Lay your foundation.

Today’s back-to-basics post would be your foundation! (If that wasn’t obvious enough already)

Having a flawless canvas is really important for makeup because it allows other parts of the face to be in the “catch point” instead of the pesky pimple on your chin or anywhere else.

Choosing them :

Go foundation shopping during day time! During the night, artificial lights would be used and that’s when the color starts getting off because they do funny things to your eyes!

 

^Something like that? No.

Choose a foundation that matches the color of your neck because sometimes the color of your face is different compared to your neck and it’s a little odd to see you wearing a mask.

 

Try to choose a foundation with a bare face, so that you’ll find the perfect color.

If you feel uncomfortable doing that, testing a foundation out on the inside of your forearm is almost as good because that’s the place where the color is most similar to your face!

The color of your undertone is really important as well, here’s a video that will explain everything to you!

Application tips :

Never apply concealer / foundation to unmoisturized skin. Those products are made of chemicals that isn’t the best for your skin so you would want to make sure it’s hydrated and kept “safe”.

 

You’ll want youthful, clear skin!

Leave the moisturizer on for about 10 minutes before putting on makeup as this will prevent your makeup from wearing off more easily.

Never apply foundation / concealer while looking into a magnifying mirror. You’ll be able to see all imperfections and be tempted to slap on a whole lot of product, which might settle into fine lines and that won’t make you look good. 

 

Synthetic foundation brushes can make application quicker.

 

Here’s an e.l.f foundation brush, and I’m always amused by them because they remind me of paint brushes that I used for painting. I prefer their studio line though, the quality seems to be better.

Concealer :

Use concealer over your foundation as the concealer might move around to other parts of the face while you’re applying foundation.

Use your ring finger while blending out the concealer as it gives a light touch and leaves a natural finish.

Your concealer for blemishes might not be suitable to be a concealer for your under eye areas. It’s recommended to use a corrector for your under eyes to remove the discoloration.

Benefit’s Erase Paste has been highly raved and Benefit cosmetics is a fabulous brand, so I believe it’s amazing!

 

The Bobbi Brown corrector is another famous product!

 

 

Alright! This marks the end of my “base” episode of the back-to-basics series! I hope you’ve learnt something from this post and here’s to flawless, young, healthy and clear skin!

 

 

 

work those smEYES

Today, we’re going back to basics! It’s for all those who are just starting out with makeup or want to go back to basics again, so sit back and enjoy.

{ SHADOW ACTION }

Neutral shades are amazing for those who want to save time because they’re easy to blend and would seem much more natural. If you’re going out in the evening and you want something that stands out more, opt for a shade that contrasts with the shade of your iris.

Brown eyes : turquoise blues, slate blues and navy blues are great.

Blondies : they look great with brown to taupe colors.

Green eyes : mauves, burgundy and lilacs will make the eyes stand out!

Tip : The skin on the insides of your wrist has a color that’s closest to that of your eyelid, so when you go eyeshadow shopping you know where to test it on!

To make your eyes seem further apart : emphasize the eyeshadow on the outer corner of the eye. This gives the Bambi-like look.

Also apply concealer (a shade lighter than your skin) on the inner corners of  your lids.

Make sure you tap the brush against a hard surface after dipping it into eyeshadow to remove any excess to ensure that there isn’t any fall-outs.

Applying a light colored (white / bone) eyeshadow on the middle of the browbone will open up the eyes. Do make sure that there are no hairs there or else… It won’t be a pretty sight.

{ LINING }

To line your eyes, pencil formulations are the easiest to apply. However you risk getting it smudged, so layer the eyeliner with a shadow of the same shade. Use a damp eyeliner brush and get some eyeshadow on it before drawing on the line.

Get your eyeliner as close to the lash line as possible as this gives the illusion of lash length.

 

 

{ MASCARA }

If your lashes get clumpy are application, it’ll be a good idea to use a lash comb. Or, you can use a mascara brush to separate the lashes. This can be done when you’ve finished one tube of mascara – wash it clean and use it as a lash comb! Do make sure to wash it after each use.

 

To reduce clumping, clean the brush with a tissue paper once you’ve dipped it into the mascara tube. This will remove any excess and cause less clumps. Don’t worry about wasting because it’s sacrifice. And you know what they say about sacrifice – giving up something good for something better!

Remember to curl your lashes because they’ll open your eyes more!

Also, do the wiggling action with the brush at the base of your lashes and it’ll make your lashes seem longer.

{ EYEBROWS }

Now, you’ve heard everyone say how brows complete a look and how important it is to do them before heading out. Well, eyebrows that are taken care of makes the face appear well groomed.

Plucking :
1) Find the starting point of your brows! Place your tweezers parallel to the inner corner of your eyes and that’s the point where your eyebrows should start.

2) Find your end! Place your eyebrow pencil at the outer corner of the eye (where it ends) and the nostril, align them nicely in a diagonal line and the area which the pencil touches your eyebrow is the part where it should end.

 

3) Find your arch! Your arch should be along the same line as the outer part of your iris.

 

Do not overpluck them! A person without eyebrows don’t exactly look the best. If you’re unhappy with how they look, wait for 6-8 weeks before plucking again.

You should pluck your brows after a shower because the skin is supple and will make the brows come off less painful. Make sure you can see both your brows when you pluck, so you know when to stop.

Do not use a magnified mirror as you’ll be tempted to pluck everything off!

When filling the brows, powder gives a more natural finish. MAC makes amazing shades for brows! If your hair color is light, choose a powder that’s a shade darker for your brows and if your hair is dark, go a shade lighter.

 

Alright, that’s all I have for you. Those are some tips for you to make your eye area appear better and I hope you’ve enjoyed this post! Now get out and work those smeyes, stay tuned for more basics!

Hayley Williams (Neutral)

I’ve been looking through many different hairstyles because I want to dye my hair but just not too sure what color. Red was what I settled on, but as we all know, there are many shades of red out there, one most popular shade would belong to Hayley Williams!

I googled her and got so inspired to do a makeup tutorial that’s similar to what she has. There are those days where she goes for a pop of color, but I’m not going to do that, thus it’s the “neutral” edition.

 

Hayley has youthful looking skin and the makeup she has allows her freckles to show through, making the look more natural.

{ FOUNDATION } 

A foundation with medium coverage and a dewy finish is ideal because you want to look natural and glowing at the same time. An option would be mixing CoverGirl Smoothers All Day Hydrating Make-up together with CoverGirl Clean Liquid Makeup.

 

 

However, if you don’t have both, it’ll be a hassle to buy 2 different products just for this look, so another alternative would be Neutrogena Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup. This foundation is lightweight and leaves the skin looking young and youthful!

 

If you have anymore redness or dark circles, use your everyday concealer to cover it up!

{ EYEBROWS }

She has very defined eyebrows so filling them in (if it’s sparse and messy) is essential! Maybelline Define-A-Brow Eyebrow Pencil
is a good choice because the pencil itself is quite thin, giving you better precision in filling them. Be sure to use light feathery strokes for a more natural effect!

{ EYES }

She has very neutral eyeshadow along with long lashes and some eyeliner.

 

Her eyeshadows do very as they can lean towards the orange-y side and they can be the neutral browns as well.

For the neutral browns : L’Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Bottomless Java. It can be quite dark so be sure to blend it out a lot for it to appear sheer and less pigmented, or you can blend it with the same eyeshadow in Iced Latte.

 

Another color similar would be Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Half Baked. 

 

For her orange-y browns : L’Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Amber Rush a huge fan of this color! Really shimmery and gorgeous.

 

I think that Wet n Wild Fergie Shimmer Palette in Rose Golden Goddess  is another great choice with a mix of brown and peach and pink. Beautiful!

Since Hayley has pretty bright eyes, be sure to use a light color and apply it in the inner corner of your eyes. L’Oreal Infallible eyeshadow in Endless Pearl is pretty shimmery and a great choice!

Before applying mascara, be sure to curl them first so you can achieve the desired look of really long lashes, but without them looking fake.

 

Look at her lashes, they’re really long!

But before you apply mascara, line your eyes. Nothing too fancy such as a winged or cat-eye effect, just the normal stroke across the lash line. This will give an illusion of thicker lashes!

Revlon ColorStay Creme Gel Eye Liner  comes with a brush and is pretty handy! Plus the color payoff is amazing and is easy to apply. Just draw a line along the lash line without extending out too far.

Maybelline Volum’ Express The Falsies Flared Mascara  suits this job perfectly because it makes the biggest difference to your lashes, making them appear much thicker and longer.

 

Benefit’s They’re Real Mascara is another mascara that makes a lot of difference to your lashes, so here are 2 options for you to choose from!

{ CHEEKS }

Since Hayley does not contour her cheeks, we’ll just be using a blush. I happened to chance upon CoverGirl Classic Color Blush in Soft Mink  and I think that it’s a perfect color for this look.

 

 

 

The packaging looks so chic and classy, a little like Jouer if you ask me!

{ LIPS }

Her lips aren’t anything too funky or bold, either a pink lip or a nude pink lip. Very natural, like!

Revlon Lip Butter in Raspberry Pie seems to be the exact shade she was using in the first picture. You can always apply a few dots here and there before blending it to sheer it out for a more natural look!

 

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Pango Peach also seems to be something that she’d use on her lips because it’s very natural and gives your lips a “better than it is” look.

 

There you have it! Hayley’s neutral look. Super easy and natural, flirty and fun as well!

I’ve been considering dyeing my hair the color that she has, perhaps when I do I’ll use this makeup look! Honestly, this is suitable for an everyday look. You can wear it to work, school, the beach and it’ll look so amazing.

I hope you’ve enjoyed and benefitted from this post, stay tuned for more!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q33YUxnGvwE Here’s a little song by Michael Buble in which he did with Blake Shelton. Loving it so much, makes me feel so calm.