This weekend I was practicing my makeup application techniques on my little sister. As I was doing so a vision of my granny popped into my head. I smiled and shook my head. So, why does this little memory make me smile every time I think of it? Please allow me to elaborate for you.
Everyone has that one person in their family that looks them over from head to toe and critiques every (and I mean every) little thing about them. For me, it is my grandma. Now don’t get me wrong I love granny, she is loving, caring but most of all hilarious! She is turning 92 in a couple of weeks and she still is up to date on the latest “news”, at least the news that is covered by InStyle and People Magazine. Just a little note about my grandma – NEVER ask about Reese Witherspoon or J-Lo, they happen to be very touchy subjects for granny!
When I first moved to Walla Walla and took the job at LeFore’s Spa I had a few questions that grandma needed answered. First of which was, do I like it, in which I replied:
“Yes grandma, I am enjoying it very much.”
The second question, oh the second question, it will stick with me forever, only because of the statement that was made afterward:
“Do you get to do make-up there?”
“Yes, we do make-up applications and lessons.”
Her reply to what I had answered was so matter-of-fact:
“That’s nice; maybe you could learn how to do yours.”
I almost peed my pants I was laughing so hard! One thing you have to know about Granny is she lacks in the vision department! I mean REALLY lacks!! On one of my visits to see her, my father and I had the privilege of taking her out shopping for her beauty supplies. Now mind you she is downright stubborn, there is no telling her about make-up. To make a long story short, I went and celebrated that evening with my cousins, why you ask? Because I just did what everyone else had been trying to do: I steered granny away from the Black Radiance section in the make-up department!! You see, Grandma is very white with red hair to boot! I may have won a battle but I did not win the war, I was only able to talk her down to toffee colored foundation!
Makeup tips from Granny
- Always go for a foundation 4-5 shades darker than your natural skin color (it will give you the tan look you have always wanted)
- Don’t be afraid to use your eyeliner - whoever says that less is more is full of it!
- Mix it up once in a while, be spontaneous use your bright red lip liner as an eyebrow pencil (that was a day my dad will never forget – he thought she was bleeding, lol!)
- When putting on eye shadow, apply from lid all the way up to the brow, it really makes your eyes pop!
I love my grandma so much and I wouldn’t change anything about her (except the makeup!). She is such a beautiful vivacious woman. I hope that I am as up with the times as she is when I am her age!!
Now to leave you with some of my makeup tips! That is if you believe that once in a while the apple does fall far enough away from the tree!
- When trying to match a foundation to your skin tone, pick three colors that are close to your skin tone. Next test them by streaking them down the jaw-line (don’t have a heavy hand), whichever one fades in to your jaw line is your color (if none of them match, pick again adjusting either darker or lighter).
p.s. Use light touch, there is no need to push or mash the makeup in, you’ll end up getting that cakey look as well as stretching the skin (wrinkles!!).
- To get those full voluptuous lips - line the lips, using a shade darker than your lipstick and a tad bit thicker lining than normal. Next using the same lip liner shade in the center of the lower lip and bow, smudge the lips together. Apply your lipstick (use a sheer or very light color), then add your gloss and voila! Pouty, full lips!
- The key to any good makeup application lies in the contouring and highlighting of the face. A quick rule of thumb is that dark colors make areas recede and light colors highlight and bring features forward.
So where do contour and where do you highlight?
Concentrate on contouring the temples, around the hairline, tip and sides of the nose into the crease of the eye, hollows of the cheek, under the chin and down the sides of the neck.
For highlighting apply to the center of the forehead and down the bridge of the nose, the brow bone, center of the eyelid, under the eye and the cheekbone plane, to the center of the chin up under the lip and around the corners of the mouth.
Blend with your fingers and remember to keep the product in general area where you applied it! It sounds like a lot of work but believe me it will pay off!
Oh and when you are picking your colors for contouring and highlighting always go 2 shades darker and 2 shades lighter than your normal skin tone (not your foundation color).
I hope these tips help you, and if the don’t well… you can always refer to Granny’s tips ;)
