Makeup Monday: Little Sister

I'm a firm believer that teenagers should be allowed to express themselves through whatever crazy hair color, clothing style or music taste they gravitate toward (within reason, of course). Once you finish college and start your career, you probably won't be able to have rainbow tresses or a septum piercing, so why not have fun with it when you're younger? It's not permanent - color eventually fades or grows out and piercings can be removed. However, stay away from tattoos until you're a real adult - and I'm not talking eighteen. If you get a tattoo when you're a teenager, you might end up with a tramp stamp that says "She wakes up lonely." I mean...what? This is an entirely hypothetical situation. I definitely do not have one of those.

Anyway, when I was a teenager, I didn't really wear makeup. I had blue hair, and then purple and red, but I didn't know what to do with makeup without going overboard. And while overboard makeup can be quite fun, it's also nice to know how to enhance your features and disguise blemishes and still look like yourself. Keeping that in mind, I gave my little sis a mini lesson on how to do age/school appropriate makeup. Read on to see what I used and a breakdown of how I did this look!




What we used:
BareMinerals Get Started Kit
Shobha brow pencil in sand
E.L.F. Candid Coral Blush
Milani eye pencil in Espresso
Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Mascara Duo in blue/black (I got it at CVS but not online)
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Estée Lauder Crystal Sand Eyeshadow
Laura Mercier Lip Stain in Hibiscus

After moisturizing Tessa's face, I applied primer all over (we used the one from the BareMinerals kit). Then, using the concealer brush and mineral foundation, I focused on the undereye area and any blemishes. With the bigger foundation brush, I applied the loose powder all over, in circular motions, making sure to tap off excess powder before applying. Make sure to blend along the edges of your jaw line or else you'll get the dreaded mask effect! I went over the more stubborn blemishes again with the concealer brush. When applying concealer on a blemish, tap it on - don't rub.

Next, I filled in her brows with the Shobha brow pencil, using short, light strokes and brushed them into place with a stiff, angled brush (this also helps to blend the color). I primed her eyelids with UD Primer Potion and did a wash of neutral, shimmery eyeshadow all over her lid and then on the inside, near her tear ducts (to get the glowy effect). I used a brown eye pencil along her upper lash line and smudged it for a more diffused, less harsh look. Then, I put two coats of mascara on her upper and lower lashes - first blue, then black (to make a navy that works well with her blue eyes).

The blush I used (E.L.F. Candid Coral) has a built in shimmer and a very sheer color, so I dusted that on her cheeks and let that act as a highlighter. All that was left to do was add a little lip color. Tessa has beautifully pigmented lips and isn't really into lipstick or gloss, so I opted for a tinted stain. I dabbed a little bit of color into the middle of her lips and blended outward with my finger.

Special thank you to Tessa, my beautiful little sister, for being my model for a day:)