Hey everyone,
So seeing as I love to play around with make-up, I thought I’d do a series of posts with a few tips and looks.
This here is the very first one, and what better way to start off with a natural Spring evening look? It’s just hit Spring here in Australia, and this year it is all about natural, light colours, and big bold lips. Keeping that in mind, I used some tips from the professionals, and put together a cheap and easy Spring evening look that really only took me 15 minutes or so. This way you can look the part, without having to put in too much effort or money – lets face it, who wants to spend a fortune on expensive products? This isn’t just a ‘how to’ but also about what to products to use, and how to apply them.
I also took a few photos to go with the steps/tips, but keep in mind I was just using a standard camera, and details aren’t as wonderful as I would like.
Okay, let’s get into it!
Step one/tip: First of all, make sure your skin is clean and moisturised. This is something that you should try to do morning and night even if you’re not putting make up on, as it really does make a world of difference to your skin – especially if you’re like me, and you have dry skin in the colder weather.
I use Dove Supreme Body Silk Creme as it can be used on your face and any other dry ares of your body, so you’re killing two birds with one stone with this purchase. Not only are you getting two mosturisers in one, but it’s really cheap and easy to find. I brought mine for around $10.00 and it’s lasted me months so far.
Step four: Liquid eyeliner
Step two/tip: Next apply a light layer of concealer evenly to your face – don’t heap it on in certain areas as it tends to show easily. I use Rimmel London Renew and Lift as it covers up everything and lasts all day without the need to reapply. It’s also really handy for Spring and Summer as it protects your skin from the sun with SPF 15 being involved in it’s formula. I brought mine for $32.00 in Kmart, but they have seemed to drop since then, so you might be able to pick it up a little cheaper!
Step three/tip:After you have a fine layer of concealer on, use a face powder to even out the rest of your skin. If you already have an even skin tone/flawless beautiful skin then you probably wont have to do this. But I find that with uneven skin, putting powder over the top of concealer really helps hide any blemishes and gives you that even looking tone. For this step I use a liquid powder by Maybelline called ‘Wonder Finish.’ It’s really easy to carry around in your handbag because it’s so small, and it gives an amazing even finish. I find it’s easier to cover everything evenly and yet still gives the powder look at the end. I picked this up a while ago, and so I’m not sure of the prices anymore, but it shouldn’t be anymore that $20.00, which is a bargain considering how well it works.
Step four/tip:Next I move on to the eyes. Although we are looking for a natural look, we still want our eyes to really pop! First I start off by applying liquid eyeliner to the top of my eyelid, along the eye lashes. It can be kind of tricky, and has taken me a little while to get right, but if you have a steady hand all you need to do is start at the top of eye and run the eyeliner along the top of your lashes, and then get thicker and you go towards the end of your eyelid. It’s just a matter of getting a straight even line on both eyes. I use Avon Perfect Wear Eye writer, but I’m pretty sure any brand will be fine. I got this one in a gift pack so that’s the only real reason I use it. It does work really well though, and doesn’t leave any lumps like some liquid eyeliners do, so if you’re interested in buying a bottle, have a look on
Step six: blusher.
the Avon website.
Step five/tip: These next few steps are fairly easy, so I’ll just explain it one big step. Depending on the look you’re going for, coloured lips are very in for this coming season. Personally, I love bright red lips all year ’round, but you can choose any colour you like. Pale oranges and pinks are very flattering and natural if you’re just going to work or shopping, but for this evening look red suits just fine. So, depending on the colour lipstick you’re using, make sure you use a sharp lip liner to outline your lips evenly. This just gives them a bit of edge, and a crisp outline. I normally go a bit darker than the shade of lipstick I’ll be using, but you can play around and find the right colour for you. Next just fill your lips in! When I put on lipstick, especially reds, I like my lips to look as full as possible, so make sure you push colour to the very edge! I find any brand of lip liner and lipstick works. I use a cheap $5.00 red lipstick, it goes on smooth, and lasts a fair while too. Depending on your preferences, you can get a cheap, good quality lipstick anywhere.
Step six/tip: Another fairly simple step – blush! You need that rosy-cheeked look, but you don’t want to look sunburnt, so the right amount is crucial. I use a medium size brush that is perfect to move the colour up my cheek bone, but not too far. The best tip I can give for putting on blush is to purse you lips, and start at the top of your cheekbone and define your face the best way that suits you. That way, if you start in the same place on both cheeks, you can’t get it uneven even if you try.
Step seven: fanning brush
Step seven/tip: For this step I used The Colour Workshop eyeshadow to give my eyes a bit of colour. To keep it natural I used brown and beige. These colours mix well, and can be worn with anything seeing as they’re so light. For this I use a fairly small brush and start off with the lightest colour. I apply the beige – the name of this colour is Pure – across the whole eyelid as a base. Then I apply the dark brown – also called Mink – just to the edge of my lids as a shadowing colour. This means the edges of my eyes are darkest, and yet the whole lid has a bit of colour and shimmer. I then use just a simple white shimmer powder to fill in the gap between my eyelid and my eyebrow. I sometimes even put shimmer powder under the eye, along the lashes for some extra sparkle! after applying all your eye shadow, use a fanning brush to blend it all together. A few strokes is more than enough to get the blended look – fan it too much and it will just look all muddled up. I brought a whole kit of The Colour Workshop eyeshadows which was a bit pricey, but that was a year or so ago. It came with ten trays of eyeshadow, so it was worth the money, however I’m not sure how much you can pick them up for now/separately. It’s a fairly popular brand, so any make-up store should stoke it. as for the shimmer powder, I always have trouble finding white! I found this one in a little store a few years ago, and haven’t needed to buy one since. It was only $13.00, however I’m not sure where you would be able to find some this cheap – perhaps Inglot would sell white eye shimmer – check it out and let me know! The fanning brushes can be found anywhere. Mine came in an eye kit, but i know you can pick them up from any Priceline for a cheap price. they’re really handy for everything – I use mine almost everyday as it give you a perfect smooth finish.
Step eight/tip: The last step of all! And that’s just applying your mascara! I use a cheap brand of mascara that I don’t even know the name of, but I brought it from Safeway for $7.99. In my opinion, mascara is the only thing I recommend buying at brand name prices. You can pretty much get way with any ol’ cheapo’ make up, except with mascara you can really tell the difference in quality. The one I have now easily clumps together and makes a mess, as you can see in the photos, so I recommend buying a good quality
Step eight: Finished eye.
mascara. I put mascara on both my top and bottom lashes, even though people always say you’re not supposed to put it on the bottom ones. I just like the look a lot better, but that’s up to you.
That’s pretty much it for my natural make up tips! I’m going to a 50′s themed party next month, so keep an eye out for a 50′s make up blog!
xx
Finished; natural evening look.
AmLizabeth
