Makeup Tip #9: Better Mascara Application, Every. Time.

Want a 2 second tip that will give you a better mascara application every time?  Really?  You do?  Ok, here it is.

Bend your mascara wand at a 45 degree angle.

Yup.  That's it!  I did say it was a 2 second tip, didn't I?  Bending your mascara wand will allow you to apply your mascara at a more natural angle and allow you to get at the inner and outer corner lashes no matter what the wand looks like.  I remember reading this trick from a Cosmo magazine back in high school, and every wand I've bought has ended up bent like this since.  Benefit even used to make a mascara called "Get Bent" that came with a pre-bent angled brush head.  Sadly, it was discontinued, although I think the biggest reason people didn't like it was that the formula of the mascara tended to get clumpy.

So, would you ever bend your mascara wand?  Do you do that now?  What do you think, does it help you apply your mascara better or not?

Makeup Tip #8: Keep your lipstick from feathering

If you wear lipstick but have problems with it bleeding out into the fine lines around your mouth or sliding around, you should rethink what you apply around the edges of your lips to keep it in place.  Unless you're using a lip liner that matches your lips exactly or your lipstick exactly (and really, who has the kind of money to buy perfectly coordinating lipliners for every lipstick they own?) chances are as the lipstick itself wears away from normal activities like eating, drinking, and eh-hem.. kissing... you're going to end up with a ring around your lips that's very unattractive.

Instead of a colored lipliner, try using one that matches your skin exactly and lining the outside edge of your lips with it to keep the lipstick from feathering.  Yes, I did say match your skin.  Think of it like a concealer pencil, which is probably the product you're going to end up buying unless you can get your hands on the Reverse Lipliner by Cargo (only available in a few shades though).  You can even use some actual concealer just around the outside edge to lock in your lip color as well, although I know quite a few people who use it all over their lips to nude out their natural lipcolor and allow the lipstick color to be more "pure".

Which method do you prefer, concealer liner pencil or actual concealer?

Makeup Tip #6: Whiten your eyes!

Copyright Urban Decay Cosmetics

If you've been sick recently, or have liver issues, or just think the whites of your eyes could look a little brighter, you can use this makeup trick to brighten them up without eye drops!

Just like I talked about in Makeup Tip #4, using blue colors will neutralize the look of yellowish whites, whether it's on your teeth or your eyes.  So to brighten up the whites of your eyes, use a deep navy eyeliner.  Dot it between your upper lashes and watch how much whiter your eyes will appear!

Voila!  It's really just as easy as that.  A deep matte navy will look more natural, but feel free to change it up a bit and go with a shimmery blue color, too.  My favorite blue liners are:

1. Smashbox Limitless Eyeliner in Deep Navy  (Matte Navy)

Limitless Eye Liner Limitless Eye Liner by Smashbox is waterproof long-wearing liner that provides bold definition that won't smudge or budge for up to 8 hours.

2. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Binge (Shimmery Dark Blue)

24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil A waterproof eye pencil formulated with moisturizing Vitamin E and natural oils.

What are your favorite blue eyeliners?

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Makeup Tip #5- Eyeliner Don'ts

Today is my birthday!  Yay!  Happy Birthday to me!  The "Dirty 30" it is now.  Thank goodness for freckles and good skincare, because I never get carded and it feels so nice! haha!  But now, on to today's topic!...

I think one of my biggest pet peeves when meeting clients and doing their makeup for the first time is when they tell me they only wear eyeliner on the bottom.  Either just in the waterline or in the lashline.  Regardless of where on the bottom only you put your eyeliner, I can't tell you how much this bugs the crap out of me.

Why?  Even though I'm a firm believer in the whole makeup philosophy that there are no hard and fast "rules" to makeup, and that everyone has the right to their own opinions and preferences on how it should be worn on their own face, I do still wholeheartedly believe there are general guidelines on what is and is not flattering.  Eyeliner on the bottom only is one of those that falls in the "not" flattering category in my mind.

Using eyeliner on your bottom lashline only can make you look tired.  Dark colors make that area recede, and lining that part of your eye only will cause you to appear as if you have shadows under your eyes- especially if you are outside during daylight when the light is falling directly from above!  It will draw the eye downward and age you as well. (The majority of women I see who wear their eyeliner like this are in their late 40s or older or teenage girls.  And since the bulk of my makeup work in the last five years has been for weddings, these women are typically outside mid-afternoon for portraits.  So yeah, really unflattering.)

It's all about BALANCE.  If you're going to wear eyeliner on the bottom line, you need to wear something on the top line as well.  Even if you are just tightlining the top lashline on the underside to add definition and depth to your lashes.  The top lashline is thicker and darker naturally with your eyelashes, so it makes sense to emphasize this area of the eye for the most natural open look to the eye.

The top liner line should also be thicker than the bottom line.  It makes your eyes appear bigger and more open.  I'm a huge fan of the whole cat eye trend, as it draws emphasis on the top lashline and up and away to give the eyes a lifted look.  A heavy dark line all around the eye will visually close it and make it appear deeper set into the face and smaller.  This is a good trick if you have really large eyes that are set forward in the sockets to balance them with the rest of the features, but for the rest of us it's typically not a great day-to-day look.

If you do want to line your lower lashes, what should you use then?  It all depends on the look you're going for. I already mentioned that darker colors will make the eyes appear recessed into the face, but if you're looking for a dramatic or a smokey look, feel free to use a black or dark brown color on your bottom lashes.  The thickness of the line will determine how much emphasis you give the bottom lashes.  I recommend dotting the liner between the lashes and using a smudger brush to gently blend the color in a diffused line, pulling down every so slightly in the center of the eye for a larger more rounded to the eyes.  You can see the technique in this photo I did for a model a few years back.  The top lashline is thinner, and more from the underside (tightlined) since she has very large eyes.  We wanted a more sultry look, so I chose to soften the bottom line and make it slightly thicker in the center to give it an open look.  This gives her eyes more balance while still emphasizing her bottom lashline.

Also note that this photo was taken at dusk, when the light is almost parallel to her eyes, which keeps the bottom of her eyes from looking dark and sunken in.  If this photo had been taken in the afternoon, she would have had noticeable shadowing under her eyes.

I wanted to show that this technique is useful in some circumstances and not totally bashing those people who do wear their makeup like this.  I just recommend you keep it more for evening and at least do SOMETHING on your top lashline to add balance.  And make sure that you're always using an eyeliner that it waterproof, or you'll be wiping smudges from your undereyes all day long!  I love love love the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil.  These super creamy pencils glide on really nicely (good name choice guys!) and set to be budgeproof.  You have enough time to smudge it and smoke it out though without it looking funky.

Where do you draw your eyeliner?  Do you wear it on the top only?  The bottom only?  Or do you wear some on both lashlines?

Makeup Tip #4!

Are your teeth as white as you would like them to be?  If you're like me and drink a lot of coffee, tea, soda or red wine, your teeth might be a bit yellowed.  I am a soda-holic, and I do drink a lot of tea and coffee as well during the day while I'm working.  The acids and tannins have dyed my teeth over the years, and even though I try to use whitening toothpastes, they can't make them perfectly white.

Since I have sensitive teeth, I'm not a fan of whitening products, so I resort to trickery to make my teeth look whiter.  Yup, trickery I say!  Makeup trickery that is!

Did you know that if you use a blue-based lip color, your teeth will instantly look whiter?  Yup!  Orange based lip colors can make them look more yellowed, so if you have imperfect colored teeth, look for bluish pinks and reds to mask that.

If you can find a color you love, or don't want to have to go out and buy all new lip colors, you can always top your lipstick with some sheer blue gloss.  The perfect one?  The "Blue Lipgloss" Smile Brightener by NYX.  It's made specifically to brighten up your smile and make your teeth look whiter.  Genius!

Makeup Tip #3!

Today's makeup tip is all about the brows.  Filling in your brows is one of the fastest ways to give you an effortless polished look.  Well groomed brows frame your eyes and can instantly change your appearance.  There are lots of ways to fill in your eyebrows, so it's easy to find something that works for you!

Copyright Makeup Forever Cosmetics.  Image from Sephora.com.

Powders:  These can be either specifically made to fill in your eyebrows, or they can simply be an eyeshadow in a color that works for you.  One of my all time favorites is Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Color Brow Shaper and Eyeliner.  My color is Sable for my red hair.  The Urban Decay Brow Box has two colors of powder plus a wax for holding the hairs in place, a mini brush for applying, and a tiny pair of tweezers.  It's an amazing value for just $29!

Pencils: Probably the most common method, the wax in the pencil helps to adhere the product to the skin behind the hairs.  And since you can sharpen the tip of the pencil ultra sharp, you can get ultra thin lines that mimic the hairs of your eyebrows.  This is definitely one of the least natural looking methods if you over do it.  Pencils like the Anastasia Brow Wiz Skinny Brow Pencil come presharpened and have a spoolie brush on the other end to soften the color and make it look more natural.  Stila's Stay All Day Waterproof Brow Color comes with a felt tip pencil applicator that allows for uber precise application, and it's waterproof.  I just bought some at IBS last week, and I really like how it applies.  The only downside is its limited shade range.

Copyright Tarte Cosmetics.  Image from Sephora.com.

Liquids/Creams/Gels/Mousses:  If you're into applying your brow color with an eyebrow brush, you might prefer using a more longwearing option than powders with a liquid, cream, gel, or mousse product.  There are a ton of them out there, but my top votes are Tarte emphasEYES Waterproof,  Amazonian Clay Brow Mousse, Makeup Forever Aqua Brow, and Anastasia's Tinted Brow Gel.  (There's a reason her products made my list twice- she's the queen of brows!)

Makeup Tip #2!

***Here is the second post that should have gone live yesterday!  Today's post coming later this afternoon!***

Today's makeup tip can also be applied to doing your nails, too!  Whenever you want your color to pop and be really vibrant, start with a white base.

For eye makeup:  Use a white cream color on your eyelid and then pat the brighter color over the top for the most impact.  This works especially well for loose pigments, as the cream give the loose powder color something to stick to, and the white eliminates any skin color that could dull down the vibrancy.  You can use a cream color in a jar or pot or a convenient stick, like the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk.

For nails:  If you're doing a bright color, especially a neon (which is so in for spring!), coat your nails with a white nailpolish first.  Once that's dry, put on two coats of your favorite color and watch how bright it appears!  Revlon even sells dual ended nail polish duos that have a white base color and a neon color in the same container for your convenience- Nail Art Neon.

Makeup Tips #1!

Copyright Urban Decay Cosmetics

I'm starting a new series here on the blog- Makeup Tips!  Quick little posts with some of my favorite tips for making your makeup look amazing.

Tip #1:  Use an eye primer before putting on your eye color

Using an eye primer will allow your eyeshadow to cling to the eyelid better and last all day.  I hear from women all the time that they get frustrated when their eyeshadow fades or settles into the creases of their eyelids.  Yet when I ask them if they use an eye primer first, they look at me like I have two heads.

Not only will it help your eye color last longer through the day (especially important if you have oily lids or lots of fine lines), it will also keep the color truer.  Ever put an eye shadow on your lid only to  have it look completely different from how it did in the pan?  Eye primers counteract this problem!

And if that wasn't enough, many eye primers now come with a multitude of skincare benefits, from hydrating to firming.  How awesome is that?!

Do you have a favorite eye primer?  Here are mine:

1. Tarte 360 degree Creaseless Eye Primer.  It's silky smooth and very hydrating.  And I love that Tarte doesn't test on animals and uses natural ingredients in a lot of their products.
2. Benefit Stay Don't Stray.  This is best for fair skinned women, as it's got a built in concealer that completely blocks out discoloration on the lid.  Perfect for those days when you don't really want to wear shadow, but you want your lids to look fresh.  Goes under your undereye concealer as well to keep it in place!
3. Too Faced Shadow Insurance.  Available in a variety of shades to give your eyes exactly what they need.  Comes in clear, lemony yellow, candlelight (shimmery golden), champagne, and glitter glue- perfect if you wear glittery shadows or loose pigments!
4. Urban Decay Primer Potion.  Also available in a variety of colors.  Eden (a nude), Original (clear), Sin (shimmering champagne- gorgeous on its own!), and Greed (shimmering golden).