5 Makeup Master Tricks

“Lipstick with enough staying power to survive an Olive Oil Harakiri at your local Italian.”

 

The Mystery of the Makeup Artist– if you’ve ever had your makeup done professionally you’ll know what I’m talking about. You’re sitting a little uneasily in the makeup chair, following directions like ‘open your eyes’, ‘close your eyes’, ‘look up please’ and ‘open your mouth and tighten’, only to, after performing some serious facial gymnastics, look into mirror and marvel at the mind-boggling results. An even complexion, radiant eyes, no makeup slipping around the face and lipstick ready to withstand a visit at your local Italian, including the inevitable olive oil harakiri, stare back at you. Of course, staying at the imaginary dinner table a little longer, there comes a point somewhere between the first espresso and the second (or third) limoncello when you start to fantasize about having your own personal makeup slave (totally humane and legal, of course)

But no matter the places you and your professionally done make-up go together, when the night comes to an end you stand facing yourself in the bathroom mirror and feel the sort of guilt that might accompany the impending destroyal of the Mona Lisa. Keeping in mind that you aren’t the most gifted art counterfeiter, and with the knowledge that the word ‘plagiarism’ tends to conjure up nothing more than images of your 10 Euro Ray Ban in your head.

I’m definitely no Da Vinci, but I’ve been lucky enough to watch some makeup artist work their magic over the last couple year and while of course, every makeup artist works differently and has their own signature style, even the masters have a repertoire of classics to fall back on from time to time. There are a couple of cheats anyone can use to recreate the look of professional makeup at home. Sharpen your liner and clean your brushes, here are the 5 Golden Rules of the Makeup Masters:

 

1. Concealer

The 8 hour sleep in a tube. Nothing is better (or faster) at hiding the oldest accessory in the world – undereye bags. The trick with concealer is simply to make it your best and dearest friend. Your gaze will immediately become clearer and more open.

2. Definition

Also known as: shading, contouring, highlighting
Successfully mastering the art of Contouring will transform you into a lighting expert. Even for natural looks, makeup artists often love to skilfully apply a touch of subtle shading to the eyelids. Although it’s barely even noticeable you’re wearing eyeshadow, the eyes are instantly more expressive and radiant. A neutral brown tone, a fluffy brush, a hint of color and a light touch are all essential. Shading is without a doubt going to be the most difficult step in your routine. But with a little practice, anyone can become, at the very least, a lighting assistant.

3. Eyelash Curlers

A somewhat scary looking device seemingly more at home in an operating room than a makeup bag, the use of which could very well be improved with a little local anaesthetic. However once you get the hang of it, you will see that a good curl before applying mascara has a lot going for it. In the spirit of ‘Could you hold this for a sec?’, eyelash curlers are an indispensable tool for lifting your lashes, thereby relieving your mascara brush of any unnecessarily hard labor, allowing it to simply concentrate on its colour giving duties.
Over the course of the Clean Routine Interviews, I’ve noticed there are two types of makeup wearers: those deathly afraid of surgical instruments, and those who can’t remember what life was like before eyelash curlers.

4. Setting

The secret to perfect makeup on set? Setting, of course. Setting occurs not on a soundstage, but rather on the face, and refers to ‘fixing’ makeup in place, so creamy textures stay just where they were applied, and the makeup party you’ve just started on your face doesn’t get too out of control. If you’ve ever noticed your under-eye concealer sliding happily into the creases of your skin, try adding some setting powder to your morning makeup routine. Makeup artists often apply a so-called Translucent Powder, applied with a fluffy brush under eyes, across the T-Zone and any other areas of the face where you want to reduce shine. Translucent powders are extremely fine, white powders, which mattify and seal the skin without leaving behind any coloured residue- although they do sometimes create problems at airport security!

5. Lipliner

Lipliner is a hybrid cross between a gluestick and paint. At least that’s what you’ll want to believe the first time you try filling in your lips with lipliner before applying lipstick. What, is that it? Yep, that’s all there is to it. Extend the life of your lipcolor and prepare yourself for unlimited kisses (and limoncellos).

 

Photo: Powder Paper