Beauty Buzz | Five Makeup Artist Tips

Jan 21, 2014

Although I haven’t talked much about it on the blog, I used to regularly work as an actress and print model in Dallas.  It was a big part of my life for eight years.  In that time, I appeared in close to 40 commercials, a dozen independent and industrial films and countless print shoots and theater performances.  Most of the time the hours were long and the pay wasn’t that great (which is probably why I don’t do it anymore!).  But there were a lot of bright spots through the years.  One of which was getting to work with some highly talented stylists and makeup artists.  I honestly owe most of my style and beauty know-how to them.

Even though I never worked on any big studio productions, I was fortunate enough to have some A-list makeup artists.  They worked with a few people you may have heard of like Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts, Sandra Bullock, Matthew McConaughey and Barack Obama.  A word of advice, if any of you ever get to be A-list celebrities, BE NICE to makeup artists.  Most of them love to dish dirt on the stars they’ve worked with.  Oh, the stories I could tell!  But I won’t because they’re not very nice.  🙂

I owe so much to these professionals.  They taught me how to pick the right foundation color and grow back my overly waxed eyebrows (Biotin, it works!).  They also showed me how curling lashes creates brighter and more open eyes and how to mix the right lip glosses and lip sticks to create the perfect shade.

Today, I’m going to let you in on five of my favorite tips learned from makeup artists.

Five Makeup Artist Tips…For the Rest of Us

Tip #1 – Always use a primer.

I can honestly say that this one product has gotten me countless compliments on my skin over the past few years.   Simply put, primer fakes great skin.  It hides little imperfections, smooths over lines and makes foundation application flawless. Smashbox Photo Finish Primer is my absolute fave.  They should be hiring me as their spokesperson for all the friends I’ve turned on to this stuff!  Don’t be afraid of the price, one tube lasts me about a year.

Tip #2 – Use foundation instead of concealer.

There’s no need to buy a separate product to use as a concealer.  Most of them are too cakey and the wrong color for your skin.  After applying primer, dot foundation around your nose, under eyes and on any other area that needs evened out.  Use a make-up sponge to blend it, working from the center of your face outward.  L’Oreal’s True Match Lumi Healthy Luminous Makeup has lightweight buildable coverage and three ingredients that help to improve skin clarity and tone.

Tip #3 – Blend a sparkly shadow into the corners of eyes to look more awake.

First, swipe a sparkly champagne color over lids then apply a small amount to corners of eyes.  Use a darker neutral for the crease (taupe to chocolate brown) and highlight brow bone with the champagne shade.  My favorite sparkly champagne shade is Bobbi Brown’s Champagne Quartz.  It reflects light beautifully without being too over the top.

Tip #4 – Applying contour is just as important as blush. 

Contouring with a bronzer and blush gives a natural glow and enhances facial features.  I use a blusher/bronzer duo for this step.  First, swipe the bronzer onto cheekbones, on temples and down the bridge of your nose, where sunlight would naturally hit.  Smile, then swirl a pinkish or coral blush onto apples of cheeks and blend out toward ears.  I’m in love with this $3 Contouring Blush and Bronzer Duo by ELF, the colors are amazingly natural and have a subtle sheen.

Tip #5 – Use eye shadow to line eyes. 

I use dark eye shadow from my palette for my eye liner.  It creates a softer line and is easier to control than a pencil.  Use a very thin brush or the point of an applicator.  Dampen it slightly then dip it in the eye shadow color of your choice.  Some of my favorite colors to line with include navy blue, turquoise, plum, chocolate brown and gray.  Line both upper and lower lash lines.  The darker shades in my Smashbox Master Class Palette are perfect for this.  A skinny eyeliner brush is included in the set.

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