Powder sets blush, especially cream blush. It makes lipstick
go matte (put a tissue over your lips, then powder through the tissues).
Powdering over lip pencil gives amazing wear. Luminous powder
even highlights decollete.
Read on for the very best ways to make powder work for you or check out my step-by-step makeup application tutorial.
COLOR CHOICE
Translucent (a
non-color) is best for setting and blending. If you're wearing powder
alone, without foundation or concealer, go translucent or use a color
that matches your skin tone and disappears when applied. If you're
wearing powder over foundation and concealer, go slightly lighter. When
placing powder over liquid or creams, powders can turn slightly darker,
so lighter is safer.
[post_ads_2]LOOSE OR PRESSED?
The
form of the powder and the way you apply it determines how sheer it
will be. Loose powder is extremely sheer, while compact or pressed
powder can be opaque. Loose powder often comes with a puff, but brushes
are better suited for most powder tasks. When you use powder to set
smaller areas, adapt your brush size to get better control. Under the
eye, I use a large eye shadow brush—dab it in, shake it off, and brush
on. When you do the final dusting of your whole face, use a large powder
brush. I always hold my brushes very lightly, since a heavy hand equals
a heavy-handed application.
Warning: The only kind
of portable powder I find useful is pressed powder. When loose powder
gets loose inside a handbag, it's not a pretty sight.
WHERE TO PUT IT
Powder
dusted on the full face sets cream foundations and cream concealers.
Setting these is important because cream products will literally slide
down your face over the course of a day (that darn gravity). Think of it
this way—pantyhose without a waistband would end up around your ankles.
Powder is the waistband that holds your makeup in place.
[post_ads_2]
A full
face dusting of powder also takes away shine; if it's sheer enough,
you'll still have a healthy, natural-looking sheen. When you're after a
dewy finish, use a minimal amount of loose powder, dusted with a brush,
or use your powder brush without putting powder on it at all (unless
it's just been washed, the brush will have a smidge of product in it
from when you last used it, and that will be enough).
TRICKS OF THE TRADE
Here's
a use for powder you may not have thought of. Let's say your foundation
and concealer are done, and you're moving onto eye makeup. It would be
horrific if a fleck of eye color fell on freshly done skin. You'd try to
wipe it off, and the problem would snowball. So here's my top secret
trade tip: before doing any eye application, dust extra powder under the
eyes (use a large eye shadow brush or a small blush brush). This is a
protective layer of powder that will collect anything that might fall
off an eye shadow brush or eye pencil. Once you've applied eye makeup
(including brows), simply brush this "drop cloth" of powder away.
[post_ads]More
uses for powder: the eyelids! You've put a layer of foundation over
them. Now powder them if you're using a powdered eye shadow. (If you're
using cream eye color, you don't need powder here. Cream glides best
over foundation alone.) Powdered lids make powdered shadow go on
smoothly, without any pulling or "drag" on the delicate skin around the
eyes. Make sure you get right up to the lashline. Use powder under the
eyes, too, to set any concealer; apply lightly and delicately.
Whenever you're
setting foundation on the lid of the eye, or setting concealer
under the eye, look first to make sure the foundation or concealer
hasn't creased. You must blend out any creases before setting with
powder; if you powder over creases, you'll set those creases!
