A makeup kit is not just for makeup artists, it’s for anyone who uses makeup and loves it. These are the very basics you need to start a kit that you can work with and really love. This is series and today we start with eyes.
Brushes. Yes, your fingers are wonderful tools, but those crappy little sponge applicator’s are not. Sorry, I’ve tried, but they make a mess, tend to get overloaded with shadow to the point you’re more likely to put on too much and not be able to blend it off. Then, you either go out looking like a ten cent ho, or wiping if all off and feeling like a failure. Go to YouTube, find someone who shows you eyeshadow techniques you can relate to with colors you love. Watch the video over and over.
If you don’t wear a lot of shadow now, go for the neutral colors, the ones that look good on everyone. Darker skinned women are lucky. They can take a lot more color and the dark and deep shades I adore. However, if you have a darker complexion, African, or Mediterranean, you will have to be very careful to use colors that are darker than your skin tone, and highlights just barely lighter, or you can look ashy. Still better than me and my ability to put on super bright colors that are too much for my small face and frame. I love color. I just wear gloss those days.
I digress. Pick up some decent brushes. Decent does not mean spend a mint at the cosmetics counters in the mall. For your eyes, you need three brushes, all affordable. Revlon makes an eye shadow brush that even the pros love. It’s sturdy, soft and works. You can pack on shadow with it, or go with a very light touch and blend it ever so softly onto your lid, for a barely there look. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
You will also need a blending brush. Sephora and Ulta both have blending brushes made by their companies that are at a healthy price point and deliver. Just remember, blending is just that, blending away harsh lines. It should not be done so hard and so long that you blend the shadow off. Light strokes, and small circular motions. Look for a video later today.
Eye liner. I’m going to make this optional. Some people love eyeliner in stick form and that’s fine. You don’t need brush. I find gel liner easier to work with and more forgiving, but we all learned to use a pencil in school. If you go the pencil route, just keep a GOOD sharpener close by and make sure the consistency is so creamy you don’t have any skips. A skip is when the liner hits a line in your lid (which can start in your twenties) and skips over it. Then, you’re going back and that’s when you muck it up.
If you go the pencil route make sure you have Q-Tips handy to smudge it, blend it and play with it. It also fixes mistakes. If you get eyeliner in the wrong spot, wet the edge of a Q-tip with a non oily makeup remover and gently dot and twist over the area you blew it in. The eyeliner should come off easily, and some of your shadow may too come off, just re-apply in that small area and blend, blend, blend.
For your shadows? Pick two colors without sparkle, or shine. Matte is a great place to start. Sparkle comes later. Even if you THINK you know how to put it on, do this. A compact of two neutral colors should do the trick and they are all over the drugstores as well as the cosmetics counters. Tell the person EXACTLY what you are looking for. Don’t let them talk you into a symphony of yummy color. You can always get those later and once you know what you are doing, you won’t make as many mistakes. If you like the Cosmetic Counter Route, a good place to start is, Bobbi Brown. She is the queen of the gorgeous neutral and will offer you a wealth of choices.
One color should be a shade lighter than your skin and the other two to three shades deeper. That’s it. I know, a lot of people use three colors and that’s great, but mastering one color, just one, or two is going to make it much easier in the future. Even if you are a blending of fifty colors Goddess, just work with two for now. The light color goes all over your eyelid. Just the lid, up to the brow bone. Feel your eyelid. Just above the ball is a crease where the ball of the eye curves in to meet the nerves. That’s the crease. The ridge above that, is your brow bone. Right now, everything is going to happen below your brow bone.
The lighter color is just going to meet your brow bone and go all over the lid from the tear-duct area, to the outside of your eye. Look at your eye. Take a pencil and angle it from the outside of your eyeball, to the end of your brow. Any part of the lid that is within that area should be covered in the lighter color.
Easy, right? Look at your eye. You can go out like this. Really. You don’t have to add any other shadow. For many women, this is enough. Try it. Just one sweep of color and see how it feels for a day. It’s one day of your life.
Okay, you want more. See that crease? Take your brush and open your eye a little. The goal here is to get the color along the crease starting above your pupil, going to the imaginary line we spoke about that goes from the end of your eye, to you brow. No higher than the crease.
Do you have a dark sweep of color along the crease? Good. If not, wipe it off and start again. Put some good music on. Anyone can learn to do this. Yes, I said anyone. I’ve known people with prosthetic limbs who have mastered this, you can too.
Now, you can stop and blend, or take it a step further. Go along that imaginary line to the end of your eye. You made a V. See it? You can go to the bottom, or top of the eyeball with this. Make it dark, so you can really see it. That sideways V is going to open your eyes and make them stand out.
Got it? congrats!!! You’re not done. A big streak of dark color is no really flattering to most woman. Take that blending brush and with the most gentle of gentle strokes, blend the edges of the colors together. Again, there will be a link up on my YouTube channel later today.
Once it’s blended and there are no harsh lines, stand back and admire your work. Pretty? Eye catching without being risky? That’s the look we’re going for here.
I will talk about liner and mascara in the next installment. For now, do your other eye, slap on some mascara and attack the world. You’re eyes are lovely, without being too much for work. Trust me. Check it throughout the day. If you have oily lids you will need an eye primer and it may scooch around on you. Be prepared to touch up in the bathroom mirror. Not at the lunch table, not with a butter knife. PLEASE!!!
Take a picture of your work. You did great.
You don’t have to be over forty. You don’t have to sport dry skin. Sorry, it’s too much sun and heredity. There’s nothing you can do about your genes, but get the heck out of the sun and start using a good SPF today. I mean it. Neutrogena makes one I’m not allergic to and I’m allergic to a lot of sunscreens. Also, look for a moisturizer with sunscreen and a rating. Most sunscreens use PABA, which is what causes allergies in me. Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide are what most moisturizers use for sunblock. If your eye moisturizer does not have this, get a sunscreen for your face and make sure that it’s a sport sunscreen. It won’t drip into your eyes.
To help with the appearance of crepe-eyes follow these steps. This is Nancy’s way of doing it, if you think I’m full of beans, keep what you want and toss the rest.
1. Sunscreen if your moisturizer does not have one. Your eyeshadow probably has Titanium Dioxide, but you never know how much it has. In order to have an SPF number, a product has to go through testing and be rated. This is an expensive proposition and most eye makeup companies don’t see a need for it.
Note: 30 SPF plus 10 SPF do not make 40 SPF. It’s a complicated formula. Just know that you will get more than 30 and less than 35, if you do this.
2. Now, moisturize. Okay, a moisturizer is not going to get rid of the Crepes. I wish I could tell you otherwise, but it doesn’t. It will temporarily plump the skin on the lids, and that gives you a smoother canvas to work on. Removals of crepiness can be done by a plastic surgeon, or using Retinoids, prescribed by your Dermatologist. Otherwise, you’re stuck. In other words, Creme De Mer is nice, and pricey, but not a magic bullet. I use Oil of
Olay, two types, depending on skin type. Eye Lifting Serum leaves a nice powdery finish for your next step for oilier eyes, and, Total Effects Eye Transforming Cream work on drier lids. You don’t want to use a comedogenic product. I like these two because they re-hydrate without clogging pores. I don’t like clogged pores on even the driest skin. Believe me, the pigments and shadows can clog them all on their own and mixed with oil? Its melia waiting to happen.
3. Use a Primer Potion. Urban Decay, Too Faced Shadow insurance, or even NYX do a good job. I tried to love E.L.F.s, Studio Line, but I didn’t and it go tossed. Just one thing I’m not find of from them. Love some of it, hate some of it. No company is all things to all people. I believe in a list of products from different companies in both a personal and professional kit. Let your primer sink in. This should take a couple of minutes. I pluck my stays.
4. Paint Pots from MAC, or similar. A creme base color of some kind. Watch out that it’s not too oily, or it’s going to slide on your lid, primer, or no. I have used cream shadows over the whole lid, nothing shiny, or Painterly Paint Pot from MAC. A good concealer can do it too, as well as a good foundation. It can match your lid, or compliment a color you’re planning to use. Just as long as it’s not Gel Liner. That’s a wonderful solution, if you don’t have crepey eyes. It tends to be waterproof and make them look more dried out and crepey by the end of the day. Something emollient, but not so slippery it hits your neck by five, shadow and all.
5. Use matte colors? It’s every one’s advice. Use matte, use matte. Okay, there are exceptions. You can use a more shimmery color on the lid. If you’ve done your base stuff right and put on the minimum foundation color in cream and I mean as little as you can get away with, your eyes should look less crepey. Notice, I said less. I did not say, “crepe-free.” Again, luck of the draw and sun. I can tell in a second who spent their youth in a tanning bed by the look around their eyes. Genetic is some, but there’s a look that screams, “too much sun exposure,” and it does not take an experienced makeup artist long to figure it out. Heck, beginners will see it a lot too.
Back to matte. Matte tends to highlight the small wrinkles left. It can also make eye shadow migrate into the creases. My best advice here, is too use as little shadow as you can to get the effect you want, without using too little and blend, baby blend. I mean get in there and blend out those colors with a small brush and do it with EVERY layer. Get the color on, the extra off. Once it’s settled into your cream color, it should not move. That’s what you want and that’s why I say some shimmer is fine, but know if you wear a lot, it will be noticeable and it can be aging. Personally, I am the age I am and don’t care, but again, I have skin issues, but not in the crepe department.
You’re done. Look at both eyes to make sure they are balanced. A balanced look, is a professional look and something I am absolutely uptight about. Have fun with it. By your cremes from Drugstore brands and try it out. Don’t ever, ever, spend money on something in the department store without a test run. It’s how I ended up with the worst lipstick for my skin color, ever.
Are bright colors okay? Yep. Eyeliner is good too. Just use a gel liner, or a pencil and set it with some of your powder eye color in a matching, or complimentary shade.
Have fun and play with your makeup. I will be giving a demonstration on YouTube later today, with other tips not mentioned here. Look for it.
Lots of love and happy makeup. Nancy
Love this cleanser
Last summer, I’d say August, I was given a sample of, “Baby Face Cleanse.” I’d expressed frustration with every other makeup remover I’d tried. My eyelids are very sensitive and always red. If I drag most makeup removers over them, including ones for sensitive eyes, they actually peel. That makes it hard for me to wear eye makeup and I’m a makeup artist. Sheesh.
So the woman at Lush handed me a sliver of, “Baby Face.” Which seemed impossibly small. I got on the Internet and researched the product. Armed with my information and my sliver of Baby Face, a face full of waterproof makeup, I hit the bathroom. My makeup came off. I mean right away, even the waterproof stuff. ALL OF IT! Okay, great, but my face is so dang oily, I feel like I can power every car in Michigan. This was BOUND to lead to breakouts.
Next morning, no flaking skin (I took it off with a damp facial sponge and washed with my normal cleanser) and NO NEW ZITS! IK am forty six and break out like a teen. No zits means the world to me. I used my sliver, and used it, and used it and used it. That stupid sliver of, “Baby Face,” lasted months. I mean of everyday use. I finally got it small enough to justify buying it for myself. Forget it. I cut it up and put it in small bags for my clients. I’ll buy another one for me. Okay, maybe more than one. I want to pass this around. On days I plan a deep clean, complete with careful and taught, blackhead extraction (almost all gone now), I use, “Baby Face,” first, then wash with my regular stuff after and my face does not get red, or inflamed. I recently had three moles removed and am using an anti-bacterial product during the day and, Baby Face, at night. My scars are healing nicely. I also used it on a recent tattoo (family names on it and a special something for my son who passed) and the healing is great. Only one small area that is stubborn and that’s because I scratched at it, before I started in on the, Baby Face.”
This is a product I would give a ten out of ten for. Does what it says, does not break out the break out Queen and has wonderful abilities to get stubborn eye makeup off. Go Lush!
Note, “Baby Face,” is a solid cleanser, meant for dry skin. Its oil based and probably comedigenic. If I were a Teen, I would not think of using it. As an older woman, even with breakouts, it’s a Godsend, but I never leave it on for long, except were I am healing something. It’s a great product.
All products can be found in the links and I suggest these stores because of their commitment to customer service.
There will be more on my vlog, but these are some of the things I loved in 2009. Too Faced Shadow Insurance. All my eye primers do a good job, this stuff glues my shadow in place all day, no matter how chalky it starts out. Ala, Coastal Scents. Which I love, but can be very fly-away. I buy a lot of my higher end stuff at Sephora. I’ve found them to be superior to Ulta in many ways. Mostly in customer service. Don’t lead me to the Revlon when I want Urban Decay and told you so twice. It does not matter that I’m in Yoga Pants and a workout top. I want what I want and I am not looking for judgement, thank you.
Coastal Scents Gel Liners. Superior, in my opinion, to MAC Paint Pots. They are waterproof and in a side by side test conducted on Youtube by makeupbytiffanyd, they are shown to be as good with the staying power of MAC. At a third of the price. I use them under my shadows to create amazing color. I didn’t link directly to that video, rather her channel, because all of her videos are really good. She’s totally into MAC, but in the bridal market, you really need to be.
NYX products. Which can be found on their site, or in many other places. I suggest Pinkholik. They have great prices and amazing customer service.
TKB Trading anything. I am delighted with this company. Beyond delighted. They are super fast with shipping and have colors I’ve never dreamed of in stock and plenty of stuff to make your own eyeshadow from, along with recipes. I am totally in love.
Zoya Nail Polish. Colors, staying power, everything about it. I have the catalog of colors, because I bought my first set through Zoya and I swear I want every darn one of them. It’s sad.
Vera Wang Rock Princess Perfume. I buy one new perfume a year and usually it lasts me two years, so I always have two to choose from. The combination of Betsey Johnson and Vera Wang Rock Princess (cheap at T.J. Maxx) is a perfect compliment to my moods and wardrobe. One of them always works well on me. The only problem is, that as oily as I get, perfume does not last on me. I need an atomizer for them.
My Flat Iron. Not expensive, Revlon(available in every store that sells curling irons, etc), but I never thought I would want, nor need a Flatiron. I can’t live without it anymore. I use it about half and half with my curling iron. When I do my hair.
Urban Decay 24/7 Eye Pencil in 0. WOW!!!!! It stays all day, if I set it with powder. I use Kat Von D’s Motorhead in either side, depending on my desire for sparkle.
Speaking of Kat Von D, I am in love with her shadows. I can find exactly what I want every time.
What I still want? Some NYX, Graftobian foundations for my kit, and buckets of bobby pins for clients. Oh, and Mildew from Urban Decay. I love, love, love that color. It’s in the Show Pony box, which would be a good investment for the end of the year and tax deductible, since it’s for work. I’ve been reading tax laws for services and man, it’s complicated.
This post feels so important to me, that I’m posting it on both blogs today. Anyone, who puts two and two together on the name of this company and threatens me, will be reported to their ISP. I’m not 19. I’m almost, gasp ick, forty six and I know the laws when it comes to copyright and defamation. So, put a hat on it. I will turn around and bite people who try to blackmail me and I won’t play along. Ever. It gets my back up and I become belligerent and it’s no fun for anyone. Free speech is just that. Besides, I never name your company. Interested parties can go to Google and type in, “_____ (company name) + repackaged makeup. Very interesting. Take all reviews, good and bad, with a salt lick. Mine too. We all get biased about our favorites.
I don’t know, if you know, or care, but there is what can only be described as an Internet war going on in the indie makeup community. Companies buying pigments from Coastal Scents and TBK Trading, and re-packaging them at an obnoxious price.
Over the last few days, I’ve been both furious at consumer’s for not knowing what goes into their makeup and these companies ripping off people. The key? Even if the current companies straighten up and play right, there will be more companies who take the easy way out. It gives people who work hard to formulate their own colors a bad reputation. No one trusts anyone right now and the people loyal to the brands doing the stealing, are bunch of Internet bullies.
Spamming sites that dare say even the smallest negative, “this lipstick could be creamier,” is a capitol offense and the owners of one company in particular are calling anyone with anything negative to say liars, which is an understatement. Take down notices, defamation of character lawsuits are threatened and opinions squashed. Look, if someone tells you to review their stuff and threaten lawsuit because they don’t like what you have to say, tough.
What’s so wrong with a bad review? One of my books was switched editors on me halfway through. The new editor was someone without a larger worldview who did not like my stories. She did a slip-shod job on it and I got rotten reviews on spelling and sentence structure. Something my editors and the Final Line Editor are supposed to catch. Hell-o, dyslexic writer here and they knew it. At first, I was so pissed that a good story got ad reviews, but it wasn’t the story, it was the editing and a fair cop. I should have been taken to task on it and now I’m bothered that book is not better and want a re-write.
A company should welcome, with grace, a bad review. Stand back, is it fair? If your colors are dupes of someones stuff, or re-packaged there’s nothing wrong with that. TBK makes some of the most gorgeous colors I have ever seen. It’s worth cutting more glimmer, or making matte and pressing for people. Even if you do it, you can tell people and make sales. Some people love the color, but a pigment might not have a good slip, as is, or fade because it needs a product to keep the sun off it (pigments should be stored in low-light conditions). There’s a reason companies add fillers to product. Not to ruin the pigment, but to make it bendable and lasting.
Why does this frost my cookies? Because I’m a cook who can’t cook, because I didn’t get to be 320lbs on restaurant food, it was *MY* cooking. I need a substitute. So, I’m going to formulate my own pressed shadows, blushes and lip glosses (lip stick later on) and sell them. No hard sell, just available online and in person to people who want them. Will I send some out to people on the Internet who can help? I’m no idiot, of course. Do I expect people to gush for more? Cripes no. Tell the truth and I will re-formulate stuff to be better. I don’t want to sell an inferior product.
Mostly, I will sell to friends and family and not worry so much about YouTube. I won’t be selling there, unless someone likes my shadow. Then, go for it.
The problem with Coastal Scents and TBK Trading is they do offer yummy colors that I want to press down and sell. Why? Some people could not be bothered and love the colors. Those colors will not only be clearly marked, but my cost x 2 for work. Which makes them cheaper than anything else out there, except pressing your own and it’s fun to press your own, so the color, fillers and pressing technique I use will be put into videos so you can make them even cheaper than I can. Tops will be closed with tamper-proof sleeves and everyone should feel I’m being fair.
When I come up with my own mixes, and where’s the fun in following someone else’s recipe? To use as a guide, but not dupe, I will say so and they will be a tad more. Why? I’ll be busting my hump in my sterile as can be kitchen (alcohol is your friend, as well as gloves) to make a product that’s pretty unique, but in this industry, it’s all been done before.
One wag said she only bought from high end places (MAC’s prices are fair for their pigments btw. I’m talking really high end) because they never dupe. Really? Black’s pretty much black here people. I’m studying the science carefully. Using it as a learning tool for my boys. Will it get off the ground? Who cares. I can always sell to Bride’s work with, or use in volunteer situations. Sales from this are extra and nice, but won’t be my bread and butter and that’s why I won’t push.
So, be an informed consumer. Go to the TBL Trading site and Coastal Scents. Look at those yummy pigments. Buy them in sample size if you want, but pure pigment gets in my eye and bugs me, so think about recipes. They’re out there. See what a mattyfyer can do to the pigment. Play with your makeup, or at least know what Coastal Scents sells and don’t expect your primer to hold on glitter. That stuff is chunky and needs a binder.
Yours in truth, Nancy
For anyone interested the name of my makeup line is, “Herne’s Folly,” after my autistic son. A very visible part of the proceeds for the formula (still needs tweaking) for his eye shadow will go to Aids Foundations. I’ll post my receipts. I’m going to be darn transparent. For my friends who passed from Viral Breast Cancer, there will be a donation made to a good breast cancer organization, with scanned receipts. Anyone who says they are giving proceeds to charity, if they are a partnership, or an independently owned entity, has to do this, but why hide it? Those sales are for special things. I’m thinking about,”Autism Speaks,” and, “Susan G Koman,” but, SGK does not guarantee where the funds go, so if you have better ideas, please pass them on. I love to cook and this is cooking with gas.
Is there any obligation? No. My best friends don’t read my blogs. They don’t have to. I tell them everything. : )
Okay, day… I think four? I was told to use the Differin every third night, because most people react to it with majorly peeling skin and redness. Not me. My skin has been into every stupid acne product since the dawn of time and I got no redness. Okay, a burning sensation where I’d picked a zit. Sue me. Everyone farts, picks their nose in the car and on occasion, unless they are blessed like my son’s birth mom (perfect skin and no zits, ever, brat) they pick them. I remember girls in high-school doing it for one another and talking about it. Fascinating and disgusting all at the same time. Anyway, I have some peeling, and flaky skin, but I use my Elephant Poo Soap, (African Black Soap, no actual poo in it, just looks like it), Salicylic Acid on any active whompers and I do extractions on my Blackheads.
NOOOO!
Yes. I’m not sure how to break this to you, but Pore Strips only remove the top layer that’s oxidized and has discolored. There is sill sebum underneath and the only way to remove it is by professional, or professional quality and extraction. It won’t stop it forever, but that’s what the Differin is for. BTW, Differin is not an exfoliant. With most Retinoids you cannot use Salicylic Acid and the product on the same day, they cancel one another out. Differin is different (maoan). I’ts a synthetic and milder from of retinoid, even though it’s very hard on acne. I got the gel form, which is supposed to be more gentle.
Back to the report. Nothing major. Had a bump yesterday, gone today. I used the pink stuff over the retinoid. I’m not big on getting the Differin too close to my eye, but the wrinkles and crepiness. Yuck! So I’ll attempt one eye on the upper part of the lid tonight and test it. Not the lid itself, that is reserved for my L’Oreal. Which is working, albeit very slowly. No new milia. A good reason I don’t use pure pigments. They tend to make milia pop out on me. Yuck. NEVER EVER remove any milia (hard, little white bumps made of a wax-like substance) on your lid. Visit a dermatologist. I’m all for home remedy’s, but this is your EYE!
Now, Latisse. I have a generic, same active ingredient. I missed last night. I got it on my lid too, but I already had on my Differin and didn’t want to wash my face again, so I chanced it. The darkening of the skin is common, but does seem to go away on the maintenance routine for tester’s and I was terrified I’d wake up with HUGE dark marks on my lids. No. In the future I will, 1. wash, 2. Latisse, 3. Retinoid, 4. Spot Treat. Oh, be more careful works too. Don’t waste your time on the dorky brushes you get with it. Just buy a fine eyeliner brush, or two (mark one L and the other R), clean them well after each use (I use African Black Soap with extra oils in it) and dry on a sterile surface. I bought some white towels that I bleach to death in the wash on the sanitary mode for my makeup and medication space. Cheap at Target.
So far, three whole days, nothing. I don’t expect squat for six weeks, so hang tight. No darkening of the pigment of my eye (my eyes are olive-bright green and there is a brown spot, in the top of my left eye. I used to hate that thing, now, I feel liberated and different because of it). No change to either. Again, blue eyes do not darken in any of the tests, including the original product for glaucoma. It makes your brown eyes very brown,*IF* it happens, which is rare. Go to their site and read the studies. Very informative.
So, that’s that. I would like to state, for honesty’s sake that I purchased them online through a drug store in India, run by two American woman here. They have a stellar reputation (I tried to find a bad review and other than shipping time, could not) and had a prescription for these items. I could not and would not pay that much markup for a product in the US. Ridiculous! The products are by the same companies that sell here, and are identical in makeup. I researched the heck out of them and was honest with my doc. He was not thrilled, but conceded that they are the same and warned me against buying from China. In Michigan a lot of people take day trips to Canada and get scripts filled, because of the savings, so it seemed normal to m. If this idea terrifies you, then pay the full price. I just can’t afford it and refuse to let the drug companies hold me be the proverbial balls for my acne meds. I’m almost 46! I refuse to be forty six and have acne. I won’t use Accutane. I don’t think it would depress me, but I have enough problems without six months of headaches. A common side effect.
