As a child you probably watched your mother put on makeup. The process looked elegant, sophisticated and grown up. You longed to brush and shade your face in the same manner, but when you bravely decided to give it a shot yourself, the result was not the flawless, beautiful look your mother got. It was more of a heavy-handed, circus clown nightmare. The lesson learned here? Less is more. Modern stylists and makeup artists know that the key to gorgeous makeup is making it look like you are not wearing any. To do this, there are three rules: moderation, tone matching and accentuation.
Moderation
When choosing the right foundation, keep moderation in mind. Find one that is light and effective with only one application. Multiple layers clump and spread unevenly, making your makeup obvious. BB or CC creams are excellent tools to add to your cosmetics bag as they serve as both moisturizer and foundation. Products like the Artisty Ideal Radiance Illuminating CC Cream offer a brightening effect as well as color-correcting elements to make your skin look even, natural and luminous.
Tone Matching
A light foundation or cream is not enough on its own. It has to be the right color. Matching a foundation to the shade of your natural skin can be frustrating when it seems like none of the colors seem to coincide with your skin tone. The problem is that the skin tone of your face is complex. When choosing a foundation color, you have to also consider your skin’s undertones. The trick to determining your undertones is all in the wrist.
If the veins in your wrist are blue, you have a cool undertone and you should choose a shade that has a rosy or blue base. A natural cream or buff shade of foundation would be right for you in this case. If the veins in your wrist appear green, you have warm undertones and foundations with yellow or gold bases will match. The last possibility is the lucky lady with neutral undertones. This means you see both blue and green veins and can pull off any color foundation. Your skin adapts to the shade you’re wearing.
If you choose the right shade, your makeup looks like your natural skin color, only better. It also helps you avoid the “pancake” effect where the color of your jawline is nowhere near the color of the skin on your neck.
Accentuation
Just like you need to match your foundation with your skin tone, accentuating your eyes in a natural-looking way requires you to select eye shadows and liners that complement the color of your eyes.
Brown eyes are versatile. The color navy enhances the brown iris without being too bold or unnatural. For an earthier look, a rich green-gold shadow can pick up on the flecks of your eyes and make them stand out.
Since blue eyes already present a bright color, they look most natural with warm shades surrounding them. Oranges and pinks meld with your skin tone, drawing more attention to your eyes. If you want something a little more striking, a shadow with a metallic undertone works well with the steely color blue.
Green and hazel eyes are lovely by default, but a little touch of color can make them more striking. Shades of taupe, gray and a rich but muted purple are a perfect accent to green and hazel eyes.
It’s likely you have developed more skill in makeup application since the days of clunking around the house in your mother’s high heels. But pulling off a natural look requires a different approach. If you remember moderation, tone matching and accentuation, though, your clowning days will be over.
Carol
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