Make Overs

INSPIRING MAKE OVERS:

No trick photography, no photo shop, just real women achievable techniques.

Take a look at these before make-up and after make-up photos, of women of all ages and skin tones. Sometimes just subtle changes can make a big change - updating a look or making a face look years younger. You can view the full power of make-up.

Choosing glasses and sunglasses

Choosing glasses and sunglasses to suit your face:

When purchasing glasses or sunglasses there are so many choices out there. But once you take your personality, looks, the fashion and your face shape into account, it narrows down your choices quite considerably.

Choose the store you plan on purchasing from carefully. The staff that will help you make your choices, should understand your needs and not waste your time.

Different faces are so different in size and shape that buying on line is not really an option unless
you have an oval shaped face and know most glasses suit you.

Take your time and shop around. Especially when buying sunglasses, as the dark lenses make it difficult to see.

Rimmless glasses make the least impact, and that may be just what you want:

Glasses can be used as more of a fashion statement:


Choosing sunglasses is always fun. Have a look at these examples – if you are aiming for a more fashion look choose sun glasses that have a bit more of an edge. Or choose a pair that will last a few seasons without dating. Sunglasses can be chosen in a more classical style:

Or a more contemporary/fashion style:

Smoky eye look

Use a large dome shaped make-up brush to apply your eye shadow across the entire eyelid area. This should be the darkest part of your application. Hold your dome brush flat across the skin and apply the shadow using the flat side of the brush and not the tip, this technique will help you achieve a more even application of colour.

Using a rounded make-up brush to blend a little of the same shade or a slightly lighter shade into and above the crease of the eyes. Making sure the top edge of the eye shadow is the most blended part of the application. Use this image as a guide line – as to the shape of the eye shadow application. A round brush is used to apply this section because the shape of the hair allows you to hold the brush at any angle and blend. Mainly use the top and the sizes of the round brush to blend and apply the shadow. Make sure you don’t flick and sweep the eye shadow all over the place. Just stick to the area where you should be working, using light short, even strokes. How much shadow you have on your brush and how hard you push will have an influence on the application. Practise makes perfect. Work until the shadow is even in colour and blend.

Using the shadow (darker one if you are using two shades) apply close up underneath the lashes all the way from the out side corner towards the inside corner of the eye. The shadow should gradually get thinner and less towards the inner corner of the eye. Using a firm dome brush, works well for this section of the application. Make sure you apply a fairly wide band of smoky eye shadow under the eyes. Notice how the brush is held to come in under the lashes and the tip and flat side of the brush is used to apply the smoky band.

Applying concealer and powder in a thin band under the eyes, creates a good base for the eye shadow to adhere to and blend on.

Using an eye liner pencil inside the lower rim of the eyes creates more definition and intensifies the look. You can also apply the pencil on the inside upper rim for even further definition.
At this point close your eye and apply your pencil on the top of your eye lid all the way along the base of your eye lashes. Use your finger to blend in the line if necessary. If you like, you can also apply the liner to the eye lid before you start with your eye shadow. My favourite pencils are Teddy by Mac – which is the pencil colour used in the photo – it’s a lovely chocolate shade. Smoulder is another great pencil by Mac, it’s black. The pencils are easy to smudge on top of the eye lid or even under the eyes.

Dip a cotton bud into a shimmery eye shadow – a highlighter, and apply the light shade of shimmer to the inside corner of the eye. Make sure the intensity of the shimmer lasts, while you blend on the small area you are highlighting.

Curl your lashes if necessary and apply a few layers of mascara to both your top and bottom eye lashes to complete the look.

Complete smoky look – with eyes looking down

Complete smoky eye look with eyes open.

Bridal Make-Up

BRIDAL MAKE-UP TIPS:

Make-up for the Bride:

When it comes to bridal make-up, there are a few questions you can ask yourself, before you decide what make-up look you would like to wear for your wedding

• Do you know where those products should be applied to create the best possible illusion for your look and features?

• What time of day is your wedding? Morning and midday wedding make-up can generally be applied more naturally. Afternoon and evening wedding make-up can be applied in a more glamorous application.

• Consider your wedding theme when it comes to your make-up. For example if you have chosen a 50s theme for your wedding, a 50s make-up look would enhance your over all look (red lips, strong arched brows and liquid liner), but if this style of the make-up does not suit your features, you would not be able to choose this make-up look. Even though the wedding theme is 50s.

• Try not to experiment with make-up on the actual day of the wedding. Rather prepare before hand and have a make-up trial with your make-up artist, to select shades and your application. If you are applying your own make-up have a few practice rounds before the big day.

• If the colour scheme of your wedding is say golds and creams for example, and you know goldy shades of make-up don’t suit you. Rather wear shades that do suit your face, there is no rule saying everything must match 100%.

• Many brides would like to wear a natural make-up look on the day of their wedding, which is perfectly acceptable, however this does not mean you will leave out any stages of the application. In order to achieve a groomed and almost airbrushed affect to the application, you do need to follow the step by step guide on this website. One product relies on another to achieve a blended, long lasting look.

• Use waterproof mascara.

• Friends, family and most importantly your husband to be will want to recognise you. Try to avoid being over creative on the day.

• Touch up your make-up – like lips, powder and eyeliner once you are finished with the ceremony, before your photos take place. If you were crying during the ceremony, you may need to touch up using concealer and a little loose powder under your eyes.

• Carry a few tissues rolled up behind your bouquet, this way if you start crying, you will have tissues on hand to catch the tears before they destroy your make-up.

• Have a good meal 3 or 4 hours before the wedding and a small snack one hour before. Opt for foods that are easy to chew, because you won’t feel like eating. I have seen many faint brides. Eating is a good decision to keep you looking and feeling your best.

• Make sure you ask one of your bridesmaids to carry a small hand bag of your beauty touch ups: perfume, hand cream, lipstick/gloss/lip liner, concealer and powder. Breath mints, tissues, small hand mirror and a few extra hair grips and clips if necessary.

• Give your digital camera to a friend who can take photos for you.

• Order of the day. An example of the timing from approx. 5 hours before the wedding: eat a full meal, have a shower, brush your teeth and apply your lotions and potions. Have your hair done, then your make-up done, get dressed and have the start of your photos in the room. You will need an approximate time of 1 hour for hair, 1 hour for make-up and approx 40 minutes to get dressed, eat a snack(you won’t feel hungry – just eat a yoghurt or something) apply final body glow products, perfume and accessories. Plan your times carefully. Remember your wedding is supposed to be remembered, be in the moment and enjoy it, worrying about what might happen, will just spoil your day. Do yourself and your stylists a favour - make it quiet clear that you don’t want any family and friends in and out the room. Give your cell phone to a bridesmaid. If your bridesmaids have their own room to buzz around in, it will give you time to focus on yourself. Make sure you have music you like playing in the background.

* Many brides want to know how to make their make-up last on the day of the wedding: Firstly apply the products that hold all the make-up products on – this is your foundation, concealer and powder. Using a professional brand of make-up with high quality eye shadow and blusher shades, ensures a blended and long lasting application. Applying your make-up using make-up brushes also ensures a blended and long lasting application. You will need to powder and apply lipstick/lip gloss frequently thought the day.