Carly’s Make-up Tips & Tricks

Getting your make-up just right takes a lot of practice. Here's my favorite tips and tricks for looking great!

I'm not going to lie, I've been accused of wearing too much make-up several times in my life. At times I think they were right, other times I've thought to myself, "Trust me you do not want to see me without it!"

Of course the whole goal is to enhance what you have, hide the flaws, and come out looking your very best. Here's what I've learned along the way, and I think today I finally have it right.

• If you wear a bold lip, you can't have bold eye make-up. It's too much! I switch back and forth. If I'm into the smoky eye look at the moment, I only wear a lip gloss with a hint of color. If I wear a bold color on my lips, then I forego heavy eyeliner and shadow. (My favorite lip gloss is Buxom. It comes in so many shades, but I like Kahlani. You can find it at Sephora and it's $20 but so worth it! My favorite maskara is Loreal's Voluminous Butterfly. It's cheap and better than most of the expensive brands I've tried.)
• Wear concealer and foundation, but easy does it. A little concealer one shade lighter than your skin with a yellow base hides dark under eye circles. A pink based foundation is better at covering up acne and dark spots. Foundation alone doesn't cover up either of these flaws great, so use a little concealer and dab it on gently. Too much can actually make acne look worse! (I've learned this the hard way!) My favorite foundation is by IT Cosmetics. You can find this at Sephora. I have also used Mac products many times in the past and I like their products as well. Find a foundation that fits your skin needs. (ex. oily, dry, full coverage, etc.)
• Shape your eyebrows. They really are the frame of your face. I have very few eyebrows (since I plucked them all out as a teenager!) My all time favorite product for brows is called Brow Wiz. Again you can find it at Sephora and it is $20 well spent. The colors are so natural looking.
• Invest in certain products and save on others. I spend money on concealer, foundation, lip gloss, and a good brow shaper. I never invest in blush, eye shadow, or mascara. I've found the store brands are just as good as the ones at the make-up counter.
• Creating a smokey eye. I could not figure this out forever! I always ended up looking like I had a back eye in the end! A make-up artist last year finally helped me figure it out! I cover my whole lid with a soft neutral color. I put a little bit of white eye shadow in the inner corners of my eyes and I place a little bit of a darker shade along my brow bone and the outer corners of my eyes and blend. I've found this method really makes my eyes pop! (Remember if you are wearing a bolder lip, just put a soft color on your eyes.)