May 11, 2010

Liquid Eyeliner: The Bad and the "Meh"...

I recently did a YouTube posting discussing some of the liquid liners that I have learned to used, and grown to love. I, like so many of makeup users out there, had the dreaded, "LiquidLinerScaresMeaphobia" for so many years. Recently, I have been pushing myself to use it more frequently because I like the finished, and professional appearance that it lends itself to.

During my video I didn't get much chance to discuss why I though some items were bad, or just "meh" so I thought I would get my experience with these products below.

Feel free to skip to the bottom to see my YouTube video for the highlights.

The Bad:

Only one strong candidate here:

L'Oreal HIP Cream Liner















I know that actually posting that "out loud" will attract much rebuttal from the makeup community, but I gatta be honest - I didn't like this product.

The Rant:

-For 12.00, I think it's pretty 'spensive for a drug store product
-The brush it comes with is almost like an insult to my intelligence
-For 3.00 more you could buy a MAC Fluidline (more on that later)

I didn't find that this product was as deathly dark black as some comparable products, and I found that after it dried, it had a tendency to flake. Who needs that right?



The "Meh":

L'oreal Linuer Intense -Felt Tip Liner

















Now I'm all about finding drugstore products that perform like their more costly cousins, but in this case, I wasn't blown away. L'Oreal offers a liquid liner with two applicators: Felt Tip and Brush Tip (more on that later). The felt tip version is like the ugly sister that got invited to the ball at the last minute. She gets the job done, but it's nearly as graceful or put together as her sister (the brush tip version).



Lancome Artliner


















Another "meh" to another felt tip liner...are we seeing a trend here? It could be that I am biased, I do put all my other makeup on with a brush, why not eyeliner? Truth be told it's probably because I just don't like the way the felt tips apply. You have to dip more frequently to get a strong showing of the product. For me, the more dips, the more time I COULD have been playing with my blush! I mean really!?




Okay, I'm done ranting now. :) catch ya on the flip side.




May 7, 2010

More Wedding Day Makeup Tips - Eyes






Eyes:




Use a primer.




An absolute must. Primers on your eye work just like primers on your face. It smoothes the surface, creates a surface for makeup to adhere to, and prevents creasing. it's a must have product for any long lasting makeup look.






Use matte eyeshadow.

Stay with matte colors. Shimmer eyeshadow colors reflects light, which looks beautiful in person, but in your pictures, the shimmer or glitter in your eyeshadow could reflect the light back at the camera and distort the pictures. Shimmer eyeshadows should be used on the eyelid, but kept off the rest of the eye. Use a matte white or cream color to create your brown highlight instead of a shimmer.




Waterproof mascara.



Even if you're not a cryer, heat and humidity can make mascara bleed also. Mascara is a MUST it opens up your eyes and emphasis the shape of them.







Think about skipping the black eyeliner.

Using dark brown, charcoal (grey) or navy eyeliner is a better choice. Black eyeliner is dramatic, but it can also look harsh, especially in natural light. You want your wedding makeup to be soft and natural, not harsh and dramatic.








Contouring your eye is key.


The purpose of make up is to show the dimensions and levels of your face. Eyes are a great place to do this. Use a champagne, soft peach, or light pink shimmer color all over your lid. Then take a soft matte plum or medium matte brown in your crease. This gives your eyes contour and definition. Finish the look by taking a matte white or cream color on your brow bone a a highlight.




Fill in your eyebrows.

Your eyebrows are like a picture frame for your face. They frame everything. Use a small brush and an eyeshadow in a color similar to your brows. Lightly fill them in and then use a brow brush to brush it out and soften the look.

May 4, 2010

Wedding Day Makeup Tips - Confused?




My roommate from college has a little sister who is getting married next weekend and she reached out to me to obtain "little words of wisdom" regarding wedding day beauty. As I started to write the list, I realized how different wedding day makeup is from everyday makeup. I thought it was important to share my top tips and tricks with everyone. It's a LOT of information so take a deep breath and read on...



Face:





Use a primer.

Primers are applied after your moisturizer. Generally they're silicone based and it creates a smooth surface by filling in the pores and fine lines on your face. It also gives your makeup something to adhere to which makes it last longer.



Do not wear sunscreen.

The ingredients in sunscreen which block out the UVB rays from the sun will leave a white cast on your skin. You won't see it in person, but when your photographer starts using their flash, you will notice a grey or white cast on your skin.


Use a mattifying gel.




If you tend to get oily in the t-zone area, a great way to fight that off is to use a mattifying gel. MAC Cosmetics has a really great one. Also, Dr. Brandt's No More Pores Primer has salicylic acid in it which has mattifying properties as well. It's a two for one.

Stay away from powder foundations.

Making your makeup last all day is about layer for maximum impact. You're best off using a liquid foundation. It looks more natural on your skin. You can use a flesh colored powder to set your makeup after you've applied your "face". Additionally, if you have areas on your face that tend to be dry, powder foundation will only emphasize them on film.

Avoid using mineral makeup.



Mineral make usually looks great in person but has a tendency to look either slick and shiny or super dry. Obviously you don't want to look shiny, but you also don't want your skin to be dry. The more dry you skin appears the more obvious your flaws are.






Make sure you use blush, and put on a little bit more than you're used to.

You want to make sure that your cheeks have a rosy glow, but also keep in mind that the camera and the sunlight can wash out your face. There's nothing worse than not applying enough blush in photography. The end result will make you look pale and washed out. A good way to test this is to take a few test shots on your own camera to see how your face looks on film.