Skincare Color & Cosmetics

I’m a makeup artist and color analyst. The other day I did a makeover for a woman who was going to court and wanted to put her best foot forward. She had a black suit that was way too harsh for her muted warm Autumn coloring. Brown, Bronze, Camel, Warm Wine, Khaki or Tan are all much better colors for her. In black she looked harsh, like she is unhappy or trying to hide something. In pastels, she looks non-effectual and not capable. Blue is considered trustworthy but is not an Autumn’s best friend, so I recommended a little turqouise or warm teal near her face i.e. earrings or blouse, or at least an ivory. Her skin is medium, her hair is medium brown with soft auburn highlights. Her eyes are mossy green & topaz brown.

She looks wonderful in our Mineral Beige-Medium foundation, Aztec Blush, Ice Tea Lipstick & Chloe Lipstick, Jolt Lipstick and our newest browner tone, Euphoria Lipstick. All are easy on her dry lips. We settled on Ice Tea for under the greenish flouescent lights of the court house drain a bit from the browner tones. Waterproof Indelible Chocolate Mascara was just enough along with windup greenish brownish Sage Eyeliner, Irish Cream Shadow and Champagne Eyeshadow as a highlighter. I added a touch of new Avocado Shadow to the outer corners to bring out the warm green in her eyes.

She left with so much more confidence than when I met her coming in plus she looked pulled together and more attractive. Her husband was pleased that she looked natural yet vibrant. It’s my life pleasure to see women emerge in their true strength & beauty.

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Julia’s eyebrows are full but shaped to a medium size. 

Super thin eyebrows are very artificial looking.  Skimpy brows need filling in especially as we age or if we have a little scar or bare patch.  Try using soft Pro Eyebrow Pencils or Indelible Eyebrow Liners that never need sharpening with a little spooly brush at one end to train brows upward.

 Bushy brows look masculine and weigh down eyes.  Brook Shields has lovely brows for her face and they are very full but tamed.  Alli McGraw has lots of brows and straighter arch but again, she keeps them tamed and they balance her strong facial features & her height.   With fuller brows, try a Brow Brush and Comb then apply Brow Fix.

If brows are very long, just brush them straight up and snip with a small scissor along upper brow line, them brush them up and outward.  Only Andy Rooney (60 minutes) can pull off that bushy  Groucho Marx brow as a his trademark look.

For ‘Perfect Brows’ try our little packet of three sizes, Aura Eyebrow Stencils.  Just place the stencil against the brow to see where to fill in color.  If brows are too heavy, color in the brows within the stencil with powder, makeup (even pastels or lipstick works), then remove the stencil and start plucking below and between brows.  

*Use and Ice pack on brows or baby teether numbs it before plucking or waxing to minimize pain.

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As for me, I use a little white Smudge Protector called ‘Mascara Lash Guard’ when applying a glamorous mascara look.  I also keep a little remover that comes in a mascara tube with a wand ‘Take it Off Eye Makeup Remover’ nearby that is perfect for removing just a dab without ruining an entire makeup job. 

To remove mascara before bed,  use a cotten ball with contact approved Chamomile Eye Makeup Remover or Oil-free Eye Makeup Remover unless it’s heavy duty waterproof mascara, then use Indelible Makeup Remover with olive oil in the formula. 

People never seem to use the removers correctly.  They dab and smear.  Instead,  press the pad against any makeup and hold to the count of one,  two, three; then lift if off.  It takes a couple of seconds for the remover to do its thing.

Linda Rocheleau,

professional make-up artist

When it comes to eyebrow shaping, most of us have naturally nice browline for our face shape.  We may need a little tweaking and nearly everyone will have a few strays that need plucking from time to time.  Normally there are a few random hairs underneath the natural fullness of the brows that can be removed to give brows a cleaner line.

Guidelines to a perfect brow…

First thing is to try to make both brows look balanced with one another.  One brow is naturally higher, fuller or more arched and they don’t need to look cookie cutter.   Just give them a pleasant looking balance.  Look into a large mirror and notice if one needs a bit less or more filled in look (usually the outer brow is a bit sparse here and there.

Next, take a thin chopstick or pencil and hold it against your face to see if your inner brow lines up with the outside edge of your nose (where your nostril is).   If you have hair growing farther in towards the middle of your forehead, consider plucking them.  It will open up your eyes and look more relaxed.

Now take the same tool and angle it from nostril to outer corner of eye right past your brow.  If there are hairs outside this line, pluck them to raise your face visually.  Brows that curve down too far make one look older or sad.

Where should the arch be?  Ideally the high point is were the color or iris rims end and the outer white of the eye begins.  Try not to arch brows inward over the pupils or you will look eternally surprised. 

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Curling Eye Lashes

I hate using lash curlers on my own eyes.  I do use them on other’s eyes and prefer the padded type that doesn’t pull them out so easily.  For years I’ve had the habit of using the sides of my fingers to push upper lashes up at the base to train them to curl.  It really works.  If I  do curl my own,  I like to use Clear Mascara & let it dry first, then curl my lashes and apply mascara last (I’m dark haired and need Volumizing Mascara in Black or Plum olumizing Mascara to plum up my skimpy lashes).     

I’m still jealous of my highschool boyfriend’s lashes.  They are still long, thick and naturally curled perfectly on their own!   Guys get the lashes… 

Aura’s     Vixen Fake Eyelashes (seen here) and individual Eye Lashes Singles are chosen to look natural and have a lovely curve already plus glue and tweezers for multiple applications.

Actually they can, despite all the hype about lengthening lashes and growing longer lashes that’s the current rage in the U. S.   They are becoming spider legs that touch the brows and if your eyes aren’t brown the iris may be permanently stained brown_Yikes!

First of all, almost none of the photo models, runway models or movie stars you see photographed in magazines is wearing the mascara she is hyping.  Fake lashes are used for the photos!   I’m a make-up artist and many of my models wear fakes but most people in real life aren’t looking for Vampire Goth Eyes. 

Secondly, lashes are accentuated to bring out your EYES.  The whole point is to get others to look into your alluring eyes-not follow an overly harsh liner or lash legs around them.   Why do people think a glob of black looks good on blondes and redheads?  Yuk!

My own lashes are black and long enough but they are thin so I use Volumizing  Mascara and then apply a top coat of either Clear Mascara (it looks more natural and adds a sheen) or a little waterproof Indelible Black Mascara as a quick assurance I never smudge, even it I cry.