Birthdays And Makeup Party Tricks: Bronzers

SHOW AND TELL

I was at a birthday party with my friends. A gaggle of girls doing what girls do. Catching up on the latest, well, everything. Someone mentions makeup and then everyone shuts up and stares at me. They want answers and they want them now.

They want their buck’s biggest bang, the fastest fix ever, the mother lode of all beauty tricks. No pressure, no pressure at all.

Thankfully, I had it wrapped up and it was ready for the birthday girl: Bronzer. A sun-kissed, healthy glow and chiseled cheeks … in two minutes or less. Happy Birthday! I patted and blended bronzer all over her, right then and there, and she loved it. I love a party trick.

CONFESSION

A few months after receiving the bronzer, the birthday girl confessed that she hadn’t been using it. When she applied it she felt like she looked muddy and bruised. So my gift was buried in the bottom of her makeup bag.

I’ve given a million makeup lessons over the years and this isn’t the first time I’ve heard this. When we’re having our makeup done, we get it.  When we try it at home, it’s another story. You need to do what it takes to help you remember how to recreate the look. Get one of those finger-painted illustrations from the makeup counter. Take notes. Take a selfie. Whatever works!

So, here’s the rundown on bronzer beauty…

TEXTURES

The first trick is choosing the one that is best for you. This is based on personal preference and skin type, of course. But here are some rules of thumb…

• Bronzing powders will give a set look. Matte, polished. If your skin is oily, this is your best bet.

• Cream and liquid bronzers will give a dewy finish and I generally recommend them for dry skin.

• Textures have to work together. Mixing powders with creams can create a mud pie.

• Powder bronzers and highlighters go on after foundation or tinted moisturizer has been set with a loose powder.

• Cream and liquid bronzers and highlighters marry well with moist skin that is free of powder.

OPTIONS

My favorite powders:

• Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder

• Park Avenue Princess by Tarte

• IT Cosmetics CC+Radiance Ombre Bronzer (which combines a matte bronzer and one with a subtle shimmer in one compact).

My favorite creams:

• Get Glowing by Beauty for Real in Afterglow

• Naked Skin Bronzing Beauty Balm Broad Spectrum by Urban Decay.

HERE COMES THE SUN

• Bronzers belong where the sun naturally hits your face. Start slowly.

• Forget the giant bronzer brush. It’s too difficult to control. Instead, use a chiseled, blush brush.

• For creams and liquids, use what the Goddess gave you. Your fingers.

• Blend bronzers around your hairline, the bridge of your nose, your cheekbones and chin.To get a slight chiseled look, push the bronzer under your cheekbones a bit.

• If your bronzer comes with a highlighter, add contrast by popping a bit on the bone itself.

GIFT OR REGIFT?

Whew! All worked out.  Bronzer saved. It takes a tiny bit of practice and practice makes … well, I’m not a fan of perfect. But I am a fan of easy tricks that make you feel beautiful, at parties, in private, with your girlfriends or pretty much any day.

How To Get The Natural Makeup Look

WEARING ONLY A SMILE…

Nude, naked, natural …  The desired look is effortlessly enhanced but not made up. But going nude can get tricky. You want to look fresh and natural, but you’re spreading a mixture of earthy, brown-based shades all over your face. Sounds like the makings of a mud pie.

Here’s how to do it and look … not dead. Plus, a few tricks to make your makeup better, whether you decide to go nude, or not.

BARE MINIMUM

The girls on the runways are wearing a smile and a slew of other products to pull off their seemingly perfect complexions.

Here’s the tricky part: smoky eyes, nude palettes, and many other makeup fixes can make you look worse if you put the cart before the horse.  Consider these cosmetic assists before you strip down.

LOOK ALIVE

Conceal, even and brighten your complexion!

Soft blush on the apples of your cheeks is a must when the rest of your face is nude. These are beautiful, foolproof shades that illuminate and add a touch of color.

Physician’s Formula Nude Wear Glowing Nude Powder

Susan Posnick Color Me in Camelia

Nars Blush in Deep Throat

BRIGHT EYED

Makeup artists love to use a nude eyeliner pencil on the inside of the bottom lash line. Eyes look bigger and brighter. Instantly. Try these:

Nars Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner in Rue Bonaparte

Rimmel Scandal Eyes in Nude

ON TO THE PALETTES…

So, what to do with all of these neutral colors? The possibilities are endless but here are some basics to keep in mind:

Choose a medium-toned shade for your lid, a deeper shade to contour the crease and the lightest shades for your brow bone and inner corner of your eyes to highlight.

Urban Decay palette Naked2  is my favorite!

The Nudes by Maybelline

Too Faced Natural Eyes

Sonia Kashuk Eye Shadow Quads

Eye Couture by Sonia Kashuk in shimmer neutral

With all this bareness going on, you’ll need some definition.

Pump up your lash line with this trick:

L’Oreal Infallible Gel Lacquer Liner in Espresso has a brush that comes with it. The brush fits perfectly at the base of your upper lashes.

Starting in the outer corner, move the brush along your lashline with short strokes. They’ll connect and give the look of a full set of lashes, without the look of a liner.

LIPS

Barely there lips will complete your look. This selection of lip colors is neutral enough for a range of skin tones.

Color Sensational High Shine gloss in Iced Chocolate

Warm Nude by Beauty for Real

Lip Tar in Hush

MOST NATURAL STATE

There’s an English proverb that goes like this …

“Craftiness must have clothes, but truth loves to go naked.”

Well, the truth is that it takes some craftiness to pull off naked makeup. Now you can.

No Exaggeration: How To Create The Best Smoky Eye Ever

My friends say that I exaggerate.

“That’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my whole life.’

“This is the best chocolate in the world. Seriously, the very best.”

“This is the fastest and the easiest way ever to _____”

You get the drill. But I’m not exaggerating. Honestly.

In that moment it is absolutely the most beautiful/best chocolate/fastest and easiest. And it’s going to stay that way until I come across the next most beautiful/best chocolate/fastest and easiest thing. Seriously. That’s my story and I’m sticking with it. At least for now.

Now that we’ve got that cleared up, here are my tips for the best smoky eye ever. No exaggerations.

4,442 TO 4

I’ve definitely taken 4,442 steps to get to the perfect, smoky eye. (Sometimes a few more. But who’s counting?) But I’ve also nailed it in 4. The truth is that most of the time I don’t have the rest of my life to finish one eye. Sometimes, I don’t even have 4 minutes.

So here’s my 4 Step Method using just one tool.

PAINT IT ON

Eye paints are the latest and greatest product for quick and smoky eyes.  All of the big brands have them.  They come in tiny, glass jars and can be applied with a stiff, short-bristled brush or your finger.  (That’s one tool if you’re paying attention.) They’re foolproof and have great staying power.

Some of my favorite eye paints:

• NARS Eye Paint

• Chanel Illusion D’Ombre Long-wear Luminous Eyeshadow

• MAC PRO Long wear Paint Pots.

PERFECT PAIRINGS
 

The key to a smoky eye is to create a subtle gradation by pairing two shades, one at the deepest end of the spectrum and one at the lightest end. The deepest shade goes at your lash line, the lightest on your brow bone. The two meet in the middle to create a medium tone, adding definition in the crease of your eye. You can choose your own pairings in any brand, but here are some that I love.

For a classic smoky eye in silver and black:

• NARS Eye Paint in Interstellar and Black Valley

For a modern nude and navy look:

• Chanel Illusion D’Ombre Long-wear Luminous Eyeshadows in Emerveille and Appartition

For a soft and subtle effect in bone and bronze:

• MAC Pro Long wear Paint Pots in Soft Ochre and Constructivist

GET TO WORK

1. Start with an eyeshadow primer.  It’s an extra step I’ve tried to avoid, but it always ends badly.  There’s no use spending time applying shadow and seeing it melt away. Use your ring finger to evenly smooth the primer from lash to brow bone.

1. Apply the lightest shade that you’ve selected from the lash line and all the way to the brow bone using your ring finger, creating a shaded ‘base’ for the smoky eye.

1. Now use the deepest shade that you’ve selected. Apply it starting at the lash line and over your lid with a patting motion. Blend inward and soften the edge and any lines. Moving toward the natural crease, create a soft and blurred effect.

1. Dip your finger in the pot of the deepest shade and sweep across your lower lash line. Curl your lashes. Add mascara. Done.

SERIOUSLY

Smoky eyes (like so many other things in life) can be complicated. But they don’t have to be. And, let’s face it, that is time that could be spent seeking out the most beautiful things you’ve ever seen or finding the best chocolate ever, even if it takes trying 4,442 different kinds to get to 4. And … I’m not exaggerating.