French Girl Friday~ Makeup

This weeks French Girl Friday blog is "tous du maquillage " (all about make up) .... my make up, well how I do my make up. So you are asking "what makes this a French Girl Friday post??"  In all reality it isn't, not exactly. As I mentioned I am using the book "Forever Chic" by Tish Jett as my inspiration, I will leave it to you to read her wonderful book. It is as I put it on Instagram "Ruby's Musings Recommended" . This weeks chapter was titled "Le Maquillage" , again translated, maquillage is makeup in French. I really expected all the same information that I have read in the other books that I have read about channeling your inner French girl/woman , the whole yes they wear make up, but worn in such a way that they do not look like they are wearing make up; and there was that. This chapter contained so much more than I was expecting, and I was delighted. Included in the chapter was not only a mini history of the art of French make up, but also wonderful tips from both a famous French makeup artist, but also that of the author and what she learned while living in France. There is a lovely section on perfume as well. I thoroughly enjoyed the chapter! 

I loved learning the makeup practices of lovelies 
such as Marie Antoinette. 
Marie Antoinette, age 12, painted by Martin van Meytens 

In the 1950's the "doe eyed" look was fashionable.

I have in past years, though it has been a long time shared my make up tips, favorite products and a couple of times my step by steps. I have done my make up in different ways and styles as well as colors over the year, but it has always had a basis in years far before I was even born, be it a 1920's flapper look to a 1960's Mod girl. My most favorite and the one that I come back to is my take on a 1950's pin up. I adore a cat eye, from subtle to very bold, defined brows and a "painted" lip, red is my favorite, but I dabble in nearly all shades of pink, especially during the Spring and Summer time. I play with all shades of eye shadows, from soft neutrals to bold blues... just depends on my mood. I have various levels of applications of make up as well, from a five minute face, just the basics, to a more heavy and complete application for nights out or for taking photos for the blog etc. I do not try to hide my age, or fine lines or freckles ( I love my freckles) though I do try to soften things such as sun spots, and old acne scars. You can tell I am wearing make up, but hopefully not in a bad way. I do not wish to look clownish, so I am always adjusting things to adjust for changing skin texture and age, after all I will be 49 next month. I adore makeup and trying new things and products to make my routine easier and quicker but with the same results.... CVS loves me *giggle* Anyway, I thought it might be time to share a day in my make up application via photos. 

Been fascinated by pinups since girl hood.
From the blue shadow to the red lips and of
course the beauty mark!
*artist ??? can anyone help? I will add the
credits later. 

When I do my makeup I always keep an image of a
young Elizabeth Taylor in my minds eye.

Maquillage

  

The supplies. 

Ok, yes, I own a fair amount of makeup. I try all price points, but most of mine can be bought at CVS or any drug store or at the very least Ulta. You will notice my make up towel, I use this to wipe my brushes and my fingers. It is one of my most important tools; it helps to use it to tap off excess shadow or foundation off of my finger tips.  The nude pallet, from Maybeline is my new favorite, I use it on my eyes as well as my brows.... again always looking for short cuts. I always use primers, from face, eyes even my lips and see that pink stick that says "borderline" (? ) ,that is a clear stick that keeps the lipstick from feathering.. key as one ages and gets those fine lines around the lips. I use two eye liners, one felt tip to get the basic line and then a liquid in the pot or at times a gel over it to finish. What you don't see is my collection of blushes, which change throughout the year depending on the amount of color on my face and my two drawers of lipsticks! I like choices. 

Brows are done...now for the primers... see not hiding anything... just softening. 

I forgot to take a photo while doing my brows, but the basics are, brush them up, fill in with powder a shade or two lighter than the darkest of your hair, brush through them with a spoolie ( looks like a mascara wand w/o the mascara) and then finish off with a pencil in a close shade to fine tune the outer lines, top and bottom. You may be wondering why I would do them first, well I do this, and I it is unique to me, because if I make a mistake I can easily correct it and not have to do my whole face again, plus when I put on my finishing powder over my whole face, it does help to soften them just a tad. Typically pin up make up and vintage make up based on the 1950's does feature a very defined, bold brow. I do not do this daily, I most days do a much more natural brow.  The dots on my face are concealer. I flip back and forth between doing this step before my foundation and after. It really depends on if I am going to do a powder foundation or a liquid. If I do liquid it is done last, otherwise it ends up coming all off... but with powder it stays put.  Anyway once the dots and lines are in place, I blend with my finger. That's why my towel comes in handy. 

It's all about the eyes. 

I have already by the time you see the above photo, I have applied foundation powder, just on my T zone and blended. Now on to the eyes... I am using a soft rose on the lid, a taupe brown  ABOVE the crease as it helps hide the droop/hood that comes with age, and then I use a soft vanilla as the highlight near the brow, to the outside of the eye and below the eye as well, which helps brighten the eye. You will see also the line from the bottom of the eye that goes towards the brow.... I use the felt tip liner, in soft black, to get the basic lines both the tail and the outline on the lid, then I go back over it with the darker black to fill it all in. I then set it with transparent powder. I have also added a soft rose blush on the apples of my cheeks.

 Below is me applying mascara...not easy to do a selfy and do this to say the least. I have two mascaras, both Physician Formula. I use one that is supposed to make your lashes look like falsies and the second is to help achieve a great cat eye effect with your lashes. I like them both...one is a lighter formula, but does a nice day look on my eyes and yes like thin, light falsies, the second creates a nice, thick and lush lash and is my favorite...both I use the wand and wiggle it in to the base for the first coat and by coat two or three I use the tip to help separate, shape the lashes up and out. 

This was on a day where I did a 5 minute face, no shadow, just liner and mascara and of course brows... done just a tad less bold and then just a swipe of pink lipstick. 

LIPS! Next to last step.

So above, you can see I am nearly done with my going out face. I first apply the primer to my lips, I also have outlined with the clear pencil to prevent feathering, then I use a liner in the same or close to the color of the lipstick to line and partially fill in and then apply my lipstick. I use three coats. I apply the first with a lip brush, and then pat my lips on a tissue, then apply a second coat same thing only then with a powder applied through a tissue with a brush, and finally a third coat, same step of blotting with a tissue and then I touch up with the pencil. Sounds like a lot I know, but it does make regular lipstick last all day. IF I am using a long lasting lipstick or one of the new matt types, I skip a lot of these steps and just apply liner and one coat of lipstick and blot.

Same basic make up as above, but taken on another day and done with a slightly
lighter hand on the brows and using the PF Falsies mascara.

My final steps .....

So there you have my personal makeup routine... in the above photos, such as the lippy photo, you will notice the thicker, heavier lash look, that is the Sexy Booster Cat Eye mascara from Physicians Formula, it comes in a really cute red and black tube with a little shoe hanging from it.  The second is their lighter formula, a falsies effect and comes in a pink tube.  All the other make up is the same. The final step is to check for any fine tuning, then I apply high lighter cream in the inner corners, and brow line, as well as the cheek bones, half way down the top of the nose and the cupids bow of my lips.... as you age adding a bit of the light catching highlighting creams really help to give you a little lift here and there. I then use a makeup mist and set... I love this, I just close my eyes and do a couple sprays and it feels cooling and sets my make up all day... and it adds a bit of dewiness to my look. 

I may not have a totally au natural look ala the modern day French woman, and that is where being an American girl/woman departs from the French woman, but I do what feels natural to me, and I still as I mentioned in the beginning, allow my freckles, fine lines (and the deep ones too ) to show through, so it's me, just better; After all that is what brings it back around to channeling my inner French girl/woman where they wear makeup, but only to enhance their looks not change them. 

Sometimes it is just about adding a touch of
French flair to your life and routine, not
trying to become French.