Insider Secrets From A Makeup Artist
Latest update: August 21st, 2012
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As a newly certified makeup artist, I am eager to be able to share all the tips and tricks I’ve learned in beauty school. Truth be told, I’ve been pretty passionate about beauty products since I first laid eyes on a flavored lip-gloss as a preteen. I’ve amassed a sizeable collection of makeup over the years, experimented on many friends, and even earned a Bachelor’s degree in Cosmetics Marketing (as only someone who takes the beauty industry pretty seriously can do!) But despite my years of being involved with beauty products recreationally, training professionally as a makeup artist has taught me certain insider secrets I would have never discovered otherwise.
Get Yourself A Great Set Of Brushes
(and learn how to use them all!)
Working with professional makeup brushes can make an enormous difference in how your makeup ends up looking. Using a variety of cosmetic brushes for different applications and products can give you a more pristine look. For example, using a small blending brush after your eyeshadow is applied will make your eye makeup look a lot more polished. Similarly, specialized lip brushes not only give lipstick and lip-gloss a much nicer effect versus applying it directly from a lipstick tube, but the product will last longer as well.
It’s Prime Time…
How to get your makeup to last a long time is a question that women ask all the time – and a vital part of a makeup artist’s job. So how do the experts get the makeup to last for so long? The answer lies in the products they use and the way they apply them. Firstly, primer is a biggie. Before putting on any makeup, applying a face primer preps the skin and gives the makeup a perfect surface to sit on. You can also opt for a specialized eyelid primer and lip primer, or just use a concealer or foundation as a base to get your makeup to adhere. Secondly, layering is vital in having cosmetics adhere to the face. After putting on your foundation and concealer, dust on a layer of powder that is translucent or the same color as your foundation. The powder serves to set the liquid makeup underneath. You can use the same application principle for the rest of your makeup, too; if you want your eyeshadow, blush or lipstick to last a long time, layering powder and liquid formulas help keep everything in place. For example, first apply cream blush and then set with a powdered blush to make your cheeks flushed all day long. Another trick is to pat dark eyeshadow on top of your liquid or gel eyeliner to intensify the color and make it last longer.
The Secret For Lush Lashes
I never knew how to really apply mascara until recently, but WOW does it make a difference! Did you know that mascara tubes actually have so much product inside them? If you dip a mascara wand into the tube and put it right on your lashes, they will almost certainly become thick and clumpy. But if you wipe off your wand so that only a very small amount of mascara is actually on it (you’ll be surprised how much gunk can actually be on a brush of that size!), it will coat your lashes in a thin and delicate layer of mascara, which makes it easier for them to be separately defined. Then, after they are dry you can add another thin layer for more definition. Try slowly building up your mascara this way and you will certainly see a difference. Another couple of lash tips: The extra minute in your makeup routine that it will take to use an eyelash curler is worth it – it will really open up your eyes (and remember: always curl your lashes beforeapplying mascara). And using an eyelash comb to brush through your lashes while the mascara is still wet is a stunning way to separate and lengthen lashes.
Have Fun and Experiment! 
As someone who has taken many painting classes, I was struck at the similarities between makeup artistry and fine artistry. Whether you paint canvases or people’s faces, there is always a progression of skill and a point at which you can take artistic license and experiment. Once you properly know how to the tools (the brushes, palettes, sponges, etc.) and the products (pencils, liquids, solids, etc.) and understand your ultimate goal, you don’t really need to heed someone else’s rules. When you’re confident with your skills there is so much experimentation to be done. All the top artists have different styles and techniques that work for them, and the results are always beautiful. Because faces are so different, certain things may work for some and not for others. I was particularly struck when I read Bobbi Brown’s advice never to line the inner rim of the eyes because it shrinks them – because another makeup artist had just expressed how gorgeous eyeliner on the inner eyes can look! Basically, trying things out on yourself is the best way to go. Testing different methods out to see what works for you and makes you feel confident is your best bet for looking and feeling beautiful!
tell a friendAbout the Author: Elisheva Blumberg is a certified makeup artist and a fashion/beauty blogger (visit her blog, www.bellabusta.com) She has degrees in Fashion Merchandising and Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing from the Fashion Institute of Techology. To book an appointment for a makeup application or ask a question, you can email her at bellabusta@rocketmail.com.
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