How to: Evolution of a face

I've been asked a lot how I do my makeup on an everyday basis, so I thought my first how-to should be about that. I've even taken bunches of pictures of the process to share with you all.

My techniques are the techniques of someone who has been working on her own face for 15 years. I'm not a makeup artist. I've learned a few tips and tricks over the years, but this is very much an amateur job that anyone could do.

First of all, a few things about keeping your skin nice, because the very best way to make your makeup look awesome is to start with the very best canvas possible.

Drink lots of water.
Use clean brushes and sponges. DO NOT use that festering sponge covered in grimy old makeup. Spring the couple of bucks for a bag of 50 sponges at Target and use a new one every time.
Make sure you take off your makeup as soon as it's practical. That means once you get home and you know that you don't have to interact with the world again today, take it off! Properly! With clean water! Use warm water to open the pores and flush all the crap out, then moisturize and leave your face alone.
Base tips: I use MAC matchmaster foundation. It's awesome, gives me my perfect amount of coverage without feeling heavy on my skin, and still allows some of "me" to shine through. But having great foundation isn't going to give you a flawless base. It's all about what you use on top of the foundation to conceal anything you want concealed, and to seal everything. So... bottom left picture is my face with just the matchmaster on. Middle bottom is with foundation, concealer and pressed powder on. i use a BYS stick concealer with a small sponge, and Rimmel Stay Matte pressed finishing powder.
In the bottom right picture, I've applied some colour to my brows with a MAC pencil (teddy), outlined my lips with Benefit Cupid's Bow, and applied blush to my cheeks (L'oreal mineral blush).
In the middle right picture, I've applied black liner pencil (BYS "black") to my lower waterline and lipgloss to my lips (Benefit "life on the A list").
The eyeshadow, liner and mascara is where all the action happens on my face. I have large, unusually shaped eyes, which I've been complimented on many, many times. Enough times to know that's the feature I should be playing up. Generally for an everyday look, I'll use my Urban Decay Naked 2 palette, washing under the brow all the way along and down into the inner corner with "booty call", giving a quick pass from the inner corner towards the outer for about 1/3 of the eyelid in "verve", then using "tease" over the rest of the lid. Last of all, I'll use "busted" or "pistol" on my outer third, and up into the crease.
Liquid liner by face of Australia in black is applied into a winged cat's eye, then lashings of Maybelline XXL pro volume mascara.You can see in the pictures how much difference it makes to the overall look of my face, even though the pictures are shot in terrible light.

So that's it. My everyday face. Let me know what you think, and what you'd like to see more of!

Katy
xoxo