There are a select group of woman who are fortunate enough to be able
to wear almost any colour of eyeliner or eyeshadow they want. This
group is, of-course, the brown eyed girls.
Brown is a naturally
neutral colour, allowing itself to blend well with almost every colour
spectrum. Whether your eyes are the deep and rich brown of molasses, or a
lighter hue of milky chocolate, the colour palette was made for you.
All
too often, women with brown eyes make the mistake of thinking they can
only wear dark colours for eyeliner and eyeshadow. Not true at all. In
fact, dark colours tend to be too aggressive for brown eyes, and your
natural colour will get lost. Instead, choose colours and shades that
will make your eyes pop and dazzle.
Choosing a colour combination
for your eyes will depend on your personality and sense of style. Blues
and purples are fabulous for brown eyes, but you will look just as
glamorous in earthy tones such as green or, yes, even brown. If you
choose to wear eyeliner, you can choose either a colour that matches
your shadow, or if you're feeling bolder, a nice contrasting colour that
will stand out.
The secret to shadowing brown eyes is applying
your colour in a trio. Choosing a basic colour about one shade darker
than your natural skin tone is best. Highlight and lowlight colours
should complement the originating shade. Using the darkest colour (the
lowlight), start at the inside corner and apply the shadow to the base
and crease for the first third of your eye. The basic colour can fill in
the remaining two thirds of the base of your eye and the crease. Last,
apply a highlighting colour to the top portion up to the brow.
For
added drama, you can apply some of your base colour just below the
lower lash to make your eyes sparkle. A little mascara will finish off
the look for the beautiful brown eyed girl.
There are two main kinds of cleaning
required for those who use airbrush makeup. The first is cleaning between
application of different makeup; the second is cleaning after completing your
makeup routine. For those new to airbrushing this may seem a little daunting
but it's really no worse than keeping your regular makeup tools clean. Remember,
airbrush makeup guns will not work properly without regular and proper
cleaning. This article will help you cut down cleaning time significantly and
also contains information on the correct cleaning products and tools you should
be using when cleaning the airbrush makeup gun.
Most airbrush makeup kits come with
a branded fluid cleaner. The most important thing is not to use regular tap
water as it contains trace elements and metals that build up in your airbrush
gun over time and will eventually damage or clog it. Use distilled water or
filtered water only. Some airbrush makeup kits also come with a cleaning kit
which contains the right tools (usually brushes of various sizes) as well as
instructions for cleaning the airbrush. For those with an eco-conscience, there
are many chemical free cleaners which will be up for the job of cleaning your
airbrush gun. Look for a cleaner that is non-toxic, food-grade, hypoallergenic
and pH balanced.
There are two main types of airbrush
makeup: silicone-based makeup and water-based makeup. As you might imagine, the
former is harder to clean. The main parts of the airbrush gun that you need to
focus on are the needle/nozzle area and the cup area. The cup is the region where
you drip in makeup and the nozzle is where the makeup is sprayed out of the
gun.
Using a Q-tip (or cleaning brush)
wipe out residual makeup which will be inside the cup. Always be careful not to
damage the needle which is just below the area you are cleaning. This step will
not clean all the makeup out so you must then rinse with distilled water or
cleaner by 'back bubbling'. Back bubbling is the technique used to mix makeup
where the trigger is pressed half-way causing some air to bubble up into the cup
causing the makeup to mix together. If you do this with just water alone, the
bubbling effect will have a physical cleaning action and will effectively rinse
out the airbrush gun. To back bubble, block the nozzle of the airbrush gun
either with your finger or a nozzle cap (provided with some airbrush makeup
kits) and pull back the trigger which will cause air to escape through the cup
(as opposed to the nozzle). You may have to repeat this two or three times
before the makeup is fully rinsed out and only clear water/cleaner comes out of
the airbrush gun.
Don't forget, distilled water is
better than tap water because it is free from minerals like calcium which will
cause a residue build up over time.
Now you must clean the needle. Do
this by removing it according to the manufacturer's instructions and wipe off
any excess makeup. I highly recommend using a lint free cloth for this as
cotton wool or q-tips may tear or leave bits of material inside the airbrush.
A cleaning technique that most
airbrush makeup artists use is to soak their airbrush overnight or while they
are not using it. Some manufacturers actually sell special cups, or 'docking
jars', designed for this purpose and will fit your airbrush perfectly. The
airbrush gun must be soaked in distilled water and be face down. You'll find
that the excess makeup will have been diluted in the water and, since the
airbrush is immersed in liquid, the makeup will never harden inside the
components.
Every now and then it doesn't hurt
to do a maintenance clean of the nozzle. The back-bubbling technique should
form part of every airbrush makeup artists' routine as should regular soaking
in a docking jar. You don't have to disassemble and reassemble the airbrush
every time you use it, but keep in mind that the cleaner the airbrush gun the
better it works and the longer it will last.
Airbrush makeup is growing in popularity across the world and is
moving from television studios to small salons and even homes. This
change has meant that hundreds of new products have appeared on the
market making it difficult to tell which ones are worth the money.
When
choosing the right kit it is important to keep a few things in mind
throughout. In many ways, choosing an airbrush makeup kit is very
similar to choosing any product. The first thing that you need to
consider is the value of the product; is it worth your money? Some kits
are way too expensive for what they provide and others seem to cost very
little but actually will not work very well and will end up having to
be replaced in a few months time. If you are working with paying
customers then it is particularly essential that you have equipment that
works well every single time. Some brands such as Kett Cosmetics and
Dinair have been around for decades and are trustworthy with a good
warranty program. Others are less well reputable and cannot be relied
upon if something were to go wrong.
It is very important to
consider what kind of user you are. If you are a beginner then it is not
worthwhile getting a system which is designed for a salon. Many
companies now offer beginner kits which even come with a DVD to help get
you started. Understanding your level of competency will mean that you
will not waste money on a kit which may be too difficult for you to ever
learn on.
Selecting a good airbrush product comes down to a bit
of common sense and good research. Fortunately, there are some sites out
there which have reviews on products such as these that you can use to
choose the right product.
