When I was just beginning to get interested in makeup as a teen, I obsessively read beauty articles from Seventeen, Glamour, and Allure. There seemed to be a universal set of makeup “do’s and don’ts”. Implied was the notion that if you broke those rules, your makeup would look peculiar.. Later on, when I began doing makeup professionally, I was taught another set of rules about what to do and what to avoid doing as a new makeup artist. Many of these rules made sense (such as following proper sanitation procedures, and knowing how to behave on set when you are a makeup assistant). Fast forward 15 plus years, now as a more seasoned artist, I know that if I choose to commit a makeup “no-no”, I can still end up with something new and beautiful. It’s fun to break the rules! If you want to learn how, then keep reading!
Rule #1 “Choose a foundation which matches the tone of your skin”
How to break it: I don’t always use a foundation that matches my skin. My natural color happens to be a pale olive shade. In the winter it takes on a yellowish green tone. Sometimes if I want to warm up my skin quickly, I will reach for a deeper color, 3-4 shades darker than my natural color. This is how I make it work:
Make sure that the face is completely moisturized with no dry patches. When selecting a darker shade of foundation, be sure to choose a color with similar undertones to your skin. For example, if you have more gold, go for a golden brown as opposed to a reddish brown. Mix a small amount of the darker shade with a portion of either sunscreen or moisturizer, and blend thoroughly from the hairline down past the neck. Using a dampened beauty blender will help to blend seamlessly.
Rule #2 “Keep your blush light and unobtrusive”
How to break it: Strong blush can be beautiful if done correctly. The key is balance. Keep everything else subtle. Prep the skin and eyelids with foundation and concealer as needed, making sure to hide any redness or discoloration. Use clean fingertips to dab a super bright cream blush in hot pink, fuschia, or orange (depending upon the skin tone) on the cheekbones, making sure to blend the edges smoothly. Apply a pearlescent cream highlighter on top of the blush. To complete this look, curl your lashes, add one coat of mascara, and press whichever blush color that is left over on your fingers onto the center of the lip. Finish with a clear gloss or lip balm. To take this look a step further, using clean fingers, add a tiny amount of the blush onto the eyelids and top with an eye gloss.
Rule #3 “Comb through the lashes to avoid clumpy mascara”
How to break it: When you want to play up your eyes in a “bad gal” kind of way, doing a thick application of clumpy mascara adds intensity. Get this look by layering on a few coats of mascara. Apply each coat before the lashes dry, then gently pinch areas of lashes together to make them spiky. You can make this look more edgy by adding some smudged black eyeliner and a berry-stained lip.
Rule #4 “Don’t draw outside of your natural lip line when using lipstick“
How to break it: Overdrawing the lips can look dated if you are using a dark brown lip pencil with a very light lipstick and not blending it. But you can subtly “re- shape” your lips to create more volume.
Start with exfoliated, slightly moisturized lips. Make sure that lips are not too moisturized, or you won’t get the color pay-off. Use a lip pencil which either matches your lip color exactly, or is slightly lighter. Draw on the most outer edge of the lip, and slightly cheat the line to create a natural looking shape. Next, reach for a lip stain or longwearing lip stick in a color that is slightly deeper than your natural lip color. Using a small brush, apply the color over the entire lip, including the area where you overdrew the line. You can go back and add more lip color, gloss or lip balm to the center of the lips. Dab the cupid’s bow of the lips with a cream highlighter. If you want to get fancy, another trick to make the lower lip appear fuller, is to apply contour color in a taupe-brown directly below the lower lip line, and blend carefully. You want to make sure that you don’t actually see a line of brown beneath the lip!
Last but not least:
Rule #5 “Don’t powder your face if you want a dewy look”
How to break it: There are a few schools of thought when it comes to face powder. For the purpose of this blog, I am speaking about makeup for daily wear, as opposed to “on camera”. If you are trying to achieve a dewy and fresh look, it is still important to use powder strategically. I love applying highlighter to the tops of the cheekbones, on the inner corners of the eyes, and in the cupid’s bow of the lips. However, shine on the nose and forehead can be distracting and unflattering. If you are a person who tends to collect sweat on the upper lip, it would be better to skip the highlighter in the cupid’s bow. I suggest dipping a large brush into a loose, no-color powder, shaking off the excess, and applying to the forehead, top of the brows, nose, and chin. You can also use a smaller brush to apply a light dusting underneath the eyes (which will help to prevent creasing if you are wearing concealer. If by accident you end up using too much powder, and feel like you are too matte-looking, spray a light mist of Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mist to bring back that glow.
That’s all for now, but I would love to hear from you if you have questions or additional makeup “faux pas” that you would like to share with me. Happy experimenting, and stay healthy.
