Makeup Tips

As most of you know I am a Regional Makeup Artist for Estee Lauder. I thought I would share some tips I have learned over the last 8 1/2 years.

Please feel free to ask questions in the comments section. I love this kind of stuff and if I can be of any help, I would love to give suggestions.

Simple Makeup Tips

Find the right skincare. Make up will only look as good as the skin beneath it. You really can't hide skin that hasn't been taken care of- this is when makeup looks fake and doesn't stay on well.

Start with the basics- cleanser, toner, eye cream, and moisturizer. Look out for cleansers containing soap. Soap will strip your skin of natural oil. (Note- not all oil is bad). Also, be wary of toners that contain alcohol. Alcohol also eliminates natural oil.

Buy the best skin care you can afford. When it comes to skincare I have found that you really get what you pay for. This is not an area to be stingy. Buy a cheap lip gloss and eye shadow to offset the expense, but don’t shortchange the only skin you will ever have.

Look for future entries/posts on skin care. I am afraid if I go into it in too much depth you will become bored and not finish reading this post.

Establish your undertone. Are you warm or cool? This will determine what shades of color will look more natural on you. Women with warm undertones are those who have more yellow tones beneath their skin. Cool tones tend to have more pink beneath the skin. A good rule of thumb is to look at your veins on the underside of your arm. If your veins are blue, you fit in the cool undertone category. If your veins are green your true undertones are most likely warm.

Get the right shade of foundation. Any make up counter will match you for free. A good artist will match along your jaw line taking into account the color of skin on your face as well as neck and collar area. Most reputable cosmetic lines have foundations in varying shades and intensities. They also have warm, cool, and neutral shades so you will be able to find your perfect match.

To ensure your foundation is the best match possible, look at it in natural lighting. The most convenient place is in your car. Check out the match in your rear view mirror. If there is a visible difference between your neck and face, change your shade.

Get a great set of brushes. Like a painter updates her tools, make up brushes will ensure professional application, and, when used properly, help you use less product.

Apply sparingly. I think the most common mistake other than the placement of makeup, is overusing product. For eye cream apply only a pea size for both eyes. Just be sure to apply it with your ring fingers--they have the least amount of mobility and won't pull much on your delicate eye area. You only need 5 small dots of foundation- forehead, cheeks, nose, and chin. Those 5 dots also apply to moisturizer.

Check back in the coming weeks as I will be posting more detailed makeup application tips.