Don’t Do Makeup Halfway

All Photos by Ted West

To look like a prom queen, you need to take into account all of your assets.

Before and after: Cosmetics cover over Kelly's freckles (left) on the right half of her face. Her finished look is fit for a queen.

Kelly is beautiful without any makeup, but for her special night she wanted to look like a prom queen. With that goal in mind, we could have just jumped in and started applying makeup. But that would have forgotten the other half of a successful makeup makeover: Taking into consideration what gown the young woman would be wearing. Make sure to choose a gown you will feel confident in. If you are unsure whether a style is right for you, consult with a specialty retail store consultant for help.

Kelly is going to wear a shear pink strapless gown. She chose it to complement her figure, her eyes, and her skin tones.

With her choice of outfit in mind, now we were ready to assess her overall appearance. Kelly's hair was another aspect of her total look that we wanted to take into consideration. We decided to pull back Kelly's hair and pin it up in a bun. The pink scarf wraps over her hair and around her neck. Velcro snaps hold the scarf in place. With these choices in mind, we were now ready for the makeup itself.

Halfway There: Follow this path to building up layers for flawless skin and well-defined cheekbones.

The Eyes Have It: Don't forget the mascara for lash thickness.

Concealer and foundation hide imperfections and blemishes, and they give the skin a flawless appearance. To begin, apply concealer, using a makeup sponge. Make raccoon eyes with concealer. This covers dark circles and highlights the eyes. Next, apply foundation smoothly and evenly over your entire face. Pan Stick works best on problem skin: it gives a heavier coverage. Liquid is best for light coverage. The color should blend with your neckline; the makeup should just fade away. You are creating a canvas to now paint upon.

Apply blush to bring out your cheek bones and to brighten your face. Use a darker blush color under your cheek bone to contour, and a lighter color on top of the bone to highlight. A basic rule to follow, which varies slightly depending on each face, is to make an imaginary line from your ear to your nose stopping at the center of your eye. Do not go below this line with the blush. Next, angle the blush back to your ear. Stay away from the eyes because this will "close in" the eyes, making them appear smaller.

The eyes speak from the soul. Are you dramatic, romantic, conservative, over the edge, or somewhere in the middle? Speak with your eyes. Use a liquid liner for a more dramatic look; use cake eyeliner for a softer, more subtle look. Working with neutral eye shadows such as browns, mauves and peach tones enhance your own eye color, making the attention go to "your" eyes. Brighter colors are more dramatic. They can be fun and playful, but attention can go to the eye shadow color before your own eyes, so be careful. Always blend with cotton swabs. They hide mistakes. Next, use mascara — it really complements your eyes. Begin at the base of your lashes to build thickness, and then stroke it out for length. Finally, tweeze and shape your brows to frame your eyes. The eyebrows should complement the eyes, not be the main attraction.

The lips lead the way to the smile that speaks from the heart. First use a lip primer to set the lipstick. A primer will help keep the lipstick from bleeding, and it stays on longer. Next, use a lip pencil to outline and fill in your lips completely. Finish off with lipstick, choosing a color to complement your outfit, your face, and your mood.

Finish your face with a dual-active powder that gives a flawless finish and cover problem areas. Use translucent powder for a light finish to set your makeup and eliminate shine.

 

 

Tami Crosby is the founder of TamiCosmetics.com, located in Bradenton, Florida. She has been a makeup artist and hair stylist for 20 years. She has been the stylist for Julie Moran of Entertainment Tonight, Julianne Morris of Days of Our Lives, tennis pro Andr� Agassi, as well as many contestants in Miss America, Miss USA, Mrs. Winners, and other competitions. Tami travels extensively to events, doing makeup and hair styling, giving imaging seminars, and teaching privately. Her artistry has appeared on television, in theater, and in the work of world-renowned photographers.

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