Before, and After....but what about during?

I have a lot of people tell me: 'I can't do a smokey eye on myself.' I can understand this thought. I have had that moment of dread- This is going to look awful. I have learned in my years of doing lots of makeup. You can call it a mantra, I suppose.

Keep on going and keep it simple.

A smokey eye is not a lot of work, and it's not made with many colors. It's just dark. And when you place the black eyeshadow on your eye for the first time, it's scary. And it's scarier when half of the powder ends up on your cheek bone. Again keep moving. Work with small portions of product and blend and soften. Work from the lash line up and know when to stop...just above your crease. Too much more and you will have a black eye- literally. When you are done, clean up under the eye with makeup remover and continue with foundation and the rest of the face. Do not judge your overall look until your whole face is done. If you 1. Didn't go too high, and 2. blended, you will most likely look at yourself at the end and say- Wow! I'm hot!


Example: note how stark that eyeshadow is. It's not blended and looks overdone and out of place. Then look at the finished product- balanced and beautiful.

Sometimes it's best to step back from the mirror, take a deep breath and keep on going. Give it a shot!