How To Apply Makeup LIKE A PROFESSIONAL

Congratulations on taking some time for yourself to learn these exclusive techniques on how to apply makeup. I’m so happy you’re here!

You’re in the right place if you want exclusive tips that at one time were only available to my VIP clients ... now you have them too!

This tutorial can be done with ANY type or brand of makeup.

Grab a pen and get ready to write down every shade you use for each step. By having it organized on this cheat sheet you’ll always have it in one spot. Go!

Step 1: Eyes first

This way you can clean up shadow, pencil, or mascara mistakes without having to fix any other makeup.

• Wipe away “fall-out," aka eyeshadow, that’s fallen under your eyes using a little moisturizer on a tissue or a cotton swab.

• Apply light eye shadow shades first to brow bone only, followed by a medium shade in the crease.

• Then, take a piece of tissue and line it up from the edge of your eye to the end of your eyebrow closest to your ear. This is where you should apply your darkest eyeshadow shade to achieve a smoky, yet natural look that will uplift the eyes. Start with a small amount of shadow, you can always build it for drama! (like a night out, wedding, etc.) Gently pat the brush on the shadow and dab, rather than swipe the shadow on your lid. You'll get better pigmentation and less “fall-out” under your eyes.

Step 2: Next, if your over the age of 30, gently lift and hold up your eyebrow for the eye you’re about to line with eyeliner.

•Black or brown are great shades for all
•Follow the lash line with your eyeliner until you reach a

little beyond your outer eye area. You can wing your liner by gently flicking your wrist upward or just bring it straight to the end.

• If you’re going for the smoky look, you can also pull down gently on the lower lid and apply the liner to the inner rim of your lower lid (what we Makeup Artists call the “waterline”).

Step 3: Last eye step, I promise: apply your favorite mascara

•Starting at the base of the eyelashes, wiggling the mascara wand up through the top of the lashes. Repeat.

•If you have time, you can use an eyelash curler before applying mascara. I always do since my lashes are sparse and short.

Step 4: Conceal any blemishes or under-eye circles

• The easiest and fastest way to do this is with your clean fingertips. You can also use a sponge or concealer brush if you have one.

• Warm-up some concealer (or even foundation) between your

  ring finger and thumb.

• Dot ring finger gently only on the dark areas, like the inner

  corner of the eye and the “bags” underneath.

• You can also just draw a “V” under each of your eyes from the

  lower eyelid down to the upper cheekbone area.

• Pat and blend.

• Next, choose your favorite BB cream, foundation or tinted moisturizer. Us over 30 crowd can use any of these, but just make sure it isn’t settling in the fine lines around your eyes or mouth. If it is, ditch it and try another.

• You always want to match your neck skin tone. Otherwise, you’ll end up with that horrible orange line around your jaw, or worse yet, look like a ghost.

• Apply your foundation with either a brush or your clean fingertips. Notice I keep saying clean...yes, wash your hands, dirty girl! You don’t want to cause any breakouts or get sick from touching your unclean hands to your face.

• Use small circles if applying foundation with a brush. If using your fingertips, always swipe in a downward motion so you don’t ruffle all that peach fuzz that we love so much.

Side note: Now at this point you may be wondering, how the heck do I do this quickly!?

You’re a Makeup Artist Jennifer, of course it’s easy for you...and to that I say, I started in the exact same place you did. The first time may take longer but each time it will get easier and easier and this is a skill you can take everywhere you go...weddings, nights out, holidays, parties, vacations you name it.

You can do this! You’re almost there and I believe in you!

Step 5: Apply some shine reducing powder to help set it. And no... I don’t want you to smear it all over your face.

•Apply some to a huge powder puff, and gently press it into the skin until you've covered the entire face. Now, you’ll have makeup that lasts and looks flawless. This tip is extremely important if you are having photos taken.

• Make sure to avoid any powder made with titanium dioxide.

Besides not being good for your health, powders made with this chemical can cast a ghost-like, overly powdered effect on your face (and who wants that)?

Step 6: Have I made you blush yet?

Some of you may not like blush, and that’s ok. If that’s you, skip this step. BUT I think you’re doing yourself a huge disservice if you don’t try it. I’m not talking bright red doll cheeks, I’m talking a neutral or sheer pink or pink blush.

• Apply a bit to a medium size brush and smile big!

• Now plop that baby right on the apple of your cheeks.

• This gives you a youthful glow that nothing else can. It gives you life!

Step 7: Lipliner

Ah, this brings up images of the 90’s with that brown lipliner that isn’t even close to the lipstick shade used on the inside of the lip line. This is what you DON’T

want to do. Find an extremely neutral or light mauve lip pencil and follow the outline of your lips. Not above, not below or you’ll look like a clown. Unless of course, that’s the look you’re after...

Step 8: Natural Lipstick and Gloss

Yes, there are all sorts of tricks to keep lipstick on longer. In my professional experience, you have to choose, at least for now.

• Do you want long-lasting OR moisturizing? Because you really can’t have it both ways. Unless you put on gloss over the drying lipstick, but even then you can end up with what I call “peel lip”. Personally, I’ll take having to reapply my lipstick and/or gloss a few times a day over having my lips peel off from being so dry. We like Jennifer Lynn Naturals lipstick and lipgloss for these reasons. Lots of color and highly moisturizing.

• You can use a lip brush or straight from the tube.

• Then to make lips look more plump apply a little gloss in the center of the lip, but not too close to your teeth! We all know how that ends…
  
  
  
  

  Step 9: Lastly, pull out your index and middle finger and stick it in your mouth, right in the center.

  No, I’m not being fresh, just do it. Then, pull those fingers out, and off will come the lipstick that would have ended up on your teeth later that day.

  Congratulations! You’re on your way to achieving that look you’ve always dreamed of. Look out for our next email with the most commonly asked question I get...which brand do you use?

P.S. So, what questions do you have? What’s that ONE makeup/ beauty thing you’re working on right now where you just feel stuck? Schedule your private makeup lesson with Moi, CT Makeup Artist Jennifer Ballard, nationwide.