Stylin' with
Ms. Tips

by Lynda Krupa of CDtips

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Is that not how the old adage goes?

Well, this month I am going to tell you how to play up your strong points and define your eyes, cheeks and lips. I admit it may be a lot easier to show you then to tell you. But, once again, the most important possessions in make-up application are: time, practice, and knowledge of your tools.

Eyes

Now, the eyes will always get the most attention. Ask why and the answer is when people look at you they are not studying your nose or your lips. Their attention will always be directed at your eyes. I'll mention the most common eye shapes and explain the techniques to get everyone looking in your direction. The eye shapes are:

  • Average -- Space between eyes is about one eye width and equal space between lid and brow bone.
  • Deeply set -- Lid tends to disappear when eye is open. Not much brow bone.
  • Close together -- Closer than one eye width.
  • Wide Apart -- Farther apart than one eye width.
  • Prominent or Bold set -- Brow is very prominent.
  • Asia Almond -- Epicanthic fold in corner.
  • Hooded or Puff set -- Brow seems to hang over eye like a hood.

When choosing eye colors, you should choose a defining or contouring color that will be the darkest color; the accent color will be a medium color; and the highlight or base color will be the lightest color. The trick to making your eyes inviting is to apply with care and blend with confidence. I know I make it sound easy and it is. All you have to do is have the desire and practice... the rest is in the wrist.

If we were all created equal, we would all be calling ourselves Cindy Crawford. What fun would that be, traveling all around the world, having every woman and crossdresser envy you and, of course, make tons of money. Since we are not equal to Cindy, we must first define our eye shape to maximize our goods.

The most common eye shape is called AVERAGE. This shape has the perfect combination of space separation between your lid and brow space - an equal balance. With this eye shape you can create wonderful examples of sensuous eyes. A basic technique will take you long way. So here goes:

  1. You want to take the defining or contouring color (the darkest) and apply to the corner of the eye in a V shape that focuses upward in direction but into the crease of the eye.
  2. Blend.
  3. Take the accent or base color (the medium color) and fill in the space from the inner corner to the defining color.
  4. Blend.
  5. Take the highlight color (the lightest color) and fill in the space from the defining color up to the eyebrow.
  6. Blend all the colors.
  7. Apply eyeliner and feather.
  8. Apply mascara

A DEEPLY SET eye needs to make the pocket or recess of the eye seem less because there is not as much space between the eyebrow and the crease of eye. So, here's how we deal with Deep Set eyes:

  1. Apply the defining color inside the crease of eye. However, you want to stop at the outside corner of the iris of the eye, so when you open your eye the darkest color will be in an angle to the outer round of the eye. The outside corner color will point downward, just the opposite of the average eye shape which will point upward.
  2. Take the defining color and place color under the bottom eye lashes just to the inside round of the iris, just the opposite of step 1.
  3. Blend.
  4. Apply accent color and fill from the inside corner to the crease to the defining color.
  5. Blend.
  6. Fill in the area from the eyelid which will be small to the defining color.
  7. Blend.
  8. Line eyes with eyeliner and feather.
  9. Apply mascara.

A CLOSE SET eye has many difficulties that have to be addressed at the corners of the eye, meaning this is where the concentration of defining color will be. Here's what to do with close set eyes

  1. The defining color will be accented on the outside corner, so make a V shape just in the corner of the eye, however, make sure the color extends upwardly almost touching the eyebrow. This is done so when the eye is opened it appears to be wider.
  2. Blend.
  3. Take the accent or base color and fill in from the inside corner of the defining color.
  4. Blend.
  5. Take the highlight color and place just below the eyebrow.
  6. Blend.
  7. Apply the eyeliner from inside corner to just past the outer corner of iris.
  8. Apply mascara.

With A WIDE SET eye the accent will be placed on the inside corner of eye as opposed to the outside corner which is average. This makes the eye appear less wide and closes down the depth of the lid. Here's what to do:

  1. You still want to take the defining color and apply it to the outside corner of the eye in a V shape, however you also want to apply the defining color from the crease to the inside corner up to the eyebrow line.
  2. Blend.
  3. Take the accent color and fill in the area between the two defining points.
  4. Blend.
  5. Take the highlight color an apply it just below the eyebrow.
  6. Blend.
  7. Line the eye from corner to corner and feather.
  8. Apply mascara.

A HOODED OR PUFFED EYE: you want to emphasize the upper portion of the eyelid above the crease to make the eye appear to have more space. It is best to apply the eyeshadow while the eye is opened, otherwise what happens is the color seems to disappear when the eye is open. Here's what to do:

  1. Take the defining color and apply it just above the crease on the upper portion of the eyelid from corner to corner. Then make a concentration of color from the outside corner to the inside of the iris.
  2. Blend.
  3. Take the accent or base color and fill in the space from the inside corner through the crease to the defining color.
  4. Blend.
  5. Take the highlight color and place from the just above the accent color to the eyebrow line.
  6. Blend.
  7. Line the eye from corner to corner making a greater depth or concentration in the out corner of the eye.....a thicker line and feather.
  8. Apply mascara.

The ASIAN EYE shape is made striking by making the space above the crease of the eye the main focus. Here's what to do:

  1. Take the defining color and begin in the inside corner using a C on its side. The majority of the color will go from inside corner to outside corner using the crease as the curve of the C. Most importantly you do not want to apply the defining color between the two corners. This space is reserved for the highlight color.
  2. Blend.
  3. Take the accent or base color and apply to the entire length of the eyelid from corner to corner.
  4. Blend.
  5. Apply the highlight or base color in between the two corners on the eyelid.
  6. Blend.
  7. Make a very thin line of eyeliner from corner to corner and feather making sure not to allow the color to spread.
  8. Apply Mascara.

BLUSHER

No matter what shape your face is you must remember these two important details:

  • You must leave space between the corner of your eye and your cheekbone. How you determine the amount of space is the shape of your face....see below. This separates the two features, allowing them to stand on their own, but adds definition, character and symmetry.
  • The blush should never extend past the center of your iris or beyond the line of your nose. If you take a pencil placing it just below your nose and draw it straight across towards your ear, the blush should never extend below the line of your nose. if you take the pencil and place it right through the center of the iris straight down towards the floor, the blush should never go beyond iris point.

I will keep the determination of your facial structure simple. If your face is OVAL shape, you have been blessed with perfect symmetry. Any and all practices will come easy and make your features stand out.

  1. When applying blush, take an ample amount from palette on the brush, beginning at the lower part of the cheekbone feather up and down to create a straight but angled line that does not fall below or above the two points discussed above.
  2. Make sure when applying blush you blend into the hairline to insure continuity.
  3. Make sure the blush is not draw on heavy, but just emphasizes your cheeks.
  4. If the blush is too heavy, take a sponge and feather the area to remove the excess amount.

If you have a ROUND face, you will need to apply blusher from a more wider stance and on a more diagonal slant. This will give the illusion that your face has more depth.

  1. Unlike an oval face, you need to create a cheekbone where flesh has hidden it. You take the blush from the palette onto the brush, beginning at the top of the cheekbone and draw downward in a straight but angled line to the center of the iris as discussed above. The most prominent point will fall in a straight line with the end of the lobe of each ear. This will thin the face adding symmetry.
  2. Make sure when applying blush you blend into the hairline to insure continuity.
  3. Make sure the blush is not draw on heavy, but just emphasizes your cheeks.
  4. If the blush is too heavy, take a sponge and feather the area to remove the excess amount.

If you have a THINNER or OBLONG face you will need to apply blusher still on a wide base, but more of a straight across or horizontal line. This will make you face appear to widen with every stroke of color.

  1. Take an ample amount of blush from the palette onto the brush. In an up and down feathering movement beginning at the top of the cheek bone working your way down to the level of your nose. The most prominent point will fall at the hollow of the cheekbone lining up with the nose and ear lobe.
  2. Make sure when applying blush you blend into the hairline to insure continuity.
  3. Make sure the blush is not draw on heavy, but just emphasizes your cheeks.
  4. If the blush is too heavy, take a sponge and feather the area to remove the excess amount.

LIPS

The most important things to remember about creating sensuous, luscious and inviting lips are:
  • Always use a sharp pencil.
  • Always line your lips with the appropriate matching lip pencil.
  • Always begin by defining the V of the lip first.
  • Never begin at one end of the lip and end up and the other in one motion. This will cause an unbalanced lip line, one side going up and the other pointing down.

The most perfect lips have direct symmetry, meaning both top and bottom lips are equal in width and depth. This will call perfect but to define them for this technique we will call AVERAGE.

  1. Begin by defining the V of the lip with a steady hand. Lift the pencil and begin where you left off at the V moving down from that point to the crease or corner of the lip with your mouth slightly opened. Do the same to the opposite side.
  2. Line the bottom lip by beginning on one side and following the natural line to the other side.
  3. Take a clean lip brush and soften and feather the top and bottom lines, trying not to extend beyond the natural line of lips.
  4. Apply the lipstick with either a lip brush for more control or a lipstick tube by starting that the center of lip and working outward filling in the area between the drawn lines.

If your lips are FULL and you wish to reduce the size the best approach is the use a matte finished lipstick. This will aid in setting the lips back into your facial frame, not make them appear to protrude outwardly.

  1. Begin by defining the V of the lip with a steady hand. Lift the pencil and begin where you left off at the V moving down from that point to the crease or corner of the lip with your mouth slightly opened, however you want to drawl the line just inside the natural lip line. Do the same to the opposite side just inside the natural lip line.
  2. Line the bottom lip by beginning on one side and drawl the line just inside the natural lip line to the other side.
  3. Take a clean lip brush and soften and feather the top and bottom lines, trying not to extend beyond the new lip line of lips.
  4. Apply the lipstick with either a lip brush for more control or a lipstick tube by starting that the center of lip and working outward filling in the area between the drawn lines.

If your lips are THIN and you desire is to thicken them, then you need to choose lipstick colors that are vibrant and strong or those with a gloss finish. If your chosen color is not available in a gloss, then add a clear gloss to the finish of the lipstick.

  1. When lining a thin lip you need to extend the natural lip line, you accomplish this by drawing a line just past the natural line, of course beginning with the V of the lip. Working you way down to the corners of both lips. This new line should not be an obviously approach, just a short extension will do the trick.
  2. Line the bottom lip by beginning on one side and following the same method as above from side to side.
  3. Take a clean lip brush and soften and feather the top and bottom lines, filling in the space that would reveal your new lip line.
  4. Apply the lipstick with either a lip brush for more control or a lipstick tube by starting that the center of lip and working outward filling in the area between the drawn lines. Add a gloss in the center and work it outwardly, do not apply too much as it will appear clumpy.

In conclusion, it truly does not matter whether you were blessed with perfect features. It only matters that you can distinguish between the good techniques and the bad ones, and if that you are willing to practice to make perfect.

This is CDTips asking for your questions, so we can all get the right answers.
Luv,
Lynda.

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