First, always start with a clean, fresh canvas. Makeup is easier to apply and looks better when you've properly prepared your skin for it. Here I am sans makeup, freshly washed and nothing but moisturizer on.
Next, apply a sheer foundation or tinted moisturizer. Usually I use a tinted moisturizer, but I had the mindset of going out straight after work so I wanted a teeny bit more converage. I used the Sonia Kashuk Perfecting Luminous Foundation in the shade Cream (and this foundation is amazing!! With my oily skin I stay away from anything that is luminous, radiant, illuminating...you get the idea. Maybe a review on this is coming soon, who knows?). I blended it onto my skin with a dense powder brush for an airbrushed effect.
Now, to cover what the foundation can't--use a concealer underneath your eyes that's one shade lighter to cover any dark spots and just add an overall brightness. Spot conceal on any trouble areas one that matches your skin as close as possible. For underneath my eye area I used this one by e.l.f. cosmetics, and Revlon Photoready Concealer everywhere else.
(funny face! lol)
You don't want all your hard work to rub or melt off, so set your face with powder. You can use one that matches your skin...but in this case I used a translucent mattifying powder by Rimmel. I also don't have very defined cheekbones, so I cheat a little with some contouring and blush. e.l.f cosmetics makes an AWESOME cream blush/bronzer duo--the e.l.f. Studio Contouring Blush & Bronzer Cream in St. Lucia (it only comes in one shade for now). Both are matte and blend in well, which makes it even easier to go for a natural look. Dark shades recede (think about how wearing black clothing makes you look slimmer), so I applied the brown cream underneath my cheekbones, jawline, sides of the nose and forehead; on the apples of my cheeks I used the peachy-pink cream. Blend, blend, blend. You never want anything on your face to look like you drew a straight line of color and then just forgot about it. The blush should blend into the contouring color should blend into the rest of your face.
Yay, the face is done! Now we can do the eyes. Any eye look needs to be well-framed by well-defined eyebrows. Choose your weapon. Brow powder applied with a slanted brush gives a softer look. If your brows are really thin or patchy, a brow pencil has a thicker, waxier base and will be a stronger look, which you might need. Either way, pick a color one to two shades lighter than your natural brow color...if you're a brunette. For blondes, pick a shade or two darker; for redheads, an auburn shade is best.
(See? Brows make a difference!)
I should mention that at any point if you feel like you're "done" with your makeup, by all means, stop! For some, foundation and brows and maybe a little mascara is all you need to feel a little more polished. Don't let the makeup wear you, be in control here. Now on to the actual eyes. After applying eye primer (I used this one by NYX), I used a shimmery taupe shadow--MAC's Electric Cool Eyeshadow in Superwatt. Unfortunately, I think it was a limited edition :( Sorry! But a good alternative is Maybelline Color Tattoo 24HR Eyeshadow in Bad to the Bronze. Then I blended in a matte brown color two shades darker than my skin to add subtle depth. I used one of the shades in my Coastal Scents 88 Palette, but really brown eyeshadow can be found in pretty much any brand.
Then, to define the eyes even more, I lined my eyes with a damp eyeliner brush dipped in Corduroy by MAC. You still get definition, but it's more subtle than straight up eyeliner--which is fine, I just felt like going with powder. Then, finish up the eyes by curling your lashes and adding mascara. I used Volum' Express Mega Plush by Maybelline.
Last but not least, to finish the look I wanted a lipcolor that was the same as mine, just a little better, haha. Revlon Lip Butters are amazing! You don't even need chapstick. The color is sheer but not too sheer, and not too shiny--which, for my already full lips, can be a bad thing. I'm wearing the shade Pink Truffle.
And now....ta-daaaaaa, you're done! :)
Now, to amp this up a little bit, all you seriously need are dark shadow and black liner. I also changed up my blush and lipcolor, but that's optional--the real drama is in the eyes. Take a darker eyeshadow and apply it to the outer corners of your eyes and bring it inwards along the crease slightly. You can use black, but I used a dark brown with a hint of purple for an equally smoky effect that was less harsh than black. My eyeshadow of choice was Signed & Sealed by MAC. And then nothing adds drama more than black liner...everywhere. I lined my top and bottom waterlines, and then line the top lashline and winged it out a bit, like i always do. The finished result? This.
Just so I wouldn't look washed out, I added a little bit stronger blush color. I chose a plum one by, again, e.l.f. cosmetics (can you tell I love this brand?? lol). Then I also wanted a more nude color rather than a pink one, so to lighten up I used Wet 'N Wild Megalast Matte Lipstick in Just Peachy (903C) on top of what I was already wearing. This is the full "night time" version of this look.
Well there you go, hope you enjoyed! I gotta figure out a way to make these shorter haha...I know it's a picture-heavy post. Maybe I should just post the final look and then describe how it's done? Let me know.
xoxo, Faustina
