A Little Bit Showgirl!

This is a look I did for a themed week over at Random Acts of Makeup. If you don't know what that is, ask and I shall tell you. The theme was burlesque and I took it the more traditional stage makeup route - but with pink instead of red which ended up making it very show girl. Oh well, I was pretty happy with the results.. so here they are for you!

YOU KNOW THE DRILL. Naked, clean skin. Haha. Let's be honest. This is me when I first woke up, I used a baby wipe to take off last nights eye makeup. My face is not clean. But yours should be. I am bad for this. Awful for this.

Skin time! For a stage look, you want to use a fairly heavy foundation to cover up all imperfections - you want to start with a blank canvas. I used a Kryolan cream foundation. Buff it into your skin with a dense, synthetic hair brush - I used the Real Techniques Expert Face brush.

Here is where it starts to look like a trainwreck until the end! Use a white pencil, such as NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk, and use it as a base anywhere you will  be using a highlighter or bright color. Brow bone, lid up to crease, and bottom water line. This will make a big difference at the end  I promise.

Now add black liner just in the crease, don't worry about making it a perfect line it's just the base for a shadow and you'll be able to clean up the line once the color is done! This is REALLY pretty, I know. But once again, trust me.

Next, use a small, stiff eyeshadow brush to press the color you are using into the white pencil on your lid. I used a pink pigment shadow from NYX that a lovely RAoMer gave to me. Use whatever color you want, or just white for a more traditional burlesque not showgirl look.

Now use a black shadow to define the bottom line of the black pencil. It shouldn't be blended at the bottom. Just a straight black line. I told you it looks like a trainwreck until the end. I used an angled liner brush to get the line and Kat Von D black eyeshadow.

The using the same black eyeshadow on a round contour eyeshadow brush blend it up right to the brow bone highlighter. I had some blending issues on my left side. Yikes! ..No one is perfect though. Once you've got the shadow down, if you feel like you need MORE blending, use a soft fluffy brush back and forth on the edges. Sometimes just switching to a clean brush is all you need!

Use a q-tip dipped in makeup remover or if you are classy like me your own spit to clean up the shadows to create a nice winged effect. Just start at your bottom lash line and follow that line up and out to find out where you want the wing to end. Does that make sense? Also, you can add on a bit of white eyeshadow to re-highlight your brow.

Silly Jayne, you are supposed to take pictures of ALL the steps. What I've done here is tight line my top lashline, a fairly dramatic wing on the top, and a straight line on the bottom underneath the lashline and the white liner that wings out at the same angle as the top liner. Where do you make the top liner wing? Just follow that eyeshadow line I got you to clean up! They don't need to be PERFECT - they're going to be viewed from far away. Do this with whatever liner brush or liquid liner YOU are confident with. I used an angled liner brush.

Alright, it is time to contour. For stage, you need a fairly dramatic contour so the lights don't wash you out and make you look flat. I used another Kryolan cream foundation to contour on the same Real Techniques brush as before. You can use an eyeshadow or bronzer on an angled blush brush as well.

The finishing touches.. and again I forgot to take pictures! Yikes! I used a wet angled brush dipped in a dark brown eyeshadow to define my brows. I made them strong because I want them to be seen from afar! On my cheeks and lips, I used the same NYX pigment as I did on my eyes. I used a fluffy brush blush to brush it on the apples of me cheeks.And a nude lip liner (I think mine is Too Faced), a light pink lipstick and the same stiff eyeshadow brush as before to press the pigment into mylips! For mascara, I used Maybelline the Falsies - about 5 coats. This would be the perfect time to add lashes. 

Ta-da! The finished look. What do you think?

Feedback is always appreciated.

<3 Catlady