Hot Trend : Studs

Studs are a must have this season. They add an instant edge to shoes, bags, shorts, clothes, accessories and even phone cases!

tHREE mAGIC wORDS: Contour , bLUSH & hIGHLIGHT


Not everything's Photoshop in magazines, most of time its 99% Makeup and 1% editing. The beauty about contouring & highlighting is that you can create yourself a killer jawline , cheekbones to die for & a shaped nose(in case you don't like your own or perhaps just to make it more defined) with no surgery!

The picture above should help explain how to contour & highlight. The Darker shade represents the Bronzer & the lighter shade represents the highlighter. Notice how the nose is contoured to make it look more defined? How the cheek bones are shaped?

To add onto this, let's use the blush! Celebrities use all three to give themselves a glamorous look!

You apply your Bronzer along your cheekbones, then apply the blush to give a natural flush & then closer to your eyes apply highlighter to highlight! You can also apply highlighter to your eyebrow bones, along your nose  & Chin.




My favorite Bronzer is NARS Bronzing Powder, Shade Laguna. That has a Brownish golden shimmer to it.

Tip:
You should use a Bronzer/powder that's 2-3 shades Darker than your skin tone. Don't be afraid of the dark color. It might seem intimidating at first but once you apply it you'll notice it's not as bad.

Basic MakeUp

Blush is used to simulate natural glow & blush! It can turn you from looking pale to looking refreshed.
Texture
Blush comes in various forms such as Powder, Cream & even mousse. There's also a different form which is called a "stain".  Stain is a 2 in 1 product, it's used for cheeks and lips.

Color
This will depend on your complexion. Some colors will complement Fair skin but not tanned or Dark & Vice versa. But there are many colors that will work for all skin tones and complement it in different ways.

Rule of thumb is, the lighter your skin color is, you should try to stay within the range of light colors since darker colors might create overly dramatic looks that should probably stay in magazine shoots than on streets! If you're skin is towards beige color You can use light colors while remembering they will probably give a subtle effect compared to a darker shade.If you're skin color is Dark then i recommend going bold! 


Application

If you're using mousse or cream then use your fingers to apply! Do you know that the warmth of your fingers that'll be used to apply the blush will help apply the blush more evenly & smoothly. If you're using powder blush then use the Powder Brush (Look at previous posts to know what it looks like) for soft look or you can use the Angled Blush Brush to get a more dramatic look. It'll help you define your cheekbones.

My Favorite Blush is From Tarte, It's called Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush. This Brand is Carried by Sephora

What's your favorite Blush?

Basic MakeUp

In my previous post I talked about Foundation and concealer application. In this post I'll talk about Eyeliners

Eyeliner is used to define the eyes, to create the illusion of larger eyes or even used to make the eyes look "brighter" or fresh. There are three types of Eyeliners:

• Pencil Eyeliner
• Liquid Eyeliner
• Gel Eyeliner

If you're just starting out to use eyeliners, I recommend starting with Pencil Eyeliner. They're easier to use and they're found in various colors. Once you get the hang of using pencil eyeliner, you can try liquid or gel eyeliner. Liquid eyeliner is generally stronger but it's more difficult to apply especially if you don't have steady hands. My favorite is Gel eyeliner, It's a hybrid! 

Tip:

What i used to do is that I would use the pencil eyeliner first and then top it with a liquid eyeliner.
That way its sort of easier since all what you're doing is going over the line that was already there!

If you want a Pencil Eyeliner, I Recommend Urban Decay! Their products are sold in Sephora.They're called 24/7 Glide on Eye Pencils

For Gel Eyeliner, I strongly Recommend Bobbi Brown. It lasts for hours and it goes on smoothly. It's called Long Wear Gel Eyeliner.

Tip:
To brighten & enlarge your eyes use white eyeliner on the lower eyelid.

What's your favorite Eyeliner?