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No matter how thin, sparse, or short your lashes might be you can bring out their best length and volume just by following a few simple tricks of the trade. It starts with knowing what kind of natural lashes you have to build with, and the rest is combining the right mascara products with tools and application techniques. Maximizing length and volume with separation is your primary goal for the most beautiful “eye catching” results!
Understanding basic mascara formulas is one of the keys in choosing the right product for your needs. Mascaras are either water-based (an oil/water emulsion) or waterproof (waxes in a non-solvent emulsion). Water-based formulas can include thickeners, polymers and microfibers to induce length and volume. Some of these formulas may also contain latex to make them more smudge and water resistant in wear. Others can also contain protein binders, which are healthier to lashes, because they provide some small measure of protection if you wear mascara every day. Water-based mascara is easily dissolved and washed away along with your regular skin care routine.
Waterproof mascara formulas can also contain thickeners, polymers and microfibers to induce length and volume, however it has pros and cons. If you tend to have oily skin chances are that it will cause a water-based mascara to “shed” a bit in the eye area. The result is flaking under the eyes or a slight overall “raccoon eye” look. Wearing waterproof mascara virtually eliminates this problem. Another advantage is that waterproof mascara will hold a stronger curl, and help lashes to remain separated throughout wear.
Because it is made not to dissolve down easily under moisture, removing waterproof mascara at the end of the day takes more effort. You must use an eye makeup remover that will gently release the mascara bond on lashes and not pull or tug when wiped or rinsed off. Wearing waterproof mascara every day can also cause lashes to dry out of natural moisture over time, making them brittle and fragile to breakage.
As I mentioned before, you can achieve beautiful results using just one mascara brand for length and volume. It’s all in the prep, tools, and techniques that I will share with you in part 4.
Mascara is historically documented as a prized cosmetic used in ancient times. The early Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians were very fond of painting their eyes, and frequently used a substance  called kohl to darken their lashes, eyebrows, and eyelids. In the late 1880’s through 1905, two chemists in different countries (Eugene Rimmel and T. L. Williams) experimented with coal dust blended with petroleum jelly and soap ingredients to produce a marketable cosmetic made exclusively for the eyelashes. In 1915 Williams founded Maybelline, a cake mascara company named after his sister, Maybel, who inspired him with the idea for the product.
In the early 1960’s Maybelline introduced Ultra Lash Mascara, the world’s first automatic brush-in-a-tube mascara, which revolutionized the way mascara is applied. In 1971 Maybelline released Great Lash Mascara, a water-based formula that was much smoother in application than its original soap based formula. It remains as one of the company’s top selling mascara products.
Today, it’s not hard to miss the mascara brand wars being played out on TV commercials and in beauty magazines. Beautiful models with mega lashes fanned out in cartoon-like fashion are portrayed as if their mascara product is the only one that delivers mega-lash results. In reality this is nothing more than hyper commercialism at its worst, with a lot of help from false eyelashes and photo retouching, to boost your senses into thinking you can achieve the same results. Some brands even tout their mascara brushes as uniquely designed to deliver extraordinary mascara results.
The truth is, you can achieve beautiful looking lashes with any brand of mascara, even old fashioned dry cake mascara, which is still my favorite product to use. The basics for lovely looking lashes is in the preparation, technique, and the right tools for application. Stay tuned for part 3 where I will share some of my professional application tips that I use to achieve beautiful results with any lash type.
Mascaramentals, you say? Without a doubt, mascara is the world’s most elemental and celebrated cosmetic creation It’s the one beauty product that can instantly enhance any eye shape fast simply by bringing out the fringe. Even lean lashes can go from here to there, and give lift, brightness and excitement to the eyes with a swi pe of a brush.
Natural lash thickness and size is genetically pre-determined, but women everywhere always want the look of long, dark and lush-looking flutters. Mascara can literally open up eyes by making them look large, luminous, and alive to their own special drama.
Over the decades, mascara, along with lipstick, have been the leading favorites a woman will reach for when they want a simple forward look with a little color. Mascara was so revered during World War 2 that women would not give up the beauty of their dark tinged fringes. When cosmetic making machines were requisitioned for manufacturing weapons, makeup became very scarce. Undaunted, these ladies looked to other resources, such as black shoe polish, to stroke on their lashes.
Stay tuned for part 2 on this fascinating 4 part series on mascara and finding the right product and application techniques to creat your own beautiful lashes!
On Sunday, January 16th, Paint and Powder Cosmetics will host the First Annual Beauty Bargains to Benefit Babies Charity Fundraiser at Sweet B Studios in Chantilly, VA. The event will feature new and gently used cosmetics, jewelry, and fashion accessories for sale a t dollar store prices.
In addition there will be special surprise guests attending along with fabulous raffle prizes, and wonderfully tasty refresments! The Paint and Powder Cosmetics Pro Team will be on hand to give makeup demonsrations that pros and novice artists, or anyone interested in makeup will definitely enjoy.
Admission at the door is $5.00 each, and the event starts at 2 PM with the luck of the draw in a line up position for entrance into the shopping area. There will be opportunities to purchase raffle tickets at 1 dollar each throughout the afternoon before the prizes are raffled off at towards the e nd of the event.
Start the New year off right in helping to raise funds for a truly worthy charity. Come, browse buy dine, chat, meet, greet, and network with your fellow artists and others in an afternoon of food, fun, and fellowship. 100 percent of the money raised in this event will go directly to Baby Haven. Bring lots of bucks as this is a cash only event. Please RSVP if you plan to attend by sending an email to Suzanne@paintandpowderstore.com. The official invitation is shown below, and feel free to pass this along to your friends, family, and colleagues. We hope you will join us for this great event as we raise funds to further the support of this life saving organization. If you can’t attend but would like to donate directly to this charity, or get more information please go directly to the Baby Haven website by clicking here.
 Each week I get a number of makeup artists emailing me for advice about selecting the right airbrush equipment and airbrush makeup for their particular application needs. I have been teaching airbrush technology and technique through my professional workshops for nearly two decades now and the airbrush market today has, by far, some of the best equipment ever designed for beauty use. In recent years this handy gadget has undergone significant system refinements, thus the quest for the flawless face has taken a giant step forward in achievement.
Artists who are new to this tool, or have yet to take any skill acquision instruction, are in anxious need of a concise approach in wading through the numerous operating system options available. Man y branded airbrush makeup companies have strategically worded advertising, and some with celebrity artist endorsements, to convince you their products are the one stop shop for all your airbrush application needs. Don’t be entirely taken in by publicity marketing and the lack of explanation or truth of what you are really buying into without serious comparison shopping first. Artists need easy to understand and unbiased technical information to help them interpret multifaceted airbrush schematics and their operating ratios. Begin to think in these simple terms: “how low should it blow for the technique in application to be in perfect control?”
With the onset of full digital signal broadcast (HDTV) the airbrush has definitely become one of the frontline tools in the makeup artist’s brush skill arsenal for more control in providing a precision makeup application for this format. The airbrush had been used for decades in special makeup effects work, but found its way into straight beauty use as airbrush systems became smaller and more streamlined in weight and portability. These newer petite units are designed to provide consistent low air pressure transport for the best control and m anagement of transparency in a makeup application. The airbrush can distribute a “see through” finish that gives skin a more fresh or inborn look, which allows the complexion to retain more of its organic texture. Most importantly it can deliver a range of translucent results that is not quite achievable by hand applied methods.
The unique feature about applying liquid makeup through an airbrush rather than by hand is how it naturally “pixilates” to skin. The fluid is atomized with pressurized air through a trigger activated nozzle assembly, and releases a controlled spray of microscopic color “dots”. This causes a distinctive pattern of color distribution and texture that achieves more subtle looking coverage than you can get with the traditional sponge or brush method. The artist’s airbrush skill in technique in delivering the application is also better refined by using an airbrush system that provides low enough variable working pressure, thus it allows them to have more control in achieving flawless looking results.
The airbr ush should be viewed as an important transparency to opacity delivery tool that allows an artist to work with greater latitude on either end of that spectrum. Hand applied foundation can only be stippled, patted, smoothed, stroked (or whatever your favorite technique) to a certain degree before it starts to be smeared around or taken back up again, The airbrush allows you that extra degree of transparency you can’t get with hand applied, which can literally take down shine without adding barely any visible color. Or, it can give you a much smoother and more natural looking build towards opacity for more coverage if you need it. It also eliminates any possible lines of demarcation often seen with hand applied makeup. Even the most carefully blended out application can still show small streak mark left by sponges in HD, especially in very large TV viewing screens.
Most of all, airbrush makeup is a completely sanitary application because no tools directly touch the skin in its delivery. In Part 2 we will identify and discuss the importance knowing of airbrush system interfacing ratios before you buy, which has a direct impact on the type of makeup application (face, body or both) you want to use it for. The right unit will also help you develop good airbrush techniques, approach and delivery in your application, and achieving the most flawless looking results.
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Paint and Powder Cosmetics
The Makeup World
