Expert Eye Makeup Tips

All About Scene - Style and More
So what is scene, you might be wondering? It can be a lot of things, but those involved with this culture would say that it is a form of expression. They would also tell you that scene is NOT emo. They are related, but they're NOT the same thing.
From what I can tell, the biggest differences between the two are clothing, personalities, outlooks on life and perception of themselves. For starters, most scene kids don't discuss or admit to being scene. (Why? According to some of them, only "posers" [fakers] call themselves scene, which makes it seems less cool. That, and the fact that scene kids don't like to be labeled, not even as "scene".) Many of them often wear brightly colored clothing, accessories and hairstyles. They also have very sassy, bubbly, outgoing and confident personalities, and are generally pretty content with life. Emo kids tend to wear darker colors, are very pensive and often withdrawn socially (except maybe from other emo kids), and seem to be rather discontent with life. And so, this article mainly focuses on scene, NOT emo.

This subculture supposedly started anywhere between 2004 to 2006, initially fueled by MySpace. Participants would (and still do) dress up in colorful clothing and poufy but piecy hairstyles. They then take their own photo or have a friend take pictures of them. The pictures are then posted online, on whatever social networking sites they participate in (MySpace, Facebook, Bebo, Buzznet, etc.). I should note that sometimes the pictures are a bit much, with a few girls sometimes posing in a t-shirt and undies or bra and undies. But most of the pictures are simply of teens & twenty-something year olds in the usual scene clothing and scene styled hair.
Some of these same people have now become online/internet celebrities, famous for their pictures, their fashion sense, their hair, and their personalities. Some of them even have their own clothing and merchandise lines. Girls seem to be dominating scene culture right now, although there are some famous scene boys as well. The most famous girls are often called "scene queens". Among them-- Audrey Kitching, Jac Vanek, Hanna Beth, and Kiki Kannibal, just to name a few. Google any of them, and you will find several of their websites and fan websites.
Scene fashion involves three things-- clothing and accessories, hairstyle, and makeup. As far as clothing and accessories are concerned, if you Google "scene style" and then click on images, you'll see that most scene fashion involves a lot of color and often eccentric taste. Basic staples of this fashion genre include brighly colored clothing and accessories/jewelry, vintage t-shirts, DIY clothing, the "scene diamond/gem" symbol (like the jewelry seen in photo above), the "brass knuckles" symbol (silver piece of jewelry located near blonde on bottom right is an example), and more. Other famous brands among scenesters (and elsewhere) include Skelanimals, Hello Kitty and Jessica Louise.
The makeup and hairstyles are just as colorful and eccentric as the fashion is. The hair can be any color- bright pink, green, blue, purple,--- and often (but not always) styled with a poufy crown up top of the head, with piecy straight ends. Sometimes hairpieces and extensions are used to make the hair look thicker and fuller. Coontails-- which look like racoon tails, but worn in one's hair-- are sometimes worn. Sometimes hairpieces with leopard or zebra print patterns are used instead of coontails. The makeup staples often involves heavy black eyeliner along with different colored eyeshadows and/or lipsticks. There are plenty of YouTube video tutorials on scene hairstyles and makeup for those who want ideas.

How to Find Makeup Outlet Stores

Makeup Outlet Stores can be fabulous places to find makeup bargains. Yet cosmetics companies don't seem to do much to advertise or market these sources for discontinued cosmetics and overstock makeup.
Cosmetics Company Outlet or CCO Outlet
This is the outlet store that gets the most people talking. It's more widely known than most other brands. CCO Outlet is owned by Estee Lauder and that company owns most of the make up brands that many of us adore when we visit specialty stores like Sephora and Ulta. In fact, Estee Lauder owns MAC Cosmetics in addition to others like Clinique, Bobbi Brown and Smashbox, and has owned Stila and some other high end luxury cosmetic brands.
If you're looking for a MAC makeup outlet, CCO is your place. They have a decent selection of discontinued MAC products, and are often a source for limited editions that you may have missed out on the first time around. The Cosmetics Company Store also carries a wide variety of hair and body care products in addition to fragrances and colognes. Estee Lauder also owns Bumble and Bumble, Tommy Hilfiger, and they even own La Mer though I've never seen that at any CCO!
Look to outletbound.com to see if there is a CCO in your region.
Bare Escentuals Makeup Outlet Store
I was recently out at a Premiere Outlet store in Las Vegas, NV. Much to my surprise, I saw a Bare Escentuals Outlet Store! I didn't even know such things existed. The selection was small and the discounts weren't anything to get too excited about. But a bit of research shows that there are 3 more of these makeup outlet stores in the USA. Find more information at outletspotter.com. These seem to be located in Indiana, Texas and Virginia.
Neutrogena Cosmetic Company Outlet
I'm not sure if this exists anymore. I'm told there was one of these near the Los Angeles Airport but when i tried to track it down further, I couldn't find it. I can't seem to find it using Google either.
Lancome The Company Outlet
Lancome doesn't get nearly as much press for their outlet store as Estee Lauder does. But if you can find one, Lancome's outlet store tends to have better prices and steeper discounts than The Cosmetics Company Outlet. L'Oreal owns Lancome, and something like 500 more brands, but you won't find drug store brands at the Lancome Outlet. I've seen Kiehl's and some other products that didn't capture my attention too carefully. But the outlethas fabulous prices on Lancome.
If you can't find what you're looking for in your own region, there are many online makeup outlet stores that carry Estee Lauder, Lancome Urban Decay, Stila, Smashbox, and many other brands you love.

How to Apply Airbrush Makeup for Everyday Wear

It's simple and easy to learn how to apply airbrush makeup for your everyday makeup look. Airbrush makeup gives a long wearing, natural looking finish. The foundation formulations can be in matte or dewy depending on your personal preference.
You can choose silicone based foundation which will give superior coverage and hold up for a very long time under hot studio lights but can have a plastic like look on the face.
Airbrush makeup foundation also comes in a water base with a mineral pigment mixed. Both of these choices need to be shaken very well before use to help get a smooth and even application.
There are 3 simple steps to doing great airbrush makeup at home:
1. Start with a clean and moisturized face
2. Load the stylus with a few drops of foundation. Start the system, and hold the stylus about 8 inches away from your face, now gently pull half way back on the lever to start the air flow into the stylus cup that is holding your foundation.
3. Now move the stylus in large circles across your face-or the area that needs foundation, or bronzer, or blush and eyeshadow! The true secret to great airbrush makeup is to keep the stylus moving at all times, in circles-whether big or small of doing detail on the face like hiding a pimple or concealing an age spot.
There are 3 main companies that provide air brush makeup systems: Luminess Air, Kett Cosmetics and Temptu. Each of these companies offer a pro makeup artist machine as well as an at home system for the everyday lady who wants superior makeup application at home.

I like the Luminess Air brush makeup system because of it's affordability, ease of use and easy to clean plus it comes with great customer support. In my experience the Kett Cosmetics brand is perfect for special fx makeup and doing a lot of body makeup. The Temptu brand has several choices but I had challenge with the customer service.
If you are getting married, doing your own airbrush makeup for the wedding will ensure you get an amazing look in the wedding photos while having a look that lasts through the ceremony and reception.
Remember to clean your airbrush makeup system thoroughly after every use to ensure a smooth application every time.

Should Men Wear Makeup?

I received a call at work a few weeks ago from a friend who sounded frantic. "Dale, I have a huge pimple on my nose!" he cried. "It's really bad. Uh, is there any way that you could cover it with some of that stuff?" He was referring to concealer and while he'll remain nameless of course, I helped him cover it and thought this cosmetic anecdote might help us ease into the topic of 'men wearing makeup.' It's more common than you think.
Did you watch the Academy Awards red carpet coverage last Sunday? In case you missed it; Angelina Jolie stole the show with her overly exaggerated pose popping her leg out of her gown as if her thigh was the hottest new fashion accessory. However, it was a glowing Brad who caught my attention. I couldn't help but notice Pitt's unnaturally pretty complexion. It's common knowledge all actors wear makeup on set, but I noticed he was wearing foundation, concealer, a bit of light shadow and definitely some highlighter. AskMen.com recently conducted a survey among a group of 'urban professionals' and 20% of men said it was perfectly fine to wear makeup. In fact, concealer is at the top of the list of recommended cosmetics for men.
I would never pressure a guy into wearing light makeup, unless he wanted to. Is it fair that when a woman has a bright red blemish on the middle of her forehead or bags under her eyes, she can simply dot on a bit of concealer, but a man can't? I'll leave the concealer debate up to you, but there are three subtle products I think every man should own starting with eye-cream. Applying eye-cream every night is a smart move because it keeps the delicate skin around eyes moisturized and can also can help with under eye circles and puffiness. Men should also wear sunscreen every day. There are sunscreens that are extremely light weight and can simply be part of your morning routine. Depending on your skin tone, owning some sort of man tanner is very common. I don't suggest going anywhere near a Jersey Shore shade, but "sun tone enhancers," and men's bronzers are products you can easily find in department stores.

I was recently hired to do makeup and styling on the set of a promo shoot. The low budget commercial was for a new I-phone app in the Bay Area starring a man and woman. As I finished applying her fake eyelashes, the director said, "don't forget to do his makeup too," pointing to the male lead. I applied light concealer and some contouring with bronzer. He wondered what his fiancé was going to think when she saw him and seemed rather uncomfortable with the makeup process, until he looked in the mirror. "Wow, that stuff really does make a difference," he said. It sure does and if the day comes when you decide to experiment with concealer, please be sure to blend well or ask a trusted female for a few pointers.