Top Makeup Blunders

I am often asked by women the right way to apply makeup, but rarely am I asked "what am I currently doing wrong?" We all could use an unbiased opinion from time to time; a subjective eye to help us out with our techniques - yes, even veteran makeup artists like myself. I remember years ago when I was in my early 20's a fellow coworker suggesting I try adding color to my very blond brows. Once I looked at my darkened brows I thought twice about the enterprise; she thought I looked like Brooke Shields, I thought I looked like Bert from Sesame Street. But after enough affirmation from others around me and after I got used to the idea of doing my brows, I too realized how much better my overall appearance looked. Some beautifying techniques simply take time to get used to. For me as it turned out, it actually took a long time for me to perfect my brow look - It was two more years before friends had the nerve to tell me that one of my brows was way shorter than the other one. Oops. Luckily, I finally got the right formula and my brows are often the one thing people compliment me on. Keep on coming back every week and check out the scoop on the most egregious makeup mishaps and how you can steer clear of ever standing out for the wrong reasons!

This Week's Makeup Mistake:
Wearing the Wrong Foundation Color

We all have seen women walking by with makeup that is obviously too dark or too light for their skin. They just seem to blithely stroll along unawares. Nothing will diminish the look of your complexion faster than foundation that looks too dark, blotchy and uneven. A foundation that is too light is equally unattractive. Keep the purpose of foundation in mind: it is not supposed to mimic flawless skin by completely concealing every inch of your skin under a thick, packed on layer. In addition, foundation is not to be used to give your skin more "rosiness" or to make you appear more tanned (people will clearly see you are neither) it is simply supposed to even out your natural skin tone. What many women do not understand is: Foundation should match your natural skin exactly. Choosing the right color can be tricky so do solicit the help of a pro if you can; if not, bring a trusted friend with you and be sure to try at least 4 or 5 shades in different formulations - cream if you are dry, water-based liquid or oil free powder if you are oily (types of foundations will be posted in a subsequent entry).
Once you have 3 or 4 shades next to you to try, use a Q-tip to place a stripe down your cheek close to your mouth. Once you have striped your skin with the 4 colors, DO NOT blend them in. Simply let them sit on the skin in a thick stripe. choose whichever color seems to disappear best against your skin tone.

Put Your Stock in Minerals - Bare Minerals

Unless you have been living under a proverbial rock for the past couple of years, chances are you have heard about the latest foundation sensation - mineral makeup. The buzz is all over - from Sheer Cover makeup to Jane Iredale to perhaps the one company who really started the whole mineral craze: Bare Escentuals. So what exactly is all the fuss about? My husband sees me putting on my Bare Escentuals in the morning and chuckles saying "there she goes putting ground rocks on her face." He may be chiding me but when asked straight up how he thinks my skin looks he'll tell you I look great. The beauty of Bare Escentuals is it's simplicity - in every respect. Not only is it truly about as pure as "ground up rocks" (its only ingredients are bismuth chloride, mica, iron oxides and titanium dioxide) but its application is easier than any liquid ever was. It does take time to get used to applying the powder makeup with a big round kabuki brush which is the one complaint rookie users have about B.E., but this is really only a matter of acclimation to a completely new method to application. Once you get the general gist of "swirling, tapping and buffing" the product onto your skin, the result couldn't be better. I have personally witnessed hundreds, perhaps thousands of women who's smiles have gleamed after seeing their complexion in the mirror after I have applied the makeup. It simply looks terrific on the skin. That said, this makeup is not for everyone. Is anything in life?
The biggest critique I have of Bare Escentuals is their color selection for darker skins. Quite frankly - the deeper colors are the pits for anyone with golden undertones (and in my experience that is the majority of all individuals). About a year ago Bare Escentuals did release several new dark colors to their line and I anticipated their launch with great excitement. But alas, all but one of the shades were still way too pink and ashen. Some of the colors come up so pink on the skin that the woman's face is clearly lavender. Not since the smurfs have I seen anyone with true blue skin. But back to the bright spots of Bare Escentuals: for most fair to tanned clients this line of mineral makeup is a true winner. You can learn more about the line through Sephora's website.