by Inna Grinblat of Glamorized Skin
Based on requests from our readers, I will be discussing a detailed step-by-step routine for applying makeup to create a natural, day look. As with our other posts, our goal is to bring out a glamorized version of you! For the products that I use, I will provide color descriptions, as well as names/colors of the actual products, so that you can either pick out the colors from products you already own or pick up a few things next time you are shopping for makeup.
Any time you prepare to apply makeup to your face you should begin with cleansed and moisturized skin. If you use any specialty products, such as exfoliants and disinfectants, they should be applied before moisturizing. Please, meet our beautiful model, Kristina.
The first step is to apply a foundation (powder or liquid) or a tinted moisturizer to the entire face. This product should be well matched to your natural skin tone and shade. It should help you in achieving your other goals, such as covering up imperfections or making your skin "glow". For more information about different skin tones and shades and how to choose a color that complements your complexion refer to Color Wheel Your Face. A good way to choose the right foundation color is to apply a small amount of the product on the side of your cheek in natural daylight and see if it matches the rest of your face and neck. Kristina's underlying tone is pink with a little yellow. In order to match her warm skin tone and fair color as closely as possible, I am using a sheer to medium coverage foundation with pink and yellow undertones, L’Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Makeup SPF 17 N2 (available at many drugstores) all over her face, making sure to blend it well into her neck. This foundation is recommended for normal to slightly oily/combination skin. Following the application of a liquid foundation, I set it with loose or compact powder in order for the foundation to look more natural on the skin. For Kristina, I am using MAC Select Sheer/Loose Powder NC5 (available at MAC stores, department stores and online) that also matches her skin's undertone. If you use a powder foundation, or you have a dry to very dry skin, you can skip this step.
Additionally, I use Cinema Secrets professional concealers to erase any of the blemishes she may have. This is how Kristina’s face looks once the foundation, powder, and concealers are applied:
The next step is to GLAMORIZE the eyes. First, I apply a sheer, light beige, matte color (MAC Eyeshadow Brule) to the bottom of her eyes and a sheer, light beige, sparkly color (MAC Eyeshadow Shroom) to both of her lids to help the foundation and concealer around the eyes stay set throughout the day. Kristina has hazel-green eyes and for her personal natural look, I am using golden and brown tones. For more information about how to pick out eyeshadow to bring out your natural eye color, refer to Eyes That Sparkle. I use a sparkly pinkish-golden eyeshadow (MAC Eyeshadow Sweet Lust) above the eyelashes right up to the crease and a brown eyeshadow (MAC Eyeshadow Corduroy) in the crease and both the bottom and top outer corners of the eyes. Afterward, I use a sheer, neutral, sparkly color again (MAC Eyeshadow Shroom) to help blend the brown eyeshadow so that the line where it ends is not harshly defined.
The next step is to apply the eyeliner. For Kristina, I am using a dark brown water-resistant eye pencil (MAC Powerpoint Eye Pencil Stubborn Brown). For a natural look, the line I am creating is fairly thin and does not extend much beyond her eye. The main thing to know about using eyeliner is that you have to make sure it is positioned as close to the lash line as possible, so the skin right before and around the eyelashes is not visible. If the skin is showing between the eyeliner and the lash line, the eyeliner does not serve its purpose anymore. Instead of defining the eye shape and making eyelashes appear thicker, the actual line drawn on the eyelid is immediately visible to other people and does not provide any beneficial effects. This is one of the harder skills to learn, so practice, practice, practice.
The next step is to apply mascara and touch up the eyebrows to their proper shape. For more information about different shapes of eyebrows refer to The Ultimate Brow – Part I and Part II. I am using black mascara on Kristina (MAC Studio Fix Lash Black). My personal favorite is a mascara with a rubber brush applicator. However, synthetic brushes can also get the job done just as well. Additionally, I am using a light brown with a touch of golden color (MAC Eye Shadow Soba) and a thin, angled brush to enhance the eyebrows.
The next step is to apply lipgloss and define the cheekbones with a blush. For Kristina, I use a pink with a small amount of gold sparkles lipgloss (Covergirl CG Wetslicks Lipgloss Tutu 410 available at drug stores). For the blush, I use a pink with a brownish red undertone blush with no shimmer (Cinema Secrets Blush Natural BS004).
To create fuller lips, I use a neutral, brownish pink lip liner that matches the color of her lips well (MAC Lip Pencil Whirl). You can apply a lip pencil before or after you use a lip gloss. However, if you are applying lipstick, it is better to use the pencil before the lipstick in order to allow it to blend well with the pencil.
Finally, Kristina had put her hair down and as Tyra Banks would say to her America's Next Top Models, "smized" into the camera. Voilà! I created a GLAMORIZED natural, day look for our beautiful model, Kristina:
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