MANILA, Philippines - The runway trends have it: it’s time to have fun with your look, ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s style. After finally being able to wrap our heads around contouring, strobing and clowning only a few months back, this beauty revolution of a comeback means breaking some rules.
Baking
You’ll need: Moisturizer, full and sheer coverage concealers, makeup sponge, wedge makeup sponge, setting spray, fluffy eye shadow brush, translucent powder, pressed powder
The old: Conceal imperfections after foundation then seal it in with translucent powder.
The new: Like the above techniques, this isn’t exactly new. This age-old drag queen secret makes efficient use of translucent powder. By letting it sit for five to 10 minutes, the body’s own heat “bakes” all base makeup into one smooth, creaseless layer.
It’s particularly great on the eye area, where most makeup creases. Plump up the area with some eye cream first, then apply a full coverage concealer upward from the apples of your cheeks, your temples, all the way underneath your eye, and then blend with a makeup sponge. Pat on a second coat of sheer concealer and then blend it in again with your makeup sponge to lock it in. Cover and smooth out all the creases before dusting on translucent powder with a fluffy eye shadow brush over the entire patch to set the base. Dampen a wedge sponge with setting spray and dip it into the translucent powder to pack the loose powder over the area where you applied the concealer. Leave it on and let it set — or bake, as the drag queens have called it for years — for five to 10 minutes. Whip out your fluffy eye shadow brush again and swirl it over pressed powder to dust away the translucent powder, focusing on blending away harsh edges while adding coverage.
You can also fake a better bone structure with this technique. Just repeat the steps on the bridge of your nose, your chin, forehead, and upper jawline
High blush
You’ll need: bright blush, fluffy blush brush
The old: Where to apply blush is based on your face shape. Oval-faced girls swirl it on the outer apples of their cheeks (applied while smiling, of course) and square and round faces get a sculpting effect from brushing it just along the hollows of the cheekbones. In the past months, you might have even ditched it for its more glamorous counterpart, matte bronzer.
The new: Whatever your face shape, sweep the blush on the high points of your cheeks for a doll-like flush that visually lifts the face. Any lower will have you looking like a Madame Alexander doll with cute, squeezable cheeks. Go for a bright shade of red, pink, or even orange for that pop of color that looks great on its own or complement the playful, colorful eyeshadow-focused looks of summer 2016.
Feral brows
You’ll need: eyebrow brushes, brow pencil, and brow pomade
The old: “On fleek” was the goal. After shaping your groomed brows with a pencil — emphasizing the arch and ends with stencil-like perfection — and filling it with powder, whip out your brow mascara and brush your brows in the direction they grow in.
The new: The key to achieving this look is to first have your brows grow as thick as they can; strays close to the shape of your brow are forgivable. Fill your eyebrows using light, hair-thin strokes only where needed, and with clear or dark brow mascara, brush it upwards, against the direction that they grow in. Make sure the beginning of your brows is most lifted. Make it bushy and unveil your brow’s Brooke Shields potential.
Last Friday, beauty blog-inspired cosmetics line Glossier released Boy Brow, a standout among other (perfectly fine) brow products because it is formulated specifically to create this look. “It’s a creamy, conditioning pomade (inspired by old-fashioned mustache wax) that, when brushed on with a tiny little precision-minded spoolie, fluffs up brow hairs and keeps them there all day with flexible hold — no crunchy gel vibes,” goes the site description.
Twiggy lashes
You’ll need: lengthening mascara and/or wispy falsies
The old: Mascara was applied by wiggling the wand on the roots to dispense as much fiber as you can to create volume, and then comb up for length. The Ariana Grande way to do it is to flare it at the ends to complement your cat eye. And you’re done!
The new: After applying mascara the usual way, add even more length by applying your mascara to your upper and lower lash section vertically using the tip of the wand. It’s okay if it looks spiky. For added drama, wear wispy falsies on your upper and lower lash line. The spikiness makes this look current. Ditch the white eye shadow and black liner cut-crease for tea-stained eyes, created with gradients of orange to brown eye shadow. This would look smashing with specs, too.