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Just as a painter would wash their paintbrushes, and just as a graphic designer would update their design software, tool care and maintenance is important in the field of make-up.
I know a lot of people who love make-up, but only a select few of those people commit to cleaning their makeup brushes on a regular basis. This is a vital step in the make-up process for two main reasons.
Why Wash?
- Clean brushes are more sanitary. Brushes, like any other object, can harbour bacteria, skin irritants, and product build-up. This can be harmful to your skin, especially if you have sensitive or acne prone skin.
- Clean brushes give a more accurate make-up application. I don't have a separate brush for every different product of mine, and product build up can be colorful! So if you pick up your intended color with a dirty brush and apply it to your face, you might be in shock when a completely different color shows up. This leads to having to remove and restart your make-up application. Cleaning your brushes can be time consuming, but not as time consuming as applying make-up with dirty brushes. From a design aspect, clean brushes are softer and provide a smoother makeup application; and as I've said before, texture is a vitally important element in makeup.
How To: Safely Clean Brushes
- Purchase a gentle cleaning agent, I prefer baby shampoo. It's capable of removing waterproof make-up yet gentle on the brush bristle hairs.
- Run your brush under lukewarm water, making sure to ONLY wet the bristles. Wetting any other part of the brush can loosen the glue and may cause the brush handle to fall off.
- Place a dime size amount of baby shampoo in your palm.
- Swirl the brush bristles on your palm repeatedly, fully saturating your brush in the shampoo.
- Rinse under lukewarm water while gently squeezing out the shampoo.
- Continue rinsing and squeezing until the water runs clear.
Now your brushes are clean and ready for your make-up artistry!
If you are more of a visual learner, be sure to check out my video tutorial showing the same method I have described above.
Line is one of the most basic design elements that makes up a majority, if not all, of the design principles. It is so basic that you might be questioning how knowledge on line applies to make-up. A line is simply a one dimensional mark created by a series of closely placed points to create the appearance of cohesive length. The fundamental characteristic of line is to "connect or unite," and are meant to evoke "movement and direction."
Winged Eyeliner
Eyeliner is a great basic product used to emphasize the eye. Many opt for winged eyeliner, where the eyeliner extends beyond the outer corner of the eye in an upward flicked shape. This look is iconic and will probably always be in style, however it can be tough to achieve. We all have different eye shapes, so one winged liner method may not work for all.
Line Applied
If you apply the elements of line however, you can adjust your wing technique to your eye shape. If you look at your lower lash line towards the outer corner of your eye, you will see the natural curve of your lower lash line. When applying eyeliner, start at the outer corner of your eye and simply follow this natural line's direction and extend it upward. If your bottom lash line were to continue, it would seamlessly curve into the line you just drew. This line will be the wing of your eyeliner, which you can then connect to your liner on your top lash line. By doing this, you are connecting your natural lines to your eyeliner, which unifies your eye shape and emphasizes your eye in a sleek way. This eyeliner style follows your eye shape, creating movement and flow which then flicks upward in direction to lift and open the eye. The great part about this technique is that it can be adjusted to any eye shape!
Examples: Do vs. Don't
This picture tutorial, located on my Make-up & Design Pinterest board, shows the technique I described above. Pay particular attention to the first eye image (top left). The model has drawn her eyeliner wing using the natural direction, curve, and movement of her lower lash line as a guide. She then decided to go for a very thick eyeliner look, but once you have that initial wing line, you can go as thin or thick as you'd like. This wing opens and lifts her eye, as opposed to my next example.
Here we can see that if the model's natural lower line were to extend past the outer corner, it would intersect with her eyeliner. The direction and movement of this line gives her eye a downturned, droopy effect, which is certainly a look, but not suitable for those wanting to lift and open their eyes. This type of eyeliner style can mistakenly happen if you apply your eyeliner from the inner corner to the outer corner in one stroke, as opposed to creating the winged line first.
Texture is "the surface characteristics of a material that can be experienced through the sense of touch or the illusion of touch." Everyone has a different natural skin texture, and I will be elaborating on how knowledge of your skin texture can improve your make-up application.
Make-up Primer
Starting with a blank canvas is necessary for a good make-up application. The combination of skin care and a make-up primer can give you a smooth blank canvas to begin your make- up artistry. A make- up primer is " a base for foundation or face makeup that allows it to go on smoother and last longer."Make-up primers are designed to work with your skin type to combat any skin issues that you may have. Best of all, they will help you apply your make-up as opposed to hindering it, you don't need to give up on skin care when it comes to make-up application!
Skin Type
Skin types can vary vastly, from dry to oily and everywhere between. "Combination" skin types are those that have both dry and oily areas. I personally have dry skin, and I have adjusted my make-up application because of it. In another one of my posts, Discoloration & Color Theory, I discussed covering skin issues like eczema and acne based on their color. But what about the texture that accompanies these skin issues? For example, eczema stems from skin dryness, while those with oily skin get acne breakouts as a result. Texture can make covering certain areas, as well as make-up application in general, very difficult.
Dry
Dry skin can appear rough and flaky in texture. I would recommend using an exfoliator to gently buff out this roughness once a week. Also, use a thick moisturizer – preferably at night. This way it has plenty of time to sink in and you will wake up feeling supple. A thick moisturizer under make-up can make your products slide right off. So instead, apply a moisturizing make-up primer before you do your make-up. I would then recommend using liquid as opposed to powder make-up products, as they are better suited to dry skin textures. Look out for buzz words on your products such as "illuminating" and "dewey".
Oily
Oily skin can appear slick and greasy in texture throughout the day. Using a cleanser that combats oil both at night and in the morning is vital. However, don't skip moisturizing! Over drying your skin can lead to the excess production of oil to compensate. Use an oil-free, lightweight moisturizer, then apply a mattifying make-up primer. Silicone based primers, like this Neutrogena one, are best as they fill in pores and help fight oil throughout the day. Then I would recommend using powder make-up as it also helps to mattify your skin. Look for buzz words like "shine-control" and"mattifying."
Combo
If you have dry and oily areas, adjust the above methods accordingly! Use the cleanser and moisturizer works that best for you, then use a make-up primer like this Smashbox one."Photo finish" simply means it gives a satin- like texture to the skin, which is perfect for those with dryness and oil. Combination skin is usually dry around the cheeks and oily around the nose, forehead and chin; Keep this in mind when applying make- up. I would recommend liquid make up all over, and then powder only your oily spots to ensure they stay matte all day.
Contrast is the juxtaposition of opposites with the goal of accentuating a point or targeted area, which adds excitement, drama, and depth to a design. This can be applied to make- up in a variety of ways. However, I will be applying contrast principles to the technique of contouring and highlighting, a recently viral make-up technique. This technique involves using two products, a highlighter and a contour shade, which I will go into more depth about below. The juxtaposition of these two contrasting products is the essence of contouring and highlighting.
Contrast Applied
You want to view your highlighter and contour products in terms of two contrastable elements: color value and finish. The value of a color is its relative shade on a scale of lightness to darkness. The finish of a product is on a scale of shiny to matte. We want the color value and finish of your products to be opposing each other in order to bring certain parts of the face out while receding others.
Highlighter
Highlighters are light in color value, and usually have a reflective element which creates a shimmery finish. As far as the color of your highlighter goes, you can try anything as long as it's lighter than your skin color. Light skin tones should go for a pearl shade, medium for a champagne shade, and dark with a bronze shade. Everyones face shape is different, but typically we want the cheekbones, eyes and bridge of the nose to be brought out so these features are highlighted.
Contour
Contour shades are dark in color, cool in tone, and matte in texture. Contour products are meant to mimic or accentuate the natural shadows of the face, hence the necessity of a contour product with a cool tone. Warm tones should be saved for an all over bronzer. A matte texture is also important, as any type of shimmer will accentuate, as opposed to recede, the targeted areas. Typically, we want the hollows of the cheeks, temples, sides of the nose and jawline to recede, so we darken these areas using a contouring shade.
Application
The contrast of your highlighter and contour can help define and shape your face the way you want. Here is a helpful guide on contouring and highlighting based on targeted areas. However, this is just a guide! Contour and highlight the way you think works best for your face.
~Kate
Color Theory
One of the most vital design elements is Color Theory. Colors can be combined and used in many different ways to produce beautiful design, and color in the field of makeup is no different. The basis of Color Theory can be visualized through the color wheel, which I have pinned onto my Pinterest board, "Make-up & Design Principles".
If you look at the color wheel, you will see warm colors on the left, and cool colors on the right. The color on the opposite end of the wheel is considered that colors' complementary color. For example, violet is yellow's complementary color. According to Dictonary.com, a complementary color is:
- one of a pair of primary or secondary colors opposed to the other member of the pair on a schematic chart or sc ale (color wheel) as green opposed to red, orange opposed to blue, or violet opposed to yellow.
- the relationship of these pairs of colors perceived as completing or enhancing each other.
Complementary colors are important to make-up design in many areas, such as color correction, feature enhancement, and brightening your skin tone (which are all acts of "completing or enhancing" as the definition above puts it). I will be focusing on color correction: a form of "completing" or neutralizing unwanted colors on the face.
What is Color Correction?
For many, skin make-up is as basic as foundation and/or concealer in a color that matches the skin. This may work for some, but this could lead to the appearance of looking one-dimensional or washed out. This is because a person's face is typically not all one color. Skin issues such as redness, eczema, acne, dullness, and under-eye bags are problem areas many people want to cover. These issues may not be covered with only a skin color on top of them. This leads to the (sometimes excess) layering of foundation on these areas, which can look heavy, unnatural, and actually bring more attention to discoloration. So, how does one easily cover these areas while using less make-up? The answer is simple: color correction.
Redness:
Red tones on the skin can be tricky to cover. Redness can stem from issues like acne, eczema, sunburn or blotchiness. Having only your foundation on these red areas can cause them to appear an ashy purple. However, if you look at the color wheel, the complementary color for red is green. Applying a thin layer of a green concealer (thin is key- we are not trying to look like the grinch), before your foundation application can help cancel out this redness. This will give your foundation a neutralized canvas, and you may find that you actually need less foundation to cover these areas.
Under-eye Bags:
Many people struggle with under-eye bags from lack of sleep or genetics. Under-eye discoloration can vary between skintones, usually from blue to purple. The color wheel tells us that the corresponding complementary colors are orange and yellow respectively. Applying a thin layer of concealer that has orange or yellow tones in it can cancel out these unwanted cool hues. For example, a lighter skin tone with purple bags should opt for a salmon colored concealer, and for more medium skin tones with blue bags, a yellow concealer will do the trick. Again, I advise to apply a thin layer to the discolored area before your foundation application.
For more ways to color correct and recommended products, check out this helpful infographic from hairsprayandhighheels.net which I pinned onto my Make-up & Design board.
-Kate
design element mut-w make up table white
Source: https://katemadden.wordpress.com/