Looking Polished

[YupikEskimo]

Hi there,
I'm Charis! I thought I'd dive in here with my first question.

How do you manage to have a polished finish with a madeup face? I never manage to have flawless finish, even when I take great care to keep my makeup as neat as possible. Do you have any products or techiniques for this? I really would appreciate any help because I'd really like to look fresh & polished whilst being madeup.

Also, my eyebrow hairs are dark, but overall, they are quite faint. I was wondering whether fillers/brow pencils would be recommended. I have been quite apprehensive to touch my brows aside from tweezing, as I don't want uber dark eyebrows to compete with my eyemakeup, but I've been seeing some amazing eyebrows recently and I think I'm missing out!

Thanks, I'd really appreciate any suggestions.

 

[Hawkeye]

Well One of the best ways is to keep your makeup as neutral and natural as possible for a "polished" look. Also a foundation primer is very good to help keep it smooth and a stippling (skunk) brush to apply powder and blush and a Foundation brush for the foundation.

And for the eyes and lips just very neutral (browns bronzes, taupes etc) and the lips just a matte natural lipcolor.

As for the brows MAC has a new brow shadow that I hear is really good you may like to look into that

 

[Naturellle]

Quote:

Originally Posted by YupikEskimo Hi there, I'm Charis! I thought I'd dive in here with my first question. How do you manage to have a polished finish with a madeup face? I never manage to have flawless finish, even when I take great care to keep my makeup as neat as possible. Do you have any products or techiniques for this? I really would appreciate any help because I'd really like to look fresh & polished whilst being madeup. Also, my eyebrow hairs are dark, but overall, they are quite faint. I was wondering whether fillers/brow pencils would be recommended. I have been quite apprehensive to touch my brows aside from tweezing, as I don't want uber dark eyebrows to compete with my eyemakeup, but I've been seeing some amazing eyebrows recently and I think I'm missing out! Thanks, I'd really appreciate any suggestions.

One tip for the eyebrows, use a pencil or eyeshadow (personally I prefer pencil) a shade lighter than the color of your natural eyebrows. Using black when grooming your eyebrows is way too harsh.

 

[YupikEskimo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by youbeabitch Well One of the best ways is to keep your makeup as neutral and natural as possible for a "polished" look. Also a foundation primer is very good to help keep it smooth and a stippling (skunk) brush to apply powder and blush and a Foundation brush for the foundation. And for the eyes and lips just very neutral (browns bronzes, taupes etc) and the lips just a matte natural lipcolor. As for the brows MAC has a new brow shadow that I hear is really good you may like to look into that

Thanks for your reply!
I've just read reviews for the two Mac brushes you recommended - I will definitely look into these invest in some new brushes.

For the colour tips, yeah, I usually stick with the neutrals!

And also, I think I'll be hitting my Mac counter v. soon & I'll ask to see the brow shadows.

Thanks a lot for your tips!

 

[YupikEskimo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Naturellle One tip for the eyebrows, use a pencil or eyeshadow (personally I prefer pencil) a shade lighter than the color of your natural eyebrows. Using black when grooming your eyebrows is way too harsh.

Thanks, I was a little worried that my eyebrows would turn out just a little too striking. I'll keep that in mind & as I mentioned above I think I'll be paying a Mac counter a visit.

Thanks again!

 

[user79]

I think it's really important to do your makeup in natural daylight, whatever the natural light may be. Sometimes bathroom lighting can make your makeup look really different, then when you go out you notice the foundation is blotchy or not blended well, the blush is too strong, etc.

Try to set up a mirror somewhere with natural light from the windows and do your makeup there, if you can.

 

[gravity]

I've heard that using a Kabuki brush to buff on powder helps a flawless finish. Never tried it myself though.

 

[prinzessin784]

Bare Minerals foundation + Mineral Veil + Kabuki brush does the trick for me!! I always get compliments on how smooth my skin looks! I also used to use Clinique's pore refining lotion and that made a difference as well.

 

[Dreamergirl3]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MissChievous I think it's really important to do your makeup in natural daylight, whatever the natural light may be. Sometimes bathroom lighting can make your makeup look really different, then when you go out you notice the foundation is blotchy or not blended well, the blush is too strong, etc. Try to set up a mirror somewhere with natural light from the windows and do your makeup there, if you can.

I cannot tell you how much I agree with this. It really helps, and it also helps you develop your skills because you can see almost everything, if you need to blend more, add more, etc. It's the safest bet for looking great in most lighting, wherever your day takes you.

 

[Shimmer]

When I'm looking for a polished and professional appearance, I generally make sure I balance my face pretty evenly. For my day to day I may only wear lipbalm or gloss but in these cases I go ahead and do lipstick to go with my eyeshadow, blush, etc. It balances my features back out.

 

[YupikEskimo]

Thanks for all the replies!

I don't always do my makeup in natural light, so it probably helps a lot. I always pass I mirror with natural light hitting it when I go out in the mornings & I'm usually mortified!

I've just checked out the Bare Escentuals range, and wow, it seems amazing..but I don't think you can get it where I live.

I usually apply my cream foundation with my hands, but this morning I applied it with an old blush brush, and even with that I got a much smoother coverage.

Thanks for the tips!

 

[Pretty]

Dont forget to use MAC's Fix+ spray after your make up is done... especially if u have this dusty look from using powder... love iT

 

[NikkiHorror]

Quote:

Originally Posted by YupikEskimo Thanks for all the replies! I don't always do my makeup in natural light, so it probably helps a lot. I always pass I mirror with natural light hitting it when I go out in the mornings & I'm usually mortified! I've just checked out the Bare Escentuals range, and wow, it seems amazing..but I don't think you can get it where I live. I usually apply my cream foundation with my hands, but this morning I applied it with an old blush brush, and even with that I got a much smoother coverage. Thanks for the tips!

Definatley invest in a good foundation primer. I've found Smashbox's Photo Finish to be the best. This guy sits underneath your makeup, filling in fine lines and pores to get you your smoothest skin possible.

Never use your fingers to put on foundation. The oil, sweat, dirt, and heat from your fingers will dissolve the makeup in certain spots and push it to the outer edges of your face. You'll end up with that mask-type look and that line underneath your chin. You should really get an acrylic foundation brush, do not continue to use a blush brush to apply your foundation. Most makeup brushes are made with animal hair, and animal hair is coarse when viewed through a microscope. The little grooves in the hair will trap makeup, applying it unevenly, and trapping oil and dirt then begin to grow bacteria. Next time you use it you'll have bacteria spreading all over your face!

All cream products need to be applied with: Plastic/acrylic brushes.
All powder products need to be applied with: High quality animal hair brushes.

Wash your brushes 3x weekly to keep them free of gunk.

If you have dry skin, I wouldn't reccomend mineral makeup which is even more drying.

Yes, Fix+ is a must for a polished/professional finish on the face.

Balance the color on your face. Use colors that are close to your natural ones, but a little brighter. Check out your natural lip color, is it pink? A little plummy? A red? Find a sheer lip color (not a gloss) that boosts your natural shade a couple notches. And line with a lip pencil AFTER for a super natural look. For cheeks, do the same. What color do you flush when you work out? And eyes, use taupes and light browns.

And Smashbox's Brow Tech is my #1 brow product. It comes with a colored powder on one side that sticks to hair, not to skin for easy application and a wax on the other side that helps you groom over unruly brow hairs and fill in over-plucked areas. INGENIOUS! Using a brush and powder for your brows will give them a much softer, natural look. Picking up a brow pencil, we tend to "draw" our brows in harshly, it's just the innitial reaction when picking up a pencil. Please do not skip on your brows, they are the single most important part of makeup!! Even if you do everything else, your makeup will still look unprofessional if your brows aren't filled in.

We all want to see a picture of your polished look when you're done!

 

[freaksinunif0rm]

My skin's pretty clear in the first place, but if I really want to look flawless, I use concealer (MAC studio stick) and some sheer loose powder. My foundation seems to darken my complexion, so I rarely use it anymore...

For my brows, I use brun eyeshadow and the brow finisher (I have dark eyebrows, too). Be careful though because it goes on REALLY dark. Start at the base of your brow and blend upward with the eyeshadow. Then use the brow finisher to make your brows perfect :]. Then brush is with a brow brush XD.

 

[Janice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pretty Dont forget to use MAC's Fix+ spray after your make up is done... especially if u have this dusty look from using powder... love iT

That's exactly the first thing I would reccomend as well. It's a fine mist to spray on your face before / after makeup application. I love using it to finish my look before I move from the vanity.

 

[bellaetoile]

several recommendations:

first of all, TAKE YOUR TIME. slow and steady wins the race when it comes to makeup application. you are more precise, there's less fallout, and you make less mistakes. if your short on time, wear less makeup, don't try to rush through a detailed application.

natural light is always the best. have a steady mirror, with no glare. generally, i find larger mirrorrs, a vanity, or a bathroom mirror, work better than the smaller cosmetic mirrors. make sure there aren't any wierd lights reflecting off the surface. a couple of feet, at most, is a good distance away from the mirror. you don't want to be too close (you want to be far enough to get the big picture), but you don't want to be too far away to be able to see details. i prefer standing up when i do my makeup, i'm not sure why, it's just a wierd preference of mine. you want to be comfortable, though, no matter where you are.

use good brushes. application and technique are SO important with makeup application. better fibers in brush hair make blending easier, and make products go on smoother.

clean, exfoliated skin is a must. you basically want a blank canvas when you begin your work. mac microfine refinisher works great to exfoliate, without being too harsh. use it 2-3 times a week. wash your face every morning and evening with warm (not hot) water, and moisturize. mac studio moisture fix or studio moisture cream work well. make sure makeup is completely off before you go to sleep. makeup is NOT meant to be worn overnight, and can be horrible for your skin.

primers and bases! my favorites: prep and prime skin for my face, prep and prime lip for my lips, and my eye primer is urban decay primer potion , and then a shadestick, paint, or cream color base.

fix+ is great for making things looked polish, and keeping them in place. i usually just srpay a couple sprays over my finished face when i'm done with my makeup to keep things on. i keep one in my car for a mid-day spritz or two. sometimes, if i've got both work and school, and really want my foundation to stay put, i'll apply a layer of foundation, a layer of fix+, let both those dry, and then repeat, with another layer of foundation or powder, and another spray of fix+.

hoped this all helps...

 

[YupikEskimo]

Thank you to everyone for the replies!

I see that primer is really important – I used to wear a green based one about a year ago, but I began to skip it because it used to take too long. It’ll be a good habit to pick up again though.

Thanks so much NikkiHorror for the brush tips (and much more!), I wasn’t even aware that we should distinguish between synthetic and animal fibre makeup brushes! I won’t go near my foundation with fingertips again.

I rooted out an olllld eyebrow pencil yesterday, and it was a shade lighter than my hair colour, but I realise I should probably get a filler –there really is such an impulse to draw- and in an even lighter shade –because it comes out so much darker. Thanks also to freaksinunif0rm for the eyebrow tips!

And also, thanks for the skincare tips. I use this emollient my doctor prescribed me because I used to get dry & sensitive skin and the rest of my skincare products are from the Calming Aloe or Gentle Camomile range from the Body Shop.

I will check out Mac Fix + spray, along with Mac’s brushes & eyebrow fillers! I’m just visiting family at the moment & I’m not sure if there’s a Mac counter in this city, but it will get done at some point.

Thanks so much for all your tips, I really appreciate it & I’m sure lots of other people are benefiting from this thread too!

P.S. I’m sorry but I have a policy of not posting photos online & I hope you don’t mind..but you’re tips really are making a difference on my appearance!

 

[NikkiHorror]

Yayyy!! We

you Yupi!! As Smashbox always says: Our Knowledge, Your Beauty.