How do MAC girls get that all over polished look?

[AdlersMommy22]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DirtyPlum Exfoliate your skin to remove any old skin cells and to smooth out your skin. Prime and use brushes to apply everything. Set your foundation with powder and blend it well so its part of your skin rather than sitting on top of it - if u know what im mean. Sometimes, its just hormonal. I just blame hormones if somethings not right! easy!!!

Maybe it's because I started applying it with my fingers- I dont know Whyyyyy I did.. I have the 187- I think just because it's faster maybe? Im going to apply it with a brush today and see if that helps...

I also need to get a powder to set it it looks like--- what do you suggest??

Thank you for the advice! I really appreciate it!

 

[Winterwhite]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdlersMommy22 So.... lately my foundation has been going splotchey- like, it's just fine for a few hours an then i look in the mirror and my blusher is all streaky and my foundation is blotchy.. like i stuck my head in a pillow and some of it came off and the rest didnt.. What gives?? I use HR foundation- and usually a creameblush.... so im wondering if it's just the blush or something? I dont use a primer- never have.. but ive never had this problem before either- just recently!

As I see you are a young mother, it could be that your skin changed due to this, as someone else hinted at, influenced by hormones. If that is the case, I would not rush to buy tons of new products instead, because it could be that this is just temporary, for some months probably. Maybe you could only change to more powdery products for the foundation and maybe also a powder blush (perhaps you have other things also in your make-up collection, so that you could experiment with them).
On the other hand, a second option is that currently you use too drying cleanser and too light skin care, or too powdery foundation, so that your skin would react with producing more oil to balance this out, and that makes everything vanish faster.
Maybe it just needs small adaptions, not a whole exchange of make-up or skin-care.

 

[anita22]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cetati Also question guys, this is kind of unrelated but I love the 187 but I seem to need to wash it every other day so it doesn't get gunky form my MUFE HD Foundation. Is this normal? It just gets hard to apply after two days..

Personally I clean any brushes I have used for wet products, right after I've finished using them, either by washing or with some isoproyl if I'm in a big rush. Otherwise the product will dry on the bristles and get gunky as you mentioned (also, bacteria love the dampness, dust can adhere, etc). With the 187 in particular I will always give it a good wash with water and gentle shampoo every time I've used it for foundation.

 

[nunu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeautyPsycho I have a question- if anyone would describe/ do a tutorial for different kinds of blush applications I would be grateful forever Especially for brighter blushes like say "Merrily" or "Love thing".

Bumping this thread as i want the advice to continue! I also would love it if someone answers the above question!

TIA

 

[stacylynne]

This is what I do:
-Apply Foundation
- prime my eyes with painterly
- apply powder to set my foundation & apply a lot of powder under my eyes for fall out
- do my eye makeup
- sweep away the powder under my eye area & apply concealer under my eye area if needed
after i'm all done, I apply fix + or charged water to my brush or face (I love fix + I think it gives you that airbrush finish look)
- I use brushes for my face. Sometimes I'll use my finger for my own concealer
It's what works for you, it's all trial & error, practice & u'll be perfect

 

[user79]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cetati Also question guys, this is kind of unrelated but I love the 187 but I seem to need to wash it every other day so it doesn't get gunky form my MUFE HD Foundation. Is this normal? It just gets hard to apply after two days..

I wash my foundation brush after every use, the thought of applying gunky left over foundation from the previous day makes me wanna hurl. Brush cleanser doesn't work that well on big face brushes, I use it more for my eye brushes...

 

[jetgirl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MissChievous Brush cleanser doesn't work that well on big face brushes, I use it more for my eye brushes...

You mean a spray on brush cleaner doesn't work well with face brushes? So you wash those in baby soap every time?

 

[cetati]

So, lately I've been more successful to getting that nice all over polished look.. and I found that it really gives you dimension to apply blush properly, don't skip blush! Also, using an MSF (or my preferred alternative, a Bobbi Brown shimmer brick in the color of your choice) as highlight really brings a look together and gives you that lovely put-together glow.

 

[nunu]

 

[Miss Lore]

Oooh i love this topic!

I have a question, I love the polished look too. I get really oily skin, so i started using monistat gel as a primer but i got really bad dry skin and scabs on my forehead after a few days so ive stopped using it.

Are all primers drying?

is there something else i can do to help my face stay polished? Powders give me an off look, I like my face to stay dewy. any recs?

xxxx

 

[ginger9]

I love this thread I'm learning sooo much, especially Lara's suggestions on a polished eyes and face

I just want to add from my experience I prefer a more muted/softer, less pigmented if you will, blush over a heavily pigmented one. Reason being I am not super skilled. A less pigmented blush is more forgiving and allows me room to really blend it to perfection. I am getting better at applying bright/heavily pigmented blush but occasionally I deposit too much on first contact and it's becomes unsalvageable from there!

Also I think curling your lashes is essential. Especially if you have straight lashes. Really opens up the eye.

Here's my question. Can anyone give some good tips on how to look polished with highlighter on my face? I am just getting into it and can't get it to look just right

. Thx so much

 

[Ruby_Woo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miss Lore Oooh i love this topic! I have a question, I love the polished look too. I get really oily skin, so i started using monistat gel as a primer but i got really bad dry skin and scabs on my forehead after a few days so ive stopped using it. Are all primers drying? is there something else i can do to help my face stay polished? Powders give me an off look, I like my face to stay dewy. any recs? xxxx

The Monistat chaffing gel is not an actual primer. It has very similiar ingredients, and it works for some, but its not an actual primer so it can't be said that all primers are drying.

Try prep and prime skin after your moisturizer, or if you're on a budget I think its L'oreal who has a skin primer as well.

Make sure to moisturize every day because this can cause your skin to dry. And if you get oily, you still need to moisturize just make sure its oil free.

 

[lara]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ginger9 Here's my question. Can anyone give some good tips on how to look polished with highlighter on my face? I am just getting into it and can't get it to look just right . Thx so much

What exactly isn't looking right for you? is it placement or effect?

If it's placement, there's a really easy trick to working out highlight/contour placement. Imagine there's a bright light directly centered above your head, illuminating parts of your face but leaving others in shadow.
Where the bright light hits your skin, those are your areas that can be highlighted - along the brow, along the top of the forehead, across the cheekbones, bridge of the nose, top of the cheek, tip of your chin.
Where there's shadow, these are the places than can be contoured - hollow of the temple, hollow of the cheekbone, under the jawline.

This is a rule of thumb guideline though, it's very flexible in regards to what can be effectively highlighted and contoured on individual faces.

If it's application you're having difficultly with though, there's a million different tips and tricks to get it work for you.

When I highlight in a 'work' face a go a lot denser than I'd wear in real life, but I apply several sheer washes of highlighter to achieve a more luminous glow than a thick, solid sheen.

So let's say I want to highlight my cheekbones, I'd grab a clean blush brush and pick up my highlighter, tapping off any excess powder. I'd gently sweep it along the top of the cheekbone going from the hairline down to just over the top of the cheek. Then either grab another clean brush (or wipe any remaining highlighter off the first brush on a handtowel/tissue/whatever) and gently polish the highlighter in small circular motions, blending off any hard edges and working the highlighter into your skin.
Repeat again with the next wash of product, starting in the same area but tapering off with less and less distance each time. The second wash might finish just underneath the outside corner of your eye, the third equal to where your brow finishes, etc etc etc.

Playing around with that application might give you some more confidence with placement and technique. Give it a go.

 

[andrrea]

Practice!!!

 

[L1LMAMAJ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lara What exactly isn't looking right for you? is it placement or effect? If it's placement, there's a really easy trick to working out highlight/contour placement. Imagine there's a bright light directly centered above your head, illuminating parts of your face but leaving others in shadow. Where the bright light hits your skin, those are your areas that can be highlighted - along the brow, along the top of the forehead, across the cheekbones, bridge of the nose, top of the cheek, tip of your chin. Where there's shadow, these are the places than can be contoured - hollow of the temple, hollow of the cheekbone, under the jawline. This is a rule of thumb guideline though, it's very flexible in regards to what can be effectively highlighted and contoured on individual faces. If it's application you're having difficultly with though, there's a million different tips and tricks to get it work for you. When I highlight in a 'work' face a go a lot denser than I'd wear in real life, but I apply several sheer washes of highlighter to achieve a more luminous glow than a thick, solid sheen. So let's say I want to highlight my cheekbones, I'd grab a clean blush brush and pick up my highlighter, tapping off any excess powder. I'd gently sweep it along the top of the cheekbone going from the hairline down to just over the top of the cheek. Then either grab another clean brush (or wipe any remaining highlighter off the first brush on a handtowel/tissue/whatever) and gently polish the highlighter in small circular motions, blending off any hard edges and working the highlighter into your skin. Repeat again with the next wash of product, starting in the same area but tapering off with less and less distance each time. The second wash might finish just underneath the outside corner of your eye, the third equal to where your brow finishes, etc etc etc. Playing around with that application might give you some more confidence with placement and technique. Give it a go.

Would a matte highlighter work better or a slightly shimmery one?

 

[alka1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by L1LMAMAJ Would a matte highlighter work better or a slightly shimmery one?

I was about to write up a post about this, so i'm glad you asked.

I think both highlighters serve different purposes. For example, most professional makeup artists use darker/lighter shade foundations to contour and highlight. This usually creates a more natural effect because there are no glitter particles in typical foundations.

I've heard of some people highlighting their forehead and nose, but there is no way I would do that with a shimmery highlighter. A highlighter with low or no shimmer would work perfectly to accentuate features that usually don't give off a glow like your cheeks would.

To highlight my nose (and sometimes my forehead) I use the highlighting shade of Sculpt/Shape Duo in Accentuate-Sculpt. It isn't completely matte, but it does have very minimal shimmer. I've heard that NARS Nico is also an excellent highlighter with no apparent shimmer (I believe it's a matte finish).

 

[thespry]

Quote:

Originally Posted by xocrlox i think i should use a paint or prep and prime for the eye...that is what i am really lacking. I use brushes for everything...but do u guys ever use sponges like maybe under eyes to wipe away the fallout? i like the idea of teh loose powder under the eye then wipe it away too

I use a large fluffy brush (like the 134) to wipe away fall-out... I find that using a sponge just presses the colour into your skin, and you get raccoon eyes!

 

[Ode to Joy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cetati Question, guys. I've been stippling on my foundation with the 187 and buffing with the same brush, which is what a MAC counter MA told me to do, but I'm not sure exactly where to hold the handle for the best buffing/stippling motions. Any advice?

YouTube - Do you Stipple, then Swirl?

 

[billy_cakes]

my problem is that my face tends to look cakey no matter what brush i use for powder and YET still slides off after a few hours.

My routine is:
P+P
Studio Fix Fluid with 187
Studi0 Fix Powder with a small kabuki (should i be using another brush, i just like the coverage that comes with the kabuki)

then i do eyes, cheeks etc

I know some of you recomend Fix + but that seems to me to make it slide of quicker :S
Also sometimes I use MSF Natural and sometimes Studio Fix. What do you think is better?

 

[NeonKitty]

Ok so my question is this:

I have always put eyeshadow on after foundation, now if I put the foundation on after, how do I prevent harsh lines around the eyes? Because you can't exactly blend it into the shadow or liner, ya know? I'm genuinely curious because I can pretty much guarantee that this will happen to me the first time I do shadow first. FTR I'm very much a makeup novice, I'm learning so much here.

Thanks in advance!