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Thursday 26 January 2012

Makeup Tips for the Ordinary Girl! Part 1

We've all made fashion faux pas over the years, and it's usually something we can learn from, look back and laugh (and cringe) at! But makeup and style and fashion are very personal things and we all have different tastes, so one person's golden rule will be another person's worst nightmare. When it comes to makeup there are a few basic things we can all do that will make subtle differences to our look, without doing anything drastic. Some of these things have been mentioned over and over again, so why are we still getting it wrong? Here are a few makeup mistakes I've heard of (or made myself!) and ways to correct them! I've divided this post into several parts as there are too many to go into in one go and I want to go into a little bit of detail about each one.

  • Wrong shade/tone of foundation - This can be anything from too dark to too light, too pink, too yellow...


How to correct 

Foundation is the one area I'd recommend to spend money on if you can, and one great aspect of buying an expensive foundation from a luxury brand is that there is usually a girl on a makeup counter who is trained and experienced and can advise you on which foundation type and colour will suit you best. Take advantage of this, she's there to help and should be happy to talk you through your options and give you a sample if you require it. If your budget doesn't stretch that far, there are some brilliant drugstore foundations out there - I've written a blog post about how to pick the right drugstore foundation and which brands I like.

  • Pale/Blank/Non-existent Lips - This usually occurs when the face is quite dark (sometimes from fake tan or foundation - or both) and the lips are made paler.



How to correct
Just don't apply lipstick that is lighter than your skin! Very few of us can get away with it, it generally doesn't suit anyone and only when it's done very well by a makeup artist will anyone manage to pull it off. Lots of women (and men!) have quite a lot of pigment in their lips, as in their lips can be quite pink or even red - this is usually an indication that this look will not suit you, it just doesn't look natural (I know lots of lip colours don't look natural but a bright colour that suits you can look really nice). My best advice is to go nude rather than pale. Pick a colour that suits the undertone of your skin - pinks and peaches will usually suit pale girls, darker girls can wear caramel or golden tones. Or pick a colour that is close to your natural lip colour - test lipsticks on your fingertips as this is slightly redder than other parts of your body and therefore will be closer to your natural lip colour. Trust me on this one, your photos will turn out a lot better!

  • No eyebrows  - Usually occurs when the hair is dyed darker than the natural colour and the eyebrows are not filled in/coloured to match. Some people may have naturally dark hair and light eyebrows.

How to correct
The best thing I find for adding just a bit of definition to the eyebrows is to apply a little eyeshadow through the hairs of the eyebrows with a stiff angled brush (a good example is a MAC 266 brush). In most cases a cool colour should be used, such as light greyish brown for blondes and a dark brown with no red or chocolate undertones for brunettes and black hair (never use black eyeshadow even if you have black hair - it's too harsh). The only time I'd advise using a warm colour is if you have red hair, whether natural or coloured. Always use a matte shadow, never shimmery. The eyebrows don't have to be the centre of attention but adding a tiny bit of definition will frame your face, look polished and again, will make a huge difference to your photos!

  • Too much eyebrow! - When the eyebrows are too dark/heavy,overdrawn, usually doesn't look right if the eyebrows aren't naturally that way.

How to correct
As with most things, just don't draw them on so heavy! Natural thick eyebrows can look really nice and youthful, and don't need a lot of attention, but we're not all lucky enough to have them so we have to make the most with what we've got. Of course you can make your eyebrows look a little bit fuller than they naturally are, just don't overdo it! Don't draw the eyebrows on with a dark pencil and don't use a heavy hand to do it. By all means use a pencil if you like, but use short, light strokes that replicate the hairs of your eyebrows. There are so many products out there aimed specifically at eyebrows, and if you're struggling to keep your eyebrows in shape, maybe think about getting them shaped or threaded at a salon or brow bar. Otherwise, this is a good example to follow 

So these are just a few of the most common makeup mistakes, I'll be back with more soon!

Thanks for reading!

Suzie!
xx




5 comments:

  1. Hey hun I have awarded you the Versatile Blogger award :) Go check my blog for details xxx

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  2. This post made me giggle reminded me of a family party when my mums friend turned up with a green corrector all over her face no concealer no foundation just the green correcter was so funny she looked like kermit the frog.

    Thank you for the lovely comment you left on my blog I will look into doing youtube tutorials I started on here so see if people would want to see them thanks for the feedback.

    I love your blog and will definitely be following you from now on, also lovin the makeup in your profile picture. xxx

    loveallthingspretty.blogspot.com

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