A poorly lit (and slightly belated) guide to my makeup

So, I try to go for basic but pretty every day. On all but the most special of occasions, I totally skip lip gloss/lipstick (except in the winter or when I've been sick, when my lips get so chapped I HAVE to go for moisturizing lipstick... I'm allergic to lip balm)
I definitely don't do eyeliner
And I find a coverstick right on blemishes, plus basic powder foundation is less pore clogging and more natural looking than caking on the creme foundation.
So, here's your step by step guide to how I get my daily looks, in annoyingly poor lighting

First, I dab a CoverGirl coverup stick over any annoying spots that don't seem to be controllable... I believe the shade I use is "Light"


Second, powder foundation (fantastic trick once taught to me by a beautician at Gene Juarez... if you're using powder or cream to powder, you can put a base coat of it on your eyes as well, and it actually makes it easier for your eyeshadow to stick to your skin/show up vibrantly)... my color is Buff Beige


Here is my eyeshadow palette of the day... I'm working with the burgundy, the silver, and the off white... if I get a palette with 4 colors, I almost always skip the darkest... my skin is just too light to use black as an actual eyeshadow color (I honestly can't remember the name of this color palette, but I think it has the word drama in the name...)


So, while I do frequently vary my color schemes, mix various palettes together, and don't always layer my eyeshadow, the following steps are the easiest way for me to get ready when I want great eyes but don't have time to put much thought into it.
I start with a base coat of the darkest color I'm going to use, beneath the crease of my eyelid


Over that, I do a coat of the middle color from the palette


And finally, above the crease, I fill it in with the very lightest color in the palette. This is a little trick I picked up on in Japan, from my host sister. No one really explained the reason to me, but my guess from my own experience is that it tends to make eyeshadow look a lot brighter, and make eyes look wider and more alert


Top it all off with mascara, and I'm good to go (as previously stated, my color is black emerald)



The finished result? Me with a stupid face... (I just can't seem to make good faces when I take pictures of myself)


Some common variations include:
Different color palettes, same layering technique
Using just one color beneath the crease
Putting an actual color above the crease (but ALWAYS keep it super pale, or it'll make your eyes look heavy)
Loose powder eyeshadow
Mixing colors from different palettes, or using palettes + loose powder
Mixing lighter loose powder colors with a lot of water to make a sort of "glaze" which I'll put over the whole eyelid for a glimmery effect (I have a color called "Puget Pearl" which is by no means gold, but more of a super glittery beige that works so wonderfully for this trick)
Using an all black mascara
Using one VERY bright eyeshadow beneath the crease and skipping the upper crease (very rarely do I do this)
Using just mascara, no other eye makeup (this is my usual for work... I don't like to fuss a lot about getting ready for work, but I do like drawing attention to my eyes, and glamorous lashes are always a sure way to do that)

Any questions about makeup? Send 'em my way!