Eyeshadow ~ Powder Products ~ Blush ~ Concealer ~ Foundation ~ Mascara ~ Lips
~Choosing Make-up Colors For Your Skin Tone~  
Adjusting Your Make-up For Unflattering Clothing Colors ~ Wedding Day Make-up
~ The Question of Balance ~

Good make-up application and choosing appropriate colors for your skin tone are what make your face look great, not how much you spend. Lots of good books have been written on make-up application. I particularly like Bobbi Brown Beauty by Bobbi Brown and Annemarie Iverson, and The Beauty Bible by Paula Begoun. You can find a lot of books on make-up application at the library. Even the books that are 10 or 15 years old can still have much you can learn from. Sometimes you can even find the newest books. The only problem with these types of books is that authors often say "this is the best way" to do something, and then you try it, and it may not work well for you. There are many good opinions and techniques out there, but ultimately very few true "rules." Sometimes what works well for a professional in her work is too technical, time consuming, or impractical for daily use by the rest of us. Women also have different skill levels, different skin types, different amounts of lines on our faces, live in different climates, and use different types of products.

As with the rest of my web site, I will try to give unique and creative techniques and solutions that you may not have heard before. We need a variety of workable solutions to choose from. After all, there is no make-up artist there for us every morning. I'm sure some of my suggestions will make other make-up artists cringe. I will try to discuss what skin types and products a method will work well with. As always, some of my methods will work for you and some may not. I have found a lot of professional advice to be overly simplistic, leaving me hanging with unanswered questions when I tried to follow it. So, some of you may find my level of detail "tedious." Also, be forewarned that excellence in application and money-saving are my central focus. Not time-saving. For most techniques practice will promote speed, but not all. This web site was created for women who want to play with their make-up.

Eyeshadow

Dear Lauren,

Due to my lack of skill I have always shied away from using make up. However, I recently cut my hair short and would like some tips on applying eye make up, ie. liner and shadows. I have dark brown almond shaped eyes, dark brows and lashes. If  you have any suggestions I'd love your advice.

Sincerely yours,

Chama

Dear Chama,

I think eyeshadow application is something most women struggle with. It took me years of experimentation to finally achieve the look I saw in the fashion magazine advertisements where the model’s eyes looked beautiful, but you did not notice her eye make-up. I finally discovered that the most simple eyeshadow designs look the best. Your new short haircut (congratulations on your new look!) probably already draws a lot of attention to your eyes, so I would go for subtle emphasis. I don’t think you need anything heavy or complicated unless you are in the mood to make a dramatic, or artistic statement with your eyeshadow. I suggest you start very basic and make it easy on yourself. If you want to experiment more later, check out some make-up application books from the library and peruse Kevyn Aucoin’s books at the bookstore for ideas. There are many books with some great diagrams, but be forewarned that there are also some books that needlessly make eyeshadow application so complicated that I can’t even follow the instructions. I hope I succeed in keeping my instructions easy to follow.

Eyeshadow Color: Avoid frosted, bright or pastel colors like the plague! They will draw attention to your eyelids and your make-up, and away from your eyes. Please trust me on this one. I’m going for drop-dead-men-can’t-take-their-eyes-off-you-as-beautiful-as-Chama-can-look-gorgeous! You will need three eyeshadows: A light, a medium, and a dark shadow.

Choose matte shadows in neutral colors (best for all eye colors) such as ivory, beige, taupe, browns, muted wines, grays and charcoal. Choose a medium shadow light enough so it does not require extensive blending. You can use any dark neutral to line your eyes and you can also try lining them with matte black shadow. After saying all that, I think you should start with browns. I have dark brown eyes as well, and there is nothing that looks better and brings out the color more (browns also look great with all eye colors). However, there are many shades of medium brown. If your skin has yellow undertones, pick warm and golden-browns. I use my Wet 'n' Wild Baked Earth Blush as my medium eyeshadow. It is a medium golden-brown. If your skin has blue undertones, pick more grayish browns. I like Revlon’s Ranch Mink for cool complexions. I also like Prestige’s Mink, which would probably look good on cool or warm skin tones, but it is a little on the dark side. Most people have yellow undertones in their skin. If you aren't sure, you can always buy several shadows at a drugstore that will take anything back, and keep the one that looks best and blends in the most with your skin-tone. Also, look closely at your eyes and see if they have flecks of any other colors in them (for example, mine have some gold and reddish-brown flecks). If they do, pick shadows that contain similar hues to bring out those color flecks in your eyes. My favorite light shadow is Revlon’s Pebble (a beige/ivory), but many lines have this type of shade such as Prestige, Jane, and MProfessional. My favorite dark is Revlon’s Blackest Brown. Prestige's Coffee Bean is the same color. If you have dark skin, Pebble may look chalky on you and you will have to pick something a little darker. Revlon has a great selection of light to medium neutral eyeshadow colors (as well as darks). If you really want something more colorful than neutrals for your dark brown eyes, you can try a muted avocado green shadow, or line your eyes with dark purple or navy blue shadow. But these can still look distracting.

When I discuss using combinations of different depths of shadows in one eyeshadow design, I generally mean different depths of the same color. It usually looks the best. However, you can get away with mixing more colorful shadows like wine, plum or muted avocado if you only wear one of these colors at a time, and you only mix it with a very neutral color palette like browns or charcoals. You can also wear two different very neutral colors at once (such as brown and gray), but I would never go with more. Even with neutrals, too many different colors can just look too distracting.

Shadow Placement: Dark colors make an area appear to recede, and light colors bring it forward. The shadows are strategically placed to "re-shape" the eye and/or the lid and browbone areas, if needed. Your almond eyes are an ideal shape so you’re already halfway there. If your eyelid is larger than the browbone or if your eyes protrude, put the shading on the lid and in the crease and highlight the browbone with the lightest shade (fig #2). If your browbone is larger than your eyelid you highlight the lid and just under the arch of the eyebrow, and shade the crease and bring it up onto the browbone (fig #1). If the eyelid and browbone are pretty much the same size, you can wear it either way.

In case you don’t know this: normally spaced eyes have the equivalent length of one eye between them. Wide set eyes have more space, close set eyes have less.

Here are three basic eyeshadow designs:

Fig #1: This is the most basic and common way of wearing eyeshadow. You will see this done on most celebrities. Only the younger ones deviate from this method because the light shadow on the lids tends to open up the eye and make it look larger (great for small eyes), and the darker shadow in the crease helps any "drooping" to recede. Place your light color under the eyebrow and on the eyelid. Put your medium shadow in the crease and blend up onto the browbone. Connect it in to the lid at the outer corner. Use your darkest shadow to line the eyes.

Fig #2: I see this simple method often in fashion magazines. Sometimes I see a fairly light shadow used on the lid. The lightest shadow is applied under the eyebrow. The medium shadow is applied to the lid and crease area and sometimes also up onto the browbone and extended a bit at the outer corner of the eye. The dark shadow is used as liner. This design helps round eyes to look more almond shaped. Large eyes can look especially good done this way, but many eye types can wear this look. Pass on this one if you have small eyes.

Fig #3: This is great for making close set eyes look wider, but can also look great on normally spaced eyes. Avoid this look if you have wide set eyes. Place your light shadow all over the eyelid and browbone. Apply the medium shadow to the outer third of the eyelid in a sideways triangle shape, in the outer half of the crease, and also bring it under just the outer third of the lower lashes. The dark shadow is used as liner.

There are many variations you can do with these basic patterns:

-Liner is always optional. Also experiment with both medium and dark shadows for eye lining.
-You can also add some of the dark shadow in a sideways "V" shape at the outer corner of the eye (See Fig #4) to any of these three designs for additional depth and drama. This is also great for widening close set eyes, and a great way to turn your daytime look into an evening one.
-Fig #4 can also be a clean and simple eyeshadow design on its own. Use a light shadow all over the eyelid and browbone, then use a medium or dark shadow for the sideways "V" at the outer corner. Use the same shadow or a darker one to line your eyes. This look is great for elongating round eyes. Skip this one if you have wide set eyes.
-You can use a dark shadow in place of the medium shadow with any of these designs for a dramatic evening look. Just make sure you apply it very carefully with a brush, since dark shadows can be difficult to blend. This can be a difficult look to wear. It is easiest to get away with on figs #3 & #4, because the shadow covers a smaller area. You may even be able to wear these two with darker shadows in the daytime (I do! with Revlon's Midnight Wine). On figs #1,#3 & #4, you could additionally substitute a medium shadow in place of the light shadow on the lid.
-An additional option for fig #1 is to substitute the light color on the lid with a 4th color a shade in- between the highlight under the eyebrow and your medium shadow in the crease.
-Another variation on fig #2 is to add a little dark shadow only in the contour or "hollow" of the crease. This can also be difficult to blend and keep from looking obvious, but some eyelid shapes can use the extra contouring effect (such as with protruding eyes).
-You can also vary the look by how far you extend the shadow from the crease onto the browbone and out at the outer corner of the eye. The higher and further out the shadow, the more formal and dramatic it will appear. For a more natural look, keep the shadow confined to just the contour of the crease (or just the eyelid on fig #2), and try not to blend it up onto the browbone very much. Some women have very little space between the crease and eyebrow and will only have room to apply the crease shadow one way.
-If your eyes are close set, don’t place shading right near the nose. Leave a space. Extend the shadow out a bit at the outer corner of the eye. If you are doing fig #1 or #2, apply the medium shadow heavier on the outer half of the eye. Also make sure you highlight the inner corners of your eyes with concealer to give the illusion of space.
-If your eyes are wide set, extend the shadow in all the way to the side of the nose and don’t extend your shadow past the outer corner of the eye.
-For Asian Eyes, Fig #2 works well, and you can also add a darker shadow on the lower 1/4 of the upper lid by the lashes. Another option is to use a lighter shadow on the inner two thirds of the eye (a light or medium color), and a darker shadow on the outer third of the eye (a medium or dark color). Still apply highlighter just under the eyebrow. This can look very pretty done with two medium shadows of the same shade, in slightly different depths. Just make sure you go with the natural shape of your eyelid. Avoid anything complicated or that tries to give the illusion of a crease.

If your eyes are small or deep set, you may have to be careful about how dark you go with your shadows. You may have to keep your medium shadow towards the light side to keep the eye from appearing "closed in" and smaller. Experiment. Sometimes deep set eyes can look great in a variety of looks.

Eyeliner: I recommend applying eyeshadow over pencil. It lasts all day, it is easier to control than liquid, and the combination makes the color nice and dark. You can get that nice smudged look or apply the shadow with a tiny, fine brush or a square-shaped brush and make a sharp line. I suggest you just get a black or dark brown eye pencil and then you can use it under any color shadow you choose to line your eyes with. Make sure the pencil is soft enough so it goes on easily and does not stretch or irritate your skin. There are plenty of nice and soft inexpensive pencils, so don’t settle for anything less!

If your eye pencil does not go on well and pulls at your skin, try applying it before you apply any powders to your eyelids. If your pencil is going on too greasy, apply your pencil and shadow liner after your eyeshadow.

Experiment with wearing eyeshadow without any liner, liner without any eyeshadow, and try them together.

Experiment with both medium and dark shadows for liner. You can also wear them both at once. Use a medium shadow to make a thick, soft line all the way around the eye. Then use a dark shadow for accent on just the upper lid, the outer third of the upper lid, the outer third of the eye (both top and bottom), or make a very thin dark line close to the lashes or dot dark pencil between the lashes.

With your almond eye shape, what part of the eye you line is just personal preference. However, don’t line the lower lid without lining the upper lid. You can line just the outer third of the lower lid or extend it along the entire lash line. I am not a fan of lining the lower lid, I prefer to line just the top. I feel it visually "lifts" everything upwards, while liner on the bottom tends to "drag" things down. On my round eyes, lining both top and bottom emphasizes their round shape. I prefer how just lining the top and extending the line slightly past the eye, makes them look more almond shaped. I think I also have an aversion to liner on the lower lid because it looks so"80’s" to me. I also feel it can have a tendency to look "harsh."

For a more natural look on the lower lashes, dot pencil between your lashes instead of drawing a line under them. You can also draw a finer line on the bottom, apply the color more lightly than on the top, smudge it well, or use a lighter color than on the top.

If you have large eyes, then you can wear liner all the way around the eye and it will look good.
If your eyes are small, don’t line them all the way around. It will make them look smaller and "closed in." Just do the top lid, or at least leave a little space between the inner corner of the eye and where the lower lashes start. Also try skipping liner entirely to "open up" the eye.
If your eyes are close set, don’t bring any of your liner all the way to the inside corner. Extend it slightly past the outer edge of the eye.
If your eyes are wide set, you can bring your liner all the way to the inner corner of the eye. Don't extend it past the eye at the outer corner.
Deep set eyes can look either too small with liner all the way around, or it can make them really stand out. Just give both a try.
If you have protruding eyes, definitely experiment with liner, it will help your eyes to recede. Mine protrude, and I find that a thick, smudged line does the trick.

Regardless of your eye shape and spacing, experiment with both thick, smudged lines and thin, fine lines. Generally, the larger your eyes are and the more space you have on your lids, the thicker you can wear your liner.

One comment regarding safety: Never, NEVER line the inside rim of your eyes. This is very unhealthy for your eyes. I don’t care how popular it is right now in the fashion magazines. In case you are tempted to, remember that it makes the eyes look smaller, and it is a very high maintenance look. It comes off quickly and collects at the inner corners of your eyes. Yuck!

Eyeshadow Drips: Read the section on this page about applying under eye concealer. If you don’t like the powder method, then you can hold up a tissue against your under eye area while you apply your shadow to catch any drips. Another option is to just flick any powder drips off lightly with your powder brush. Sometimes this doesn't work well with dark eyeshadow drips. It helps to have the face powder underneath.

I suggest black mascara for you. I am assuming you have dark hair. I like brown or dark brown mascara for blonde women.

I hope this helps you. If you have any more questions, let me know. I love doing this. Please e-mail me back, I’d love to hear how you do!

Lauren

Applying Frosted Eyeshadows. I am not a fan of frosted eyeshadow, but here are my opinions as to how to get an attractive look with frost. Keep it very simple by using just one frosted color. Apply it with a brush all over the eyelid and into the crease and blend the edge upward onto the browbone. If you are using a light color, you can apply it as a wash all over the lid and browbone up to the eyebrow. Don't do a wash covering the whole eyelid with a dark shadow (unless of course you are going for a dramatic, or goth look). With darker shadows, I prefer to highlight under the brow with a matte shadow. However, this is your call. If you want to apply a light frosted highlight color under the brow, do it. I just think it looks like overkill.

Wearing Blue or Green Eyeshadow.Even though I don't like bright or pastel eyeshadows in general, I really like blue or green eyeshadow on some women. Specifically young women with blue or green eyes. I think it can look very beautiful to match the color of your eyes exactly and just line your eyes with the shadow or put some on your eyelids too. It also looks very pretty with a touch of black eyeliner and black mascara, particularly with blue eyes and shadow. This is also the one instance where I prefer frost. Some make-up artists say you should contrast the color of your eyes, and I think this works great with browns and neutrals which look great on everybody. Yet, I feel blue shadow on green eyes, green shadow on blue eyes, or another shade of shadow in the same color as your eyes, detracts from your eye color. I have just seen so many pictures of women looking so great with the shadow matched perfectly to their eyes. I also like navy blue liner and shadow on brown eyes for evening. Did you see it on Salma Hayek? (Not the tiara picture with the Liz Taylor bright-blue eyeshadow). A make-up artist with Nars recently put some deep, muted, avocado green on my eyes and I loved it. It still looked very neutral. Still, I always go back to browns for my brown eyes. Why are we told not to match the shadow to blue or green eyes, but brown-eyed women are usually told to wear brown shadow? 

A beautiful, young, African-American woman who helped me at a MAC counter was wearing pastel green eyeshadow on her lids. I'm not sure if it was frosted or not, and I think her eyes were light brown. It looked absolutely stunning on her. I would have never thought that light color would look terrific on dark skin or brown eyes. Definitely not a look you could wear to most office jobs, but a lesson for me that even my own little "rules" have exceptions. Ultimately you should experiment and wear what you feel great in, regardless of what I or anyone else says.

Powder Products

Applying powders (eyeshadows, blush, face powder, bronzer) with a brush. After you pick up the powder from the pan, always knock off the excess powder by tapping the brush handle on the edge of your sink or countertop. This will reduce the amount of drips, avoid a too-heavy application, and you will have much less (or no) blending to do when you are done. Otherwise, the color can not only go on too dark or bright, but it can look like "thick" powder on the skin. Touch the brush first to the area where you want the most color concentrated (Or with face powder, the most absorption), and then move on to the areas where you want less color, and do last the edges where the color should fade out into the skin. For the most control, build up the color slowly in layers. You can create a beautiful and subtle shading effect with one color by applying it darker in areas you wish to contour, and leaving other areas lighter. Some eyeshadows and blushes will only look good if applied sheer, making these brush techniques indispensable. You cannot apply eyeshadow lightly with a sponge-tip applicator, nor blush properly with anything but a full-sized blush brush.

For blush or eyeshadow that still goes on too dark or too bright: Dip your brush in face powder before you pick up the color from the pan to dilute it. If you want the color to go on even lighter, dip the brush in the color pan first, and then in the face powder.

If the color is still too dark or bright after you have applied it: You can tone it down by applying face powder over it, or buff off the excess with a cotton ball or a makeup sponge. Wiping some of the color when you have applied too much can make for a very pretty and natural effect. Especially with blush.

Blush

Where to place your blush. I did not get my blush placement looking truly right until I stopped listening to everyone else and trying to follow abstract diagrams in books. I took a good, objective look at the bone structure of my cheeks in the mirror, and I finally saw exactly where the blush should go. I realized my cheekbones were higher than I'd thought. Make-up artists had been applying my blush too low and over too large of an area, obliterating instead of accentuating a good feature. I suggest you do the same thing and take a good look in the mirror. Also, feel the bones of your face with your fingers to help you discover its contours. Find the sides of your cheekbones, the part that sticks out the most. See  how far they continue up towards your temple. Now find the "hollows" located completely underneath your cheekbones. You may see a shadow there, or you may only be able to feel a soft spot under the bone. Position your brush (a full-sized blush brush, not the one that came with it) to stroke your blush onto the side and the underside of your cheekbone where it slants down towards the hollow. Do not get any blush in the "hollow" underneath. Only brown contour shadow belongs there (if you ever choose to wear it). If you wish, you can sweep some blush down there at the hairline by the middle of your ear. See if it this wider dispersion of color looks flattering and natural on you, or if it overwhelms your face. Maybe you will prefer how keeping the blush only on the bone accents it's shape. Cover the entire length of the cheekbone even bringing the blush up near your temples if that is how far the bone protrudes.

Trickier - is how far to bring the blush in to the center of your face. Smile. Don't bring the blush closer in than on those little round "poufs" you get when you smile. I like to apply the blush color heaviest toward the hairline, and very lightly and low on the cheek, nearest my nose. After I have applied the blush to my cheekbone, I brush some on the front of my cheeks using a sideways and upwards stroke onto the cheekbone making a "crescent" shape. I think it looks harsh if the blush continues down at a straight angle. Some women will look best with the blush concentrated toward the back on the face, and some will look better with color brought in closer toward the nose covering the whole cheek. Experiment and see which you like. Or you could wear it both ways depending on if you are wearing a sophisticated make-up look that day where you would want to emphasize the shape of the bone (also apply color heavier), or a more natural look with the color flushing your whole cheek (apply color more lightly). If you have any trouble getting this part right, just keep the blush two fingers away from your nose and lips and you won't end up looking like an amateur.

To avoid applying too much blush load your brush only once or twice for both cheeks. If the color is still too obvious, then you need to switch to a lighter shade. Also, apply your blush after you apply your eye makeup so you can better tell how much to apply.

Concealer

Getting under eye concealer to look good, smooth and last. I have really struggled with this since I turned 30 and now have some lines under my eyes. The stick concealer I had used for years was no longer working. Many books don't get very much into the technical problems involved in using concealer, and most make-up artists have not been able to help me with this. I wish I could find a liquid concealer that has enough coverage for my dark circles, but I can't. With these, they usually dry to a smooth finish (reducing the chances of it settling into lines) and most women would not need to use powder over them, eliminating any problems with caking. To get more coverage, you have to use a concealer in a compact, a pot or a stick. I don't know if most women realize that with most of these you need to use powder to set the concealer and keep it from settling into lines. Even with my dry skin, I have to set the concealer with powder even though I only powder the rest of my face in summertime. Many make-up artists recommend just powdering lightly over the concealer with a brush as you would do with the rest of your face. This works well with some skin types and certain concealer formulas. For me, it just caked up the concealer slightly and it wore off before the end of the day. Trying to keep the right balance of moistness vs. dryness was a challenge. Sometimes it is recommended that dry-skinned women skip the powder. When I've tried this the concealer traveled, wore off very quickly, and collected in my lines. Most of the make-up artists at the department stores just tried to sell me eye cream. They said that I was not getting a good, smooth application because I wasn't using a rich cream specifically meant for the eye area. So I tried a more emollient moisturizer underneath. The concealer just went on really greasy and soaked up lots of powder making the concealer look thick and cakey. I had to find a better product and a consistency that worked well with my particular skin, and I had to learn a new method for applying and setting the concealer.

Bobbi Brown's Compact Concealer, as well as the application method they taught me is working really well for me. This concealer has excellent coverage, but still goes on thin. I wouldn't try their technique for the longest time because I thought all that powder on my dry skin would cake up the concealer. It doesn't. It makes the area very smooth and suddenly the concealer just disappears looking like your own skin. Do not apply any foundation under or over your concealer. Apply powder very heavily with a velour puff or a dry sponge over the concealer. I use tiny velour puffs I found at a beauty supply. You apply so much that there is excess powder sitting on top of your skin. The really great part of this method is that you leave the extra powder there until you finish applying your eyeshadows. You then brush off the excess powder and any eyeshadow drips go with it. You are left with clean, smooth skin under the eye and the powder helps to lighten the area and adds extra coverage. The concealer also stays like that all day. At least for me it does. I don't know if it would for an oily-skinned woman. The concealer stays out of any lines around the eyes, although I find this method can accentuate a few of my big lines more than when keeping the area moist. Its only noticeable in my bathroom lighting, but in the daylight it looks smooth. The only other drawback is that it can be drying for my skin by the end of the day in cold weather. But I can live with that to finally have that flawless fashion-magazine-perfect look. Yes, it is possible this method may not work well with certain skin types and certain concealer formulas, but it is definitely worth a try!

I recommend applying concealer with a brush. It takes a little getting used to, but it is worth it. It is easier to reach the inner corner of your eye than with a finger. The brush applies the concealer thinner, smoother, and more evenly, so you are less likely to use too much. A brush gives you have more control, and you don't end up wiping off what you just applied like you can with your finger.You also use up less product. A great benefit if you use an expensive concealer like I do. Look for a synthetic brush. For more information about selecting brushes, see the Brushes page.

Foundation

The lazy-woman's way to apply liquid foundation. I find applying and blending liquid foundations tedious. I prefer stick or compact foundations. I have trouble blending some liquids on evenly with my fingers, but I don't like the super sheer application when I use a sponge. Sponges always soak up so much foundation and I don't like the fact that so much is being wasted. This is my method I use with my custom mixed liquid foundations which I add oil to. It gives you the best of both worlds. It may also work with a water-based foundation, but it would be an absolute disaster with an oil-free (oil-free foundation needs to be blended on a section at a time, quickly and carefully, because it dries so fast). It works well for getting a more medium coverage out of a thin foundation, but would not be a good method for a creamy foundation you want to go on sheer. I call it Smear, Set, Buff n' Blend. After I mix the foundation with the oil in my palm, I smear it on my face almost like a moisturizer. Very messy, very quickly, and a little thick. I let it set for a moment while I wash my hands off. I then take a dry sponge and buff off any excess, and blend any areas that need it. Quick and easy.

A sponge may be necessary for applying certain foundation formulas and if you want sheer coverage. I mean latex sponges. Don't use natural sea sponges. The surface is too rough and has too many large holes to give a smooth application. Sea sponges are only good for stage make-up techniques and for antiquing walls with paint. The foundations you may need to apply with a sponge include cream to powder, some heavy stick and compact foundations, some heavy coverage cream foundations, some oil-free foundations, and the long-wearing liquid foundations. Otherwise, they can go on too thick. Now, if you want maximum coverage, go ahead and apply them with your fingers. If you want a very sheer application with your liquid foundation, then a sponge is the only way to go. Use a damp sponge for the sheerest coverage possible. Just be aware that you will use up your foundation faster if you apply it with a sponge than with your fingers. I prefer to use a dry sponge for the final touch-up blending after I have applied the foundation with my fingers (and you don't have to use my messy method above). If you have oily skin, you may want to avoid using your fingers and apply all your make-up with sponges and brushes only. This will prevent adding any of the natural oils from your fingers onto your face. Another way to get lighter coverage from your foundation is to mix it with some moisturzer in your hand before you apply.

How to get more coverage from your foundation. Apply it with your fingers. Fingers don't absorb foundation like sponges, they merely spread it. You can also try applying two light layers of foundation. Sometimes this works well, but with some formulas the foundation cakes. One of the make-up artists with Zhen Cosmetics gave me a tip. She said I could get more coverage with their stick foundation if I applied a thin layer of the liquid foundation over it. It never occurred to me to layer different types of formulas. You can also try applying your foundation with a method called "stippling," where you blot or dab the foundation onto your face with a dry sponge. Powder applied over foundation always increases the coverage. You can use regular loose or pressed powder and apply it heavily with a velour puff or a sponge. Lightly brush off any excess. For maximum coverage, apply a powder foundation with a sponge over your other foundation. Applying the powder with a sponge gives you much more coverage than applying it with a brush. Be careful to press the powder onto the foundation and not to rub it so you do not wipe off the foundation underneath (this tip courtesy of a Versace consultant).

If your foundation looks cakey or your skin feels dry, lightly dampen your fingers with hand lotion or moisturizer and very lightly pat and tap them over those areas.

Mascara

How to apply mascara to look like the advertisements. Mascara application seems too simple to write detailed instructions, but I know something is wrong. I see too many women with "spiked" or "gunked up" eyelashes. I also know the formulas have improved tremendously since I started wearing make-up, so there is no reason we can't all have the lashes of our dreams. It just takes a little more work, patience, and maybe more time than some of you are used to or can spare. Start with a thin-formula mascara. My favorite is Wet 'n' Wild protein mascara and you will also find nothing cheaper. Last time I checked it was $1.19. M Professional, Maybelline Great Lash, and Prestige's mascaras are also good options. Choose lengthening formulas instead of thickening formulas.

The most important thing is to apply the mascara very carefully, and focus more on keeping the lashes separated, than on how much mascara you are applying. Don't worry that it looks like nothing after the first coat, you are only applying a base for the other coats to stick to.You will need to apply about 2-4 coats, depending on the desired thickness. After you apply the first or second coat, let the mascara dry. Then use an eyelash comb to separate all the lashes thoroughly, working from the very base of the lashes out. The mascara needs to be reasonably dry whenever you run the comb through the lashes, or it will stick them together into neat little spikes. Most eyelash combs do not work well. You need the one made by Rubiglo (Available at some drugstores. You can call Rubiglo at 1-800-521-1514 to find out where they are sold near you or to get a catalog. You can also contact Rubiglo through their web stie on my link's page). It is a flat, one inch, rust-colored, square with very fine teeth on one end. Every time you finish applying your mascara, you will need to clean the teeth thoroughly with soap and water and a soft toothbrush, or it will not work more than a few times. Another option is to separate your lashes with a clean, dry mascara wand while the mascara is still wet. Take a wand from an old mascara tube and wash all the mascara off of it with soap and water and let it dry.

Now apply the rest of the coats, carefully and neatly, using the lash separator only if needed. It is best to do the separating with the comb mainly on the first few coats. When you only use the comb at the end, the lashes tend to get that "fuzzy" look. Experiment with how you position the wand, and how you move it as you stroke on the mascara. Do whatever works best for you to  keep those lashes separate. I hold the brush in the traditional horizontal way as I brush the mascara on, but I find a straight motion tends to stick the lashes together. Try using a diagonal or a zig-zag motion as you apply. You may need to hold the wand vertically and sweep it to the sides to separate the lashes.When you get to the last coats, sometimes you only need to delicately apply more mascara to the tips only. The base of the lashes may already be thick enough. This is an easy trick to make your lashes look thick and stand out, while keeping them separate so they will also look lush and full. I also put more coats on the top lashes than on the bottom. Personal preference.

You do not necessarily need to let the mascara dry completely between coats. It depends on the particular brand and type of mascara you are using. I just read in a magazine that with washable mascaras you should not let them dry in-between coats. Try it both ways and stick with the method that keeps the lashes as smooth looking as possible. You want to avoid that furry "tarantula leg" look. Read and follow the instructions for your mascara.  For example, with Mabelline Great Lash, you are supposed to build it up while wet and not let it dry in between coats. In this instance, you would only use the eyelash comb once at the end after the mascara is dry. Great Lash dries to a soft finish, so don't worry, you will not pull lashes out. If your mascara dries to a pretty stiff finish, always use the comb before it dries completely so you won't pull out any eyelashes. If your eyelashes have dried very stiff, wet the eyelash comb before using. With most thin formulas, you will get the best results if you let it dry at least partially between coats. My Wet 'n'Wild Protein Mascara looks best if I don't let it dry completely between coats.

If you follow my instructions and keep your lashes well separated, you may discover you have more eyelashes than you realized. You can apply the maximum amount of coats if you want your lashes very thick, but you won't have the "fuzzies" and the clumps that can happen with some thickening formulas. Also, people won't notice your mascara from a mile away, just your luscious lashes! This is not the quickest way to apply mascara, but the results are exquisite. I spend more time applying my mascara than on any other part of my make-up. Here is how I try to streamline the process. I do the other finishing tasks for my make-up in between coats and alternate such as: apply mascara, apply lip liner, separate lashes and do another coat, apply lipstick, add another coat, brush my eyebrows up with gel, apply last coat.

The technique is more important than the brand of mascara you use. Just choose a thin formula. I also love Fetish Fat Boy Mascara. It is in between a thin-formula and a true thickening mascara. I only need two coats of Fetish. The short wand is awkward at first, but well worth getting used to. "Crash" is their name for the black mascara (I had a very difficult time distinguishing between the color swatches on the packages. I almost went home with purple mascara). If you truly do have very sparse eyelashes and my technique didn't give you the desired results, try a  thickening mascara like L'Oreal Lash Out or Voluminous. You still need to apply it in coats, but only one or two will suffice.You also need to use the comb to separate your lashes and remove any clumps or excess mascara.  Read the instructions for the brand you select, and experiment to see whether you should let it dry between coats, and when you should use the eyelash comb.

Have you heard of the method of dusting face powder on your eyelashes in between mascara coats to fatten them up? I don't like this technique, I feel it "gunks up" the lashes. However, when I start applying my mascara, they already are covered with face powder from when I set my concealer with powder on a velour puff. I really do think this helps the mascara to initially "grab" onto the lashes by providing a dry surface to stick to. You may want to try this and experiment with dusting powder on your lashes between coats. The simplest way would be to use an eyeshadow brush to apply the powder to the lashes. Do this with your eyes closed to keep any powder from getting into your eyes.

Lips

How you apply your lipstick will affect the look and color. You can apply it very thin like a stain for a very natural look. This is great for making dark or bright lipsticks more "wearable." Use a lip brush or your fingertip and work it into your lips. You can also try applying a very small amount of lipstick over a coat of lip balm or a touch of lipgloss. You can apply a regular thicker coat of lipstick, or blot it after you apply leaving just the stain behind (try lipgloss over the stain). Another method is to  blot the lipstick and then reapply several times.This will make the color look rich and make the lipstick last longer. Putting foundation on your lips first will make the lipstick color look more "true" to what it looks like in the tube than if you apply it over bare lips. When you apply lipstick over bare lips, the natural color of your lips will affect the appearance of the shade. I think it looks prettiest and most natural to apply light colors over bare lips and let the natural color of your lips show through. The color will blend in better with your natural coloring. With darker lipsticks like reds or plums, I prefer to apply them over foundation to help them go on neatly, smooth, and for the color to look uniform. The foundation also helps your lipstick last longer.

To make your teeth look really white: choose a lipstick in a blue-red or in a clear wine/plum color with very little brown in it.

How to wear light colored lipsticks with high-contrast coloring. The style right now is to skip lip liner. This doesn't work if you have a blurry lipline or if you have high-contrast coloring (dark hair with light skin) and wish to wear a light lipstick without your lips disappearing. Use a lipliner pencil in a darker color than the lipstick. This must be done carefully and subtly in order to achieve the desired effect and have it look natural. The most natural looking and easiest look is to use a color liner only slightly darker than your lipstick. Keep it in the same color family as your lipstick or slightly brown, but don't use a bright liner. Apply the liner before the lipstick in a thick line, making it wider on the sides of the lips, particularly the bottom lip. Now blend the inside edges into your lips with a dry lip brush, and apply the lipstick keeping it only on the center of the lips where there is no liner. Don't completely cover the liner, but blend the lipstick into it ( I learned this from a very skilled make-up artist at Philosophy). This will help your lips to stand out and look more shapely instead of "flat." It will just look like the natural shading and coloring of your lips. If you choose to use a liner that is much darker than your lipstick, keep it in the same color family, and do not use a dark brown unless you are wearing brown lipstick. You need to apply it lightly, and blend it very well into the lipstick. This is a look that is best for nighttime. With a very dark liner, I prefer to apply it very lightly after applying the lipstick. It goes on much lighter than if you apply it first and it blends into the lipstick very well. This is a good way to get away with wearing a dark liner in the daytime.

What if you don't want to look out of fashion, but have a blurry lipline or need to draw in your lips a little larger? Use a pencil in the exact same color as your lipstick, or go slightly lighter. Blend it well on the inside edge, and you can try softly smudging the outside edge. You can also correct or define the shape with a fleshtone pencil the same color as your lips or with a soft light brown. I like Wink's Brandy and Wet 'n' Wild #666.

Remember, the color lipliner you choose will affect the look of the lipstick. The lipstick will take on the shade of the liner. This is a good way to get many different looks out of one lipstick and to easily adjust the level of drama you desire. The deeper contrast of the lipliner, the more dramatic it will look. Darker liner can turn a daytime lipstick into an evening look. Brown liner can tone down a rosy shade, and a rosy shade can brighten up a brownish lipstick.

Lipliner can be applied before your lipstick, or after. Applying it first gives a darker, more contrasted look. Applying it after creates a softer, less obvious look yet you can get a more precise and clean line this way. I often do both, since I have small lips with a blurry outline. I apply the liner first to really shape my lips, then the lipstick, and then I clean up the edge with pencil again. Sometimes I use a medium brown pencil for the second application for a very natural and subtle look, or to tone down a lip liner that is looking too bright or dark.

Shaping and contouring your lips with lipstick. You can add the illusion of depth and fullness with lipsticks as well as liner. Use a light and darker lipstick. The lighter lipstick can also be a frost for more intense look. Apply the darker base color to your lips and then use a little of the light lipstick on top of  it in the bottom center of your lip. Or you can leave a space in the center of your lower lip and then fill in with the light lipstick and blend them together.You can also use some of the light lipstick in the lower center of your top lip or near the top of the bow to make them look larger and fuller and to catch the light. In addition to this, you can also use a third very dark color (you can use lipstick or a dark lipliner pencil) and put it just around the very inside of your mouth on top of your other lipstick. One way to apply it is to wrap your lips around the lipstick tube and turn it. You can also apply a little of the dark lipstick on the sides of the center of the upper lip if you wish to this area look more "pouffy." It can look very pretty just to use the base lipstick color with only the highlighting color or only the contouring color. Does all this sound complicated and impractical for something that won't last very long? It is! These are mainly techniques for photography or evening. I could not imagine doing all this for a touch-up. Lip liner and lipstick is complicated enough. However, you may want to try it for a photograph, a special night out, or just for fun.

See Lipstick & Pencils for tips on how to change the color of your lipstick with both lipstick and lip liner pencils.

Choosing Make-up Colors For Your Skin Tone

The "Color Me Beautiful" System was very popular in the '80's and many people still use this method to select make-up colors. This is the one where people are categorized into one of the four "seasons." I feel this can be a useful tool, but it is too complicated and not everyone fits neatly into one category. Nor do the experts always agree on which category an individual belongs in. I seem to be an exception to their rules. A person with warm undertones is supposed to wear warm colors. Since I have olive skin, I was told that since I had so much yellow in my skin I am a "Winter" and should wear intense cool colors to counteract and brighten up the sallowness. Well, winter colored clothes look fine on me - but not make-up. Pinks look ridiculous and obvious on my skin, not natural. I look good in some of the Winter colors and some of the Autumn colors (dark or intense warm colors). Go figure.

This system also does not take into account a change that has taken place in the make-up world in the '90's. We now have lots of neutrals. Neutrals are colors with brown mixed in them to make them subtle and flattering on most skin tones. I wear a lot of these. You probably also wear some. In the "80's, we primarily had colors that were either very warm or very cool, which made the "Color Me Beautiful" system very useful at that time.

I prefer the simpler system of just figuring out if you have warm or cool undertones in your skin, and then choosing similar make-up shades to blend in with your skin and look natural. The clearest example I can give you of the difference between warm and cool make-up shades is the difference between pink (cool) and peach (warm) blush and lipstick. Trying on pink and peach blush and seeing which one blends in with your skin and makes you look your best is a great way to figure out if you are warm or cool. Most people have warm undertones in their skin. Whatever your skin tone, it does not always necessarily mean that you can't wear a certain color. You may just need to choose a warm or cool shade of that color. For example, everyone can wear red. You just have to figure out if you look best in a warm fire-engine red, or a blue-red also sometimes called a True Red. Warm complexioned people can wear plum if it has some brown in it, while a cool complexioned person would wear a brighter, more reddish or purple plum. And don't forget the whole, huge category of neutrals!

Finding your best colors is a trial and error process and requires time and experimentation. Despite the system I just described, don't feel locked in to one type of color. Experiment with everything at the department store make-up counters. Really, who knows what will look great on you? Don't be afraid of change and try to be objective. Sometimes we get so used to seeing ourselves in unflattering colors, that we have trouble judging what really looks good on us. Maybe take along a trusted friend with a good eye. Sometimes sales associates and store make-up artists can help. It never hurts to consider someone else's fresh opinion. They can sometimes be helpful in showing you which are warm colors and which are cool. But beware of expecting a make-up artist to find your best colors for you. Sometimes they can, and sometimes they just slap something on you. Remember that you are the expert here, because you have had much more experience putting different colors on your face. They have had none. What are the odds they will be able to get it right the first time? I really love when I get someone who isn't afraid to say she doesn't like what she just applied, and wipes it off. That is an honest make-up artist, not someone just trying to sell you their new color collection of the season. Some lines like Prescriptives have systems for dividing up colors and determining your coloring, and they can be helpful. But don't be disappointed when after Prescriptives types you, they then confuse you by saying that you can also wear some of the colors from the other categories. Yes, it is true that we do not always fit neatly into categories. This is also a reminder that with this quest you are ultimately on your own and nobody else can do it for you.

Adjusting Your Make-up For Unflattering Clothing Colors

The trick to wearing clothing that is "not your color" and still looking great, is to wear plenty of make-up in strong colors that look great on you. Don't try to match the warm or cool undertones of the outfit. You will probably end up wearing make-up with the opposite undertones. Also, avoid wearing your most muted, neutral make-up colors. For example, when I wear a color that is not great on me (I get a lot of great used clothing from a friend), it is usually a color that makes me look sallow such as a yellow or gold. If I matched the warm undertones with very warm make-up, it would only exacerbate the effect and make me look more sallow and washed out. I compensate by wearing my strongest, most colorful lipstick and blush colors. I put on my plum-with a hint of brown-blush, and a plum or red lipstick. This gives my face plenty of color, whereas some of my more soft and muted make-up colors that look great on me when I wear other clothing colors, would not give my face enough color in this instance. Someone with lighter coloring, who doesn't look good in make-up this dark, might wear a bright lipstick and blush in a very flattering color.

With clothing colors that are not so opposite your coloring, but are still not ideal, you don't need your make-up colors to be quite as strong. You still need to wear enough make-up so attention is drawn to your face, and make sure your make-up gives your face enough color, but you can go a little lighter and softer. However, still avoid neutrals, and extremely pale shades. You need stronger color than neutrals to compensate for clothing color. In fact, to wear light, neutral make-up, you really need to be wearing either neutral colored clothing or a color that is very flattering to your complexion.

Wedding Day Make-up

Go for a classic, timeless look - nothing trendy. This way, your pictures won't look "dated" in the years to come. Pick a look you are comfortable with and feel great in. This is not the time to experiment and wear something new and different. You want to look like you, and your make-up should let your unique beauty shine through without calling attention to itself. If you don't usually wear make-up, or you are not sure what look you want, cut out pictures of make-up looks you like from magazines. Begin practicing duplicating the look you want far ahead of time. If you are having your make-up professionally done, bring her sample pictures of the type of "look" you would like. Make sure she will do a practice run with you.

Take pictures to get an idea of how the make-up will look in your wedding photographs. Make sure you wear the same color top as your wedding dress because the color worn next to your face will affect the look of the make-up. If you are doing your own make-up, still do several trial runs and take pictures. Try to duplicate the lighting you will be in on your wedding day. Are you getting married in the daytime or evening? Indoors, outdoors or both? Check your make-up in all the lighting you will be in. You may have to practice to get it looking great under artificial light as well as natural daylight if your wedding will be an indoor/outdoor affair.

My wedding coordinator gave me some good advice. She said most brides don't put on enough make-up to show up in the photos. So apply a little more blush than you normally do, and make sure you wear plenty of face powder so you don't have big shiny areas on your face reflecting light in your photos. Shine looks like grease in photos. Pick neutral eyeshadow colors and avoid any frosted make-up. The light reflected from frosted eyeshadows will look distracting in the photos (distracting from your eyes!), and the reflection of light can visually distort the shape of your eyes. Frosted make-up will also make your pictures look dated. Matte colors will give you that classic, timeless look and will enhance your beauty without calling attention to your make-up. Also avoid wearing extremely shiny lip gloss. You may need to apply your eyeshadow a touch heavier that you usually do, but be careful here and practice, and take pictures. This is where I screwed up and overdid it at my wedding.

Make sure you pack a mirror, lipstick, lip liner and powder in a little purse and keep it with you during the wedding photos and the reception. Your lipstick will be kissed off and eaten off, and people will be taking pictures of you constantly. You will want to be able to do immediate touch ups. If you two plan to do the smashing-the-cake-in-each-others'-faces-thing, you will need to pack more to do a major overhaul. This is the time to experiment with long-wearing lipsticks.

My wedding day make-up mistakes: I wish I had done my make-up at home before I left. The lighting in the hotel room where we all got ready was unfamiliar and the bathroom was crowded with the four of us in there. So I got my eye make-up on too dark. I also made the stupid mistake of relying upon my mother's opinion, and she said my make-up looked good. I wish I had brought a larger mirror with me, because the small compact mirror I had was not enough to let me really see well enough to check my make-up properly in the daylight.

The Question of Balance

Of course we want our total makeup look to be balanced, but what does that mean? Bobbi Brown says that to look balanced, a strong lip requires a neutral eye, and a strong, dramatized eye calls for a neutral lip. Paula Begoun thinks that to look balanced, one feature should not be made up any more or any less than another, so the eye does not rest on any one feature on the face. Kevyn Aucoin shows four different possible looks as choices: dark eyes/light lips, light eyes/dark lips, light eyes/light lips, dark eyes/dark lips.

And what to do about blush? Bobbi's looks call for pale blush. Some say that with light lipsticks, you should keep your blush light, while others say you should compensate by making the blush more intense. So when you are emphasizing the eyes or lips or both, does it look more balanced to go light on the blush, or to match it in intensity?

Personally, I tend to agree with Paula on this one. I prefer to do my makeup so that my eyes and lips are both accented and stand out and my cheeks have some color. I think it is a classic look that most women can wear. And I don't think that is has to look dramatic or "overdone" at all. I also like what Kevyn says. Bobbi Brown's opinion is currently fashionable, but don't be afraid to wear what you think looks good on you, despite current fashions. Not everything designed for a 20 year old is going to look good on a 40 year old woman. I think you have to be very young to get away with the extremes such as strong or dark lip color with bare eyes and barely there blush. Take these concepts and experiment. See what looks best on your features, and who you agree with. Find out what looks "balanced" on your unique face. I think different women will like and look good in different looks, and some of you may want to incorporate several of the looks Kevyn describes into your makeup repertoire.