MAKEUP BASICS- a 4 part tutorial
Posted: 04 Jan 2010, 20:06
Hello,
I wanted to try and do something that would help my CD friends with dressing up.
We have a lot of threads on clothes, so I don’t think I can add to that, but after some searching I could not see anything that talked about makeup.
Makeup is and essential for going out and well a ton of fun for the bedroom, so I thought I could share some of my knowledge.
So lets get started!!
This first post will cover Base / Foundation only:
Foundation is the most critical layer of makeup. Nothing works if this does not work first. You can do the most dreamy eyes ever, but if your appearance is splotchy, your not as convincing. The more time you spend here the better you will look latter.
To start. Shave your face. You should try and shave as close as possible without nicking your skin. Use a new blade and work slowly and patiently. Most guys do this daily, so you know how to get as close as possible. If you normally use an electric – use the electric first and then follow with the razor. If you have hair on the back of your nick make sure you get that too. Work the razor in both directions but don’t nick yourself. Again take time an extra minute here and it will save you 10 minutes later. Oh and remember to trim the nose hair!!!!!!!!!
Next Clean you face. Soap is fine, a skin toner followed and makeup facial cleanse is best. Give it some time before applying the tonner after shaving. The tonner will irritate a freshly shaven face. Wait 10 mins or so and you should be ok. Toner and facial cleanser can be bought at any chemist / drug store or department store. Men, although not frequently, do buy these products so don’t feel weird. Your goal is clean fresh, dry skin.
With you face clean its now time for foundation. This is a 2 part process (most real girls erroneously only do 1 of the steps)
Step 1.
If after shaving you still have healthy 5:00 shadow you will wan to use something called Dermablend. This is corrective cosmetic. You can cover anything with this stuff – see the website for examples.
http://www.dermablend.com/
Select the Cover Cream Foundation. This is the stuff they a known for. With my completion I use Chroma 1 (I have had laser hair removal on my face, but I have always used this so I stick with it). It is important to select a shade 1 shade lighter than you need – more on why you do this later.
If you really don’t have any discolorations or a beard to deal with you should try:
M.A.C. Face and Body Foundation
NARS Balanced Foundation
Elizabeth Arden Flawless Finish – OK I am EA trained so you will see me recommending a lot of EA products
Tips on matching your skin. Foundation colors generally fall into 2 groups. Yellow under tones or Red under tones. Look at your face. Are you yellow or Red? Once you have this answered this it will be easier to match shade. Now here the economy has helped us. Most companies have reduced the number of colors they sell so you really don’t have as many options as you would expect. Get as close as you can to your color you will in most cases not get a perfect match
How to apply:
Spread it everywhere!!!
Don’t be shy you can use your fingers. Actually with Dermablend you will be using your fingers very quickly. My other recommendations are more liquid and require either a make up sponge or better a brush
You will find make up sponges ant any chemist / drug store. This is an example http://essentialsbyleah.com/store/produ ... ucts_id/76
For best results with a liquid you should actually use a brush, A ¾ wide artist brush (yes a paint brush) works if you are on a budget or you can find foundation brushes on-line
Yes spread it everywhere on neck and face. Your goal is to cover as evenly as possible. Put a little more on the beard area and less on area that don’t need it (like eye lids). Get close to the eye, but not in it - an 1/8 inch boarder is fine. Again blend, blend, blend – work in all directions. You will quickly develop a skill depending on the type of makeup you are using. As you get to wear your neck meets your chest you are going to begin blending (this means use less and spread it about more). The secret to good makeup is blending which is nothing more that spreading it thinner. Again use your fingers.
Goals
Even coverage, not thick. Cover but again with dermablend a little goes along way. It is ok if you don’t hide every whisker. Get it even and everywhere. Blend, blend, blend. Then lower neck into the chest, here you are only looking to get a little tint. You are only ½ way there.
Step 2.
Foundation is a 2 part process – now were are going on step 2. Liquid make up is that a liquid. It will come off in a second if you don’t set it. Think of epoxy - it does not work unless you use both parts. Same applies here. To set your foundation you are going to use a powder.
Now you can use almost any face powder to set. All of my recommendations have a complimenting powder as part of their line so matching is a good idea.
Now that being said, I recommend my fav Elizabeth Arden Duel Perfection Makeup. This compact is a dry powder, but it can be wet to turn it into a liquid make up. You are going to use it dry.
To select the right color. Follow the Red yellow rule from above and then go 1 shade darker than your complexion (remember in step one you were one shade lighter)
OK why the shade differences. Your skin has several different tones – once blended & brushed the combination of light and dark will give that tonal difference impression.
How to apply. The EA product comes with a sponge. Simply rub the sponge in the powder and then tap the powder onto your face. Always tap do not rub. Tap, Tap, Tap. If your using a loose powder it will also come with an applicator of some type. You can use that applicator, however a better choice is a powder brush.
A powder brush is the biggest of all the cosmetic brushes and bigger is better. Simply tap the brush into the powder and then tap the powder onto your face. Although you can use too much powder it is kind of hard. You will want to cover everywhere you put foundation and then a bit more in the surrounding area. Remember it’s hard to used too much.
Ok how can you not over use the powder? Simple now your going to remove the excess. Take your powder brush and brush the area’s you covered with makeup and powder. Don’t push too hard. A gentle back and forth will do fine. Brush up, down and right and left. This will gently work the powder into the top layer of the foundation and set the foundation. Foundation can also be thought of as the glue that holds the face powder in place. If you remove too much add a little more foundation and then a bit more powder and try again. Your goal is a covered flat (not glossy) look. If you got nervous and began perspiring, slow down and relax. When your calm start again.
This will take practice, you will not get it right first time, but you will learn and you will discover your tricks. For CD’s foundation is the key. If you get it right here, everything else will look that much better later.
Post any questions and I will try and help.
Next post eye basics
Hope this helps
I wanted to try and do something that would help my CD friends with dressing up.
We have a lot of threads on clothes, so I don’t think I can add to that, but after some searching I could not see anything that talked about makeup.
Makeup is and essential for going out and well a ton of fun for the bedroom, so I thought I could share some of my knowledge.
So lets get started!!
This first post will cover Base / Foundation only:
Foundation is the most critical layer of makeup. Nothing works if this does not work first. You can do the most dreamy eyes ever, but if your appearance is splotchy, your not as convincing. The more time you spend here the better you will look latter.
To start. Shave your face. You should try and shave as close as possible without nicking your skin. Use a new blade and work slowly and patiently. Most guys do this daily, so you know how to get as close as possible. If you normally use an electric – use the electric first and then follow with the razor. If you have hair on the back of your nick make sure you get that too. Work the razor in both directions but don’t nick yourself. Again take time an extra minute here and it will save you 10 minutes later. Oh and remember to trim the nose hair!!!!!!!!!
Next Clean you face. Soap is fine, a skin toner followed and makeup facial cleanse is best. Give it some time before applying the tonner after shaving. The tonner will irritate a freshly shaven face. Wait 10 mins or so and you should be ok. Toner and facial cleanser can be bought at any chemist / drug store or department store. Men, although not frequently, do buy these products so don’t feel weird. Your goal is clean fresh, dry skin.
With you face clean its now time for foundation. This is a 2 part process (most real girls erroneously only do 1 of the steps)
Step 1.
If after shaving you still have healthy 5:00 shadow you will wan to use something called Dermablend. This is corrective cosmetic. You can cover anything with this stuff – see the website for examples.
http://www.dermablend.com/
Select the Cover Cream Foundation. This is the stuff they a known for. With my completion I use Chroma 1 (I have had laser hair removal on my face, but I have always used this so I stick with it). It is important to select a shade 1 shade lighter than you need – more on why you do this later.
If you really don’t have any discolorations or a beard to deal with you should try:
M.A.C. Face and Body Foundation
NARS Balanced Foundation
Elizabeth Arden Flawless Finish – OK I am EA trained so you will see me recommending a lot of EA products
Tips on matching your skin. Foundation colors generally fall into 2 groups. Yellow under tones or Red under tones. Look at your face. Are you yellow or Red? Once you have this answered this it will be easier to match shade. Now here the economy has helped us. Most companies have reduced the number of colors they sell so you really don’t have as many options as you would expect. Get as close as you can to your color you will in most cases not get a perfect match
How to apply:
Spread it everywhere!!!
Don’t be shy you can use your fingers. Actually with Dermablend you will be using your fingers very quickly. My other recommendations are more liquid and require either a make up sponge or better a brush
You will find make up sponges ant any chemist / drug store. This is an example http://essentialsbyleah.com/store/produ ... ucts_id/76
For best results with a liquid you should actually use a brush, A ¾ wide artist brush (yes a paint brush) works if you are on a budget or you can find foundation brushes on-line
Yes spread it everywhere on neck and face. Your goal is to cover as evenly as possible. Put a little more on the beard area and less on area that don’t need it (like eye lids). Get close to the eye, but not in it - an 1/8 inch boarder is fine. Again blend, blend, blend – work in all directions. You will quickly develop a skill depending on the type of makeup you are using. As you get to wear your neck meets your chest you are going to begin blending (this means use less and spread it about more). The secret to good makeup is blending which is nothing more that spreading it thinner. Again use your fingers.
Goals
Even coverage, not thick. Cover but again with dermablend a little goes along way. It is ok if you don’t hide every whisker. Get it even and everywhere. Blend, blend, blend. Then lower neck into the chest, here you are only looking to get a little tint. You are only ½ way there.
Step 2.
Foundation is a 2 part process – now were are going on step 2. Liquid make up is that a liquid. It will come off in a second if you don’t set it. Think of epoxy - it does not work unless you use both parts. Same applies here. To set your foundation you are going to use a powder.
Now you can use almost any face powder to set. All of my recommendations have a complimenting powder as part of their line so matching is a good idea.
Now that being said, I recommend my fav Elizabeth Arden Duel Perfection Makeup. This compact is a dry powder, but it can be wet to turn it into a liquid make up. You are going to use it dry.
To select the right color. Follow the Red yellow rule from above and then go 1 shade darker than your complexion (remember in step one you were one shade lighter)
OK why the shade differences. Your skin has several different tones – once blended & brushed the combination of light and dark will give that tonal difference impression.
How to apply. The EA product comes with a sponge. Simply rub the sponge in the powder and then tap the powder onto your face. Always tap do not rub. Tap, Tap, Tap. If your using a loose powder it will also come with an applicator of some type. You can use that applicator, however a better choice is a powder brush.
A powder brush is the biggest of all the cosmetic brushes and bigger is better. Simply tap the brush into the powder and then tap the powder onto your face. Although you can use too much powder it is kind of hard. You will want to cover everywhere you put foundation and then a bit more in the surrounding area. Remember it’s hard to used too much.
Ok how can you not over use the powder? Simple now your going to remove the excess. Take your powder brush and brush the area’s you covered with makeup and powder. Don’t push too hard. A gentle back and forth will do fine. Brush up, down and right and left. This will gently work the powder into the top layer of the foundation and set the foundation. Foundation can also be thought of as the glue that holds the face powder in place. If you remove too much add a little more foundation and then a bit more powder and try again. Your goal is a covered flat (not glossy) look. If you got nervous and began perspiring, slow down and relax. When your calm start again.
This will take practice, you will not get it right first time, but you will learn and you will discover your tricks. For CD’s foundation is the key. If you get it right here, everything else will look that much better later.
Post any questions and I will try and help.
Next post eye basics
Hope this helps