Fantasia Salon / Spa and Wig Specialists

Have you ever wondered if you are wearing too much makeup? Usually, the women who are putting on way too much are the last to know. Here are a few signs that you might need to make some changes:

• Your makeup rubs off on your clothes or phones –or is broken down by midday.
• You are incapable of “doing you face” in 5 minutes or less.
• You apply foundation all over your face, from hairline to chin.
• You purchase foundation more than 4 times per year.
• Your face “melts” in the rain.
• People think you are much older than you really are.

OK, now that we know the clues as to what we are doing wrong- let’s talk about some simple ways to go for a more “natural” look. Thank God for makeup, but the trick is to look like we are not wearing any.

Apply moisturizer before your foundation - ALWAYS! Wait about 10 minutes for the skin to absorb it.

Cover flaws like pigmented patches or blemishes with a foundation or concealer that is a shade lighter than your skin tone.

Use foundation diluted with water for a lighter and smoother coverage. Fantasia sells Jane Iredale Skin Care Mineral Makeup and one of the qualities of the makeup is that you apply, then hydrate, and continue the process until you achieve the desired effect all the while maintaining a “natural” look.

Apply a soft shade of blush on the cheekbones going outwards and upwards.

Go for the soft look while aplying eye makeup. Avoid eyeliners and instead use eye shadow or eye pencil to line the upper leids. Draw a line close to the lashes.

Avoid harsh black eye pencils, instead go for brown or grey shades.

Mascara helps to brighten your eyes. Use a brush to separate the lashes for a natural look.

Redefine the lip line with a lop pencil and fill in with lipstick, using a lip brush.

Very dark lip colors, especially those with blue tones, have an aging effect. Very light colors are also a not a good idea. Go for burgundy, plum, coral, bronze copper or coffee shades.

Now you know how to take a more natural approach. If you’d like some more tips, come into Fantasia (or another professional cosmetics counter) and let one of our professionals do a make over and educate you on the use of Jane Iredale Skin Care Mineral Makeup.

Some women don’t try false eyelashes because they think they are impossible to apply. But, if you have an occasion coming up which calls for glamour, with a little know-how and some practice, you can look red carpet ready in no time. So, here you go, false eyelashes 101.

• Purchase a set of false eyelashes. You will need eyelash glue, a pair of tweezers and a small pair of scissors. Fantasia sells wonderful eyelashes as well as the adhesive to apply them.
• Trim the lashes to fit your eyes. Hold the strip of lashes up to your eye. If they are a little longer than your lash line, use your scissors to trim the edges.
• Apply eyeshadow primer to cover your entire eyelid from the lash line up to the brow-bone. The primer helps the glue adhere.
• Place a line of lash adhesive on the back of your hand. Allow it to set for a few seconds to get tacky. (follow instructions included with the adhesive)
• Using your tweezers, glide a strip of lashes in the glue. Make sure the glue is totally covering the edge.
• Place the strip onto your eye as close to the natural lash line as possible. Press it in to place, pushing down on the edges.
• After you are sure it’s firmly attached, repeat with the other eye.
• Use a cotton swab dipped in eye makeup remover to clean any glue around the eye area.

Now, for some finishing touches,,,

• After applying your foundation or powder to your face, add light brown eyeshadow to just the lid. You can use whatever color you like but brown works for all skin tones.
• Add a deeper complementary shadow into the crease of your eye to create some depth and definition. Blend the shadow upward and outward toward your brow-bone.
• Use a black eyeliner or ink lining pen to line your top lashes, filling in any gap between your natural lashes and the false eyelashes
• For the cat-eye look, extend the liner just slightly past the outer corner of your eye, extending it upward.
• Apply a coat of black mascara to your eyelashes. Apply the mascara to both the fake lashes and your natural lashes to help them blend together.
• Choose a deep red lipstick and matching lip liner. Avoid brick reds which make your teeth look yellow and your skin sallow. Instead pick true reds or blue reds.
• Line your lips and fill in with lipstick using a lip-brush for through application. Add a dab of clear gloss in the center of your bottom lip. Smack your lips together to spread the gloss.
• Keep your cheeks bare or very light. If desired, apply a pale pink or peach blush on the apples of your cheeks to complete your look.

Taking off your lashes.

Remove your lashes by using petroleum jelly or an oily eye makeup remover. This helps to dissolve the lash glue. Don’t tug or pull off the lashes or you might take some of your natural lashes off with them. Instead, apply more petroleum jelly and allow it to sit for about 30 seconds, then gently lift off the false lashes.

Don’t throw your lashes after wearing once. You should be able to wear them about three times. Place them back in their origional container so they will retain their shape.

With just a bit of practice, you will soon be the most glamorous girl around town!

Eyes are a very important part of the face and something we notice immediately. Whether it’s the color of someones eyes or the length of their eyelashes.

Let’s talk about some of the dos and don’ts when it comes to eye makeup. We will start with the eyebrows, which frame the eyes.

For proper shaping of your eyebrows, the width between the eyebrows should be the width of one eye. In determining where the eyebrow should start, place a pencil along the outside edge of the nostril up to the inside corner of the eye. To determine where the brow should end, place the pencil diagonally from the base of the nose to the outside corner of the eye. The arch of the eyebrow should align with the outer edge of the iris. Look straight forward and hold a pencil up, that helps you determine exactly where the arch should be. If you tend to have unruly eyebrows, try taming them with brow gel which is similar to hair gel.

Now lets focus on the eyes. Some popular summer colors are teal, pale purple and water lily. Golds and coppers are hugely popular as well. Brown eyes look great with teal shadow. Think of eye shadow as jewelry that can be mixed and matched, like accessories. Use three different colors: a highlighter, midtone and an accent.

An eye primer will help prevent creases on your lid. When applying eye makeup, start with the eye shadow, then the eyeliner and then the mascara. If you are using three tones, as suggested, use the lightest possible color close to your eyebrow and it will make your eyes look bigger.

Are there any mistakes you can make when it comes to eye makeup? You bet! Rimming the entire eye with eyeliner is a very common mistake. Another mistake is neglecting your eyebrows. Remember that people notice your eyes and that includes your eyebrows. If you don’t like tweezing your eyebrows, splurge and have them waxed. It’s relatively painless and inexpensive and doesn’t have to be done all that often.

Okay, from now on, I’m keeping my eyes on yours!