your tools and a clean palette you are ready to get started.

Create Your Masterpiece

The first thing to keep in mind when applying eye makeup, particularly eyeshadow is that a little bit can go a long way. You should always start out light and build on it rather than starting out heavy and having to start over. Also keep in mind that what you wear to the office and what you wear for a night out are usually very different, at night you can go a little more dramatic. Finally, before starting, feel your eye and learn the shape of is so that you know where your mobile eyelid is (the part of the eyelid that moves when your eyes do), feel your brow bone; your eyeshadow should not go above it.

Brush Your Way to Perfect Eyes

Start out with your base brush or a medium sized eye makeup brush if you are just starting out and don’t have a full set. Use this to apply your color choice to your mobile eye. As you apply the eyeshadow work the brush slightly upwards to get color up toward the brow bone but not on it.

Next, apply a second, slightly lighter color, to the brow bone area. This will highlight your eyes and bring them out. If you want to use more colors, you can add them to the crease of your eye or the outer corners.

Once you have applied the colors you want on your eye, you need to use your blending brush to smooth the colors so that they don’t look like crayon marks where you can see the start of one and the end of the other.

You should try to make the second eye look like the first so that they are equal. If your eye shadow is dramatically different on each eye you will look unbalanced and the attention you draw won’t be the attention you really want.

Finish the Look

You are now ready to apply your mascara and eyeliner to complete your look. You should make sure your mascara doesn’t have clumps and brush it on in upwards sweeping motions. Eyeliner should be lighter during the day than at night.

Learning how to apply eye makeup is fun and at the same time helps you look beautiful and ready to face the world with confidence and poise.

Posted in Tips and Tricks
Tags: eye makeup, eyeshadow

Make Your Eyes Pop by Knowing How to Apply Eyeshadow

January 9th, 2012 . No Comments »

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
Tags: eye makeup, eyeshadow