Many of you have asked me how I'm doing my makeup, especially my eyeliner. So I thought I'd do a full makeup tutorial showing the products I'm using, with a step-by-step guide to how I do my make up. Before I begin, let me start by saying that I like to keep my makeup as simple as possible. I'm not into heavy eyebrows or lots of blended eye shadow. And I like my beauty sleep! Which is why you're seeing very few products in the picture above. I like my makeup routine to take the least amount of time possible but result in a look that's defined, without looking over the top.
Also, I don't wear foundation. I have good skin, and I like to let it show. I find foundation too heavy for my oily skin. I hate the way it makes you look older and defines your lines and wrinkles. Plus, in Bahrain's heat and humidity, it just feels too heavy on the skin. This is just my personal opinion. If you like foundation, go ahead and wear it. Just add it to this makeup routine.
The products in the image above are placed in the order of use, from left to right.
Let's begin.
A step-by-step guide to my basic/ everyday makeup
Step 1: Primer
After I've moisturized and put on sunscreen on my face {if you want to know which sunscreen I use and why it's essential for every day, read this post}, I start my makeup routine by applying Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch as a primer. I apply it underneath my eyes, in the corners, to the area next to my nose that has open pores, as well as on my nose. I love how it smoothens the skin and makes it ready for concealer.
Step 2: Corrector
After the primer, I apply an orange corrector underneath my eyes. I have dark shadows underneath my eyes, as well as some darkness in the inner corners. Before I put on concealer, the orange corrector helps to even out the darkness and take away the purpleness of the shadows. I use L.A Girl Pro Conceal Corrector in orange.
The trick here is to use very, very little. Or you'll end up with orange eyes. After getting it wrong many, many times, I have learned to use just a dot under my eyes. I put on a dot under my eyes directly from the corrector tube. I spread this all over the dark undereye area using a soft concealer brush. You can use your fingers as well. Just make sure you don't spread it out on your normal skin. Keep it within the area that's dark because that's where the corrector is needed. You know you've spread and blended it correctly when your undereyes look as if they're the same colour as the rest of your face, not orange.
Step 3: Concealer + Powder
After the corrector, I put on concealer over the corrector. I use L.A Girl Pro Concealer in Pure Beige. Using the tube directly, I apply it in downward strokes, making a triangle under my eye, next to the nose. I blend it out using a concealer brush. It's not important whether you use dots or strokes or whatever shape to put concealer on, just make sure you don't keep it only within the area of your undereye. Extend it downwards to the top of your cheek area next to your nose, so it looks well-blended.
I also apply concealer to my eyelids {whatever's left on the brush after I've applied it under my eye as I don't want too much on my eyelid} and to the inside corners of my eyes. Then I apply it to the bulb of my nose where I have open pores and blackheads, and I blend it in using round strokes with the brush, so it really settles in. I use a damp beauty blender to press the concealer in even more. All over my eyelid, under my eyes, the top of my cheeks, and my nose.
I set the concealer by applying two setting powders. On the eye area, I apply Australis Banana Powder. This product is a recent discovery after Mask Line sent it to me. I fell in love with it and it has become a part of my daily makeup routine. The yellowness of the powder really hides and offsets the darkness under my eyes. It lasts the entire day. I've received a lot of compliments since I've started wearing it! On my forehead and chin, I use Ben Nye Neutral Set Colorless Powder as the Banana Powder makes my face look unnaturally white if I apply it on my forehead and chin.
Watch this video to see the concealer technique I use.
Step 4: Eyeliner
My favourite eyeliner at the moment is
Schwing, by the Balm cosmetics. It has a fine felt tip, making it easy to apply a defined line. It stays put the entire day, even on my oily skin.
Many of you have asked me how I do my eyeliner. I have round, downturned eyes, so I do my best to turn them up at the ends and to make them look less round. After watching and practising from many, many YouTube makeup videos and makeup posts for round eyes, I settled on this eyeliner technique. This feline flick makes my eyes look lifted up and cat-like. The best part about this eyeliner is that it can be customized. You can adjust the angle, thickness and the length of the liner to suit you and your unique eye shape.
Here's how to do my sexy feline flick:
1. From the centre of your top lash line, draw a straight, almost horizontal, line out to the outer corner of your eye. The line can be angled up high if you want a more dramatic cat-like flick. You can choose to extend it out as far as you want but don't extend it outside your eyebrow. Remember that the higher you lift the line, the thicker your liner will eventually be.
2. Join the end of the line back to the point at the end of your lashline, creating a triangle. Fill this triangle in with your liner.
3. You can now adjust the liner by extending it on the inside to join your lash line, so it looks softer. You can also extend the point of the flick to look more pronounced, or you can lift it up higher for more drama.
And that's it! It's as easy as 1, 2, 3! It does take some time to get it right, so practice, practice, practice! If you have round eyes like mine, don't take the liner all the way into the inner corner or make it thick on the highest arch. Otherwise, the roundness of your eye will look even rounder. The triangular flick at the end is what makes a round eye look cat-like. If you have almond-shaped eyes, you can line your eyes all the way in.
Step 5: Mascara
Once your liner dries {and this liner dries very quickly}, curl your eyelashes using an eyelash curler. I like to lift the curler up and count to 30 to get a good curl. After my lashes are curled, I apply a thin coat of
Flormar Ultimate Eyes Primer Mascara along three-quarters of the top of my lashes. This white mascara is a primer that makes my lashes look thicker for when I apply black mascara. Once this is dry, I apply
Maybelline Volum' Express The Colossal Waterproof Mascara on top of it. Apply this all the way from the base of the lashes to the top, making sure you cover all the white.
I like to apply several coats. To be honest, I'm not very happy with this mascara. I'm not finding the length and volume I used to. I'm itching to try one of L'Oreal's carbon fibre mascaras. Maybe I'll still use this mascara as the base and apply the carbon fibre mascara on top, as the waterproof-ness holds the lashes up.
Step 6: Eyebrows
I usually do my eyebrows when the mascara is drying. I love the
Elf Eyebrow Kit. I use the light brown shade in it and lightly fill in my eyebrows using an angled brush. I already have naturally thick and dark brows and I don't like making them bigger and darker. Which is why this kit and the shades in it are great for a more natural looking brow where I can just fill in my eyebrows with a bit of colour. Once filled in, I apply a brow mascara to keep the hair in place.
Step 7: Highlighting the Eyes
This step can also be done when waiting for the mascara to dry. I take a bright goldish-beige eye shadow and put this in the inner corners of my eyes. This makes my eyes look wide awake and the whole face look brighter.
The last step for my eye makeup- I put a nude beige liner in the lower waterline of my eyes, to make the eyes look more open. I like
NYX Wonder Pencil in Medium.
And that's it! My eye makeup is done!
Here's the step-by-step guide in pictures for you to pin on
Pinterest.
Step 8: Lippie
Once my eye makeup is done, I apply whatever lipstick that suits my fancy Usually, when I wear lipstick I apply lip liner all over my lips so the lipstick stays in place. If I'm wearing a long-stay matte lip colour, I skip the lip liner.
Step 9: Blush
I always apply blush after my lipstick because then I know what colour blush I have to apply. I always choose a shade of blush that's different from my lippie. So if I'm wearing pink lippie, I wear a rosy brownish blush, if I'm wearing maroon lipstick, I put on a pink blush. I do this just so my face doesn't look like it has the same colour all over. I apply it with a soft blush brush, in an upward swooping motion from my cheekbone to my temple.
I haven't taken any pictures of lipsticks and blush. I have so many and depending on what I'm wearing and how I'm feeling that day, I choose the colour for my lips and cheeks. Plus they come in so many different types. I have lipsticks, lip pencils, chubby lip pencils, matte lipsticks, matte liquid lip colours and lip glosses. The same goes for blush. There's powder blushes, cream blushes, cheek stains, ad nauseam. Sometimes I use a bronzer as a blush. Sometimes I mix two colours. So experiment and have fun!
That's it! My makeup is done! This makeup takes about 20- 30 minutes to do. If I remember, I spray my face with a setting spray.
The products listed above are just the ones that I like and choose to use. Feel free to substitute them with whatever brand of product that you like.
A few more tips
During the day when my face gets oily, I use oil wipes to absorb the oil and keep me looking fresh. I also carry a small spray bottle of rose water to spray on my face when my face feels icky and dry. Because my skin tends to flake a bit, even though it's oily, I carry moisturizer with me everywhere. It's in my car, it's in my handbag, it's in my gym bag, it's everywhere!
I hope you found this makeup tutorial helpful. If you have any more questions, or if you want me to do a skincare tutorial, let me know in the comments below!
Read more about fashion and style, and other topics such as career, education, passion, health and fitness, in my book,
Loving Yourself In Style. It's available in Bahrain in Jashanmal and Words bookstores. You can also buy it online on
Amazon,
Kobo and
Smashwords.
The pink lace rose print tablecloth used in these photos is from our family business,
Tayebali Bahrain.
Until next time,
xoxo
