Weekend Plus Desk :
If there’s one thing that beauty bloggers have done is to make make-up seem easy-peasy. Their one-minute time-lapsed videos make it seem as if the road to simple-to-smokin’ is one dab of foundation here and a little bit of highlighter there.
But a well made-up face is almost as easy to crack as a complex mathematical equation. From make-up brushes to blenders to even the basic lighting – experts believe there are many mistakes or oversights that people make and are unaware of. We try and set the record straight on some.
You have picked the wrong shade of foundation?
First up, it’s the basics that most mess up, says make-up expert Shagun Gupta. “Most people invest in a good foundation now but never the concealer. But concealer is just as important after all as the name suggests, it conceals,” she says. For a flawless look, she contends that a concealer is needed as you layer your base on top of the concealer. While picking up a foundation, forget the inner arm patch test – try it on your face. In fact, Gupta suggests trying two shades of the base in a half-in-half.
“Pick two shades closest to your tone – apply each on one half, leave for 15 minutes to see how it wears,” she suggests. Even a concealer has to be picked in the same way by direct application to the skin especially the eyes where the dark circles are prominent. “Usually make-up looks chalky because of a bad shade match of foundation and concealer, as whiter shades tend to oxidise on your skin making it look grey,” she says.
Tip: To get the right shade apply the foundation to the cheek area, near the jawline as that is the place where neck and face skin meet, says make-up expert Anuj Dogra.
You want to look fairer?
Dogra would like the obsession with fairer skin to go away. “Everyone wants the make-up to make you look fairer than you are. But you can’t just apply a lighter shade of foundation,” he says. It has a different trick: first apply a darker concealer to hide marks and dark circles and then layer with a lighter foundation as per your skin type. Again, you can’t really go shades lighter even with the foundation.
Tip: Use full-coverage foundation and never use your hands to apply it. A foundation is always set on, not rubbed in.
You are not prepping your skin with the right moisturiser?
According to Dogra, most people don’t prep their skin before starting with the make-up. Ideally, he wants everyone to invest in getting a healthier skin first, rather than hoping for make-up to do the trick. “Moisturising and prepping is very important and more than that you have to pick the right moisturiser,” he says. It’s a general rule after a certain age, skin tends to get drier. If you apply directly on dry skin, the make-up is likely to flake and look patchy. He suggests creams with thicker viscosity as it helps the make-up to glide smoothly and also last long.
Tip: You can take your regular lotion, add 2-3 drops of an essential oil like lavender and apply like a pack. Dab it with a sponge for a moisturised and luminous look.
You are obsessed with the kajal-lined look?
If there’s one thing make-up experts are fed up of in India, it’s the universal obsession with kajal. Gupta says that most people still believe that a kajal makes your eye look bigger. “It’s not true. Kajal defines your eyes but it makes your eyes look smaller specially the black one,” she says. If you want to actually make your eyes look bigger, use a white or nude eye pencil, she suggests. The trick is to apply on the waterline and not outside it.
Tip: Apply the black pencil around the eyes for nude and white colour, make sure it doesn’t come out.
Your make-up light is not strong enough?
The end result of your make-up depends a lot on your lighting. Dogra says that most people tend to get ready in a washroom or at the table that has no direct light source. The basics of a make-up prep is to start with a light that illuminates your face. He suggests picking up a mix of white and yellow light. Nowadays you have make-up mirrors fitted with LED lights. A good light helps you see the colour of the make-up, especially check on the blending.
You use a patch test to buy lipstick?
Gupta advises never to use a patch test to figure out the right lipstick for you. Just like the face, a lip test needs to be done. “No one colour looks the same on two people as the colour of the lips and skin are different,” she mentions. She does advise to sanitise testers while lipstick shopping. Usually good places will sanitise testers for you but when in doubt use wipes and tissues before trying the colour out. Her advice? With pencils, sharpen it; with lipsticks, wipe it.
Tip: If you shop for make-up online, read up all reviews online (even Instagram) and watch swatching videos to get the right information and decide on the correct fit.
If there’s one thing that beauty bloggers have done is to make make-up seem easy-peasy. Their one-minute time-lapsed videos make it seem as if the road to simple-to-smokin’ is one dab of foundation here and a little bit of highlighter there.
But a well made-up face is almost as easy to crack as a complex mathematical equation. From make-up brushes to blenders to even the basic lighting – experts believe there are many mistakes or oversights that people make and are unaware of. We try and set the record straight on some.
You have picked the wrong shade of foundation?
First up, it’s the basics that most mess up, says make-up expert Shagun Gupta. “Most people invest in a good foundation now but never the concealer. But concealer is just as important after all as the name suggests, it conceals,” she says. For a flawless look, she contends that a concealer is needed as you layer your base on top of the concealer. While picking up a foundation, forget the inner arm patch test – try it on your face. In fact, Gupta suggests trying two shades of the base in a half-in-half.
“Pick two shades closest to your tone – apply each on one half, leave for 15 minutes to see how it wears,” she suggests. Even a concealer has to be picked in the same way by direct application to the skin especially the eyes where the dark circles are prominent. “Usually make-up looks chalky because of a bad shade match of foundation and concealer, as whiter shades tend to oxidise on your skin making it look grey,” she says.
Tip: To get the right shade apply the foundation to the cheek area, near the jawline as that is the place where neck and face skin meet, says make-up expert Anuj Dogra.
You want to look fairer?
Dogra would like the obsession with fairer skin to go away. “Everyone wants the make-up to make you look fairer than you are. But you can’t just apply a lighter shade of foundation,” he says. It has a different trick: first apply a darker concealer to hide marks and dark circles and then layer with a lighter foundation as per your skin type. Again, you can’t really go shades lighter even with the foundation.
Tip: Use full-coverage foundation and never use your hands to apply it. A foundation is always set on, not rubbed in.
You are not prepping your skin with the right moisturiser?
According to Dogra, most people don’t prep their skin before starting with the make-up. Ideally, he wants everyone to invest in getting a healthier skin first, rather than hoping for make-up to do the trick. “Moisturising and prepping is very important and more than that you have to pick the right moisturiser,” he says. It’s a general rule after a certain age, skin tends to get drier. If you apply directly on dry skin, the make-up is likely to flake and look patchy. He suggests creams with thicker viscosity as it helps the make-up to glide smoothly and also last long.
Tip: You can take your regular lotion, add 2-3 drops of an essential oil like lavender and apply like a pack. Dab it with a sponge for a moisturised and luminous look.
You are obsessed with the kajal-lined look?
If there’s one thing make-up experts are fed up of in India, it’s the universal obsession with kajal. Gupta says that most people still believe that a kajal makes your eye look bigger. “It’s not true. Kajal defines your eyes but it makes your eyes look smaller specially the black one,” she says. If you want to actually make your eyes look bigger, use a white or nude eye pencil, she suggests. The trick is to apply on the waterline and not outside it.
Tip: Apply the black pencil around the eyes for nude and white colour, make sure it doesn’t come out.
Your make-up light is not strong enough?
The end result of your make-up depends a lot on your lighting. Dogra says that most people tend to get ready in a washroom or at the table that has no direct light source. The basics of a make-up prep is to start with a light that illuminates your face. He suggests picking up a mix of white and yellow light. Nowadays you have make-up mirrors fitted with LED lights. A good light helps you see the colour of the make-up, especially check on the blending.
You use a patch test to buy lipstick?
Gupta advises never to use a patch test to figure out the right lipstick for you. Just like the face, a lip test needs to be done. “No one colour looks the same on two people as the colour of the lips and skin are different,” she mentions. She does advise to sanitise testers while lipstick shopping. Usually good places will sanitise testers for you but when in doubt use wipes and tissues before trying the colour out. Her advice? With pencils, sharpen it; with lipsticks, wipe it.
Tip: If you shop for make-up online, read up all reviews online (even Instagram) and watch swatching videos to get the right information and decide on the correct fit.
