May 24, 2011

The Wild World of Pigments: 101 Ways to Customize with Pigments

The magic of pigments really is what you can do when you ADD them to other products that you know and love.  It's something that most other eyeshadows can't do.  They mix, they match, and they play nice with a variety of substances and textures.

Add your pigment to the following products to create a one-of-a-kind item thatis completely customizable.

Lotion:
Adding pigment to body lotion gives a healthy glow to your skin.  Great to use
on your legs and arms in the warm summer months, or smooth over your neck and
shoulders to show off your collarbone.


TIP: Shimmery products can actually mask imperfections such as veins, blemishes
or discolorations.  The shimmer creates an airbrushed effect by reflecting light
and giving an overall softer appearance.


Nail Polish:
Pigments can be added to any clear or colored nail polish to create a unique,
personalized, look.  Add a pinch directly to the bottle and shake until
completely mixed.

Add pigment to your clear top coat to seal in a little shine, or mix with a
colored polish for a little something extra .

Lip gloss:
Mix a dash of pigment in a clear or colored lip gloss to change it up, or add to
Vaseline for a moisturizing lip treatment which is anything but boring.

Hair Products:
For an updated take on the 80’s glitter hair, put a scoop of pigment into your
pump hairspray and shake before spritzing.  This look is more subtle than
glitter and the hairspray ensures that it won’t end up all over the place.

You can also mix pigment into your hair gel or pomade.  Place the pigment in the
palm of your hand and rub it together with your styling product of choice before
running through your hair.

Body Highlight:
Mix a little pigment into a spray bottle filled with water, or your favorite
scented spray.  Shake well and spritz for a subtle glow.

Pigments can also be used as a dry highlight when brushed over areas like your
collarbone, chest and shoulders with a big fluffy brush.

May 20, 2011

The Wild World of Pigments: Highlighting 101

Highlighting uses the concepts of light and dark to emphasize specific parts of
your face.  By applying a light or shimmery color, you visually “pop” that area
forward, making it appear more prominent.

Highlighting can also be used to create optical illusions and transform the
visual appearance of your face.

For example, using a highlight color on the inner corner/tear duct area of your
eye will create the illusion of wider, more awake, eyes.



To create a more angular appearance, use a highlight color to visually bring the
tops of your cheek bones and brow bone forward, this creates a more chiseled
appearance.

Using a highlight in the center of your bottom lip gives a similar effect to
using a high shine gloss.  When the light bounces off the highlight area, it
produces the optical illusion that your lip is more full and plump.

Similarly, sweeping a subtle highlight on your cupid’s bow (the recessed area
above your top lip) will visually bring your top lip forward, creating a more
voluptuous appearance.

Highlighting can also be used to give the illusion of a “sun-kissed glow”.  To
do this, use a highlight color on the parts of your face which the sun would
naturally hit.

These include: Center of Forehead, Center of Nose, High Point of Chin

TIP: In a technique called contouring, light and dark colors are used in
strategic places on the face to create the visual illusion of depth and
dimension.

By placing a darker color in sunken features, such as the hollows of your
cheeks, and emphasizing more prominent features with highlights, you are
controlling the use of light and dark to mimic the effect a shadow would have on
your face.

Cheek bones pop forward with the highlight, hollows of your cheeks seem more
recessed and the end result is a more dramatic, chiseled appearance.

Pigments are awesome for eye shadows and highlights, but the REAL genius of pigments is how much you can create by adding it to other things.  One-of-a-kind products that you personalize are just another blog post a way....stay tuned!

May 19, 2011

The Wild World of Pigments: The Duct Tape of the Makeup World



What is a Pigment?
Pigments are highly concentrated loose color powders, which contain ingredients to help them adhere to the skin and are resistant to creasing and caking.  They can be used to create subtle washes of color, or more intense effects depending on how they are applied.

I like to call pigments the “duct tape of the makeup world”
- they have nearly 101 uses!


My two favorite multi-use pigments are as follows:

MAC Pink Opal Pigment: a pink/purple opalescent duochrome

MAC Vanilla Pigment: soft ivory with a golden sheen

Personally, I think that pigments are a little overwhelming if you don't know what to do with them.

"Powder - wha?"  

I thought I would share some of my suggestions on how to utilize your pigments in unexpected ways, all over the body.

Let’s get started...

Eye Shadow: Wet or Dry

Pigments are special because they can be used both wet and dry.

For a soft, subtle, wash of color:
Using a fluffy makeup brush, dip the tip into the jar and pick up some pigment.
Swirl it in the top of the lid to get the pigment really coated onto the
bristles.  Then simply swipe across your eyelid or brow bone for a light wash of
color.

For a strong, more metallic look:
Choose a more stiff, flat brush, and dampen it with water.  Pick up a little
pigment on the end of the brush and again use the lid to pack the pigment into
the bristles.  Then PAT, don’t swipe, the pigment onto your eyelid.

TIP:
Patting your eye shadow will deposit more concentrated color, whereas swiping
back and forth blends out the color for a lighter application.



Pigments can be used alone as eye shadows, but are also awesome to use as highlighters.  Tune in tomorrow for an in depth breakdown of how, and where, to use your pigment to highlight the face!

May 1, 2011

Megean and Cameron (take 2)

I know I already posted some pictures of this wonderful couple, but I pulled a couple more from the photographer. Enjoy!





Photographer: Martin Beebee Photography www.martinbeebee.com