Life Through The Eyes Of My Camera Lens

Hello My Lovelies!

Make up is a key part to making your Senior Portraits look amazing.  If done properly, make up will accentuate your natural features causing them to stand out in your photos.  If done poorly . . . it becomes a distraction.  Which is why I always recommend a natural look for your Senior Portraits.  Trendy looks come and go so quickly but a beautiful natural look will stand the test of time.

Today’s blog is all about the eyes!  There are SO many different looks from the simple Smokey Eye that can be played up for a bold evening look to the dramatic Cat Eye look.  All of which are beautiful, but which is right for your Senior Portraits?

As you may know, I am a Mary Kay Consultant, so I personally stick to the Mary Kay products because I LOVE them!!  I’ll share a few of my favorites with you – but first, let’s start with a video for those that aren’t quite sure how to do a Smokey Eye look.

If you took a moment to watch that video from start to finish, you’ll see that a Smokey Eye really isn’t difficult to achieve.  I love that you can stop when you are 80% of the way through it for a soft simple look . . . or continue all the way through for a look that’s a little more bold.  This is a wonderful look for photographs.  It draws your attention to your eyes without being distracting.  I also LOVE that she used neutral colors.  This is one trick to making sure your portraits are something you will love forever!  Trendy make up styles look great while they are trendy . . . but not so much once they are out of style.  Stick with a classic look for your Senior Portraits and colors that compliment your natural coloring.

Not sure what color eye-shadow looks best with your eye color . . . let me help!  Check out the chart below.

And this is how those colors look when they are on . . .

My eyes are hazel . . . brown mixed with green.  I always try to play up the green in my eyes, so I do tend to stick to browns with a pop of green, and sometimes purple.  🙂

Now let’s talk eyeliner!  What is the purpose of eyeliner, why should I use it, how do I use it, and what kind is best??  Eyeliner goes at the base of your eyelashes.  This helps to define the shape of your eye, as well as make your eyelashes appear thicker . . . which is an added bonus!  Remember that if you are going to wear eyeliner, there are rules to follow.

1. Apply your eyeliner in small strokes.  Connect one small line with the next small line until you have the whole eye lined.  You can go back over the line to smooth it out with a smudger brush.

   

2. Eyeliner goes on the top eyelash line OR both top and bottom.  NEVER just the bottom lid.  Why?  It will add to the appearance of dark circles under your eyes.
3. If you do choose to apply eyeliner to your bottom lash line, remember that it should only be 1/2 of what is applied to the top lash line.

If you’re like me – a visual learner, you can click on this Link to check out a few videos to help you learn how to apply your eyeliner.  The videos are located at the bottom of the page and there are 3 different looks available.

There are different types of eyeliner available, and it’s really just a matter of choosing what you are comfortable with.  Mary Kay has eyeliner pencils, gel, and a new liquid pen. I’ve used all of these, but the new liquid eyeliner pen is my favorite!

How do you deal with dark circles under your eyes?  I have them and I hate them as much as everyone else!  I’ve heard they are from not getting enough sleep, genetics, or even because of my allergies.  Who knows why I have them . . . and who cares!  I just want to know HOW TO GET RID OF THEM!!! This is my secret!  It’s Mary Kay’s Undereye Corrector . . . and I LOVE it!!  Because the dark circles under your eyes have blue tones to them, you need to counteract those tones with a peach tone to balance out the skin color.  This stuff also works as a highlighter too!

Let’s move on to your lashes!   I love a thick, long eyelash look . . .  but not to the point where it looks like you have a tarantula crawling across you eye!  Personally, I use black because I have a beige skin tone and dark hair.  My daughter, on the other hand, is very fair and strawberry blonde.  Black is to bold for her lashes.  So she uses a black-brown mascara.  Again, Mary Kay has lots of options to choose from.  From volume to length, waterproof to full intensity.  There is even a product available to help build up your lashes if you have very thin lashes.   I personally use the Lash Intensity Mascara OR I use the Black Brown Ultimate Mascara and cover it with the Black Waterproof Mascara.  Whatever mascara you choose to use, be sure to swap it out for a fresh tube every three months . . . and never, ever pump your brush inside the tube . . . if you do, the volumizing product in the mascara will only add volume to your brush and not you lashes.

The last part of your complete eye look is your eyebrow.  It’s commonly forgotten, and sometimes completely out of control.  It is however a very important part of your eye, which make it important to the look of your eye!  Picture a widow in your house.  A nice big picture window with the sun shining through and a beautiful view outside.  Now look at the surrounding of that window.  Are there curtains?  In most cases, yes.  Your eyebrows are the “curtains” for your eyes.  They complete the look.  Imagine what you would look like with no eyebrows at all . . . or what black eyebrows would look like on a blonde person.  Neither would look right.  Which is why it’s important to pay attention to your eyebrows.  Twease them, wax them, have them threaded by a professional.  Whatever you choose, just make sure you don’t forget about them!   To complete your look when you are all made up and ready to go out . . . your eyebrows need done too.  I like to keep my eyebrows a shade or two darker than my hair.  My hair is naturally dark, so I want to stay true to that in my eyebrows as well.  You can use an eyebrow pencil or an eyeshadow.  I personally use Mary Kay’s Mineral Eyeshadow in the shade of Driftwood (seen below on the right).  

The last thing to remember about applying your makeup is the tools you use are just as important as the colors you choose!  AND you MUST take care of your tools in order for them to perform at their peak!!  You should clean your brushes daily, and deep clean them once a week.  This prevents any left over color from mixing into your current look and also help to prevent the spread of any bacteria that could cause acne issues or something worse!

No matter what look you choose or what products you use for your Senior Portraits, my ALL TIME FAVORITE product comes in when it’s time to take your make up off!  It doesn’t matter if you wear cream eye-shadow or mineral, regular mascara or waterproof.  The Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover will take it all of easily!!  The two formulas work together to remove everything!!!  The top phase removes waterproof eye makeup and the bottom phase removes non-waterproof eye makeup.  Just shake it up and apply to a cotton ball . . . and say good-bye to your eye makeup!

Here’s a fun little video to show you some Do’s and Don’ts with your overall make up. Keep in mind that makeup is fun to play with and you will not be perfect at applying it your first time.  Keep trying!  We all make mistakes along the way . . . that’s how we learn!  Have fun with it!

I hope this has helped you learn a little bit more about how to apply your makeup, what will look best on your for your photos, and a little be more about what Mary Kay has to offer in their product line!  I do offer a free Mary Kay Facial and Glamour Session for all my Senior girls prior to their Portrait Session.  If that is something that interests you, or if you would just like to hear more about a photo session or the Mary Kay products, please feel free to contact me.

If nothing else sticks with you from this blog post, please, please, PLEASE remember this. You are beautiful and unique just the way you are.  Always be true to who you are . . . and  Be Uniquely You!  

If you like what I’ve shared be sure share it out to your friends, and don’t forget to follow me.  This is just the first in the little series of Make Up Tips!

With Love and Blessings,

Mindy 🙂