The Bottom Line on Liner?

 Ahh liner - the aspect of make up I get asked most often about. There are so many options out there it really is hard to choose. First off, every company claims to make the best liner, but then even within that company they have cream liner, kohl liner, and liquid liner. Then they have an array of colours to choose from in different sizes: the thin crayon or the impossible-to-apply-properly thick liner. 

At the end of the day, you gotta choose what works for you in your daily routine. And so the question remains, what is best for you?

                          (Left to right: Givenchy, Chanel, Mac)                                                   

Liquid liner is one of my favourites to use, but it really depends on what look you are going for and how steady your hand is. Many might argue with me on this one, but I stand by the fact that it is the hardest of all liners to apply: it's wet and dries very quickly. So, you gotta be steady, straight and you can't make a mistake, especially since liner is the last part of the eye to be applied (with the exception of mascara).

I love these three brands, Chanel being my favourite. I usually use a liner brush to apply the liquid liner, forgetting the brush that the liquid comes with. I don't like to use the brush from the bottle because anything that comes in a bottle can accumulate bacteria… need I say more?

(MAC Cosmetics)

Straight up crayon liner and kohl liners are the easiest to use. And if you make a litre mistake they aren't so hard to wipe off. The most common mistake with liner is that you have to make one sweep across the lid, which is largely incorrect. I like to make dabs (like a perforated line) in the desired area and then connect them either with the pencil or with an angled brush, smoothing over the line. This also helps to add a bit of shading to the liner, so that it doesn't look like a stencil across your lid (if that is what you are going for, you are better off with liquid liner).

(Smashbox)

Choosing the right colour for your look is the easiest part. Most people opt for black, brown or even grey. I like to switch it up and throw a little green, purple or blue in there sometimes. But, then again, it depends on the look you are going for, the event you are off to, the outfit you are wearing, and how bold you want your look to be.

(Laura Mercier)

I love love love Laura Mercier liners. My favourite is the thicker stick shown here. It works so well for under the eye. Here's a tip: hold the liner crayon up (like the whole stick is vertical against your cheek) and run the liner along your bottom lid. If you use a good angled brush to smooth it in, the smokey look can even be achieved by make-tards (this who can not apply make up to save their life). I'm not such a fan of cream liners. But if I had to use it, I would use Laura Mercier. 

                                 

(Left to right: Trish McEvoy, Bobbi Brown, Laura Mercier) 

The angled brush and the liner brush. These are my top pics. The thin angled brush to blend in the crayon or kohl, or the chubbier one to really create some shading (even smoke) and finally the liner brush, to dip into the liquid bottle or cream jar.

                    (Paula Dorf)                                                                 (MAC Cosmetics)

Last but not least is the option for those who can't find the colour they want, or are in between on the war of cream and liquid versus crayon, pencil or kohl. Use Paula Dorf's shadow transformer and mix it with the shadow of your choice, and voilà! Liner baby!

The best way to achieve the perfect upper liner is to find your natural line - the way to do this is to follow your bottom lid outward toward your brow (not that far out, just on that invisible line). 

That's the bottom line on liner. Because what's in your case goes on your face, and that matters ;)

Thanks for stopping by!

Z.

Arabian Nights

This girl has the most amazing face for make up! I love how much lid she has to work with.  I did a classic smokey look on her and I pulled out the liner to create an even more almond-shaped eye. I think one of the most overlooked things to do on a face is to work with the eyebrows. It is vital to give them a lift, a pluck or a combing if need be. Most importantly, gel them into place to get the desired look to stay as long as possible.

Given the green eyes I had to work with, I used pink to make them look even more green. I also used a touch of green under the eye to give the heavy smokey look a bit of a lift. I always find a strong black (or even grey) smokey look to be too dark. There are few times that I will use black to give a smokey effect and that is for black and white pictures, or an extremely black tie affair, and that is only if the person in questions carries make up well (not every face does). But just because you won't be wearing a classic black smokey, doesn't mean you can't still rock the smoke. 

To get the almond shape that she has here, simply pull the liner out from the bottom lid and pull it toward the end of the brow. Then, from the inside of the top lid, do the same with the liner toward your nose. Use a lighter colour above the liner on the inner part of your eye where it meets your nose to create some contouring. And again, some light shadow right under the brow on your brow bone.

I did very little on the face and lips here, because you have to pick, either focus on the eyes or on the lips, but you can't load on too much on both - that is what I like to call, the cake effect. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Z.

Au Naturel

Natural is the only way to be on a daily basis.  You want to look like you, but in the best way possible.  The whole idea behind natural is to feel and look like you aren't wearing make up. But don't let TV and photos fool you, the natural look when photographed or on screen requires just as much, if not more, make up as any other look.

 In these pictures, Miranda is wearing a variety of colours on her lids, cheeks and lips. The reason for all the layering is that a human face does not have just one perfect colour; it has several colours that come through to give depth, provide shading and brightness.  Make up in a natural look merely mimics what the face does naturally.  

So, since Miranda's natural colours are fair and pink, the shadows have pink undertone, the lipstick has a pink hue to it and instead of bronzer that would change her fair skin tone, I opted to keep it light and just add some blush for a "it's cold outside so now my cheeks are rosy" kind of look. The make up enhances her features in a palette that compliments hers.

In real life, we don't have dozens of cameras pointed at our faces (except at selfie moments), so it's important to keep it natural during the day. Not just to look natural, but to feel natural, as well. Here are some tips:

• A tinted moisturizer instead of full-on foundation covers up just as well for a day look. 
• Balm or gloss works well on the lips during the day. These days every balm and gloss that is out there has several colour choices; pick the one that best matches your lip colour. And remember to get one with SPF.
• If you have light eyes and fair skin, fair to assume that your lashes aren't jet black, so opt for brown mascara. You can always change it up at night with a black wand.
• Pick shadow colours that compliment both your skin tone and your eye colour. Don't be shy to add a hint of colour even to your day look. If properly applied, then you won't see the colour, but rather the effect it has on highlighting your eye colour.
• Blush and bronzer and all that other face stuff - keep it light and blend, blend, blend... blend. You should never be able to see a colour difference between your face and the rest of your body! 

Thanks for stopping by!

Z.

We Can Make Winter A Wonderland

Putting together this shoot was so much fun. I had a blast of inspiration to bedazzle this model's lips. I created a smokey look with a colourful palette on her eyes, in tandem with the crystallized lip.

Light gold, shimmery bronze and a dark green created an effect that would pick up her blond hair, fair skin and green eyes.

Under the brow, I always use the lightest colour to accent the brow bone and create some contouring without caking on the concealers and foundations. With the right shadows, and shadow colours, contouring can be achieved at the same time as the smokey look. 

I am not such a fan of fake eyelashes for a daily look, not even a nightly look. It's gotta be an occasion, like a big occasion where you will be photographed, otherwise it's just unnecessary and unless properly applied, looks fake. For the purpose of this shoot, of course Alex was wearing lashes. I chose a subtle lash that I trimmed to look as natural as possible all whilst staying with the smokey look. 

 Crystals are obviously not wearable nor are they accessible. But, they do look damn good. 

 In order to keep the natural roundness and puffiness of Alex's lips, I used a combo of red and pink. This is actually a helpful tool, pay attention to where the pink is and where the red is. The pink has been applied solely to the middle of her lips, allowing the lips to look full, while the red is on the sides. 

 Any make up artist will tell you that the best way to achieve the best you with make up is by layering colours and working with a palette of dark and light. Dark pushes back and light brings forward. Using this simple fact will help when choosing colours and choosing where to apply them. 

This is the first of many photos that I will post and as time goes on, I will teach you everything from how to pick colours best suited for your face, foundation, bronzer, lipstick... to how, when and where to apply all of it. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Z.