Event | Personal Make Up Workshop at Biocare Academy

Opening my mail inbox to beauty related event invites always makes my day! The day when I received an invite from the ever so sweet Roberta on behalf of Biocare Academy to attend a personal makeup workshop, was no exception. Yes, such things make me happy :)

 

I was really looking forward to this event because it is something different from the other events we are used to, plus a makeup workshop with the uber talented makeup artist and educator Jean Pillow is something I did not want to miss!

 

The staff at the academy are always a pleasure to meet and they always greet us with a smile (and tasty nibbles and a glass or two of Prosecco wine)! I'm in love with their premises and we got to spend an entire three hours in their 'makeup studio'! Marija from all things lady was Jean's volunteer for the night and I think my fellow bloggers will agree that the makes for a good model and Jean worked her magic perfectly! Here are pictures and some tips I picked up during the workshop, which in my opinion was highly educational while being fun at the same time...we even got to apply our makeup in the end! You will see by the end of the post that makeup doesn't have to be for special occasions only, all you need is an extra 30 minutes max in the morning to give yourself a more polished look!

 

- Always start with clean skin. Well-cared for skin will help makeup look better and last longer. Here Jean is using Eva Garden Makeup Removing Tissues to cleanse Marija's face.

- The best way to ensure that you do not have a lot of product on your face to use your hand as a palette and blend the product before actually applying it.

 

- Patting motions always work best to blend the product into the skin and build up coverage as needed. It will also help makeup last longer.

- A primer base is a must to fill superficial wrinkles and lines and to even out your skin. It will also help the makeup last longer.

 

- Applying concealer with a brush is your best bet to make sure you cover up dark circles and blemishes well.

 

- To effectively conceal dark circles, it is best to avoid a light concealer and go for a more orange based one instead. The reasoning behind this is that purple (the under tone for dark circles), is exactly opposite orange on the colour wheel, hence the latter will counteract dark circles more effectively. 

 

- A dirty green concealer is specifically targeted to counteract redness (same reasoning as above).

 

 

- When it comes to finding the right foundation, everyone knows that your best bet is to try it on in white light or better yet, sunlight. However, did you know that it is best to check whether the shade matches your skin tone is to try the foundation on a protruding area of the face such as your cheekbones? This is so as such parts of our face catch more light and hence it easier to see how well a foundation matches your skin. You know it's a good match when you can't tell where the foundation starts and ends!

- Patting motions are your best to avoid looking cakey or putting on too much foundation. The trick is to use a latex sponge and make it act like a container for your foundation and gently press it against your face with your index finger (to bring the product out) while holding it with your thumb and middle fingers. This will also guarantee a perfect coverage while still looking natural. 

- There is no need to wet the sponge unless you are using a thick foundation such as the ones used for theatrical purposes.

- Setting cream products with powder ensures your makeup looks flawless, stays longer and gives your skin a matte finish.

 

- For eyes, start by contouring and shaping the eyes with a creamy eye pencil. Start by assessing your natural shape and decide if you want to extend your eyes or make them look smaller. The aim is to get your eyes to resemble an almond shape which is the 'perfect' shape for makeup.

 

- It is important to use a creamy eye pencil formula to allow easy blending with a stiff, small angled brush. Always blend towards the inner part of the eyes. and correct any mistakes with a cotton bud.

 

 

 

- To set the pencil, you can opt for a dark colour for a more intense look or else, go for another colour. During our lesson, green and red were used for a contrasting, fashionable look.

 

- When highlighting brows, avoid shimmery shadows if you have prominent brows as they will over take the whole eye look. Use a light matte shade instead.

 

 

Marija, happy with her makeup :)

We decided to skip the lipstick application and try the look ourselves with different colour combinations. Jean was there every step of the way to guide us and help us with any problems or queries. During the demonstration we even had the opportunity to try and feel the products to see which ones we like and think work best for us. We were even each given a face chart to jot down the products we used. Here are pictures of some products we used:



Eva Garden Extreme Loose Powder Transparent



Eva Garden Creamy Concealers 606, 607 and 608

 



As you can tell, the makeup used was all Eva Garden of which I was very impressed and I have already included some products in my wish list to get when I run out of the current products I am using. It is a very professional line with a wide range of products and prices are comparable to middle of the range brands.


All of their products are mineral based and hypoallergenic and I was really glad I didn't break out over night! Even the Makeup Remover Tissues felt nice and didn't cause any stinging.

Last but not least, every time we go to the Biocare premises, they never let use leave empty-handed! Jean chose a nice nail polish for each of us, each in dark colours to complement winter's darker colour palette. I was given shade 696 which is a beautiful metallic mallard green. I am thinking of some nail design to use the polish in for my next manicure!

Overall, I really enjoyed my experience and I feel I learnt a lot of new tips and tricks for makeup application, so thank you Biocare Academy, Roberta and Jean for hosting us!