Professional Makeup Techniques

Five Technique Details That Will Make The Difference Between Okay, And... AWESOME

Good makeup techniques are gold... but the difference between results that are okay and results that are awesome, can sometimes be lost in the little details. Here are five KEY technique details gathered in my modeling days that are pro technique treasures. Google336

Makeup Techniques Detail #1-Using An Eye Lash Curler & Getting A Natural Looking Curl

If you are already using an eye lash curler, you are most of the way there (so many people underestimate the eye opening impact and power of an eye lash curler).

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Tweezerman Metal Eyelash Curler at Beso.com

One thing that can happen, that is not particularly natural looking, is crushing your lashes into a 90 degree bend. There is a special way makeup artists use an eye lash curler that will deliver big open eyes and lashes with a natural looking curve.

How do you get a natural looking curl?

Grip close to the base of your lashes and GENTLEY squeeze and loosen. Let the curler grip slip up more central to lash length and grip and GENTLEY squeeze with slightly more pressure (2X is enough, but you can try 3X to see what that looks like with your eyelashes.)

WARNING! These are your lashes so FOCUS and proceed with care in this makeup techniques method. One wrong move and they can be tugged out. Never use an eyelash curler WITHOUT your full attention.

Makeup Techniques Detail #2-A Gorgeous Mascara Application

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Getting mascara on your lashes is only half the objective of putting mascara on, I mean, thats just the feature that you apply mascara to...the true objective is coating your lashes in an even, EFFECTIVE, manner that creates LENGTH, VOLUME AND DEFINITION.

The trick is to have your eyelashes remain looking like natural eyelashes, soft with tapered ends while benefiting from the greater length and the perception of greater numbers..NOT clumpy, bulky, and squared off at the ends.

Picking a good mascara for the lashes you were born with is half of the battle of a good application. Again google reviews on line, or check out my page on best mascara. Knowing a good technique is the key to a gorgeous looking mascara application.

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A WINNING TECHNIQUE to use is this:

1. Pull the wand from the tube and dab end on tissue to remove any clumps that potentially threaten a brilliant application (A definite no no is 'pumping' the tube with the wand, adding water etc which will prematurely dry out, or worse, contaminate the mascara formulation in the tube.)

2. Grip the base of your lashes with the wand and then carefully wiggle the wand slowly up to and through the tips.

NARS mascara at Beso.com

3. Repeat 1X or 2X more depending on level of drama desired.

4. By doing this you will ensure the maximum number of lashes available for coating. As well, the follow through, thru the tips will allow for tapered lashes (and not the blunt version we sometimes see in a blundered application.)

5. TIP-While the mascara is still wet, work the lashes with the wand to place and separate your lashes. In this makeup techniques step you will have an easier time getting the finish you want. Sometimes, when they are dry you won't be able to do much more than break apart clumps of lashes together (which also can cause flaking with some formulations).

Makeup Techniques Detail #3- Precision Eye Liner

Have you ever noticed the skin showing in the gap between upper lashes and pencil or liquid liner? Not an attractive sight...

In all fairness, clean precision eye lining can be tricky. Here is a great little trick that will ELIMINATE THE GAP and build your lash line beautifully.

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A WINNING TECHNIQUE to use is this:

1. First of all, always have a fine sharpened point on your pencil eyeliners for lining upper lash line, unless it doesn't matter because you are creating that smokey eye style (which it will all be smudged and blended into the lash line anyway).

Eyeliner with sharpener at Beso.com

2. Starting from the outer corner of your upper lash line, use short angled strokes placed at your lashes and between your lashes. This is surprisingly effective at creating a precise line that it sitting tightly along your lash line.

3. Use an angled eye liner brush to blend line and soften it into the lashes.

4. Use and angled or flat head eye liner brush to 'set' (help it stay put and last longer) the pencil liner. With a matching shadow, tap off excess, 'push' the bristle head into the lashline, over the pencil liner.

5.This liner technique can also work with liquid liner, however, precision will require more focus since you will not be blending and setting. You have one shot to create a fluid precise lined eye.

Makeup Techniques Detail #4- Radiant Dimensional Color & Sculpted Cheeks

Nobody wants to look like a clown, and with poorly applied blush you sometimes can...a lot of people avoid using it for that very reason. The reason blush can backfire is because of a combination of things that include wrong color choice, too much, and poor placement.

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Here are the steps to gorgeous natural radiant sculpted looking cheeks.:

1. PICK EFFECTIVE COLORS...

Pick two to three shades of color for your cheeks and surrounding zones;
BLUSH COLOR #1 a matte shade that resembles your natural looking flush when you blush (or pinch your check). #2 a matte shade that could almost pass as bronzer, as in brown/ beige neutral shade that works for your skin tone (bronzer can work if it doesn't have shimmer...in fact there are some great blush/ bronzer duos that could suffice).
#3 Optional but fun, a fresh brightly hued blush like pink or coral that can compliment the existing shades and give a little punch to the vibrance level of the finished result.

2. PAY METICULOUS ATTENTION TO PLACEMENT AND BLENDING...

Stila Blush at Beso.com

START WITH LARGEST ZONE OF COLOR AND WORK TO SMALLEST...
First zone, using most natural beige/ brown or bronzer, find cheek bone...

with a light hand and a big dome shaped powder brush, sweep along cheek bone starting at the outer apple of your cheek (half way between nose and hairline) moving toward your hairline, then sweep curved path of half circle up to side of forehead, follow back down to side cheek and this time sweep downward curve to jaw ( a top makeup artist says think backwards number 3-I think this helps just remember the biggest deposit of color is where you start so make sure that is at your cheek bone and then the presence of color will diminish as you curve up and curve down, resembling a more natural coloration).
Go over this path with the brush but no more color to help blend in the sweeps and keep the application subtle
Blend again so color has no edge to it

Second zone, using natural blush shade (color #1), find the apples of cheeks by smiling in the mirror (revealing 'mounds' called the apple),

starting at central 'apple' with a powder blush brush, do a circular sweep and out along the cheek bone towards hairline, layering partially over first zone and slightly above it
the result will be a portion of layered color and un-layered color #1
Blend the second zone so it fades at the outer areas (avoiding a discernible 'edge' of color)
The last zone, bright punch of color #3 central to apple make smaller deposit of color (usually aligned under outer half of eye).

REMEMBER: GOOD color choices, GREAT placement, and EXCELLENT blending, working together, are the key to an extremely natural radiant and 'sculpted' look.

makeup techniques Makeup Techniques Tip: The key to sculpted cheeks is to enhance the appearance of dimension; deeper shade under cheek bone, lightest shade highlighting top of cheekbone (where light reflects already), and a medium natural shade that is central along cheekbone and well blended into both. Practice makes perfect (try observing how light hits your face to help you fine tune placement of color and effects).

Makeup Techniques Detail #5-Moist Full Lips

Moist..., not wet, not goopy, dry or flaky...all directions that lips with too much lip makeup, can go.

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Long wearing, easy on the eyes, and the lips...

Clinique Almost Black at Beso.com

1. Line your lips with a reverse lip liner (flesh toned liner placed around outer edge of lips), or a natural toned earthy match to your natural lip color, or skip liner altogether if you have a well defined lip line already.

2. Take a good lip balm and apply to your lips to lock in moisture and protect against the weather.

3. Apply a sheer moist natural looking lip color...avoid the sticky stuff that your hair gets caught in, avoid frost lips for daytime (they will also chap your lips because of the metal product in them that You could also try lip balms like the ones by Burt's Bees that have sheer natural color with a tiny bit of shimmer.

eye makeup These makeup techniques are gems that, with a little practice, will put serious knock out punch to your makeup results.