Make the Most of Your Makeup!

Alana Mitchell, Licensed Esthetician, Day Spa Owner

How to Apply Makeup the Right Way!

If you’ve walked through a department store lately, by the time you reached the aggressive fragrance lady you were most likely a bit overwhelmed! There are a zillion gizmos, gadgets, and tools you apparently need to help you apply, mix, and dab makeup on your face. It’s enough to make your head spin! Here are simple, straightforward tips on how apply makeup the right way.

Victoria Justice's Fresh Faced Look

Once your face is clean and moisturized, start your routine by applying concealer. Choose a shade lighter than your foundation and lightly dab it on any blemishes or under eye circles. Use the pads of your fingers or a concealer brush to blend.

Next, apply foundation. You want to choose a shade that matches your skin tone exactly. With a foundation brush or sponge, apply dots to your forehead, cheeks and chin. Blend outward until your face is covered. Always double-check your jaw line! You don’t want the dreaded line! If you prefer a mineral foundation, La Bella Donna Mineral Foundation provides natural looking coverage and comes in loose and pressed powder. ($50)

You always want to set your foundation with a powder. Depending no your skin type, use a loose or pressed powder to keep foundation and concealer on longer. Carry your powder with you in your purse for touchups throughout the day.

La Bella Donna Minerals

Next, you’ll want to give some TLC to your eyebrows. Use a powdered eyebrow shadow in a shade slightly lighter than your hair color. La Bella Donna Complete Brow Kit ($40) is full-proof and comes in three shades. Pencils tend to be too harsh. Lightly apply with a slanted brush by brushing the shadow in any gaps and holes.

Standard procedure for eye shadow involves choosing three colors: light, medium and dark. Apply the darkest shade in a fine line directly along your upper lashes. Take the medium shade and brush it into your eyelid crease. Finally, use the lightest shade to highlight the area directly under your eyebrow. Blend the three shades together. I like to take a little of the lightest shade and dab the inside corners of my eyes to look more awake!

Youngblood Mineral Makeup

Next is eyeliner. There are a number of options: liquid, pencil, powder etc. Choose your formula based on the shape of your eye and the look you are going for. When in doubt, a thin line of black or brown gel eyeliner will never let you down! Check out Youngblood Incedible Wear Gel Eyeliner. It comes in amazing colors and at $21 bucks, you can't beat the price! Take a thin liner brush and carefully line the rim of your top lashes in small strokes. Stay as close to the lash line as you can for a clean, fresh look. Start from the outside corner of your eye and stop just above the iris because eyeliner tends to make eyes look smaller and closed in when the line extends all the way to the inside corner. If you are going for a smoky look, smudge the liner into the eye shadow.

Next is your best friend and mine- mascara! Personally, I always opt for black. Young Blood’s Outrageous Lashes Mineral Lengthening Mascara ($26) has great impact and never flakes! Apply to the top lashes by extending the brush outward and upward starting at the bottom of the lash line and working your way up the lashes. Create length by dragging the wand across the back of the lashes with one swoop to add product to the tips. I always keep a clean mascara wand from an old tube in my makeup bag to de-clump. Works like a charm!

Lately, I’ve been obsessed with blush! For a fresh and natural look, apply while smiling. Blot your blush brush to the apples of your cheeks and blend outward. MiraBella Blush Color Duo ($30)in Merry instantly makes my whole face brighter and younger looking!

Kate Bosworth's Picture Perfect Makeup

Finally, choose a lipstick or gloss to polish and pull together the entire look. You always want to identify one focal point for your face. If you’ve done dramatic eyes, go with a nude or light pink lip. Glo Minerals Sheer Lip Stick ($17.50) in Seychelles is my go to for a natural lip! If your eyes are clean and simple, play up your lips with a plum or red. You never want to go heavy on both the eyes and the lips at the same time. If you are wearing a lip liner, always apply after lipstick, not before. This common mistake is why lots of women end up with a dark line long after the lipstick has worn off.

Now you are in the know! Follow these steps and you’ll be right on trend and never go wrong. Good luck out there ladies!

From so many requests, I have developed a special page on my shopping cart site skincarebyalana.com with a special page set aside for mineral makeup products I love, click here to see it.

I have another article that might help you even more titled: The Hottest Fall Skincare and Makeup Tips, click here to read it.

Hope this helps, click here to call or email me with questions!