Academy 8 - Dollification 7 - Broad Strokes
We’re back
And I hope you’re ready to get to work! We’re going to start with a broad brush and work on your face.
Last time, I mentioned that you’d already laid some of the groundwork. If you’ve been moisturising your face then well done sweetie, that’s about to pay off! Removing makeup can be a little hard on your skin, so keeping your face well moisturised is vital.
Moisturising before you apply makeup is also a good idea. You can get primer but moisturiser will have a similar effect. It creates a base for the makeup you’ll be applying, helps it go on smoother and helps to combat shininess.
Make sure you apply it to your whole face and upper neck.
Before we begin, a quick safety note. Patch test any new makeup you’re using before you start applying them to your face.
Foundation
This is a literal title! Foundation is the foundation of your look. When you see someone’s face and the skin is smooth and clear, that’s foundation. You can go and get your skin matched at any number of stores to find what colour suits you best, but as a basic rule make sure the foundation is lighter than your skin.
Foundation comes in powder or liquid form and should be applied either with a brush or makeup sponge.
These sponges are egg shaped godsends! Before you apply makeup, run them under water and squeeze them out and then get to work. After you’re finished, make sure to wash them through thoroughly with warm water.
You can use your fingers to apply foundation but I wouldn’t recommend you do, the final effect will look rough and caked on.
Start with a small amount and apply it to your face then use your sponge or brush to spread it out. Make sure you cover your neck too, stopping at your jawline will make you look like you’re wearing a mask! When you’ve done it a few times, you’ll get a feel for how much you need but until then, start with less and then apply more as required.
Foundation is very easy to apply and, because it covers your whole face, the effect can be startling.
Concealer
Unless you’re very lucky, you’ll have some marks or blemishes on your skin. Foundation is very good but if you use it to try and cover everything it will be much too thick. When it’s not enough, that’s where concealer comes in.
Concealer comes in much smaller amounts than foundation and it should be used sparingly. Dab a little over the area in question and then you need to use your sponge or brush and gently dab the concealer until it blends into the foundation and you can’t see the break between them. Be gentle and don’t overdo it so you spread the concealer away to nothingness.
Contouring and highlighting
These two can really help you look more feminine. We’ve covered the differences between male and female faces and this is where you get to work on minimising them.
Contouring lets you define features on your face, you can buy a specific contouring product or use a dark colour foundation. Apply it on your forehead below your hairline, along either side of your nose, under your cheekbones (use your fingers or suck in your cheeks to find where this is!) and then along your jawline.
Once you’ve applied it, blend it in using a brush or your fingers. Don’t spread it too far, it’s not supposed to cover everything but make sure the edges are well blended. Be careful not to use too much, this is something that will come with experience but if you look like your face is covered in bruises then ease up next time!
Highlighting is the opposite of contouring. Use either a specific highlighter or a lighter foundation and apply it to the centre of your forehead, the top of your brow line, down the bridge of your nose, along your cheekbones and in the middle of your chin.
Again, when you’re done blend it in.
This will have the effect of making your nose, forehead and jawline look smaller and your cheekbones more pronounced, in other words, your face will look much more feminine!
Contouring and highlighting both play with the eyes of someone looking at you. Their gaze will naturally be drawn to light areas and away from dark ones, so it lets you control your appearance.
Finishing touches
If your face looks a little pale, you brush a little blush onto the apple of your cheeks and blend it in to give you some colour. You can also use a setting powder or spray, but this can also be left until after you’ve finished your makeup completely.
Finally for today, some more videos! Go and watch this. Drag Queens are perfect to study when you’re getting started with makeup. They are going for an exaggerated look which gives you a great look at techniques without worrying that you’ll miss something subtle.
Once you’ve watched it, check out a few more. Don’t worry about things we haven’t covered yet, just try and get a feel for the basics
Next time we’re going to cover eye makeup, stay gorgeous, gorgeous!
