tutorial

Tutorial: Foundation

Beauty, Makeup

1) Prep and Prime

I will assume that you have taken a shower, but if you haven’t, please at least wash your face before applying makeup. Making sure that you have a clean and oil free surface to work with makes it easier for the makeup to apply to the skin. Afterwards, if you don’t automatically, apply a moisturizer to your face.

Choosing a primer can be difficult because I find some to have too much silicone in them, and it tends to be harder to create an even surface. For example, the Smashbox brand or Sephora brand specifically I find harder to work with. My favorite primer is Laura Mercier’s Foundation Primer.

2) Eyeliner & Eye shadow.

I like to do my eyeliner and eye shadow before anything else because I know that if I mess up, I won’t have to redo my entire face. If you forget, there are two great products I like to use to protect my face from falling eye shadow. My favorite tool to use is a brush from Eyes Lips Face (e.l.f.) Cosmetics called the Studio Mascara & Shadow Shield. Another product I like to use is Shadow Shields from Beauty.com.

3) BB or CC Cream (Optional)

I will sometimes just use a BB Cream and powder foundation for a lighter look during my workday. However, if you want a full face, continue on to the full tutorial.

Some of my favorite BB Cream right now is the Clinique BB Cream just because it happens to be the perfect shade for my skin. However, I’m looking forward to trying Philosophy’s new Hope in a Jar A to Z Cream.

4) Liquid or Cream Foundation

I personally have preferred the convenience of using a cream foundation and a compact sponge. However, using a liquid foundation and a brush or professional sponge has always been the way of professionals, before airbrushing of course. My two favorite foundations right now are NARS’s Radiant Cream Compact and Clinique’s Even Better Compact Makeup.

5) Contouring, Blush and Highlighting

This is when I use a bronzer and blush pallet from NARS to create definition in my face by contouring. I also use Benefit’s Watt’s Up to highlight certain areas. These will be explained in full detail in a later post.

6) Powder Foundation

I realize I’m no expert, but powder foundations seem all the same to me. I realize I haven’t tried them all, but most of the time its just about getting the color just right.

7) Finishing Spray and/or Powder (Optional)

Using a finishing spray and then a powder is my favorite way to finish off my look. I use Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray. This product helps save your look throughout the night. I also like to use Eyes Lips Face (E.L.F.)’s Makeup Lock & Seal. These two products together have made my makeup last throughout the night, many times.

Tutorial: How to look like you have bigger eyes

Makeup

I honestly have pretty huge eyes to begin with, but I like to enhance them whenever I do my makeup.

1) Apply Eyeliner

I like to do my eyeliner and eye shadow before anything else because I know that if I mess up, I don’t have to redo my entire face.

In order to make your eyes look bigger, you want to do your eyeliner half way around your eye. What this means is that you start at your pupil and then go to the outside edge of your eye. The demonstration picture is below. This creates an effect that your eye is bigger than it actually is.

2) Apply Eye Shadow

To make your eyes look larger, you definitely don’t want to over do the eye shadow. If you darken your eye too much your eyes will actually look smaller compared to your shadow. You want to put a gentle dark color just above your eyeliner (from the pupil on just like in the picture).

3) Apply a great mascara or fake lashes

The best way to make your eyes look bigger is to create longer thicker lashes. I suck at fake lashes and I always get glue in my eyes. Therefore, I like using Benefit’s They’re Real! Mascara.

4) Apply under eye concealer

The final step is good under eye concealer for those horrible dark circles (I have the worst!). In my previous posts you will see my two favorite products that I like to mix to create the perfect coverage. My base layer is Clinique line smoothing concealer. My final touch to my eye makeup is Benefit Biiong concealer.