How To Avoid A Makeup Meltdown!

If you're considering using a makeup artist for a special event in your life, whether you're wanting professional makeup for a wedding, ball, reunion, special date, corporate event or job interview, here are some tips to how to avoid "makeup meltdown"!

Makeup Meltdown: That HORRIBLE realisation you booked the *wrong person* to do your makeup...when it's too late and you're stuck with bad or dated, old school makeup or a look that is so-not-you.

Three must-do's to avoid a makeup meltdown:

1. When researching a makeup artist to book for your big event, check if they have an online makeup portfolio or pictures of their work on their website.


Look at the pictures and ask: Does the makeup look evenly applied? Does it suit each woman? Is it the makeup that's dominant, or has the natural beauty of the model been enhanced and highlighted? Does the colour of the face seamlessly match the neck or is it a ghostly couple of shades lighter? Do they show variety, ie. can they can do more than one 'cookie-cutter' makeup look...or is every face the same?




2. Book a makeup consultation & trial-run before the day.

If you're makeup artist's a goodie, you'll get a great look without a formal consultation & trial before the day. However, a trial will ensure you're both on the same page when it comes to the makeup look you want. On the day itself, time can be pressured and there's often no time for tweaking the makeup and making changes if it's not exactly how you want it. With a trial beforehand there'll be no 'surprises' on the day and application of the makeup will actually take less time (when it matters most)!


There are two timing options for when to have the makeup trial.

Option 1: Have your trial way ahead of the event, before you pay a deposit, so you can see whether you'll like the makeup artist get the makeup you desire. If you like the makeup artist's work and book them, then you'll have peace of mind that the makeup is 'sorted' and you can tick it off your list of things to do. Otherwise, the hunt for a good makeup artist is still on!

Option 2: Have your trial closer to your big event, perhaps just a couple of weeks out so your makeup artist can see what you look like (hair colour, skin condition) closer to the day. Your skin changes more than you realise and your skin's condition and type can dictate the makeup used. Let the artist know if you're planning to dramatically colour your hair for the event. Having the trial closer to the day is probably more important if you have problem skin or your skin is undergoing massive change, like recovering from surgery, scars healing etc. In this case, what the makeup artist sees is more like how you'll look on the day, but you'll have less time to find a different makeup artist if you need to and you may have already paid a non-refundable deposit to secure your date.

If you've heard great thing from friends about this makeup artist and liked what you saw in their makeup portfolio - go ahead and book them by paying a deposit (or whatever's required) before your trial - your date may not be available if you leave it any longer! But do still have a trial for all the awesome benefits mentioned above.

3. Finally, hold your makeup artist to the look you both agreed on at your trial!

You might think a great makeup artist should be able to apply your chosen look from memory on your wedding day, but a busy makeup artist can have up to 30 wedding bookings a season. Each bride will have different needs and require a slightly different (or dramatically different!) makeup design. If, on the day, your makeup artist doesn't refer to notes of some kind or a makeup design sketch, chances are you'll end up with makeup that's not what you agreed on OR is the same as everyone else's - which is awful if you agreed on something quite special or specific.


At the makeup trial, take note whether your makeup artist takes notes! If so, you're headed for bridal brilliance on your big day.

All the best for the rest of your planning!

-Lillybeth Melmoth
www.abeautifuleducation.co.nz

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(This is badly applied bridal makeup. If you were to zoom in, you'd see the lipline is crooked, the liner is a different colour to the lipstick and it generally lacks that polished, complete look all professional makeup should have. Unfortunately this photo is of an American bride on her wedding day last year. Family suspect the makeup artist was on drugs while she was working. :-( It's not all bad. This woman is naturally pretty and I bet if she were smiling in this picture she'd look a lot better. I hate to use a real person as a warning, but it reminded me that bad makeup artists do exist - who either lack the skills or the professionalism to do a bride proud on her big day.)

Bridal Makeup That's Far From 'Blah'

Thinking you want a natural makeup look for your wedding day?

So many women, in the quest for 'natural' wedding day makeup get their photos back only to be disappointed. Why? Because in the end, their natural-look makeup was nothing special - it lacked the impact in the photos they'd expected. Natural makeup is nice, but this is your wedding day! Yes, of course you want your groom to recognise you as you walk down the aisle, but a little glam goes a long way.

Make your bridal makeup special. Make it customised and get a look created JUST for you!

If you're looking for a fab makeup artist who can do more than 'blah', 'cookie cutter' bridal makeup - you've found one. Go HERE to see why my bridal and special occasions makeup application is so special.

You'll find a link there to my online makeup portfolio. Browse. Evaluate. Dream. Then fill out the nifty contact form and let's create something special for your special day.

Solutions for Oily Skin: makeup

(This is the second of two posts on the subject of solutions for controlling greasy, oily skin. Start with the previous article below for the introduction before reading this one.)

 • Use a mattifying foundation or a powder foundation instead of a liquid or cream format.

 The best way to limit oiliness is to first add no more oily stuff! I find some mattifying foundations are difficult to apply as often dry to a powdery finish and if it dries as you're blending, you end up with a cakey, streaky mess. If this happens to use, don't give up, just do it differently. You can't just rub them on like a moisturiser, as you can with other foundations, so solve the problem by applying it quickly (before it 'sets') with a sponge, using small strokes and pressing motions.


• If you like to set your liquid foundation with a powder or use it to control shine, use loose powder instead of pressed.

It's often messier, but the ingredients that keep pressed powder in the cake form can add a slick feel to skin. Plus if set your liquid foundation with loose mineral powder foundation instead of a plain loose powder, you'll get even more coverage for any blemishes you wish to conceal - bonus!

• Be VERY selective about where you add shimmer.

So many bronzers have a whole whackload of shimmer. Shimmer = shine = an oily look. As far as I know, the main ingredients guilty of causing shine/shimmer/iridescence in makeup are mica and bismuth oxychloride. If you want to add colour to your face, choose a matte bronzer with absolutely no shimmer. If you are tempted to use an all-over illuminating powder on your face to add radiance - just remember you've already got it. Honestly, it won't make you look younger - only hardworking.

Highlighting your cheekbones with a shimmer powder is still a wonderful technique that adds a little youthfulness and glamour to your look while creating the much-coveted look of prominent cheekbones...but keep it strictly to the cheekbones. Don't apply it too close to the centre of your face ie. keep the apples of your cheeks free from shimmer. Eyeshadows with shimmer are fine. Have fun with pearl, shimmer and metallic eye colours. These are ideal for adding a touch of glamour and sparkle to an otherwise matte face.

Solutions for Oily Skin: skin care

Now, I'm not promising long-term solutions to actually stop the cause of oily skin. Oil, or sebum, is produced by healthy skin as a barrier for protection - basically, to keep the greeblies out and moisture in. It's part of your skin's natural moisturising factor. In fact, as we age, oil-production dramatically slows to a point where most of us develop dry skin - a lack of natural oil - and that's not a good thing!

I expect when I am older I'll have to slather my face in rich creams to get back the dewey look my once naturally-abundant oil gave me.

But oily skin can be a real pain. Not only can excess oil contribute to acne and blackheads, that oil-slick shine isn't cute when you're striving to look effortlessly well-groomed. It's hard to look 'effortless' when your shiny face makes it look like you've been slogging over a hot stove and are ready for a shower...in the middle of the day. So I'm writing to offer a few solutions for controlling and managing excess oil.

• Avoid products where alcohol (Alcohol, alcohol denat., SD alcohol, Ethanol or Isopropyl alcohol) is listed in the first few lines of ingredients.

First of all, SO MANY anti-acne and oil-controlling products use large amounts of alcohol to eliminate oil from the surface of the skin and leave a cool, refreshing feeling. Alcohol, however, only upsets the balance of your skin. Applied to any surface, alcohol evaporates and takes any moisture with it. It's power to control oil is short-lived, however, as the skin simply responds by producing more oil to replace that which was stripped away, and often overcompensates, leaving your skin oilier than before. This actually goes for all skin types, as alcohol is an irritant and no good for skin, full stop.

• If your skin is super-oily, consider not using a moisturiser (yes, skip it altogether) or use one only where your skin is dry or dehydrated. 

What you probably don't need is a heavy, thick or creamy moisturiser. What oily skin may still need, however, is a helping hand with hydration and retaining moisture.  YES oily skin can be dehydrated at the same time! It may sound contradictory, but dehydration is a lack of moisture, so even if your skin produces excess oil, it can still suffer from lack of moisture in Winter, through exposure to the elements or when it's unable to retain moisture when its natural barrier is broken. In this case, you'll need a moisturiser based on ingredients such as glycerine or isododecane. Glycerine is a humectant - that means it attracts moisture from the air and adheres it to the surface layers of your skin. Isododecane is a hydrocarbon and all hydrocarbons help prevent the evaporation of water from skin. These moisturisers often come in lotion (thin cream) or gel form.

Te recap, if you're oil glands are working overtime, consider taking advantage of that by skipping the moisturiser step in your routine or by opting for a light humectant-based lotion.
• Regularly use a BHA solution.

Have you heard of AHA's (Alpha Hydroxy Acids)? Well, Beta Hydroxy Acid goes one step more.  AHA's are naturally occuring acids like glycolic acid, lactic acid and citric acid. They're the active ingredient in those chemical (or 'fruit') peels you can have performed by a beauty therapist to dramatically exfoliate your skin, leaving it baby smooth and brighter. Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA) goes one step further: Not only does it help speed up your skin's renewal process/cell turnover - as AHA's do - it actually exfoliates inside the pore, clears out debri and oil and helps pores to form properly in the future.  That means your pores will be less congested ie. less blackheads as oil will no longer get trapped inside them. How cool is that!?

Although this all sounds very high-tech, BHA serums can be found is most onto-it skin care ranges. BHA is also known as Salicylic acid - so that's what you're looking for. A 2% Salicylic acid solution is perfect for most people, used once a day or every second day if once a day causes dryness. (The product pictured above is of a salicylic acid spot treatment, available from Woolworths (and probably other supermarkets) in New Zealand. I didn't see an all-over BHA product listed in Neutrogena's range online.

The BHA product I use is an all-over serum, not just a spot treatment. It's part of an acne-prone skin care system from Mary Kay Cosmetics)

• If you want super-duper matte skin during the day, use a Benzoyl Peroxide gel under your makeup (at a different time to your BHA solution).

Benzoyl peroxide (BP) is for the treatment of acne and is great for zapping zits overnight when they are first visible. In the morning - poof - gone, or much less raised.  But BP can also be applied all over the face, with caution. I use a 5% strength BP gel, but there are tamer versions available in 2.5% if you want to start out slowly. This is one of the best ingredients for acne and blemishes  - the gold standard of zip-zapping - and should be a part of your daily routine if you have acne-prone skin.