Our Favorite Makeup Tips From The Professionals

At Taylor Andrews Academy, we know that makeup is an art form. Our beauty experts work with the latest techniques and products to create stunning looks for every occasion. In this blog, we’re sharing our top makeup tips, perfect for beginners and professionals alike! From creating the ideal canvas to mastering looks for your cheeks, face, eyes, lips, and brows, these tips will keep your makeup looking flawless all day.

1. Start with a Clean Slate

To achieve a flawless makeup look, you need to start with a fresh, clean canvas. This means cleansing, toning, and moisturizing before applying any makeup. Here’s why this step is so important:

Cleansing removes dirt, oil, and any residual makeup, ensuring nothing stands between your skin and your makeup products.
Toning balances your skin’s pH, which is essential for oily or acne-prone skin, making makeup application smoother.
Moisturizing hydrates and plumps the skin, allowing foundation to glide on effortlessly without settling into fine lines or dry patches.

Pro Tip: Try a lightweight, hydrating primer after moisturizing for an even smoother base. It helps makeup last longer, fills in pores, and reduces the appearance of fine lines.

2. Compensate for the Weather

Weather can greatly impact your makeup’s longevity and finish. For instance, you might need extra hydration in the winter and oil control in the summer. Here’s how to tailor your makeup for different climates:

Hot and Humid: Opt for lightweight, oil-free formulas and set your makeup with a mattifying powder. Waterproof products are essential to avoid melting makeup.
Cold and Dry: Focus on hydrating formulas and use cream-based products to prevent your skin from looking flaky or dry. A hydrating mist can also refresh makeup throughout the day.

Pro Tip: In extremely dry conditions, add a few drops of face oil to your foundation for a dewy finish that keeps skin looking healthy.

3. Give Your Lips Some Love

Lips often get overlooked in skincare routines, but well-cared-for lips make all the difference for a smooth lipstick application. Before applying lipstick, ensure your lips are exfoliated and hydrated.

Exfoliate with a gentle scrub to remove dead skin cells and leave lips smooth.
Hydrate with a nourishing balm, preferably with SPF to protect against sun damage.

Pro Tip: After applying balm, let it sit for a few minutes before applying lipstick. This allows the balm to absorb fully, preventing your lipstick from slipping or settling into lip lines.

4. Switch to Waterproof Formulas

Waterproof makeup isn’t just for beach days—it’s a lifesaver in everyday situations. From tear-inducing laughs to rainy days, waterproof products ensure your look stays in place. Here’s when and where to go waterproof:

Mascara: Waterproof mascara keeps lashes lifted and curled without smudging.
Eyeliner: Waterproof eyeliner stays vibrant and defined through humidity, sweat, and even watery eyes.
Foundation and Concealer: Some foundations and concealers are now available in waterproof formulas, perfect for long days or outdoor events.

Pro Tip: Waterproof makeup is often harder to remove, so use an oil-based makeup remover to dissolve it gently without tugging on your skin.

Professional Makeup Tips for Each Feature

For the Cheeks: Blush, Bronzer, and Highlighter

Adding color and dimension to your cheeks brings warmth and depth to your face.

Blush Placement: Apply blush on the apples of your cheeks and blend upwards towards the temples for a natural flush. For a lifted effect, place the blush slightly higher.
Bronzer: Apply bronzer to areas where the sun naturally hits: forehead, cheekbones, and jawline. This gives you a sun-kissed look and defines your features.
Highlighter: Use highlighter on the high points of your face—cheekbones, brow bone, bridge of the nose, and Cupid’s bow—to add a beautiful glow.

Pro Tip: For a seamless blend, use a damp beauty sponge to press the products into your skin, creating a natural, radiant finish.

For the Face: Foundation, Concealer, and Setting Powder

Creating a flawless base is key to any makeup look.

Foundation: Choose a foundation that matches your skin tone and type. Start with a small amount and build up coverage gradually. Buff it in with a brush or blend with a sponge for a seamless finish.
Concealer: Use concealer to cover blemishes or brighten under the eyes. Apply a shade lighter than your foundation for an illuminating effect under the eyes.
Setting Powder: Apply a translucent setting powder to areas prone to oiliness, like the T-zone. For dry skin, use a minimal amount to avoid a cakey finish.

Pro Tip: When applying foundation, blend it down to your neck to ensure a seamless color match. And don’t forget to set with a setting spray to lock your look in place!

For the Eyes: Shadows, Liners, and Mascara

The eyes are a focal point in any makeup look, and the right techniques make them pop.

Eyeshadow: Start with a neutral base color all over the lid. Add dimension by applying a slightly darker shade in the crease and a shimmery shade on the lid. Finish with a touch of highlight on the brow bone and inner corner.
Eyeliner: Use a gel or liquid eyeliner for precise lines. For a softer look, smudge pencil liner on the upper lash line.
Mascara: Wiggle the mascara wand at the base of your lashes and pull upward to create volume and length.

Pro Tip: For an instantly lifted look, apply eyeliner just to the outer half of your eye and flick it upward slightly.

For the Lips: Lip Liner, Lipstick, and Gloss

Lips can be bold and vibrant or soft and subtle. Here’s how to make your lip color last:

Lip Liner: Outline your lips with a liner that matches your lipstick to prevent feathering. You can also fill in your lips with liner for added staying power.
Lipstick: Apply lipstick with a brush for a precise application. For long-lasting color, blot your lips with a tissue and apply a second layer.
Lip Gloss: If you prefer a glossy look, apply gloss in the center of your lips for a fuller effect.

Pro Tip: To make your lipstick transfer-proof, hold a tissue over your lips and lightly dust translucent powder on top. This sets the lipstick without changing its finish.

For the Brows: Shaping, Filling, and Setting

Well-defined brows frame your face and complete your makeup look.

Shaping: Start by brushing your brows upward to see their natural shape. Tweeze any stray hairs and trim the tips if necessary.
Filling: Use a brow pencil or powder to fill in sparse areas. Light, hair-like strokes create a natural look.
Setting: Apply a clear or tinted brow gel to keep your brows in place all day.

Pro Tip: Avoid going too dark with brow products. Opt for a shade slightly lighter than your natural hair color for a soft, natural effect.

Embrace Your Makeup Journey with Confidence

With these professional tips, you’re well-equipped to take your makeup routine to the next level. At Taylor Andrews Academy, we believe in empowering our students and clients with techniques that enhance natural beauty and build confidence. Remember, makeup is an art form meant to be enjoyed—so have fun experimenting with these tips to find the look that makes you feel your best!

The key to always looking your best and putting your best face forward involves time, effort and know-how. Haphazardly globing on foundation, after all will make you look like a mess instead of the beauty you are.

When it comes to makeup tips, there are many out there. If you’re looking for a one-stop-shop for makeup tips from the professionals, you’re in luck.

Start With a Clean Slate

Before you apply a drop of foundation, make sure your face is not only clean, but also exfoliated, with the top layer of peeling skin removed.

Compensate for the Weather

In the crisp, cool days of fall and winter, you can afford to slather on the makeup. In the toasty summer months, the heat and humidity mixed with heavy makeup is a recipe for a facial disaster. To avoid a hot mess on your face in the summer, go light on your makeup such as only dabbing some concealer over unpleasant spots.

Give Your Lips Some Love

Both the scorching hot sun of summer and the cold, dry air of winter can do a number on your lips. The days are longer, the sun is stronger, and you’re often moving from one extreme temperature to another. Dry, flaky lips are the result.

To avoid this, use a lip balm with hydration and SPF in it. Using a lip exfoliation product daily will remove the dead, flaky skin and start you off with a clean slate.

Switch to Waterproof Formulas

What’s more convenient than makeup that can do it all is a makeup that is waterproof. Many mascara, powder blush, concealer and foundation brands offer waterproof versions of their products. With these moisture-fighting makeup products, you can say goodbye to that unpleasant sweaty look and the embarrassing racoon eyes.

For those who struggle with the correct makeup application for a specific area of the face, here are some basic makeup application tips to incorporate into your beauty arsenal:

Cheeks

When applying blush to bring out that natural, beautiful rosy glow, here are some tips and tricks to try:

To make the cheeks look natural, apply the blush before the foundation.
Apply a red and an orange-hued blush to accomplish the perfect youthful look. The red hue should be applied to the apple of the check while the orange-hue should be applied to the highest point of the cheek.
To keep your blush vibrant for hours on end, apply a gel formula before applying a powder.

Face

Foundation is every woman’s friend as it conceals the not-so-perfect areas of the face including acne, acne scars, creases, and wrinkles. Application of foundation can be tricky and messy. For an even, natural foundation application, take note of these makeup tips:

Mixing moisturizer to your foundation will give it a lighter feeling and will keep your skin looking younger for longer.
Mixing in shimmering white or golden eyeshadow into your foundation will give your face a vibrant, luminous look.
For those with oily skin, applying a small amount of cornstarch before applying the foundation will help soak up the moisture and keep the foundation in place.
The best color for your face is the one that matches the color on the inside of your arm, not the color on the back of the hand.

Eyes

The eyes have been said to be the gateway into someone’s soul. Are people captivated or mesmerized to look into yours? If your eyes could use a little pop, here are some makeup hacks to add to your arsenal:

Achieve a clump-free, precise mascara application by using the brush to lift the base of the eyelashes upward and then backward.
Setting eye lotion into the freezer for a few minutes before application will reduce the puffiness of the eyes.
A few drops of saline solution to your mascara will extend its usefulness, add moisture and maintain its potency.
Create a young, fresh look by using luminizer in the inner corner of the eyes and sweep it under the eye.

Lips

Who wants to kiss thin, pale or chapped lips? No one. Your lipstick is likely the boldest makeup you’ll put on your face. With it being so noticeable, why not put it on properly? Here are some tips for plumping and moisturizing those lips:

Neutralize lip tone and make their color more vibrant by dabbing color corrector over them.
Make your lips look fuller by using a flesh-colored eyeliner to outline a small area of the lips.
For natural-looking lips, select a lipstick shade that matches the shade of the inside of your bottom lip. You can also use the color found on the pad of your finger.
Elevate your lips by applying concealer to the outer corners of the lips.

Brows

Eye brows are the hair of your face. Like your hair on the top of your head, you want thick volume, but not unkept chaos. Whether you need to add volume or definition to your eyebrows, here is some golden advice worth considering:

Use a No. 2 pencil to sketch the perfect eyebrows
Use a spoolie brush, toothbrush or mascara wand to apply a bronze or gold-colored pigment onto the brows to make them look longer.
Strengthen and thicken your brows by applying a hydrating balm to your eyebrows before going to bed.

If you found this interesting or if it has ignited a passion inside you, you may be cut out to be a beautician or a cosmetologist.

Taylor Andrews Academy of Hair Design has well-known alumni who have gone on to open their own salons and more. Our classes are on-going, have flexible scheduling and are affordable.

For more information about our schools or for more advice on how to put your best face forward, contact Taylor Andrews today.