Although the summer season with its bare essential makeup requirements leaves skin with a beautiful tan and glowing appearance, it also leaves makeup application skills rusty and out of practice. Colette Cormier, a Toronto-based makeup artist and instructor, shares her advice for sharpening makeup techniques, choosing the best colours for different complexions and wearing the hottest fall makeup.
A firm foundation
Foundation is an essential part of any makeup application process. Not only does it conceal minor blemishes and flaws in the skin, but it also helps eye shadows and blushes to glide on easier and adhere. When choosing a foundation, it is imperative to choose one that matches both the face and the neck in order to avoid an obvious makeup line under the chin. For best results, have the makeup consultant at the store help you choose the perfect colour.
The best way to apply foundation is with a foundation brush followed by a sponge to blend, making sure to finish one area of the face before heading to the next (e.g., start with the foundation brush on the forehead and even out with the sponge before moving onto the cheeks and so on). Tip: "Try not to use fingers when applying foundation, as fingers will share their oils and bacteria with the product," says Cormier.
Blush basics
There are two main types of blush, cream and powder. Cream blush must always be applied after foundation and before powdering, whereas powder blush will not blend over liquid foundation and must be applied after setting your foundation with powder. Tip: "M.A.C makes one of the best setting powders, called Blot Powder [$22, www.maccosmetics.ca]," recommends Cormier.
Blush should always be applied to the apples of the cheeks, making sure to leave a finger's width between the nose and the blush so the face won't appear wider. Also try not to trail blush below the nostrils, as it can make the face appear long and narrow.
Popping peepers
The number one must when it comes to eyes is to curl lashes before putting on mascara to maximize its effect. "I like to use a lengthening mascara like L'Oreal's Lash Out [$7.50, available at most drugstores], then a thickening mascara like L'Oreal's Voluminous [$7.50, available at most drugstores] to create fuller lashes," say Cormier. Another great eye trick is to put black mascara on the top lashes and navy mascara on the bottom lashes to make eyes pop -- it will also make the whites of the eyes look whiter.
When applying eye shadow, it's important to use an eye primer as a base -- it will help keep the colour closer to its true shade and prevent it from creasing. To find the perfect eye shadow colour, Colette recommends searching for shades opposite your eye colour on the colour wheel. For example, shades of orange and peach complement blue eyes, shades of red and burgundy complement green eyes, and shades of blue and purple work well with brown eyes.
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