YOUR MAKEUP QUESTIONS ANSWERED!

Q. Vicky: What Makeup Brushes do you Prefer?

A. I have no preference to Makeup Brushes. I use tons of them. Every Brand, Shape, Color, & Size. Find what shape brushes work for your needs and ones you can easily handle that hold up and won't fall apart. I do prefer mostly short handles though, I find I have more control with them. Some of my Favorite Brushes come from Art stores and are very inexpensive. ;)

Q. Zabalaza: How do you get Milo's skin looking so great?

A. Milo takes very good care of his skin. We found him some products he likes and I was lucky to have an Actor who cared about his complexion on Camera. So can't take too much credit for that. ;)

Q. Iluthradanar & Lisa: How do you sculpt the face using powders instead of bronzers?

A. You can't really achieve this with powders. You can maybe attempt it with a darker powder. The minerals in powder are less coarse than that of a bronzing powder and obviously lest dark. If its the darkness that I assume you don't like, use a very light bronzing colored powder. They do make them in some very light shades. Use it just under your check bones and around the jawline of your face. Be careful of hard lines. A lot of women make this mistake. You only need a soft touch with a bronzer and blend it out well, either with your brush or a sponge in a downward swipe. Check your Makeup outside in the sun with your hand mirror. Your bathroom lighting will fool you. ;)

Q. NathalieC: Any eye shadowing techniques to share?

A. Eyeshadow is easier than most women think. It doesn't take much to achieve a nice eye. Use a color called Bone for your eye area under your brow to highlight and also use this color in the center, on the ball of your eye. Your Darker color, such as your browns lay in the crease. Keep your darker colors away from your inner eye. This will cause your eyes to look to close together and too dark. ;)

Q. Pada-r-grey: What are the basic needs for makeup?

A. Basic needs for Makeup depend on your face or what you feel you can't live without. A basic light Makeup would include: Moisturizer, Foundation, Powder, Blush, Eyeshadow, Eyeliner, Eyebrow, Mascara, & a form of Lipstick, Gloss, or Pencil. Again...some of you may dislike some of the steps and skip them. No rules with Makeup!

Q. Scribble Weeble: Any Tweezing tips?

A. Tweezerman Makes a slanted Tweezer that is percise and sharp. Always Tweeze low and pull in the direction of the hair folicle row. Tweeze in the line and apply warm heat or steam before to help aleviate pain and soften the skins blow.

Q. Iluthradanar: Unopened containers still go bad with Makeup?

A. Indeed! Makeup expires like everything else. Most Makeup has a shelf life of 3 months. If it starts to smell like crayon or loose its consistency, time to replace it. Keep makeup stored in a cool place for its long term use.

Q. KateHSori: Is there a good razor to get rid of ladies facial whiskers or peach fuzz?

A. Yes! There is in fact a great one!!! The Twinkle! ;)

Q. DinoTsafandakis: Any tips on skincare products for guys?

A. Almost every great line on the market now also makes a Men's line. A few of my favorites are: Dermalogica, Shesheido, Clinique, Zirh, Tend Skin, & Headblade. ;) Find what works for you!

Q. MonsterDemonMOM: What is the best way to hide very dark circles under your eyes?

A. No alcohol and a lot of sleep for starters. If you have somewhere to be the next day, take note the day before. Cold eye pads from the fridge for puffiness. A good Concealer! There is a product out now called Bremenn Research Labs Hylexin it's a great product, yet expensive. A small tube does go a long way. There are tons of great concealers on the market. Go to a good Beauty Supply store or your Makeup Counters and let a professional help you pick one out so you don't spend money on the wrong one. Concealer lasts a while and you don't need much. Its one product that is worth spending the extra money on.

Q. Spidercyn: What advice do you have if I wanted to go into your line of work? :)

A. RUN AWAY! As much as I love my job...It was a long road to get here and I have givin my life for it. If that's ok with you, then go for it. Anyone in this business will tell you that the business is a bad addiction. Once you are in it, it's hard to get out. The hours will consume your life! Advice to start...call Nonunion production companies and offer help to the Makeup Dept. for free. That's how you start to meet people and learn, from there you can start networking. ;)

Q. AmboClaire: Bags under eyes. A lifelong issue for me. Suggestions? Xx

A. Yes, Take your favorite eyepads and put them in the fridge. Use them in the morning before your makeup. You could have food allergies to of some kind, unless this runs in the family. Seek advice if you think its possible. A good diet has a lot to do with our skin problems. Much more than most people think. ;)

Q. GillianLyn W: What's the best way to pull off bright red lipstick? No eye make up?

A. I think that without some eye makeup, red lips would never work. You may want to accentuate the red, but why would you want to deter from your face. If you did nothing but red lips, no one would ever look at you, or your eyes. I suggest a subtle eye makeup to achieve what i think you may be shooting for. I posted an example, using Gwen Stefani who does a great job achieving this. Give it a shot. ;)

Q. lijeyeshaveit: eyeliner. Liquid or pencil?

A. Neither! I cant stand either. Pencils are too waxy & liners are too definite and cant be moved. I prefer wetting a brown or black eyeshadow. They stay on better and can be blended easily. ;)

Q.Elle313: Is there any Makeup I can use daily to cover up "Dark Eye Syndrome?"

A. Try Dermablend for "extreme" Dark Circles.

Q. Hapa_tiff: Some advice to aspiring professional makeup artists? (like me) :)

A. Stick with your craft and learn all avenues. Always take other Artist input an advice. Your peers will help you learn a lot of skills. Take a little from everyone along the way. All teachers add something to the mix, whether they work along side you or teaching you. Every Artist has a different style and that is why we can learn so much and so many cool tricks from one another. Also be willing to give and teach what you know to others also. ;)

Q. dizzheart : Makeup question: Do you know of an undereye concealer that actually works? They're either cakey or don't cover :(

A. There are many that work. I can't stress enough, this is one product that you will need help with. Go to a counter and let someone professional pick the right one for you. A few of my favorite concealers are made by: Philosophy, Estee Lauder, Dermablend, Bobbi Brown, Makeup For Ever...just to name a few. ;)

WENDI'S LAST TIP...

To end this blog I am going to call out a product I truly do not like. Many women are a big fan of it, but I have to say my peace. "Bare Minerals" is one of the worst products on the market. I went to the counter and had a full Makeup done on myself to see what all the hype was about and because an actress of mine demanded for me to use it on her. I was having so much trouble with how it looked on her face, I had to go test it out to see if I was using it incorrectly. My actress was about 49, just so you all know. I was shocked at the dryness and how I appeared 10 years older. Our face needs moisture!!! A little shine is good. DRY IS NOT, especially for older women. This product may work well on someone in their very early 20's, but it is awful for older women. Our skin isn't made for drying products. Keep the moisture in, thats what keeps our skin young and healthy! ;)