EYES ......
I am going to break Making Up the Eye into 4 Sections ....FALSE EYELASHES, EYESHADOW, EYELINER, and MASCARA
#1 ..... APPLYING FALSE EYELASHES: Nothing is going to make your eyes stand out more than false eyelashes, but we have found that many girls have a frightful time trying to apply them. I suggest applying lashes FIRST, because if you make a mistake, you have not lost that much. Here are a few tips to help make the process a little less painful. You have to start by buying the right eyelash for the look you are trying to achieve. In the case of lashes, bigger and fluffier are not always better. There are many styles and for the beginner, I would choose the most natural looking pair I could find. When you take the lashes out of their container, hold them to your eye (without glue). Center them in the middle of the lash line and make note if they are too long. For a natural look, you want the concentration of lashes to be in the middle of the eye. For a more dramatic effect you will move the lash slightly toward the outer corner of the eye. Find the spot you want to place the lash, and then trim off both ends of the false lashes. Most lash strips are made too long to accommodate different eyes, so you must trim to fit your eye. Hold the lash back up to your eye, and make a mental note of where you are going to place it. Next, apply a thin line of Fresh Glue from the tube onto the lower lash line, or thin strip, that holds the lashes together. Now just lay the lash down on the table in front of you making sure not to *smudge the glue. Repeat with the second lash. This is where most girls make their mistake. You MUST let the glue set up a little before applying to the eyelid. If the glue is too "wet", it will have a tendency to slide, and when it does, it will not be placed correctly, and you will have to start again, not to mention clean your eyelid and start that over as well, so let the glue set a few minutes. Once set, hold the lash by the middle of the strip and point the middle toward the spot you have made the mental note of. Place the middle of the strip on the desired spot. If you have let the glue set, it should stay in place. Now work from the middle, and place each side of the false lash right on top of your own lash line. I use a flat toothpick end to press the lashes into the line ..BE VERY CAREFUL..VOILA! Let the lash glue dry fully before applying any more eye makeup. I always do my last coat of nail polish, or take out my hot rollers while Im waiting for the glue to dry...
#2 ..... EYESHADOW: Using eyeshadow to achieve the look you want is an art in itself. There are so many colors and ways to apply that you must, in a way, think of it as art. I did not go to art school, but know some basic principles that are very useful in applying eyeshadow. Light colors attract light and bring the subject forward, and dark colors will recede the object. That principle is used in eye shadowing to give the desired effect. For the sake of keeping things SIMPLE & BASIC, we will skip the array of color palettes (for now), and concentrate on a simple method... That of the three shade eye . You choose one color in a light, medium and darker shade (This works with any color). Use dry powder eyeshadow. Cream shadows are easy to blend but also melt into the eye creases.
1. Dust the eyelid from lash line to brow bone in the lightest shade. bring the color out to the end of your eyebrow.
2. Cover the eyelid alone in the medium shade
3. If your eyes are not *deep set* use the darkest color and follow the natural crease in your eye. Follow the natural path until you are about 3/4 of the way to the end of the eye, and then sweep up just a little. If your eyes are deep set, you will make the same movement, but bring the applicator up a little just above the crease. This will give the illusion that the crease is not so deep set, and give you *more eyelid!
This is a very BASIC eyeshadow application, and the most simple to learn. I will give many more techniques to dramatize the eye in upcoming essays.
#3 ..... EYELINER: Using eyeliner is not as difficult as one may think. Today there are many different products with different kind of applicators.
My personal favorites are the felt tip type applicator and the eyeliner pencil. But take note, liquid eyeliners and pencil eyeliners give two different unique effects, and you may want to experiment with which ones you like best.
Liquid liner is going to have a sharp definitive look, and is really best when trying to use dramatizing effects. A pencil liner smudges easily, which is great for a more natural or even a smokey effect. Black liner will be much more dramatic, while brown will give a more natural look, so you have to make decisions based on the desired effect Remember, we are keeping things basic, so I will give you a few general rules of thumb before we go into actually lining the eye.
For a basic more natural look, you will want to keep the line thin. A thicker line will look more dramatic. I believe it is always better to start with a thin line and add more, building until you reach the thickness and effect.
We will discuss different eye shapes and effects in a later essay, but even without this basic information you can achieve a great look, by following these simple instructions for lining.
Use the hand you write with to hold the liner. Take the ring finger of your other hand, and place it just outside the corner of your eye, pulling slightly toward the temple. Place the tip of the liner at the lash line in the inner most corner of the eye. Follow the lash line, but sweep up a tiny bit at the outer corner of the eye. Lining the lower lid is a little more tricky. Do not pull the skin of the lower lashes, just follow the line, and at the outside corner draw the tip of the liner up to barely meet your other line. If you have used the pencil you can use a Q tip, and smudge the lines, being careful not to wipe away the liner. The reason this works for every eye shape, is that the upward motion at the outside corners gives the eyes a "smiling" or more open effect.#4 ..... MASCARA: Mascara has come along way since I first started doing my makeup. There are now not only different colors and brands, but also mascaras designed to give different effects, from curling the lash to lengthening it. There is also waterproof mascaras which, if you are dressing discretely, is NOT a good Idea, as it does not remove well. The general rule is that you only use mascara on your bottom lashes when wearing false eyelashes. However I always wear a light coat on my upper lashes to blend the fake lashes in with my own, and to keep a color consistency. Keep in mind, that if you do this, you have to clean the false eyelashes when done if you want to use them again. Applying Mascara is done in sweeping movements. Hold the brush end of the wand against the base of the lash line and sweep up. Toward the end of the eye, sweep up and out toward your temple. The bottom lashes are too short for the same movement, so just take the very tip of the wand, and coat tiny lashes individually. I always keep a damp Q-Tip at the dressing table. If you make a tiny mistake and hit your skin, remove it immediately. Don't let it dry or you will have to wash it away and redo that part of your makeup. If you are wearing false lashes, just do one coat. If you are working on your natural lashes, give them 2 or 3 good coats. For your natural lashes I suggest a lengthening mascara to really open the eyes.
ON TO THE NEXT STEP ..... LIPS
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