I've come to notice that there are different variations of the basic black eyeshadow.
Eyeshadows: Nehru, Carbon, Typographic, Black Tied
Depending on the look you are going for, the depth of black is important.It is also important to use a base under darker shadows so that they appear more true to color. A good base for black shadows is a black cream or gel eyeliner or a Mac Paint Pot.
There are also more blue based blacks (Typographic) and more grey based blacks (Black Tied); the same is true for other colors such as grey or silver.
When going for a more natural look, you may want to consider using a less intense black and when going for a more dramatic look you may want to consider using a more intense black, such as Carbon.
In addition to my series on different brushes, I also wanted to begin a series on different holiday looks – and what better to start this off with my favorite holiday look: red lips.
My all time favorite red lip combination has always been:
Mac Russian Red Lipstick
Mac Russian Red Lipglass
These reds are both blue based red, and according to the Mac Cosmetics website Russian Red Lipstick and Russian Red Lipglass are both " vivid-intense blueish reds"; meaning they are bright true reds with no orange undertones. They are shown below individually as well as together on a model.
Many people do not understand the difficulty in actually achieving a red lip. Red is a difficult color to work with an requires maintenance throughout the time in which it is being worn.
A fellow beauty blogger, Temptalia, whose blog I read religiously, has an amazing tutorial on how to achieve the red lip (which can be found here) In her tutorial, she uses Mac Viva Glam I Lipstick and Mac 316 lip brush, Mac 194 concealer brush, however you can substitute for whatever you have.
Start with bare lips. (Mine have a touch of foundation from applying it to my face, but this is not an issue, as you'll see in the next step.)
Using the 194, apply a layer of foundation all over your lips. Alternatively, you could use Urban Decay's Primer Potion or MAC's Lip Erase (PRO product). The purpose is to neutralize your lips and reduce pigmentation and undertones.
Your lips should resemble something like this.
Using the 316, pick up a generous amount of Viva Glam I lipstick and begin applying it to the bow of your lip.
Using the 316, you want to line your lips with the lipstick itself, before applying it all over the lips. Alternatively, you could use a matching lip liner (Red Enriched cremestick liner is my recommendation) to get a cleaner line or for added bleed prevention if your lips have a tendency to bleed.
This is how your upper lip should appear.
Now, utilize the same technique to line the bottom of your lower lip.
Since we are using the same lipstick to fill in the lips, perfection is not key! It doesn't have to be an exact line.
It's time to fill in your lips. Keep brushing the 316 against the lipstick itself and then apply the color generously to your bottom and upper lips.
Keep repeating the process until you get to the desired level of redness. It will start off as a light to medium pink and get darker, eventually to the truest red that you see from the lipstick itself.
After several applications, your lips should have a color like this.
Fix any imperfections by slowly going over the edges of your lips. If you find yourself with a few bits that are outside the lines, there are two ways to remove it. One, use a cotton swab with a touch of make remover, and erase the flaws. Two, use foundation or concealer to go over the flaws. Either way will usually accomplish what you need, but if there is a significant stray red mark, makeup remover is the better option.
When I was working with clients they would always say, "I wish I could do that", and I would reply, "it's not really me, it's the brushes". It's true, while makeup application does require a bit of skill and artistry, having the right brushes for the right techniques does make a huge difference. In the earlier post, I shared a video on proper brush cleaning, which is fundamental in general makeup, but proper implementation of your brushes is just as important. Many of my clients were amazed at what a difference using the right brush can make. I am going to set up this series by post.
- Face
- Eyes
- Detailing (optional)
First, just to give you an idea of just how obsessed with makeup I am, I will show you my brush collection.
These are the majority of my brushes. I have a lot of them. Most of them were given to me when I began working at Mac Cosmetics, and the rest I have acquired from working for other cosmetics companies as well as bought myself.
The importance of variety in brushes is important because different brushes will achieve different looks and have a different outcome.
As I mentioned above, I have chosen to divide this post into facial brushes, eye brushes, and detailing or other brushes. These are only the basics and based on my opinion. While I am going to mainly focus on Mac brand brushes, it is only because of my familiarity with the brand and because that is the majority of the brushes that I own.
When applying makeup, it is important that your brushes are clean. As I mentioned in my last post, brush sanitation is incredibly important. Sometimes just washing brushes can aid in clearing blemishes, acne, etc. Cleaning brushes regularly will disinfect them and make it less likely to contract any infections or have any reactions.
Face Brushes:
- Foundation Brushes
- Concealer Brush
- Powder Brush
Mac 190 Foundation Brush
This is the typical foundation brush which many people think of when they hear foundation brush. This brush is typically a flat, rounded, synthetic brush. This brush offers a range of coverage from sheer to full. It's flat surface fits easily into the contours of the face. As many benefits as this brush has, recently, many artists have veered away from this conventional type of brush for a few reasons. First, this brush can often get streaky, especially when applying foundation over a silicon based primer. This brush also tends to let the makeup sit on top of the skin, leaving a cakey and overdone look. Because of this, artists, such as myself, have opted for other, newer and better methods of applying foundation.
Mac 109 Brush
This brush is not what many think of when they are looking into foundation brushes. This brush is a small, full, natural fiber brush.
The best way to use this brush is to apply foundation directly on top of the bristles and "buff" the foundation into the skin using small circular motions. This brush allows the skin to "melt" with the foundation and gives an airbrushed effect. This brush minimizes streaking and gives an even flawless application.
This is my favorite brush for applying liquid foundation as well as cream foundation. The brush head is small so it fits into tighter areas and the bristles are firm enough to give me just the right amount of flexible coverage.
Mac 195 Concealer Brush
Having a concealer brush is so important because it allows the artist or the person applying the makeup the flexibility to control full coverage. By using a synthetic concealer brush, the brush is not absorbing any excess product and it is providing for full coverage in areas where it is needed, such as under the eyes or on areas of discoloration.
This concealer brush is medium sized, which is perfect for under the eye area as well as covering larger areas of redness or discoloration. Concealer brushes are available both larger and smaller, but I find that the size of this brush works nicely.
Mac 134 Powder Brush
This brush is a dense, full, and natural fiber brush. It allows for maximum coverage and pick up of powders. This brush works especially well with setting and transparent powders but is also ideal for applying bronzer or any all over washes of color.
This brush is large and soft but not soft enough that you aren't able to get full coverage. This brush is perfect for setting liquid or cream foundation with a setting powder and manages to reduce shine while remaining natural and not cakey looking.
Now you have your basics on facial brushes - next post I'll discuss eye brushes. Until then, you can watch this youtube video which demonstrates my friend Tiffany's foundation routine.
