[30Days] Makeup Batman!
Makeup Batman's Beauty Tips!
GOSH THIS IS A FUN ONE.
Okay, full disclosure: I love makeup.
Style's a personal thing. I can't say anything about anyone else's style, and I don't believe in "everybody should"s, so this is just me talking about me.
Now, I'll say flat-out that I don't subscribe to the theory that anyone must wear makeup, ever. And there's also a lot I could say about beauty standards and the ways that they are fucked up, too. And I will say here that I very much dislike makeup advertising, in which we're shown yet another impossibly perfect, airbrushed woman and reminded to buy plaster-like foundation and anti-aging creme, right? Which is bullshit! And I try not to support those things within my own beauty purchases and uses, as much as I can, because that's not what it's about for me.
What I like about makeup is the fun of it. In my life, within my personal style, it's an accessory: you don't need to be wearing jewelry or a scarf when you leave the house, but you might feel a little snazzier if you do, right? Just like makeup. One shouldn't need it to do anything, but it can be an added bit of style to twist one look into another, or to just step up your appearance that day. And if you're not in the mood to look like anything except Pajama Pants Hobo, then do that (uh, this is me almost every weekend >.>)... but if you do want to accentuate a bit, then play with it.
For me it's the only accessory I get. I work in a chemical lab; I wear a lab coat and safety goggles and steel-toed shoes. Most of my pants have stains on them, and it doesn't really matter what shirt I wear because it's under the lab coat. My hair can basically only be worn "down" or "in a ponytail" because anything fancier gets in the way of my face shield. Frills and accessories - jewelry, scarves, even fancy jackets or nice shoes - are an actual safety violation. The only thing I get to wear to make myself look any kind of different any day, to customize the way that I look, to make myself feel at all unique: makeup.
And that's why I love it.
I've grown to appreciate, over the last couple years of working this job and realizing that I can get away with wearing the same pair of pants every day in a week and nobody but me knows, the way I can tweak my look to be different every day. This day? Work-safe smoky eyes. Today? stern eyeliner. Tomorrow: countouring. Next day: all naturals. Then: green. There's a week of looking different. For me, for my personal style and hobo-punk aesthetic and the general lack of expressivity built into my job, makeup has become pretty important.
If you've ever been to a con with me, you've probably seen the Makeup Batman in action. I love con makeup because it's dramatic and fun and a chance to hit everyone with dark bright colors and glitter. But I also love doing everyone's makeup for just normal fun weekends. In spending more time on my own and in doing other people up, I've gathered some general know-how, and I will now talk about it in some semblance of order!
Hey Makeup Batman: How Much Should I Spend?
There's cheap stuff. There's inexpensive stuff. There's quality stuff. There's expensive stuff. Sometimes it's worth it and sometimes it's not. Here is how I break it down.
Hey Makeup Batman: What Should I Get?
For your face:
- Foundation if you want real coverage, but be prepared for it to feel thick and possibly get/look cakey.
- Tinted moisturizer (or! foundation/lotion cocktail) if you want evening out and light coverage, but be prepared for some things to show through.
- Powder can stand alone (light to medium coverage) for faces that are oily. It can also be applied over either of the above for more coverage, a smoother (/drier) look, and to help "set" your face.
- I heartily recommend applying liquids with a makeup sponge, and powder with an actual powder brush.
For your cheeks:
- Powder blush runs from sheer to strong, depending on the brand. So start really light until you know how it's going to come out.
- Cream blush is magical for an easy, dewy look, although some can fade over a day.
- Bronzer can be a cream or a powder, it just needs to be a good tan color (not orange) and not too shimmery. If you want a bronzer to contour with, get as matte as possible.
- Highlighter is awesome! Can be cream or powder, but go for pale colors and subtle shimmer over lots of glimmer.
For your eyes:
- Cream eyeshadows come in two varieties: actual long-last, long-wear formulas (amazing) and cream shadows that melt off your lids in 5 minutes (not so). Primer can help fix this, and layering powder on top of cream also helps. Just make sure you know where your money's going.
- Powder eyeshadows are everywhere. I love palettes because they have choices!
- Mascaras come in lots of formulas and IMO they're all pretty similar, so get one you like that doesn't clump and is easy to put on.
For your lips:
- Lipstick is creamy and ranges from matte to shimmer to frosty. It is usually thicker. Many last longer than other things. Many are fairly pigmented.
- Lip gloss is shiny, slick, and can be tacky. Some people like this; some don't! Some are pigmented and some are sheer.
- Lip balm / chapsticks are usually moisturizing and sheer to clear.
- Lip stains are like a marker for your face. They tend to dry out your lips a bit but last for hours upon hours. I love lip stains + balm, personally.
Hey Makeup Batman: What Colors Do I Want?
Face: Go to a department store or Sephora and have them match a product to your face by blending a streak into your jawline. Once you have a perfect match, it's easier to tell what you're looking for if you decide to go drugstore brand.
Cheeks: Blush is fun to play with! Start by picking something according to your skintone: lighter tones might start with pale pink or peach, medium skintones with a rose or coral, and darker ones with a plum or dusty rose. If you're going for sunkissed, bronzer with a pop of peach, coral, or pink works nicely.
Bronzer should be tan/brown on your skin, not orange, and not grey. Don't go too dark -- it's meant to be subtle.
Eyes: Oh, gosh. Anything goes, in my opinion. But here's a place to start:
- Get a quad or palette of good neutrals: brown, tan, khaki, grey, etc.
- Get a quad or palette of neutrals-with-some-flair: rose-gold, khaki-green, steel-blue-grey, bronze-gold.
- Get a quad or palette that will make the color of your eyes pop:
Lips: It's valuable to have one reliable nude lip color, one reliable red or near-red, and one reliable "bright" - rose, coral, brown, pink, whatever looks best on you. There are so many lip colors... one way to test is to wait until some go BOGO at the drugstore and experiment, then invest in high-quality versions of your favorites. This saves you from the ick of trying on the testers in Sephora.
Hey Makeup Batman: WTF Do I Do With This Stuff?
...I started to write this and then realized it should so have accompanying photos. And I'm at work. So! This is kind of useless for now.
A second post will contain all of this info ^^
But here are some tips:
GOSH THIS IS A FUN ONE.
Okay, full disclosure: I love makeup.
Style's a personal thing. I can't say anything about anyone else's style, and I don't believe in "everybody should"s, so this is just me talking about me.
Now, I'll say flat-out that I don't subscribe to the theory that anyone must wear makeup, ever. And there's also a lot I could say about beauty standards and the ways that they are fucked up, too. And I will say here that I very much dislike makeup advertising, in which we're shown yet another impossibly perfect, airbrushed woman and reminded to buy plaster-like foundation and anti-aging creme, right? Which is bullshit! And I try not to support those things within my own beauty purchases and uses, as much as I can, because that's not what it's about for me.
What I like about makeup is the fun of it. In my life, within my personal style, it's an accessory: you don't need to be wearing jewelry or a scarf when you leave the house, but you might feel a little snazzier if you do, right? Just like makeup. One shouldn't need it to do anything, but it can be an added bit of style to twist one look into another, or to just step up your appearance that day. And if you're not in the mood to look like anything except Pajama Pants Hobo, then do that (uh, this is me almost every weekend >.>)... but if you do want to accentuate a bit, then play with it.
For me it's the only accessory I get. I work in a chemical lab; I wear a lab coat and safety goggles and steel-toed shoes. Most of my pants have stains on them, and it doesn't really matter what shirt I wear because it's under the lab coat. My hair can basically only be worn "down" or "in a ponytail" because anything fancier gets in the way of my face shield. Frills and accessories - jewelry, scarves, even fancy jackets or nice shoes - are an actual safety violation. The only thing I get to wear to make myself look any kind of different any day, to customize the way that I look, to make myself feel at all unique: makeup.
And that's why I love it.
I've grown to appreciate, over the last couple years of working this job and realizing that I can get away with wearing the same pair of pants every day in a week and nobody but me knows, the way I can tweak my look to be different every day. This day? Work-safe smoky eyes. Today? stern eyeliner. Tomorrow: countouring. Next day: all naturals. Then: green. There's a week of looking different. For me, for my personal style and hobo-punk aesthetic and the general lack of expressivity built into my job, makeup has become pretty important.
If you've ever been to a con with me, you've probably seen the Makeup Batman in action. I love con makeup because it's dramatic and fun and a chance to hit everyone with dark bright colors and glitter. But I also love doing everyone's makeup for just normal fun weekends. In spending more time on my own and in doing other people up, I've gathered some general know-how, and I will now talk about it in some semblance of order!
Hey Makeup Batman: How Much Should I Spend?
There's cheap stuff. There's inexpensive stuff. There's quality stuff. There's expensive stuff. Sometimes it's worth it and sometimes it's not. Here is how I break it down.
- Foundation/Powder: I use department-store foundation and powder (Clinique or MAC) because it keeps me from breaking out. However, everyone's skin type is different, so the key is finding something you like that doesn't [dry or oil] you up and sticking with it. I have found that for me higher-quality foundation, tinted moisturizer, and powder are less likely to make me break out. Less breaking out means not having to wear every day, which also makes it last longer, aka more affordable overall.
- Face primer: It isn't for everyone and it's an added step, but I prefer to use a face primer than to put money into sticky, tacky "long last" foundations or powders. Face primers make my face feel super smooth and silky. Yay! I like Tarte's; Smashbox has a highly-rated one also.
- Blush: is the kind of thing I am perfectly happy to buy at a drugstore; you can pick up many colors (rose, peach, pink) and finishes (shimmer, matte), and with a good base (foundation, or primer) they last just as well as more expensive things.
- Bronzer: many drugstore bronzers just have too much sparkle / glitter / shimmer / frost to them, and they look fake. That isn't to say the more expensive ones are "better" - they usually just look more realistic. If you find a cheap one that works for your coloring, go for it.
- Eyeshadow Primer: The #1 purchase you can make to make your makeup life happy and long. I swear by Urban Decay Primer potion, which comes in flavors - Original (clear), Sin (shimmery champagne), Eden (matte yellow/tan), and Greed (gold). Not only does it stick your eyeshadow - no creasing, no fading, no giving of the raccoon eyes - but it makes your eyeshadow last basically until you take it off. It is magical. It lasts a very long time too, so it is an investment so worth it to me.
- Eyeshadows: Two ways to break this down. In terms of pigmentation - bright thick color vs pale sheer color - I do find that you get what you pay for; most higher-quality shadows are brighter, carry more pigment, and lay down significantly more boldly than drugstore brights. In terms of lifetime, I also find higher-quality shadows last longer without creasing, fading, or fallout.
That being said, eyeshadow primer can make many cheap shadows bright and bold and as permanent as needed. Do you see where I'm going here? You can then invest your money in a few good shadows in shades you wear a lot, and experiment in bright blues and greens on the cheap because your primer's gonna make them look amazing. - Eyeliner: Personally I think higher-quality liners are so much better than drugstore ones; on me, cheaper ones will smear, fade, or - best! - both. I find easier application, smoother lines, better colors, better payoff and longer life in the higher-quality brands. I like Urban Decay, Tarte, and Korres myself, plus the obvious MAC.
- Mascara: I've never met an expensive mascara that was actually worth the money. Go drugstore, baby. You're supposed to throw it out if it's older than a couple months, too... not worth the investment to me. Alternately: if you purchase kits from Sephora, or GWP from department stores, often you can get enough travel-size mascaras to cover your every need.
- Lips: OK, I'm torn. There's high-quality lips stuff and cheap-nasty lip stuff and in my opinion, in the end it's all the same because I drink too much coffee for it to last more than about eight minutes on my face.
However! I personally lean more towards mid-quality lip products because they have less cloying smells (strongly-smelling products give me headaches), smoother application, are more moisturizing and do last a little longer. But honestly eyes are what's exciting for me, because I am always putting things in my mouth WHAT - Brushes: A set of brushes will be one of the best investments you make as you move into makeup. But they don't have to be pricey. MAC's brushes get very high ratings, and are very high quality, but they are also expensive. For something more affordable, try Sonia Kashuk's line of brushes at Target - they're excellent quality for a very affordable price. For the best damn deal I've found yet, you can buy the Ecotools set of eyeshadow brushes for $8. Five small brushes (which suit me - I need to use stubby/small brushes, liners, mascara, etc because I'm applying 1" away from the mirror due to my terrible eyes), super soft, excellent application, top-notch quality. Do it. You'll be happy.
Hey Makeup Batman: What Should I Get?
For your face:
- Foundation if you want real coverage, but be prepared for it to feel thick and possibly get/look cakey.
- Tinted moisturizer (or! foundation/lotion cocktail) if you want evening out and light coverage, but be prepared for some things to show through.
- Powder can stand alone (light to medium coverage) for faces that are oily. It can also be applied over either of the above for more coverage, a smoother (/drier) look, and to help "set" your face.
- I heartily recommend applying liquids with a makeup sponge, and powder with an actual powder brush.
For your cheeks:
- Powder blush runs from sheer to strong, depending on the brand. So start really light until you know how it's going to come out.
- Cream blush is magical for an easy, dewy look, although some can fade over a day.
- Bronzer can be a cream or a powder, it just needs to be a good tan color (not orange) and not too shimmery. If you want a bronzer to contour with, get as matte as possible.
- Highlighter is awesome! Can be cream or powder, but go for pale colors and subtle shimmer over lots of glimmer.
For your eyes:
- Cream eyeshadows come in two varieties: actual long-last, long-wear formulas (amazing) and cream shadows that melt off your lids in 5 minutes (not so). Primer can help fix this, and layering powder on top of cream also helps. Just make sure you know where your money's going.
- Powder eyeshadows are everywhere. I love palettes because they have choices!
- Mascaras come in lots of formulas and IMO they're all pretty similar, so get one you like that doesn't clump and is easy to put on.
For your lips:
- Lipstick is creamy and ranges from matte to shimmer to frosty. It is usually thicker. Many last longer than other things. Many are fairly pigmented.
- Lip gloss is shiny, slick, and can be tacky. Some people like this; some don't! Some are pigmented and some are sheer.
- Lip balm / chapsticks are usually moisturizing and sheer to clear.
- Lip stains are like a marker for your face. They tend to dry out your lips a bit but last for hours upon hours. I love lip stains + balm, personally.
Hey Makeup Batman: What Colors Do I Want?
Face: Go to a department store or Sephora and have them match a product to your face by blending a streak into your jawline. Once you have a perfect match, it's easier to tell what you're looking for if you decide to go drugstore brand.
Cheeks: Blush is fun to play with! Start by picking something according to your skintone: lighter tones might start with pale pink or peach, medium skintones with a rose or coral, and darker ones with a plum or dusty rose. If you're going for sunkissed, bronzer with a pop of peach, coral, or pink works nicely.
Bronzer should be tan/brown on your skin, not orange, and not grey. Don't go too dark -- it's meant to be subtle.
Eyes: Oh, gosh. Anything goes, in my opinion. But here's a place to start:
- Get a quad or palette of good neutrals: brown, tan, khaki, grey, etc.
- Get a quad or palette of neutrals-with-some-flair: rose-gold, khaki-green, steel-blue-grey, bronze-gold.
- Get a quad or palette that will make the color of your eyes pop:
- Brown eyes: try blues or shimmery silver/greys, violets, or hunter/olive green.
- Blue eyes: bronze and gold, pale frosty silver, or violets and rose.
- Green eyes: Plums and wines, olive/khaki green-golds and coffee-browns, or deep silver-greys.
- Grey eyes: Gold and copper, rosy neutrals, or any single bright color.
- Hazel: pick the shades above you're closest to and see where the colors overlap.
Lips: It's valuable to have one reliable nude lip color, one reliable red or near-red, and one reliable "bright" - rose, coral, brown, pink, whatever looks best on you. There are so many lip colors... one way to test is to wait until some go BOGO at the drugstore and experiment, then invest in high-quality versions of your favorites. This saves you from the ick of trying on the testers in Sephora.
Hey Makeup Batman: WTF Do I Do With This Stuff?
...I started to write this and then realized it should so have accompanying photos. And I'm at work. So! This is kind of useless for now.
A second post will contain all of this info ^^
But here are some tips:
- Blush goes on the apples of your cheeks - give the mirror a shit-eating grin, and the parts that stick up and out all round? Yup. Err on the outside and bottom of the apples, though, for a flush that's more natural. Dab color there, and then blend outward towards your hairline. Lighter application is better!
- To contour your face -- get thee a bronzer, a darker shade of blush, or a dark contour powder. Find the apples of your cheeks just for reference. Then suck your cheeks in and find the hollows under your cheekbones. What you want to do is dap the darker bronzer/color/powder underneath your cheekbone, but stop when you're vertically aligned with the outside 'edge' of the apples of your cheeks. This is a great look if/when you get it right. It is worth a couple trial runs in the privacy of your bathroom and some looking at magazine ads for reference.
- Highlighter above/atop the cheekbones, bronzer beneath, a touch of blush on the apples: instant sculpting.
- To look bronzed: make the shape of a "3" or "E" along the side of your face: from your hairline down and along your cheekbones, then back around your cheek and very lightly fading into your jawline. The top "C" should have much more color than the bottom "C" of the shape. If you can see the bronzer as you put it on, it's too much. Go light. Later that day you'll look in the mirror and be surprised at how amazing you look.
- Pair strong/bold/dark eyes with neutral/light lips, or neutral eyes with strong/dark/bold lips. If either one is strong, make sure you use blush, or you will look washed out.
- Blend the hell out of your eyeshadow.
- Easy look: one color all over your lid, a darker one dabbed into the crease and blended. Bam! Your eyes pop.
- to highlight your eyes: get a shimmery champagne, pale gold, pink, peach, or even white. Dab at the inner corners of your eyes and on your browbone.
- ...ffffffffffffffffff my eye looks really need pictures. SORRY.
AND THAT'S ABOUT IT FOR NOW
WHY IS THIS SO LONG, LOLOLFOREVER
This is part of my 30 Days of Posting meme - feel free to check out the schedule of posting! My month is full, but if any of the posts make you want to ask for something else, go ahead and leave a comment anyway! DW || LJ
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