In the last post of the Photo Finish Series, I talked about matte finishes. While notoriously hard to work with because of their drama and impact, I showed you quick and easy ways to work with this finish. For the next piece of the series, I’m going to step it up one notch on the finish factor to shine. Shiny finishes can include satin finishes and metallic finishes. They are traditionally the most common finishes to use because they are generally safe and foolproof, however, they’re anything but boring!
For the eyes:
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A simple way to amp up a look is to create a simple shine gradient across the eye. Start with a light color, bring it a little over halfway across your lid, go with a middle shade of color in the same tonal family and blend the edge with the first color and then bring it to the end of your lid. Using a final darker color, define the outer corner of your eye and the crease. You can also use
this color as a liner on your lower lashes - Take inspiration from jewelry! Jewelry shows great ways to balance metallic and color. Try silver and turquoise, gold and purple, or copper and green! Don’t be afraid to mix metals either. That also looks great.
- Try a lazy, one color, dramatic eye look. Using a shiny color, I really like bronzes and browns for this, but any color will do. Using a brush, cover your lid with the color and then trace it around your eye to use it on your lower lashline as a liner. Bam! You’re done. Try this with the brush slightly wet for extra drama.
For the lips:
- Don’t be afraid of shiny colors for your lips. Just make sure they’re not too frosty.
- If you’re just beginning to try shine, try putting a dab of a shiny lipstick over the center of your lips while the rest of your lips are thesame color but in a less shiny finish. (You can see this with Ashley Greene’s lipstick, it seems the shine is more concentrated in the center)
- In a similar trick, put a dab of shiny lipgloss in the center of your lips to add volume and drama to your lips. You can also lay it over your whole lips (over lipstick) to create a cool effect.
More?
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Have fun with your nails! Shine is pretty forgiving when it comes to designs. Try an om
bre effect. As mentioned with the first eye makeup look, all you need is a few colors in the same tonal family. The beauty with nailpolishes is that you can easily mix together colors to get the exact shade you want. Start with the darkest color on either your pinkie or thumb and work your way to the lightest in the opposite direction. - A little shine goes a long way… In brightening your face that is. I know shine and face usually conjures up the idea of a greasy face but it doesn’t have to be that way! Using a shiny highlighter or bronzer, place it right above your cheekbones and you instantly have defined them. You can use highlighters around your nose, your jaw and your forehead in various ways to make them appear more defined and contoured
- Don’t let the highlighting stop at your face! If you mix a bit of loose, shiny powder with your favorite body moisturizer and apply it on your legs and arms, you’ll have an instant glow!
There you have it! Shines may be some of the easiest finishes to work with but that does not mean that they have to be boring. Use these tricks to bring some extra shine to your look!
Sources:
Urbanoutfitters.com
Marieclaire.com
Glamour.com (Girls In The Beauty Department)