GOING STEADY! How steady is your hand when applying lipstick, liner, nailpolish?

MAKE UP APPLICATION
Pic courtesy of Google Images.

Frustration can hit in an instance when applying make up or even nail polish. Do any of these pics looks familiar ladies???? and Gents????

All pics are Courtesy of Google Images 

I cringe each time I see gel liner applied terribly on girls, not to mention lippie that makes one side of the lip look bigger. Or is it the Botox that went wrong there???? One has to wonder.

Make up application is an art form. You have a canvas and you can either paint a Mona Lisa, or you could create the wonderful scene out of Mr Bean's movie!!!! You know the one; "Whistler's Mother" painting.

'Whistler's Mother' - Pic Courtesy of Google Images 

But it doesn't have to be so technical. It comes down to having the right tools and of course a STEADY HAND. Oh, and I forgot to mention - you need PATIENCE.

EYELINER/GEL LINER APPLICATION.

Nothing spells GLAMOUR than a perfectly drawn winged liner. Please don't mistaken me for actual freaken wings drawn on, like they are about to take off. It's the elegant line that graces the top lash line as well as the bottom lash line. There is no rule you must do both. You can do one or the other too. By popping on liner on the top lash line, you are completing the eye and giving it definition. By concentrating on the outer corner of the eye, you can draw in the bottom lash line only midway.

Liner does NOT have to be black. It can be brown, blue (don't go crazy women of the 80's please), charcoal, etc. It doesn't have to be thick - in fact the thinner it is on a mature woman (notice I did not say OLD) the more elegant it is. Remember, less is more!

You don't have to just use the liquid or gel liners (although they are my favourite), you can also use a eyeliner pencil, crayon or even plain ole' eyeshadow. The secret to the success of these applied to the eye area ladies, is the tool you choose to use.

EYE LINER BRUSH

There are a few different brushes you can use to perfect this. There is the small liner brush which works well with liquid liner. Then there is the angled brush which is my fave tool for applying gel liner. Both can seem daunting, but I've always told my students, that if you take your time, and slowly draw the line closest to the lash line, you will accomplish this look. Don't rush in and try and do one long line from left to right ........ especially when you are trying it for the first time. Do short strokes - almost like a dot-to-dot.

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You can also cheat when you are wanting a perfect winged liner. Place some sticky tape (not gaffer tape peeps, just some 3M invisible tape will do). Simply line up the tape from the outer edge of your brow and the outer edge of your eye. Draw in your liner and when its dry, gently remove the tape. Wolah!!!! 

Practice makes perfect so don't get disgruntled if it doesn't look good. Have cotton tips on hand to tidy up any excess liner. TIP: use Primer as an eraser when trying to remove gel/liquid liners.

LIPSTICK APPLICATION.

Lippie is pretty straightforward. Especially if you choose to wear the likes of a gloss or lacquer. Can't go wrong in applying these. It's when the RED LIPSTICK or any dark lippie for that fact, that I see it go all wrong.

Even as a professional Make up Artist, I too have difficulty sometimes trying to apply the lippie on my client, without it looking like someone just gave you ''pash rash". I personally find if I concentrate too hard to try and apply the lippie properly, I tend to make a boo-boo. Get right into it and go for it. Whats the worst that can happen? You look like a clown. Big Deal. Just start again.

LIPSTICK BRUSH

You can apply your lippie straight onto your lips but if you want to build the colour to intensify it, I suggest using a lip brush. It gives you precision and keeps your lippie free from any bacteria that you may have transferred from your lips.

LIP LINER

Lip liners are designed to stop the colour of the lippie from bleeding through. Please don't do the whole 'dark lipliner, lighter lipstick' look. It looks so 80's and I personally think it ages you. If fact, I don't even use lipliner, unless a dark colour is being worn. I like to feather-in the entire lip with the liner so that it creates a nice base for the lippie or gloss.

DON'T forget to accentuate your CUPID'S BOW! (What? you ask). You know, the middle bit of your upper lip - the pout. By accentuating it, it will give the appearance of the perfect lip. When going off to a special event (for me that's pretty much going shopping!), highlight the cupid's bow with a illuminiser or highlighter to define the lip even further. Looks great in photos.

Lippie Tip: When wearing Red Lipstick, to avoid the colour getting onto your teeth, simply pop your finger into your mouth and press hard onto it and then pull your finger out. Excess lippie will come off as opposed to staining your pearly whites.

NAIL POLISH APPLICATION.

Before I studied my Diploma in Beauty Therapy, I was the girl who had a perfect manicured left hand and a crappy looking right hand. Sound familiar????? I had better control of my right handing painting my nails on my left hand. I will admit, that over the years prior to my studies, I was beginning to improve.

IF you do get polish all over your skin as opposed to your nails; remove with a cotton tip dipped in acetone. STAT. Like ASAP. Nobody wants to see the crappy nail polish all over your hand.

I do find that brands like O.P.I, Essie, Sally Hansen, Rimmel have great brushes for painting. They are firmer and not flimsy like some others. I have better control with applying my nail polish when the brush is perfect.

Pics Courtesy of Google Images.  

The right way to apply nail varnish. 

So to finish up, in order to achieve a flawless make up finish (without having to pay someone like me to do it); you have to have the right brush tools. With patience, you will find your technique will improve and you will have mastered the look.

Ciao!
SK x