Posts Tagged ‘kajal’

TBD LINER TRICK: INSTANT INTENSITY

No Comments

photos + post by amy nadine, graphic design by eunice chun

This is one of the oldest tricks in the book and how makeup artists made gel liners back in Old Hollywood. It really fills in the holes in between your lashes and gives you an intense smudge like a kajal liner or grease paint. It’s super simple and easy, but if you’re a minor please get adult supervision.

TOOLS

  • A kohl eye liner pencil from your local drug store. Our favorites {that you probably already have in your makeup drawer} that work especially well using this technique are this Maybelline one and this one from Covergirl.
  • An open flame {a lighter is nice because it’s portable, but you can also use a candle or a gas stove top}.

STEPS

  1. To slightly liquefy it, hold the tip of the pencil in the flame for one quick second. Don’t even say one Mississippi!
  2. Wait 15 seconds for the pencil to cool down. It gets really hot so you have to let it cool down then always test it out on the back of your hand before you go anywhere near your eye!!
  3. Roll it a little on the back of your hand to mold and keep the tip pointed while it’s becoming a solid again.
  4. Sweep the liner along your upper + lower lashlines as well as your inner waterline if you want to make your eyes even more piercing.

INNER LINER LONGEVITY

No Comments

photos + post by amy nadine, graphic design by eunice chun

How oh how can we keep the inner waterliner from fading fast? It’s a tough one, because our eyes are meant to stay wet, so the pencil that we’ve traced along our inner rims is constantly rubbing against our wet eyes every time we blink. Sigh… but I can share this little trick that does seem to make it last a couple hours longer. I’m not saying it’s the healthiest thing to do, so no need to make that comment below! I’m just saying when I’ve sent a client down the red carpet, I’ve used this trick to make it last throughout a long awards show. So how about we do it on important nights, not every day?! Here’s how:

  1. Rim your waterline with a black kohl or kajal liner. This one is our favorite because it’s waterproof yet creamy. Blink your lids together to get the product on the upper waterline. For those of you who are very comfortable with lining your eyes, look down and lift your upper lid to rim the upper waterline as well.
  2. Dip a stiff angled eyeliner brush into a matte black eye shadow. Tap it a few times against a counter to get rid of the excess product, then “stamp” it along the waterline, directly on top of the original kohl liner. Really work it into the line that’s in between the waterline and the lash line, so no skin peeks through.

 

BEAUTICIAN MAGICIAN: A VOLUMINOUS LIP ILLUSION

No Comments

photos + post by amy nadine, design by eunice chun

We get a lot of emails asking how to make thin lips look fuller. So today I’m happily sharing one of my biggest secrets as a makeup artist! This ten-second trick instantly but subtly makes any-sized lips appear fuller using a concept from Basic Art 101: you add dimension by playing with shadows + light. If you want to bring a feature forward, you make it lighter, and if you want to push something back, you shade it darker. So to make the lips appear more voluminous, simply outline the top lip + the philtrum (the two midline grooves that run from the top of the lip to the nose) to highlight it. It’s a lot safer and less expensive than fillers and looks more natural.

If you have fair to medium skin, use NARS Larger Than Life Liner in Rue Bonaparte like I used on my assistant Carissa above. If you have tan to dark skin, use Stila Kajal Liner in Topaz.

  1. Start by tracing the two lines of your philtrum from your nose to your upper lip. Then trace the cupid’s bow (the area between the lines) and from each point to the outer corners. Only line the upper lip (leaving the lower lip natural).
  2. Lightly blend the line with your finger to make it undetectable but enough to still do its job.
  3. Finish by filling in your entire lips with a color/finish of your choice. We used Bite Beauty High Pigment Pencil in Rhubarb but you can use a liner + lipstick, just lipstick, just gloss or a tinted lip balm… whatever you are in the mood for that day!

MUSIC FESTIVAL SPOTLIGHT: EVERLASTING EYES

No Comments

photos: 1. alexei hay 2. thomas nutzl 3. mary rozzi 4. mario testino /post + design: amy nadine

Last week we determined a coral pout is a must when getting your festival on. This week we’re focusing on eyes and the underlying theme is LONGWEAR. Makeup has come a long way in the last few years and new formulas last for hours under the harshest partying conditions. Amen! Your look should look effortless and undone, so pass on powder shadow and go for one of these perfect festival looks:

1. Classic liquid liner (wing optional). Simple + classic choice. Our favorite is
Mark Get in Line Waterproof Liquid Liner in Painted Black because it won’t move
until you take it off. To perfect the shape, watch our lovely Lauren Conrad demonstrate exactly how in our Get Catty video tutorial.

2. Cream longwear shadow all over the lids and lashlines for instant drama. Our favorite is Laura Mercier Caviar Stick in Steel.

3. Longwear liner on top + bottom lashlines. Effortless and chic option that says you’re there for the bands but your eyes are defined. Our favorite is MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Eyes in Star Black. I had the privilege of doing Roxane Mesquida’s makeup in this shot for the Jerome C. Rousseau S/S 12 campaign out in Joshua Tree and remember thinking that day it would be the perfect makeup for Coachella!

4. Inner rimmed eyes. Yes rimming your inner water line makes them appear a little smaller, but what you give up in size you gain in piercing power and mystery. While kohl and kajal formulas are standard, switch to a longwear liner so it lasts. Our favorite is
NARS Larger Than Life Longwear Liner in Via Veneto.

Which is your favorite?