The Beauty Queen

Teen Vogue Fashion University Seminar #3 - Jessie Powers

Make Up For Ever is a beauty brand known for it's high-performance makeup.  I got the opportunity to attend a seminar hosted by Jessie Powers, the Make Up For Ever National Educator.  I have always said that if for some reason fashion didn't work out for me, my next interest is beauty.  I think it is amazing how one product can have so many uses and outcomes.  Makeup really is a form of art.

Jessie Powers said that according to the New York Times, "Wearing makeup increases people's perception of confidence."  Obviously, this statement is so true!  Most girls are on the look-out for the latest and greatest makeup whether it's to cover imperfections, even out skin tone, make them look tanner, minimize fine lines, etc.  I know I'm guilty of changing my makeup when I find something new and better looking than what I was using!  I take my makeup very seriously, so I was so intrigued by her beauty expertise!

During the seminar, Jessie demonstrated a dramatic runway look on a model.  As she was doing this, she explained how much there really is to makeup.  She can sometimes spend 8 hours in a day testing makeup for a job.  The simplest little "tweak" in your routine can make or break your makeup.  So she has definitely learned that practice makes perfect!

Here are a few makeup tips straight from Jessie Powers:

How to get a good smokey eye, without crazy fallout...

I'm sure it's happened to all of us! When applying dark eyeshadow, I think it's almost impossible to avoid a little fallout.  But to minimize fallout, Jessie recommends putting a kohl liner on the back of your hand and smudging it onto your lid with your finger.  This will help to get a darker color on your eyes faster, so you wont have to use as much eyeshadow.

How to make your eye color POP...

Who doesn't love to enhance their gorgeous eye color?!  To make your eye color really pop, Jessie recommends using complementary colors.  (The opposite color on the color wheel)  So instead of whipping out a color wheel, you can usually find special palettes made to enhance your specific eye color.

How to get the perfect cat eye look...

This might not be as hard as you think!  You might want to practice this one first though, and remember to go slow and do it step-by-step. (Also, make sure to have a gel liner on hand)

Here's 4 easy steps from Jessie to get the perfect cat eye:

1. Start out with the "tail".  Draw from tail to the outer corner of the eye.

2. Draw from the corner to the middle of the lid.

3. Draw from the inner corner and connect to the middle.

4. Voila!  You have a cat eye!

What to do when your foundation gets cakey...

Hopefully you won't get caught in this situation, but in the winter we blast our heaters and let our skin go through major temperature changes.  So you're bound to have a little dry skin.  Or maybe you just got a little too much makeup on.  Here's a quick fix from Jessie:  Take a dense sponge with moisturizer and dab the spot until the makeup dissolves.  Hopefully this works for you!  (I recommend throwing out the sponge after you do this.  Sponges are the perfect place for bacteria to hide.  Washing a sponge works, but the sponge wont last for very long.  So why waste your time?  A pack of facial sponges at the drugstore is very inexpensive.  

After the seminar, I got the opportunity to meet Jane Park, the Teen Vogue Beauty Editor!

I love talking makeup!  I have decided to to another makeup post soon, so if you have any makeup or skincare questions let me know! (leave a comment, email me, formspring me...)  I have VERY sensitive skin, so I can honestly say that I have tried such a variety of products in the last few years, you probably wouldn't believe it!  (So hopefully I'll be able to help you too!)  I can't wait to hear your questions so keep them coming. :)

xoxo,

Danielle