When I was a kid I sought beauty in perfection. As I got older I began to value the imperfect — for it is there that the unique, the authentic is manifest. It is there that we see that which makes us an individual and unique.
Susan Sarandon
Now that you’ve created some makeup, surely you are eager to test it out. Before you do, it is important to understand that the structure of mineral makeup is different from that of the cosmetics you buy commercially, and that fact affects its application. Mineral makeup has fewer ingredients and is more pigmented than most store-bought cosmetics. A little mineral makeup goes a long way! Be sure to blend, blend, blend. Start with a light layer, only adding more if you need extra coverage. If you find the makeup is too concentrated, you can add some sericite to make it subtler and easier to apply.
You can also experiment with applying mineral makeup in different states: use the makeup wet or dry, or mix it with sunscreens, lotions, serum, or any other mixing medium. To apply your mineral makeup wet, first pour some powder into a lid or onto the back of your hand, then either use a damp brush to apply the makeup, or use a brush to mix the powder with some water or mixing medium and then apply. If you want lighter coverage, add a dash of foundation to your regular face lotion. The more powder you add, the more coverage the makeup will offer, while the less powder you use, the more transluscent your coverage will be.
To ensure your makeup stays free of bacteria, mix up only enough liquid and makeup for one use, then throw away leftovers. Never add liquid of any kind directly to your container of powdered makeup.
Even the most beautiful makeup won’t look flawless if it is applied with the wrong tools. Mineral makeup powders apply best with brushes that have natural — rather than synthetic — bristles. If you decide to turn your makeup into a liquid form, however, synthetic brushes will give you a smoother application than natural bristles. For the best results, make sure your skin is always clean and moisturized, and have on hand a variety of clean, high-quality brushes, including:
Wash the brushes you use at home weekly. Set out a clean, dry towel and fill a bowl or sink with hot water. Dip the bristles of each brush into the water. Be sure not to soak the whole brush, as this can loosen the glue under the metal band, which holds the bristles in place. Place a small drop of facial soap into the palm of your hand or onto a clean plate, then gently rub the brush bristles back and forth and in a circular motion until all the bristles are covered in soap and some makeup product comes out of the brush. Rinse the brush, then continue the cycle of rinsing, washing with soap, and rinsing again, until the bristles are clean and the water runs clear. If you are applying makeup on other people, spot-clean your brushes with a disinfecting brush spray after each person.
Always use your cosmetics as directed and make sure you are following any restrictions that might be relevant to individual ingredients. To keep yourself safe and your skin healthy, follow these tips when using makeup:
Test the product on a small part of your jawline for one hour before applying it to a larger, and possibly more sensitive, area on your face to see if your skin has any negative reactions.
Use a clean cotton swab each time you sample a new pigment or finished makeup. Never use your fingers!
Never share your cosmetics with anyone.
Note the expiration date of each item and/or ingredient, and discard it when it has expired. Also, if your makeup ever changes color, texture, or smell, throw it out!
Note the shape of your face and eyes. Most makeup artists believe the ideal face shape is oval, since that well-balanced proportion is pleasing to the eye. But by using blush, bronzer, contour, and highlighter, you can learn how to best frame your face shape, helping your natural beauty shine through. Eye shadow application and color can also visually alter eye shape.
There are many ways to put on your makeup. Don’t be afraid to play around and come up with a method that works best for you. I like to start with a clean face, then add a primer or facial lotion to even out my skin texture and help my makeup last all day. Then I work in any color correctors if needed, following up by addressing my eyes. I then apply foundation and concealer, followed by bronzer, blush, and highlighter, saving the lips for last.
One method for applying bronzer, highlighter, and blush
One of the most common questions I get is how to apply eye shadow. This is tricky, because there really isn’t one single right way to apply it. There are hundreds of options, depending on your eye shape, personal style preferences, and the occasion. That range of options can be either liberating or overwhelming. Here I explain two basic looks, and from there you can experiment with more advanced techniques.
Choose two colors. One should be a medium neutral color (such as tan, brown, gray, blue, or even a muted non-neutral tone) and the other should be a lighter highlight (such as white, cream, or even baby pink).
Bombshell, Briar, Buttercream, Cream Soda, Fairy Floss, Flurries, Heatherbelle, Nectar, Vanilla, Wonderland
Bambi, Beach Bunny, Cake, Calgary, Clancy, Cream Soda, Morgan le Fay, Nutmeg, Stargirl, Undine
Choose three monochromatic colors: a light, medium, and dark. The possibilities are endless. You could use white, gray, and black or cream, tan, and brown. Try smoky blues, plums, greens, or even bronze shades.
Bombshell, Buttercream, Fairy Floss, Flurries, Heatherbelle, Nectar, Vanilla, Wonderland
Bambi, Beach Bunny, Bones, Cake, Cashmere, Clancy, Cream Soda, Fern Gully, Morgan le Fay, Nutmeg, Oak, Stargirl, Undine
Bonsai, Brown Sugar, Calgary, Chimney, Echo, Fireflies, Kitty-Cat, Milk Chocolate, Peacock, Root Beer, Rueger, Sequins
Eyeliner can be applied either wet, for an intense sharp line, or dry, for a softer look. Use an angled brush for a thick, dramatic line or any other small eyeliner brush for just a hint of color.
To apply dry, use short, overlapping brushstrokes, starting in the inner corner of your eyelid and working toward the outer corner.
Dry eyeliner, using Peacock
To apply wet, dampen your brush with some mixing medium, then dip the brush into some loose powder, blending on the back of your hand before applying.
For a long-lasting eyeliner, first apply the color wet, then top it off with dry powder of the same color. Use two different colors to achieve a one-of-a-kind look: first apply a dark shade wet, then layer a lighter powder on top.
Wet eyeliner, winged look, using Fireflies
This popular look outlines the shape of the eye while extending and exaggerating the natural line of the top eyelashes. For best results, apply your eyeliner wet. If you plan to wear eye shadow, apply it before starting on your eyeliner.
You can apply your foundation either wet or dry. A wet application will give you fuller coverage, while a dry application results in a lighter, sheerer look. Either way, avoid applying foundation around your eyes if you plan to use concealer; this will prevent the makeup around your eyes from becoming too thick.
Combine a dash of foundation with one or two sprays of mixing medium or a few drops of water — just enough liquid to create a creamy consistency. Apply it with a foundation brush or a blending sponge. Tap the brush or sponge into the foundation and start applying at the center of the face, blending outward. For a lighter look, mix your dry foundation with your normal face lotion, serum, or sunscreen, then apply with a synthetic foundation brush or clean hands.
Blending dry foundation with mixing medium for a creamy consistency that offers heavier coverage.
To apply your foundation dry, simply tap some powder into the lid of your foundation jar, swirl your brush in it, and tap off any excess powder. Then buff the foundation onto your skin using circular motions. To help smooth out the layer and avoid a powdery look, lightly spray a small amount of mixing medium (see reicpe) directly onto your face after applying the powder.
Before blending (left). Dry foundation, using Eggnog (right).
To avoid powder settling into and drawing attention to fine wrinkles under your eyes, mix your concealer powder with moisturizer, eye cream, or serum before applying to dark under-eye circles. If you want to use concealer to camouflage dark under-eye circles, acne, scarring, or redness, you can apply it with either a damp or dry concealer brush. If you’re applying it under your eyes, dot the concealer on your skin starting near your tear ducts and moving outward. Blend either by patting with your finger or dabbing with a sponge. You can then add some finishing powder on top of the concealer to set it.
For a sun-kissed look, apply bronzer using an angled bronzer brush anywhere on your face the sun would touch, including the top of your forehead, the tops of your cheeks (or the hollows of your cheeks for a contoured look), the tip of your nose, and your chin.
Before blending (left). Contouring with bronzer, using Honey (right).
Apply a contouring color to shape and bring definition to your face. Using a matte color one or two shades darker than your skin, apply contour at the top and sides of your forehead, around the edge of your face, and under your cheekbones and jawline. In the example above, contouring is done with a bronzer color.
Using a fluffy brush, pat some blush on the center of your cheeks and blend upward toward your ear.
You can apply highlighter either wet, for an intense focus, or dry, with a fluffy brush, to get a subtler sheen. Regardless of whether you apply it wet or dry, you can use highlighter to achieve different effects. Apply it to your cheekbones and around the corners of your eyes to create a crescent shape that frames your eyes. You can create an overall youthful glow by applying highlighter to the center of your forehead, down the bridge of your nose, on your Cupid’s bow, and on your chin.
Before blending, crescent shape (left). Wet highlighter, using Heatherbelle (right).
Before blending, dewy look (left). Dry highlighter, using Heatherbelle (right).
First apply lip balm to moisturize your lips, then follow up with a lip gloss color. To achieve a pouty lip look, apply either highlighter or a lighter shimmery lip gloss to the center of your lips on top of the first gloss. If you don’t have any colored lip gloss on hand, you can mix a little blush into some clear lip gloss, as long as all the blush ingredients are approved for use on lips.
Cupid’s Bow Noun (1567): Two convex curves, usually with recurved ends; the top edge of a person’s upper lip
Using a large fluffy brush, gently pat the finishing powder over the T-zone, which includes the center of your forehead, bridge and sides of your nose, and your chin. You can also apply the powder anywhere you have used concealer.
Once you know the basic application techniques, you will want to choose colors that enhance your natural beauty by complementing your skin undertone, hair color, and eye color. Remember what you learned about color theory in chapter 2.
To enhance your skin shade and blend your makeup properly, you must select a foundation that matches your undertone. An easy way to test this is to pick three foundation shades that look close to your skin shade, and apply all three to your jawline. Usually one is too dark and one is too light, while one practically disappears on your skin. Choose that perfectly matched one. You also should choose blushes, bronzers, highlighters, lip glosses, and eye shadows with the same undertone as your skin.
When choosing colors for eye makeup, pick tones that work well with your natural eye color. Two popular approaches include using complementary colors to make the eye color “pop,” which results in fixing the eyes as the focal point of the face, or using neutral or analogous colors to create a more natural, balanced look. For a refresher on complementary and analogous colors, see chapter 2.
Blue eyes look best with warm, coppery colors. Try eye shadows in tones of golden brown, warm taupe, copper, warm brown, and golden khaki. Pick eyeliners that are warm brown, taupe, navy, bronze, burgundy, or black.
Green eyes look best with burgundy and violets. Try eye shadows in taupe, eggplant, plum, deep burgundy, lilac, and coppery bronze tones. Pick eyeliners that are burgundy, red brown, eggplant, lilac, violet, warm taupe, or coppery bronze.
Brown eyes look best with coppery bronze, golden brown, mahogany, eggplant, espresso, indigo blue, dark green, and pewter tones. Pick eyeliners that are black, navy, burgundy, mahogany, eggplant, taupe, bronze, or chocolate brown.
Gray eyes look best with cool shades such as cool brown, burgundy, and silver. Pick eyeliners that are gray, silver, black, purple, or deep brown.
Hazel eyes are a mix of two or more colors. Let whichever one you want to emphasize guide your complementary color decision. For example, if you have green-brown hazel eyes and want to focus on the green, choose colors that complement green eyes. You can also choose universally flattering eye shadow colors or switch it up, wearing colors that flatter the green some days and the brown on other days.
Keep two things in mind when choosing colors for your eyebrows: hair color and skin undertones. In general, if you have light hair, choose an eyebrow powder one or two shades darker than your natural hair color. If your hair is dark, choose an eyebrow powder one or two shades lighter than your natural color. If you have warm skin undertones, choose a warm eyebrow powder; if you have cool skin undertones, choose a cool eyebrow powder.
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Natural Hair Color |
Best Eyebrow Powder Shade |
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Blonde |
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One or two shades darker than hair color |
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Light to medium brown |
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Same color as hair or one shade darker |
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Dark brown |
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Same color as hair or one shade lighter |
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Red |
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Same color as hair or one shade lighter |
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Black |
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One or two shades lighter than hair color |
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White or gray |
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Silvery taupe or dark gray |
Brows darker than natural hair (left). Brows same color as natural hair (center). Brows lighter than natural hair (right).
Blush will look most natural when you use the color closest to your cheeks’ naturally flushed color. You can easily find this color by lightly pinching your cheeks. For best results, stay in that color family, while also being mindful to match your skin’s undertones.
Bronzer should be subtle. Choose a bronzer two or three shades darker than your natural skin color and with your same undertone.
Concealer used to counteract dark under-eye circles should contain hints of yellow. Choosing a concealer one shade lighter than the rest of your face will help brighten the darkness under your eyes. Concealer used to cover blemishes or scars should be the same shade as your foundation.
Color correctors can be used to counterbalance extreme skin conditions. They work by pairing the color of your skin problem with its complementary color. For intensely red skin, use a green color corrector; for dark circles under your eyes, use a yellow color corrector; for sallow skin, use a light pink or lilac color corrector. Only use color corrector underneath your foundation and concealer.
Highlighter should be about three to five shades lighter than your skin color and match your undertones. Cool skin undertones look best with whites, blue or green iridescence, and silvery highlights, while warm skin undertones look best with creams, golds, bronzes, and red or copper iridescence.
Lips can be enhanced beautifully with a color two or three shades darker than your natural lip tone.
The goal of using makeup is to enhance the way you look, not to change the way you look.
The goal of using makeup is to enhance the way you look, not to change the way you look. But sometimes specific parts of our face make us feel self-conscious, and in those cases it is nice to know a few techniques to help minimize perceived “imperfections.”
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Apply a light highlight down the bridge of the nose. |
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Add a contour color at the bottom of the nose and down each side |
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Use a matte foundation to draw attention away from the bumps. |
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Dot a light eye shadow in the center or the outer corners of the eyelids. |
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Dot a light eye shadow in the inner corner of the eyelids. |
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Use a light-colored glossy lipstick. |
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Brush a contour color under the jawline and down the neck. |
When creating a look, focus on just one part of the face. Wearing both bright lipstick and dark eye makeup can be too much, so balance things out by choosing one area to spotlight. If you choose your eyes, use dark, pigmented, bright, or sparkly colors to draw attention there, but keep your lips nude or natural. If you instead want to draw attention to your lips, use either rich, dark, or bright colors or glossy and lustrous shades on your lips, while keeping things simple around your eyes with a natural-toned eyeliner, only a little mascara, and no eye shadow.You can also create a balanced daytime look by using medium-toned or neutral colors everywhere, avoiding products that are bold, bright, or very light.
In Get Positively Beautiful, one of my favorite books, author Carmindy teaches readers how to accentuate their unique beauty instead of focusing on their perceived flaws. Figure out what you like best about yourself and find ways to draw attention to that feature. Following are some ideas.
Skin. If you have immaculate, youthful skin, showcase it by skipping foundation entirely or using a foundation with a hint of luster. You could also use highlighter to accentuate different areas of your face, including your forehead, the bridge of your nose, the corners of your eyes, your Cupid’s bow, your cheekbones, and under your eyebrows. That glisten will draw attention to your smooth and clear skin, creating a dewy look.
Eyes. If you love your eye color, pick colors that complement your natural shade. If you find the shape of your eyes especially attractive, use a dark or bright eyeliner to emphasis that.
Eyebrows. Make beautiful eyebrows the focal point by shaping them into strong, structured brows and using eyebrow powder.
Lips. Bright, shiny, and light colors draw attention to lips. If you love your lips, use some bright lipstick or a lustrous lip gloss.
Spotlight on the eyes with nude lips
Rich color on the lips with natural eyes
Take care of your skin by properly washing, exfoliating, moisturizing, treating, and protecting it with sunscreen. Eat healthfully and stay hydrated to ensure your skin will look its best! I used to apply a lot of products on my skin, but over the years I have found that the fewer products I use, the better my skin looks and feels.
Twice a day I wash my face with a mixture of just water and organic honey — sometimes mixing in a little baking soda as an exfoliator — and then tone with cotton balls soaked in alcohol-free witch hazel. In addition, I use aloe vera for a facial moisturizer. My skin looks best when I get at least eight hours of sleep a night, exercise for at least 20 minutes four times a week, and eat lots of fruits and vegetables, limiting my sugar intake and avoiding most processed, packaged, fried, and fast foods.
Everyone’s body is different, and you’ll need to figure out what works best for your skin. But pay attention and take care of your skin; it’s your largest organ!
