Instead of a typical Newsfeed post, I thought this month I’d answer a few questions I get asked a lot as a makeup artist.

Q – How do I get rid of dark under-eye circles (I’ve tried concealer and it still is dark).
A – The problem you can have with just applying a light concealer over your dark circles is that you’re just highlighting them. To help get rid of them (if sleep/water aren’t enough), you first need to colour correct. You can break out a colour wheel from high school art class to find the shade opposite of your dark circles… but most find that a salmon/peachy coloured corrector or concealer works to cancel out the blue/purple tones under your eye. Once you’ve neutralized the darkness, you can apply a concealer or foundation to cover up the corrector and make everything blend. You can now highlight under your eye if you’re wanting that bright under eye look. Make sure when applying all those layers you don’t swipe the makeup but stipple, pounce, or tap it on so you’re not just wiping away the layers underneath. Remember to set with a powder.

Q – What are 5 essentials for everyday – for those of us that are new to makeup and looking for the essentials to look put together?
A – 1. Tinted moisturizer, BB cream, or CC cream (with SPF) to even out your skin, moisturize, and protect from the sun.
2. A cheek/lip stain that you can use for more than one purpose and it will give your lips a bit of colour so it looks like you put some effort into being presentable, plus it’ll last all day. The colour on your cheeks will give your skin a healthy glow. Maybe a natural pink that’s a “your lips but better” kind of colour so it’s natural and versatile.
3. Champagne eyeshadow. You can use it all over your eyelid, or just on the inner corner to brighten up your eyes. You could tap some above your lip, on your cupid’s bow to accentuate your lips. You could even tap some on the tops of your cheekbones to add a highlight there as well.
4. Mascara. I have blonde lashes so this is a must for me to look put together. It adds volume, length, curl, and just makes your eyes more of a focal point.
5. Brow pencil, powder, or tinted brow gel. Groomed brows just make your whole face look framed and complete.

Q – Is it mandatory to remove makeup at the end of the day?
A – YES! Not removing your makeup everyday can clog your pores and cause blemishes, blackheads, etc. It can also lead to premature aging of your skin. Find a makeup remover you like, and use it daily! I use Kirkland brand makeup remover wipes and they work great. You get a bunch, and they are so inexpensive. Take it off every night.

I hope that helps anyone that was wondering about these things. If you ever have any beauty questions, send them my way and I’ll try to answer as quickly as possible.

About the Author

Tina Michelle is a freelance makeup artist in Oshawa, Ontario. She loves to help others feel better about themselves by teaching them to use makeup as a tool at their disposal to bring their best face forward. She never wants you to feel like makeup is something that you have use to cover yourself up so you are considered pretty. You already are beautiful! Tina hopes to help you discover that makeup is fun and can be playful, and doesn’t have to be another chore on a to-do list. You can find her on Facebook here: (www.Facebook.com/MakeupByTinaMichelle/) or Twitter (www.twitter.com/MakeupByTinaM.com/) or Instagram: (www.twww.instagram.com/MakeupByTinaMichelle/)