hey ladies. i know we are super busy with our hectic schedules and all but that is absolutely no reason to allow ourselves to look a hot friggity mess. you might be saying “who the %$#! are you? you dont know anything about me”. maybe not but i do know you look a hot friggity mess and like me (hectic schedule included) you need to master the art of the beauty smackdown in 5 minutes or less. let’s get gorgeous!!!!!
the following is my personal method for achieving that flawless face “natural” face sans eyeshadow. let’s go!!!!!
let’s start with complexion (im assuming that you know you should be cleansing, toning, treating, and moisturing (i am amazed at the amout of women i encounter who either dont wash their face or use body soap and body lotion on their face and wonder why their skin looks a hot friggity mess. what’s really going on? you should – oops- im ranting again). you need a good concealer for any areas of hyperpigmentation like post acne scarring as well as undereye circles. creamy formulations that come in a tube or pot are best for under the eye area as that area is very delicate and you want to minimize any tugging and pulling. two of my favorite concealers are makeup forever full cover concealer and laura mercier concealer pots. makeup forever also has concealer palettes (five colors, one of which is a corrective concealer). you can apply these products with a concealer brush, your finger or latex/foam applicator (use stippling (bouncing) action), for anywhere on the face except undereye. for under the eye use a concealer brush or or even a contour/blending brush (use whipping action) for a beautiful air brush affect.
after you have finished with your concealer, apply your foundation primer. think of when you paint a wall. you always have to prime it first. this prevents the paint from absorbing into the wall, prepares a nice even canvas for paint application and helps the paint to stay on longer. same concept for your face – fills in fine lines, wrinkles, pores, creates a nice even canvas for your foundation and helps your foundation to stay on longer. smashbox and makeup forever has fantabulous primers so be sure to check out their lineup.
next apply your favorite foundation formulation. please make sure it is your correct shade and please blend, blend, blend. currently im using Make Up Forever HD foundation which is a liquid. i never believed in liquid because i am so oily – no greasy – so i have only used powder (mac studio fix baby) but im so totally loving this foundation. it is oil-free, medium to full coverage with a natural finish that is invisible to the naked eye and high definition cameras. apply with sephora professinale #55 airbrush for flawless application. yummy.
well groomed eyebrows, which add shape and symmetry to your face, are an absolute must. either have them shaped professionally or use an at home solution like ardell cold wax strips (found at cvs and sally beauty supply). now if you are like me, you need to draw or fill them in. i personally feel that brow powder like lorac brow powder is perfection. this palette, which is available in 4 shade kits, comes with two shades of brow powder, clear wax and a brow brush. use the clear wax to fill in sparse areas and then use the brow powder over the wax. perfection. for those of you who prefer a brow pencil, lorac brow pencil and beautique eyeliner (yes, for my brows) (sally beauty supply) are my top picks.
next apply your favorite mascara. my top 5 picks for mascara are as follows: maybelline great lash and wet n wild mega wink (both of which can be found at cvs) dior show, givency phenom eye, bare escentuals buxom lash. mascara is great to use because, depending on the formulation, it will lengthen, curl and volumize. You get that panoramic view around your eyes that will make your eyes pop. currently i use none of these because im all about wearing my faux lashes baby!!!!!
lips – many choices. crusty is not one of them. some of my favorite nudes are bare beige by laura mercier and chelsea girls by nars. no scratch that. smashbox just came out with the most wicked nude gloss ever. my heart races as i talk about it. anywho – these look great on any skintone. you can wear them alone or use a brown liner to fill in most of the lip and layer one of these glosses on top. totally gorge. yesssss!!!!
if you so choose finish off with a nice blush which adds shape and dimension to the face. now calm down. i know what you are thinking. one of my dear friends starts convulsing violently and foaming at the mouth when i mention blush (ok not really). she just spews much hatred. she says it reminds her of a clown. i understand. i have seen many women in my daily goings-ons who i thought were circus clown but then realized they had an unfortunate encounter with blush. the key is to build and blend and it doesnt take much.
ok. let’s review: concealer, primer, brows, foundation, mascara (or lashes), lips, blush. gorgeous! you rock!
