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How to Apply Make Up Like a Professional

By:Samantha Hanly
Posted under: Beauty Tips
Tagged As:

SUPPLIES

  • Mirror with magnification
  • Good lighting
  • Brushes
  • Small, soft sea sponge
  • Foundation
  • Setting powder
  • Eyebrow pencil
  • Eyeliner
  • Mascara
  • Powder blush
  • Lip pencil
  • Lipstick

Overview

how apply up like professional : Overview : Make up application.
Applying make up like a professional is easy if you know how. For day wear, remember that the key to a good make up application is to not overdo it. A light application looks best during the day. In the evening, heavier application may be appropriate, especially if you want to look dazzling at a party, or will be in a room with dimmed lights. The basic techniques of make up application seldom change.

Step 1

Start with the correct foundation for you skin. When shopping for foundation, rub a small sample on the inside of you hand just under your thumb. This is a muscular spot near your palm. Look at the foundation on your skin under very good light, and find the color that looks best to you. When shopping for foundation, take into account your skin type and sensitivity. You may want to stick to hypo-allergenic foundation if you have sensitive skin, or oil-free if you have oily, acne-prone skin.

Step 2

Wash your face. Splash face with a little cold water and pat dry. (The cold water causes your pores to shut.) With a small, wet sea sponge, apply light amounts of liquid foundation to your face. Make sure the application is even and not too thick. Allow a few minutes to dry.

Step 3

Eyebrow and EyelinerEyebrow and Eyeliner
Use the eyebrow pencil of your choice and lightly color under each eyebrow. Press very gently. The goal is to make your eyes stand out, but not to make them look painted or drawn on. If you already have thick eyebrows, this step is unnecessary.

Step 4

A Fun Idea--Notice the HighlightingA Fun Idea--Notice the Highlighting
Use either black or dark brown eyeliner. Start at about the middle of each eyelid and draw a line just above your eyelashes to the outer end of your eye. Do the same underneath the eye, start at the middle and draw a thin line out. If you are putting on make up for evening wear, take a highlight color, such as light beige, and apply eyeliner to the inner sides of your eyes.

Step 5

Close one eye. Put a dot of highlight shadow, such as off-white or light beige, just above the eyeliner and in the middle of your eyelid. When you open your eye, the dot should be above your pupil. Take a darker shade of eyeshadow, and brush a line where the crease is when your eye is open, almost up to the eyebrow. The last step is to take the highlight color and brush some on under your eyebrow, from the middle out. The picture above displays both a very fun idea and also the highlighting under the model's eyebrow.

Step 6

Find your cheekbones. Take a medium to large make up brush and dust powder on the cheekbones. Start at the bottom and work your way up toward your ears. Remember, blush belongs on the cheekbones. Too high or too low will not look professional. For day wear, this is all you need to do. For evening wear, you may wish to add a little highlighting above the blush, starting at the highest part of your cheekbone. This is optional.

Step 7

Red LipsRed Lips
Use a lip liner in addition to lipstick. They should be the same color. Outline the real edges of your lips to define them and to hold the lipstick color in. Apply lipstick after the lip liner.

Step 8

Take your largest brush, and very gently dot and brush on clear setting powder. The setting powder will cause your make up to last longer. Setting powder holds make up in place, and helps minimize shine as you go about your day or evening.

Step 9

Professional Quality BrushesProfessional Quality Brushes
Apply mascara last. Mascara is applied after the setting powder because powder diminishes the effects of mascara. For day wear, apply mascara to the top lashes. Start in the middle of the lash and work your way to the end. Lashes from the middle of the eye to the outer edge are the most important for day wear. For evening wear, it is dramatic to apply mascara to all of the lashes, both above and and below the eyes.

TIPS AND WARNINGS

  • TIP : Bring moist hand wipes when shopping for foundation so you can easily wash off of your skin each sample color before applying the next color. Sea sponges are best. The white, triangular make up application sponges can chafe sensitive skin with regular use.
  • WARNING : Do not attempt to mimic stage make up, or you will look like a clown. Stage make up is designed to ensure that the actor's facial features show from far away and under extremely bright lights.

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Site Manager - Supermodel Jeanette Ponder is a freelance fashion writer and model living in the New York City area. She has worked in the fashion industry for over a decade dressing with Audrey Smaltz's Ground Crew at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Ms. Ponder was also the blog editor for iFashion Network. Her modeling experience includes art, alternative/Gothic, and print work.