Makeup base, also referred to as a primer, is a cosmetic product that is

applied to the skin before foundation or concealer. It is typically simply a

clear, matte finish or a very light tint. Its purpose is to smooth out

lines, wrinkles, or blemishes, and give the foundation or concealer a

smooth palette for application. It also helps to absorb oil, and cuts down on

shine throughout the day, which can help the makeup last longer. A

makeup base is typically oil free, and may include some moisturizing

ingredients as well, to condition the skin even as it serves as a base for

makeup.

A step-by-step guide to
achieving the perfect makeup
base

Step 1: Wash your face

Ensure that your face is free of pollutants, and not greasy. Do not forget, your face is an empty
canvas for the products you are going to use. Make sure you don’t dry out your face by washing too
much; pop those blackheads and scrub well to ensure there’s no dead skin layer.

Step 2: Hydrate the skin

An important step to any good makeup routine is moisturisation. Hydration allows the
makeup to sit smoothly and glide on your face. Prime it with a moisturiser. Lather your skin
and massage enough to get the blood flowing in your face. Ensure that you choose a
moisturiser with sunscreen in it to protect your skin. If you have a dry skin, choose a
lightweight cream moisturiser, and if your skin is prone to acne, choose a moisture with
salicylic acid in it.
Step 3: Add primer onto your skin

Primer is an important makeup base that is extremely underrated. A primer’s main job is to
fill the open pores of your skin and smoothen it in preparation for foundation or concealer. To
apply primer, dab a small amount onto your cheeks, the T-zone (forehead and the nose), and
chin. Blend the primer into your skin using your fingertips or a foundation brush. Primers
usually have a silicon finish and you need a tiny bit of it. The market also has a range of
tinted primers that do a two-in-one job of smoothening your skin and colour-correcting the
tone, if needed.

Makeup must-haves to carry in your handbag this festive

season
If you have dull skin, we recommend you use a light pink primer to give it a healthy glow. A
green-tinted primer neutralises uneven redness or acne spots, and if you do not want your
face to look sallow, use a lilac tinted primer to neutralise unhealthy tones.
Step 3: Hide dark circles
Start by using concealer on your under-eye area if you have dark circles. In case you need some
heavy-duty coverage, begin with an orange concealer to colour correct. Next, go for a concealer that
matches your skin tone. Ensure that it is of creamy formula. Apply in little stripes with a pointed
concealer brush. You could also use your ring finger for the lightest touch. The warmth of your skin
helps blend it well. Ensure that you don’t tug on delicate under-eye areas.

A little tip: In order to get the perfect blended coverage for your fine lines, use the point of
your brush and always press the product into the skin, rather than rubbing or brushing it on.
This way, the product will not crease in your fine lines.
Step 4: Apply a layer of foundation
Foundation evens out your skin tone and gives you a beautiful glow. Ensure you take the
right amount of foundation to cover your face. Dot small amounts all over your face — your
cheeks, forehead, chin, and the bridge of your nose. Don’t forget the neck! For light
coverage, use your fingertips to blend the foundation towards the edges of your face. For a
heavier coverage, use a damp beauty sponge or a buffing brush to blend the foundation into
your skin. Make sure you use the right colour. You can get one by mixing two colours or go
for a brand which has a wide range of shades. The right shade would be invisible on your
chin and neck in full daylight.

The ultimate guide to choosing the right foundation

Step 5: Apply translucent setting powder
This is the last step to achieving that perfect base. Prepare your face with a translucent setting
powder. It is a clear powder that locks in foundation and soaks up any makeup product or
excess oil that your skin may produce. Apply a thin layer of setting powder all over your face
with a large fluffy makeup brush. If you have dry skin, we suggest setting your base near the
eyes and chin so that the foundation doesn’t crease. Make sure to blend in the areas properly
to avoid a ‘cakey’ buildup.
Step 6: Set it with a setting spray
This isn’t really an important step and is mainly done by makeup artists to hold on to the makeup.
The purpose of using a makeup finishing spray is to prevent your makeup from smudging, creasing
or fading. You could always spray some in between touch-ups, too. There are two kinds of makeup
setting sprays: one that gives your makeup a matt finish and other that provides a satin finish.

Eye makeup

Subtle and effective eye makeup, chosen and blended with her skin and eye colour. An eye pencil or liner
on her eyebrows, two shades of eye shadow on the eyelids, dark brown or black mascara on the lashes,
eye liner on her bottom lid and corner of upper lid.

Full-on mascara creates a more dramatic effect

A more vivid and adventurous style. Black mascara and eye liner, and two or three-coloured eye shadow.
Notice the carefully graded shifts in colour.

Subtle but brilliant. The grey-silver on the eyelids picks up the slate blue of her eyes. The outer light
orange/brown eye shadow links to the eyebrows and hair.

Eye makeup is a type of cosmetics which aims to make the eyes look noticeable
and attractive. It is mostly used by females, and by stage performers of all types. Eye
makeup is an important part of the fashion and cosmetic industries.
The idea can be taken much further. The colour of the eye can be altered by
using contact lenses. Glitter and other appliqués can be stuck on near the eye.
Fake eyelashes or eyelash extensions are possible.

Mascara[change | change source]

Mascara is a cosmetic used to darken, colour, thicken, lengthen, or
define eyelashes. Historically, it was (and still is) usually black, but now it also comes
in many colours and tints. Mascara comes in three forms: liquid, cake, and cream. It
is available in tubes with wand applicators. Ingredients in mascara include water,
wax thickeners, film-formers, and preservatives.

Eye shadow[change | change source]

A powder eye shadow palette with brown shades for normal day wear; the two center colors are sparkly
while the silver and white shades are for creating shadows and highlights.
Note eyebrow plucking; simple black eye liner; good choice of lipstick colour; feminine lacey neckline.

Eye shadow is a cosmetic that is applied on the eyelids and under the eyebrows.
The average distance between eyelashes and eyebrows is twice as big in women as
in men. Pale eye shadow visually enlarges this area and has a feminising effect.
Eye shadow can be applied in a variety of ways depending upon the desired look.
Typically application is done using sponges, fingers, and/or brushes. The most
important aspect of applying eye shadow, and makeup in general, is blending well.
To remove eye shadow, a commercial eye makeup remover may be used, though a
face wash will usually remove all traces of colour. Generally it is easy to remove, and
simple water and soap can be used. Eye shadow, eyeliner, and mascara may also
be removed using baby oil or olive oil. There are also makeup wipes that may be
used.

Eye liner[change | change source]

Eye liner is a cosmetic used to define the eyes. It is applied around the contours of
the eye, along and above the edges of the eyelids where the eyelashes grow. Often
applied just on the outer half of the eye.
Creating a baseline[1] is the first step in applying liner. It provides a level surface that
makes it easier to apply the liner and gives you more control
Types[change | change source]
Depending on its texture, eyeliner can be softly smudged or clearly defined. There
are six main types available on the market:[source?]

 Liquid eyeliner is an opaque liquid that usually comes in a small bottle and is
applied with a tiny brush or felt applicator. It creates a sharp, precise line.
 Powder-based eye pencil is eyeliner in a wood pencil. It is generally available in
dark matte shades.
 Wax-based eye pencils are softer pencils and contain waxes that ease
application. They come in a wide variety of intense colours as well as paler
shades such as white or beige. Wax-based eyeliners can also come in a cone or
a compact with brush applicator.
 Gel eye liner, which can easily be applied with an eyeliner brush.
 Kohl eyeliner pencil is known for its creamy consistency. It is often used to create
a smokey eye effect. Because of its texture, it may not be the best choice for an
eyeliner that you want to stay put.
 Eyeshadow or cake liner applied to the eyelid with an angle brush can serve as a
more natural-looking alternative to heavy eyeliner. Cake liners look like pressed
shadows that turn into a creamy liquid when you dip a wet brush into them.
Kohl[change | change source]
Kohl is an ancient black eye pigment which survives to the present day in
the Mediterranean, the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent. It was a dark-
colored powder made of crushed galena (lead sulfide) and/or antimony,
burnt almonds, lead, cupric oxide, ochre, ash, malachite, or any combination of
them.[2] It may be used as an eye liner, mascara or eyeshadow.
The upper and lower eyelids were painted in a line that extended to the sides of the
face for an almond effect. In addition to reducing sun glare, it was believed that kohl
eyeliner could restore good eyesight and reduce eye infection.[3] Kohl was kept in a
small, flat-bottomed pot with a wide, tiny rim and a flat, disk-shaped lid.
According to images of the time, the use of makeup was not limited to women.
Highly polished silver and copper mirrors aided the application of makeup.[4]

Eyebrow
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, see Eyebrow (disambiguation).

Eyebrow
 An eyebrow and eye

Details

Identifiers

Latin Supercilium

MeSH D005138

TA98 A15.2.07.023

A16.0.00.017

TA2 181

FMA 54237

Anatomical terminology

[edit on Wikidata]

An eyebrow is an area of short hairs above each eye that follows the shape of the
lower margin of the brow ridges of some mammals. In humans, eyebrows serve two
main functions: first, communication through facial expression, and second,
prevention of sweat, water, and other debris from falling down into the eye socket. It
is common for people to modify their eyebrows by means of hair removal and
makeup.

Functions[edit]
A number of theories have been proposed[by whom?] to explain the function of the
eyebrow in humans. One approach suggests its main function is to prevent moisture
(mostly sweat and rain) from flowing into the eye. Another theory holds that clearly
visible eyebrows provided safety from predators when early hominid groups started
sleeping on the ground.[1][clarification needed]
Recent research, however, suggests eyebrows in humans developed as a means of
communication and that this is their primary function. Humans developed a smooth
forehead with visible, hairy eyebrows capable of a wide range of movement. Such
eyebrows can express a wide range of subtle emotions – including recognition and
sympathy.[2][3]

Cosmetic modification[edit]
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An eyebrow that has been modified via waxing

Fashion in eyebrow shape has changed throughout the ages and eyebrows have
always featured heavily in female fashion, often as part of cultural demands made on
women about body hair.[4][5]
Cosmetic methods over the centuries have been developed to alter the appearance
of eyebrows, by adding or removing hair, changing the color, or changing the
position to meet the aesthetic ideal of the time, for example, by tinting the eyebrow
with permanent dye, similar to hair colour, often in order to darken them.[6]
Eyebrow brushes, shaders, and pencils are often used to define the eyebrow or
make it appear fuller. These can create an outline for the brows or mimic hairs where
there are sparse areas. Brow gels are also used in creating a thicker brow; they
allow for the hairs to be more textured, which gives the appearance of thicker, fuller
brows. Lastly, brow powders or even eyeshadows are used for those who want a
fuller and more natural look, by placing the brow powder or eyeshadow (closest to
the natural hair colour) in areas where there is less hair.
Several options exist for removing hair to achieve a thinner or smaller eyebrow, or to
"correct" a unibrow, including manual and electronic tweezing, waxing, and
threading. The most common method is to use tweezers to thin out and shape the
eyebrow. Waxing is becoming more popular. Lastly, there is threading eyebrows,
where a cotton thread is rolled over hair to pull it out. Small scissors are sometimes
used to trim the eyebrows, either with another method of hair removal or alone. All of
these methods can be painful for some seconds or minutes due to the sensitivity of
the area around the eye but, often, this pain decreases over time as the individual
becomes used to it. In time, hair that has been plucked will stop growing back. Some
people wax or shave off their eyebrows and leave them bare, stencil or draw them in
with eye liner, or tattoo them on. In Western societies, it has become more common
for men to pluck part of their eyebrows.
To create a fuller look, eyebrows can be cloned in an eyebrow transplant. Individual
strands of the eyebrow are created to mimic a natural-looking eyebrow of the desired
shape. The process of eyebrow transplant is quite similar to the process of hair
transplant. In this process as well, follicles from an active area are transferred to the
area where there are no hairs. Follicles are mostly taken from the back of the head
because it is the best harvesting site when it comes to hairs. The follicles are then
injected into the skin.
The healing process after an eyebrow transplant is similar to the process of tattoo. In
this process, patients may experience light bruising and crusting of the skin. People
who have genetically thin eyebrows or who have over-tweezed are considered ideal
for the transplant.
An eyebrow lift is a cosmetic surgery to raise the eyebrow, usually to create a more
feminine or youthful appearance. It is not a new phenomenon, with the earliest
description of brow lifting published in medical literature in 1919 by French surgeon
Raymond Passot.[7] Brows can be affected during a face lift or an eye lift. In the
1970s, doctors started injecting patients' eyebrows with botox or similar toxins to
paralyse the muscles temporarily to raise the eyebrow.[8]
Japanese women and men from the 8th century practiced hikimayu: that is, shaving
or plucking the eyebrow hair and painting smudge-like ones higher on the forehead
or pencilled in thin ones in a different place. This practice is comparable to that in
the Elizabethan era when high-status women would remove eyebrows altogether.
[4]
Thin eyebrows, achieved by rigorous plucking, were again fashionable in the 1920s
and 1930s.
In the 21st century, tattooing became popular as a way to achieve and maintain an
eyebrow shape, using a coil machine, rotary machine and linear machine. This
process, also called cosmetic tattooing, microblading, or blade and shade brows,
involves an eyebrow artist making small, precise cuts that mimic the look of hair.
Shaving lines in eyebrows is another cosmetic alteration, popular among some
younger people in the 1990s and 2000s.[9]

Gallery