Friday, August 25, 2006

Day-Time Wedding Makeup

Even if you’re a no-makeup kinda gal, it’s wise to use makeup to enhance your features if you want to look your best in the photographs and video. Photography, especially flash photography, has a way of flattening features and enhancing all those things you don’t like about your face. So it’s wise to put yourself in the hands of a professional and work with her or him on the look you like. You’ll need less makeup for a day-time wedding than a night-time wedding, but there are still some things to watch out for.

For example, don’t let the artist apply anything too light or shimmery on your brow bone. It will act like a mirror when the flash goes off. Be sure that your mascara isn’t too heavy or clumped. Take the time to separate lashes. In close-ups, you’ll be amazed how the viewer’s eye is drawn to badly applied mascara. Avoid a lip color that is in too much contrast to your skin tone. The camera has a hard time adjusting for contrasts and the result can be muddy.

And speaking of muddy, please, please, please don’t go to the tanning booth. Pale skin looks so much better in photographs. Tanned skin will look leathery and unnatural and set up a contrast with your dress.

One general rule is that if you’re wearing pure white, pinks and lilacs in your makeup will look the most flattering. If you’re in off-white, choose peaches and apricots. Our makeup has a very water resistant rating, so don’t worry about crying it off.

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Bridal Makeup.

Bridal makeup is tricky only because you have to satisfy so many different situations: the bride viewed in real life from close-up and from a distance; the bride viewed in photography from color to black and white; the bride viewed on video tape; in the day-time ceremony and the night-time event.

How do you make sure, if you are that blushing bride, that your makeup works from the moment you step into the car taking you to the ceremony until the time you step back into the car many hours later. The first thing to do is to find a professional makeup artist. Make sure that you look at his or her portfolio so that you can settle on a look you like. Then, at least two weeks before your wedding, go for a rehearsal. Once you're satisfied with the application, have a digital picture taken of yourself and look at it on a screen large enough to simulate the size of a photograph.

A common mistake that brides make is to wear too little makeup. What looks good to you when you look in a hand-mirror may well disappear on camera or from a distance. Mineral makeup is ideal for brides because it doesn’t look like makeup and gives that natural, dewy look that’s so flattering for brides of all ages.

Monday, August 14, 2006

Mature Eyes.

We talk about “mature eyes” in makeup. A friend of mine once said: “Couldn’t we call them ‘experienced eyes’?” So for all of those experienced eyes out there, here are some tips.

Less is more, especially when it comes to mascara. Too much mascara has an aging effect. When you’re applying your shadow in the crease, do it with the eye open. This way you will be able to see how far you need to go to get the color onto the edge of the brow bone.

Don’t choose colors that are too dark because they have a way of making you look tired. Heavy lining around the eye can have the same effect. Light in the inner corner of the eye will wake your eyes up. A quick was of doing this is to use our Highlighting Pencil (the white or pink side will work) and run it around that inside corner. Blend the edges with your finger. It doesn’t have to be perfect because it will just look like light, not color.

It’s very common as we age to lose the outside third of our brows, so be sure to pay attention to them. Use our Super-Shape Me Eye Brow Kit to shade in the brow and create that missing third. (The kit comes with directions.) You’ll be amazed what it does for your eyes!

Monday, August 07, 2006

Professional Application with Professional Brushes.

Someone once said that the difference between a great makeup artist and good makeup artist is one more stroke. Makeup is all about blending. Just when you think you’ve blended enough, blend one more time.

This is especially true with eyes. No matter how subtle or vibrant you like to wear your shadows, blending is the key to a perfect result. I was always taught to start off with the lightest shade and work up to the darkest. Now I’m not so sure that’s right. More and more I begin with the darkest shade and work towards the lightest. I find that I get automatic blending this way and I make fewer mistakes.

Of course, you can’t blend if you don’t have the right tools. Good brushes are absolutely key to a good result. You just can’t use that little sponge-tipped thing they gave you in your eye shadow compact. Invest in good brushes, treat them well and they will last you forever. I promise you, you’ll get more joy out of your makeup than you ever have. A good brush has natural bristles and is hand-tied, just like ours.

Friday, August 04, 2006

Widening Close-Set Eyes.

Makeup is all about illusion. You can actually give the appearance of widening close-set eyes with a few simple tricks. The first one is do NOT pluck your brows back. Brows should begin level with the middle of your nostril. If you pluck them back, they draw attention to themselves.

The way to give the appearance of widening the eye is to widen the arch of the brow. In other words, instead of having it end at the outside edge of the iris, bring it out a little bit. You’ll have to play with this to see what works for you. Then use very light shadows on the inner third of the lid.

Dark shadows will pull the eyes together. Our Highlighter Pencil is wonderful for running around the inside corner of the eye. This is usually the darkest and most recessed area of the face. Put a light in there eyes will look farther apart and you’ll look instantly brighter and more awake. (A great tip for more mature eyes.)

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Deep Set Eyes.

Deep set eyes have a special beauty and need special care when applying shadows. You almost have to think backwards. Usually, deep-set eyes have a prominent brow bone, so the last thing you want to do is to put a light shadow there unless you want the brow to stand out more! (Light colors bring things closer, dark colors recede.)

Brush a medium tone over the brow bone up to the brow. Keep the lid as light as possible. Our shadow Oyster is perfect for this. It has a slight shimmer, which pulls light to the lid. Often, I don’t use an eyeliner because I want to keep the lid as light as possible and enlarge the eye. Liner can close your eye up.

It’s OK to dot liner in between the lashes, but do it very subtly so it just makes the lashes look longer and thicker. Claudia Schiffer has the most deep-set eyes of any model I know. That hasn’t stopped her from being one of the most beautiful women in the world!