More makeup advice....

A few techniques I left out from my last makeup tutorial, A Few Humble Suggestions....:

1) I highly recommend investing in a higher end foundation. A little goes a long way and they last for months. Drug store foundation formulas tend to dry your skin out, and gather and crease. Also, higher end foundations are more likely to match your skin tone so you can wear smaller amounts to cover small blemishes, without coating your entire face.

For application: Do not use a sponge. It sucks up all the foundation. Instead, try using a fluffy brush. I know they make foundation brushes, but they're so thick and tightly bound that they tend to just smear the foundation around. I prefer to use something similar to a blush brush. All of the soft little bristles help the foundation apply smoothly and evenly.

Lastly, I recommend using a light and translucent powder to set your foundation. This is a good daytime look. Too much powder can make you look old. We've all seen people with way too much powder and foundation on, and it's not pretty!

2) A few mascara tips:

Don't pump the brush. It puts air in the tube and dries it out. Also, if you think you're getting sick or a virus, throw it out. The virus can live in the tube. Yuck.

Also, don't try to "juice it up" with water. I've seen people try to do this. Just buy a new tube. ;)

For application: Start at the base, and shake the brush as you move outwards. It helps distribute the mascara and separate your eyelashes. For a more dramatic look, layer your mascaras. For example, I use a dryer formula of mascara to separate my lashes, and after they set, I apply a wetter formula that lengthens.

For your bottom lashes, drag the tip of the brush back and forth. Try not to go all of the way across your eye, unless you're going for a very dramatic look. Only go about halfway in, and make sure that you have a little bit of powder on under your eyes, to keep your eyelashes from dotting your cheeks.

3) For the most part, drugstore eyeshadows are relatively the same formula as higher end brands, and work just as well. For more dramatic and bold colors, I go for Mac eyeshadows and Urban Decay. For daytime makeup, I really like Almay's color palettes. You can buy them according to your eye color, and they're cheap.

For application: Invest in a brush. The little sponges they come with are too coarse and don't really do anything. Even using your finger is better than using a sponge or foam.

For a more dramatic look, put a primer on your eyelids. The color will be creamier and stand out. An eyelid primer is like a glue. It holds the makeup in place and it will last all night, like if you're going dancing, or to a concert. ;)

On my next blog, I will discuss eyeshadow application and color combos more in depth. :)