Easy but Effective Makeup

I know these days it seems that makeup can be difficult to apply because there is so many things to do, but there are just a few things that can take your makeup game from whoa to WOW!

I want to go over everything, from foundation to eyebrows and I want to simplify how we do our makeup but at the same time still look put together and tidy. This is not going to be a 5 minute tutorial - good things do take time and just remember, the more you do it the more you will be used to it and the quicker you will get!

The Foundation.

You will want to invest in a good brush set as this will really step up your makeup game, you will want brushes that are soft, don't shed and have a good density. For a foundation brush, I generally go for a more dense brush and it will give you a higher coverage as opposed to a 'duo fibre' brush that will give you a very airbrushed look.

Once you find your fave primer and foundation duo, which is also an important step as you need to find products that will work together, your foundation will apply so much smoother and look amazing! If you have a primer that is water based and have a foundation that is oil based, then like exactly in cooking they will separate when they are mixed or applied together. Rule of thumb is apply the same based products together.

The way you apply your foundation will also make a difference, I prefer to bounce it on my skin (I use a dense brush) as this give me high coverage. You can also buff it in which gives your a natural look or buff it in which gives it a more airbrushed effect. This is all personal preference, I find these techniques most effective, other methods such as stroking it on doesn't look natural and usually leaves streaks on your face.

The Powder.

Powders are pretty straight forward, I like to dust it on my foundation lightly so it doesn't cake up my foundation or create a thick layer and I use either a pressed powder or a loose powder. The difference between the two types of powders is that pressed powders provide more coverage when used with foundation or even by itself whereas loose powders are much lighter but can be just as effective as pressed powders in terms of longevity.

The Contour/Bronzer.

This can be scary for some people, this is usually a few shades darker than your foundation shade and is used to give off illusions and add a sun kissed look to your skin. Make sure you use a good sized brush for your face. For a contour brush you can use a flat contour brush which is more precise and creates a more dramatic look or an angle contour brush that is more natural but can be buildable as well. The bronzer brush should not be too big in comparison to your face, if you have a smaller head make sure you use a smaller head on the brush as a bigger brush will put product everywhere and will not look as effective.

If you take a look at my other blog about face shapes, there is a face chart that shows your where to contour based on your face shape, and you can find that here.

The best part about bronzer and contour is that it is buildable and for me this is the product that changes my whole face when I apply it. Use a light hand with these products as they can be very pigmented and hard to remove and you may have to start all over all together.

The Blush/Highlight.

The cherry on top of the cake. Adding some colour back into the face and some shine! A blush brush should be soft and fluffy and not too dense as it will grab too much pigment, luckily blushes can be brushed out as the pigment is compact and soft. In the case you have a very pigmented blush that won't budge, try some loose powder and dust it off. Apply the product to the apple of your cheeks, but make sure you don't smile and apply, this is a method that has gone around for years and once you drop your cheeks they look much lower than where they actually are.

Highlight is my favourite, and for me there are no rules for highlight, as it looks amazing everywhere! I have used a few different types of brushes, the typical fan brush, a tapered brush, a flat foundation brush and a few others, I guess it's just how I feel on the day, as this is a very buildable and very fine product any brush will work (generally go for a more narrow brush as thick round brushes will get the product everywhere and will accentuate features that you may not want to emphasise.

The Brows.

This is a personal preference for every body, but generally a brow mascara in your eyebrow shade will do a very effective job. If you are feeling confident and want to step it up, try going for a pencil and keep some concealer handy! I would do the eyebrows first before anything so that it doesn't go on your foundation or eyeshadow.

The best way to do your eyebrows is simply follow your natural brow shape using small strokes, I did do a blog on eyebrows and the how to here. Once you nail the basics, using the same steps to guide you, you can create more dramatic and fuller eyebrows!

I like to create an arch for my brows as they are very straight and there's really not much to them. By take a flat angled/eyebrow brush you can create an arch with a relaxed wrist that follows the curve of where the arch would be.

The Eyeshadow.

Eyeshadow can be tricky but after a few times you will feel more confident! The trick is a few different brushes and shadows with different depths and tones. I generally wear one warm tone shadow on a everyday basis, it really is a mood based choice for me and as I would imagine for most people!

For a glammed up everyday look, use shadows that accentuate your natural features and tones. I will insert some photos that will give a general idea!

The way I apply the shadows is using various sized blending brushes and a flat shader brush. The biggest blending brush is the one that will clean and smooth out eyeshadow from being to dark or compact in the crease. The small/medium blending brush is to deepen the crease and using windshield wiper motion so that it is seamless. And finally using a nice shimmer shadow (I like champagnes and golds to highlight and lift the eye) on a flat shader brush on your lid where suits (refer to eyeshape chart)

Generally, you would want to use a tone that is a few shades darker than your skin tone/ foundation as your crease/transition shade and then again a few shades darker than your crease shade to deepen up your crease. Again, this is just the basics, but once you get it down pat you will find yourself playing and trying different things!

The Lips.

Okay, I will only quickly touch on the different types of lipsticks, only because this is a personal preference that really doesn't make much of a difference which one you use.

Now! You can use WHICHEVER colour you love, but there are certain colours and tones that emphasise and accentuate your natural features!

There are so many types of lip products, you have matte, glossy, satin, sheer, cream, stain etc and the differences they have is the coverage they provide. Matte and cream lipsticks are higher coverage, but most lip products will have a high coverage when paired with the same colour liner all over the lips.

I normally don't go for darker colours and it doesn't really bother me that I have matte eyeshadow and matte lips as I usually go for a strong highlight which balances out the look.

When picking your lipstick, go for something that will compliment your eyeshadow look, if you are wearing dark colours on your eye, go for a nice nude shade and vice versa.

Now you're ready for a night on the town ;)

I hope this has been a helpful guide and relatively easy. If there is anything you are having trouble with, feel free to send me a message or write in the comments below about any dilemmas you might have or concerns and I would be more than happy to help!

As always, please let me know if there are any specific topics you would like me to write abou next!

xx