Today it's time to let loose with a short glasses story about how I didn't choose the right makeup and what valuable tips I got from the pro Alexandra Kostadinova.
It all started one Friday night when I decided to go out with friends. I wear dioptric glasses a large percentage of the time and rarely wear makeup. Today, however, I decided to make myself pretty. I did my makeup carefully, as they say, as much as I can, and decided to put on contact lenses. Gross mistake!
Contact lenses are applied before applying makeup and removed before removing it.
I won't tell you how my eyeliner ran and how much the lenses irritated me. From me let you know, when you make up and wear contact lenses use mascara that is not waterproof. That way if you get some of the mascara in your eye there's no danger of it affecting your cornea and getting inflammation.
So after adjusting my makeup and all sorts of tricks to gloss over the situation, I went out to have some fun. I had a great time, we had a fun time taking pictures. But the next day I was not happy when I decided to review the photos. Apparently I had failed to show my beauty through makeup.
Then, slightly disappointed with myself and curious how come there are women who look amazing with light makeup, I sought the professional opinion of Alex. I was delighted with her work, but I had no idea how many subtleties there are in this craft so often practiced by all of us.
Alex started from afar and introduced me to the depths of the skill of looking good with makeup. See what I learned from her.
What makeup brushes to choose to highlight your beautiful features?
To successfully accomplish your mission of beautiful makeup, you need two types of brushes in the process of applying the products. Natural and synthetic bristle brushes. The investment may seem bigger, but it will pay off in the long run.
Natural bristle brushes are suitable for applying powder products such as blush, eyeshadow, powder, etc. Keep in mind that natural hair absorbs a larger amount of product. For this reason, synthetic hair brushes are more suitable for creamy or more liquid products such as foundation, concealer, foundation, etc. Of course, you can use a sponge or even your hands for a more even and smooth application.
When applying foundation
Use a round or flat synthetic brush. This type of brush is ideal for smooth application and coverage for maximum finish. For harder to reach areas, you can use a smaller brush.
When applying powder
Use a round and soft natural bristle brush. Less product is used with this brush, taking away from the product before applying along the natural lines of the face.
When applying the blush
Use a soft, dome-shaped brush. It has long bristles that allow the cheekbones to be highlighted easily.
When applying lipstick
The right brush ensures density and durability. So if you're not a fan of gloss, you'll need to stock up on one too. Use a small, flat synthetic bristle brush that will make it easier to contour your lips.
For the eyebrows
To shape your eyebrows and enhance the "frame" of your face, you need an asymmetrical brush with short synthetic or natural bristles. This type of brush can be used both when shaping the eyebrows and when applying eyeliner.
All brushes need to be cleaned after use. Wash them with baby soap or shampoo. Due to their pure composition, children's products will protect the hairs as much as possible and allow them a longer life. It is preferable in summer to let them dry on a towel in the sun. Avoid drying with a hairdryer.
So far so good, we've figured out what we'll need to get started, but the more important stuff for our eyes is yet to come. Personally, I was extremely curious to learn how to highlight my eyes and how to choose the right shades for my everyday makeup. For a moment, I was inspired that I could look like a Hollywood star while shopping at the supermarket. But before that, I had to stock up on the appropriate products in addition to the proper makeup brushes.
Makeup Foundation. Is it important?
Makeup foundation is one of those new things we come across. Until recently it wasn't that popular, but nowadays it's more and more talked about and you practically can't start a makeup look without a good foundation to hold it. Its purpose is to prepare your face for the next stages, namely foundation and powder.
This way your skin will be protected and hydrated. There are different types of foundation for different skin types. The main ones are moisturizing and mattifying.
My skin is combination to oily, so Alex point me towards a foundation with a mattifying effect, as the moisturizing one will moisturize the oily areas even more.
After all, we all seek freshness and beauty.
Makeup is our escape from reality and it can make us feel for a moment as beautiful as we really are, but because of our critical feminine nature, we rarely admit it.
What are the makeups that every woman should own?
For the most feminine part of a woman's face, the lips, you need to get the right lipstick or gloss.
Foundation and powder
Foundation and powder, they should be tailored to your skin color.
Rouge
Blush is for the lady who likes to highlight her cheekbones. It should be applied after foundation or powder.
Eye pencil or eyeliner
Eye pencil or eyeliner? I personally prefer eyeliner. It adds femininity and emphasizes my eyes. It's important to note that not every eye shape goes with eyeliner. Eyeliner has the danger of "closing" the eye and making it look smaller.
Eyeliner according to eye color:
- Green-eyed ladies can opt for purple, dark blue, graphite or brown eyeliner.
- Brown eyes are accented with blue and green colors.
- Those with blue irises can experiment with purple, brown and dark blue eyeliner.
Of course, black eyeliner is a universal solution for every eye color.
How to create an optical illusion with eyeliner?
- If you want to enlarge the eyes, apply a pencil very carefully on the upper side of the eyelids.
- If you have droopy eyelids, extend the line at the end of the eyelid. This will create the visual illusion of more elongated eyes.
- If you want to give your round eyes an almond shape, slightly thicken the line outside the outer corner of the eye.
Spiral
This is the item that every woman who does makeup should own. However, let's not forget that mascara is an invariable helper in highlighting the eyes. Even if you put absolutely nothing on your fair face, a mascara will make your eyes look bigger and open.
Eye shadows
Eye shadows in classic shades. Even if you don't use them on a daily basis, it's necessary to have a set of certain colors in case you want to bring in some color. Here you can follow the suggestions I have mentioned when choosing an eyeliner. Alex says that the choice is completely individual and according to customer preferences. There is an unwritten rule that if you have light eyes you can go for dark tones opposite to your eye colour and vice versa. Blue and green eyes can be accentuated with similar tones, but great care must be taken not to depersonalize them.
By now, I think all of us makeup ladies have these products in our carry-on. There are a plethora of products on the market to choose from and experiment with.
How to create the perfect everyday make-up?
Once we are well prepared with the brushes, products and foundation we are ready to start using them every day. After applying the foundation, move on to the foundation or powder. Choose one of the two, but never both because in daylight they won't look good combined. In my case, Alex, advised me to use foundation, it covers the imperfections on my face better and makes my skin not so pale. During the day we can use a lighter texture and at night- we can afford heavier and thicker foundations.
You can use concealer as a base for the shadows. Use one light shade to apply on the lid. I highlight my brown eyes with pale blue eyeshadow. To add mystery, I apply a darker shade at the edge of the eye.
To bring some light into the makeup, I apply a little powder just under the brow bone so the eye blends into the base. Highlighting the brows is done with a pencil or eyeshadow in a colour closest to the natural brow colour. Ladies who like eyeliner can add it for even more elegance. To finish, apply mascara and lipstick in a warm colour. You can seal in with a colourless gloss for shine. For the bolder of you, put on a brighter lipstick to bring a freshness to your look. I love slightly orange shades of lipstick, it makes me look more stylish but not garish.
Come to think of it, it's another thing to get professional guidance on how to "shine" during the day without having to visit expensive beauty salons. I got invaluable advice from Alex. If you need it too, contact her. As a bonus, she showed me how to properly remove my makeup and how to nourish my skin after doing it.
How to clean make-up?
For starters, clean your hands thoroughly to avoid further contamination. Use products that are not alcohol-based. Micellar water is a versatile product that can be used to clean your face both before makeup and to remove makeup with it. Of course, you can choose, depending on your skin type, different types of makeup removal products: lotion, foam, lotions, etc.
When removing your make-up, keep an eye on your eyes. Do not hurry and do not rub them too hard.
To finish, don't forget the moisturizing night cream.It seems like a long procedure, but it's actually very easy.
So don't be afraid to consult the right person to kick-start a brilliant everyday look. And for the ladies who wear glasses and are embarrassed to wear them with makeup, remember that a beautiful frame will accentuate your sparkly look even more.
To conclude I will end with a quote of Alex:
"Makeup is a creative process that brings individuality and subjective style. A means to express and reveal our beauty. In it there are no strict norms, laws, colors and proportions. It is important to respect some basic principles and everything else is art..."
Alexandra Kostadinova
Professional Makeup Artist - Professional Makeup Artist Beauty&Art