All About Eyes Makeup Class

If you missed part 1 of this amazing class, About Faces...shame on you! Lol...but you can read all about it in my previous blog post About Faces Makeup Class. 

This past Sunday I had the pleasure of taking yet another class taught by the extremely talented Brittany Rogers. I really enjoy her classes because she is very personable and makes learning fun in an informal setting.  And she always gives us little goodie boxes which is super sweet. This class was sponsored by Shades by Shay and we got two really pretty shadows that I can't wait to play in. So let's jump right into what we learned.

The first thing we went over was brow shaping.  How to clean them up....meaning where the brow should begin...arch...then end, filling them in (using pencil and powder products), and then highlighting the brow-bone area.  One awesome tip that she let us in on was using Ben Nye's banana powder after using concealer under the brows.  This not only acts as a very nice and natural highlight but will keep your eyebrows...well the products...from running down your face on those hot summer days.  (I'll be trying this out for sure.)  She told us some of her favorite brow products and brushes to experiment with and find out what works best for us.

We then talked about eye shadow application brushes.  Now, you use what works for you...but these are just the basics.  You've got your regular eye shadow brush.  They come in a variety of sizes for whatever amount of area you intend to cover.  Usually the denser brushes pick up the most product to achieve a more vibrant color payoff.  You then have your blending brushes or fluffy dome brush.  These are intended to blend out the harsh lines after packing on your color with the eye shadow brush.  Then there's the crease brush.  This brush allows you to define your crease and/or concentrate the color in one specific area.

Now...let's talk about what I consider my everyday/wear to work eye and how to achieve it.  I know it's easier to explain via video but as most of you know I am still on a YouTube hiatus (we will talk about that in a separate blog post) so you will have to use your imagination...or simply how you would apply eye shadow lol.
1. Prime eyes -  this can be done with an eye shadow primer or whatever concealer or foundation you use.  It's just something to help keep your shadow from creasing.  My current favorite is the ELF Eye Lid Primer.
2. Base eyes - this is a product that is used to help make your shadows stick to your lids.  Your choice of color depends on the color shadow you are using.  My current favorite is the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil.
3. Pack on the shadow - pick up some shadow from the pan using your eye shadow brush and tap off the excess to prevent fall-out.  Put the shadow all over your lid but try not to put this shadow above your crease.
4. Blend! - the edges of the lid color need to look like it's fading into your skin.  Here you can use a transition color that is similar to your skin tone to blend out your lid color.
5. Define your crease - here is where you want to use your crease brush to make your eyes stand out.  On the outer portion of your eye, use a darker shadow to deepen where your eye meets your brow-bone.
6. Line your eyes - with a liquid, gel, or pencil...line your top lash line and lower water line.  For some added sultry-ness, smudge the liner on the lower lash line just a bit.
7. Mascara and/or lashes - no explanation needed lol

Smoky eyes anyone?  This is one of my favorite looks.  You don't have to just do a black smoky eye...smoke out a color for fun.  Here's how Brittany taught us to do it.  Follow steps 1-4 above.  For step 4 if you're doing say a black smoky eye...use a mid-tone brown to blend out the edges of the black.  Again, line your eyes...especially the bottom and here you definitely want to smudge shadow or liner on the lower lash line.  Add your mascara and lashes and your red carpet ready! lol.

I'll keep all of you posted on the next class that Brittany has...you surely won't want to miss it!  I hope you enjoyed my recap and now I'm off to try a colorful smoky eye...wish me luck!!!

Testing the waters...

As many of you know I had a dilemma a while ago trying to decide if I wanted to pursue my love and passion for makeup artistry (click here to read) and I decided to go for it! I have been practicing my make up skills, learning various techniques, and doing lots of research. But it would not be at all possible if it weren't for my Partners in Pretty...especially my coach/mentor Shana Janelle. She answers what I feel are silly questions...and if she feels its something I need to figure out on my own...she points me in the right direction and says "Go find the answer yourself!" She won't always hand me what I want or need on a silver platter and for that I am truly grateful!

Recently Shana asked me to come along and assist her with a bridal party. She told me to bring my brushes as she may need me to do some light work. Boy was I in for a ride! She threw me to the sharks and I had to sink or swim. Needless to say I didn't want to let her down or embarrass myself. It was crunch time and I had to do this! Luckily there was a game plan which helped me to not be so nervous...but I still had butterflies. Ok they were more like huge waves that made me sea sick and light headed lol. But I jumped right in and went to work. I followed Shana with what she did and was able to get the job done. The clients were very nice and made my first makeup experience comfortable. (I'm sad I didn't get any pictures.) 

I assume I did a good job because Shana asked me to come assist her on another gig this past weekend. This time I was a little less nervous and was more comfortable with my application. And again the party was very energetic and made it a really easy going experience. 

I have signed up for my very first makeup class this coming Sunday and I'm super excited to learn as much as I can (I will post that experience next week). I hope to be as good as my mentor one day as she has inspired me to jump into this thing without a life-vest on. I will update you all as I embark on this new journey...I know it won't be easy but I have to build my confidence and keep telling myself...I CAN DO THIS!!!