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Friday, December 9, 2011

Let's Talk About...Eyebrows!!

I am one of those people that is in love with eyebrows, and I wanted to talk about how I work with them. I can recall my first crush as a pre-teen being Christian Slater, and my reason...because he had nice eyebrows! Ha! Funny to see how even as a kid sometimes you have little clues as to why you do what you do as an adult. Even though I'm a brow fanatic, I don't always go for that super-perfect-must-be-immaculately-symmetrical-and-penciled-in look, which I think makes me different from most brow obsessors like myself, so without further ado: let's talk about eyebrows.




EYEBROW "RULES"

I hate the term 'rules' for anything relating to makeup because they are so limiting, but I do use some guidelines about where brows should begin and end on the face when I'm shaping or filling them in. If you locate the center of someone's nostril and draw an invisible line straight up to the brow area, this is where the brow should begin. On certain faces, if this looks a tad too close together, I may start them a couple hairs-widths further apart than this, but this is rare. I have heard some people say that they think their eyebrow should begin in a direct line above the inner corner of the eye, but this to me leaves the brows sooo far apart. At any rate, I always end the tail of the brow in the same place, which is in a diagonal line from the outermost corner of the nostril to the outer corner of the eye. I wish I had a program on my computer to demonstrate this on Megan here, but I don't. Sorry. Hopefully you can see on Megan's left eyebrow the two points (beginning and end) placed as I have just described. 




PRODUCTS

To fill in brows and make them look their most natural, I often use a powder first, followed by a pencil if necessary. In my kit, I use Anastasia brow powder duos and her Brow Wiz pencil. I am telling you here and now, if you match one of the 3 Brow Wiz colors, they are the mac daddy. The Wiz has a super-fine tip that makes individual hair strokes easily, and has a great texture. Unfortunately it only comes in two Ash shades and a Brunette shade...I wish she would make it in golden and red tones! Anyways, if there are areas of a brow that are totally missing (in a lot of women it's the inner/beginning portion of the brow) I will first put down some powder as a 'background', and then use a pencil to create tiny hairs in the direction of the hair growth for the most realistic effect. Any time I apply product to the brows, I then comb them with a spoolie to soften and blend the products so they don't look too harsh or fake. Sometimes all a person needs is a little gel or wax to keep their brows in place, so I use MAC's brow gel and Smashbox brow wax. For very coarse brows, sometimes the wax is a better option than the gel because it is heavier and can really push them into place. Wax gives brows a nice sheen too, just like you would want on your head hair. 




OTHER CONSIDERATIONS...

What color I use on the brow varies, based on hair and skin tone, the rest of the makeup used, how dense or spare the brows are, etc.  so this is not something I can really come up with a guideline for. Instead I just judge based on each application I do. For instance, check out Beyonce's dark eye makeup and brows to the right, versus her lighter look below. The darker brow helps balance the heavier eye makeup and deeper tones in her hair, whereas her look below is much softer and would look out of place with darker brows. It all depends on the statement being made. 

I generally shape someone's brows according to their natural brow bone structure, but here are a few ideas I have...round  

faces should avoid rounded brows and go for a little arch to give the face structure, square faces should have a less arched brow to soften the angles of the face, long faces look nice with straighter brows to give them some width, etc. etc. Sometimes various ethnicities have a particular brow structure unique to them, so I will often try to follow that rather than face shape.

 The modern trend for brows is for them to be full but groomed, meaning, brows should be tweezed or waxed to remove hairs that fall outside of the brow shape, but should not be made thinner. Thinning brows is very 90's and pretty out of vogue these days. Over-tweezed brows throw the face proportions out of balance and sometimes don't grow back in after being removed so many times, so I'm not a big fan.

The last thing I will say is that eyebrows are normally 'sisters  not twins'. Muscle control varies on each side of the face so sometimes one eyebrow is higher, or more arched, or whatever. If brows are uneven, I do my best to make them more even, but I don't freak out if they aren't perfectly symmetrical. In fact, sometimes if brows are too perfect then they don't look as natural, so it depends on the look I'm going for. I wish more people would adopt this attitude because when I talk to women about their brows, they often are so critical and expect them to be perfectly identical, and this leads them to be frustrated and insecure. It's alright to accept some differences and still feel good about yourself!! 


If you have any questions please let me know. Thanks for reading this post! Subscribe by email if you'd like to receive more. 








Wednesday, November 9, 2011

I Love Models!! (And you should too)

For one reason or another, it seems the general public (and even sometimes people working in the industry) favor a negative view of models and I just can't agree with them. Models are central to 90% of the work I do and they totally rock! So alas, here is a post on why I, Melissa Murdick, love models. 




WHY DO PEOPLE HATE ON MODELS?

Karlie Kloss. 

I imagine some part of us, when analyzing things truthfully, is jealous of models. They get paid very well, get to travel, wear amazing clothing, etc. etc. Not to mention they are so, so beautiful. Perhaps this is the catalyst for picking them apart. Plus there is the trend towards skinniness, which makes the average woman roll her eyes. I get it. Something else I've noticed though, is that people think models are naturally snobby, full of themselves, and bitchy. I'm assuming this is an extrapolated case of 'one bad apple spoiling the bunch', where very rarely, just like in any other sampling of humanity, you will come across this kind of person. So allow me to refute some model myths:




MODEL MYTHS

Candice Swanepoel.
1. 'Modeling is Easy': If I had a nickel for every time I heard somebody say this in one way or another I'd be rich. People think modeling entails standing around and looking good. Period. So let me inform you what it actually entails. Modeling is a performance akin to acting, where all of the attention is focused on you and thusly you are under a ton of pressure. Shoots are long, anywhere from 8-10 hours typically, and as a model you must be 'on' and performing that entire time. Not to mention this industry is cut-throat, so if you don't do well, you are easily replaced. Crews are large and diverse, so models have to get along with a lot of different people during the day.

If you don't know this already, 70% of shoots for an upcoming season are shot the season before, which means modeling clothes for the wrong temperature a lot of the time. Yup, it's swimwear in Winter and sweaters in Summer, and nobody likes to hear models complain so they basically have to suck it up. Things aren't necessarily comfortable either, between clothing and posing, so models have to deal with tight shoes, holding awkward positions, etc. without showing their discomfort at all.

I'm not trying to imply that models suffer through their jobs, but they absolutely earn the amount that they make. Just like anything else, modeling is a talent  and requires skill and dedication. Not everyone with good looks can do it. They work hard!!

Freja Beha Erichsen
2.'Models are bitchy':  (Also insert some other previously mentioned words here like snobby or self absorbed.) Overall I will say this is simply not true. Yes, there are exceptions, but almost all of the models I work with are genuinely cool. It's true! Part of a model's success is due to the fact that they are enjoyable to be around! That's how they get re-booked and continue to work. Nobody wants to be stuck with someone bitchy and difficult for hours on end. For the most part, models are outgoing and easygoing. They aren't in charge of choosing the way they look on a shoot (hair, makeup, wardrobe, etc.) so they just go with the flow. Half of them show up in sweatpants lookin' a hot mess (haha) because they are sick of doing hair and makeup all of the time anyways. In my experience, the models who act super high maintenance and snobby are the ones who are also talking about working a lot but aren't (because they aren't that good, or are inexperienced, have a bad attitude etc.) and make up for it with this kind of false bravado. 

3.'Models don't eat': I have a revelation. Some people are naturally skinny!!! Helloooo that's why they are models! I know it's hard to believe, but some people also live healthily by eating right and exercising. Especially people who get critiqued on their physique all of the time. In fairness, yes I have seen some models substitute a cigarette for lunch, but there's plenty of models grubbing down just like me, if not more. A high metabolism will do a lot for you, as will staying in shape. It is unfortunate that some models get so picked apart that they develop eating disorders or partake in unhealthy dieting, but a lot of them are just naturally skinny, so quit the hatin'!




Hopefully if you have found yourself on the critical side, I've been able to change your mind at least a bit about the world of modeling. I feel so strongly about these issues is because I work with models all of the time and they are truly amazing, but get such a bad wrap! The truth about models is that they captivate us and draw us into their world, and provide people with endless inspiration. They serve as my muse and walking canvas, and my work is thusly 100% entwined with theirs. If you think you'd rather see your clothes on hangers, then so be it, but I will have to disagree. Models rock!!

If you love models too, venture over to models.com and check some out! I also keep up with my favs on twitter so I can see their latest work. Thanks for reading, and feel free to comment or question. 

Monday, October 10, 2011

To Airbrush or Not to Airbrush?

I just wanted to make a quick post about my thoughts on airbrushing, for those of you who are familiar with the practice. It seems to be something makeup artists feel strongly about when you bring it up with them, whether they are pro or con, so I wanted to discuss it as well.






MY AIRBRUSH SYSTEM.
This Iwata Silver Jet system is the exact airbrush & compressor I use, and it has served me well for over 5 years. I use both Kett Hydro and Temptu S/B makeup, so that I have silicone and water based options. I use a special cleanser (pictured below) that I purchased through Alcone and it is GREAT. Just a single drop is needed and it smells like peppermint....mmmmm. 

WHEN I AIRBRUSH.
I use my airbrush for a limited range of applications, basically focusing on foundation and contouring of the face. I have never had to create fake tattoos or do head to toe body makeup, but if I did I would probably use my airbrush for this with an alcohol-based makeup (Temptu Dura, Kett Hydroproof, MAC, Graftobian, etc. all make them). The airbrush is always a big hit with wedding parties, not only because it gives a very flawless finish, but also I  suspect for the novelty of the experience. I like it because it provides a unique and professional experience for my clients, while also being an 'add-on' service to boost my income. Outside of weddings, occasionally I will be requested to airbrush for jobs that are being filmed in HD. The other main instance that I would airbrush is if someone needs heavy coverage, but I don't want the makeup itself to look heavy. It does a great job of using the least amount of product to provide the highest coverage. I despise the look of heavy foundation!  Airbrushes are very versatile and used in many many different applications, but these are the situations I find that I personally need for the range of jobs I work. 

WHEN I DON'T AIRBRUSH.
I have great foundations in my kit, including Make Up For Ever's HD foundation, so I don't use my airbrush too often. I especially am going to avoid using it if I have a large number of people to work on, and if I am in a hurry. It takes time to clean it in between people (even if I am just running a quick cleanser through and not even taking it apart). I just don't use my airbrush enough to justify buying multiple airbrush heads so that I could screw a new one on for each person and clean at the end. I also wouldn't use it on someone who already has great skin. I like to keep the appearance of foundation very minimal, so if they already have great skin I would spot cover or use a very thin layer of foundation by hand. I do think my airbrush is a useful tool and is appropriate for certain applications, but it is not my end all be all. It has the ability to create the amazingly smooth finish that many people love it for, but I don't feel I need it or necessarily want that look all of the time. Plus, I am a tactile person so I prefer to touch my products and the people I apply them on :). 

Please let me know if you have any questions, and I would love to open up a discussion about when YOU like to use your airbrush as well. Thanks for reading!

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Dealing with Dark Circles!

Dark circles seem to be a universal problem, and one women often complain about. In this post I hope to provide a more in-depth solution than just caking on concealer. 


Concealer Choices
Consistency: Underneath the eye is generally an area that needs moisture because the skin there is thinner (the same reason you can see dark circles in the first place) and loses hydration easily. With this in mind, I prefer to use concealers of a liquid or creamy consistency here. Although, in the case of someone who feels they get very oily around their eye area, a drier consistency would work best.  

Shade: When I select a shade for someone, I look at the traits of their undereye area to determine whether I should choose a shade to match their skin tone, go a shade lighter, or in rarer cases go a shade darker. Here is how I choose: If someone has an undereye area that is recessed, deep set, etc. they would benefit from a slightly lighter shade to 'bring out' the eye, whereas if the undereye area protrudes, has permanent bags, etc. I would select the opposite (a slightly deeper shade) to make the area recede a bit. For going out, events, or just to gain a more sculpted look, using a slightly lighter concealer brings a great highlight to that area, so a lot of people prefer that option (look at Kim Kardashian), however it is not a 'natural' look and will require good blending. I do this a lot for events. 

Tools: I use a few different kinds of brushes for application, including your traditional synthetic flat brush and a less traditional tapered 'blending brush' sometimes labeled as a 'crease' brush. This brush imparts a nice, blended, almost 'airbrush' quality and helps minimize the amount of product being applied to the skin. It works exceptionally well with liquid concealers. The traditional concealer brush is nice for creamy consistencies. 



Trouble Shooting
This is probably the most important part of this post, because despite using a good concealer a lot of women will find that their circles just aren't covered, or their concealer creases throughout the day. 

'Concealer isn't enough': If the discoloration around the eye area is strong enough that even with concealer the problem isn't resolved, a color corrector must be used in addition, and it will solve the problem. It is a common myth that everyone should use a yellow color corrector under the eye, because everyone has different shades of discoloration. In order to choose the right corrector, I analyze what discoloration is present and use color theory to neutralize:


For brown or purple-ish tones: Yellow Corrector
For Greenish-Yellow tones: Pink Corrector
For Grey-ish or Blue: Peach to Orange Corrector

Correctors can be used before or after concealer, but both products should be kept in thin layers to avoid caking. The most minimal amount needed to neutralize the unwanted tone should be applied. Overuse of a corrector will make the area covered take on the unusual color of the product that you used and then you'll be struggling to get that covered.


Creasing: Because creasing can be caused by facial expression, fine lines, or even moisture, at times there is not a lot to do about this issue. Before resigning to touchups all day, I try a few things. Firstly, if fine lines are present, I make sure to work the concealer into the lines themselves when applying. It's easy for a brush to 'skip' over them, so making sure the entire area is evenly covered (including in the lines), makes it a bit less likely to travel. Secondly, adding a very light  dusting of powder can help set the concealer and improve it's wear. Other things that can make a difference are using a liquid concealer (they seem less likely to crease), and making sure to use the least amount of product possible to cover the discoloration. I have noticed on myself that if I'm careless and use too much concealer one day, I will get creases even though I normally don't.

Please feel free to ask any questions you may have! A few concealers I like are: Bobbi Brown's creamy concealer, Smashbox's new HD liquid concealer, Kryolan dermacolor, and  Make Up for Ever's concealer palettes, so these are all a good starting point if you need a suggestion.


Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Covering a Tattoo with Mehron Tattoo CoveRing!

Several months ago I had to cover a large black chest tattoo for a commercial that was being shot outside (and in HD), so I used the Mehron Tattoo CoveRing and it worked like a charm. This little gem costs $15, smells like crayons, and is thicker than all get out...it's great! There are many different ways to cover tattoos, but this is a way I have used and wanted to show you how I did it. If you live in LA you can purchase this at Naimie's, otherwise I'm sure you can find it online. A special thank you to my model Allie, who lent me her shoulder for the demonstration!


Tattoo before


Mehron Tattoo CoveRing (obviously used)


Step Uno: First off I selected a shade that was closest to the skin surrounding the tattoo in question. The Mehron colors are a bit odd, so you may not get an exact match, but you will see that in the end I go over everything with a foundation that matches and this works perfectly. After selecting the shade, I use the back of my foundation brush to scoop out some product and put it on the back of my (sanitized) hand to start warming it up. It is thick stuff, so its gotta be mushed around for a second to get it going.


Warming the product

Step Dos: The technique I use seems to be the most important part of this process. Keeping my brush flat against the skin, I pat on the product to cover the tattoo and extend past the edges just a bit. I DO NOT stroke the product on as if I was applying it to a face. It must be pat on to build coverage. I also will turn the brush vertically, using a stippling (similar to a quick dabbing) motion to target darker areas of the tattoo that need additional coverage. This is continued over the entire tattoo. I then blend the edges outward into the surrounding skin with stroking motions, being careful to only work with the edges and not uncover any portion of my tattoo.

Halfway there


Step Tres: Once the tattoo is covered and the edges are blended out, I apply a generous dose of a translucent powder. I like Make Up For Ever HD powder, which is essentially just a clear silica. You can use a brush or a puff. Once this is complete, if any parts of the tattoo show through again, I target them with more product and then top with powder again in the end. 
Powdering away! Making sure it is pressed into the Mehron product.

Step Cuatro: Now that the Tattoo is fully covered and powdered, I need to adjust the color a bit because Allie has a lot of pink to her skin. I mix up the correct shade using Make Up For Ever HD liquid foundation, which works perfect because it is silicone based, gives great coverage, and a skin-like finish. The Mehron product looks a bit waxy on its own, so the foundation really makes it blend into the surrounding skin. I use a foundation brush to lightly stroke on the foundation and blend out the edges, and then  top it with a light setting of powder. Ta-Da!
Success! Hooray!

Tips: Because the skin looks so smooth over the covered area it can stand out to the eye even when color matched, so I like to add a little foundation-lotion mixture over a larger section of the surrounding area (in this instance I would do the arm and maybe onto the chest a bit) to make the transition seem less noticeable. I may also duplicate this foundation-lotion process on the opposite side of the body. Also for consideration would be adding a few brown freckles back onto the covered area to fool the eye again. 

When I was covering the chest tattoo for the commercial I mentioned in the beginning, we were outside all day. The tattoo cover wore amazingly with only minor touchups needed, however, the gentleman in question developed a tan (despite having applied sunscreen). I had to apply a few successively darker shades of the HD foundation over top to solve the problem throughout the day, so keep this in mind if you are going to be outside. 

Finally, if the area that needs covering has hair on it (i.e. a man's arm or leg), I would use clean mascara wands to remove the Mehron product from the hair in the end, basically just 'combing' it out. 


Thanks a for reading and please let me know if you have any questions!






Monday, July 11, 2011

Go-to Techniques and Advice!!

For this post I wanted to share a few things that I do to really enhance the makeup looks I create, correct flaws, and make my application that much better. They are things that I feel as though you don't find mentioned as often, so I hope they will be worthwhile to you!

1. Extra Concealing:
 I almost always apply concealer to the eyelid area before starting any other eye makeup! If you take a good look at your eyelid you'll more than likely notice a variety of tones, small veins showing through, etc. and concealing or color correcting these will give you a smooth canvas for the rest of your makeup, or create a fresher, more awake look if you don't use any additional makeup here! Don't forget to conceal any darkness on the inner corner of the eye adjacent to the nose, which is also a common issue that if corrected will make a huge difference!

Also, if you are using a lip color it is essential to eliminate any discoloration around the mouth using either foundation or concealer. In women with fair skin, redness or freckling may often be present, and in women with deeper skin tones we generally see dark or grey discoloration. For the fair skinned, try using your matching shade of concealer or foundation and if this doesn't do the trick, try a yellow color corrector. For the deep skin tones, I have found a deep peach corrector/concealer is best to really cancel out the grey/dark areas. This extra preparation will make sure the lip looks clean and defined!

2. Cleaning Up Brows:
If you are about to go out and notice that you've got stray brow hairs that need attention, put the tweezers DOOOOWN! Brow razors are amazing for ridding you of even the tiniest hairs (just like waxing!) without irritating the skin like tweezing. Of course tweezing has it's place, but doing it before you get ready to leave the house can leave the skin puffy, red, and sometimes bumpy from the irritation....not a good compliment to whatever makeup look you are going for. These handy dandy razors can be bought at Sally Beauty Supply or sometimes found near the false eyelashes in drugstores like CVS. Keep a very light hand because just like any other razor, you could nick yourself, but don't let that scare you. They are so fast and easy and give you a very clean result. I pretty much don't tweeze anyone's brows anymore because I use these.

If you are doing someone else's brows before makeup, I would strongly recommend razoring versus tweezing, especially if you are working with a model. This prevents you from damaging the hair roots to where they won't go back (which can happen with tweezing), plus the hairs will grow back in quicker and the model's look won't be altered for as long.

3. Avoiding A 2-D Face:
Something I have noticed with applying foundation is that sometimes creating that one smooth tone can make the face too flat, especially when you use high coverage. To the left is a highlighting/contouring diagram for reference, but by NO means is this much work always proper or necessary! There are several easy solutions to avoiding this flat-face syndrome and thusly making the face more dynamic and attractive. Figure out which you like:
 



 a. Use multiple foundation shades to match the different areas of your face. This is especially useful to women with deep skin tones! You should keep your lightest color to the center of your face and a slightly deeper shade towards the outside edges, similar to  the picture. If this seems too complex, try plan b or c.
                                                          
b. Dust a little bronzer or a darker colored powder around the edges of the face. Unless you want a dramatic look, keep a light hand and don't use any product that is more than two shades darker than your natural skin tone.
                                                         
c.  Use a blush! I don't know why women skip this so often. If your makeup is looking flat or incomplete, this can help round it out and add dimension. If you don't know how to apply blush, google something like "blush for your face shape" to get some tips on the most flattering look for you. If you don't want bright color, find a neutral color. Don't get stuck thinking all blushes are bright and thus not ever use one.


VOILA!! These tips were just a few that came to mind and hopefully will be helpful. Please let me know if you have any questions because I'd be more than happy to explain anything that puzzles you :)

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Men's Makeup!

Men's makeup is something I do quite frequently and enjoy, so I figured I'd talk about it a little. It's definitely a bit of a grey area and even though I went through a makeup course, something I wasn't really taught. So basically I'm going to explain what I like and have figured is best on my own :)


A GOOD LOOK


Fabulous makeup Joel!

Whenever I watch TVor flip through magazines, I constantly analyze everyone's makeup. I can't help it. I don't do it as much in real life (so don't worry if I'm talking to you...I'm not scrutinizing how you did your eyeliner today), but I always keep tabs on what I think looks good and how I could improve what I think doesn't. It helps me learn even when I'm not working and keep current. With that being said, I really like Joel McHale's makeup on 'The Soup.' I think his makeup is a great example because:

1. His skin always looks healthy and contains multiple tones. He isn't washed over in one flat shade, but instead is a bit darker/warmer on his forehead, sides of face, cheeks etc. which makes it look natural. He also isn't powdered all to hell, which is something I think is pretty outdated now that HD is around.

2. His makeup never looks heavy, nor is it a different color/texture than his neck and hands on tv. They all match and are not that over-saturated 'orange' look that is so offensive. I'm talking to you Dr. Phil and Regis Philbin!!! (In fairness, multiple things including the camera used, lighting, etc. affect saturation and color overall)

NO BUENO MAKEUP

Yikes.
It is impossible to tell what Joel Mchale's makeup artist does or what products he/she uses without asking, but I really think that he looks great, especially when you compare him to these makeup offenders:
Ahhhh! Make it stop!!!!

The unnatural orange tone is the most obvious crime here, but the heavy look is also a culprit. Because Dr. Phil is bald, they powder him to the point that his skin looks ultra-matte and thusly flat and heavy. It is honestly distracting to me when I see these fellas on TV! Because HD is very sensitive to makeup heaviness, I think maybe these guys are falling victim to someone who is using pre-HD methods. I'm lucky in that I have learned makeup for TV/film in the era where all we have is HD, so I haven't had to reinvent what I do. 

WHAT I DO!
This depends on who/what I'm doing the makeup for (Model, actor  vs.TV, photography, an event), but is generally about the same. My personal taste is that less is more, so I always try to exercise restraint and get to the point that I have just enough on to look great without looking  notably 'made up.' 

1. Foundation: If foundation is needed, I pretty much always use HD foundations by Makeup Forever and Graftobian, because they melt right into the skin, giving coverage while being pretty invisible. I use thin layers anywhere that needs coverage (redness, sun damage, etc.) and either put an ultra thin layer over the rest of the face, or more often don't use any at all. This makes the skin look more even but not so perfect that it is highly unnatural. This is where I constantly try to develop and refine my eye--striking the balance between looking good and looking unnaturally good...toooo perfect looks fake, although at times this is what I go for depending on the job. 
Graftobian HD
2. Concealing: If a zit or dark scar is present, I will cover it. Also red patches in the beard/stubble areas merit covering. I mostly will use the aforementioned foundations around stubble, and use either a duo fibre brush or sponge to stipple it on. This keeps the makeup from building up as much on the hairs themselves and covering the skin lightly. Concealing around the eyes is something I may or may not do. If I am covering a dark circle, I try to use a skin matching concealer (not a shade lighter like on women sometimes). If there are reddish purple veins visible on the lashline (both top and bottom) or eyelid, then yes I will cover them too. However, if the guy has nicely shaded eyes (for instance browner tones around the lashline or eyelid are common), then I may decide to leave those. I don't think completely covering the eye are is best all of the time, but sometimes it is.

3. Mattifying: Note that I didn't say 'powdering,' because I use multiple products to get rid of excess shine. I like the MAC mattifying gel over or under makeup and especially on bald heads. Using this and blotting papers will help reduce the amount of powder I need to use on top to get rid of shine. I have met both powder loving and powder hating makeup artists, and I am in the middle leaning towards the disliking side, so I keep it minimal.


So I think that is about the bulk of what crosses my mind when doing makeup on men! Models don't get as much of a say in how they look, but when you are dealing with actors, it seems they often have a preference on how they like their makeup, so I ask. I also use moisturizer and sunscreen, lip balm, brow grooming products, and shaving products as necessary. Also other more 'feminine' makeup products for special looks or editorials (eyeliner, etc.). If you have any questions please feel free to ask!