Contouring

Contouring (or face sculpting) is like makeup's gift to womankind. When done correctly, it can drastically change the shape of one's features and make a big difference, specially in pictures.  It is generally done after applying foundation, powder and eye makeup. Highlighter, blush and bronzer are applied after contouring. During the day time tough, contouring with a champagne colored shimmery eyeshadow makes an very natural look.

Contouring makeup involves two things: contouring and highlighting. Wherever required, shadows are darkened (contoured) and parts of the face that stand out are highlighted. Here are a few illustrations explaining contouring.

Contouring- She looks tribal no?

In the above pictures, specially the second one, it is clearly visible how contouring can give a very chiseled look to the bone structure in the face.

 Look at your eyes from different angles. Identify the areas where natural shadows occur (crease, socket). Areas like the brow bone, under eye are and inner corner should be highlighted.

Following the natural shape of the socket, use a dark brown contouring powder to create the illusion of a shadow. Use a fluffy brush and light back and forth movement. Highlight the brow bone, inner corner and middle of  the eyelid with a highlighter pen and blend. you can also use a lighter or shimmery eyeshadow.

Suck your cheeks in and find the shadows the show you your cheek bones. contouring this area will make your cheek bones stand out and give your face a sleeker look. Use a round brush and contouring powder in a circular motion towards your ears (not away from them).

You can also contour around your temples if you want to, but that is rarely required. And that's it! Contouring can bring a change to your face so easily. See for yourself!!

After Contouring

Before Contouring

Notice the difference between my nose bridge before and after? Also, contouring the eye socket makes one's eyes look bigger. To counter that effect you can use eyeliner and/or kajal. I use kajal out of habit though. Also make sure that you use a light touch of blush ( read my post on how to find your personal color here) because contouring can wash your skin out and a little blush and tinted lip balm or lipstick will bring some color in. Feel free to comment if you have any questions! Happy Contouring!!

Bipasha Basu: Foundation Blooper!!!

Look at this picture carefully. Can you see the striking difference between the skin on her face, neck and back? Nobody is perfect, and it is natural to have darker skin on some body parts and lighter skin on others. But in this picture, it's clear that Bips' foundation is a little too light and not well blended at all!! It's like she's wearing a mask that ends just behind her pretty earring! It is very important to select a foundation that matches your skin tone.  Over here, her foundation has a cool undertone whereas Bips actually has a warm undertone.

If you want your face to look brighter in photos, then one shade lighter than your original skin is all you can afford, because anything lighter will make a foundation mask show up under flash. Also, the formula of your foundation should be light and emollient, not thick and chalky (Revlon's photoready is very good that way, or even l'oreal true match with that roller thingie). Even the powder you use to set your foundation has to be the right shade, or your face will look whiter than the rest of you.

A lot of people tell me that my face resembles Bips'. Maybe because of my dusky skin color, but anyways, i gave her makeup look a try. I was too lazy to put on earrings, but my point about the necessity of an even skin color was made.

I used a tinted moisturizer by Lotus and my Covergirl compact. The eyemakeup is really simply. I used a dull white gold eyeshadow on my brow bone and lid, and a tan and dark brown eyeshadow to contour my crease, socket and nose bridge. Black liquid eyeliner in a wing and lots of mascara. A peach blush, and coral lipstick.

So, I hope that this post has been useful in telling you HOW IMPORTANT it is to have the right shades for your skin. Check my post on how to choose the right shades for your skin tone. Good luck!

PS: How is the new hair color? Do comment!!

How to choose colors

When my mom took me to a makeup store to buy my first 'own' lipstick, i saw this shade that looked really good on the model. It was a frosty pink and I immediately picked it up without testing it first, and ended up having my first lipstick look really bad on me. Back then, I wore it and ran around the house anyways, but my point is, has this happened to any of you before? Did you ever buy makeup that looked really good on others but not that great on you? Here are a few things u need to know so that it never happens to you again!

Everyone has different skin color, either warm or cool. Warm skin has yellowish undertones whereas cool skin has bluish undertones. To find out what type of skin you have you could:

• Hold a plain white sheet of paper up to your face and identify what main color you see.
• See if you look better in a white top or cream top. If its white, you have a cool skin tone and if it's cream, you have a warm skin tone.
• Wear jewelery. If silver suits you more, then you have a cool skin tone. If gold suits you more, then you have a warm skin tone.

Visible difference: Warm and Cool skin

Once you have identified what skin tone you have, keep in mind these guidelines while purchasing makeup.

FOUNDATION: Warm skin tones should buy foundation and powder with a yellow undertone, and cool skin tones should buy foundation and powder with a pink or blue undertone

BLUSH: Go for a pink, beige or tawny color if you have a cool skin tone. For warm skin tones, Warmer colors like copper, bronze, peach look good. For tan skin, you  can use peach, reddish-orange and coral colors.

Shades 3, 5 are for cool skin, shades 1, 2, 6 for warm skin and shades 4, 7 for tan skin.

LIPSTICK: Select lipsticks and lip liners based on their dominant color. If they are warm red, brown, magenta, or purple, they will look good on warm skin. Cool skin girls should go with orangey red, light purple, and pink.

 EYESHADOW: Choose white, silver, gray, pale blue, purple, or dark green eye shadow if you have cool skin. Warm skin will look good in bronze, coral, red, pink, cream, light brown, and soft green.

Notice how the green and gold eyeshadow with dark brown contouring looks better on my warm skin than slate blue and gray and hints of black. (Ignore all the fallout please :p)

If warm skin gals would like to use cool shades or vice versa, the best option is to tone down the coolness with warm colors. For example, blue eyeshadow with gold (for warm gals trying cool shades) and  coral/pink eyeshadow with silver (for cool gals trying out warm colors).

Another thought i had was to use any color you want to try, without blending, as a sharp line. Everyone may not be able to carry this look off, but single, solid eyeshadow colors paired with complementary blush and lipstick will look HOT I think.

Gold/silver with a matte red lip, Blue/Green with a creamy pink lip, Maroon/Burgundy with a nude lip and so on..

If you're not the kind of gal to play safe, then let me assure you that at least with eyeshadow, a cool shade actually complements a warm eye color and vice versa. That means, that if you have brown, green or hazel eyes, blue and silver eyeshadow can still look very pretty on you, same way, blue and gray eyes will look beautiful with brown and gold eyeshadow.

Moral of the post: Keep in mind your undertone while purchasing foundation, concealer, blush and lipstick. And go experimenterazy with eyeshadow!! ;)

So.. What are your views?

Toucan inspired eyeshadow

I randomly saw this photo of a Toucan on my sisters computer, and loved the gorgeous colors on this birds huge beak!! The lime green and sky blue contrasting with the bright orange and dark red was just so beautiful, i thought i would give the incorporation of these colors in makeup a try. I only used my 180 palette for this look ;)

First, I used a white-gold color on my brow bone, and pulled it down till my crease, and extended it till my inner corner. Then, i used a black liquid eyeliner and drew a curved line like in the picture. i started from the crease, about 1/3 of my eye, and curved it down till my lash line, just a little away from the outer corner.

Next, I used lime green and sky blue eyeshadow and filled in the curve. I also stuck a little tape from my outer corner till my eyebrow tip to give the look a sharp and pointy shape.

I used a matte black eyeshadow and an angled brush to extend the curve outwards, and... Oops! Fallout. I kept cleaning the fallout as i started filling the space in with black eyeshadow.

Once i filled in the black, i used a small fluffy brush and blended it out. Once i peeled the tape off, i had a cat eye shape like this------>
The blending can be avoided i guess, but i didn't want a very hard look.
Also, i lined my lower lash line with orange and red eyeshadow, and drew a VERY thin line using black eyeliner on my lid.
(I also realized that the Toucan colors were looking like a rainbow)

Finally, i curled my lashes, applied kajal and 2 coats of mascara, top and bottom. I also used some golden glitter dust brushed randomly around but it isn't showing in this picture :( This completes the eye makeup.

For the rest of my face, i used lacto calamine and loose powder. I used bronzer on my T zone and a warm peach colored blush on my cheeks. For my lips, I tried 3 different colors: a gold-brown gloss, a maroon shimmer lipstick and a matte red one. I can't decide which one looks the best, but i think the strength of a look should depend on the occasion.

Brown gloss

Red Lipstick

Maroon Lipstick

Neon Green Eyeshadow

Neon eyes are a daring look and a fun trend these days.Even though runway looks are not suitable for everyday wear, you can always tone a neon look down to your comfort level. Here's my version of neon:

winged eyeliner

double winged eyeliner

nude pink lips

1. Prime your eyelids

2. Highlight your brow bone (A. From ELF smokey eyes beauty book)

3. Apply neon green eyeshadow (B. from Amuse 180 shades Palette). Don't apply too much at once, slowly layer on product with 2-3 applications.

4. Using an angled brush, line your lower lashline.

5. Apply kajal on upper and lower waterline

6. Highlight your inner corner (A.)

7. Apply liquid eyeliner, slightly extend and wing it.

8. Curl lashes and apply mascara.

9. Finish off with foundation routine, bronzer and lipstick (elle 18 color bombs shade 30 Cinnamon Bun).

A

B