sunday, november 29, 2009
In a Rut? Break Out of Your Old Makeup Routine!
Ready to try some new techniques? Break your old habits and embrace new makeup tips. You'll thank me! ~Lisa Johnson, makeup artist www.lisajohnsonmua.com
*** Contact me today to book your one-on-one makeup beauty recovery session. You'll learn new techniques, get a new look or two and we'll go through your makeup bag and routine. Call me today to set your appointment!
Fallen into a makeup RUT? You know you want a new look, but you return to the same old routine. Switching your routine up and emphasizing your best features in new ways can be amazing for not only your appearance, but your outlook as well. Try it!
Let’s start by tossing these old makeup tricks…
- Covering up freckles—Freckles are beautiful! Let them show. A lot of models and actresses I work on have freckles and love them. They keep you looking young and fresh.
- The matte look—Using too much powder to matte down your face is SO dated. To control shine, use oil-control lotion, blotting papers, or sheer blotting powders. Or just powder the T-zone area. Look clean, not cakey. BLOT before powder.
- Over-lining the lips—Lip liner abuse is the biggest sin I see. Never use liner to draw on big lips unless you’re in a stage show. And don't use liners darker than your lipstick or gloss shade. The darker your lipstick - the OLDER you will look!
- Concealer gone wrong—Don't apply concealer before the foundation; you’ll just wipe it off when you apply foundation. And don't use a shade much lighter than your foundation; that highlights rather than conceals.
- Finding your foundation shade—Never use the back of the wrist to test foundation shades. Always use the jaw/neck/chest area. We see your face, neck and chest area first...not so much the back of your wrist...so, consider trying the jaw line area to see how your foundation matches these areas best.
- Heavy eyeliner—Using heavy liner is only okay if you're trying to create a look for the evening (cat eye, major smokey look, etc), otherwise it is better to gently smudge liner only into the lash line for a more natural effect. My favorite trick is to buy an artists angled brush (small for the eye area) and use this with your eyeshadows to line the eyes and smudge out - this is a soft and modern look that is uber flattering. Rimming your entire eye with black is very harsh and doesn't do a thing for you in everyday light.
- Matching eye shadow to eye color—Get greater impact by choosing colors opposite your eye color. The contrast brings out your eyes. Using the same shade as your eye color will only make you look like you're wearing too much eye shadow.
- Bland blush—Using dull blush colors makes you look muddy. Instead choose bright shades and apply them on the cheekbones with a big blush brush for a flushed effect. You can always mute the blush if you think it's too much with a little loose powder to blend out.
- Contouring—Again, unless you are in the theatre, use highlights instead. Contouring is almost always noticeable and it is time we embrace the different shapes and lines of our faces and focus on using makeup to enhance, not recreate. Leave this to the professionals!
- Plucking gone wrong—We used to think that a thin arch was best, and the butchering began. Put the tweezers down. Modern brows are groomed, natural and soft. REMEMBER: The THINNER THE BROW - the OLDER you look!
NOW try these great NEW pro tips for a new twist ~
- Colored Mascara - Nothing brightens your look like electric blue or vibrant plum lashes. Most mascara formulations come in black and brown, but you can often find fun colors like purple, blue, gold, green or even red. If you’re not up for coating your lash line in a full layer of flashy makeup pigment, try applying it to only the tips of the eyelashes. This will widen the appearance of your eyes and give your look a touch of intrigue.
- Cheek Tint - I used to be perfectly terrified of cheek tints. I was sure that I would end up looking like a clown with bright red circles on both cheeks. Thankfully, I had a persistent friend who ensured me that I would love using a cheek tint makeup product - I just had to try! If you find that your look is too powdery or drab, try applying a cheek tint instead of a powder blush. The tint will add an extra layer of radiance while creating a truly natural-looking finish.
- Highlighters and Illuminators - Highlighters and illuminators are an easy way to refresh your look while adding a dose of simple sass. Used pretty much anywhere skin is visible, highlighters and illuminators create a sexy yet subtle glow that helps the skin appear youthful and healthy while disguising imperfections by blurring their appearance. They’re especially useful for skin exhibiting hyperpigmentation or acne blemishes. Use a colored or translucent formula on the cheeks, eyes, facial contours, décolleté, shoulders, legs, or anywhere else a “lit from within” glow is desired!
- Bronzer - Like cheek tints, I’ve always been a bit hesitant about using a bronzer, mostly because I’m Nicole Kidman-pale. However, after I learned how to properly apply a bronzer shade, I was hooked! Now I don’t leave the house without it. Used to contour, define or just to add an extra burst of color, bronzers are perfect for warming up any look.
- New Lip Color - One of the easiest ways to change up your daily look is to choose a new lip gloss or lipstick shade. Even if the rest of your beauty routine stays the same, changing your lip shade from pink to red, or using a tint-free lip plumper, can add that little bit of something that will have your friends and co-workers wondering what’s different.
Enjoy your beauty everyday! Lj
[1 Comments] [Read & Post Comments]
monday, august 31, 2009
Beautiful Skin = Simple & Consistent Skin Care
| |
The title of this article says it all! I wrote this for my bridal clients, but it applies to everyone at every age.
The summer and winter months especially can be brutal on your beauty efforts, so if you don’t already have one, a good skin care regimen is ideal to establish so you can get your skin exceptional results. The keys here are consistency and the right products.
THE RITUAL
~A good cleanser appropriate for your skin-type - am & pm.
~Make-up remover and cleanser at night.
~Toner for your skin type - NON ALCOHOL ONLY.
~Daily moisturizer appropriate for your current skin.
~A weekly or 2x weekly mask to deep clean and nurture.
~A GENTLE exfoliant once to several times a week.
~Eye cream and lip conditioner are nice to have on hand too.
If you are not already acquainted with a skincare routine - Try to start your skincare plan at least six months to one year before your wedding day to ensure your skin is properly cared for and looking its best. You don’t want to wait until the month of your wedding to start using new products because you could develop an allergic reaction to some products which could take up to two months to clear. Or the opposite can occur and it could take 30-60 days for new products to really work their magic.
On the morning of your wedding, skip the lotions, toners or any products that will be between your skin and your makeup before you get your makeup done. Let your makeup artist do their complete skin prep - this is optimal for a few reasons...mainly, they know their products and what skin products to use in coordination. This step will help your makeup adhere to your skin better with less chance of slippage when you start to get hot and sweat, because there is a fine line between a sweaty shine and a dewy glow. Be sure to let your makeup artist know about your skin concerns so that they may use additional products if necessary to help achieve the best application.
Throughout the day and evening, avoid the temptation to apply too much pressed or loose powder to absorb shine because you will only cake on the powder, so use blotting sheets (oil absorbing papers) which are the best way to eliminate shine and not smudge your makeup.
Sometimes even adding the simplest efforts to your routine can help your skin look more luminous; like drinking eight glasses of water daily, cutting back on caffeine and alcohol consumption, keeping a gentle and appropriate skincare routine (!), not stressing out about the little details before your wedding and getting plenty of rest the week of will help your skin glow and allow your makeup artist to make you into the beautiful blushing bride.
Lisa Johnson is a film/print makeup artist working in Nashville, and nationally. She is much sought after by discerning commercial and bridal clients. Beautiful faces are her calling card.
View her bridal work at www.bridesbylisa.com
|
[2 Comments] [Read & Post Comments]
tuesday, august 04, 2009
How to apply your own false eyelashes!
How to Apply False Eyelashes!
LisaJohnson :: Makeup Artist
www.lisajohnsonmua.com
www.bridesbylisa.blogspot.com
Eyelashes can make eyes look bigger, fuller and more inviting, but not all of us are blessed with sky-high lashes. Thankfully, modern civilization invented false eyelashes, which come in various styles, colors, and sizes. If you learn how to put them on correctly, no one will ever guess that they're not yours. Lashes are fun and very individual - once you get the hang of putting them on - you'll wonder what took you so long! There are fine and thin lashes, medium lashes, demi lashes, fuller theatrical lashes and lashes in fashion colors and styles - feathers, rhinestones, etc.
Steps ~ have ready:
-lashes pulled off the holder or individuals ready
-tweezers
-glue tube opened
-q-tip with eyeshadow remover
-small scissors for trimming
-mirror
-a steady hand
-eyeshadow and/or liner
-mascara (the thinner the brush, the more detailed - the fuller the brush, bring on the drama)
1. Brow and Eyeshadow goes on first usually - to keep shadow drop off at a minimum - I always apply either a shadow liner with an angled brush, pencil or liquid liner first before applying lashes. This gives you an easier base to find and adhere the lash to.
2. Apply one coat of mascara to the upper lash line - to give the lashes something to adhere to and to make blending easy.
3. Trim the lashes - If the lash is wider than your eye, trim one side of it lash by lash - i always choose to trim from the end of the eye, inwards.
Just hold it up to your eye and measure with your finger. Make sure they're the right type for your particular need. The more natural - they compliment; the fuller, they can be very dramatic and not for the faint of heart. You can experiment with several styles.
4. Squeeze a small drop of eyelash glue onto the back of your hand and count to 30 - to get the glue a bit tacky - then run the eyelash along it - count to 15 to let it get tacky on the lash line. Some people blow onto the glue to get it tackier, but I don't recommed it - for sanitary reasons....
 5. Look down into a mirror on a table or however you can - and pick up the lash with a tweezer or use your fingers if you're able - lay it right on the lash line as you can - tap the sides down lightly then press lightly from end to end to adhere the falsie to the real lash line. the glue will dry darker over several minutes - open your eye after about 30 seconds to make sure they're not glued together...:) but, don't open so far that your lash moves around. LET IT DRY for a minute before opening to start on the other lash...
 6. Apply a thin coat of mascara while pressing your finger behind the fake lashes. This will bond the false lashes with yours.
7. If you must, fill any gaps between the false lashes and your natural lash line with eyeliner... very carefully. Always keep a clean line and follow up with any messes with a q-tip and a bit of shadow remover, just to keep things clean. Look straight in a mirror and double check your work. Have fun!
[1 Comments] [Read & Post Comments]
wednesday, february 18, 2009
Skin Hydration
The best way to provide for complexion care is to focus on skin care through hydration. Hydration simply means to keep the body supplied with adequate water and moisture so it functions at its optimal level and gives you healthy, glowing skin.
Importance of Hydration:
Hydration or water in the body is very important as it makes for a healthy functioning of the system and youthful looking skin that can belie your age, if you take good care to follow the thumb rules. Drinking water helps to flush out the toxins in the body and eliminate the pollutants that are present in the bloodstream and make up for dehydration suffered by the body when exposed to sunlight, faced with perspiration and harsh winds.
Prevents skin aging:
Even with all the wide variety of skin care products available today, containing the best of natural goodness; the reason why there are more complaints about premature aging is due to the lack of moisture in the skin. Most products have additives and chemical that are abrasive and strip skin of good oils, which are difficult to replace.
Following hydration therapy encourages people to intake at least 8-10 glasses of water daily along with following a healthy, balanced diet that is rich in vitamins, minerals such as fresh fruit and green, leafy vegetables, most of which contain water. Restrict use of soaps, creams and gels as they do not contain the main ingredient that the skin needs and replace them with more water to contribute to hydration therapy for healthy, happy skin.
Soothing Skincare Through Hydration
The only way to truly moisturize your skin is to get water into it. However, as simple as the advice is, the only problem is that the skin by itself is virtually waterproof and water cannot penetrate its resilient surface. Therefore, the next best thing is to provide it with necessary water through oral intake and prep it up with external elements that have essential oils rich in nourishing elements like almond oil, coco and shea butter, among others.
The reason why a baby’s skin is smooth and flawless is due to the high water content in the body, which gets depleted over time due to normal aging, exposure to the elements and sunlight, poor diet, stress among a host of other factors. Due to this wrinkles appear, normal skin function is reduced and many other problems arise like oily or dry, scaly skin.
- Hydration is necessary to help raise the skin’s natural barriers and to moisturize and nourish the skin. The use of gentle cleansers can prevent stripping the natural essential skin oils and combat winter dryness.
- To add moisture in your home, place cups of water throughout the house when running your heater so that the room-heating element that dries the air of moisture and robs the skin and nasal membranes of the moisture they need, can be replenished.
- For optimal skin hydration in dry months, use a humidifier for your room sq. footage. Make sure to clean thoroughly weekly to avoid mold.
[2 Comments] [Read & Post Comments]
monday, september 15, 2008
Under Eye Circles
|
|
Dark bags and circles under your eyes make you look shattered even when you're not. Here's how to combat these dark shadows that make your pretty eyes look sad and depress you every morning...
What causes under eye circles?
An under-eye circle is a hollow, bluish or grey coloured marking caused by poor blood and lymphatic circulation around the eyes. The epidermis around the eye is effectively 4 times thinner than the skin on the rest of the face, which means the bluish colours of the blood vessels appear more noticeable. In addition to these circles, bags can appear, which are stored-up water and fat.
Being a particularly sensitive area, the skin around the eyes is easily affected by pollution, tobacco, alcohol and lack of sleep.
How to combat under-eye circles and darkness
- Lifestyle
If you don't normally get them but they appear after a late night or too much alcohol the night before, a good night’s sleep will make them disappear.
- Age-old treatments
You can decongest the area under your eyes by making camomile or cornflower herbal infusions to calm and soothe the area, and applying them as compresses. You can also drain them and strengthen the area with Vitamins A and C, which reduce water retention, refresh the eyes and tone the epidermis.
- Operation camouflage
1) Choosing the right product:
Under-eye circle cover is an essential beauty buy. The newest ones on the market both camouflage and moisturise skin, improving the microcirculation. Choose a shade that’s lighter than your natural skin tone. Tip: if the product is too dark, you could end up emphasising circles and making them stand out even more. Likewise, if the product is too light, it won’t camouflage your circles.
2) Applying the product correctly:
It should be applied very lightly after your foundation, dabbed on gently using your fingertip, going from the inner corner of your eye towards the outer corner until absorbed.
Tip: apply a little loose powder over the top to make it last longer!
- Eye masks
These reduce tiredness and leave you feeling relaxed. Chill your mask then place it over closed eyes. When you take it off, the under-eye area will feel smoother and refreshed.
- Cosmetic surgery
There are many surgery techniques that treat the delicate under-eye area. Collagen injections treat wrinkles; incision and reduction of the skin reduces the size of bags; and chemical peels can rejuvenate your eyes. However, none of these methods specifically treat under-eye circles.
|
|
 |
[3 Comments] [Read & Post Comments]
thursday, april 10, 2008
Eyebrow Shaping 101
You Can Have Great Brows!
As a professional makeup artist, I get a lot of questions about brow shaping. Nothing ages a face more than thin, overly tweezed brows - here are some general guidelines and tips to help you get a more perfect brow. ~ lisa johnson :: makeup artist
Determine the Correct Shape
Start the eyebrow shaping process by determining the correct design for your face and features. You will need an eyeliner pencil to start. First hold the pencil against the side of your nose, vertically, straight up to where it meets the brow. This is the spot where your eyebrow should start. As a guideline, make a small mark with the pencil there on your skin.
Next you will turn the pencil at an angle, holding it against the nostril, so that it crosses over the center of your eye. Notice where the pencil now intersects the eyebrow, this is where the peak of your arch should start. Make another mark on your skin as a guide here.
Lastly, keep moving the pencil at an angle against your nostril until it meets the edge of the outer eye. Where the end of the pencil now meets the eyebrow is your eyebrow’s ending point. Make another mark on your skin here.
Using these three marks on both eyes provides you a general guideline on how the shape of your eyebrow should be based on the shape of your face.
The other consideration for the correct eyebrow shape is the thickness. Ideally, the impact of your eyebrows should balance with the rest of your face and hair. If you have thick hair with larger facial features, your eyebrows should be thicker and more dramatic. In contrast, if you have thin hair and petite features, your eyebrows should be more subtle.
Tweezing
Before you begin your eyebrow shaping, gather all your tools – tweezers, brow brush and small scissors. Preferably, you should begin by checking to see if your eyebrows need a trim. Eyebrow hairs are longer than most people realize, and simply trimming them can be enough for some faces. When the hairs are lightly cut, not only will it decrease the brow density, it also helps the hairs to lie flat - instantly creating a clean line to your brow.
Always trim before tweezing, not after, as you might end up removing some hairs that just needed to be trimmed. Start by brushing the eyebrow hairs straight up with your brow brush, and then trim any stray hairs that extend past the upper brow line. Next, brush all the hairs straight down and trim the hairs extending past the brow line underneath. After you have done your trimming, brush all the hairs back into place.
Tweezing can be a painful process for some, so to ease the discomfort, you should pluck after a steamy shower or a warm face washing. This will help the pores to open and enable the hairs to remove easier. If you are particularly sensitive, slightly numbing the area with ice before tweezing will also help.
Always make sure that you have good lighting when eyebrow shaping. Using the previous method for ensuring the proper shape, follow the marks and tweeze the hairs in the direction they grow. Move back and forth between the brows after every couple of plucks, to ensure proper symmetry.
Filling in the Brow Line
For those of you with sparse eyebrows, tweezing is not necessary. Instead, you will need to build your eyebrows back to a proper shape. Selecting an appropriate pencil color is crucial, so test a few at the makeup counter to be sure the color is right. One of my favorite brands of pencil is Lancome Le Crayon Poudre. Many artists prefer to use an angled brush with brow/eyeshadow powder, myself included. You can also find eyebrow stencils and kits to help guide you with the correct line. These come in many shapes and sizes - Eyebrowz makes great stencils and kits for this purpose.
Specific Tips
- For pale or thin eyebrows, try tinting as it looks more natural than an eyebrow pencil. Just be sure to use a professional, licensed cosmetologist, and never try tinting at home. You don’t want to risk your eyesight, just for beauty!
- Embrace the natural shape of your eyebrows and don’t try to change them completely. You are born with the correct eyebrow shape for your face, so let it guide you.
- Preview the look of your eyebrows before shaping by hiding the hairs with a white eyeliner pencil.
- Avoid overdoing eyebrow shaping, as less is truly better. Thin eyebrows tend to make your face look instantly older.
- Tweezing is usually more effective than waxing as the wax process can lead to a change in the hair direction and skin texture if overused.
- Ultimately the point of eyebrow shaping is to adjust the viewer’s focus away from your eyebrows, to your eyes instead.
- While it is not preferred to completely change your eyebrow structure, you can make minor changes to what nature recommended in order to alter some eye appearances. For example, remove a few extra hairs from your eyebrows at the starting point to make close-set eyes appear wider.
Hire a Professional
If you are still nervous about eyebrow shaping, consider a professional brow session. The technique is not usually an expensive procedure, depending on the thickness and amount of hair to groom. At the very least, you can pay for one session and then simply pluck the stray hairs at home for maintenance.
lisa johnson :: makeup artist www.lisajohnsonmua.com
[8 Comments] [Read & Post Comments]
|
|
