Remember Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s infamous pink makeup horror at Cannes? Or those over-tweezed, anaemic eyebrows of Kangana Ranaut (she probably didn’t hear about the invention of ‘eyebrow fillers’) during her initial years in Bollywood? Even worse, how could we get over Gauri Khan’s numerous haunting, oily makeup looks that can scare the hell out of any sane person?
Well, forgive us for refreshing your memory with those incredible images (pun intended, of course), but we’re trying to emphasize on the magic of makeup and how it can transform your look from ‘nay’ to ‘whoa’ if done the right way.
Let’s break down the tricks involved in applying makeup perfectly.
How to Apply Makeup Correctly
Prepping the skin
You’ve got to start the makeup with a clean slate. Use a hydrating cream on a cleansed face before applying any product. Then, apply primer, which creates a beautiful canvas by gently buffing away flakes, smoothening out the skin texture, minimising pores and adding to the longevity of your makeup.
Applying foundation
The trick is to buy a foundation that matches your neck colour. Ladies, remember the golden rule: less is more in order to avoid cakey or flat makeup blunders that one of our most beloved celebrities like Angelina Jolie or even Lady Gaga have committed. Take a look at these disasters here.
Concealing dark spots
Ideally, you need to use a concealer that is a shade lighter than the under-eye area to get the brightening effect. Once you grab the right product, apply it below the eyes in the shape of a triangle and dab some on other uneven or dark spots. Don’t forget to blend the edges well.
Time for face powder
You can choose to skip this step, but beauty experts insist that it settles your foundation and prevents your skin from becoming too oily or shiny. Golden trick: apply powder on your shiniest sections first – like the T-zone – and do light dusting on other areas.
Blush, highlighter or bronzer
Always apply the bronzer on your neck, face, and chest so that you even out the skin tone and avoid a patchy appearance. When it comes to blush, apply it on the apples of your cheeks, extending up toward the temples.
Enhancing the eyes
- Use any shadow of your choice for the lids and always apply some just below the lash line to balance the colour. Use a darker shade like a soft brown in the crease to make your eyes look wider and blend thoroughly.
- Pick an easy-to-use chubby stick eyeliner or brush applicator on the upper lash line and also on the waterlines for an amped-up effect.
- Swipe on some mascara from root to tip to avoid clumping and your eye makeup is set!
Glamorising that Pout
Sometimes, getting the lips right is all you need to transform your face. If you’re feeling lazy, just swipe on a natural, rosy pink lipstick or gloss and run out the door! If you’re in a fancy mood and want a more pigmented hue, then use a lip liner first and fill in the lip carefully.
Brows-on-Fleek
This is the most important step that can make or break your look as it immediately adds structure to your face. Select an eyebrow pencil or brow pomade that very closely matches your eyebrow colour and ensure to use short strokes to create the illusion of small “hair” in the gaps. Finish by using a makeup brush to blend out the product evenly for a natural look.
And voila! That’s how makeup is done! Well, these tips only scratch the surface! Watch out this space for more amazing makeup tips and tricks.