Little Makeup Tricks Will Go A Long Way

When you choose a makeup brush, check the handles to see if they are the right length you prefer. Some people prefer longer handles while others prefer shorter ones. Brushes don't come in a standard length. And different kinds of brushes such as powder brushes may have a length different from the eyeshadow brushes even if they are from the same brand.

The kind of material used will dictate how heavy the brushes are going to be. If the brush has a long ferrule (metal part of the brush) and handle made with wood, you can expect it to be heavier than the handle in the same length made with plastic. If you are a makeup fanatic who spends a long time using brushes to do your makeup, a professional, semi-professional or makeup student, your hands and fingers are likely to be fatigued by long time holding on to some solid brushes.

Make sure you stretch out your arms and fingers every once in a while to avoid muscle fatigue.

This picture would look flat and boring if I only painted the tree trunk one color of brown and the leaves one color of green. Since it is only a piece of paper, how can you convey the reality of dimensions in order to make it look more real, three dimensional and interesting? The trick is to use different value (light and dark), hue (color family) and intensity (how saturated the color is - a saturated color will have less gray in it and appears brighter). That may sound complicated and too technical. But it doesn't need to be. Here are some tricks and tips to help:

Highlighting and shading are one of the ways to make a face stand out.

Another way is to use layering or mixing of colors or products. Sometimes, I borrow the water coloring technique to applying makeup. For foundation, first of all, I will apply a light tinted moisturizer on the face. Then mix a couple of different formulas or colors of foundation and apply on top or to places that need the most coverage with a foundation brush.

The reason I like to mix different formulas is because I like the moisturizing property in one, the light reflecting effect in another and mineralizing formula in the next. Mixing different colors is necessary sometimes as our complexion does not stay the same color all year round. You can also add dimension by applying a couple of different colors on the face. The lighter color in the center section of the face and the darker color to rim around the face and under the cheekbones. This technique is considered to be of higher level. Lots of practice is necessary and make sure everything blends well. Proper lighting is absolutely essential when applying.

When applying blush, eyesahdows, lip colors and even eyeliners, you can also use the same layering and mixing techniques to make them look more pleasing to the eyes.

For instance, a more intense gel or cream blush can be applied on top of foundation, dust a little bit of powder over it. And then a layer of a slightly different color of powder blush on top. You can also apply two similar colors, one on top of the other to get a different effect.

For lip color, a neutral color can be applied evenly on the whole lips with a lip brush. Then you can use a finger to dab on some bright color lip gloss focusing the center part of the lips. A couple of different colors of lip gloss can be gently mixed together and apply.

When it comes to eyeshadows, there are even more possible combinations of colors and textures. You can premix the colors or layer one on top of the other. Eyeliners are equally fun if you layer them on top of each other or do two separate lines of two different colors. (See more details in another module about mixing your own eye shadows)

There are no set rule as to mix and layer of makeup. Experiment with different shades and textures and get the best combination if you would.

The main thing to remember is to build lightly with each additional layer. Looking natural, effortless and blended are the keys.

Color mixing is no rocket science, but it does take a bit of patience and the adventure spirit inside you for that to take effect. Make sure you mix enough for both eyes because sometimes it is hard to remix the exact same color. Apply with a flat eyeshadow brush. Pick up a color wheel from a craft or art store, that will help you out a lot in the process of mixing the colors (see more details in the module about using color wheel)

- Mixing liquid eyeshadows together:

Sometimes it takes two or more colors to reach that perfect color you want. Make sure you blend the colors well. What you can do is to use one brush as the blending brush and another as the designated brush for eyeshadow application.

- Mixing gel eyeliner with concealer:

Gel eyeliners usually don't look like jelly, they resemble a less creamy version of cream eyeliner. The best way to get a good mix is to have something warm in contact with them. Put them on the back of your hand, in a small container with a hot water bottle underneath or have the small container sitting in the slightly bigger container with warm to hot water in it. Again, make sure you mix enough for both eyes and apply with a brush. Experiment with darker and lighter shades by adding more or less of the gel eyeliner. Combining different colors of gel eyeliner can be fun too.

- Mixing liquid eyeliner with concealer:

Similar rules applied here. There are different colors of liquid eyeliners you can play with. Concealers come in different shades and textures too. Experimentation is the key.

- Mixing liquid eyeshadow with liquid eyeliner:

Just to throw in more ideas. A lot of products can be multi-functional if you want them to be. A dab of color into the mix can create a whole new game.

- Adding pigments into the mix:

Pigments mix well in liquid and creamy medium. Some eyeliners come with shimmers. Depends on the occasions and the time of the day, glamorous shimmery makeup can be fun. You may find the texture of mixing some of the above products applied as eyeshadow a bit richer than using powder eyeshadow. But it shouldn't scare you from at least a try.

- Adding liquid hightlighter into the mix:

Liquid highlighter comes in a few different colors. Usually they are in bronze, copper, pink or pearl. Try to add them into in the mixture of your medium and experiment with different effects.

1.) The most typical way to use pigment is just by itself as eyeshadow with a flat eyeshadow brush and dab it on your eyelid. If you want the pigment to stay better and longer, spreading a thin layer of eye primer to give your pigment a surface to adhere to is the key. You may use one color, two or three different colors of pigments or mix some up until you get the color you want.

2.) Apply eye primer. Use the shimmery pigment on top of your regular eyeshadow. You can match your pigment with the color of your eye shadow or be brave and put on a totally different color. Trial and error will tell which combination is the best for you. But in general, the opposite colors on the color wheel will give you the boldest contrasting effect. For instance, yellow and purple, green and red, orange and blue.

3.) Apply eye primer. Use the shimmery pigment under your regular eyeshadow. In general, if you put shimmery pigment on top of your eyeshadow, it will give out a more daring and popping effect. Try putting it under your eye shadow if you want to be more subtle and have more control over how glittery you want. Again, match with the same shade eyeshadow or do the bold thing.

4.) Apply eye primer. Use pigment as eyeliner. Dip your eyeliner brush in the mixing liquid, make sure it is not way too wet. Mixing liquid can be bought from MAC or Mehron. It is better to use mixing liquid/medium than using water because water evaporates. Some pigments came in a stickier texture than others, so check those out if you think they are the better options. There are also products in the market in a liquid form call eye seal or eyeliner seal, they function like an adhesive and meant to be used after finishing your eye makeup.

5.) Apply eye primer. First apply your regular eyeliner, then smudge some shimmery pigment on top to make your eyes pop. Again, you can match the same color or use a different color.

6.) If you feel creative or you need something to make your lips pop, applying pigments on your lips may be an idea.

7.) Pigments can also be used as a highlighter for your cheeks. Gold, silver, pearl, light pink are great colors for highlighting.