Shake it off: Loose Powder

Loose powder helps set foundation and concealer, and helps it wear longer. It also gives a smooth appearance to the skin when applied and create a good base for the other colour products that are applied after, like blush and eyeshadows. 

Loose powders are also used present a better skin tone by correcting foundation that is not the right colour.

Let’s be real, try as you may, sometimes you may not be able to find foundation in the right skin tone, especially if you live in a temperate country and your skin color fluctuates by a shade during the year. Skin tone can be ‘warmed’ by using a darker tone of powder; foundation that is a touch lighter than your natural skin tone can be ‘warmed’ by the application of a darker powder. Likewise, if your foundation is a tad too dark, you can use a lighter powder to correct the tone. Of course this works best for minor tone changes.

It’s best to use loose powder for makeup application at home and compressed (compact) powder for touchups on-the-go.

Loose powder may be applied with a large fluffy powder brush or for more with a powder puff. (big up all my Trini peeps with Carnival on the cranium 24-7).

Powder puffs deliver more product to the skin and give more coverage. Use if your skin is combination/ oily and has a tendency to become really oily during the day, as powder applied this way helps the foundation not only last longer, but stay true to colour. 

Powder brushes are best used for minimal coverage or on dry skins.

Compact powder may be applied in the same way, depending on skin types. 

- For use with large powder brush:

To get some loose powder out of the container, first lay some tissue to catch any spills. Turn closed loose powder upside down once and set back to original standing position on tissue and open.

Dab powder brush in powder that rests on the top of the perforated tray of the loose powder and knock the brush on the side of the container to remove any excess.

Don’t fluff but rather pat powder brush directly on skin on entire face, paying special attention to T-Zone area (forehead, nose and chin) and well as eye area and any other areas where concealer was applied.  Patting the powder in this way delivers more powder to the face which would assist in absorbing oil, enabling extended wear and giving a dewy look to the skin. 

Then dust off excess powder with brush

- For use with powder puff

Empty some of the loose powder in powder puff, fold like a taco shell and rub the sides together. Pat powder on all areas of the face, paying special attention to tight spaces like around the nose and the eyes. 

When complete, dust off powder with powder brush. 

 

Now you can check to ensure that your eyebrows are holding it’s shape together and move on to eyeshadow application.

Happy powdering!

Supernova

 

Related posts:

Frump to Fab in 10 steps  

Product spotlight: Blush
Beauty | Flawless Face 

 

Stragglers

The way you wear your hair tells the world a lot about you. Just like the clothing, jewelry or shoes that you choose, you can make a statement, or not, just by the way you wear your hair. Long, short, straight, curly, kinky, nappy, bleached, coloured – how you choose to wear your hair is a beautiful reflection of who you are.

Some prefer the siren glam of long flowing hair. Others prefer the chic look of a cropped ‘do. Sensually curly or sophisticatedly straight, beautiful hair is healthy hair. 

You would find that it is very difficult for hair with damaged hair ends to maintain a style. It is dry, frizzy and generally screams “HELP”. Short healthy hair is more attractive than long dry, damaged hair. 

Split ends 

Hair that is naturally curly, naturally long, chemically processed, bleached, relaxed or permed, or heat-styled by the use of blow-driers, flatirons, curling irons or pressing combs for example are at a higher risk of the dreaded split end attack.

-Naturally curly hair has a tendency to be drier than other types of hair and needs to be replenished of both water and oils regularly.

- The longer you grow your natural hair, the more the ends of your hair are put under stress. Environmental stressors include the sun, wind, salt water (beach), chlorinated water (pools) and pollution.  Daily stressors include daily wear and tear  of combing, brushing, shampooing and heat styling. Certain hair products, especially those that contain alcohol for example some types of hair sprays, also contribute to split ends. 

- A healthy cuticle gives hair it’s natural brilliance and shine. During chemical hair processes like perming, relaxing and hair colouring the structure of the hair shaft is changed. The cuticle, or the outer casing of the hair, is altered, which translates into some degree of damage.

In split ends, the hair shaft, an individual strand of hair, is split in at least two. This damage is irreversible, i.e. it cannot be repaired. Conditioners, flat irons, pomades and other innovative hair styling products/ tools can help decrease the dry frizziness associated with split ends by allowing the damaged cuticle of the hair to lay flat, but they do not repair these damaged ends. As soon as the product is washed out, or the hair is wet again, in the case of flatirons and other heat styling tools, the damaged, dry, frizzy ends will return. 

The only solution to split ends so to cut them off. 
This may be painful for some, but the good thing is that the hair:
1. Will grow back.
2. Ends will be healthy
3. Will behave/ be more manageable
4. Will hold styles longer
5. Will style better. 

To help keep split ends at bay moving forward:

- Avoid daily shampooing
Even with the use of a gentle daily shampoo, hair is stripped of hydration and oils. Shampoo every other day or every three days if your lifestyle allows it. Or, if your hair is dry, consider shampooing every other day, and just using a conditioner between shampoos.

- Moisturize hair ends
If your hair is dry, use a moisturizing conditioner after shampooing and deep condition hair ends at least once a month.

- Avoid daily heat styling
If you find yourself having to do this, consider talking with your stylist to get a ‘do that is more compatible with your hair type, texture and lifestyle.

- Avoid over processing hair
Wait the recommended time between your chosen chemical process to maintain the integrity of the hair shaft. Avoid relaxing/ perming and bleaching hair on the same day. These processes need to be at least a week, but preferably two weeks, apart. There are some types of rinses, glosses and semi-permanent colour that can be done more safely just after having done relaxer/ perm. However, these aren’t usually capable of lifting hair colour (making hair colour lighter)

- Trim ends every 6 weeks 
Or when you get your relaxer/ perm/ colour. Whichever comes first. 

 

Let’s prune those barbed hedges shall we?

Supernova

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Holy Concealer Batman!

Using concealer is an optional step. If you choose to use concealer select one in the same way that you would a foundation – one that matches your skin tone and undertone exactly. Using too light a tone will prompt the uncontrolled “Holy Concealer Batman” response from your peers; too dark and you will look like a raccoon.

 

Concealers come in liquid or cream formulations. The creamier the consistency, the more coverage imparted by the concealer i.e. the better it conceals. These formulations also spreads easier and wears longer.

It is commonly used over foundation to cover imperfections or, for more advanced makeup applications, it may be used under foundation for contouring. 

Concealers are used over foundations to cover: 
- fine lines
- redness
- breakouts
- under eye circles
- hyper-pigmentation (darker skin tone)

Application

- Apply with lip brush for smaller areas like over pimples and small blemishes, or with a flat brush, similar to the foundation brush but smaller, for larger areas.

- Even application by patting gently with a cosmetic sponge or finger. 

Advanced application

For more advanced applications,  concealers are used for makeup contouring, to even irregular lip shapes, and for camouflage reasons. 

Used under foundation, concealers may highlight or shadow an area of the face like the cheeks, to create a contoured look. Here, a concealer in a shade lighter than your skin tone is used on the cheek bone area to make cheek bones more prominent.

Alternatively, in shadowing i.e. applying concealer in one shade darker than your skin tone just under your cheek bones will create a more sculptured look. 

Highlighting and shadowing can also be achieved using foundation, and eye-shadows in the same way.

The key is, just as with clothing, lighter colours makes the area appear more prominent thereby attracting attention to the area , whereas darker colours repress an area making it appear less noticeable or slimmer. 

Face proportion issues can also be corrected with shadowing and highlighting.

Happy concealing!

.

Supernova

Related GC posts:

Selecting the right foundation  
Frump to Fab in 10 Steps

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Random music quote of the day: Clipse

“No need to take it personal, but that’s just how it be. No disrespect to you, I’m just enjoying me”

- I’m Good, Clipse ft. Pharrell Williams

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Have a tactful Thursday y’alls!

Supernova

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Frump to Fab in 10 steps

Cleanse, tone and moisturize skin.
’10 steps’ sounded much sexier than ’11 steps’ so this step was kept separate. Do understand that without this cleanse, tone and moisturize step the process will not work. I guarantee you that the end result will be more frumpy than the starting point. Blot skin using tissue to remove excess moisturizer and get ready to go.

For tips on choosing the right moisturizer for your skin-type see here.  

This is an advanced class, for simple everyday, minimalista-chic makeup tips click here for daytime and here for nighttime tips.

Mhmm… I hear you. If the process were this easy then some of us wouldn’t be wandering around frump-nation style.

This post is a work in progress as we plan to go through each step in detail and would update this post with links on both general and specific application techniques on each point. 
Get your glam on with the following 10 steps.

1.  Apply foundation

Selecting the right foundation 

Q/A: What type of foundation is right for me?

Laying the foundation

Minimalista Makeup Tip: Foundation

2. Apply concealer

Holy Concealer Batman!

3. Apply loose powder

Shake it off: Loose Powder

4. Apply eye shadow

Makeup | Eyeshadow 101 

Makeup Tip | Choosing Eyeshadows 

Eye Seduction | The Basic Smokey Eye

5. Apply eye liner

Drama Glamour: Liquid Liner

6. Apply mascara

7. Apply blush

Product Spotlight: Blush 

8. Apply lip liner

9. Fill in lips with lipstick

Lady in Bold

10. Apply lip gloss

Keep ‘posted’!

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Smooches!