Makeup Lesson # 9: All Together Now

Make up is fun, but it should also fit in with the rest of you. Find out how.

Everything comes together at some point. Your face is not a different entity from your body, and so it goes without saying that how you make up your face should also complement how you dress. Now, we can rail all we want about individuality but even you have to admit that those who dress as bohemian as they go or those who dress grunge-style still have some mode of coordination.

There is no general rule, but I’ve observed that most women’s rule of thumb is to complement, and not to clash, to highlight some areas, as well as tone down others. For example, you could go for an intricately made-up face then settle for a very simple little black or white dress, using very minimalist white gold or silver jewelry. In line with this, I have also seen women go out with the “no-makeup” makeup look, that particular look wherein everything is so subtle that you can’t really pinpoint where the products were applied. A colleague has often described it to me as, “still me, but better.” Most women who sport this look balance (that’s the key word!) it by giving a bit more of a kick to their outfits, say, with a particularly dressy, flounce-y skirt, or bangles or beaded accessories.

It’s safe to say then that, as with everything, it’s all about balance. We can even look no further than your make up. For instance, those who are new to this art often wonder if they should go for the whole palette – meaning if they should make up all the parts of their face. I would say that I’m not really an advocate of this. There are makeup artists who advise that one should just pick out a particular feature you want to highlight and apply product there, then leave the rest untouched. Have you seen those women in dark red lipstick with no other makeup on? It looks fabulous, doesn’t it? And then, there are women who build drama in their eyes by simply lining the lash lines, adding bronze highlighters, then just adding a sweep of barely-there peach-toned lip gloss – extremely alluring, yet subtle.

Don’t be afraid to experiment, as this will be the only way for you to know what look will suit you for a particular occasion. I stress the phrase “particular occasion” because there’s no rule that says you have to find a look and stick with it forever, and that’s part of the fun! If you must go for a full application, especially if it’s for photo shoot and involves a lot of lighting, then be particular about that balance. Be precise when applying the blush but do not overdo it. Apply the lip color of your choosing but do not go for a wide smear, instead you can just focus the color on the middle part of your lips to bring it out, or use a lip liner to taper off the fullness.

You won’t be using all your makeup products all in one go, so you can bring them in a pouch when you head out for that event. Wind, humidity, and other factors will interact with your face and you will surely need a touch up. If you don’t want to bring too much product, settle for some loose powder (in your shade) and lipstick. This will go a long way in making your application last.