I think figuring out my foundation shade has been a little better, though I fight endlessly with the shade discrepancy between my face and neck in a battle that may or may not ever be won!
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1. Blending!
2. Not relying on my face charts as much and starting to pick out colors that will go together and build a look on my own.
Creating dimension around my hooded eyes. But also figuring out which vlogger tricks and products are no-go’s for my skin type and facial architecture.
My brow game has clearly changed for the better. I still like natural brows, but I’m much better at shaping and filling.
I also have found my favorite brand of foundation, Giorgio Armani! I have stayed with them for almost 1.5 years, that’s a first for me to stay so loyal for so long to a brand.
I have an interesting theory, that the shade of foundation for face and neck could be just the same, since the head naturally casts a triangle shade to the neck, except for photo shooting in a well-lit studio setting. However personally I prefer a lighter shade for the face since that brightens me up and I look refreshing.
Two things: Patiently allowing my brows to not only grow in without giving up on them, but also getting their shape about as good as it’ll get.
Also being more patient when it comes to a more involved look, saving those for days when I have plenty of time, otherwise having several quick go-to looks for rushed days so that I’m not frazzled!
I totally agree! I’ve definitely come up with several go-to looks for quick days and that’s really helped me feel less overwhelmed when I’m out of time. And I’ve also spent the past year refraining from plucking and have definitely seen improvement in my brows! I’m glad I’m not the only one that had to actually work on growing brows and finding the right size this year. Lastly, since last year I’m waaaaay better at under-eye concealing, which is great since I have chronic dark circles.
Me too in the brows and letting them do their natural shape. I think it’s was probaly hard for you and I Nancy because when we came of age, it was in to take the natural shape away. So, I literally just had to put my tweezers in another room ..away from the makeup mirror. It made me think before auto reaching to pluck. Yay for brows! High five!
This is a difficult question to answer. I don’t know if my skills have improved so much… but the products and tools I started using last year really made a difference. Such as the ABH Dipbrow and cream contour palette in Fair, and the Goss, Marc Jacobs, and other brushes I’ve incorporated into my routine. If anything, my lipstick/liner skills have improved some because I’ve become more interested in such things this past year.
I think I’ve greatly improved filling in my eyebrows.
I don’t fee like I’ve improved anything in particuall but expanded on more ways of doing eyeshadow.
That say I’ve gotten faster at doing minimune makeuo in the morning. Mascara, nude waterline, corrector, concealer, and lipstick.
Yeah, me too! Thing is, I am naturally a different color in my face than I am on the rest of my body and there’s nothing that will fix that. Unless I plaster my face in foundation of course, but that’s not exactly a good look either.
I feel your pain. Foundation continues to be a struggle. I love the looks of sheerer makeup, but my face is completely a different colour (darker with a lot of ruddiness) than my neck and body which is a complex mix of light olive base, neutral beige and yellow overtones. Conversely, heavier cover foundations never completely nail my tones, no surprise, not to mention look stupid fake for regular day wear so I don’t care for them either. At this point I tend towards using an olive or neutral beige base CC cream and then stippling foundation with yellow on top. Lots of products seemingly pull my face into orange territory. Ugh.
Biggest improvement for me: eyeshadow. Thanks to the kajillion hooded eye tutorials on youtube and learning how to better blend. About time..
I have the exact same issues with my face/neck shades. I’m also light olive with redness in my face. No matter how much the foundation matches my normal skin tone it always leaned towards orange. I’ve recently started using a green color correcting primer and I feel like after 20+ years of using makeup I’m finally getting to where I want to be in terms of foundation. 🙂
I also sometimes still add some bronzer to my neck if I can be bothered.
Any particular brand of primer? I do have a green primer by KohGenDoh.. I don’t recall having an eureka moment with it though. It worked well as a primer for makeup longevity sake, but I was using it under KGD aqua shade 123 at the time which runs too peachy and about a shade dark for my skin so it invariably ended up looking off regardless. Been there with the bronzer on the neck and chest, but I hate that too because bronzers can go off on me and turn scary orange. Bobbie brown has one that has more of a red base that works quite well. Amazing to find someone else who has the same issues. Thanks for your response. My foundation journey has been long and difficult.
Not sure where you’re based, but this is a European brand, Catrice. (I don’t think it’s available in the States.) They have a green primer.
My foundation application. I never used to wear any, and if I did it was the wrong color in full coverage. The next thing I need to work on is contouring.
I really feel that my skincare regimen has vastly improved in my beauty routine. I’ve finally gotten to a point where I’ve found products that really work for my skin and use them consistently. My skin has really improved and my makeup really does look better!
Skincare – I turned 30 last year (*sob*) so I really started paying more attention to really caring for my skin as best I can. I started using a good eye cream, began using face oil/ serum as a pre-moisturizer step at night and bought a Mia 2. So far so good!
Brows! It used to take me so long. But, I finally was patient and grew them fuller. So much easier than trying to fill them forever!
I’m in the same boat with my neck and face not matching! I see some mua ‘s matching on peoples necks. Some do it on your jaw line. I had one match to mu chest (which I felt was odd) I can’t figure it out! I try to blend it down both and pick the best! What do you do Christine to solve this ?
I usually end up going a little lighter than my face and then blend down to about my throat. My cheeks have some redness but are lighter, so I think going a bit lighter is a better match in person. Undertones of the foundation tend to be the part that is more noticeable if it’s not a good match then it’ll be more apparent where I stop down my neck, lol.
It’s funny, but I think matching my face to my neck works better in photos but doesn’t work at all in person.
I’ve gotten better at incorporating warmer colors on my eyes. If I warm up the rest of my face with a warmer blush/lipstick/powder, I can pull off warmer shadows much better
Highlighting and contouring. I don’t do much contouring just a bit on my cheekbones everyday but I feel like it works for me. Also, playing around with highlighters and figuring out which colors that I own work best with the look that i am wearing that day.
My foundation. The Beauty Blender and Wayne Goss #1 brush (the larger one in the anniversary set) really, really make my foundation look good. Also, even though I hate having to mix foundation shades, I’ve gotten better at it to get the best match for me since I can range from NC25-35 and my face is lighter than my neck and chest.
the whole eyeshadow application, i’ve improved so much the crease blending process. it doesn’t look as a complete mess so i’m pretty satisfied.
Eye shadow techniques for my eye shape, and a little contouring here and there.
I also struggle with foundation color matching. I have tan/olive skin with super dark hyperpigmentation from acne scars, so if it’s just a shade too light, it won’t cover the dark spots, and anything dark enough for full coverage is too dark for my neck!
I have fair skin and it can be difficult getting the right shade of foundation. I have read that you are supposed to match it to your neck. However, depending on the season, it can look out of place, so this is why I take my foundation down to the base of my neck, so it doesn’t look odd. Sometimes I mix 2 shades of foundation or concealer, if I fall in between those 2 shades.
What I have learned: Maybe not exactly techniques, but I have learned more about how to use loose powders, ‘setting’ makeup, how to apply loose eye shadows and how to make the best use of products and tools. I have also learned a lot about skincare, for example, I use oils regularly, where I didn’t before because I didn’t really understand why I would need them.
Definitely gauging my foundation shade and blending, especially my base and eyeshadow. And contouring! I didn’t used to see the point until I went on stage and later saw the photos taken of me… Ian not afraid of it any more and I think I am Ready for it to be a part of my special occasions routine.
Skincare routine. IE I actually have a routine now. I have always been really good at taking my makeup off before bed and using lots of moisturizer and sunblock, but now I’m using a variety of products that actually are making my skin look and feel better.
It’s early yet, but I’ve gotten a lot better about avoiding hype and bandwagons, and making more conscious choices about what I do and don’t buy. I’ve also gotten a lot better about figuring out my personal style, when it comes to makeup (coverage/finish of foundation that I like, best way to do my brows, best shadow colors/formulas for me, becoming semi-competent at winged liner and flash lashes), which goes hand in hand with my buying decisions!
I have had my first “empty” for Neutrogena Water Boost Gel. I would definitely say that I practice a pretty good AM/PM skin care routine for a moisturizer and eye cream.
I am totally dedicated to washing my face and moisturizing over this last year. Hitting 57 seems to show the dryness and lack of moisturizer in years gone by.
All of my foundation routine. I discovered primer, I bought a beauty blender, and I finally started using something that matched my skin instead of my NYX Invincible shade that was peachy as crap. Everything else could use work still but at least my base looks good!
For me, it’s all about skincare. I’ve improved my morning and nighttime skincare routines such that I can actually see a difference in my skin, both with and without make-up and that’s the PRIZE.
I’ve finally found both products in skincare that seem to be working in unison for me and as a result, my makeup, especially foundation, just looks better. Because of improved skincare (both products and consistency) my complexion is probably the best it’s been in years, quite possibly ever. I’m hydrated, but not oily, I faithfully and carefully remove my make-up and then take my time cleansing my skin. I’m a devoted user of RetinA, sunscreen SPF 50, hydrating masks and foundations. I now know that a long wearing foundation just doesn’t to well on my skin, so I avoid them.
It’s taken me a long time to get to this point and I’m seeing the results of a committed skincare routine!
Applying eye shadows and layering the effects for my hooded eyes
Much better attention to my nightly skincare routine using serums and night creams.
My brows are still a bit of a problem.
Definitely, my foundation. I’ve started experimenting more with primers. I also stick with powder foundation which looks flawless, but not too cakey on my skin.
I’ve always been super serious about my skin care but recently I have been using the more expensive, yet truly better, products that I would never splurge for before. I got into the whole Asian Skincare thing a few years ago by dropping $$$ on the SK-II Essence and ever since seeing lovely results I have tried a few more of their products and 1 or 2 I really love and feel I really need but even though I want to try to get a routine that uses most of the same brand’s products (I just feel they all work better together that way) I’m not really interested in much else from them.
I also branched out to try other Asian highend brands like Tatcha, Amore Pacific, and Erborian to find some really great products. I’m huge on exfoliation and started out with St. Ives when I was like 12 but for some years now I’ve been using the Enzyme Powder Peel from Amore Pacific. I’d stopped it for awhile but realized that was a mistake so I finally bought another bottle and have been using a really nice deluxe sample cleansing set from Amore Pacific and I really love their Cleansing Oil- something I’d never would have used before, so it’s looking like I’m going to have to be buying that! Also, the Erborian Ginseng mask is awesome for my skin! I’m getting into my 30’s but still battling oily/shiny, yet dry skin so I’m trying to decide on the best moisturisers, age treatment, as well as blackhead and occasional breakout issues.
I guess what’s changed most is the amount of money I am willing to spend, as long as the product shows results! Oil Double Cleanse, not slacking on daily yet gentle exfoliation, being sure to stay moisturised, using different types of masks instead of the usual green clay types that sometimes leave me too dry, and just being more aware of how my skin feels and needs in terms of hydration and which serums to use to boost my products.
I KNOW my skin IS worth it, so if it works for me I find a way to always have the product to use even id it is expensive.
My brows, definitely. I finally found the right products and the right technique to make it easy enough, that I stopped just ignoring them out of frustration.
OMG! I have the same problem! My face is darker than my neck (hasn’t changed no matter how often I wear hats or reapply spf). If I get a foundation to match my paler neck, then once it wears and moves a bit, my face has strange patches of discoloration that looks like dry scaley skin. If I match my face, it looks like I am wearing a mask.
I think I have gotten better at treating my acne. I now have separate treatments for everyday prevention, redness&swelling, cystic acne, and surface pimples.
My face makeup application has changed to the point that I no longer have to touch up during the day. Also I am finally able to do a cat eye.
Definitely eyeshadow! This time last year, the most I’d use were two colors, one light-med. brown and a med.-dark brown. Also, I was clueless with how to combine colors. Now, I’m still learning, but I mainly use brighter colors and I come up with my own combos. I still struggle with foundation shades because my chest and shoulders are about 2-3 shades lighter. I’ve been better at not exposing my unprotected face in direct sun, so that’s helped even things out a bit. When in doubt, I go with the lighter shade.
For sure eyebrows! I’ve gotten much better at actually giving them a shape and making them look natural, while last year they admittedly looked kind of fuzzy and I didn’t really bother shaping them much. I just kind of threw powder over what was there already!
I’ve also improved at speeding up my routine, especially in the eyeliner department.
YIKESSSS!!!!! Where do I begin? First my skin care has improved drastically. My cremes,masks,waxing has never been better. Next is my foundation. Mixing different shades and going more sheer is summer. My primers,face powder, and contouring is so much more detailed ,especially since. my tools are a great importance too. Eye shadows are more lighter in touch and defined, also lighter eyeliner , no more raccoon eyes. Last is my blush,to which I use lightly, not like when I was younger and thought more blush was what I needed, (looking like a clown). LOL. And of course lipstick, although I loved reds and pinks,but as I got older, I realized I looked horrible with red lips, so I made a change to light beiges,browns, mauvey pinks, and light pink. And many,many sites such as temptalia who have helped me achieve almost perfection in the artistery of applying makeup.
Getting my eye brows on fleek as I have battled with it the whole of last year.
hmm, I think blending my eyeshadow and starting to make it work better with my hooded eyes. I also feel like I’ve gotten more creative in the past year :0)
as for foundation I always feel silly trying to match it? My neck is paler than the rest of my body, so when I match to my neck and don’t contour/bronze I look ghostly (even my mama comments on how ghostly I look when I match to my neck – lol)… but then if I match to my actual face color, it completely doesn’t match my neck and I have to blend all the way down my neck. I feel like I’m starting to strike an OK balance but I wish it were easier!
I’ve just about nailed my foundation, and when I say “just about,” I mean it’s not going to get any better. I need full coverage because of persistant, full-face rosacea, so my foundation will never look like skin, but it’s finally matching my neck, and neither cakey nor textured. As good as it gets!
I think I’ve gotten better about (with) experimenting with color and application of everything else (lips, eyes, cheeks), if that isn’t too vague. Also, for the first time ever, I’ve started doing minor, natural accenting of my brows (mostly to even out sparse areas or fill a couple chicken pox scars); not shaping, just evening, and it makes a pleasing difference.
I’ve gotten a better grip on managing my hair’s texture. I used to have totally straight, limp, lank, do-nothing hair. After I got sick, it turned very slightly wavy — which is really nice — but which also means that it’s also prone to a kind of frizz — it tries to turn itself into a giant puffball. I’ve finally developed a routine for blow-drying it straight and smooth, and another for bringing out the waves without the puff, when I’ve got enough time to let it air-dry, lpus a way to get enough grip back into it to do updos without my hair pins, sticks, forks etc. just sliding right out.
Better skin care. Use of brushes to apply foundation. Mixing foundation with highlighter. Finally trying Nars Orgasm cream blush and liking it. Using primer and finally knowing that most of what I do is just fine.
Now that I’ve finally bought a couple white foundations, I’m able to use a lot of formulas I like, but weren’t a perfect match. I’m also better at buying foundations/powders that do actually match. It’s hard when you’re pale but not necessarily yellow or really pink.
definitely highlighting and contouring – got the knack of it and love what it can do for your face
I still feel like a freshman in makeup, so I improved overall I guess. But what I am most happy about is that I feel able to combine shades, ie: chosing the right lipcolor or the right blush with a certain eyelook.
My eyeshadow application! I say this now as an encouragement because my birthday is coming up (3\30) and I will be doing the honors of beating face this year…. ?