Feature Friday by Lindsay Milan - "Puttin' my face on!"

Happy Friday, JF Beauties!


This week, I've decided to try something a little different with you all... (drumroll, please!)  In this post, you'll see the "before" (yikes!), and the "after" of your friendly, neighborhood makeup artist's routine of "puttin' my face on," with all the little tricks and tips in between. 


Side note: To give credit where credit's due, that one came from my Aunt Martha - I heard that one when I was out visiting family last week, and I just laughed and laughed, but I think, it's actually a truthful little saying for most of us, unless you gals wake up looking fabulous.  As for me?  I need a little prep time to achieve such "natural beauty." 


Let's get started!

Good morning, world!  

Okay, so whew, I got it over with - the "no makeup" prep picture.  You'll have to forgive the flourescent lighting in my bathroom (Tip #1: the best lighting to use when applying makeup is natural light, or, the type of lighting that you'll be walking around in all day.  Make sure to check blending and coloring in other lights as well, just to make sure that bronzer you love applying in front of your vanity lighting, doesn't look like a scary orange color while you're walking around in broad daylight.  I've seen it happen many a time, ladies!)


Moving on!  After applying a few dots of concealer under my eyes, patting (not rubbing!) gently to blend with my ring finger.  I prefer a light dusting of powder foundation to even things out, and then either blush, bronzer or a happy combo of the two.  That being said, here's tip #2:  Don't be afraid of color!  Some hues may look like a whole compact of crazy, but I've found that if you just give it a shot, a lot of times, you'll be happily surprised.

Blush by Kevyn Aucoin

Now, in person, this blush is alarmingly neon, but it's fabulously sheer and flattering on, which I never would have known if I hadn't given it a shot!  

Tip #3: If anyone needs an expert guidance, come into the Beauty Library, for Fall Makeup Wardrobing!  Jennie's offering a deal for our lovely, loyal blog readers!  Who doesn't love a girly afternoon spent playing in makeup?

Tip #4: For the most natural looking flush, apply blush to the apples of your cheeks, which you can find easiest when smiling, like so:

Think of that part of your cheek your granny likes to pinch!  That's the "apple"!

Next, it's time for eyeshadow, and since I have green eyes, I like to use plums, purples, warm pinks, golds, browns, and even navy to make them pop. Tip #5: Eye primer is your eyeshadow's best friend for staying power! Concealer works great, too!

The following pictures are to give you an "eye"-dea (ha!) of blending techniques.  The brushes I'm using are from Smashbox, and they're super soft and work fantastically.  Here I've used the tapered shadow brush #7, the definer brush #15, and the crease brush #10.

The definer brush allows for detail work and contouring.
Great for highlighting my browbone with gold shimmer!

The crease brush is mainly for blending.  

Use a "windshield wiper" motion. 

After all that shading and blending here are the end results: 

Tip #6:  Always keep in mind that if you choose to go heavier on the eyeshadow, go lighter on the lips, and vice versa! 

For this reason, I added a smudge of Smith's Rosebud Salve to my pucker.  Smith's is a makeup industry staple, and it can be used for everything from lip gloss, to a moisturizer for dry hands in the winter!  A final, all-over dusting of translucent powder, and there you have it!

Let me know your thoughts on the how-to's, JF beauties!  I've had a request for a "French Braiding" tutorial, so stay tuned for a video blog post if you're looking to learn, too!

Until next time!

xo, Lindsay