Valentine's Day Romantic Makeup: Before and After
For those following Sarah (a.k.a LashGirlMe) and me last night on Twitter, here's the before and afters.
Steps to achieving this look:
1. Start with freshly washed and well moisturized skin. Make sure lips are moisturized.
2. With my fingers, I applied a couple drops of Make Up For Ever's HD Elixer, which moisturizes dry patches. Sarah, who suffers from dry skin, said, "That feels good!" as the product was applied.
3. Next, using a foundation brush, I applied a dime size amount of Make Up For Ever's HD Primer. I waited about 5 minutes for the product to fully dry, although the manufacturer says the primer dries in less time than other brands.
4. With a foundation brush, I applied Make Up For Ever's HD Foundation in #50 across Sarah's face, working from the center of the face and outward. Sarah said she wasn't aiming to cover the small pattern of freckles on her cheeks, but the foundation naturally did.
5. I applied Clarins Multi-Blush in Lichee to Sarah's cheeks, working from the apples and stroking upwards. I set the cream blush and added more color using NARS' powder blush in Desire, a bright pink. When using highly pigmented blushes, use a very light hand and try dipping it in translucent powder to avoid too much application.
6. I set the makeup with Make Up For Ever's HD Microfinish powder. The finish makes skin look almost pore-free.
7. We didn't have eye makeup primer on hand, so I used a cream concealer to prep Sarah's eyelids. Then I applied Make Up For Ever's eye shadow in N180 (a deep purple). I swept this in the crease of her eyelid, then used a blending blush to soften the line. On the eyelid itself, I used a neutral taupe. Her brow bones and tear ducts were highlighted with a pearly white shadow.
8. I curled her lashes and applied two coats of Sephora's lengthening and volumizing mascara to each set.
9. Additional steps: I applied NARS Albatross Highlighter to the top of Sarah's cheekbones, down her nose, and across her forehead. We learned once the photos were taken that the product can show up in flash photography, even if it's not apparent to the naked eye. (While I still love the product, it's not advisable to use for a night out when a lot of pictures will be taken.) I also applied a little bit of YSL's Touche Eclat to her undereye area (she's a mom of two, after all).
On first review, we both agreed that the eye makeup was too dramatic. Sarah's eyes are so dramatic and large naturally that any strong makeup makes them overpowering. I toned down the shadow by mixing a little soft brown with a lighter shade of purple from the Coastal Scents 88 Pallet.
10. For a romantic touch, a applied a soft pink lipstick, Sally Hansen's Natural Beauty Inspired by Carmindy's Perfect Pink. I applied a nude shade of YSL lipstick on top to give the color some dimension. I love the the natural red hue in Sarah's lips, but to soften the look and make it more romantic, I wanted to lighten them. Prior to applying lipstick, I neutralized the color with foundation.
Please keep in mind that this look can be achieved with more affordable options at any drugstore. I grew up on the cheapest brands, only recently trying more high end products on occasion.
To see more makeover images, please go to www.facebook.com/makeupbyELM.
Steps to achieving this look:
1. Start with freshly washed and well moisturized skin. Make sure lips are moisturized.
2. With my fingers, I applied a couple drops of Make Up For Ever's HD Elixer, which moisturizes dry patches. Sarah, who suffers from dry skin, said, "That feels good!" as the product was applied.
3. Next, using a foundation brush, I applied a dime size amount of Make Up For Ever's HD Primer. I waited about 5 minutes for the product to fully dry, although the manufacturer says the primer dries in less time than other brands.
4. With a foundation brush, I applied Make Up For Ever's HD Foundation in #50 across Sarah's face, working from the center of the face and outward. Sarah said she wasn't aiming to cover the small pattern of freckles on her cheeks, but the foundation naturally did.
5. I applied Clarins Multi-Blush in Lichee to Sarah's cheeks, working from the apples and stroking upwards. I set the cream blush and added more color using NARS' powder blush in Desire, a bright pink. When using highly pigmented blushes, use a very light hand and try dipping it in translucent powder to avoid too much application.
6. I set the makeup with Make Up For Ever's HD Microfinish powder. The finish makes skin look almost pore-free.
7. We didn't have eye makeup primer on hand, so I used a cream concealer to prep Sarah's eyelids. Then I applied Make Up For Ever's eye shadow in N180 (a deep purple). I swept this in the crease of her eyelid, then used a blending blush to soften the line. On the eyelid itself, I used a neutral taupe. Her brow bones and tear ducts were highlighted with a pearly white shadow.
8. I curled her lashes and applied two coats of Sephora's lengthening and volumizing mascara to each set.
9. Additional steps: I applied NARS Albatross Highlighter to the top of Sarah's cheekbones, down her nose, and across her forehead. We learned once the photos were taken that the product can show up in flash photography, even if it's not apparent to the naked eye. (While I still love the product, it's not advisable to use for a night out when a lot of pictures will be taken.) I also applied a little bit of YSL's Touche Eclat to her undereye area (she's a mom of two, after all).
On first review, we both agreed that the eye makeup was too dramatic. Sarah's eyes are so dramatic and large naturally that any strong makeup makes them overpowering. I toned down the shadow by mixing a little soft brown with a lighter shade of purple from the Coastal Scents 88 Pallet.
10. For a romantic touch, a applied a soft pink lipstick, Sally Hansen's Natural Beauty Inspired by Carmindy's Perfect Pink. I applied a nude shade of YSL lipstick on top to give the color some dimension. I love the the natural red hue in Sarah's lips, but to soften the look and make it more romantic, I wanted to lighten them. Prior to applying lipstick, I neutralized the color with foundation.
Please keep in mind that this look can be achieved with more affordable options at any drugstore. I grew up on the cheapest brands, only recently trying more high end products on occasion.
To see more makeover images, please go to www.facebook.com/makeupbyELM.
Thank you so much for the beautiful work you did! I enjoyed getting glamorous, even if just for an evening! -Lash Girl
ReplyDeleteIt was a lot of fun! You were a great sport. Thanks :)
ReplyDelete