FUNDAMENTALS OF PERFECT MAKEUP
Certain fundamental principles must be followed to excel in the art of makeup.
Take time if your makeup is to enhance your natural look and not project a heavy makeup face.
Every step in applying makeup must merge with the previous one. For instance, rouge and foundation should not appear as scratches restricted by lines. On the other hand, they must blend evenly with one another.
Medicated sticks must always be used with caution. Apply with light strokes and do not overdo it, as these spots or areas will stand out. Shadowing with the medicated stick must be done carefully.
Water-based concealers last longer and are generally applied before foundation. If using a liquid or solid foundation, the cream foundation, you can substitute concealers by using lighter than your skin tone.
Standard skin types require a minimal foundation. Skilful shadowing covers flaws, highlights your ‘plus’ feature points and can help change the face’s shape. Highlighting helps to emphasize features. If you are young, you can afford to be more adventurous. Use a variety of bright shades and colours. As you grow older, neutral or natural subtle shades are suitable.
APPLYING FOUNDATION
A beautiful look that is natural and perfect can be had only with a minimal makeup base.
Foundation evens out your texture and skin tone. It helps to protect the skin from pollution.
For an evening outing, you can do it with a glamorous look. A lighter and more natural foundation is good on any face where day makesup is concerned.
Every woman is endowed with her unique features. You must make the most of your looks by camouflaging flaws and highlighting your attractive features. Even average or natural skin tone is patchy and has dark and light areas on the skin, and foundation can provide an overall even skin tone.
Skin must be thoroughly cleansed for makeup application. Dab a little astringent if you possess oily skin, and follow this with a light application of moisturizer.
For dry skin, omit the astringent and smooth on a light moisturizer to serve as an overall makeup base.
Before smoothening the foundation, blot excess moisturizer with a tissue. You may spray your face with chilled mineral water—Blot well with a tissue to get that new ‘neutral’ makeup base. Avoid the use of a concealer if you are using a cream foundation. A cream foundation does all that a concealer does.
Put a blob of foundation onto the palm of your hand. As the foundation dies fast, dot the foundation on the face by section. Blend each section before moving on. It is advisable to start with your forehead. Small, circular movements start across the forehead and blend downwards away from the hairline. Move down the temples across the cheek to the ear and cover the chin area and neck. Now work on the other side of your face. Lastly, do your browbone and then your nose.
Blend foundation thoroughly onto the skin using your fingertips or a damp cosmetic sponge. For excellent results, it is advisable to use a dry latex sponge or wedge. A wedge blends your foundation evenly without streaking it.
Dust the face with powder to ‘set’ the foundation.
Note: If using a concealer, do not drag the skin under the eyes. Space the three dots of concealer under each eye. Blend gently with fingertips.
SETTING THE FOUNDATION
Application of foundation around the eye area must be made carefully, or it will project a wrinkled look.
• Use minimal foundation. While applying foundation on the eye area, gently raise eyebrows and blend downwards towards the eyelashes.
• Blend foundation thoroughly before dusting powder.
• Foundation must always be worked in one direction.
• Smoothen foundation, always using upward and outward movements.
• Use foundation sparingly. Just enough to smoothen gently and not deposit a thick foundation layer on the skin. • Apply foundation carefully on the hairline.
• Medicated or cover-up stick must be a shade lighter than your skin colour.
• Blend foundation down the face to fade away under the chin, always in the direction of the tiny facial hairs. Never neglect your throat and behind your ears.
• Brush off excess powder downwards so the tiny facial hairs will not stand up.
• Translucent powder should be dusted with a loosely bristled brush or wide powder puff.
DUSTING POWDER
The powder is used to ‘set’ the foundation to last longer and provide staying power to lipstick.
Face powder comes in two forms. When compressed into a solid block, the loose powder is known as block powder. Powder in its natural state is called loose powder.
Block powder is ideal for setting the liquid foundation, creating a naturally smooth and silky finish. Combine cream foundation with loose powder for setting powder.
Translucent face powder enables sealing in the foundation and leaving a lasting, silken finish without changing the skin tone.
Block powder must be applied with a face powder brush. Stroke gently in the direction of facial hair until the skin is smooth and
silky. If you use loose powder, lightly dust powder all over the face and neck. Employ a cotton pad or powder puff to press powder to the skin patch by patch. Now use a large powder puff to brush off the excess.
Run an ice cube over the powdered area to set the makeup. Or dip a piece of cotton wool in chilled water. Squeeze out water and press over the powdered area.
BLUSHER
Blusher accentuates the structure of your cheekbones and adds a little warmth, colour and tone. It gives your face a healthy, rosy blush—everyone benefits from a bit of blusher.
BLUSHING WITH BLUSHERS
Blusher is best applied with a high lighter or blusher brush. Using the blusher brush enables you to colour your effectivelycheekbones.
Begin with circular motions and then sweep across the cheekbone and blend towards the hairline.
If you use a powder blusher, shake off excess and apply light strokes. When you have finished, the barest hint is enough. If the blusher is too bright due to oversight, you can
tone it by dusting a little translucent powder and brushing off the excess.
• Use a very light hand while applying a cream blusher. Otherwise, there will be creases and lines.
• Blusher (cream or powder) must be applied only after powdering your face.
• Blusher must blend right out to your temples and not beyond that.
• Use a round, stubby brush for applying blush. 
• A wedge can be used to take excess blusher off your cheeks.
• If the blusher has been perfectly applied, you will not notice where it begins or ends.
EYE MAKE UP
Eye makeup is meant to shape your eyes and enhance and glamourize the overall effect. You can lend depth, intensity and expression through clever, ingenious use of eye makeup.
Eyeliners, shadows, and mascaras in different lines can emphasize and create a new shape to give your eyes an enigmatic look. Find the shade that suits you by experimenting with different colours of shadows. Begin creating vibrant eyes by applying an extremely light foundation and dusting translucent powder on the eyelids.
Use a soft-eye pencil. Start one-third of the way along the upper and lower lids as close to the eyelashes as possible. Afterwards, you can use a cotton bud on a small brush to blend the line across. The winged effect is no longer in vogue now. The ‘inthing’ highlights the line using a high shadow above the bar. Liner is used to delineate or extend the shape. The eye pencil is the most versatile accessory of all makeup cosmetics. Make it a point to use because it shapes and defines the eye, lines the lids and shades the socket shapes. Use a soft, smooth pencil.
Always use a shadow tone for eye makeup, not a distinct colour. Discover colours that enhance your eyes. Choose the most vivid and bright colours for a vibrant look if you are a brown or black-eyed beauty.
Brown or dark-complexioned women look good with bright eye shadow, black eyeliner and mascara. Sharpen your eye pencil, as sharp or broken points can spoil the entire makeup. To thicken eyebrows, dust a little powder, lightly use the eyebrow pencil and brush the eyebrow upwards and outwards.
APPLICATION OF EYELINER
Eyeliners emphasize the natural colour of eyes whilst shaping and defining beautiful eyes. Eyeliners come in cake and liquid forms. Liquid eyeliners are more convenient and less messy.
Use the applicator provided and worked from the centre of the eye to the outside corner. The line must be light and even. Either you may continue the line and sweep it up and outward or lightly blend the tip with a cotton bud or eyebrow brush to soften the line. Allow returning to average temperature before using on eyes.
LENGTHENING LASHES
Mascara helps to reinforce the length and thickness of your lash. It also enhances the look of your eyes. The latest brands come in a liquid form with a roll-on applicator. In certain brands, curved spiral applicators are provided for easy application.
Apply a flick of mascara, if using, with your minimal makeup base as you would do in summer or when natural light is warmer. Coat the upper and lower lashes, starting at the roots and working towards the tips. If you want the eyelashes thick, apply two coats. After the first application, allow enough time to dry.
Before the second application, a fine dusting of powder is necessary. Coat with mascara again to make the eyelashes look thicker. After the second coat is dry, brush well in the direction lashes grow with a clean mascara brush to separate lashes. If you use waterproof mascara, use the special remover at night.
Mascara makes lashes look lustrous.
USE OF EYELASH CURLERS
Eyelash curlers are used to give a curl to the eyelashes. Use eyelash curlers gently, pressing the ends lightly to provide them with an outward spiral. If the lashes are long, first curl close to the roots and then the tips of the lashes. Curling must be gently done without squeezing.
PLAYING UP EYES
Small eyes
Apply a light eye shadow on the eyelid. Use a touch of highlighter over the browbone. Blend in a darker shadow towards the outer corner of the eye. Drag shadow up nearer to the brow bone.
Close-set eyes
Use a highlighter from the tear duct to the brow. Shadow, from base to brow, with a dark shade allowing it to branch outwards behind the outer edge of the eyes.
Tweeze away extra hair between brows.
Wide-set eyes
Begin shading with a dark shadow between the bridge of your nose and the beginning of your eyes. Fill in eyebrows using a pencil near the middle of the eyebrow creating an illusion of being nearer to your eyes.
LIPSTICK
Lipstick is made from beeswax, oil, and colouring essence, releasing intense colour to your lips. The lipstick comes in a wide variety of creamy, subtle shades.
FULLY ACCENTUATED MOUTH
With a bit of practice, you can apply the lipstick perfectly. Since you need a steady hand, you may place the elbow on the makeup table while working with the hand holding the lip brush. On the other hand, you may support your chin.
Lip colours look different on every face and compliment the natural skin tone. If you want your lip colour to last longer, apply the base foundation first. The base foundation serves as a protective covering. Powder your lips very lightly and outline your lips using a lip pencil.
For the upper lip, start from the centre and line outwards. For the lower lip, outline from side to side, stroke your brush or applicator on the lipstick, and fill the lips with colour. Once again, begin with the centre of the upper lip and move to the sides. On the lower lip, colour in from side to side. Blot with tissue by placing the folded tissue in between the lips and pressing them together. Lip liners may be used to correct the lip shape and prevent lipstick from smudging the lipline.
Reapply colour: For that extra glossy shine, apply frosted highlighter or gloss on the centre bottom lips.
SHAPING THE LIPS
• Thin lips or less broad lips may be easily corrected by outlining them with a lip pencil a little outside the natural lip line. Alternatively, lip gloss may be applied to the upper lip. This will lend a fuller appearance to the lips.
• Outline crooked lips below or above the natural shape, depending on the fault.
• For full, thick lips, line your lips inside the natural shape with a lighter shade of lipstick and fill in the outline with a brighter hue.
Lipstick with a matt finish helps to give the illusion of smaller lips. To obtain a matt finish look, apply lipstick and place a thin tissue over your lips. Now dust powder over it. Remove the tissue.
• If your lip line is slack, outline it upwards with the lip pencil in a shade slightly darker than the lip colour. Use lip gloss to touch up the centre.
POINTS TO REMEMBER
• Always use good quality lipstick.
• Shades must be tested on your wrist to see whether they suit your skin tone.
• Lipstick is best applied with a lip brush.
• It is essential that you moisturize your lips well at night to prevent dryness and give a smooth finish after using lipstick.
• Use a magnifying mirror while applying lipstick.
• A thin coat of base or foundation must precede any form of lip correction.
• Use soft, subtle shades for the day. Choose lip colours that suit not only your clothes but also your personality. Wrong shadow and haphazard application can mar your looks.
• For a soft, appealing look, select lipsticks that have a similar shade tone to your blusher.