The Art Of Makeup

A series by Jim Bridges

Part 4

Following last issue's application of foundation, our next step is to set the
foundation with powder. There are a couple of reasons to use translucent
setting powder. It sets the foundation so it stays fresher longer, and it
takes the shine off the foundation. You don't want a shiny face that makes it
look like you've been sweating or that you have oily skin. A nice matte finish
is what you want.

It is important that you have a good size powder brush. Just start with a
little bit of powder in your hand and put your brush into it. Put your brush
up to your face and push the brush into the face. You're putting powder into
the pores. It's important that you start out with just a little bit, you can
always go back and add more. If you start out with too heavy a hand, you will
probably look like you stuck your head into a flour barrel. Dust the entire
face generously but lightly, because you can go back and do this step two or
three times until you achieve the look you want. Then take your brush and very
lightly, in a downward, motion, dust the face to remove any loose powder that
is left. You don't want to do this in the eye area, however, because you will
smear your eye shadow. Just bring it up under the eye and make sure that you
have a lot in the top part of the cheek where you will put your blush. I put a
lot of it on the neck area where you didn't use a lot of cover or foundation.
Again the powder will help to tone down the redness or any irritation left
from shaving. Just a little bit of the powder will camouflage small beard
follicles.

It's also important to use powder after you have done your foundation but
before you put on blush. One of the reasons is that if you try to put a powder
blush over the top of your foundation it will look streaky or spotty; it will
not blend properly. It's very important that you put the powder over the
foundation, and then put on your blush. That way it will blend smoothly.

In making your blush selection, its always important to have several shades
from which to choose. When people write me or see me at one of the
conventions, they tell me that they have a red blush or a pink one and one of
the things that a lot of the people don't understand is that you need several
shades of blush to compliment not only your skin tone but what it is that
you're wearing.

A really well-stocked makeup supply should include a blush in the pink family,
peach, coral, red and brown. When you have these colors you have a good
variety from which to choose. For instance if you'll be wearing something in
the blue or purple family, then a coral blush, lip stick and nail polish would
be appropriate because blue and orange are complementary colors. Your blushes,
lips and nail color should always be chosen by what it is that your are
wearing. It is just the opposite with eyeshadow because eyeshadows are chosen
for what will best complement your eyes. Your blush is chosen to best
compliment what you are wearing. Having simply one shade of blush would be
like having one pair of shoes to go with every outfit that you have. It just
wouldn't work and it wouldn't be appropriate, if you wanted to create a really
sophisticated and glamorous look.

Once you've made your color selection, the next step is the proper placement
of your color. Blush should always be placed high on the cheek, on what is
called the "apple" of the cheek. Take your finger and feel for your cheekbone.
Look in the mirror so you can see how high the bone is and that's where your
blush should be concentrated, right on that spot. Use your brush to apply the
blush in a pie-shape right on the bone. Blend upward at an angle to the
hairline and back down to the ear. Once you've applied the blush with your
brush, take your sponge that you used for blending the foundation (there's
always a small amount of foundation left in the sponge) and go very lightly
over the area where you just placed the blush. This will blend it smoothly and
evenly so there's no streaks. Once you're satisfied with one side, duplicate
it on the other. Make sure you have the same amount of color on both sides and
the color is positioned evenly. Sometimes people have a lopsided look because
the color is heavier on one side. So, step back from the mirror and check to
see that the color is even.

Now we're going to line the mouth. Select a color based on what you've chosen
for your blush and your nails. Find a lip-liner pencil that's one to three
shades darker than the lipstick you're going to use. It's always better to use
a darker liner, especially if you're going out in the evening; it makes the
lips look fuller. For daytime, select a pencil that's almost the same color as
the lipstick or one shade darker; you don't want too dramatic a look.

Start by standing directly in front of a mirror, hold your head back and make
a "V" in the center of the lips, just above the natural lip line if you feel
your lips are too thin. (About 90% of the people I see have lips that are too
thin.) Start in the middle and you'll be able to make the outside lines even.
I've seen people start on one side or the other and they come up and down and
up and down and then one side of the lip is larger than the other. Once the
top lip is lined, go just under the lower lip right in the center, and make a
little half-circle. Then go back to your natural lip line and follow that to
the outside edges of the mouth. Don't make the half-circle from corner to
corner. That will just give you the look of a large, big mouth. The effect you
want is a full lower lip that looks pouty.

If you feel the lines are not smooth, or they're too large on one side, here's
how to correct this. Take a Q-Tip, put a little foundation on it and wipe off
the excess on the back of your hand. Then use the Q-Tip under the lip and
smooth out the line. You can do this until you get just the finest line for
definition.

Once you have your liner as you like it, get your lipstick and apply it with a
lip brush. A lip brush gives you more control and you can apply color to a
smaller area. Also, the muscles in the lips are the weakest and constantly
dragging lipstick over the lips will further weaken the muscles until the
mouth has no shape.

After you've applied your lipstick, a nice final touch is lip gloss. Go over
the top and bottom lips with the gloss. For a really pouty look, accent the
lower lip only with the gloss. Gloss makes the mouth look moist and healthy.

We can go back now and finish with mascara and under eye pencil liner. I wait
to do the eye pencil until after you finish dressing, because in getting
dressed you might smudge that liner. Take your eye pencil, start at the
outside corner of the eye, and bring the line three-quarters of the way in.
Make the line thicker at the outside and thinner as you come toward the
inside. Then, take a Q-Tip and smudge the line to soften it. It is important
though to make it thicker at the outside and thinner at the inside. This
creates a pleasing "almond" shape.

NEXT: Skin Care & Close Shave

The Jim Bridges Boutique is located at 11480 Cumpston St., N. Hollywood,
Calif., Phone: 818-761-6650. Call for an appointment, or catch Jim at one
of the many tg events around the country.


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