To me, makeup is an art, and like any other creative work, there’s no right or wrong to the application of it. Like an artist with a paint brush, makeup is based on one’s personal preferences and feel. Any looks that one loves, wears or creates do usually provide a glimpse of the person’s personality.
Having said that, there are some makeup looks that appear to be more acceptable or pleasant than others, and to create that ‘makeup look’ that will get you a lot of compliments is not that difficult to achieve. Understanding your own facial features and knowing what to accentuate and what to play down is important. In fact, it is all about balancing the various elements. You accentuate any elements, you correspondingly play down the others.
So today, I am going to share with you 2 concepts that is critical in creating a great makeup. One simple rule you can adopt is: “Everything has to add up to 100%”. For example, if you’re wearing a rather heavy eye makeup (ie. smokey eyes), then tone down your blusher and lip color. The ratio can be something like this: 70% for eyes, 30% for cheeks, and 20% for lips. if you’ve decided to wear a red lips, then try to go for a more natural tone on your eyes, and the ratio can be 70% for lips, 30% for cheeks, and 20% for eyes. A picture speaks a thousand words, so below are a few looks for your reference.
The photo on the left portrays a balanced makeup, while the photo on the right is overdone.
Comparing the 2 pictures above, the one on the left is definitely more ‘balanced’. When the focus is on the lips, tone down the blusher and the eyes. The blusher on the right picture is too bright and when pair with the red lips, makes me think of Chinese Opera.
Errm… not to that extreme, but you get what i mean! >_<
However, with the same blusher, it looks exactly fine when I tone down the lips:
The photo on the right shows how the blusher looks totally fine after I tone down the lip color.
Here’s one more for your comparison. When the focus is on the eyes, tone down the blusher and lips accordingly, or it will look like you’re trying too hard (picture on the left).
The photo on the right is much more pleasant after the blusher has been toned down.
Another very important thing to note is the use of colors. In my post on Outfit of the Day or Look of the Day, I mentioned about avoiding clashing colors for outfit and accessories. The same rule actually applies for makeup as well (creative makeup is an exception). For your entire look to be coherent, choose colors that complement each other. For example, if you’ve chosen a pink tone for your lips, then choose something a long that line for your blusher as well. Wearing a coral tone blusher will make you look funny. Can’t imagine? See below…
The coral blusher on the right looks completely out of place with my pink lip.
However, colors come in different tones, so there are definitely some that fall in between, meaning you can pair it with both warm and cool colors. So how do you decide what goes with what? At the end of the day, it’s really about exploring and trying. The combinations are endless. But for a start, you can always refer back to the color wheel.
Have fun creating!
Love,
Dorcas
Founder / Makeup Artist of Dainty Closet
Dainty Closet 
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