How To Apply Makeup
No matter how much you research your lighting, no matter how hard you search for the model with the perfectly-chiseled cheekbones and that rare genetic defect that renders her skin totally without pores, you’ll never be able to master the delicate alchemy of the truly professional-looking image if you’re missing one of the most vital, but oft-overlooked ingredients: proper makeup application.
Sure, you think — I’ve got that down. All of my models know how to do their own makeup; they come wearing what they normally wear. Perhaps you’re a female photographer and you think to yourself, Of course I know how to do makeup. I’m a GIRL.Well, there’s a difference between what works for day-to-day life, and what works on camera — even when what you’re shooting is everyday, non-fancy people doing everyday, non-fancy things.
Without hours and hours of practice, lots of research, and a strong kit, your results just won’t rival a MuA who knows what they’re doing. However, if you have a passion for perfection, a critical eye, and experience in drawing/painting/photoshop, you can definitely have images that show a bit more polish and professionalism than you’d get otherwise — and at the very least, you could end up saving yourself a ton of time post-processing!
Use Of Under-Eye Concealers:
Concealers are applied to cover dark circles around the eyes, thereby grweatly enhancing the appearance of the face.They are matched to the skin tone and are applied before using the harmony foundation.When any product is applied around the eyes, special care must be taken so that the skin is not stretched.Instead of applying the cream from the inside corner of the eye to the outside it should be dabbed on the skin and then gently blended with the finger tips moving from the outside corner to the inside corner.This procedure will not pull the skin.After the product has dried, more can be applied to build up the desired opacity.To remove, use a cosmetic cleanser, instead of vigorously rubbing the skin with soap and water.
A.Foundation:
Application Technique:
Put a little foundation on the hand(add a complimentary tone if necessary).Dot it over the face-on the nose, the cheeks, the chin and the temples and in between the brows.Using the tips of two fingers or a small clean, dampened sponge(from which excess water has been removed) blend the foundation.Always work from the face outwards, to avoid an accumulation of the foundation around the hairline-move from the cheeks to the ears, from between the brows down over the nose, from the chin out towards the jaw, then onto the neck.Work quickly, carefully and lightly.Blend well around the hairline, on the neck, below the eyes and behind the ears.Also take the foundation over the eyelids.Finally blot the face with a clean dry tissue, pressing it lightly over the skin.
B.Corrections And Improvements Through The Use Of Make-up:
Correction of poor skin tones is achieved by using a correcting make-up base: a mauve base can conceal pale and dull skin tones and brighten the skin.A green base masks red blotches and ruddiness.The under-eye concealer camouflages dark circles under the eye.These correcting bases have to be applied before applying foundation.To improve facial features, use is made of the fact that pale shades lengthen, fill out, and brighten, while dark shades reduce, deepen, darken, and conceal.This form of correcting base is applied after the use of basic foundation.These correcting bases are available as liquids, creams and even as pencils.
1.Correcting The Facial Morphology: The ideal facial shape is oval and by the clever use of dark and pale tones, every facial type can be made to appear oval.
a.Trapezoidal Face: The trapezoidal face can be made to look more oval by redefining the lower part with dark foundation and using light makeup at the temple.
b.Rectangular And A Square Face: Both these shapes are redefined at the four corners with dark foundation.
c.Triangular Face: The triangular face needs dark foundation at the temples and to shorten the chin while the lower face needs enlargement using light makeup.
d.An Oval Face:The oval face needs shortening at the forehead and chin with dark foundation.
e.Round Face: The round face is made to appear oval by using dark makeup at the temples and around the lower face.
2.Correcting The Chin And The Nose:
Here again, playing with colours, you can balance other features of your face.
a.A Prominent Chin:This can be corrected by applying dark foundation on the tip of the chin.
b.A Double Chin: This can be corrected by putting a dark foundation on the double chin.
c.A Long Nose: A long nose appears short by applying dark makeup on the tip.
d.A Broad Nose: For a broad nose apply dark foundation along each side of the nose.
e.Short Nose: To emphasize a short nose apply pale makeup along the top of the nose along its whole length.
f.Narrow Nose: For a narrow nose apply a bright foundation on each side.
g.Crooked Nose: For a crooked nose, cover the crooked side with a dark foundation and the opposite side with a light foundation.
C.Applying Blusher:
The next step is the use of the blusher or the rouge.These cosmetics do several things to your face.
How To Apply Blusher?
Use the colour on the blush area.This is the part of the face between parallel lines, one extending outward from the corner of your eye and the second from the bottom of your nose.Smile and lightly touch the blusher brush on the fatty part of the cheek and gently brush the blusher toward the temple, making a slight curve.A touch of colour across the forehead and on the chin cometes the look.The cream rouge is applied to the cheeks with the fingertips in small amounts and spread in the desired fashion.The powder blusher is applied with a brush.
D.Applying Powder:
Technique:
Make sure the foundationis well blended.Blot the face lightly with a tissue, especially over the forehead, nose and chin.Pick up the powder on the puff and press it firmly on the face, one area at a time.Don’t try to smooth it on by massaging the puff over the face.Now using a soft, thick powder brush, whisk away the excess, with downward movement to stop the powder getting caught in the fine facial hair
