Making the world beautiful, one lj post at a time.
This past weekend, I was in a production of "Seven", playing Mukhtar Mai, a Pakistani woman. The director asked that I wear the rather elaborate eye make-up popular among Pakistani women, so I did, to spectacular effect.
So, here's a step-by-step tutorial for the next time you're going out, feeling glamorous, or just need to be outrageous.
I apologize for the slight blurriness of some of the pictures. That's just what happens when you try to take close-up pictures of yourself with a crappy camera. Also, if my foundation looks a little thick, it's because I was using (sort of) stage make-up. Normally, I just apply a light powder with some bronzer, which, if you've got the skin for it, is the best way to go.
First off, if you're using pencil eyeliner, make sure it's sharpened. Not too sharp, but enough to get good definition. Start off by outlining your eyes completely with basic black. And when I say completely, I mean all the way around. Don't miss any corners. I like to bring the inside line down just past the tear duct to emphasize the shape of the eyes. Once you've got a good outline, using the side of your pencil tip, curve the bottom line up from the lower lid to the outside point of the eyebrow.
This might take a little practice. If you end up with a few false lines, just leave them for now. We'll talk about clean up later. Remember, you want a nice, elegant curve, not a straight line.
Once you've got that, draw another curve from the center of your upper lid to the top of the line you just drew, following the natural shape of your eye as closely as you can. it should look something like this:
You're probably going to feel a little silly doing this, but that's okay, because the next thing you want to do is fill in that blank space. You can use this step to even out any breaks or bumps in the existing lines. This will give you a gorgeous, thick line that really makes your eyes pop.
That kind of line is a good foundation for any dramatic look, and you can build it up however you want from there. Now that you've got that basis, this is where the fun starts. Next, I used a bright blue eyeliner pencil to edge the top of the black line.
This adds a lot of depth to the look and brings the eyes forward. If you have deep-set eyes, like mine, this kind of detail can make a huge difference.
The final steps are not for the faint of heart. So, if you're a timid make-up wearer, you may want to turn back. Next, using a standard eyeshadow applicator, I applied silver shadow from the inside corner of the eye, up to the brow line, and over the eye ridge, leaving the lid and ridge mostly bare.
Once again, you want to follow the natural shape of your eye as much as possible. This look works because it emphasizes the curves that are already there. If you try to force your make-up into a shape that doesn't work, you'll just end up looking like a clown. Rule no.1 in my fashion book: Use what you've got!
To finish off the look, I filled in that last bit of space on the lid with navy shadow.
Be sure that the shadow comes up over the lid crease and onto the ridge, especially if you're using a dark colour and especially if, again, you have deep-set eyes. Otherwise, your eyes look hooded, which isnt' what we're going for.
Now, if you messed up anywhere along the way, use a little bit of eye make-up remover on a Q-tip to clean up the outside edges. Just a little dab and wipe should do it. Make-up remover is an essential part of your beauty kit. Do not, I repeat, do not use water to fix or clean off eye make-up. You'll end up with smudges on your face and flakes in your eyes. Trust me.
Apply mascara liberally to the top and bottom lashes, and you're done!
I'm not wearing lipstick in these photos, but, if you go with the silver and blue shadows, I'd recommend something a little darker, in the plum or cinnamon ranges (see top photo, though maybe not that dark for just going out).
This same technique with more neutral tones should give you an understated, but equally dramatic, effect. I have huge eyes and absurdly high eyebrows, so I can get away with a lot of dark colours, but not everyone can. Try different things to see what works for you, but don't be afraid to be bold!
The eyeliner pencils were about $3 each, and the two eye shadows came from the same set that cost me about $4. The mascara was around $5. I like to use slightly nicer applicators -this one came from a set that was about $8- but a plain-old cheap one will work just fine. Bottom line, if you cut corners -which I'm a fan of- you can get this whole look for under $20. It took me about 5-10 minutes, but it may take longer if you're not used to crazy make-ups.
Give it a try, and let me know how it works out!
So, here's a step-by-step tutorial for the next time you're going out, feeling glamorous, or just need to be outrageous.
I apologize for the slight blurriness of some of the pictures. That's just what happens when you try to take close-up pictures of yourself with a crappy camera. Also, if my foundation looks a little thick, it's because I was using (sort of) stage make-up. Normally, I just apply a light powder with some bronzer, which, if you've got the skin for it, is the best way to go.
First off, if you're using pencil eyeliner, make sure it's sharpened. Not too sharp, but enough to get good definition. Start off by outlining your eyes completely with basic black. And when I say completely, I mean all the way around. Don't miss any corners. I like to bring the inside line down just past the tear duct to emphasize the shape of the eyes. Once you've got a good outline, using the side of your pencil tip, curve the bottom line up from the lower lid to the outside point of the eyebrow.
This might take a little practice. If you end up with a few false lines, just leave them for now. We'll talk about clean up later. Remember, you want a nice, elegant curve, not a straight line.
Once you've got that, draw another curve from the center of your upper lid to the top of the line you just drew, following the natural shape of your eye as closely as you can. it should look something like this:
You're probably going to feel a little silly doing this, but that's okay, because the next thing you want to do is fill in that blank space. You can use this step to even out any breaks or bumps in the existing lines. This will give you a gorgeous, thick line that really makes your eyes pop.
That kind of line is a good foundation for any dramatic look, and you can build it up however you want from there. Now that you've got that basis, this is where the fun starts. Next, I used a bright blue eyeliner pencil to edge the top of the black line.
This adds a lot of depth to the look and brings the eyes forward. If you have deep-set eyes, like mine, this kind of detail can make a huge difference.
The final steps are not for the faint of heart. So, if you're a timid make-up wearer, you may want to turn back. Next, using a standard eyeshadow applicator, I applied silver shadow from the inside corner of the eye, up to the brow line, and over the eye ridge, leaving the lid and ridge mostly bare.
Once again, you want to follow the natural shape of your eye as much as possible. This look works because it emphasizes the curves that are already there. If you try to force your make-up into a shape that doesn't work, you'll just end up looking like a clown. Rule no.1 in my fashion book: Use what you've got!
To finish off the look, I filled in that last bit of space on the lid with navy shadow.
Be sure that the shadow comes up over the lid crease and onto the ridge, especially if you're using a dark colour and especially if, again, you have deep-set eyes. Otherwise, your eyes look hooded, which isnt' what we're going for.
Now, if you messed up anywhere along the way, use a little bit of eye make-up remover on a Q-tip to clean up the outside edges. Just a little dab and wipe should do it. Make-up remover is an essential part of your beauty kit. Do not, I repeat, do not use water to fix or clean off eye make-up. You'll end up with smudges on your face and flakes in your eyes. Trust me.
Apply mascara liberally to the top and bottom lashes, and you're done!
I'm not wearing lipstick in these photos, but, if you go with the silver and blue shadows, I'd recommend something a little darker, in the plum or cinnamon ranges (see top photo, though maybe not that dark for just going out).
This same technique with more neutral tones should give you an understated, but equally dramatic, effect. I have huge eyes and absurdly high eyebrows, so I can get away with a lot of dark colours, but not everyone can. Try different things to see what works for you, but don't be afraid to be bold!
The eyeliner pencils were about $3 each, and the two eye shadows came from the same set that cost me about $4. The mascara was around $5. I like to use slightly nicer applicators -this one came from a set that was about $8- but a plain-old cheap one will work just fine. Bottom line, if you cut corners -which I'm a fan of- you can get this whole look for under $20. It took me about 5-10 minutes, but it may take longer if you're not used to crazy make-ups.
Give it a try, and let me know how it works out!