Makeup has always been a tool for me to enhance the natural beauty of the person. Every person has features that are out of the ordinary, and to me perfection is boring and emotionless. By celebrating the differences in others, we can begin to accept our own individuality. Top models are all beautiful and they distinguish themselves by their unique features.

Makeup can help people see a new side of themselves and it is one of the best ways of enhancing your appearance. Everybody has something in particular they like about their face, and when makeup is used properly it can bring forward the features one wants to highlight and that is what will make us stand out from other people. There are not hard rules in makeup—nothing is permanent and mistakes can be corrected with cotton swabs and sponges.

A Strong Foundation
The basic undertone of the skin is yellow, not pink. When selecting a foundation, make sure that it is slightly on the yellow side to perfectly match the skin. The artificial lights at the department store can make it difficult to match the skin tone; many companies have natural light lamps at the counters to properly identify your skin tone and a perfect match. The makeup color should blend with the skin color of the neck since this is the area where it ultimately has to meet.

I prefer to use water-based foundation since it mixes well with any moisturizer applied on the skin. Apply in a downward motion with a sponge, a makeup brush or, if available, with an airbrush.

Airbrush application has revolutionized the media industry, especially for the HD film. Its application gives a very soft and smooth look and covers any imperfection in the skin.

The Eyes Have it: This look is ideal for a prom or a party look. This special effect can be achieved with an angular thin brush; you have to be very precise when drawing the lines so it doesn’t look messy. When the eye area and the eye makeup looks well defined it opens the eyes for an outstanding dramatic look.

Pick Your Powder
Powder is an important part of your makeup, not only for a finishing touch but it also sets the foundation and prepares for a smooth application of powder eye shadow and powder blush. Without powder applied first, blush could look blotchy on the face. I apply extra loose powder under the eyes, that way, any eye shadow or mascara that falls during application can be brushed away after eye makeup is complete.

Your Concealed Weapon
Even if you do not wear any makeup, most of us use concealer at some point in our lives. Color should be a couple shades lighter than the skin tone and in the yellow-orange tones to counteract the blueness under the eyes. Apply in a light, tapping motion with the ring finger and smooth outward. Concealer is more opaque and longer lasting that foundation; I mix it with a little bit of moisturizing eye cream for a smoother application.

On Julianne, I played with the eye shadow colors to enhance the natural color of her eyes. Blue gets brighter with burgundy, mauves and purple colors. I applied a mauve-pink eye shadow as a base, a deep purple in the crease and the outer corner of the eye, blending upwards to lift the eye and a matte light beige under the eyebrow. I used liners to accentuate the eye shape. Liner can be used also to correct the shape of the eye, making it more elongated or to lift a droopy eye. Lines do not need to be precise, if you have difficulty drawing a line, use black or brown pencils that have a sponge tip and smooth the line blending toward the lashes.

Lining the top lash line opens up the whole eye area and the eye makeup looks more defined. Another way to open the eyes is to line the lower rims with white eyeliner. I used a soft mauve eye shadow in the lower lash line for a more dramatic look.

Myriam Fux resides as a Master Makeup artist and co-owner of M and E Image & Design, a photography and makeover firm based out of Miami, Florida. Myriam has accrued over 20 years of experience in the field of artistry makeup for photography. Her work has been featured in and on the covers of magazines, including Shape, Lake Mary Life, Hispanic Image and Broker Agent. Myriam’s amazing level of expertise includes studying under beauty icon Kevin Aucoin. She has been commissioned for the Latin Grammys, as well as makeup art for Salma Hayek and other celebrities. Myriam can be reached at myriamfux@msn.com.