We have covered pretty much all of the main bases. A solid foundation, a selection of eyeshadows and now it’s time for the finishing touches to complete any makeup look. When I talk about finishing touches these are the things that pull a look together for me.
My step by step process goes:
Clean face > conceal and lay a base > eyeshadow > brows > eyeliner > lashes > lips > blush, contour and highlight.
9 times out of 10 I follow that routine unless I am using a super powdery eyeshadow which has a higher chance of fall out. Fall out is eyeshadow that ends up on the tops of your cheeks . The amount of times I’ve had to reapply my foundation because of it is ridiculous. It is so annoying in fact that there are products out there to catch it but if you don’t like spending money unnecessarily then I’d do the foundation after the eyeshadow but do what works for you. Make your technique your own.
Brows
A good set of eyebrows frames the face perfectly to highlight all your best features. Shape and size does matter be it day to day or for a cosplay look. The norm when it comes to animation is thin. So to get that look without getting rid of the brows you do have just blot out your brows.
Covering Brows
To cover your brows you need no more than 5 things:
- Non-toxic glue stick
- Spoolie/Spatula
- Powder
We will discuss the application in more detail at a later date.
Once your brows are covered or not you need eyebrow pencils. Now these pencils do not have to be specifically for brows only. They can be standard eyeliner pencils. For brightly coloured eyebrows I would go for eyeliner pencils too.
Matte finishes are usually best for character brows as most characters don’t have shimmery hair. Unless you are doing an Effie Trinket look of course.
There are so many options, so many options when it comes to eyeliners. Most drugstore brands would have a selection to pick from so the cheaper alternatives are countless.
Eyebrow Pencils and Eyeliners
Wet’N’Wild Color Icon – €1.99 (found in Penneys and some Dunnes Stores)
NYX – €4.99
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz – €18.64
Eyebrow Markers, Gels, Wax and Powders
Barry M Eyebrow Pen – €7.49
Rimmel Brow Gel – €5.49
Sleek Brow Kit – €10.99
Benefit Brow Zing – €34.00
Setting your brows is fairly important too, getting your brows on fleek is great and all until your wipe the sweat off your forehead and take most of your brows with it.
Eyeliner
Do not underestimate eyeliner. Seriously, it can smell your fear and can make you cry. Practice, practice, practice is all I can say about it’s application. Different techniques can create different effects.
The three types or eyeliner I think everybody should try experiment with.
Soft Pencil, Liquid and Gel.
Pencil is usually alot of peoples first foray into eyeliner. Eyeliner pencils are usually soft, easy to apply and can smear like crazy.
Liquid eyeliner can be super difficult to wrap your head around. Different applicators can make the experience harder or easier.
Gel Liner is a happy medium between liquid and a soft pencil. It has the sharpness you can get from a liquid liner and the blendability you can get from a soft kohl penil.
Soft
Wet n Wild – €1.99
Rimmel Soft Kohl – €4.69
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On – €18.00 – €19.50
Gel
Essence – €3.29
Rimmel ScandalEyes – €7.99
Maybeline Eye Studio – €11.99
Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel – €24.00
Liquid
Essence – € 2.99
Sleek Dip It – €5.99
Maxfactor Liquid Glide – €9.99
Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof – €19.50
The great thing about eyeliner is that it very rarely needs to be set, if it is waterproof you are pretty much set to go. The softer the eyeliner the more blendable it is. So if you want a soft grunge like smear then go for a soft kohl eyeliner but on the other hand if you need a cat eye sharp enough to cut steel then you need a liquid liner.
Eyelashes
Eyelashes can be a blessing and a curse. Eyelashes come in all sorts of variations. Long, short, thin, thick, curly, straight and everything in between.
If you are one of the blessed and have long thick lashes….I envy you. Seriously though if you never need to use false eyelashes then all you really need is a solid mascara for that extra pizazz.
Mascara is always a great thing to have, it can add a little something to a completely bare face that can open up your eyes giving you that doe eyes look.
As someone with super curly eyelashes mascara helps me get that little bit of extra length that I always like to have. Mascaras are definitely a hit and miss for me. When I find a mascara that does me justice I tend to be loyal and stick to it.
Lash primers are also useful if you are lacking in the thickness department. If we have learned anything about primers is that it makes things buildable be it loose foundation, eyeshadow and now mascara. If you are going to use one of those duo sets then wait for the white mascara to dry before you add the black, streaky eyelashes arent a great look…unless that it what you are going for.
Mascara Primer
Elf Mascara Primer – €6.18
Smashbox Lash Primer – €17.50
Urban Decay Subversion – €19.00
Mascara for Length
Natural Collection Length – €2.79
Rimmel Extra Super Lash – €6.99
L’Oréal Telescopic – €16.99
Mascara for Volume
Natural Collection Lash Build – €3.09
Bourjois Volume Glamaour – €10.49
Urban Decay Perversion – €21.00
Try not to sneeze straight after doing your mascara and it hasnt dried yet. It will break your heart when everything is amazing, even your eyeliner is even and BOOM instant panda. Instead try fan your eyes to get them to dry. Overloading on mascara can be really handy if you are cosplaying a plethora of characters as the eyes will be better framed for all those photos.
Also I would recommend investing in a lash/brow comb combo as they are very versatile. One side will comb your brows into shape and the other side is really handy when it comes to de-clumping post mascara application.
That is is for this weeks makeup bag. Now that everything is pretty much on fleek as the young like to say we can go onto the finishing touches lips, blush, contour and highlight. At this point you have the solid beginnings of a good cosplay makeup kit.
