Eye Makeup Tips and Techniques

The fall and holiday makeup seasons are always my favorite because they are heavy on the eye shadow. In the 80s, when I began experimenting with cosmetics, I had a penchant for purple - and now it's back! What I didn't know at the tender age of 11 or 12 was that I didn't need eye shadow then. Not because a smoky lid and black eyeliner looks sluttatious on a tweener (which it does, of course), but because I had nothing to conceal - yet!

As we age, tiny lines and creases crop up where once smooth lids naturally glistened before becoming puffy hoods and bags. My heavy eyeliner is no longer a homage to the inner Goth; rather, I use the products in trompe l'oeil fashion to hide uneven skin pigments and areas that are beginning to look like crepe paper!

My friend Melissa and I used to apply our makeup on the bus, using multi-hued palettes and our fingers to match our eye makeup to our outfits. Not bad in a pinch, but the more mature eye needs precision instruments, and now I know swiping a finger across pressed makeup is just gross - even if it's your own finger in your own eyeshadow! If indeed you are guilty of this cosmetic sin, and you find your supplies caked with bumpy oil marks, you can scrape the top yucky part off the product with a razor blade and start over without necessarily having to trash the whole thing. Get a good set of brushes, and sin no more!

Yes, blue eyed beauties can wear azure colored shadows, and brown eyes can be accented with earth tones, but it is more important to match your make up colors to your own skin tone than your sweater. When I worked in fashion journalism, I had a Chanel artist tell me anyone can wear any hue, it's just a matter of intensity.

In cosmetic artistry, as in painting, light colors accentuate features, and dark hues make things recede. Therefore, if you have small lids you will only make your eyes look smaller and puffier by using frosty, pearlescent and pastel colors from lash to brow. Conversely, if you'd like to minimize the look of enlarging eyelids, you'll want to contour below the browbone with something darker than what you wear on your lids. Then blend, blend, blend!

Light colored eyeshadow can be swept into the inner corner of the lid to give you a fresh, wide-eyed look. Save the sparkly light shades for just under the eyebrow. And for the love of Kevin Aucoin, don't you dare put glitter on your lids if it's not Halloween and you are even one minute over 30!

When I am applying heavy shadow (which I do once or twice a week), I stick a piece of blotting paper under my lower lashes to catch the excess powder. I then apply my undereye concealer with a brush, only where I need it. Using your finger to blend concealer just sort of smudges it around, and applying it all the way around the lower orbit of the eye looks really chalky and gross. I also find that a concealer brush minimizes the pulling and tugging on this very delicate area. I personally use an actual paintbrush for this task, but I am posting a linked picture of some very nice vegan brushes for you kittens who are 100% cruelty free!

FTC Compliance for Bloggers Everywhere

This morning, Liberty Post pointed me to a new FTC rule. Because I care about lawful compliance (although, I like to think I can discern for myself what is and is not malarkey in the media, and likewise I strive to be honest in everything I publish), I am posting the Advertising Policies for the entire domain.

"Innerspace OMnimedia publishes a variety of blogs and electronic magazines celebrating and supporting conscious lifestyle choices." That's the mission. Here are the facts: We are a privately funded corporation. We want to bring sustainable culture to people in many ways, from traditional news features to essays and yes, advertising. We like to think we are uniting cool people with cool stuff when indeed our editorial content is appropriate for "stuff." The companies featured throughout the domain demonstrate an aspect of sustainability, whether they are purveyors of organic clothing, natural cosmetics, or yoga products. Whatever.

Innerspace OMnimedia chooses our advertising partners with discernment; sometimes a brand is featured because we ourselves use and endorse the products, and sometimes we feature ad banners from the aforementioned partners simply because we like the graphic effect. We pretty much do what we want when we want and we believe our readers are astute enough to know media is supported by advertising.

When a customer clicks on these visual elements, she might or might not be taken to a place with further product information or the ability to purchase said item. If she buys the item, Innerspace OMnimedia is given a commission. It's called "affiliate marketing." It's an aspect of media in the digital age.

During the holiday season, we sometimes run Seva Projects which take those commissions and distribute them to Indiana children's charities. During the rest of the year, those revenues keep the Mothership up and running. When readers' buying sprees go to charity, we are very explicit about run dates for the project, as well as who will receive portions of our revenues. In other words, you'll know about all the love you are about to spread by buying cool stuff!

As for consumer reviews (particularly on Kitty channels), your Kitty personally buys the products in question with her own funds, tests the products on herself, and gives a "transparent" and honest review. We do not review swag or samples. Your Kitty does not review anything she has not paid for herself; products posted in clickable links may or may not generate revenue, and exist mainly for the readers' convenience. Now you know. Thanks