<![CDATA[Melanie Parker Photography - Beauty Tips & Tricks]]>

<![CDATA[Melanie Parker Photography - Beauty Tips & Tricks]]>Sun, 02 Aug 2026 16:45:26 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[How to do Your Makeup After 60]]>Thu, 17 Jul 2014 09:57:07 GMThttp://www.melanieparkerphotography.com/beauty-tips--tricks/how-to-do-your-makeup-after-60

This lovely lady is my momma. I'm a little emotional writing this post because I 've been wanting to do this makeover with my mom for a long time. She is one of those women who is selfless. She is the master of the 5 minute shower, watching my kiddos at a drop of a hat, pushing her strength to help a friend in need and always having hot homemade wheat bread ready for my dad when he comes home.

Man! what big shoes I have to fill! :)

My mother is amazing and BEAUTIFUL inside and out. She has always wanted to know what to do with makeup but was never taught. Her worst fear was that she would "look like a rag doll." I finally was able to convince her that I would keep it simple and I would NEVER change her natural beauty.

This makeover is not as dramatic as ones I've done in the past but that's because it wasn't meant to be dramatic. The purpose was to make small and simple changes, bring out her best features and still help her feel like her BEST self. My mother hasn't worn makeup in 20 plus years. Yes you read that right and I was going to do whatever it took to help her feel comfortable AND beautiful.

Ways to help you look and feel younger...

Nutrition is the underlying key to beautiful and healthy skin. Particularly as you age.

Skin is the largest organ in the body and worthwhile taking care of. Not having an adequate diet contributes to your skin's appearance in multiple ways. One of the main ways food helps skin is in restoring elasticity which gives it a more supple look.
Vitamin A is certainly one of those power foods, and it comes from a variety of sources. Carrots, apricots, nectarines, sweet potatoes, egg yolks, even some green things like spinach and broccoli are a great source of vitamin A.
Vitamin D - You can get vitamin D from fortified foods like orange juice and milk. Research is showing that the lowly mushroom is also packed with vitamin D.
Vitamin C is critical for wound repair, for any type of tissue maintenance, and that applies to your skin. Tomatoes, citrus, kiwi -- they're all great sources.

My mother LOVES yogurt. She actually makes her own yogurt and has done for years. The closest thing I've ever found that came close to my mom's is CHOBANI natural greek yogurt. Its packed with protein and has no added sugar. My mom uses her yogurt to eat as well as a face wash and face mask. I remember using it as a face mask as well and you wouldn't believe how smooth and clean your face feels after a yogurt mask.

NEWS FLASH: Calcium can't build bone if you're not getting enough protein. As a general rule, between 10 percent and 15 percent of your total calories should come from protein. So, if you consume 2,000 calories per day, at least 200 should come from protein, or about 50 grams. Other foods high in Protein: Turkey Breast, Chicken Breast, Fish, Mozzarella (non-fat) cheese, Pork Loin and Tofu

I know many women reading this who could go on for hours on how amazing doTERRA oils are. If you haven't tried them, stop and go try them. In one word.... INCREDIBLE!

My mom uses them for a variety of things but when it comes to her face, she mixes the Coconut Oil and Lavender Oil and puts it all over her face daily.

Here's the products I used for my mom

(Hover or click over the images to get a short description)

Liquid foundation is best for wrinkles. It helps to soften lines.

I used a sponge to give a sheer and even coverage.

This was used as a soft highlight and contour.

This angled brush was used for both contouring and highlighting.

Blush added to the apples of her cheeks.

The Elf blush brush.

This is a concealer that I used to diminish under eye circles.

Eye lash curler.

Mascara applied to her bottom and top lid.

I used the lightest shades from this for her eyes.

eye shadow brush.

Tips for doing makeup as you get older....

TIP: Use liquid foundation. Powder products cling to every crevice and line in your face. They will make everything stand out and make you look older than you are so if you can, stay away from powder products. When using liquid foundation, make sure to apply with a sponge or brush for an even and professional look. Here's a link for the best foundation for mature skin.. http://beauty.about.com/od/blushcreampowdermore/tp/The-Best-Foundation-for-Mature-Skin.htm

TIP: Its best to use a pencil or powder for eyeliner. As you age your skin becomes looser. Using a liquid or cream eyeliner can look messy. Menopause also makes you more prone to sweat which will make your liquid liner run.

Prepare your eyes with a neutral primer that will create a more even, smooth base for your makeup. Put on your eye shadow BEFORE your eye liner. This will help the liner stay in place and prevent that smudging that could make your eyes look messy.

THANK YOU for reading and I hope you come back again! If you'd like to get instant updates from my blog, then please SUBSCRIBE at the top of the page. Thanks!!

]]><![CDATA[How to Get Long and Full Curls]]>Tue, 20 May 2014 01:38:15 GMThttp://www.melanieparkerphotography.com/beauty-tips--tricks/how-to-get-long-and-full-curls

Welcome to my beauty blog and my photography website!

I'm super exited to be posting my first hair & makeup post. I recently had my sister in town and she mentioned that she was loving all my makeovers and wondered if I would show her a few things.

Well yeah!!

So the next day after looking at her makeup bag which consisted of mascara, foundation and eye shadow that was at least 10 years old, I promptly took her to the store and we got some new and proper makeup.

So before we get to the awesome hair tutorial, I wanted to let you all know what products I used on this beautiful lady. She made me promise to keep it simple. Like no more than 10 minutes tops simple. So I simplified everything. If you've read some of my other posts you know that I LOVE contouring and I actually did it with Nita but instead of using a foundation contour color that is 5 shades darker than her foundation, which gives a more defined look, I just used a simple bronzer instead.

In the end she was SO happy with it and almost every time I talk to her on the phone she tells me how much she's loving doing her makeup. This just makes my heart sing. She knew she was beautiful before makeup and so did I but now she can really love herself, inside and out.

Here's what I used for Nita's makeover...

(Hover or click on the images to get a description of each)

Moisturizing lotion applied all over her face because her skin is slightly dry. Everyone with dry skin should do this before putting any makeup on.

Concealer and highlighter in one. A girls best friend.

My new favorite foundation by Covergirl.

This stipple brush was used to apply the foundation.

The lightest shade was used as the highlight and the darkest brown shade was used as the contour.

We purchased 2 of these brushes. Its the Blush brush from elf brand. I love it for highlighting and for blush.

Light and peachy blush.

The NYC pencil to fill in her brows. This is the Taupe color.

Brow gel. Yes its get for your eyebrows. It keeps them in place and actually helps them to look thicker.

This was used on her tear duct line of her eyes to make them look bigger.

Eye shadow brush.

neutral eye shadow.

Black cream eyeliner and brush.

Mascara with small bristle's.

Lip liner.

Simple pink lipstick.

Because we were taking pictures afterwards, I added some clear lip gloss.

Before After

So now lets get to those gorgeous Curls!!!

This tutorial is mostly done with pictures. Enjoy!

When you are "ratting," "Teasing" or giving your hair "body." Remember to keep it close to your head and do it in 2 inch sections. If your hair is super thick, separate your hair into 1 inch sections for ratting.

This part is VERY IMPORTANT!

After you finish the curl, It will come out very loose. Take the curl, twist it around your finger in the direction you curled it and let it go. It should be much tighter and defined as you can see in the images below. After you have twisted it, LEAVE IT ALONE. I've seen too many people mess with the curls while they are still warm and this is a HUGE mistake.

TIP: Curls will ONLY stay if you let them COMPLETELY COOL. Let them get to room temperature or feel cold to the touch before you mess with them. This will dramatically change how your curls turn out and how long they last.

Get your section....

Twist Up...

Keep turning and use your other hand to help you turn the iron if needed.

VUALA!!!

AFTER they have completely cooled off, you can gently separate the curls with your fingers. After separating them, tilt your head, fluff the curls up with your fingers and spray with hair spray.

All done.

Thank you for visiting my beauty blog and photography website! I hope this was all helpful for you and as usual, here's some pictures we took after doing her makeup...

]]><![CDATA[Makeup Tips for TRIANGLE Face Shapes]]>Thu, 03 Apr 2014 07:08:05 GMThttp://www.melanieparkerphotography.com/beauty-tips--tricks/makeup-tips-for-triangle-face-shapes

This is my lovely friend Connor. She was another one of those face shapes that wasn't too obvious. eventually I found that she has a TRIANGLE face shape and I was super excited to do her makeup. This makeup session was a little different from the others because I tried to keep everything as simple as possible. Connor doesn't wear makeup very often and when she does, its limited. Ive known a lot of women like this. Theres nothing wrong with wearing a small amount of makeup daily or no makeup at all. Because I know that there are a lot of women who could relate to Connor I decided to do a bit less than I normally would for a glam session. I wanted her to be able to re-create the look if she wanted and making it too complicated would just overwhelm her and scare her away from trying it herself.

One of the things that I had to do differently from my other models was her eyes. Conner has hooded eyes and just like we all have different face shapes, we also have different eye shapes that influence how we should apply our eye makeup. If you don't know what eye shape you have there's a list below and some tips on how to contour them.

What eye shape do you have?

AVERAGE EYES:
Kim Kardashian is one of those women who has perfectly beautiful eyes. Average eyes are the equivalent to an oval face shape. They are evenly spaced, they don't show too much lid, they are not hooded and are usually oval in shape.

For this eye shape you have a lot of freedom and can do almost anything. The only rules to stick to is making sure you apply the lightest shade in the inner corners of your eyes and right under the eyebrow on the brow bone. See the image below.

WIDE SET EYES:
Brandy Norwood has wide set eyes. If the space between your eyes is bigger than the length of one eye, you have wide set eyes.

For this eye shape keep your darker shades more towards the inner corner of you eye to bring them closer together like the image below.

CLOSE SET EYES:
Jennifer Anniston has close set eyes. Close set eyes are narrower than one eye width.

For this eye shape, use light colors on the inner corners and extend the outer corners using dark colors. Line outer corners as well. See the image below.

HOODED LIDS: Jennifer Lawrence as well as Taylor Swift have hooded eyes. That's when the skin covers your eye lid.

For this eye shape use matte colors in medium to dark shades and keep eye makeup simple. For a more dramatic and defined look, do a dramatic winged eye liner and use the example below for a smoky look.

DEEP SET EYES: Angelina Jolie has deep set eyes. Her eyebrow bone is in front of her actual eye.

For this eye shape apply light colors on the upper lid, under the eyebrow, with a deeper color on and just above the socket line, blending up and out. See the image below.

PROTURUDING

EYES: Katy Perry in all her cuteness has protruding eyes. these eye looks big and round, lids are extended further than brow bone. These eyes are set far forward in the face making it more prominent feature. It is the opposite of deep set eyes.

For this eye shape, shadows used need to be medium to dark. Darker shades tend to cause the eyes to look more deep and sunken and will disguise any protruding or bulging eyes.

Do NOT use light shadows to the whole lid since it only accentuates and highligh the big eyes. See the image below as an example.

DROOPY EYES: Anne Hathaway has droopy eyes. They are also known as puppy eyes because they are usually hooded and the outer corners droop down.

For this eye shape Light colors: Light eye shadow makes the eye area more visible and brings it forward. You want to create radiance, so use colors that work well with your skin tone. contour with a darker color just the crease of the lid. Swipe the outer corner of this contour line slightly up. See the image below.

Lets get back to Connor and the importance of the right products...

Products: I'll be repeating myself on this topic a lot. When you're being photographed, and for every day. Because lets face it, we take pictures all the time. I always recommend that you wear makeup that gives you a matte finish. There's nothing worse than having that horrible shine across your face in pictures because you used the wrong foundation. You might be asking, "can't you Photoshop that out?" Its a good question but the answer is no. You want to GLOW in pictures, not sparkle or have that greasy shine. The best product for you really depends on your skin tone and sensitivity. If you have clear, normal skin, you can wear basically anything. If you're like me, where I have the occasional blemish and a couple acne scars from my teenage years I want to hide, and dry skin. Than you'll want something with a bit more coverage like cream products.

Here are the products I used for Connor...

Hover or click over the images to get a description and tips for each one.

I used #120 as her all over foundation and #230 as her contour shade.

The Elf Stipple brush was used to blend in the foundation and contour shades.

I used the lightest shade as and additional highlighter.

I used an angled highlighter brush to apply the powder highlighter.

Blush.

I used this Elf Blush brush to strategically apply her blush.

A sheer powder to be applied all over the face after the contouring and blush is done.

I used this pencil to fill in her brows.

I used the lightest shade and darkest shade in this color palette for her eyes.

Remember to heat up your eyelash curler with your blow dryer for 5 seconds before use.

I used this to create a dramatic eye.

Mascara of course!

False lashes for some volume. When you have hooded eyes, false lashes are a simple way to bring out your eyes.

Concealer and highlighter.

These sponges were used to stipple the highlighter and concealer into the face.

Lip liner for a clean look.

Pretty pink lipstick for a sweet natural look.

a small amount of clear lip gloss to give some shine.

Now lets see HOW I used the products. Here's her contouring breakdown...

The image above is jam packed with information. Sorry if it seems like a lot. Its pretty self explanatory but I'll go over a few points below. I wanted to address what contouring is again. I went over this in my first post but I thought it would be good to bring it up again...

WHAT IS CONTOURING?:

You might have also heard it called HAC (Highlighting and Contouring). In the past contouring was harsh and dramatic. The twenty-first century version of Contouring is all about enhancing cheekbones, slimming your face, and tricking the eye in a believable way. Simply put: "It's no longer about carving a line into your cheek."

This is my FAVORITE way to do makeup. There are other great ways to apply your makeup but especially for pictures, THIS is what I vouch for every time and the finished results are stunning. I also recommend a light contouring for everyday use as well. The truth is that because of social media and literally everyone having a camera in their pocket, we are being photographed ALL THE TIME! You don't have to go all out every day but little things will make a big difference in your every day look.

CONSIDER YOUR SKIN TONE: Anything that stands out too much against skin is going to look obvious. "If you're fair, use a contouring cream or powder that's 1-2 shades darker than your skin tone." The same applies for darker skin tones. For darker skin, you want to make sure that you don't go too light with your highlighting. Otherwise you'll look like you just spread chalk all over your face.

LOSE THE GLITTER:
From allure magazine...
"Highlighter should be "almost the color of your skin, with just a hint of shine," says makeup artist Polly Osmond. Avoid anything with noticeable sparkles, which can look chalky or just plain unnatural. If you have fair skin, a pearly shade works well, but those with medium and dark complexions need a warmer golden highlighter for a glow that looks natural, not pasty."

KNOW YOUR FACE SHAPE: As I mentioned before, Contouring isn't the same for everyone. It's important to keep your face shape in mind. If you have a round face, contouring under your cheekbones can make it appear smaller (score!). But if you have a narrow face, it could make it look even longer.

BLEND, BLEND & BLEND: Blending is the most important thing when you contour. If your using a liquid, use a sponge like the Beauty Blender. Its amazing. If you're using powder, It's important to hold your brush really softly. Holding the brush toward the end of the handle will give you a softer, more seamless finish. After doing Connors contouring, my next main focus was here eyes.

Eye Liner:

Because Connor has hooded eyes, I focused more on her eyeliner and false lashes. If you have this same eye shape, then eye shadow wont be super necessary as much as eyeliner, mascara and false lashes would. The picture to the left is the design I used on Connors eyes. It might seem dramatic but for someone who has hooded eyes, this will only make a small difference in the look of he eyes. The image below is how I applied her eye shadow.

As you may know, I was asked by many people to make a video tutorial and so I started with something small like How to Apply False Lashes. It took me FOREVER to figure out the editing software though. Trust me, its completely different from still images.

This was a true learning experience for me. I've never worked with video and I hope It all makes sense :)

I'll me making improvements for my next video tutorials and if there's anything you'd like to see me do or suggestions, please let me know. Enjoy!

Thanks again for visiting and here's some images of gorgeous Conner with her makeup all done!

]]><![CDATA[Makeup Tips for ROUND Face Shapes]]>Sun, 16 Mar 2014 09:38:44 GMThttp://www.melanieparkerphotography.com/beauty-tips--tricks/makeup-tips-for-round-face-shapes

Welcome to my photography website and makeup blog!

Today I'll be talking about ROUND face shapes and how to contour them. My model this week is Kelsey. I have to say that out of all my models so far, she was the MOST prepared. She had some great products and high quality brushes. It really gave me a lot to play around with and I knew that we were going to have lots of fun. I also loved the colors and tones she chose. All of her products where pretty, soft and complimentary which is spot on for round faces.

Round faces are one of my favorites because a round face is naturally soft and feminine looking. Its always best to keep everything rather gentle. The saying "Less is more" absolutely applies for round face shapes. The softness is incredibly romantic and

There are some celebrities who share this face shape....

Products: I'll be repeating myself on this topic a lot. It must be important right? When choosing the right products for your face it can seem a bit daunting. There are thousands of options with a variety of prices. When you're being photographed, I always recommend that you wear makeup that gives you a matte finish. There's nothing worse than having that horrible shine across your face in pictures because you used the wrong foundation. You might be asking, "can't you Photoshop that out?" Its a good question but the answer is no. You want to GLOW in pictures, not sparkle or have that greasy shine. The best product for you really depends on your skin tone and sensitivity. If you have clear, normal skin, you can wear basically anything. If you're like me, where I have the occasional blemish and a couple acne scars from my teenage years I want to hide, and dry skin. Than you'll want something with a bit more coverage like cream products.

Lets break it down...

Price:

Lets face it, if your a mom like me, a student or just don't have a lot to splurge, then price can sometimes be THE deciding factor. But it should NOT be an excuse. There are many products that I love and can be found at Walmart, Albertsons and basically any drugstore. here's a few of my favorites... Maybelline, Lorielle Paris, Revlon and Elf. I recently did a price comparison of some drugstore options and then the professional competition. Specifically the MAC makeup line. I priced out JUST the products for proper contouring and my drugstore products came out under $40.00 compared to the professional brand coming in at just under $200.00. Its honestly all about the technique, not the price tag.

Skin Type:

I went over this in depth in my last post..... http://www.melanieparkerphotography.com/3/archives/03-2014/1.html Your skin type is one of the most important. Learn what kind of skin you have, then research a product to work well with what you need. If you try something and it doesn't work, its okay! Yes it sucks to have felt like you wasted money on a product you hate but sometimes that's the only way to find what works best for you. Process of elimination people!

Skin Tone / Color:

I can't say this enough. Always, match your foundation to your neck color. Preferably the lightest part of your neck. The whole Idea is to look natural and effortless. Not stressed and fake. You also want to keep in mind your SKIN TONE. Everyone has different hues to their skin. Just like each time of day and season gives off its own hue of color, so does our skin. Here's a wonderful skin tone test that I found from "Paula's Choice, Skin Care."

SKIN TONE TEST: Knowing whether your undertone is warm, cool or neutral is the key to ensuring that your foundatoin matches your skin and color products look natural. There are several ways to determine your skin tone, but here are some quick methods to keep in mind:

If you tan easily and do not burn, your skin's natural melanin (the pigment that gives skin its color) level is higher, and you most likely have a yellow-to-olive, warm undertone. This is true for most African-American and women of Indian descent. Some African-American women with deep ebony skin tones may actually have a cool (bluish) undertone, so dark copper shades look off but espresso-type shades match perfectly.
Those who burn and either tan minimally or not at all have significantly less melanin, which results in a pink, bluish-red, or ruddy cooler undertone. In addition, look for telltale signs: a ruddy skin tone has obvious signs of redness or is one that tends to flush easily. Some neutral skin tones fall into this category, particularly if rosacea is a factor, so experiment with cool to neutral tones to see what works best for you.
Olive skin tones tend to look somewhat ashen or gray, from the combination of the natural yellow undertone everyone has and the greenish hue that’s unique to olive skin of any depth. Neutral tones tend to work best, but experiment with warm tones as well, as you may fall somewhere in between.
Neutral skin tones are those with no obvious overtones of olive, sallow, or pink. People with this skin tone tend to have the easiest time finding foundation, concealer, and powders that are just right for them. In fact, those with neutral skin tones may find they can easily wear more than one shade in any given foundation lineup.
The shortcut test: Some people like to rely on the color of their veins: Look at the veins on the inside of your wrist. If your veins appear blue/purple you are in the cool-toned (bluish) spectrum. If your veins appear green, you are in the warm-toned (yellow) spectrum. Those with neutral undertones will have difficulty discerning the blue/green.

These categories hold true for all women, including women of color; your underlying skin color will always relate to one of these skin tones. You may have been told that you are a particular “season” and your wardrobe and makeup colors should be a specific undertone, either cool (blue or pink tones) or warm (yellow or sallow/olive tones). Unfortunately, the rampant misinformation surrounding skin tone can be misleading when it comes to choosing your most flattering makeup shades.

Now that we have gone over how to pick your products, lets go over her before and after picture (below) and lets look at what I used to get this look for Kelsey...

BEFORE & AFTER

Isn't she gorgeous?!? Notice how I made very small changes. I know it seems like a huge difference when you put them side by side but I really kept it all neutral and soft.

Products I Used...

Remember, brushes and makeup tools are just as important as any of the other products.

Foundation put onto the entire face and then stippled with a stippling brush to blend.

Perfect, soft blush.

A sheer powder to set everything.

Neutral eye shadow to let her blue eyes shine.

A pencil liner I found at Sally's Beauty Supply. I used this to fill in her eyebrows.

Cream eye liner.

Lash curler to help lift her natural lashes.

We used her personal mascara.

simple pink lipstick to give an enhanced natural look.

Contour Breakdown...

I kept with neutrals for this session. Neutral eye shadow, eyebrow color blush and lipstick. For a glam session I usually use false lashes but they aren't for everyone and to be honest, they were too much on her. The biggest impact of this makeover was the contour, highlight and proper placement of the blush. For round faces, make sure your blush is on the apples of your cheeks. Your contour color will be more heavily used below the cheek bones and towards the jaw to give a thinner look...

Heat It UP!

To get curlier, flirtier lashes, take your hair dryer to your lash curlers and heat them up for five to eight seconds before curling them. This works and I promise you will be shocked and how well this works.

MIX MOISTURIZER AND BRONZER!

Eva Mendes couldn't be more correct.

"A shimmery bronzer is the perfect way to look alive. If you don't want to wear makeup, mix some with moisturizer. You'll look pretty but not made-up."

EYELINER STENCILS

If you don't have a steady hand and you need a quick option for that beautiful eyeliner. Then THIS is perfect for you. The best That I've found is by Beth Bender Beauty. They are great quality and in seconds you get that perfect line. Its also great if you don't have a lot of time to spare but you want to make an impression. Here's the link to buy one... http://bethbenderbeauty.com/best-smoky-eyeliner-eyeshadow-kits/smokey-eye-cat-eye-liner-stencils.html

Thank you again for visiting and reading my makeup tips blog. I hope you learned something new and as usual here's some images from Kelsey's session. After finishing her makeup, we went outside and did some fun pictures....

]]><![CDATA[Makeup Tips for PEAR Face Shapes]]>Thu, 13 Mar 2014 19:51:19 GMThttp://www.melanieparkerphotography.com/beauty-tips--tricks/makeup-tips-for-pear-face-shapes

Welcome to my photography website and makeup blog!!

I'd like you to meet Leandra. Isn't she stunning?!?! P.s. the 2 images above have NOT been Photoshopped. I've known Leandra for a really long time. Her sister in law is a great friend of mine and was one of my best friends growing up. When I asked for model volunteers on Facebook and she was one of the first to volunteer, I was SO happy. Not only because I already know her but she has a darker skin tone which I really wanted to talk about, she was up for anything, ready to learn and had that gorgeous pear face shape. Obviously this post is going to center mostly around darker skin tones but there's always something for everyone to learn. :) It became apparent very quickly that we were going to start from the beginning. Maybe some of you can relate.....

Leandra used to wear foundation and makeup and then as she got older, as we all do, her makeup just didn't look the same. "One day I put it on and it looked orange on my skin." How scary would that be? I think I'd be pushed away from foundation for a while too. It was also drying out her skin. I came to find out that it was a Mary Kay foundation that is pretty old now and I think its no longer in use. At least I hope so. So after throwing it away and not knowing where to start to find a new product, she went without for 10+ years. When I contacted her she owned eye shadow products and eyeliner. That's it.

I was happy and sad at the same time. Happy that I could help her find the right products and sad that she had been without knowing what to do for her skin for so long. After I learned her skin type (dry skin) and studied her skin tone a bit, I gave her a list of instructions and recommended products and she bought it all! I was SO proud of her for jumping into it with no fear.

Some of you may be wondering, "why is foundation so important. I never wear it. I don't think I need it." Well its just like its name people. Its the FOUNDATION.

You've never heard a contractor say "I build this house without a foundation. It didn't look like it needed it." Now I understand that my example may be a bit exaggerated but Its true! If you want to get the most from your makeup routine, learn your skin type, (we will talk about that) learn your skin color and get a good foundation.

Now lets move on to the AMAZING questions Leandra asked me when she wanted to know WHAT to buy and how to know if it was right for her....

She was so eager and asked such great questions I thought I'd share some of our conversation.....

Me: Do you have any foundation?

Leandra: I have really dry skin. It made it worse so I stopped buying it.

Me: Here's some that I recommend... Most liquids will probably work with you as long as you have a good moisturizer to go underneath the foundation. I use Neutrogena moisturizer for my skin but you can even use a non scented lotion with no alcohol and be great too.

Leandra: How do you try a foundation?

Me: You would try a smidge on the inside of your wrist or on the back of your hand as long as the back of your hand is close to your neck color. (you always match your foundation to your neck color) some foundations are closed and you can't open them. that's when you simply hold it next to your skin and see which one looks like the best match.

Leandra: I will have to buy more mascara, and blush.. Does that matter on shade or how do I choose that?

Me: Its all good! with your darker skin try not to go too light. you need something with more depth to it. If your lips are naturally pink and rosy, then you can match your blush to them by going slightly darker or matching them. If they aren't really pink than hold the blush to your arm and see which one compliments your skin the best.

We used a lot of HER new makeup products.

So lets see what I used....

Hover over the images or click on them to see a small description.

After seeing what I used, lets see how I used

them...

Products: I'll be repeating myself on this topic a lot. When you're being photographed, I always recommend that you wear makeup that gives you a matte finish. There's nothing worse than having that horrible shine across your face in pictures because you used the wrong foundation. You might be asking, "can't you Photoshop that out?" Its a good question but the answer is no. You want to GLOW in pictures, not sparkle or have that greasy shine. The best product for you really depends on your skin tone and sensitivity. If you have clear, normal skin, you can wear basically anything. If you're like me, where I have the occasional blemish and a couple acne scars from my teenage years I want to hide, and dry skin. Than you'll want something with a bit more coverage like cream products.

As I mentioned before, Leandra has dry skin. One of the key's to getting the right foundation and overall makeup is to know what skin type you have and how to care for it. keep in mind that you might be one or two of these skin types. For example, my sister has oily skin but also really sensitive skin so her skin and makeup routine works around those two things.....

Normal Skin is not too dry and not too oily. It has:

~No or few imperfections
~No severe sensitivity
~Barely visible pores

Even though normal skin is ideal you still need to care for it properly....

~Detoxify - cleanse for a fresh start every day
~Hydrate - to maintain skins natural moisture levels
~Protect -guard against environmental stress and damage

Combination Skin Type

A combination skin type can be dry or normal in some areas and oily in others, such as the T-zone (nose, forehead, and chin). Many people have combination skin, which may benefit from slightly different types of skin care in different areas.

Combination skin can produce:

~Overly dilated pores
~Blackheads
~Shiny skin

How to care for combination skin:

You might find that its best to use different products on different parts of your face. For example, you may need lighter-weight gels, liquids, or oil-absorbing products for your T-zone and lotions or creams for the drier parts of your face. Or it could mean using an acne treatment over areas where you breakout and moisturizers only over drier areas, including around the eyes.

~Use a gentle Cleanser
~Protect from sun damage
~Spot-treat the different skin types on your face

Dry Skin Type

Dry skin can produce:

~Almost invisible pores
~Dull, rough complexion
~Red patches
~Less elasticity
~More visible lines

When exposed to drying factors, skin can crack, peel, or become itchy, irritated, or inflamed. If your skin is very dry, it can become rough and scaly, especially on the backs of your hands, arms, and legs.

Dry skin may be caused or made worse by:

~Genetic factors
~Aging or hormonal changes
~Weather such as wind, sun or cold
~Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from tanning beds
~Indoor heating
~Long, hot baths and showers
~Ingredients in soaps, cosmetics or cleansers
~Medications

Here are some tips for taking better care of dry skin:

~Take shorter showers and baths, no more than once daily.
~Use mild, gentle soaps or cleansers. Avoid deodorant soaps.
~Don't scrub while bathing or drying.
~Apply a rich moisturizer right after bathing. Ointments and creams may work better than lotions for dry skin but are often messier. Reapply as needed throughout the day.
~Use a humidifier and don't let indoor temperatures get too hot.
~Wear gloves when using cleaning agents, solvents or household detergents.

Oily Skin Type

Oily skin can produce:

~Enlarged pores

~Dull or shiny, think complexion

~Blackheads, pimples, or other blemishes

Oiliness can change depending upon the time of year or the weather. Oily skin can be caused or made worse by:

~Puberty or other hormonal imbalances

~Stress

~Exposure to heat or too much humidity

To take care of oily skin:

~Wash your skin no more than twice a day and after you sweat.

~Use a gentle cleanser and don't scrub. Massage it into your skin.

~Don't pick, pop, or squeeze pimples. This prolongs healing time.

~Use products labeled as "noncomedogenic." They tent not to clog pores.

Sensitive Skin Type

If your skin is sensitive, try to find out what your triggers are so you can avoid them. You may have a sensitive sin for a variety of reasons, but often its in response to particulare skin care products.

Sensititive skin can show up as:

~Redness

~Itching

~Burning

~Dryness

The Basics of Skin CareThese tips will help your skin stay healthier no matter its type you are.

~Use a broad spectrum sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB rays. Avoid direct sunlight and wear a hat and sunglasses.

~Don't smoke.

~Stay Hydrated.

~Wash your skin thoroughly every day and never wear makeup to bed.

~Moisturize your skin.

I hope that you can now start to understand more about your skin type and how to care for it. I personally have combination and sensitive skin. Here's some of the products I use for my skin...

Hover over or click the images to get a small description.

The BEAUTY SPONGE...

I LOVE this product. I used the disposable ones on Leandra because I can just throw them away after but THIS product is a reusable sponge. On average, using it every day, it lasts for about 3 months or more. depending on how you care for it. It only costs about $0.2 a day! The other great thing is that you can use this to blend ANY foundation product. Liquid, cream and powder. I would personally use brushes for powder but at least you know what it can do. Here's the link to buy one. Mine will be arriving soon :)

http://www.sephora.com/beautyblender-P228913?SKUID=1151877&om_mmc=ppc-GG&mkwid=FC4NqsgZ&pcrid=37751273919&pdv=c&site=us_search&country_switch=us&lang=en

TIP: When you apply cream products to your face, make sure you use a sponge and don't slide it on your face. Make sure you always stipple it into your face. Stipple: To apply with many light dabs in to your face. Below is a gallery of the products I used in the finished image. Hover or click on the images for more on each one.

Brush them upwards.

Trim the very ends with small scissors.

Pluck unwanted hairs above eyebrow with tweezers.

Pluck unwanted hairs below eyebrows with tweezers.

The beginning of your eyebrow line should be straight with the edge of your nose.

If your eyebrows can be arched, then it should begin on the outside of your eyeball. You can use the method in the picture as well.

Holding a small brush or stick at a 45 degree angle from your nose to the edge of your eye should be where the eyebrow ends.

Fill in your eyebrows with a cream, eye shadow or pencil.

Lets talk about the EYES.
I obviously didn't use these colors on Leandra. I used a cream, gold and black color
palate for her but I used this technique to make her eyes stand out. You can use whatever color combination you'd like for this look.

LOOK UP!

When Putting on eye shadow or eyeliner, the easiest and best application happens when you tilt your head back slightly and raise your eyebrows. For eyeliner, use your non-drawing hand to stretch the skin on the outside of your eye a bit. Raise your eyebrows so that your eyelid does not block your lash line at all.

Thank you for coming to my page and reading. WHEW! This was a really long post. I hope there was something you learned and that you can use some of the information for yourself. I honestly never thought I'd be writing blog posts about anything. I always thought that blog writing wasn't something I wouldn't ever do. Its funny how your life chooses you sometimes :)

As usual, to end my makeup blog post, I'm going to share some of my favorites from Leandra's Glam Session.

]]><![CDATA[Makeup Tips for RECTANGLE Face Shapes]]>Mon, 10 Mar 2014 17:59:46 GMThttp://www.melanieparkerphotography.com/beauty-tips--tricks/makeup-tips-for-rectangle-face-shapes

Welcome to my blog and website!!

My model for this post was a friend of mine and we used to work together at JC Penny Portraits. I've known Amanda for a few years now and I was super excited to have her as one of my models. One of the most important things I've learned doing makeup for people is that to do it properly, you HAVE to know and understand face shapes. Amanda's face shape was a bit more challenging to figure out. At first I thought, "oh, she's an oval." But then, I noticed her face was longer than an an average oval. Was she an oblong? No, her chin and hair line were too square. Then at last, I found that she was mostly a rectangle and the only difference is her jawline which isn't quite as square as your regular rectangle.

That process got me thinking, "It shouldn't be THIS hard to find someone's face shape." Then I realized that most of the people I've helped in the past with makeup and hair had no idea what face shape they were. There are a lot of guides on pinterest or google but most have only 5 face shapes examples. The Heart, Round, Square, Oval and Pear and a lot of them are a bit confusing.

Did you know That there are actually 9 face shapes??

Everyone is different and THAT'S OKAY!!! I remember wanting to have the pretty oval face shape because they can do anything. I didn't like my sharp angles and jaw line because I thought it made me look chubby and I was limited to the type of short hairstyles I could do. But now, many years later I love my angles because I see them as strong instead of chubby. I also see my limit to short hair styles a blessing because then I would probably never grow out my hair :)

Find your face shape, understand it and LOVE IT!! Love even the weird and uncommon parts of it. As a beautiful woman once said...

Here's a great guide to help

you find your face shape...

Finally after doing my research, I realized Amber has a rectangle/oblong face shape! Because her face shape is a combination of oblong and square, there were some things that I had to do differently than most. For example, on a square face like mine, most of the angles used are angled upwards towards my temples to give a lifted and thinner look. She has that square forehead but its also long which means that those angles aren't really necessary. Instead I treated her cheeks more like an oblong face shape and bringing her contouring slightly lower, towards her ears. To learn more about the basics of contouring you can visit my first post.... http://www.melanieparkerphotography.com/3/previous/3.html

On a side note, her hair cut is perfect for her face shape. If there's anyone else with this face shape and you're considering a hair cut, THIS is awesome. Its a blunt bang with a layered A-line.

So now lets get into the makeup fun!

What I used...

(Hover or click on the images to get a description)

The proper brushes really make a difference and are just as important as your other products.

I used the Maybelinne Fit Me sticks again because it gives great coverage, there tons of shades to choose from and It works well with most skin types.

This is a great concealer and highlighter and works great to hide those dark circles we all get as well as help to highlight your best features.

I use the lightest shade in this color palate for a bit more glow factor on the places I highlighted and I used the darker brown shade to act as a bronzer.

Again, the L'Oreal true match blush is amazing.

To set all the foundation and contouring in place, make sure to use a SHEER powder all over your face.

Don't forget to curl those eyelashes!

I used these colors for her eyes.

I used this to fill in her brows.

I used a red lipstick that she already owned but I wanted to include it in the list.

Products: I said this in my previous post but I have to mention it again. When you're being photographed, I always recommend that you wear makeup that gives you a matte finish. There's nothing worse than having that horrible shine across your face in pictures because you used the wrong foundation. You might be asking, "can't you Photoshop that out?" Its a good question but the answer is no. You want to GLOW in pictures, not sparkle or have that greasy shine. The best product for you really depends on your skin tone and sensitivity. If you have clear, normal skin, you can wear basically anything. If you're like me, where I have the occasional blemish, dry skin and a couple acne scars from my teenage years I want to hide, than you'll want something with a bit more coverage and more moisturizing like cream products.

TIP: When you apply cream products to your face, make sure you use a sponge and don't slide it on your face. Make sure you always stipple it into your face. Stipple: To apply with many light dabs in to your face.

Now that you've seen

WHAT I used,

lets see HOW I used it...

FACE: I first picked a foundation color that matched her neck color. ALWAYS make sure to match your foundation with your neck. The Maybelline Fit Me sticks glide really well onto your skin but you'll want to blend it into your face with a stipple brush to give it a beautiful finished look.

The contour color is also a Maybelline Fit ME stick only a few shades darker than the foundation. After I applied it on her face like the image above, I used another stipple brush and small angled brush to blend.

The blush was started from the apples of her cheeks and swept it gently towards her ears. Because she already has a long face keeping it more of a horizontal line looks better. Bringing it up towards her temples would only make her look longer and she doesn't need that. PLEASE do not make a harsh blush line on your face. It should look like a soft blend from your cheeks towards temples or ears. (depending on your face shape)

As you can see in the image, the highlighter/concealer was used in on her nose, small area of her forehead, under eyes, above lips on chin and on the cheeks between the cheek and chin contour color. I applied it on her face just like the picture and then blended it into her skin with a stipple brush.

To add a bit of a "glow" I used the Blend N Glow lightest shade on all the places I blended her highlighter. Finally the face portion was completed with a sheer powder to set everything.

From there I moved onto her eyes. After curling her lashes, I applied her eyeliner on the entire lid with it being thicker from the middle to the end. The image is what I did for Amanda because she has round eyes and doing this method makes them look more oval. I've found that most people have a really difficult time with which eyeliner to choose and applying it. I really love the cream eyeliner from Maybelline but if you like a much softer look than a pencil would be great for you. Pencils/pens are great but you're limited to the creativity. If you have a steady hand then a liquid liner would be great for you. Then of course we added the mascara and then the false lashes.

The final part to her eyes and one of the most important is the eyebrows. Just like your hair frames your face, your eyebrows frame your eyes. You'll want to make sure that you keep you're eyebrows within 2 shades of your hair color or match it. If your hair is platinum blonde than you'll want to keep them only 2 shades darker. Below is an image on HOW to fill in those brows. You can use a pencil like I did on Amanda. You can also use eye shadow, although it doesn't last as long as a cream brow filler.

Finally the last part of this look is the lips. Forgetting to put color on your lips is like leaving the house without your wallet or purse. Its a bad idea. For Amanda we did a bold red lipstick, which I love and it really looks amazing on her. You don't have to be so bold but even if its a simple pink that compliments your skin tone, its better than nothing.

THANK YOU again for reading and I'm going to end this post with a couple glam pictures I took of Amanda. My next post will be on PEAR face shapes.

]]><![CDATA[Contouring Oval Face Shapes]]>Sat, 01 Mar 2014 01:45:28 GMThttp://www.melanieparkerphotography.com/beauty-tips--tricks/contouring-oval-face-shapes

Welcome to my Beauty Tips & Tricks blog and my photography website!

Let me introduce you to Amber. She's a beautiful friend of mine and a wife and mother of 2 kids. I was so happy to be able to do this for her. As a mom myself, its nice to be pampered once in a while. As you can see in the image above, This is quite a transformation. I asked Amber to do her makeup how she would normally to it for pictures, (left image) Then after we snapped a quick photo, she took it all off and we started from scratch. Amber had really great skin

Products: I said this in my previous post but I have to mention it again. When you're being photographed, I always recommend that you wear makeup that gives you a matte finish. There's nothing worse than having that horrible shine across your face in pictures because you used the wrong foundation. You might be asking, "can't you Photoshop that out?" Its a good question but the answer is no. You want to GLOW in pictures, not sparkle or have that greasy shine. The best product for you really depends on your skin tone and sensitivity. If you have clear, normal skin, you can wear basically anything. If you're like me, where I have the occasional blemish and a couple acne scars from my teenage years I want to hide, than you'll want something with a bit more coverage like cream products.

TIP: When you apply cream products to your face, make sure you use a sponge and don't slide it on your face. Make sure you always stipple it into your face. Stipple: To apply with many light dabs in to your face. Below is a gallery of the products I used in the finished image. Hover or click on the images for more on each one.

Now lets get to the breakdown of what mistakes Amber was making....

Breakdown...

Contouring Breakdown...

FOUNDATION: I used the Fit Me stick from Maybelline. I used the lightest shade in the image because it matched her skin tone and I used the darkest shade in the image for her contouring. When using this product, you'll glide it onto your face and neck then using a stippling brush, (I use the Elf brand stipple brush) I gently blended it into her skin. It gives the perfect matte finish and it feels very light.

CONTOUR: As you can see in the breakdown image above, I used the darker shade in specific places. Under her cheekbones to give them definition, under the jaw to help her Jawline from disappearing, around her nose to thin it out to show how long and thin it really is and around her hair line to give her face dimension.

TIP: For OVAL, DIAMOND and HEART faces, you never want to bring the contour down too far on your cheeks because then you will lose your jawline. Only SQUARE and PEAR shapes can use that technique.

HIGHLIGHTING: I used the Dream Lumi Touch Highlighter and Concealer by Maybelline. You'd think they could have picked a shorter name. ;) I used the lightest shade because she is already has fair skin. When picking a highlighter, always get one that is only within 2-3 shades lighter than your foundation.

Again, in the image above, you can see where I placed the concealer. After you've applied both Contour and highlighter, its time to BLEND!!!

Make sure that you use 2 separate brushes to blend your contour and highlight. You can also use sponges to blend. After that's done you get to apply your blush.

BLUSH: This should be applied with a blush brush and starting on the apples of your cheeks, brush it up towards your temples and if needed, slightly blend in with the contour as well but don't overdo it. Then apply a SHEER powder to the whole face.

EYES: After you've curled your eye lashes with an eyelash curler, apply your eye shadow. I love this line from REVLON. you can see where you'll apply each color. Its so helpful to have that guide. If you don't have this as a guide, here's some things to keep in mind....

Stop using super light pastel's and glittery eye shadow. If worn, pastel colors should never be alone. Pair them with coordinating colors to give dimension.
Start using colors that are more neutral and if you do use colors, I like to keep to jewel tones. Especially for pictures. They are richer in color and are much more flattering. I used the METROPOLITAN on Amber. Then you'll want to apply your eye liner followed by Mascara.

FALSE LASHES: These can really enhance your eyes. I always try and have my clients wear these for their photo session. Unless you are one of the few with perfectly thick, long, dark and curled eyelashes, then you wont have to do this step. :) I'll be making a video for this soon.

EYEBROWS: This step is ALWAYS ignored and one of the most important. That's why I'm giving it its own little section. Your eyebrows frame your eyes and help to frame your face. PLEASE don't forget to do this. You can do it a couple of ways. I like how its shown in this image. First, brush them out, apply a pencil where you want the line to be, or just follow your natural eyebrow. Then using an angled brush, apply eye shadow or a cream that matches your hair color to your whole eyebrow. If your hair is platinum blonde than you'll need to make sure that your eyebrow color is no more than 2-3 shades darker than your hair.

MAKE YOUR LIPS DRAMATIC: Create a plump dramatic lip to draw attention to your lips with dramatic lip color and a plump pout. When being photographed, Its always best to go darker than you normally would. Using a lip liner will dramatically help to create that full look. After I apply my lip color I add just a hint of clear lip gloss for a bit more shine. Below is a helpful lip color guide for each skin tone.

Thank you all again for reading! I hope you'll come back again. If any of you have requests or questions, let me know in the comments or contact me. My next post will be on RECTANGLE face shapes. To end this post, I thought I'd give you a little bit of the session I did with Amber. If you're wondering if these images have been Photoshoped, they have. However I have NOT Photoshoped her face at all! Of course I sharpened them, added some shadows, warmth, etc. Enjoy!

]]><![CDATA[Welcome!]]>Wed, 26 Feb 2014 05:00:56 GMThttp://www.melanieparkerphotography.com/beauty-tips--tricks/makeup-for-oval-facesWelcome to my blog and photography website! Let me start off by telling you a little about me....

When I jumped into photography about 4 years ago, I also jumped into Photoshop, airbrushing and all those super fun techniques that make people look "perfect." At first it was exciting to learn new things but then It started to feel..... wrong. I couldn't bring myself to change people to look a certain way. I never changed someone's nose, thinned out their chin or made them loose 5 lbs. But even making them have flawless skin or perfectly vibrant eyes was something I just couldn't do. I have learned to love me for exactly who I am and see everyone as beautiful.

When I say that "I see everyone as beautiful." I mean it. I struggled with my self image for many, many years. At one point, my obsession to be perfect, valued and beautiful contributed to a severe eating disorder that controlled me for 5 years. Believe me when I say, "I know what it feels like to have low self esteem." I was one of those girls at the grocery store, comparing my underweight body to a 200+ pound woman and thinking that SHE was thinner than me. I saw all the beautiful things in others but never in myself. I have always seen others as lovely and ideal. After finally learning to love myself I realized that there really isn't a perfect kind of beauty. There's no such thing as perfection. No one is perfect.

I finally understood that.....

I recognized that as much fun as it would be to make people look perfect with Photoshop. It wasn't right, it wasn't me, it definitely wasn't them and it wasn't beautiful. Instead, I tried to encourage my clients to wear the proper products, emailing them tips for their session. Some took my advice and some did not. I was feeling so frustrated because I want ALL my clients to look and feel amazing! I want them to feel like rock stars and I knew that if they would just take a little bit of time and effort, they could look and feel amazing.

So I decided to try and get people's attention with my own before and after photo to show what a difference the proper application of makeup can look like.

In the Image below, the left side is me with all the common mistakes I see people doing. The right side is how I love to do makeup for pictures (Highlighting and Contouring. AKA: HAC) The response from this Facebook post was a bit overwhelming. In a good way! I loved that people were so interested and searching for help with their makeup. However, makeup is NOT one fits all. You really have to learn your face and how to manipulate the makeup to work in your favor. Highlight your best features and minimize what you might not like. That's why I've gathered a few volunteers together with all types of different face shapes and skin types to be my models. I'll be posting more about those soon but I thought I'd start with myself. To find out some more Beauty Tips & Tricks for square faces, keep reading :)

Products: When you're being photographed, I always recommend that you wear makeup that gives you a matte finish. There's nothing worse than having that horrible shine across your face in pictures because you used the wrong foundation. You might be asking, "can't you Photoshop that out?" Its a good question but the answer is no. You want to GLOW in pictures, not sparkle or have that greasy shine. The best product for you really depends on your skin tone and sensitivity. If you have clear, normal skin, you can wear basically anything. If you're like me, where I have the occasional blemish and a couple acne scars from my teenage years I want to hide, than you'll want something with a bit more coverage like cream products.

TIP: When you apply cream products to your face, make sure you use a sponge and don't slide it on your face. Make sure you always stipple it into your face. Stipple: To apply with many light dabs in to your face. Below is a gallery of the products I used in the finished image. Hover or click on the images for more on each one.

I used the light shade of Maybelline Fit Me stick for my foundation because it gives a GREAT full coverage and feels really light on my skin. You'll want to apply this all over your face and then blend it into your face with a stippling brush. I also use one of the darker shades as my contour color.

I used this as my highlighter. I placed in on the tips on my nose, up onto my forehead, on my chin, under my nose and under my eyes in a triangle like shape.

This blush also has a great matte finish but gives such a wonderful pink glow.

I love just about everything from Elf Cosmetics. It goes on sheer and keeps your makeup in place.

I love this line of eye shadow because the colors are always so spot on and I love that it gives just a hint of shine to your eyes.

The Maybelline cream eyeliner is amazing. You can really experiment and have fun with it and It lasts all day.

If you're like me and your eyelashes are light, fine and not super long, then you'll have to have one of these. It really helps to define your lashes for any look.

This mascara works best for me cause my lashes are delicate so this works great. If you have thick eyelashes, you can even more dramatic mascara.

These lashes are nice and less than $2 each. They come sort of long so if your eyes are round like mine, you'll need to trim them just a smidge.

Brushes are just as important as anything else in your makeup bag. To get the most from your contouring, the right brushes are essential.

I love a lot of different lip shades and colors but this one from Mary Kay is rich and lovely. Its been discontinued but I love using lip shades with plum and red hues to them.

"How do I get that movie star look?"

Contouring is key!

WHAT IS CONTOURING?:

You might have also heard it called HAC (Highlighting and Contouring). In the past contouring was harsh and dramatic. The twenty-first century version of Contouring is all about enhancing cheekbones, slimming your face, and tricking the eye in a believable way. Simply put: "It's no longer about carving a line into your cheek."

This is my FAVORITE way to do makeup. There are other great ways to apply your makeup but especially for pictures, THIS is what I vouch for every time and the finished results are stunning. I also recommend a light contouring for everyday use as well. The truth is that because of social media and literally everyone having a camera in their pocket, we are being photographed ALL THE TIME! You don't have to go all out every day but little things will make a big difference in your every day look.

CONSIDER YOUR SKIN TONE: Anything that stands out too much against skin is going to look obvious. "If you're fair, use a contouring cream or powder that's 1-2 shades darker than your skin tone." The same applies for darker skin tones. For darker skin, you want to make sure that you don't go too light with your highlighting. Otherwise you'll look like you just spread chalk all over your face.

LOSE THE GLITTER:
From allure magazine...
"Highlighter should be "almost the color of your skin, with just a hint of shine," says makeup artist Polly Osmond. Avoid anything with noticeable sparkles, which can look chalky or just plain unnatural. If you have fair skin, a pearly shade works well, but those with medium and dark complexions need a warmer golden highlighter for a glow that looks natural, not pasty."

KNOW YOUR FACE SHAPE: As I mentioned before, Contouring isn't the same for everyone. It's important to keep your face shape in mind. If you have a round face, contouring under your cheekbones can make it appear smaller (score!). But if you have a narrow face, it could make it look even longer.

BLEND, BLEND & BLEND: Blending is the most important thing when you contour. If your using a liquid, use a sponge like the Beauty Blender. Its amazing. If you're using powder, It's important to hold your brush really softly. Holding the brush toward the end of the handle will give you a softer, more seamless finish.

MAKE YOUR LIPS DRAMATIC: Create a plump dramatic lip to draw attention to your lips (and away from your jaw) with dramatic lip color and a plump pout. Using a lip liner will dramatically help to create that full look. The image below is the best way I've found to get that symmetrical plump lip. After I apply my lip color I add just a hint of clear lip gloss for a bit more shine.

I will be posting a video on how I personally contour my face so you can see what it looks like. I hope that these tips were helpful to you. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me below or send me a question in the comments. My next post will be on the OVAL face shape. I hope you come back again!!

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