You may have experienced this: you do your makeup, everything is lovely, and then, BAM!, you have a streak of color in a weird place on your face. How did that happen? Here are a few things to watch out for.
Taking care of the fall out
In keeping with a recent blog entry about using a light touch when applying makeup (see http://celestesmakeupcorner.blogspot.com/2012/08/light-touch.html ), first off, you need to use dabs or pats when applying your eye shadow on your eyelids. That being said, even with this application technique that will help you tremendously get rid of major fall outs, some fall outs can still happen. The worst thing that you can do is to try to make it go away by using your fingers: that will only embed the eye shadow more into your pores... it's tricky that way. Instead, you want to use a fluffy brush (e.g., kabuki brush or powder brush), ideally one that you have used with loose powder as that will help replace the eye shadow specks with powder. You can use just a fluffy brush to brush down the fall out... but if it's stubborn, just go ahead and apply loose powder. And, when using this brush, use a light touch, again, to prevent from embedding the specks in the pores.
Also, do it pretty much as soon as you notice some fall out. Otherwise, you run the risk of unknowingly spreading the colored specks all over your face.
Keep your hands clean
Periodically, while applying your makeup, check your hands. They sometimes will get some fall out on them or they will have gotten some product on them that may contribute to a (not so beautiful) streak on your face. When I apply performance makeup, I end up washing my hands a good 3-4 times because of that. If you're applying your makeup in a dressing room, make sure that you have makeup towelettes handy so that you can use those to wipe your hands if needed.
Keep your containers clean
One thing that contributes to fall out and streaks quite a bit is dirty containers. I keep my makeup at home in a chest of drawers (yeah, I have a lot... it's a small furniture thing but still) so they're always upright. When I'm travelling, I'm also trying to keep my makeup upright. When I'm unsuccessful, that's when the products start escaping their pots and there will be colors around the containers. If I notice that the containers are dirty, I'll use a tissue, paper towel, etc., to wipe the exterior of the container (and my hands).
Mascara mess up
If you have had a mess up with your mascara where you fumbled with the wand and it went flying somewhere where it wasn't supposed to (happens to the best of us), wait for it to dry, then gently rub it off. The funny thing about mascara is that, if you try to clean it up, it will smear and make a bigger mess whereas, if you wait for it to dry, you can rub it off with your finger (even if it's waterproof).
Try not to use makeup remover
Unless you really messed up a lot and it can't be fixed, try not to use makeup remover to clean an area. The reason is that, suddenly, you'll have a spot that will be a different color than the rest of your face. You really can't just remove the top layer of your makeup: it will ALL come off from that one spot. So reserve that for a really messy spot. I think that I can count on one hand the number of times that I've had to use makeup remover. Try the other techniques first. The only caveat is that, if you're using a liquid liner, you may need to use makeup remover if you mess up. It's really hard to correct.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Monday, September 10, 2012
Glitter Glue
The bottom line is that, if you like to wear glitter on your eyelids, you want to purchase this product. It totally works. You can find it at Sephora and other sites. It retails for about 18$.
Normally, when I apply primer on my eyelid, I apply it on both eyelids and then apply the eye shadow. However, with the glitter glue, you want to apply it on one eyelid and quickly start applying the glitter. The thing is that it truly is a glue. You'll feel it slightly sticky in texture: that's how it grabs onto the glitter.
I've used it on me and on friends whose makeup I've done and, thus far, it has worked equally well on everyone. I've also used a wide variety of glitter products and it works equally well as well. And, yes, I've even used it with the Eye Kandy products. I've used it instead of the Liquid Sugar; the person who I've used it on said that the hold was better when I used the Glitter Glue for her makeup.
The only negatives that I'd have to say about the product is that, as with any glitter base, I wish that it would apply a tad more evenly (more on how to counter that on the glitter application entry) and that it didn't dry so darn fast. But if you manage the time and application well, you'll get good results so those are minor negatives.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Light touch
It's intuitive... to a certain extent... but one should use a light touch when applying makeup or beauty products in general. But let's further explore this.
Eye Area
The eye area is extremely sensitive and there are lots of tiny blood vessels and all and, well, your eyes themselves under the eyelids, and that all can easily get irritated or damaged. So, definitely, every time you apply something around they eye area or on the eyelid, use a very light touch.
Ring finger
It's a little known fact but your ring fingers (on either hand) are your weakest fingers. (I know this from experience both with makeup and with piano lessons... even through practice of using the ring finger, it's still weaker than the other ones.) So you will want to use the ring fingers to apply products around or on the eyelids.
Eye cream
Eye creams for like wrinkle prevention or treatment should indeed be applied with your ring finger. And did you know that you're not actually supposed to apply them on your eyelids? Eye creams should be applied under the lower eyelid (slightly above the cheek bone) and on the brow bone. Your eyes blinking will make the cream go up on the eyelid all on its own. It's less damaging for your eyelids to not apply creams directly on them. And you run less of a chance to accidentally have some product go into your eyes.
Dabs/Pats
Pretty much whenever you'll apply something to the eye area, you will want to use little dabs motions instead of back and forth motions. So, for example, for eye cream, you will put a little bit of product on your ring finger and pat gently to apply. When applying eye primer, same thing but on the eyelid (this time it's okay to apply directly on the eyelid... it's the point ;)).
The same applies too for eye shadow application on the eyelid: you want to use little dabs. The back and forth motion will yield lots of fall out and will actually create a less even application (and won't deposit all the product that you've picked up, obviously, since a portion is flying in the air). This past weekend, I showed a friend the difference between the two. I should have taken a picture.
Makeup Removing
This may be counterintuitive but a gentle touch will yield much better results when cleaning up/removing your makeup than a more forceful stroke. So, if you find a stubborn spot (happens all the time), instead of rubbing harder and faster, go slower and more gently. You'll be surprised with the results and how it will come out more easily. The thing is that, if you are going hard at the spot, instead of removing the makeup (which is really trying to "lift" the makeup off your face), you're actually embedding it more in the pores... hence why it's harder to make it come off. And it's the same thing when you're trying to remove nail polish, by the way: when hitting a stubborn spot, go gently instead of harder.
Eye Area
The eye area is extremely sensitive and there are lots of tiny blood vessels and all and, well, your eyes themselves under the eyelids, and that all can easily get irritated or damaged. So, definitely, every time you apply something around they eye area or on the eyelid, use a very light touch.
Ring finger
It's a little known fact but your ring fingers (on either hand) are your weakest fingers. (I know this from experience both with makeup and with piano lessons... even through practice of using the ring finger, it's still weaker than the other ones.) So you will want to use the ring fingers to apply products around or on the eyelids.
Eye cream
Eye creams for like wrinkle prevention or treatment should indeed be applied with your ring finger. And did you know that you're not actually supposed to apply them on your eyelids? Eye creams should be applied under the lower eyelid (slightly above the cheek bone) and on the brow bone. Your eyes blinking will make the cream go up on the eyelid all on its own. It's less damaging for your eyelids to not apply creams directly on them. And you run less of a chance to accidentally have some product go into your eyes.
Dabs/Pats
Pretty much whenever you'll apply something to the eye area, you will want to use little dabs motions instead of back and forth motions. So, for example, for eye cream, you will put a little bit of product on your ring finger and pat gently to apply. When applying eye primer, same thing but on the eyelid (this time it's okay to apply directly on the eyelid... it's the point ;)).
The same applies too for eye shadow application on the eyelid: you want to use little dabs. The back and forth motion will yield lots of fall out and will actually create a less even application (and won't deposit all the product that you've picked up, obviously, since a portion is flying in the air). This past weekend, I showed a friend the difference between the two. I should have taken a picture.
Makeup Removing
This may be counterintuitive but a gentle touch will yield much better results when cleaning up/removing your makeup than a more forceful stroke. So, if you find a stubborn spot (happens all the time), instead of rubbing harder and faster, go slower and more gently. You'll be surprised with the results and how it will come out more easily. The thing is that, if you are going hard at the spot, instead of removing the makeup (which is really trying to "lift" the makeup off your face), you're actually embedding it more in the pores... hence why it's harder to make it come off. And it's the same thing when you're trying to remove nail polish, by the way: when hitting a stubborn spot, go gently instead of harder.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Out The Door
I realized a few weeks ago that I neglected to mention this little trick for nails. I have long nails again (acrylic ones... my natural nails refuse to grow correctly) so I've been applying nail polish a whole lot more. I was introduced to Out The Door by my first manicurist back in Quebec. She swore by it and, I gotta say, it never disappoints.
So what is it?
It's really the top coat that you want to apply over your nail polish. It does two things for you: it speeds up the drying time for your nails considerably and it gives it a super shiny finish.
You can find it at CVS for 4.99$ for the small size and at Sally's for 5.49$. You can probably find it in other pharmacy/beauty supply stores but it's hit and miss.
I believe that the big size is like 13$ and substantially bigger. While that seems like a good idea at first, I gotta say that this product dries up kind of quickly so it's probably not worth your investment. It may be that the bigger bottle would keep it fresher, longer, but I'm not so sure. I've actually had to throw away some small bottles when they got to mid-level because the consistency was too thick to apply correctly anymore. So you have to watch out for that. Despite that, though, it's still a very good investment.
Another thing to watch out for is cross-contamination with colors. When you apply this top coat (and this would be true for any top coat, really, not just this one), you will want to wipe the brush on a paper towel or piece of paper before dipping it in the product again. Or else you risk having the product change color in the bottle. That can be cool if you want to bolster the color but not so cool if you're going for a different color scheme entirely.
So, use this after applying your two THIN coats of nail polish... and the Out The Door coat can be thick or thin, it doesn't matter much. You still want to wait a good 5-10 minutes before doing anything with your nails but it does dry fast and hard. And you can reapply the product if you want to refresh the shine.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Too Faced Matte and Smokey Eye Palettes Review
Many months ago, I decided to splurge on the Matte Eye palette by Too Faced (displayed above) and then last week I purchased the Smokey Eye palette (displayed on the right). While I absolutely love creating new makeups, there are days when I just like to apply makeup and not have to do a whole lot of thinking about it... obviously, it happens more on a weekday morning. ;) I tend to like palettes for that kind of situation and I have to say that these palettes by Too Faced fulfill that need very well.
The advantage with these palettes is that one look consists of a row. You generally apply the left-most color on your brow bone, the middle color on the eyelid, and the right-most color on the crease and voila! They provide little cards to explain to you how to apply the makeup but, quite frankly, the application nearly always is what I described so I'm not sure how useful they are.
If you feel like trying out something different, you can totally use the colors in a different scheme. There isn't going to be like a palette police that will show up and fine you for going off of the "prescribed" order. :p So have fun!
I am using the Matte Eye palette for work. I find that the colors are very pretty with a good payload and have a nice muted tone that is perfect for work.
I used the Smokey Eye palette for work 2 days last week and, well, it may have been a bit intense for work. People don't bat an eye too much at me as I'm very eccentric but they were noticing me more, for sure... and I wasn't sure if it was appreciative or not. So I'm not sure that I'll use for work again unless I'm in the mood to fully stand out. :p That being said, the contrast between the colors is big enough that these colors would actually be stage worthy!
Except for the big eyeshadow to be applied on the brow bone, the other ones are small size so you will need to use a smaller brush to apply. Again, payload for all those is real good so the colors pretty much will look exactly like they do in the palette. (I hate when the colors lie. :p)
Those palettes run at about 36$ each. They each give you 3 looks: "day", "classic", and "fashion". So that's like 12$ for each look. Not bad at all. They have a few additional different palettes: naked eye, natural eye, natural at night, and romantic eye.
Obviously, I liked the first palette so much that I bought a second one. I would definitely recommend these palettes to anyone who is interested in intense colors and giving your brain a break. ;)
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
A few of my favorite things
So here are a few of my favorite items when it comes to makeup and general skin care as well. Those are products that I prefer not to leave home without. There's a whole lot more products that I really really like but that would make for way too long of a post. ;) Oh and I'm not even including my stage makeup products either, although I use some of these products for stage as well. ;)
Shea Butter Hand Cream by L'Occitane: I have very dry hands and this cream is marvelous. I have a big tube at my desk at work and apply at least twice daily. What's awesome (and should be an indication since I keep it at work) is that it's not greasy and is absorbed readily.
Dr. Hunter Foot Comfort Cream: It works very well for me to give back suppleness to my calluses while not completely getting rid of them. (I'll do a blog for dancers on that topic. ;))
Photo Finish Foundation Primer by Smashbox (original formulation/color): This is a colorless primer that I use under my foundation. It smooths my skin thoroughly, making it easier for the foundation to glide on. I'm old enough that I'm starting to get wrinkles and fine lines so this smooths it all out and they disappear more readily under the foundation. :D This primer feels oily but it's not. It's just the formulation that makes it feel that way.
Shadow Insurance by Too Faced: This is an eye primer. I always use it before applying any eyeshadow, whether I apply one color or more, for everyday use or for stage. I'll blog more about this specifically but if you've ever had issues with your eye shadows staying put, consider using an eye primer. Back when I started using eye primers, the one by Urban Decay called Primer Potion came in this beautiful little bottle with a cutesy wand... and I hated that wand. Now that Primer Potion comes in a tube too. Product-wise, for me, it was a toss up between the two in that I liked the formulations about as much. So I could switch to the Primer Potion but I'm used to the Shadow Insurance so I'll keep on using it. ;)
HD Microfinish Powder by Make Up For Ever: I love love love this powder! I wear it over my foundation as my loose powder. I can tell the difference between where I applied and where I didn't. It's really that great! Also, if I'm in a rush to get out the door and don't have time to apply foundation, I'll apply a coat of just the powder and it smooths my skin enough. I don't know how many times I've purchased this product now. I just can't live without it. ;)
Bye Bye Under Eye by It Cosmetics: This is one of my latest finds. I purchased it b/c it was on uber sale on that website around the Holidays... and I needed to round my shopping cart to get free shipping. And I'm really digging this product. A little goes a very long way. It provides great coverage for the under eye area but I use it as a general concealer as well. What's more, it has vitamins that are good for your skin.
Cream Eyeliner by E.L.F.: Well, I did do a review on this recently but, yes, it's now in my list of products that I couldn't live without. ;)
Monday, March 5, 2012
Some good links
(I have only a bit of time to share information today... and, well, life has been crazy for a bit so apologies for this blog not being as well tended to as I'd like.)
I often purchase my makeup via online stores. I don't necessarily get a better deal that way (though sometimes I do) but I'm such a makeup addict that it's actually safer for my budget if I don't physically walk into a makeup store. Though, obviously, even then, I sometimes will go overboard online too but it's a tad easier for me to rein myself in online. ;)
Sephora's website where you can find almost anything you need. They have a reward program where you get points for every dollar spent. You can get big samples after 100 points (i.e., having spent 100$) or exclusive items for 500 points. The points never expire and the membership is free. If you spend a lot each year, you can become a VIB (Very Important Buyer) where you get exclusive perks. And, huh, yes, I'm a VIB. So there's no real fee to it, it's totally based on how much you spend per year. The caveat with the Sephora website is that the free shipping point is 50$ so you need to spend that much to get it... that's really not hard for me to reach that number.
MAC's website. There is rarely any discount on anything MAC nor are there perks unless you are a licensed makeup artist. That being said, if, like me, you can't walk into a MAC store without overpurchasing, buying online is a boon. Plus, they always have the color that you're looking for (not always so at stores). If you sign up for their offers, you will get codes for free shipping on like a weekly basis and you'll get to see the new products right away. Again, ordering them online may ensure that you get the products.
Skin Store website: This is where I purchase the near majority of my skin care products. They have routinely sales of about 20% off of skin care products. Sometimes those sales even includes the makeup options that they have there. There is no membership with perks but, hey, a discount upfront is well received. Just like Sephora, the free shipping point is 50$ so, again, you need to purchase at least that much. For skin care products, though, that goes very fast so I rarely have to buy more than just my skin care (unless I want to).
Beauty.com/Drugstore.com website: It's a two in one in that you have access to both sites. It's more of a hodge podge of stuff than the other sites but you can find all kinds of things... it just doesn't feel as comprehensive as other sites. However, their free shipping price point is 25$ so that's much easier to reach. And you get 5% cash back that you can put on your next order, which is nice too.
This is the site where I get my Ben Nye and Mehron makeup products. I have also had some luck on eBay but it really depends. And, well, they have a comprehensive list of products there so that helps if you need to purchase a bunch of items. No discount on shipping, though, nor perks.
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While I'm on the topic of links, here are some links to makeup tutorial ladies that I follow regularly:
Panacea81 aka Lauren Luke is the very first lady that I started following and watching her makeup tutorials. I learned a ton of tips and tricks from her. She does have a funky accent. ;) She often will take requests of specific makeups from celebrities.
Makeup Geek is a makeup artist from MI. She also does great work and I love her tutorials too. She also does a whole lot of products reviews.
Queen of Blending: That lady deserves her nickname! She blends makeup like no other! She's been doing some weird makeups lately but, while they'd be way over the top for everyday life, some of them are very stage worthy. Remember that it can almost never be too much for stage. ;) But you can also look up older makeup tutorials as well, of course.
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