Does This Make Sense to You? Yeah, Me Neither.

Great look; Help?

I'm going on the record: I hate pictorial and written step-by-step look diagrams. I can remember poring over Seventeen when I was a kiddo, trying to replicate the latest makeup trends. I had my Caboodle full of Bonne Bell, Wet N' Wild and Cover Girl all set up in front of the mirror. I'd get out my sponge tip applicators and try to follow the instructions...and fail miserably. I'd end up looking bruised or clownish. At first I thought I needed a better variety of color. So I took a special trip to the 99 Cent Store on the Ave in Seattle's University District to stock up. I found a palette of twenty-odd eyeshadows for 99 cents. Perfect! Now I was armed and ready to tackle the hot looks of 1992...and yet I failed again. Since I lived in Seattle where using Chapstick is considered full makeup, I had nowhere to turn for advice. My mom was up to her elbows in dirt, gardening in men's clothing most of the time. I doubt she had a clue where our local makeup counters were located. Did Seattle even have one in the minimalist early 90's? I was totally alone and adrift.

Um, what?

I became more and more frustrated. I didn't understand the terminology, the pictures were useless and there was no YouTube to turn to for live action guidance. I realize now it wasn't my fault. Check out both guides I've posted here. At no point is it clear how to hold the tools, what motions you should be using, how much product to use, nor where to actually place the product. The diagram at right suggests that if you hover various tools next to your eye, you will emerge with a perfectly blended and lined smoky eye. Right. And if you try following the above diagram I can almost guarantee you will end up with a raccoon-y wreck.

Let's get real. What works is to find an artist you trust and ask for a lesson. A good artist should be able to clearly explain step-by-step exactly how to do each part of any look. They should be able to break it down as simply as needed. When I do a lesson I have my client hold a hand mirror so they can watch what I'm doing as I explain. I talk about the tools (always high-quality brushes, people), how to hold them, how much product to use and how to move the brush to get the desired effect. Oftentimes I will do one eye and have the client do the other, so she can get comfortable with new techniques while being able to ask questions. How many times have you bought a bunch of new makeup because you thought it looked cool, or liked what an artist did on you at the counter, only to get it home and feel completely intimidated? Then you shoved it all in your makeup bag and never used it. You looked at it longingly, heaved a sigh and wished you were a different person. Hey, come over sometime and I'll help you figure out how to use all that shiny new stuff. You'll feel confident and polished and we can crumple up and recycle these useless diagrams.