Generally speaking, the color you choose for your eyebrows should two shades lighter than your hair. Why? Because that way it’ll blend in but still be a little different than your actual hair color. Making your eyebrows too dark will clash with your other eye makeup and can even make your face appear smaller! And no one wants an extremely small face.
Women with pale skin should definitely use 2 shades darker for their brows. This will help bring out pigment and warm hues to your face. Blondes’ brows are best-dressed in a light-brown pencil. Because going a shade or two darker than your locks results in a more sultry look. Another option for you blondes out there is bleach! If you follow instructions correctly, bleaching your eyebrows can be very chic and natural looking.
When in doubt, go for a subtle taupe shade. Taupe is considered the most universally flattering color for any woman’s brows.
Brunettes’ brows smolder in deep-brown tones, and it’s best to use black after dark. You don’t want to look too intense at work.
I hope this helps! Stay warm, and have a great weekend!
Love,
Ebony
Photography makeup is surprisingly different from day to day makeup.
What are those differences??
I thought you might ask… so, grab a pen; I made a list for you!
1. Go about 30% more intense with your blush, shadow, mascara & liner.
Outdoor and studio lighting has a tendency to zap the depth out of your makeup. If you look in the mirror and it looks like a touch too much, you are probably right on track. You want your features to be defined so you can show them off!
2. Use HD foundation & products without SPF
SFP is what causes that ghost-like flashback you see in some photos, so avoid that in your primer and foundation… And your moisturizers!
I have really noticed how washed out people look in photos if they aren’t wearing a heavier coverage foundation than the usual. my photo fav isis MAC HD Airbrush Foundation or Makeup Forever HD.
3. BLEND BLEND BLEND!
Lines look twice as harsh in a photo, so make sure you blend anything you don’t want to stand out.
4. HAC.
Highlight And Contour your butt off. Perfect lighting following you around?
Yes, please.
With your own built in lighting, you can even look decent in the DMV lights! Trust me! You will looooooove your new driver’s license!
5. Easy on the SHIMMER!
Shimmer tends to look awfully reflective in a photo. Try to use mostly matte eye shadows (the shimmery ones won’t show their pigment in the lens as well). And for illuminated skin, use products without shimmer like: Maybelline New York Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer, Bobbi Brown Luminous Moisturizing Foundation, or my personal fave, MAC’s Strobe Cream!
6. Some color on your lips.
I know a lot of you are NUDE ONLY kinda ladies, and I love a nude lip too… But you have to remember to either do a 3d nude lip (Inbox me for more info), or to use a little bit of color. Otherwise (especially in the black and whites), you’ll be lipless!
7. LASHES!
I am a believer it pumping up those lashes for a photo! It will add so much to a profile photo or a looking down pose. Although, I love lash extensions, I understand that they are pricey (I probably couldn’t afford them myself! Haha). I really love strip lashes too, and they only cost like 4 bucks. Well worth it for some photos. You need the right ones and the right techniques though or it can be much more difficult than it should be! Believe it or not, I purchase my favorite lashes at Walmart! Salon Perfect Demi Wispies are my go tos for anything… Brides, everyday wear, etc. I am also obsessed with Kiss lashes!
8. Set with powder.
You want to set with a translucent powder. Sweat and oil are magnified by the camera + you need your makeup to stay put. It’s a must. Hot TIP: if you have the cash, MAC’s Prep and Prime, or Urban Decay’s setting spray is beyond worth it. I can tell a huge difference when I don’t use it.
Brushes. One of the most important pieces of my kit. In fact, I get just as, if not more, excited when I buy a new brush, than when I buy makeup. I am borderline obsessed. Lol A lot of people would say that I’m nuts to spend what I do on high quality, professional brushes… But would Picasso paint with any old brush? I think not… So why should I? My clients are my MASTERPIECES.
Anyway, I know that it is crazy for me to expect you to know what each and every brush is, what it’s
for, and in some cases, how to even hold it. 😉
So I have a visual brush class for you!
My advice is to first get all the brushes you already own, and match them up to my diagram so you can put what you already have to good use. Also, you don’t need 5 different brushes that do virtually the same thing. I tried to put every use I could think of on each brush so that those of us on budgets don’t feel the need to have a different brush for every little thing. It’s nice… but so not necessary.
Finally, I will add a link to some recommendations for you to check out! Happy Hump Day everyone!!
MONEY SAVERS SET: click here
BALLIN’ ON A BUDGET SET: click here
Also try SIGMA BRUSHES, which are just as good as MAC (some say better): click here
SUPER SPLURGE (I personally use these): MAC Cosmetic Brushes. I know they have travel size gift sets around the holidays, but unfortunately, you have to buy these babies individually. Start collecting over time. If you keep them clean, conditioned, and treated properly… They will last you for years! click here
Foundation
Bronzer
Powder
Tapered Foundation
Stippling
Liquid Foundation
Beauty Blender
Concealer
Smokey
Duster
Contour
Lip
Shadow 1 and 2
Smudge
Angled
Fluffy
Comb
Sometimes, makeup can actually hide your natural beauty…. which is not cool. The cool thing is, that with the same amount of time and money you are already putting in, you can show YOU off… rather than going undercover.
There are a few no-no’s that I think most people (me included), have fallen into at some point. SOOOOOO, I thought I would compile some of the repeat offenders to help show the difference. Of course, as I always say, anything that makes you feel more beautiful, works. There are exceptions to every rule 🙂 Thank goodness, I found the perfect pic to show the good, the bad, and the ugly! 😉
Harsh Eyeliner:
Why? It can be very distracting and can make your eyes look smaller. It is also difficult to get it perfectly straight, and close enough to the lash.
What to do instead? I am a big believer in a blended liner (especially on the bottom). I line the eyes in the tear line, and then blend with a lighter color of eyeshadow and a smudge brush. This creates a very natural look, and frames your eyes beautifully. You can hardly tell there is eyeliner… but her eyes are still defined.
Ignored Eyebrows:
Why? I think they make such a dramatic difference! They are the most natural looking way to bring definition and intensity to your eyes. And when filled and tweezed right, they bring balance to your face; and they make your expressions look more authentic.
What to do instead? Fill those babies in! I use an angled brush, and a shadow 2 shades lighter on mine. I am working on a few tutorials; one to show how to fill in your brows, without looking ridiculous!
White eyeshadow:
Why? Now, this one is probably just a personal preference of mine. I think white eyeshadow has a tendency to look chalky and unflattering. It can absolutely look beautiful but for the most part I think creamier, warmer highlight colors look prettier and softer.
What to do instead? Some of my favorite under brow highlighters are: Lt Bronze {in lorac palette} & Bubbly from Stila! I also looooooove Vanilla from MAC.
Lack of Moisturizer:
Why? Most of the time I think women are timid to use a lot of moisturizer, because it makes them feel oily; or they worry it will break them out. But it is so important for getting your skin to look glowing and vibrant.
What to do instead? Moisturize! I promise it will make a difference. I should try to slather some of this on twice a day, but I have been bad about it this winter!
Foundation – More Coverage than you need:
Why? You gotta show off some skin! I find most women imagine their skin to be much less perfect than it actually is. They see perfect complexions in magazines and think that more foundation is the way to get there. In all reality, no one has perfect skin (not even the babes in Glamour), but when you use too much foundation it can age you and make your skin look dull. I personally think it can make you look like you’re a corpse.
What to do instead? I just say to put on foundation thoughtfully; really decide what you actually want to cover up. So often, it’s easy to go into autopilot and cover up everything. Instead, use the sheerest coverage possible and then spot treat trouble areas with concealer. I like to mix mine with moisturizer, so that it goes on pretty sheer… Plus I like the texture. I use my highlighting concealer at times under my eyes and around the nose to cover up some things.
Foundation #2 – Skipping the Blush & Contour:
Why? Now I am not saying you need to contour and blush every day but if you are going to do a full face of foundation it becomes more important. Your face has many different colors on it (ask anyone who’s ever painted a face) when you cover it up with one solid color it can look unnatural and flat. That is where the beauty of blush, highlighting and contouring comes in.
What to do instead? Using the right products in the right places is all it takes. This will give you a sculpted, glowing and flawless finish, without making you look flat or made up! YouTube has awesome videos on how to contour and where! I’m also working on a video for that (once I lose weight lol)
Disappearing lips:
Why? Nude lips are so fun and look amazing with a smoky eye. The problem is that sometimes when you throw on nude lip gloss instead of looking hot your lips look hidden.
What to do instead? I love to contour my lips. I use lip liner and lightly draw around the outer edge and then use the smudger on the stick to blend it out. You can also use your contour shade around the bottom of your lips to make them look defined. I love to use the blush/bronzer that I use on my cheeks into the center of my lip to give it a natural looking flush.
Hair Over Spray:
Why? Hairspray is made up of a fair amount of alcohol, so it’s really drying. When you layer it on the hair too much it looks dry and dull and lifeless.
What to do? Less is more. Always use the least amount of any product on your hair as possible to get the look you are going for. I understand that some hairstyles require more spray than others. It’s just one of those things that can become a bad habit.
The example in the pic (on the right), looks a million times better, IMO. It’s crazy how changing a few things , can make a world of a difference. She is just so feminine and simple. I also thought this would make a really pretty bridal makeup tutorial, because I honestly do the same thing with my brides. What are your thoughts?
Ebony <3
