Notes on the makeup styles
(insight into the outside)
Here I present some comments on various makeup styles, together with my personal preferences. These notes are not comprehensive; neither can they be seen as tutorials. Lots of general recommendations as well as detailed descriptions and step-by-step tutorials can be found in special literature; and there are many excellent style and makeup sites (see Links).
I distinguish Regular, Special and Eccentric makeup styles.
Regular makeup styles
These are the styles we use in our daily life, Day and Evening makeup and also makeup for Older Ladies.
Day makeup
depends on the face type, on the hair colour, on your dress and so on. But the main idea of this style is that you can go everywhere wearing it, and it doesn’t speak out loud. It ought to be tender and delicate. It is recommended to use natural tints of the foundation, put on just a little of rouge and have the lips done in one colour. And the eyeliner should go just next to your eyelashes line and never be thick (if any at all). The following colours of the eyeshadow are preferable: grey, beige, ochre, salmon pink, moss green, earth colour tints and cream. Silver (pearl) shine is not advisable. Day makeup would just stress your good sides and hide small blemishes. I do not do this one often, because every woman knows her routine and applies her day makeup regularly.
On this site I present a variation. This day makeup was devised for a special occasion, the St. Valentine’s Day.
I use here more intensive colours, for the sake of romance and beauty.
Evening makeup
Because the evening light is usually warm light (warm white from light bulbs, evening sunlight), we better use cool colours and shades of the eyeshadow palette. Such as: blue (and shades therefrom), grey, green (with a blue or gray base, and not a yellow base) and violet (aubergine, amethyst, indigo, purple). The eye makeup is worked out in three (at least) colours. The eyelid crease should be set in a strong dark shade, for example dark-blue - black. The darkest tint also goes under the eye and accents the outer corner of the eye. The lightest shade highlights the highest point of the brow bone, just beneath the brow arch. The middle shade works out the upper lid and blends into the highlighter. False lashes suit evening makeup very well; when you use separate lashes, put them at the outer third of the upper eyelid only and do this after the mascara application.
Face shades and highlights, rouge and lipstick are all more accentuated and pronounced as compared to day makeup, and we use, on general, bolder colours and darker tones. The main accent should be put on the eyes or on the lips, but not the both equally.
The overall intensity of this makeup depends on the format of an evening event: a smaller or more private party, with friends and/or family asks for softer tones, while a big social gathering, public ceremony, gala party needs more accentuated and strong features.
Makeup for Older Ladies
Older Ladies we all will be sooner or later (except for those of us who will be older gentlemen); and we will be beautiful. Important points: no shades and highlights for the face, no gloss, shine and silver in the eyeshadow. We keep it tender and fresh. Better add some day cream to foundation, as a first step; apply concealer, foundation and lipstick in thin layers, better two-three thin layers than one thick one. This is the case when less is more. The same refers to the eyes makeover. Brows should be accented with light brown or light grey. Keep to light colours for the area between the brows and the crease, beige or soft pink. Choose for tender grey or soft pastel tones for eyeshadows; and never circle the entire eye with the eyeliner. If necessary, accent the outer corner of the eye only, with grey or brown pencil eyeliner. Use mascara of brown colour and separate the eyelashes thoroughly.
The recommended rouge tints are soft pink or light orange shades. For the lips – alternate the lipstick (soft and natural tints) with powder application several times and blot it every time to avoid the coloured pieces collected in small creases.
At the end you can decide for just a drop of lipgloss for a fresher look. The final touch: apply translucent pink powder to set makeup and to convey an overall air of subtlety and tenderness.
Special makeup styles
Natural makeup, Makeup for a Bride, TV makeup, Makeup for a fashion show (Catwalk), Theatrical and stage Makeup and Makeup for Black and White photography are all the styles with some specific rules and requirements into them.
Natural makeup
is mainly used for commercials promoting sport gear (clothing, equipment) and bathroom products such as shampoo, conditioner or toothpaste. We have to consider wet weather conditions and high humidity for the indoor locations. So the natural makeup should be both naturally looking and waterproof.
For this reason we avoid powder-based compounds and rely on crème foundation and crème-based eyeshadows. We also use crème foundation to shape and highlight the facial forms. For the eyes we choose natural colours, apricot and shades of brown, and when no other options but powder eyeshadows then we use a wet sponge applicator. Waterproof mascara is a must, just 1-2 layers and well combed out. Eyeliner is better to omit but if necessary then brown pencil, delicately applied and carefully blended. Lipstick of bordeaux-red looks naturally when used a little and blotted. Lip contour pencil is not recommended for this type of makeup. The rouge colour should not deviate much from the natural skin colour. As a conclusion – it takes much effort to achieve that natural pretty “makeupless” look.
Makeup for a Bride
Bridal makeup is very individual and almost impossible to generalise. So give the most common recommendations only. As well as Natural makeup, this type should be waterproof too, though not to such an extent. A Bridal makeup should be tear-proof and kiss-proof, it has to stand all the emotional outbursts. It has to look good all day long, day light or artificial light, whatever weather, and a bride should remain beautiful not for an eye of beholder only but for a photolens too.
The style of makeup will depend on the wedding dress style, romantic, glamorous and so on. The colour gamma should fit the dress colour, the hair, eyes, the skin tone and the colour of the bridal bouquet.
With concealer, we pay much attention to the area under the eyes, to achieve healthy and fresh image. Better not to use green concealer – it never looks good on photos. The foundation colour cannot be much lighter or darker than the natural skin, to avoid a stripy face look after a small tear outbreak. While applying foundation we do not forget ear lobes, shoulders, arms and neck until the decollete line. The powder application includes these areas too. All the untreated zones may give undesirable shiny spots on your wedding photograph.
We choose for waterproof mascara, waterproof liquid eyeliner and dry (powder-based) lipstick which stays much longer.
The lipstick tone should match the colour of the flowers, the same holds for rouge. Eyeshadow gamma depends on the eye colour; the brows can be corrected slightly, in brown or grey tones. After makeup is completed and set with a translucent powder, Evian Brumisateur Mineral Water Spray should be used to fix the maquillage on the face, arms, neck and ears. This treatment provides moisturising and refreshing and prolongs the makeup endurance essentially.
The main point here is that a bride should look tender, fresh, beautiful and herself.
TV makeup
To be continued…
Eccentric makeup styles
As such I regard Kinky party makeup, Travesty makeup and the Sixties style makeup.
To be continued…
Recommended reading: Making Faces by Kevyn Aucoin and Face Forward by the same author.
