makeup

SETTING YOUR MAKEUP WITHOUT CAKING IT

POST + PHOTOS BY AMY NADINE, GRAPHIC DESIGN BY EUNICE CHUN

For years I used a big fluffy brush to powder my clients’ faces after foundation, even though in makeup school we were taught to use a powder puff. It just felt more luxurious and didn’t have to be restocked all the time like a puff. But last year, I went back to a puff because I started getting frustrated with the way the brush was not only pushing and sliding the cream blush from the area I specifically placed it, but it was also grabbing onto the foundation and making everything a little cakey. Not good. So I went back to the puff press technique created by the masters of Old Hollywood cinema back in the late 30′s and felt a little stupid that I ever strayed. Here’s how: READ MORE…

tutorials

NAILED IT!

We haven’t done a mix & match nail in quite a while so we thought it was time! While we love painting one nail a different color than the rest, but we also love alternating a pattern. This one is quite simple and I was thinking– how cute would this be in pink, red + white or pink, red + gold for Valentines day!? Here we go…

You’ll need a dark polish, a light polish and a bright polish, a top coat and a dotting tool (or mechanical pencil as I taught you here!). Here are the links for the colors I used: GREY // WHITE // TURQUOISE

STEPS:

  1. Paint your fingers with alternating colors.
  2. On your darker color, use your dotting tool to make dots all around the edge with your light color.
  3. Now follow the same pattern and do another round of dots just inside of your last dots using your bright polish (see above). You can keep going with this pattern if you want. I just like it lining the outside but it’s up to you.
  4. Take your darker color and freehand this step. You basically want to follow the shape of your nail, just slightly smaller to allow the bright color to rim the edges. It can be a little hard to get the hang of but you’ll get it. I like to start with painting from the tip. Notice the angle of the brush in this photo.
  5. Now switch your brush around as you see in photo 5. You’ll connect the two in the middle. I didn’t use stickers or a guide because I think it’s best to just freehand it. Also, once this dries you can go back in with your bright color and touch up the edges so don’t worry too much anout making it perfect.
  6. Top coat time. The best thing about a topcoat is it makes everything kind of settle in smoother. The little mess ups I had seemed to disappear once I applied my generous topcoat. (Thank goodness)

makeup

EYESHADOW FOCUS: SURFACE AREA

POST + PHOTOS BY AMY NADINE, GRAPHIC DESIGN BY EUNICE CHUN

It’s funny, when I work on the majority of my clients, I extend a wash of color from all over the lid out to the end of the brow and up to include the crease. But when I do my own makeup, I only shade in the lid. Is it a preference thing or a case-by-case basis? Does it depend on the time of day or the outfit or mood? Yes to all! Still, I wanted to do a side-by-side experiment with the same eye and the same single shadow color to draw a personal conclusion and open it up to our TBD readers for your opinion. Please take a second to vote and share any comments below!


For inquiring minds, the eye shadow I used above is Buxom Stay There Eyeshadow in Pug!

 

hair

HAIR TALK: HEART SHAPED FACE

post: Kristin Ess graphic design: Eunice Chun

Did you know a true heart-shaped face has a widow’s peak? True story. The cheek area is slightly wider than the hairline and then drops into a pointed chin. There are no wide-set/squared off corners along the jawline. I think Kourtney Kardashian is a pretty great example of a heart-shaped face (and some super-cute hair dos!) If you have a normal or wide forehead with no widow’s peak which narrows down and goes into a pointed chin, it’s likely that you’re actually an “Inverted Triangle”, which is coming up in the next Hair Talk. Okay, here are the best tips and tricks for you heart shaped beauties…

  • PARTING WITH A WIDOW’S PEAK: You never really want to force a middle part when working with a widow’s peak. If it goes there, naturally then great. Otherwise, try going slighly (even just the tiniest bit) to one side or the other. When you split the hair right down the center with a widow’s peak, it tends to look thinner on each side. Better to thicken it up by going slightly off center. Look at Kourtney in the bottom center photo– it’s allllllmost center but she just pushes the widow’s peak piece over to one side. When you try to go straight down the center, one side typically behaves and the other refuses. Make mornings easier on yourself!
  • DEEP SIDE PART WITH CURLS: I love this looks on a heart shaped face for two reasons. One, it does away with any parting issues caused by a widow’s peak. Two, it opens up the face and features the gorgeous jawline of a heart shaped face. Tuck the less heavy side and let the heavy side fall in front of your shoulders if your hair is long enough.
  • HAIRCUTS: I would say the sky’s the limit for haircuts on a heart-shaped face. Almost anything looks great except heavy bangs or an jaw-length short bob. Short bangs can be really hard to control if you have a widow’s peak and if you have cowlicks on top of that, you definitely want to skip shorter bangs.
  • BRAID AWAY: There’s not much more to this one than the fact that I think this is a super-cute look heart-shaped face girls. It’s a sweet, soft, feminine look that opens up your face.
  • LOTSA LOOSE LAYERS: A piece-y blowout on hair with lots of layers is flattering on a heart-shaped face because it frames the face and makes the face appear a little more oval. Look at Kourtney in the bottom right hand photo, the slight off center parting creates a more oval shape and diffuses the appearance of a widow’s peak almost entirely.
  • UPDOS: Try a voluminous bun or pony. That will balance out the over-all silhouette of a heart-shaped face. Also, don’t go “too full” with your updos. When they’re wider than the hairline, they can actually make the chin look longer/more pointed.

If you have a tip or trick you want to share with other girls who have a heart-shaped face, please feel free to share it below! xo