the make up bag: step1

Eye Shadow by Maybelline
Mascara by Maybelline

Coco Chanel once said, “I don't understand how a woman can leave the house without fixing herself up a little - if only out of politeness. And then, you never know, maybe that's the day she has a date with destiny. And it's best to be as pretty as possible for destiny.” I  agree with her. you never know how your day would turn out. i dont know if I'd meet my soulmate or arch nemesis, but i do know that i will be looking fabulous! FAB. U. LOUS! (snap*)
A major part of pulling your look together is your make up, but so many of my friends complain that they don't even know where to start. so i'm stripping it all down to the basics. 
the products i included are all part of my personal collection and are the foundation of my make up bag ( more like suitcase but who's judging!). anything else is extra. lets get started.

Coco Chanel. Original Diva.

 BRUSHES 
Yes, you can put your make up on with the applicators they come with, but why would you!?  Face puffs become loaded with bacteria, which in turn causes acne and other skin problems. those tiny sponge eyeshadow applicators do nothing for blending your shadows properly. for a more polished look into purchasing some basic make up brushes.
Face: a big fluffy brush is great for applying powder foundation or any face powder. i use a MAC 134. this one has round edge and will pick up the product evenly. dust the powder over your face and blend for an even, air brused finish. no streaking or cake-face! a rounder brush is great for blush and bronzers (MAC150).  but since mac can run into the expensive territory, if you are just getting your make up bag started youtube makeup gurus have sworn by sonyakashuk brushes for a trusty budget alternative. and there's always e.l.f.
Eyes: there are only 3 types of brushes that you really need. a blending brush, an applicator brush and a definer brush. apply the shadow to the lid and blend that baby out. use the define brush to apply concealer to the browline. this is a great trick to perfect your eye brows so yu get a nice clean finish.


 CLEANSER & MOISTURISER 
Make up should ALWAYS be applied to a clean, MOISTURISED. i repeat MOISTURISED face. You need to moisturise as it helps the product last all day, and additionally protects your skin as some products do dry out your skin. a foundation primer can work  as well. i cleanse with Aveeno and as far as i'm concerened is the best thing since hops bread (google it. YUMMMM. im currently moisturising with Nivea Cream as its winter and my face can get sand-papery.. winter is evil. protect your face with a good moisturiser. in summer i use MAC prep and prime which i love cus it makes my skin feel all velvety, but it aint that serious. unless your a crazy make-up head like me, skip it and go with a light moisturiser like Aveeno's Clear Complexion Daily Moisturizer.
(btw.. i have dry/regular combination skin)


 FOUNDATION AND CONCEALER 
Foundation should match your complexion or come as CLOSE as humanly possible. the WORST thing is when a woman's make up DOES NOT match her skin tone, this is the BIGGEST sin. just. stop.  Not al brands cater for all skin tones, but many do. While i prefer MAC, i also use Revlon's photoready for daily use (mac ain't cheap!) and dont have any complaints. the type of foundation you use depends on your skin type and the type of finish you want. with a liquid foundation you can build the amount of coverage you want (how much your real skin shows through, but caked on make up is NEVER a good idea. if you are going with a liquid, try applying with a foundation or stippling brush so that you don't get streaks. That one there is arguably the best on the market  and i can vouch for it. and if you are using a powder,remember to use a good fluffy brush and blend well for a smooth natural finish.
Concealer does exactly that. conceal.  concealer should be abt one shade lighter than your complexion as you are usually trying to bring some light to your face or cover up any dark spots. apply to  blemishes and dark circle. and most of all BLEND.  Like foundation, concealer comes in a variety of forms each having a different amount of coverage. personally i swore by MAC studio finish until they pissed me off and now im loving make up forever. as always tho, there are cheaper brands but i this diva don't play with concealer. i will try out some drug store types and let you know.  tip use concealer to neaten your eye brows for that precise brow look.


 BLUSHES & BRONZERS 
These are a good way to bring some warmth and colour to your skin, esp if your skin is brown. with blushes, i tend to go for apricot/rosy shades. if you are daring try a hot pink. it looks fabulous on brown skin. or go for an orange if you're a bit scared. With bronzer, you want something that gonna make you GLOW but not sparkle.. ease of the glitter ladies.. easy. Apply blush and foundation with your rounded face brush. remember blush goes on the apple of your cheeks, not all over your face. smile and apply to the fullest parts of your cheeks. if you're a bit more daring, suck in your cheek and apply in a sweeping arc on your cheekbone to your temple.. fierceness! the easiest way to apply bronzer is to think of where the sun hits your face.. thats where its gonna go.. t-zone (forehead and nosebridge,) and cheek bones. if im wearing both bronzer and blush i apply bronzer first, you don't want t to spread the blush all over your face. NOT CUTE.

 EYES.. 
windows to your soul.. whatever..  if you are just starting out with eye make up, its a good idea to stick to neutrals so you avoid mistakes like the racoon eys or terribly blended eye shadow.. (FAIL). purchase a nice quad with simple colours that wont scare you off. i love the maybelline Eye Studio quad. 
with eye shadow the brand you use snt so important. different brands over different amounts of pigmentation ( how intense the colour is) and different amounts of longevity. but the most important thing when it comes to eye shadow is Primer. when you prime your lids you prep the eye for eye shadow, giving the shadow something to adhere too.  this in turn, helps the colour to pop and can also increase longevity. your eye shadow wont fade out. with eye shadow, the lighter colour goes on your brow bone. the mid  or nude is usually for the crease and the gold for the lid. i use urban decay primer potion or mac eye shadow primer on my lids. if i am using a bright colour eye shadow i use NYX jumbo pencil in milk and when that runs out, good old theatre make up. its cheap and it does the trick. im just using it as a base.
Brows: follow your natural arch and tweeze out your stray hairs. fill in with the eyebrow pencil where necessary and  neaten with concealer.
Eyeliner. I never leave home without eyeliner. NEVER. i find liquid eyeliner  rather bothersome to put on so i use maybelline's eye pen. its soo easy, like drawing on your eyes with a marker. really hard to screw it up.
add a pencil liner to your water line to make your eyes standout more. MAC smoulder is THE go to eye liner.
Mascara: A good mascara shouldn't be clumpy, it should have a good wand that evenly coats your lashes. different formulas promise to grow, plump, magnify. probably even x-ray your lashes but have no fear. as long as you find a hypo-allergenic formula (not going to burn your eyes or cause allergies).. u will be fine. personally i find the priming and curling uncecessary, but ive been blessed with long lashes...

OK!. thats the basic make up bag. were done.. i know this was long but i promise there will be a more detailed explanation coming soon. these are just the basic tools to put together a polished, yet natural look. meanwhile, do check out youtube make up gurus Ebony at coloured beautiful and Napturality. Ebony offers a more precise, polished make up technique why Napturality's look is more natural enjoy!  Get your make up bags ready. tutorials coming soon! later divas!

please excuse the lighting, i'm using the iCam until i figure out how to work my new camera.