Hi everyone so I'm going to share a few makeup tips that I learned while training to become a makeup artist, you might know some of these already but I hope you find them helpful.
So I'm going to start with makeup brushes, I never realised how important makeup brushes were until I started training to become a makeup artist, you need good tools if you want a flawless finish. I think a good foundation brush and powder brush are the most important. I have used so many different brands but my favourite at the moment is Blank Canvas F22 and Sigma Large Powder Brush. I prefer these brushes to any of the MAC foundation brushes I have tried and they are cheaper, if you look after them you will have them for years.
Next up is primer, I can't stress how important primer is, if you find your foundation doesn't last past lunchtime, starts to go patchy throughout the day or simply slides off your face this is probably why! Look for a silicone based primer the silicone will help plump out any fine lines you may have, it will help even out your skin tone and provide a perfect base for your foundation to stick to. Apply primer after your moisturiser. Lately I have been using No.7 Rapid Radiance Balm and I love it.
Concealer, if you have purple/blue discolouration under your eye area for example you will need to use a peach toned concealer to cancel this out, MAC NW concealer is what you would use here, apply with your ring finger in an upside down triangle shape under the eye area . If you have any redness on your face apply a yellow based concealer so MAC NC would be suitable here as yellow cancels out redness, say you have purple/blue discolourations under your eye and redness on your eyelid apply the yellow based concealer on your lid and the peach toned concealer underneath. I always apply concealer with my ring finger as the heat from your finger softens it and provides a more natural finish, always pat concealer in never rub it in.
Liquid hi lighter, Apply a liquid hi lighter to your face before foundation for a natural glow, if you want mix some into your foundation also for a real dewy look. Be sure to apply all creams/liquids before you apply your setting powder, never try to put a cream over powder it just won't take to it.
Foundation, always start applying this in the centre of your face and blend out towards the hairline, only ever apply foundation in downward strokes everyone has tiny hairs on their face especially on the sides and if you apply foundation upwards it will pull the hairs up making them appear more noticeable. Start with a small amount of foundation on the back of your hand and add more if needed, spending time buffing in your foundation will result in a flawless finish. If you suffer from acne or breakouts look for a non comeogenic foundation this means it won't clog your pores. Bobbi Brown have a great oil free foundation called Skin Foundation. Apply powder after foundation to make your makeup stay in place all day.
Tired eyes, if you have had a late night your eyes are a massive give away, use brightening eye drops and use a cream/nude eyeliner or concealer pencil on your waterline both will instantly make you look more awake even if you don't feel it! I prefer a cream coloured pencil as I think white is too harsh. Keep the eyeliner in your bag for top ups throughout the day.
Brows, I always use a powder on my brows and on clients with a thin angled brush it looks more natural than using a brow pencil and you have more control of how much product you are actually applying, always use light strokes when doing this. Hi lighting under the brow bone gives an instant lift to the eyes. I mostly use a matte white powder, it looks more natural and flattering during the day and for night add a white based shadow with a hint of shimmer.
Contouring, when contouring your cheekbones apply a darker shade of powder/matte bronzer in the hollow of your cheekbones, use the angle from the corner of your mouth to the bottom of your ear as a guideline. Remember apply a little amount first and blend, it's easier to add more than adding too much, if you do apply too much put face powder over your mistake and start again, this applies to if you have added too much blush.
Blush, always smile when applying blush and apply it to the fullest part of your cheeks blending back toward the top of your ear. Less is always more when it comes to blush!
I hope you picked up some tips!
Thanks for reading,
Zoë
