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Beauty Basics - What are things for my eyes?

The eyes are tied with the lips as far as being the two most expressive features of the face. Unlike the lips, our eyes offer us two blank canvases on which we can go nuts with color and texture with far less worry about it all rubbing off just because you ate a sandwich. I think I can speak for the entire beauty community when I say: eyeshadow is awesome, winged eyeliner is everything, and regardless if you’re subtle or full on seductive with your eye look, eye makeup is a confidence booster.

To the makeup novice, understanding what products exist for the eyes will help in comprehending the zillion tutorials and photos that saturate the beauty social scene. Sure, everyone knows what eyeshadow is (probably), but do you know the difference between foiled and matte? Loose pigment and pressed? The list goes on, so let’s get started.

Eye Primer

Just like with the rest of the face, using a product to prime your eyelids will help your eye makeup in a lot of ways. Not only will products like eyeshadow apply smoother and be easier to blend, a good primer will reduce the risk of creasing, fading and transferring, which is when eye makeup from one part of your lid transfers to another part when you blink. Many cosmetics brands have a dedicated eye primer product, which can be a clear gel or creamy consistency. It can also be tinted in order to provide coverage like a concealer would.

If you don’t have a dedicated primer, basic concealer can also work well, just make sure to set the concealer with powder before applying the rest of your makeup. Also, some cream eyeshadows can serve as a primer base. The best example of this is the Pro Longwear Paint Pots by MAC, which many beauty enthusiasts use as a go-to primer.

Eyeshadow

The case can be made that this product is everyone’s favorite, and with good reason. I mean, the colors! And despite your eye and hair color and other factors, anyone could pull off any color eyeshadow, if you know what you’re doing, that is.

As far as formula variations, you’ll most commonly find pressed powder, loose powder (or loose pigment), cream (in stick form or pan), liquid and straight up glitter. Eyeshadow pressed into a little pan can be found packaged individually or in a palette with other colors. You can also purchase an empty, magnetic palette to put all your individual panned shadows in one place, essentially creating your own palette from scratch. Often these are called Z-Palettes (what the “Z” stands for I have no idea). 

Finishes include matte, shimmer, metallic, and almost every variation of sparkly you can imagine. Metallic shadows are sometimes called foiled, or chrome, depending on what type of metal it’s mimicking, I guess. There’s also duo- or multi-chrome, which is an iridescent or metallic shadow that reflects more than one color in direct light.

Quality varies between brands, product lines, and even individual shadows. A good eyeshadow generally has a lot of color payoff without having to use too much product to build it up, and blends well on the lid and with other eyeshadow colors. Bad eyeshadows are patchy, which means as you try to blend product you see patches of color wipe away making little bald spots. They may also have a chunky or chalky consistency, meaning the texture isn’t smooth for optimal blending. Another bad sign is when the eyeshadow is a different color on your eyelid than it is in the pan, or if it plays poorly with other shadows. Bad eyeshadows may also flake off or have a lot of fallout, meaning powder falls onto your cheeks, although even some good eyeshadows have a little bit of fallout. Future articles will talk about how you can deal with fallout effectively.

Many cosmetics marketed as being for other areas of the face work just as well as an eyeshadow. For instance, bronzers, blushes and highlighters often look excellent as part of your eye makeup. Likewise, you may find an iridescent eyeshadow that works well as a highlighter, or a rosy shadow that is great as a blush. Makeup is about creativity, after all, so breaking convention is always in style.

Eyeliner

Eyeliners share many similar characteristics to writing instruments. There’s the usual pencil variety, brush-tip liquid eyeliner, felt-tip liquid eyeliner (like a Sharpie for the eye), and little pots of gel or ink pigment you apply with a special eyeliner brush. Eyeliner of every type will come in basic black, which is always a classic, but nowadays you can find eyeliner in every color of the rainbow as well as different finishes, from matte to glossy and even sparkly.

Traditionally speaking, you can apply eyeliner to your upper and/or lower lash lines. This can be along the lashes themselves (as thick or as thick of a line as you desire), or in the waterline. The waterline is the inside edge of your eyelid (upper and lower) immediately adjacent to your lashes. If you choose to wear liner in your waterline, it is highly recommended you use a waterproof gel formula that resists smudging, as your natural tears and eye moisture will wreak havoc on most other formulas. I also strongly suggest never using an eyeliner with glitter or texture in your waterline, as this can cause irritation.

Mascara

If you look at any female cartoon character, whether it be Minnie Mouse, Betty Boop, or Bugs Bunny in a dress, almost always it’s the eyelashes that set her apart from her male companions. We attribute long, fluttery lashes very closely with femininity, so using mascara, even without other eye makeup, will instantly zhoosh up your whole look. Even the most minimal makeup tutorials will usually insist on applying mascara, as the impact with how it flatters the eyes is undeniable.

You’ll almost always find mascara in a little tube with highly pigmented liquid ink, and a spooly brush applicator. Brush shapes, sizes and bristles will vary wildly from the traditional pipe-cleaner-like brush, to spiky plastic brushes or combs. The intent is always the same regardless of the applicator, you’re trying to apply the ink to your individual lashes to emphasize them. Some formulas will claim to be more volumizing, curling or lengthening. Most brands have a separate waterproof version of every mascara formula, ideal for special occasions and events where you might sweat or cry, and need your makeup to stay on point.

False Eyelashes

Also known as falsies, these are eyelash imitators where the lashes are attached to a band that you glue onto the eyelid, immediately on top of your natural lash line. Some look very natural, and others up the glam factor exponentially, and then you have theatrical types that go crazy with fur and feathers and stuff. People with sparse lashes or lashes that refuse to curl up will enjoy false lashes. Traditionally they are applied with a special lash glue that is placed sparingly along the band, allowed to set for a minute to get tacky, and then adhered to the lid immediately above the lashes. It’s important that the falsies aren’t adhered to the lashes themselves, as removing the falsies later could potentially tear out your lashes if they’re attached.

Eyebrow Products

While not an absolute necessity, it’s common among beauty enthusiasts to include their brows in their daily makeup routine. Nowadays the full, natural-looking brow is the hot trend (thank heavens), which is a big departure from the thin, tweezed-to-death eyebrows of the 90’s and before. For those of us who haven’t tweezed a brow hair in their life and are blessed with little bushes of goodness, you might brush or shape them in place and be done. For everyone else, you have a variety of products to choose from to get on the same level, or in the general vicinity of fleek.

Products vary from pencils (like eyeliner, only formulated for the brow), to powders or gel formulas that you apply with a small angled brush, as well as pomades and liquid formulas that are usually brushed in with some sort of spooly. Generally, whatever you apply to your brows should mimic the natural hairs, therefore finding a color similar to your brow color is essential.

Eye Makeup Remover

It’s worth mentioning that if you intend to venture into the land of eye makeup, you’ll want to have a good eye makeup remover. A lot of eye makeup products, especially eyeliners and mascaras, are formulated specifically to stay put on your lid. Think about it, you spend all that time putting your face on, the last thing you want is product to start to migrate just because you blink or squint (like humans typically do). That’s not even including potential tears and rubbing your eyes. So yes, my point is, you might find that just washing your face will leave behind a residue of mascara and liner that will likely make you look... well... I can’t think of a comparison but you’ll look unkempt. You know what I’m saying.

Face soap typically isn’t meant to be rubbed into your eyeball, and general makeup wipes are usually too gentle to really scrub clean the eye area. This is why almost every beauty brand has a dedicated eye makeup remover, which is usually an oily type of liquid, gel or balm that won’t irritate your eyeballs, while still being powerful enough to saturate and melt away all your makeup, even waterproof mascara.

You could just say, “screw it” and let the makeup residue stay where it is, but then you’re almost guaranteed to wake up the next morning with full-on racoon eyes, and maybe even some lovely black stains on your pillow. Not to mention leaving makeup on too long is just bad for the skin.

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Beauty Basics - Blush

Blush, also known as rouge, or blusher, has been a long-favored part of makeup that has existed for a lot of years. Like, twelve years at least. This article by Lauren Maas via Into the Gloss gives a fascinating glimpse of the origins and evolution of blush through the ages starting in ancient Egypt and continuing through Europe. Sadly I haven’t been able to find a piece on blush throughout Asia and other cultures. If you’re reading this and know of a good link, share below!

Simply put, blush is used to mimic a natural flush in the cheeks, which has long been attributed to youth and health. There are many schools of thought on how to use blush, which inevitably varies between different subcultures and styles, but for the novice makeup user just looking for a place to start, there are a few basic guidelines and goof-proof methods of applying blush to achieve that fresh, flattering glow.

Pick Your Color

While there are really no rules on what color you choose for your blush, certain skin tones may find they like certain shades better than others. According to Allure, the most flattering blush shades for each skin tone are as follows:

Fair skin - baby pink, peach, sheer plum

Medium skin - apricot, mauve, berry

Olive skin - orangey peach, rose, bronze

Deep skin - raisin, brick, tangerine

Is this helpful? Yes? Maybe? Not at all? Another method of finding the ideal blush shade is considering your skin’s undertone. Makeup Geek’s Marlena Stell did an in depth video last year on how you can determine what your skin’s undertone is, meaning whether you’re warm-toned or cool-toned, and she even talks about what shades of blushes would work best for each (warm colors for cool-toned, cool colors for warm-toned).

There are also finishes to consider. Many prefer a matte finish if they’re using shimmery makeup elsewhere on the face, and they don’t want to overdo it. That said, if you’re going for a fresh, natural look, having a bit of shimmer can give you that “glow from within” that is very flattering. So basically, if you’re going over the top elsewhere, choose a matte, if you’re not doing all that much, a shimmery blush is fine.

If this still doesn’t help you with your pursuit of a good blush, my own trick is called the Nars’s Orgasm method. It goes like this: just go with the Nars blush in the shade Orgasm, or any shade like it (which there are many, many dupes out there). Pretty simple, yes? This shade is among the most popular in existence due to its ability to flatter any and every skin tone. The description on Sephora is a peachy-pink with shimmer. I use Milani’s Dolce Pink baked blush, which some consider a decent dupe, and I like it a lot. Then as you experiment with other colors to find which ones you like, you have a trusty backup if all goes wrong.

Pick a Formula

Your first perusal through the blushes sold at places like Sephora and Ulta can be a little scary. There are basically as many different types of blushes as there are foundations, making it seem nearly impossible to find the right one for you. One thing to remember is that ultimately, almost every formula, if used correct, will achieve the same goal.

As far as application goes, there are only two or three methods you should need to know about, depending on whether you’re using a dry formula like pressed powder or loose mineral powder, or a wet formula like cream, liquid or stain.

The basic rule of thumb is this, dry products blend better on top of dry products, whereas wet products blend better on top of wet products. A dry, pressed powder blush will apply better AFTER you’ve applied setting powder to your face. On the other hand, a wet, creamy blush would apply better on freshly applied foundation and concealer, BEFORE you apply setting powder. You don’t want to apply foundation, set it with powder, then apply a cream blush on top of a layer of powder, as it can cause the setting powder to clump up where you’ve applied it, leaving a patchy, uneven finish.

Likewise, foundation before you set it with powder is sticky, so applying a dry blush to a sticky surface can result in some areas being far more pigmented than intended, because the blush sticks to a concentrated area and will fight you trying to blend it out.

To really see what I mean, dust your hands with flour and then spritz a little water on it. If you rub your fingers together you’ll see clumps of dough begin to form. This is kinda sorta the risk you take when you try to blend a wet product on top of a dry product or vise versa. Setting powder itself is the exception to the rule since it’s usually milled extremely fine and dusted over a much larger area, and you don’t need to fuss as much with blending or worry about the colors getting muddied, especially if you use translucent powder.

Some super concentrated blush formulas, like a stain, may be best applied before you put on any foundation at all. While you might look crazy at first having super bright stained cheeks, once you apply foundation and concealer it will tone down the intensity and blend everything out.

Generally, pressed powder is a little easier to work with than a liquid or cream blush formula, so if you’re new to makeup you can’t really go wrong with this old standard.

Pick a Spot on Your Cheek

This concept has a bit of a more unanimous opinion, at least in western society. In general, you can’t go wrong applying blush along the cheekbones (not above or below, but along), starting two finger-widths away from either side of your nose and going back towards the top of the ear. This video by Howcast demonstrates what I’m talking about.

The general consensus is that putting blush too low on your cheeks visually drags down your face, essentially making you look older, whereas keeping it higher lifts the face which is usually more flattering. I’ve even learned that Korean and Japanese fads can take it a step further and use blush even higher up on the cheeks, usually to achieve that more “sweet, innocent” look.

It’s a mixed bag on whether to put blush on the apples of the cheeks. Many beauty experts swear against it, but then you’ve got Charlotte Tilbury and her ‘swish and pop‘ technique, where you use a more muted tone along the cheekbone and put a “pop” of bright color right on the apples. Play! Experiment! If you start out with a light hand and build up color you can stop well before you get into Ziggy Stardust territory, unless of course that’s the look you’re going for.

Pick a Tool

In my previous post about Tools of the Beauty Trade, I described a myriad of tools you can use to apply base face makeup like foundation and concealer. Many of those tips and tricks are perfectly transferable to other makeup like blush.

In order to make an educated decision on what tool to use, you should know what kind of look you’re going for. We’ve already gone over where blush can be applied to the cheeks, but how that should look is another story.

For blush in particular, most people subscribe to the less is more philosophy. Think of it like a gradient, you want the color to softly transition from your skin to blush and back to skin without there being any visible line of demarcation (Big word! It just means dividing line). Blush should be a soft accent to your makeup, not the star of the show (leave that for lips and eyes). Use a tool that allows you dispense color just where you want it and be able to softly blend it outward. A brush that is too large, for instance, might dispense blush over too large an area, overpowering your cheeks. Too small a brush might make it more difficult to blend seamlessly.

Though you can make blush work with almost any medium sized brush, the popular choice is either an angled blush brush or a fluffy dome or tapered brush. Either of these would work fine for powder blush, but I think it might be tricky for a wet formula.

A kabuki-style flat topped or a stippling brush can also be used to apply blush, and may work well with most cream or liquid formulas. Likewise, a dampened blender sponge will also do a great job blending out cream blush in the same way it does concealer and foundation. In fact, if you ever go too heavy on the blush, you can dab at it a bunch with a blender sponge to tone it down. Bear in mind, it’s always easier to add blush if you need more than it is taking it away if you’ve gone too strong.

Your fingers are another option for blush application, and a viable one for a low maintenance, slap-on-some-color-and-go look. Generally, it’s easier to blend cream blush with your fingers than a dry, pressed powder.

Bonus Tip: Many wet blushes double as a lip color, and even if it doesn’t say so you can probably get away with it. By the same token, many lip colors can double as a blush, but only if it’s a blendable formula. Liquid lipsticks, for example, dry quickly and don’t lend themselves to be very blendable.

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Beauty Basics - What are things for my face? Part 2

In the first post I wrote on this topic, I focused primarily on the products that exist for the overall face, or “base makeup”. While the purpose of base makeup is to create a blank canvas (that is, even out the complexion, make the texture of the skin ready for additional makeup), the products I’ll cover in this article are meant to bring color and dimension to the face.

Blush

One of the OG cosmetics that’s been around for thousands of years, blush’s general purpose is to mimic a healthy, youthful flush on the cheeks, as well as accentuate cheek-bones. Also known as “blusher” across the pond, or “rouge”, blush these days comes in a variety of shades that are traditionally in the pink, orange and purple families, from light pastels to bright, vibrant colors, all the way to deep, wine-colored shades.

Formulas range from the typical pressed-powder variety, to liquid or creamy formulas, stick or crayon/pencil form, stains, cushion and even mineral-based. Blush may have a matte finish on the skin, or an iridescent, shimmer effect.

Bronzer

Whereas makeup trends of yesteryear generally seemed to sway between super pale and porcelain to super tan and beachy, these days bronzer seems to be the product of choice for adding a touch of tan to the face for dimension, without having to expose your skin to the sun’s harmful rays. It’s the best of both worlds, so to speak, and can be applied as sparingly or liberally as your heart desires.

Typically, bronzer is said to be applied to areas of the face that would naturally be exposed to sun. However, my observations of the makeup community find that bronzer is more often applied to the contours of the face in order to emphasize structure and shadow, such as the jawline, temples, and hollows of the cheeks. Bronzer runs the gamut of formulas and applications from powder to liquid, with pressed powder being the most popular. The finish may be matte or shimmery.

Contour/Contouring

Quite simply, contouring is the act of accentuating your facial structure using light and shadow. As I understand it, contouring became popular first in theater, where actors would use light and dark colors to strongly emphasize facial features so their expressions could be seen and comprehended from even the nosebleed section. This of course transferred to film, and has been a mainstay in makeup in one form or another for a good long time.

These days, it is popular to use a product that is a few shades darker than your skin tone to emphasize the shadows of your facial structure for a slimmer, more flattering effect. This usually means under the cheekbone (the “hollows” of the cheeks), the jaw-line, and the sides of the nose.

You can also use makeup a few shades lighter than your skin tone to brighten things up elsewhere, such as under the eyes, along the top of the nose and cheekbones, and the cupid’s bow. This is also called “highlighting” the face, which is a general concept that can be taken a step further with shimmery, highly reflective ingredients, which I’ll cover next. Most often you’ll find makeup meant for contouring in a pressed powder or cream formula. Contouring makeup meant for shadowing is almost always matte, as putting a reflective product in an area meant to be a shadow kind of defeats the purpose.

Highlight/Highlighter

This is the sparkly, iridescent offshoot of contouring. If you’re new to makeup, highlight is going to seem like the crack-cocaine of the beauty world. Rarely has a product elicited such child-like glee out of so many glamorous people. I’m pretty sure it’s one of our most primal instincts to covet that which is shiny. This product is meant to emphasize, often with intensity, the highest-raised areas of the face such as the tops of the cheekbones, top of the nose, right under (and sometimes right above) the eyebrow and even the cupid’s bow of the upper lip. This can often extend to the tops of the shoulders and the collar bone, especially in the summertime when more skin is on display.

Pressed powder once again is the popular choice, but like most face makeup it also comes in liquid and cream form. Finishes are almost always reflective in some way, whether it be shimmery, pearly, metallic or glittery (for the bold).

To clarify, there exists both the general concept of highlighting the areas of the face most exposed to light, as explained in the last section, and there is a product specifically called “highlight” or “highlighter” that is used to make some of these areas more reflective. Think of highlighter as the snow at the very top of the mountain.

Now that we (hopefully) have a better idea about things that are for your face in the world of makeup, we’ll get into some lessons and tutorials about how things for your face should be used on your face for a flattering effect. In the end though, makeup is playful. While I may share what I’ve learned, this article and all that I write about can only go as far as my experience and observations. Do what you want, there are no true “rules”, even if there are trends and general concepts.

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Tools of the Beauty Trade: The Face

Even though pretty much all makeup can be applied to the face using your phalanges (maybe not well, but you’ll definitely get it on there), the civilized among us will seek out different tools for different jobs, depending on what sort of look we’re going for. These days there’s a sheer plethora, a menagerie if you will, of different sponges, brushes, combs, spatulas, silicone gimmicks and battery-powered devices that will promise you the best looking face you can manage out of your mixed bag of features (which are gorgeous as they are, mind you). But where do you start, and what are your choices, and what the hell do you do with it? Well, that’s a long story, so we’re gonna start with applying the base makeup and work from there.

Applying Primer - Since all you need is an even layer to start, blending it on with the fingers is fine. Some use a foundation brush to avoid icking up their fingers, the choice is yours.

Tools for Applying Foundation

I have to believe that the fingers were the original tool for this job (anyone know the history of this?) and to this day it isn’t necessarily the worst option. The benefits probably don’t outweigh the disadvantages considering the cost-effective, convenient solutions available on the market today (see below). Applying foundation with your fingers is doable in the absence of all other options, but you’ll find it harder to blend the makeup evenly as your fingers will remove product from your face just as easily as they apply it. Also, other tools generally have a larger, more even surface area than your fingertips (unless you’re using your whole palm to apply makeup of course), which will allow you to get the job done quicker. It’s also messy to use your fingers, and as most makeup products are made with the intention to stay on your face a long time, sometimes just washing your hands afterwards isn’t enough.

A Foundation Brush, like this one from Sephora, is usually on the larger side to cover more area with less work. This one is shaped like a paddle, meaning it’s flat and wide, with a round or tapered tip to allow you to blend foundation in the nooks and crannies around the nose. There are also kabuki style brushes that are used to buff on makeup, and tend to spread product on more evenly, whereas a paddle brush can make it feel like you’re painting a house. Generally you’ll want a brush with bristles that are densely packed, so that it holds on to product without soaking up too much, which results in wasted makeup. You’ll also want the brush to be quite soft to the touch, so you’re not scratching at your pretty face for one, but also because it promotes better blending. Cousin to the kabuki brush is the stippling brush, which is intended for lightly patting or stippling makeup on. With any of these options you can swipe, swirl, stipple, buff, or whatever your makeup on; some just do better at certain motions than others.

Some beauty enthusiasts swear by using a brush, as seen in this video by Laura Lee with her favored Y6 Morphe brush. Others may complain that a brush makes some makeup harder to blend, or leaves streaks behind. Usually this depends on the quality of the brush and the product you are using.

The brush’s biggest opponent in the beauty world is the Blender Sponge, often referred to as a beauty blender, based on the original of its kind. Here’s a video of Tati using a beauty blender to apply foundation and concealer. Nowadays a blender sponge comes in many shapes and sizes, but traditionally it is an egg-shaped, dense, yet soft foam that expands when soaked with water. Alternatively, a blender sponge might have a sharp, flat side that can be useful for applying makeup to hard to blend areas, like the under-eyes or the sides of the nose. While you may use the sponge when it’s dry to apply makeup, often the best results come from first running the sponge under water and squeezing out the excess so it is damp. Doing this first ensures your makeup will spread and blend better onto the skin, and with the sponge already wet it will absorb less product, allowing you to layer on plenty of coverage.

Not all blender sponges are created equal. A sponge that is too dense will make it tougher for product to spread evenly or blend well into the skin, and a sponge that is too soft and airy will absorb more product (a waste of money) and potentially leave your foundation patchy and uneven. Shape is important as well, as too many sharp edges might leave lines or tracks of foundation on the face. A sponge that is completely round will give you a tough time blending the area around the nose and eyes. Usually an egg shape, or a round sponge with a flat side will work the best.

Sponges also come in different sizes, from very small to quite large. Your best bet is to stick with a standard size that easily fits in the palm of your hand as this allows you to cover the face quickly while still being able to get into the tight areas without needing a separate tool.

Tools for Applying Concealer

First things first, in order to understand the best tools for this task, it’s important to know where concealer should go on the face. The truth is it can go wherever you want. Where concealer is applied varies from person to person based on preference and where areas of discoloration exist on your face.

Traditionally, concealer is used as a spot treatment for small areas of discoloration when foundation isn’t enough. Think zits, hyper-pigmentation, scars, etc. Likewise, many beauty enthusiasts will use concealer that is a shade or two lighter than their foundation to highlight certain areas of the face for more dimension, which can be very flattering. This would primarily include right under the eyes, and sometimes the areas of the t-zone (forehead, nose and chin) that are naturally more exposed to light. Lastly, concealer can be used for more advanced beauty techniques, such as “cutting” a crease along your cheekbone contour, or in the eye area.

While many low-maintenance makeup users will simply use the fingers to apply their concealer, others may prefer an alternative option due to the fact that the texture of your fingertips will remove product from your face as easily as it lays it down, often making it harder to blend. Even so, many swear by using the ring finger to gently lay down product, as it is generally accepted that the ring finger applies the least amount of pressure.

Like with foundation, there are various brushes available for the purpose of applying concealer. Some will simply use their foundation brush, though a brush that is very large may dispense concealer in a much larger area than intended. A Concealer Brush, like the famous 195 from MAC, is a small flat, “paddle” brush with a round or tapered tip. The flat side is used to ‘pat’ on product, while the tip is great for doing detail work and softly blending the edges.

Blender sponges are often considered more convenient for applying foundation and concealer with one sponge (as opposed to multiple brushes). If your sponge has a pointy end, or a flat edge, this is a great option for applying concealer under the eyes and being able to get close to the bottom lashes, as demonstrated in the video by Tati linked earlier in this article. Many find sponges to be the more versatile tool given their ability to be manipulated (see: squished) to fit all the different contours of the face. Like with foundation, a damp blender sponge is often the best for blending on concealer.

Tools for Applying Setting Powder

Even though most setting powders come with their own little powder puff, a Powder Brush is arguably the better tool for the job. Generally, a good powder brush, like this one from IT Cosmetics, is large in size with a dome top, good for dispensing powder evenly over large portions of the face. Some prefer a separate, smaller brush for the under-eye area, like this one from Real Techniques.

Powder Puffs is still a viable option, though some complain about the lack of control in how product is distributed, as brushes generally sweep away excess powder without disturbing the makeup below better than a puff. That said, some prefer the puff for blotting, which is to lightly pat the puff on your face to “blot” away excess shine, something that can be carried with you for touch-ups throughout the day.

Many beauty enthusiasts like to “bake” their powder on their face, which is an advanced technique explained well in this video, once again by Tati. Typically this is accomplished using a damp blender sponge to pat on the powder, which is then later brushed away with a powder brush.

Alternative Tools

Trends come and go everywhere, and cosmetic tools are no different. Lately the goal seems to be trying to invent a tool to apply foundation and other makeup flawlessly, without absorbing any product (saving money and theoretically being more hygienic). This has resulted in the SiliSponge, the Evie Blender, and dozens of derivatives that are made of a firm silicone. While the concept is sound, those who are new to makeup may find brushes and sponges to be more forgiving in getting that seamless finish with little effort.

Another fad was started by Artis, and their line of uniquely shaped brushes. Highly rated by the beauty community, Artis brushes are incredibly soft, and blend product well with hardly any work. The bristles are packed together very tightly, allowing for most of the product to stay on the surface of the bristles rather than soaking in. As favored as these brushes are by many, they’re also very expensive. You’ll find inexpensive dupes of the Artis brushes almost everywhere, especially on Amazon, but the quality and density of the bristles will vary.

This rundown is based on my own knowledge and experiences with this topic, and individual experiences will of course vary depending on the formula and consistency of the makeup you use and the quality of the tool. Hopefully knowing a little bit about what type of tools exist will help you decide which works best for you.

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Beauty Basics - Foundation

Foundation is a puzzle, and by that I mean it comes in many forms, shades, finishes, levels of coverage and is a very personal choice among makeup users. Thanks to individual skin types, chemistry and stylistic preferences, there is not one, or even 10 “right” foundations out there. You really gotta shop around, is what I’m saying. If you’re new to this category of beauty, the options are endless and incredibly daunting. With this post I’ve tried to sub-categorize the types of foundations out there, and explain a bit about what you can expect from each kind. In the future I’ll post about methods of finding the correct shade, but for now…

General Types

Liquid Foundation - This is probably considered the most common form of foundation, in the widest variety of shades for every skin-tone (depending on brand). Application varies; can be poured out onto clean surface, back of hand, or directly onto sponge or brush. Can also be dabbed on the skin first in small dots and blended in after.

Stick Foundation - Usually a solid, creamy consistency in a twist-up tube. Coverage is typically heavier and more concealing. Can be applied to the face from the tube in stripes and then blended with tool of choice. Probably the least messy type of foundation.

Pressed Powder Foundation - Comes in a compact as a pressed powder. Can be applied with a puff, brush or sponge. Coverage varies, but can cause potential cake-face if used too liberally or not blended well. The beauty-centrics among us who prefer a thick mask on their face might use powder foundation on top of liquid foundation as a sort of setting powder.

Mousse Foundation - Exactly what it sounds like, it’s liquid foundation whipped up in a fluffy, airy concoction. This formula is meant to feel light and barely-there on the skin, which usually means sheerer coverage. Can be applied with a brush or a blender sponge.

Mineral Foundation - Popularized (if not invented) by the brand bareMinerals, many major brands now carry their own line of mineral based makeup, namely foundation. The general concept is that the pigments are primarily derived from minerals such as titanium and zinc dioxide, which is promoted to be non-irritating to sensitive skin, as it leaves out preservatives and filler ingredients. Traditionally comes in the form of a powder, which is applied in swirling motions on the face using a kabuki-style brush.

Cushion Foundation - Evidently a trend brought to us by our Korean friends, this type of foundation comes in the form of a sponge heavily saturated with liquid foundation and placed in a compact. A separate sponge is included to soak up the foundation you want to apply and blend onto your face, and can typically be stored in the same compact. You would normally expect a sheer or medium coverage with this, but that depends on the formula.

Spray or Aerosol Foundation - Foundation in a spray can! Fun for the kids! This is probably the messiest foundation with a bit of a learning curve to it. It’s also less common than liquid foundations, and may not come in a wide variety of shades. That being said, it is the foundation of choice for the coveted “airbrushed” finish. Some recommend spraying the foundation on a brush or a damp blender sponge and applying it on the face in the same way one might a liquid foundation. The more adventurous among us will spray it directly onto the face (and hair, and eyelashes, and counter, and wall behind you, and nearby pedestrians…)

Coverage Variations

Sheer or Light  - This type of coverage lets your skin show through the makeup, so that your freckles and all the little imperfect things that bring you character aren’t hidden. Since it does help even out skin-tone and lessen the look of redness, dullness and imperfections, many use this level of coverage for the “your skin but better” look, or the “no makeup makeup” look, where you look like you “woke up like this”.

Medium or Natural  - Your typical coverage for wanting to step up the look of your skin without ending up like a mannequin. If used with a light hand, you can get away with minimal makeup without looking strange, but with a good formula you should be able to build up layers to the coverage you prefer.

Full or Heavy  - This is what you get when you’re wanting to hide your shameful skin from the world. With full coverage you’re more likely to achieve the “photo-shopped” look, but you could easily step into mannequin territory if you’re not careful. Many beauty enthusiasts will apply full coverage foundation to create a blank canvas on top of which they can sculpt and contour and highlight what they want, achieving a unique look and sometimes even manipulating the shape of the face. Not really meant for that natural, no makeup look unless mixed in with another medium, like a moisturizer.

Finishes

Matte - This type of formula is preferred for those who want to their face to not reflect as much light and potentially look oily or greasy. If your skin type is on the dry side, you might end up looking dryer and accentuate any flaky patches of skin you have.

Dewy - Foundations with this finish may have moisturizing ingredients that leave the skin looking more hydrated and glowy. Preferred for those dryer skinned individuals who want a formula that emphasize dry patches of skin. On the flip side, people with oily skin may find their makeup breaking apart and sliding around with this formula, or at least looking mega-shiny at the end of the day, .

Satin - The sweet spot between dewy and matte, good for those with combination skin if they find matte is too drying and dewy too un-drying. Or wet. Or whatever.

The thing about BB and CC Creams (and DD, EE or whatever):

BB and CC creams are another trend that we apparently imported from Asia (Korea I believe), just like all things cool.

BB (usually stands for Beauty Balm) is a foundation-type makeup that provides other skin benefits, such as SPF or natural ingredients that help improve the skin’s condition. This is actually my “foundation” of choice, as I’m pale af and need all the SPF I can get.

CC stands for Color Correcting, which is applied to products that provide coverage or “correct” areas of discoloration on the face, such as redness or darkness under the eyes, etc.

The thing about tinted moisturizers:

They’re fine I guess, just don’t expect much coverage. You can just as easily make your own by adding a little foundation to your favorite moisturizer.

This breakdown only goes as far as my knowledge and experience with the subject of foundations. Formulas vary as often as individual preferences. I hope, however, that this list will provide some with a decent starting point in deciding which avenue they want to explore.

[prettynerdyjuicemaloose-blog]

Beauty Basics - What are things for my face?

Is 30 too old to start your first Tumblr?

If you’ve found this article, then thank you for searching through the wilderness of the internets and coming across my humble little blog. Why am I blogging?  Because I have things to blog about and I like to hear myself talk. So let’s get started.

I have a friend who is in the process of reinventing herself, and in that process she has come to realize what a novice she is with basic beauty things. She’s naturally a very pretty gal so this comes as no surprise that concealer and contouring hasn’t been her life’s obsession. So I created a spreadsheet, like I do in these situations, and made lists upon lists of the basic beauty products she should know about, what products I’d recommend, and how much cash she’d have to shell out. The spreadsheet has gotten out of hand, so in my boredom I have found alternative means to share this information to her, and anyone else who cares. Make no mistake, a beauty guru I am not, but a knowledge whore I certainly am. I hope my well of useless information on one of my favorite topics will prove useful to someone out there.

The following are cosmetics for the face that I would deem as basic essentials to any novice out there who knows not what these things are or what they’ll do for them.

Primer

A primer is basically the first step to any makeup routine. Is it essential? Not necessarily. Is it useful? Very. Primers can do a variety of neat things like make pores look smaller, even out skin-tone, and provide a good surface on which makeup will dispense and blend without causing awkward patches or other ugliness.

A couple of types of primes to know about - hydrating primers and matte primers. Find the primer that works best with your skin type. Oily girls will like the way matte primers make their skin less shiny, while my dry-faced flaky brethren will enjoy the dewy effect of hydrating primers.

Juice’s Recommendations:

Milani Prime Perfection ($)

E.L.F. Poreless Face Primer ($)

Wet ‘n Wild Picture Perfect Primer Base ($)

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer ($$$)           

Benefit Pore-fessional Primer ($$$)

Many of these product lines have different primers available for different skin types.

Foundation

Typically this is the product that will apply a thin mask of makeup to your whole face with the intent of hiding any imperfections that bug you and evening out your skin-tone. You can go light with foundation, for a more natural “your skin but better” approach, or you can apply a heavier layer for a blank canvas on which other makeup can be applied to create a custom look.  You’ll find foundation in various forms, such as liquid, stick, powder (pressed or loose mineral), mousse, cushion and even spray or aerosole.

Juice’s Recommendations:

Milani Conceal + Perfect ($)

Wet n Wild Photo Focus Foundation ($)

Maybelline Fit Me Foundation ($)

Concealer

This is like “the specialist” on the team when it comes to concealing what bugs you most about your skin. Common areas to apply concealer is under the eyes, around the nose and chin, any spots of discoloration or a zit. It can also be used for contouring and sculpting certain looks like a “cut crease”, etc. More on this in future posts. There’s debate on whether it’s better to put concealer on before foundation or after. I’m a proponent of putting concealer on after the foundation. That being said, it is never recommended to put concealer on after powdering, as cream products do not blend well on top of a powdered surface.

For nearly all make-up looks from minimal to glam, it is recommended to place concealer in the area under the eyes. If the concealer is a shade or two lighter than your foundation, it will have the two-pronged approach of concealing dark circles and adding brightness to your face, making you look more fresh and awake.

Concealer comes in a liquid form, stick form, and sometimes in a little pot.

Juice’s Recommendations:

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer ($)

Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer ($)

Wet n Wild Photo Focus Concealer ($)

Tarte Double Duty Beauty Shape Tape Contour Concealer ($$)

Benefit Cosmetics Boi-ing Concealer ($$)

Setting Powder

This is a must for dusting on top of your foundation and concealer (and any other cream products) in order to set it in place. If you have naturally dry skin, you may feel it’s only necessary to powder the areas of your face prone to oiliness or shininess throughout the day. Those with oily skin will usually go whole-hog with the powder to keep their makeup from sliding around and getting greasy. Generally, it is recommended to at least set any under-eye concealer, as this will aid in the prevention of creasing and wearing off quickly.  The added benefit of powdering your face is that additional powder makeup, such as blush, bronzer, and even eyeshadows, will glide and blend onto the face better if it is powdered first, rather than if it is still tacky from your foundation. As mentioned earlier, cream products should always be applied before powder. Applying a wet product on top of dry powder will generally result in poorly blended makeup.

Powders come in the form of pressed and loose. Pressed is when it comes in a little compact, whereas loose powders are in a jar, typically with a sifter. Pressed powders are usually made in different shades for different skin tones, and you can sometimes find them in a colorless or “translucent” shade, which generally works for everyone. Loose powders also come in different shades, but are most popular in translucent or yellow “banana” shades.

Juice’s Recommendations:

Cody AirSpun Loose Face Powder ($)

Maybelline Master Fix Setting Powder ($)

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder ($)

RCMA No Color Powder ($$)

Cover FX Perfect Setting Powder ($$$)

Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder ($$$)

Setting Spray

This is a product used after all your makeup is said and done, although some will use it beforehand, during and after because of how nice it makes the skin look and feel. Basically it’s fancy water you spray on your face to hydrate the skin. If you do this after you put on your makeup, all the powders will melt a little and blend into the skin, reducing the look of cake-face. When it dries, it secures your makeup into place for a much longer-lasting look. Look for a product with a good sprayer or “mister”. You definitely want as fine a spray as possible to avoid large droplets splashing on the face and ruining your makeup. Setting sprays have other uses as well, such as wetting a makeup brush to apply makeup in a more concentrated pigment, like eyeshadow.

Juice’s Recommendations:

Milani Make It Last ($)

Wet n Wild Photo Focus Setting Spray ($)

Urban Decay All Nighter Long Lasting Setting Spray ($$$)

MAC Prep + Prime Fix + Finishing Spray ($$$)

Thus concludes the first post on beauty products I know about and would recommend. Stay tuned for more info and whatever the hell else I feel like posting. You know how it goes.