After years and years of applying my own makeup, I still wouldn’t call myself an artist. Most of the time I’m not even confident that I’m doing it correctly, so I’m more than happy to try out a new technique when it’s recommended to me.
Instant Face Lift
This makeup move will give you a subtle change that brightens your face. Take a concealer pencil (such as Susan Posnick Color Correct,and draw three horizontal lines — like cat whiskers — near the nose spanning out across the cheek. Use a sponge or clean brush to blend each line in an upward direction for an instant lift and ultra brightening effect.
To boost the effect, Petra Strand of Pixi Beauty suggests using a concealer pencil in the manner described above, then directly above each whisker, draw another whisker line using a highlighter. “When the concealer and highlighter are blended into the skin, it will not only lift and highlight, but will make the skin look airbrushed.”
Tone It Down
“If you have applied eye shadow that is a little too intense, don’t remove, just dip a shadow blender brush in bronzing powder, and sweep across the entire lid,” says Strand. “The bronzing powder will work like a neutral tint, so it will diffuse and soften the color without changing it too radically.”
For Lush Lashes
To get a better curl, Celebrity Makeup Artist and President/Founder of Mally Beauty, Mally Roncal uses the three-pump system with her lash curler. She starts with a squeeze at the base of the lashes, then a squeeze in the middle and ends with a squeeze at the tips of the lashes.
Once you’ve curled your lashes, Strand says to sprinkle a small amount of loose powder onto them, and then apply your mascara. Apply a second coat by zig-zagging the wand through the lashes to fan them out. You will notice that the powder helps to maximize the look of each lash.
For Fuller Lips
Roncal suggests connecting the two points of your Cupid’s bow (the top of your upper lip) with a nude lip pencil, like the Mally Lip Essentials Pencil ($15, mallybeauty.com), before going over the area with a light gloss.
An Improved Cat Eye
If you’re like me, then you still can’t manage to draw on a decent cat eye. While many tutorials suggest flicking your pencil up and out, it’s easier said than done. In a recent online video for Keds, Taylor Swift shared her tip for getting a good, straight line: Instead of worrying about flicking out from the top lash line, follow the bottom lash line up with an eye pen (Strand recommends the Pixi Lash Line Ink, $16, pixibeauty.com). This ensures you get the perfect angle for your cat eye.