Image Credit: Stefani Yorges
A very special occasion’s coming up and you want to look your best. The problem is that you don’t really wear makeup that often and you’re not sure how best you can glam up your look for that special day. Of course, you could simply let a professional makeup artist do the work for you, but why do that when there’s an easy DIY way to look good and save hard-earned cash at the same time? Okay then, let’s do this! Glam up your look with these five easy-to-apply tips:
Prep Your Face
Prepping your face is the necessary first step prior to makeup application. The process starts with a good cleanse. If you’ve got oily skin, then you need to exfoliate after washing to bring out your skin’s natural glow. Once your face has been thoroughly cleansed, you may start the application of makeup with a primer to ensure an even application. After applying the primer, it’s a good idea to apply moisturizer not only for keeping your skin hydrated, but also for keeping your makeup fresh for the entire occasion.
For disguising such imperfections as uneven skin tone and dark circles under your eyes, it’s advisable to apply a yellow-based concealer. The next step would then be to apply foundation. Make sure the foundation you use is formulated specifically for your skin type (dry, oily, combination, etc.). You should also make sure the foundation you choose perfectly complements your skin tone.
Groom Your Eyebrows
Your eyebrows may just be a small part of your face, but they can effectively enhance your natural beauty by giving you a more contoured and defined appearance. That is, of course, if you groom them well. It’s best to shape your brows the night before a special occasion so any redness from tweezing or waxing would have disappeared by the time you apply makeup. Define the shape of your brows using an eyebrow pencil or powder that’s two shades lighter than the color of your hair. Be sure to fill in the spaces between the hairs of your eyebrows and brush them lightly to make them appear lusher. Of course, there’s no need for this if you already have lush brows. Avoid shaving your brows as much as possible.
Well-groomed eyebrows give your face a defined and contoured appearance, so you should never take your brows for granted. Flickr.com photo by stevendepolo
Focus on Your Eyes
They say the eyes are the windows to one’s soul. It comes as no surprise, then, that eye makeup is one of the most important aspects of achieving a glam look. To make sure your eye makeup looks great whatever the occasion, go for smoky eyes. The first step towards achieving smoky eyes is to choose three shades of eye shadow—a dark shade, a medium shade, and a neutral shade. You should then choose eyeliner that’s the same color as the dark eye shadow shade you chose. When using the liner, make sure the line is thicker towards the middle of the lid. After using the liner on your bottom eyelid, run a finger over the line or apply a bit of eye shadow to achieve a smudged look.
Of the three eye shadow shades you chose, the neutral shade should be applied first. Apply it all over your lid up to your brow bone. Next, apply the medium color on your eyelid to just below the crease. Finally, you can apply the dark shade on the lower part of your lid. Use a brush to blend the colors well, working from your inner lash line and then brushing upwards and outwards. Blend until you can no longer distinguish the eyeliner from the eye shadow and the colors are perfectly blended. Complete the effect by applying dark mascara. If you’ve got blue eyes, purple or dark blue mascara could make the look more fun.
Color Your Cheeks
Glam up your cheeks with warm blush shades. If you have a light skin tone, it’s best to go for light pink or pale blush. If you have medium to dark skin tone, it’s best to go for a bronzer to highlight your cheekbones. A bronzer is also perfect for making your face look sexier. If you’re not sure which blush color suits your skin best, try a little experiment: Give your cheeks a couple of sharp taps. The resulting color should serve as your guide.
Once you’ve chosen the color, you need to choose the type of blush to use. If you have oily or combination skin, it’s best to go for powder blush. If you have dry skin, you should go for a cream blush. Liquid and gel blush are also good choices for those with oily skin. If you want to achieve a luminous effect, you may combine powder and cream. Now, put some blush on your brush and then tap off excess blush. Smile and then apply the blush on the apples of your cheeks. To achieve a sexy look, dab a bit of shimmery blush onto your cheekbones’ highest point and then brush all the way to your temples to blend.
End with Your Lips
You’re almost done with your glam makeup and all you need to complete the look is a sexy pout. Since you’ve already made your eyes the focal point of your look, it’s best to apply a soft and neutral gloss to your lips. The softness perfectly creates balance with your strong eyes instead of taking some of the focus away from them. Beige gloss or light pink lipstick should be perfect for this purpose.
See? It’s not so difficult to achieve a glam look on your own. Now you’re ready to go out and have some fun!
