Diva! Makeup Skills Tips
Read these 10 Diva! Makeup Skills Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Make-Up tips and hundreds of other topics.
Confidence Is The Key to Any Look
When you wear makeup that goes beyond a basic natural look, the biggest thing to remember is that confidence is the key for rocking any look. If bold fuchsia lips are your trademark, or you can't imagine life without your peacock blue frosted eye shadow, then wear it and wear it well!
Makeup is all about expressing your individuality, and showing off the many sides of your dynamic personality! One of my favorite divas whose signature makeup look is instantly recognizable is world-renowned fashion designer, Betsey Johnson. Her look doesn't follow any rules--it's over-the-top, outrageous, and it works. Bright red lips and heavily lined eyes are her trademark, and she always looks amazing. Any diva with distinction knows that if your head is held high, people will notice you first and your makeup second.
Body Makeup
During the summer months, a gal's got to show a little skin! And to make that skin look its best, it's time to try a little body makeup, otherwise known as "self tanner."
To achieve goddess-like bronzed skin, you want to make sure you apply the self tanner on clean, exfoliated skin. It also helps to moisturize any drier areas of your body first so that they don't absorb too much color. Smooth on knees, feet and hands so that they don't end up looking too dark. Then, apply the self tanner and make sure you blend, blend, blend, and then blend some more. Getting the application even is a little tricky at first. If you have trouble, try to find a formula that is tinted so you can see where it's going on your skin. Give it enough time to dry so that your clothes don't end up bronzed too and immediately wash your hands after. In as little as an hour, you will be ready to flaunt your newly golden gams!
Channel Your Inner Vamp
You can always paint your nails a soft pink for a natural look. Or, there is always classic red for a timeless look. But for the truly daring, how about making your next manicure a shimmery black? This hot trend is showing up everywhere, and is not just for the goth scene anymore. Edgy elegance is the way to go if you want to stand out.
Try OPI's Black Onyx ($7.50). There is also Deborah Lippmann, famous manicurist to the stars, who has teamed up with female rock icon Pat Benatar to create the color “Hit Me with Your Best Shot” as part of her Lippmann Collection of nail polishes ($15). It's described as a “glistening gun metal” shade.
Make sure your nails are a short squoval (square-oval) shape. If they are too long they look less daring and more like daggers! This dark color is a fun way to add a little spice to your look. It's also quite sexy on toes, too!
False Lashes Will Make Your Eyes POP!
In the famous words of Chef Emeril Lagasse, if you really want to “kick it up a notch,” add some false lashes to your makeup arsenal. But consider yourself warned - false lashes aren't for the timid, because when you wear them, you are going to be noticed.
Learning to apply false eyelashes is a bit tricky, but once you master this task, people will stare with envy at your lovely lashes. To start off, you can try the individual false lashes. These are pieces of lashes that you can add to your existing ones. They look a little more subtle, and you don't have to use as much lash glue to adhere them. Try adding individual false lashes to the outer corners for an “eye opening” effect.
First, apply a dab of eyelash glue directly to the bottom tip of the lash. Do not apply the glue directly to your eyelid . Hold the lash, pressing lightly into your lash line, and hold it in place for at least a minute. Then gently release. Try out four or five individual pieces per eye.
When you are really ready for all-out glamour goddess lashes, you can try using an entire strip of false lashes. A full strip of lashes takes a little more precision to get them to line up correctly. Once again, squeeze the glue directly onto the strip of lashes. Use as little glue as possible so it doesn't end up too heavy and gloppy. Keep it as close to your natural lash line as possible. You can apply mascara after if you need to, but most of the false lashes are dark enough without mascara. If you are doing these lashes for an event, you might want to have a few trial runs to get used to wearing them. With all that extra va-va-voom, you will surely be the belle of any ball!
A Candlelight Glow for Flawless Skin
A true diva never wants to blend in, so matte skin is out because it doesn't reflect the light. You need the light! You want to create a face that attracts attention and just glows so find a candlelight finish for your makeup. There are a couple of ways to achieve this incandescent look.
Take a liquid highlighter, one that has a soft shimmer to it, and blend a few drops right into your foundation. Or, if you have a powder based highlighter, mix it with a little loose powder and brush it all over your face with an extra large powder brush to set your foundation. This will give you an enhanced radiance all over your face, so whenever the light hits your skin, it will look flawless.
Jewel-Encrusted Eyeliner
Eyeliner that is infused with tiny glitter particles is an easy way to add a little glam and glitz to your nighttime look. Glitter pencils add a dazzling shine and light-catching effect to the eye area. You want to keep the liner just on the top line, either thick or thin depending on how dramatic you want your eyes to be.
Urban Decay, the innovative makeup company famous for their bold colors and even more bizarre names like Smog, Roach, and Acid Rain, has a line of liquid glitter eyeliners called Heavy Metal ($18) with colors like Air Guitar (bright blue) and Spandex (black with rainbow glitter). Their creator, Wende Zomnir, has described Urban Decay as, “beauty with an edge, it's feminine, dangerous, and fun…appealing to celebrities, rock stars, and anyone who relishes her individuality and dares to express it.” Sounds like the perfect definition of a Diva!
The Ultimate Smoky Eye
They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, so by drawing attention to them, the effect will be magnetic! Nothing screams drama like the ultimate smoky eye. You need four eye products to create this show-shopping look.
First, blend a medium metallic-based cream eye shadow in dark bronze or grey all over the eyelid, and into the crease. Apply a sweep of the cream shadow under the lower lash line so that the entire eye is rimmed with it. Then, layer a deep powder shadow over the eyelid, pressing it into the lid with an eye shadow brush to get the maximum amount of pigment onto the lid. You want the effect to be opaque and strong. Then, take a kohl-based eyeliner in black or dark grey to line your eyes with. Start very close to the lash line so that there aren't any spaces between your lashes and the liner. The line doesn't have to be perfect either; you can smudge it with a sponge tip or with a Q-tip to soften the edge. Lastly, apply black mascara and coat your lashes thoroughly.
This diva-ful eye look doesn't require much else. Go lightly with the blush and keep your lips sheer and glossy, so that the focus is only on your eye area.
Cleavage Enhancing Makeup
You can contour your face, but for extra added oomph you can conjure up your inner diva by contouring your cleavage, too. This makeup will make your assets look extra voluptuous with just a couple sweeps of a brush.
Arm yourself with a large powder brush, and a smaller cheek brush. Take a sweep of your bronzer and with the cheek brush, and apply in directly into the center of your cleavage in a v-shape. Then, take a lighter, golden highlight powder and dust a little with the powder brush on the pushed up part of your breasts. Don't overdo the shimmer. Subtle is best for enhancing your shape, and this little trick will surely enhance a night out on the town.
Red Lipstick is True Glamour
There is something about red lipstick that just screams glamour! A truly red lipstick has the power within a single tube to transform your entire face, but you need confidence to carry off a red lipstick. Throughout history, red lips have been a symbol of beauty. From early Egyptian days when Cleopatra would paint hers red with henna, to screen legends like Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe, whom people still copy for their famous lips. And if you thikn you can't wear red, think again -- there is a perfect red out there for everyone. You need to want to wear red. Don't fear the color red, embrace it!
Makeup in the Delivery Room
For some, leaving home without their makeup is like leaving home without your shoes. If you're an expecting mom and also a makeup fiend, here's a hint: pack a makeup bag in your hospital bag so you're prepared and primped for labor. Here is what you need:
Waterproof Mascara - Those tears of joy will come when they place that beautiful newborn in your arms, so you want to be ready.
Cream-Based Eye Shadow - This also needs to be waterproof, and usually won't budge until you remove it with makeup remover. Choose a soft bronze shade because it will add warmth and color to the eye area without looking overdone. Stick with just one color.
Waterproof Eyeliner - Just a little on the top lash line for definition. You want your eyes to show up in all the pictures everyone is going to take of you with the baby.
Cheek/lip Stain - This is great on lips too for a radiant Mom glow, even when you have been pushing for hours and there is still no baby!
Your Favorite Lip Balm - Because your lips get so dry during labor, it's the one thing you should keep next to your hospital bed.
Forget the Foundation - It's just going to rub off when you lay your face down on the pillow to scream during contractions. Labor just isn't pretty, but at least you will be!
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| Candi Wingate |
