Showing posts with label Makeup Forever. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Makeup Forever. Show all posts

Monday, December 21, 2015

How To Choose A Concealer ~ Beauty Tip Of The Week #39


how-to-choose-concealer


Concealer is one of those fantastic makeup products that can make a huge difference in your beauty game.

By making our dark circles disappear and brightening our under eyes we not only look like we've had a good night's sleep, but we also make our eyes look brighter and whiter, and along the way make ourselves look younger.

When it's done correctly that is.

The information out there can be super confusing though. Using the wrong shade of concealer can make your under-eyes look grey and heavy, making you look tired or making you look white around the eyes.
The wrong weight of concealer can be really aging.
So let's see how to choose a concealer:

Get The Color Right


The first big mistake girls make is getting the color all wrong.
Ideally you want to look the same color from the hairline to your chest. If your concealer is too pale you wind up having that weird, 2 toned look where your under eyes flare white and your face looks tanned.
As we lose some of the volume from under our eyes the area hollows out and sucks in shadows, making the under eye look darker than it is. By making the under eye area just a little lighter you can create the illusion that the shadow isn't there, and that the face is all one color.


Color Correct It


Putting an ivory or porcelain toned concealer over dark circles won't make them disappear, it will make them look a flat, sickly grey. A yellow based concealer placed over dark circles will make them look a sickly green grey, like the tail end of a bad bruise.
Think of mixing paint colors together. if you take a deep blue/grey and add a pale creamy white you just get a paler version of grey.
If you take that same deep blue/grey tone and mix in yellow you get a paler version of a greenish grey.
Neither are flattering.

If you have dark circles that need erasing, instead of reaching for an ivory hued concealer, neutralize them with a color corrector. Pink and peach tones will cancel out the blue/grey under your eyes.

Get The Weight Right


If you get your makeup tips from Instagram and YouTube you probably are hearing about baking your concealer. This is an old drag queen trick to lighten and lift, and it's great. For Drag Queens.
Extreme contouring and baking the makeup are great drag makeup tricks to take a man's stronger, heavier face and refine and reshape it into more classically feminine looking features. But its really intense and really heavy makeup.
Much drag makeup is done for nighttime viewing - in clubs and reviews where the lighting is low, which seems to escape the IG/YT makeup crowd. Getting heavy handed with weighty concealers never looks good in daylight, and for most of us it doesn't look good at night either.
The skin around your eyes is some of the finest, thinnest skin on your body. If it gets too dry the effect is super aging. If you weigh it down with makeup that is too thick it makes the under eye look heavy, and you look tired. And old.

Choose the weight of your concealer based on how much correction you need in the area, how dark your under eye circles really are.

Light Weight Concealers

lightweight-concealers

YSL Touche Eclat is really lightweight. Essentially it is a combination of moisturizer, color corrector and luminizer. The Touch Eclat pen is ideally suited to throw in your handbag and use as a touch up product as the day wears on. 
It is the perfect pick-me-up when you are going out after work, as the moisturizers breathe life back into the skin under your eyes, the color corrector picks up where your morning concealer is wearing off, and the luminizers brighten the under eye area.
Unless you only have very pale under eye circles Touch Eclat is perhaps a little too sheer to be your only concealing product.

Medium Weight Concealers

Lift-Concealer

Makeup Forever Lift Concealer has been around forever. It combines a lifting action with color correction that you can blend so that it doesn't get cakey. Designed for professional makeup artists it has incredible lasting power and a really beautiful finish.

Heavy Weight Concealers 




If you have really dark circles that keep showing through the color correctors and concealers that you've been using, you may need to go for a full coverage concealer.
The Amazing Concealer combines intense pigment with a very blendable texture, so that you can get coverage but not have to deal with thick product under the eye. It's super concentrated so a little bit goes a long way.




Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer is a full cover concealer and foundation and is much heavier, but can be sheered out with a little moisturizer if needed.



Sunday, July 26, 2015

Beauty Tip Of The Week #21 Makeup Tips For Humid Days

Mid- summer humidity can be a beauty nightmare - from melting foundation to frizzy hair, keeping the glam on point can be challenging.

Check out these makeup tips for humid days, and please add any tips that work for you in the comments section below.

Beauty-Tips-for-Humid-Days
Kate Moss for St Tropez self tanner

1. Avoid Foundation.


When the humidity rises here I try to avoid wearing foundation. The more you sweat and shine and melt, the worse your foundation sweats and shines and melts. It's a no win situation!
 If you plan ahead you can build up a faux tan with 
St Tropez Every Day Gradual Tan from Nordstrom.
Check out my blogpost for tips on how to use facial self tanners here

2. Prime Time.

beauty-tips-for-humid-days
Use a really good silicone based primer to even out your skin tone and texture. Koh Gen Do Maifanshi color correcting primers help to both correct imperfections and keep you a little more polished and matte.


3. Define Your Brows.
Giving a little accent to your brows can create the most impact of your entire look. 
Without overdoing it, define your brow with a waterproof brow product like Makeup Forever's Aqua Brow


4. Use A Paint Pot Eye Shadow Base
I swear by a sheer coat of MAC Paint Pot as an eye shadow base plus primer, to help your eye shadow hold all day as well as pump up the color and keep it vibrant.

Beauty-tips-for-humid-days

If you have a cool skin tone try MAC's Paint Pot in Painterly, if you are warm toned check out Soft Ocher, both available at Nordstrom.

5. Waterproof Mascara
It's a  must.
Beauty-Tips-For-Humid-Days

6. Matte Lips

When your face is getting shiny, a glossy lip can make you look even shinier. Neutralize the gooey glow with a soft matte lip.
Try Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Miss Kensington

beauty-tips-for-humid-days

Sunday, March 29, 2015

7 Foundations That Every Makeup Artist Loves


My favorite Sunday morning routine involves taking some quality time by my pool with a cup of coffee and catching up on what my favorite bloggers have been posting all week. I loved this post from Byrdie (www.byrdie.com) about the 7 Foundations That Every Makeup Artist Loves. Personally in my kit I use (and swear by) Makeup Forever HD Foundation and Koh Gen Do Moisture Foundation. I wear both them myself, as well as Chanel Vitalumiere. Tell me in the comments section below which foundations you personally use and love.

The 7 Foundations Every Makeup Artist Loves

The 7 Foundations Every Makeup Artist Loves
When it comes to creating flawless complexions that look like they were blessed by a choir of heavenly angels, nobody knows more than celebrity makeup artists. They can get creative with a cat-eye, or craft a killer oxblood lip, but the foundation (pun intended) for it all is perfect, natural-looking skin.
With the help of their holy-grail foundation (and a few insider tricks), these seasoned makeup artists are able to mask redness, conceal blemishes, smooth uneven texture, and induce glow where there once was none—and all without skin looking overly “done.” Which is why we asked six top makeup artists to reveal their all-time favorite foundation. These are the foundations they cannot work without, that have changed their game, and flatter a variety of skin tones. Keep scrolling to see their picks!
  • of 6
    Carl Ray
    Makeup Artist: Carl Ray
    Clients: First Lady Michelle Obama, Natalie Portman, Claire Danes
    Favorite Foundation and Application Tip: “One of my favorite foundations that can always be found in my kit is Make Up For Ever HD Invisible Cover Foundation ($43). It's oil-free and has a medium to full coverage. The formula covers all your skins imperfections, while remaining invisible on screen and in real life. It comes in 26 shades that are easy to mix and match to make the perfect shade for any skin type. I use a blender sponge for a flawless finish, and always use a moisturizer and a face primer before applying foundation.”
  • of 6
    Kate Lee
    Makeup Artist: Kate Lee
    Clients: Keira Knightley, Anne Hathaway, Rooney Mara
    Follow: @kateleemakeup
    Favorite Foundation and Application Tip: “Chanel Vitalumière Aqua Ultra-Light Skin Perfecting Sunscreen Makeup SPF 15 ($47) is my cannot-live-without product for life. The formulation is so light and luminous, and it’s easy to use. This foundation just looks like a more perfect version of your own skin. You can apply with your fingertips, but the most flawless way to apply is to place dabs of foundation in the larger areas of the face, starting with cheeks, then forehead and chin, and then take a Beauty Blender($20) dampened with Chanel Hydra Beauty Essence Mist ($90) and gently blend till the product is invisible. You are left with a radiant complexion, and a little protection from harmful UV rays.”
  • of 6
    Beau Nelson
    Makeup Artist: Beau Nelson
    Clients: Nicole Richie, Kristen Stewart, Nina Dobrev
    Follow: @Beau_Nelson
    Favorite Foundation and Application Tip: "A lot of people love Armani Luminous Silk foundation, which is amazing, but I love Giorgio Armani Designer Lift Smooth Firming Foundation ($67) even more. It provides even, adjustable coverage and a natural matte finish that looks flawless and natural to both the human eye and the eye of the camera. I apply with a synthetic brush like the It Cosmetics Foundation Brush ($48) or tap it on with a damp Beauty Blender from the center of the face outward—and if anywhere needs more coverage, I do a second layer.”
  • of 6
    Tamah
    Makeup Artist: Tamah
    Clients: Alexa Chung, Allison Williams, Elisabeth Moss
    Follow: @TamahK
    Favorite Foundation and Application Tip: "My holy grail foundations are the Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Moisture Foundation ($62), and the Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation($62). When it comes to foundation Koh Gen Do can do no wrong! I have never met a foundation that enhances skin as perfectly as these gems. Not only do I use them on my clients, I use them on myself. Both are luminous without being shiny, and have enough pigment to conceal without blanketing the skin in makeup. I usually don't need to use any additional concealer when I use these—they do it all! They’re also great if you want to just spot conceal—they’re great alone under the eyes, around the nose, etc. The Moisture formula is a bit creamier in consistency, while the Aqua is more of a traditional liquid formula. I usually apply them with a soft brush, but they are easily applied with fingers or a sponge as well. A little goes a long way, so start small; a mini squeeze or one or two pumps usually do the trick."
  • of 6
    Nick Barose
    Makeup Artist: Nick Barose
    Clients: Lupita Nyong'o, Uzo Aduba, Lena Dunham
    Follow: @DilokritBarose
    Favorite Foundation and Application Tip: “The look of the new Lancôme Miracle Cushion Foundation is really natural and easy to apply; it gives good buildable coverage that can be really sheer, or you can layer for medium coverage. The cushion compact makes it easy to travel with, and you can use it to do spot coverage. It's perfect to carry around in your bag, easy to use, and not messy. It also comes in a range of shades from fair to deep dark. After applying moisturizer and letting it set, I apply the foundation with the sponge puff that comes with it, gently padding it starting from the center of the face and blending outwards."
  • of 6
    Quinn Murphy
    Makeup Artist: Quinn Murphy
    Clients: Lily Aldridge, Kate Upton, Nicola Peltz
    Follow: @QuinnMurphy1
    Favorite Foundation and Application Tip: "My go to favorite foundation is Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation ($62). To date, I have not found a prettier, smoother, and more realistic foundation than this. Also it has the best shade range, and the shades cover a large range of skin tones, so most people can find an exact match. The foundation is sheer and dries down to a glowing, slightly matte skin-like texture. It is easily blendable on the skin. I like to play with the coverage. For women who only need a tiny bit of unification on the skin, I will add a drop of a dry face oil (Nuxe Multi-Usage Dry Oil, $29 or Tarte Maracuja Oil, $46) to sheet it out. For those needing a bit more coverage, the formula is buildable and mixes well with other fuller coverage foundations."
    Have you tried any of these foundations? What’s YOUR holy grail foundation? Tell us in the comments!