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From an artist’s view point, I see many women trying to mimic makeup looks by the professionals they admire or looks they’ve seen on social media. Truth is, some women are only using half of the products to try and achieve the full looks they see in the media. Makeup can be an investment in time and money, and practice certainly makes perfect. Often times it’s not that a look doesn’t look good on you, but application is everything! Here are a few trends you may be trying at home…and why they may not be working for you.
1. Foundation
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As women are becoming more makeup savvy, foundation and flawless skin have become one of the top products to look for! Every woman wants to have flawless and blemish-free skin – or at least make it look like we do. One reason you’re not achieving the flawless look is the tools you’re using.
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All brushes are not created equal; your tools are everything when it comes to application! Foundation brushes are great for coverage and evening out the skin. Synthetic brushes are for liquids and creams and natural hair for powder products. For flawless coverage, use paintbrush like strokes in sections of the face. After it is evenly distributed, pat on a little more in areas that need more coverage. Sponges always give a heavier look and soak up a lot of product. Hands can be fine to apply, just make sure they’re clean! Lastly, remember makeup is not skin care; it should be applied on top of the skin and not rubbed into your pores. Brushes are always best! Any formulation can look natural if applied properly.
2. Highlighting and Contouring
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Using colors that are more than a shade or two lighter or darker to contour can get you in trouble! Make sure the tones you are using aren’t too drastically different from your normal skin tone. Of course, blending is essential! Contouring is all about light and dark. The lighter you go, the more attention you bring to an area. The darker you go, the more you diminish that area. Using tones within 1 to 2 shades of your natural skin tone keep contours looking natural and easier to blend. There are all types of charts online now teaching contouring. Just make sure of your color choices. The more you take the face away from its natural structure, the more potential to look “made up”.
3. Bright Lips
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This is the trend of the season! Many women who never even thought about wearing color on their lips are venturing out of their comfort zones. However, lip liner can make or break this trend. The current way to rock it is to use a liner as close to the color of the lipstick as possible, or a slight shade deeper. On deeper skin tones, using a shade darker can blend it out. Pop lips look best when they are well defined, especially reds! As for matte lipstick, they look awesome, but can be super drying to the lips. Make sure you are using a lip conditioning product first. I encourage a lip primer as well. Matte textures can easily show cracks and texture…and that ain’t cute!
4. Brows and Concealer
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This one can be quite tricky! Concealer is a fabulous way to define and create the brows you weren’t born with, but using the wrong type and shade can turn this into a fiasco! LOL In my opinion, brows are the most important feature on the face…so this is a deal breaker! Cream concealers tend to work best because they are a bit more substantial and can really cover any stray hairs. Apply concealer first to shape, then fill them with pencil or powder. This will allow the dark to pop out of the light. Filling them in first can create a muddier look.
5. Bronzer
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Bronzer is not, never has been, and will never replace foundation. Bronzer adds color to the face just as the sun would. There are many types of bronzers. Some are matte, some have shimmer and glitter, liquid, sticks and more! The best way to choose a bronzer is first to identify the look you want to achieve. It may be that “bronzer” is actually not the product you need. For example dewy highlights on the cheek bone, liquid illuminators are best. Bronzers are great for those in between warmer months to add a little color to your winter foundation. Concentrating the bronzer around the outer perimeter (forehead, low cheek bone, chin) will actually create a nice subtle contour as well. Bronzers with shimmer should be dusted all over lightly with a fluffy brush.
Joy Nichelle Randall is the owner of Flawless Makeup Art based in Charlotte, NC. She is an award winning, professional makeup artist, with over 7 years experience in the beauty and fashion industry. Joy has worked with a wide span of clients from NASCAR Media Group to “The Color Purple” on Broadway. She started her career with MAC Cosmetics, and moved on to companies such as L’Oreal and Urban Decay. She is now a full time freelance artist under her own brand.”
