Become Your Own Beauty Expert – Part 5
This is the final post in a 5-part series. Missed the rest? Start at the beginning with part 1.
No, this is not a feminist, ’empowerment’ message. And neither is your intrinsic value as a woman tied up in how you look. Seriously, that’s not what I’m preachin’.
But isn’t it so much nicer when you meet a woman whose makeup and ‘outsides’ matches her ‘insides’? When her clothing and makeup style gives you an insight into her personality and unique character?
I mean, if we’re going to wear makeup, why not wear it in a way that enhances, not distracts, from who we are?
Let’s delve into the world of ‘style personalities’. Is your style romantic? Classic? BOLD? Earthy? Powerful? casual? Look to your personality to discover what you’re all about. Then take those discoveries and translate them into the world of beauty.
Your face expresses so much! Is your current makeup look congruent with the real ‘you’? And if using makeup for business or intentional purposes, are you sending the right message?
Your makeup can say different things about you, according to the INTENSITY or CONTRAST, UNDERTONE, FINISH and TECHNIQUES you use.
INTENSITY or CONTRAST:
The amount of makeup you wear and the intensity of your makeup can speak volumes. Your makeup can be soft and muted or loud and striking. Which best fits you?
What does bright or dark lipstick say about the wearer? Or brightly coloured or dark eye makeup? How about a person who wears soft eyeshadows? And neutral or nude lipsticks? What does that communicate to you?
From a psychology angle, if you see someone wearing a lot of makeup, you might deduce that this person is ‘high maintanence’, hiding something, likes to impress, confident, or a myriad of other conclusions.
And in the same way, if someone routinely wears no makeup at all, you might assume they’re indifferent about looks, lazy, not clued up on social conventions, comfortable with themselves, or other subconcious assumptions, depending on your own experiences or background.
To make up or not to makeup up? You need to determine what the intensity of your makeup (or lack of) communicates about you and your attitude, to the people you meet in the various parts of your life. Family, home, work, business, social, special occasions…what is just right for one occasion may be offensive in another.
So the ‘amount’ and intensity of the makeup you wear might be saying something to those around you. However, one reason you might wear makeup is to please yourself when you look in the mirror and like what you see! It’s also important that your makeup is saying the right thing about you, to you too!
COLOUR:
In these photos, what do the makeup colours and style choices say to you? Look at their makeup and accessories for clues…
Above: Warm shades like orange, apricot, brown, olive green and gold seem to convey ‘earthiness’, a love of nature or unpretentiousness. If you’re a hippy-at-heart, down-to-earth, and maybe not a ‘girly girl’, chances are you’re drawn to these colours. And you might not wear as much makeup as others…Am I right?
These are huge generalisations and you don’t have to fit into a mold, but let’s explore what makeup colour choices can communicate…
Above: Cool tones like pink, mauve, purple, berry shades and silver tend to appear more ‘dressy’, typically feminine, modern and glamorous. They can more easily look ‘over the top’ because cool tones are less naturally-occuring. If you’re drawn more to cool than warm colours, you might be more likely to wear statement pieces, are happy being centre of attention and more confident with your makeup (again, huge generalisations, but keep reading!).
If you’re not drawn strongly to either warm or cool colours, you probably love ‘neutral’, flesh-toned makeup shades. You might have a more ‘classic’ or understated style personality. ‘Neutrals’ are in the middle of warm and cool, and harmonise with all colours, because they don’t have any colour of their own.
Note: For those of us who’ve discovered our best colours (in a makeup lesson or colour consultation), our instinctive colour preferences might have changed because we’ve been taught what shades to seek out in stores and wear for best results.
FINISH:
Matte, satin, shimmer or sparkle? Compare the lipsticks above.
Matte can look more severe (or trendy, as it’s popular right now), ‘satin’ with a slight sheen will look natural and skin-like, and high shine can look bright and glamorous. Are you a shimmer or matte personality?
Makeup that’s too matte and too shimmery can cause texture onthe skin to look more noticable, as well as large pores or facial hair. Do you know where to wear your best textures in a flattering way?
TECHNIQUES:
Finally, let’s look at some specific trends and application techniques that send various social cues.
Are you wearing any of these looks without understanding how they can come across? Or is there a technique here you’d like to adopt in order to project a certain image for work or play?
Above image, from left to right, top to bottom:
Smokey eyes (Face 1, 2, 3) – Sultry, exotic-looking eyes that whisper ‘follow me to the bedroom’ or give off a grungy, ‘rock chick’ vibe when combined with ‘tight-lining’ (see below).
Tight-lining (Face 2, 3). Tightlining is when eyeliner is applied to the ‘waterline’ or inner rim of eyes. On normal-sized eyes this adds intensity to the eyes for a more ‘made up’ look. Can make mature eyes look tired and appear harsh-looking as it defines the eyes severely. Makes eyes look smaller. This technique is perfect for those with large, prominent eyes wanting to balance their eye shape.
Bold eyebrows (Face 4) – Bold brows project strength and confidence. Thick brows appear masculine (balance them with bigger lashes!), while tapering to a thin end gives them back a feminine look while keeping the strength.
Cat or winged eyeliner (Face 5) – On the right eye shape, a well-executed wing elongates the eye. Winged liner can look sexy and often gives off a vintage vibe.
Soft pinks and purples (Face 6) – Pale pinks and purples look soft, vulnerable, romantic and typically girly or playful.
Bold lip colour (Face 2, 4 , 5, 7, 8) – Darker shades project power and glamour, while brighter shades appear confident, vibrant, fun-loving and youthful.
Can you see how these techniques might send the wrong message if you wear them at the wrong time and environment? Which of these techniques do you use? Can you spot any you’d like to try?
Are you one of the many women who wear their makeup a certain way because that’s what they’ve done for decades? Just because? By being intentional and aware of your makeup choices, you can have an ‘outside’ image that reflects you on the ‘inside’! There are so many options and possibilities available to you, but only a few that will truly fit you.
Do you know what those colours and techniques are?
The world of makeup – even with all this information I’ve given above – can be a confusing place! Want my advice? Call me for a free 15 minute phone consultation to point you in the right direction: 021 1501605
