Tricks of the Trade
If there was just one thing I could go and tell my teenage self about make-up, it would be to pick the right shade of concealer. I distinctly remember my dyed black hair, heavy eyeliner and almost white concealer under my eyes. It was a strong look. To save everyone the pain of looking like Evie circa 1999 I have compiled a list of my favourite beauty tricks and tips.
Foundation
Mix primer with your foundation – if your foundation is too heavy you can mix with primer to keep the coverage the same without making it look cakey. This will make it more translucent and also easier to apply. No streaks for me thank you!
Lips
With most lipsticks, it is a good idea to line your lips before applications, however lining them afterwards will give your lips more definition which is great for an evening look. If you are in search of a softer, daytime look, then apply the liner before for a much more natural appearance.
Eyes
To make narrow set eyes look wider, apply black liner to the outer half of both the upper and lower lash lines, joining in the outer corner. This will elongate your eyes. Use a cotton bud to smudge the liner to soften the lines if needed.
If you have small eyes, use a beige coloured eyeliner on the lower inner waterline, this will give a smoky effect but will bring out the whites of your eyes. Use a black eyeliner on the top and bottom lash lines, smudging outwards with a similar shade eye shadow. This will draw people towards your eyes and give the illusion of them being bigger.
For a natural definition: apply liner to the upper inner rim by gently pulling the lashes upwards and gently adding black kohl. It gives a sharp definition to the eyes and makes the lashes appear fuller.
Colours that compliment blue eyes – anything with an orange undertone: gold, bronze
Green eyes: anything with a red base: plums, purples, wine colours
Brown eyes: blue and purple look great, although most colours will work as brown is neutral
Getting perfect eyeliner flicks: start with lining your bottom lashes. The liner naturally goes up at the outer corner which gives a good guide for where the flick should continue. Open your eyes and follow the line up, then join together with a line on the top lashes.
Concealer
Pick a yellow or orange based concealer no more than 2 shades lighter than your skin tone (not 5 shades lighter like my 14 year old self).
Assess the eye area to establish where you need extra coverage. Not all of the under eye will be dark. It is best to apply concealer with a brush as the eye area is so delicate. It’s also important to use layers rather than head straight in with a heavy hand. Starting at the inner corner, apply the concealer lightly in a pattern to form a ‘V’ shape to end at the outer edge of your eye. This will take the concealer a little further down the eye than the darkness but will also help with blending. Buff it gently on to the skin and really feather it out for a seamless application. Finally dot a little highlighter on to the base of the ‘V’ to highlight and brighten the skin, and blend. Finish with a light dusting of translucent powder to keep it in place.