By: Juana Diez
Applying your own makeup for a big event or party can seem like an intimidating task - and watching YouTube tutorials can leave us feeling even more confused and overwhelmed. Does foundation go after concealer? Should you put your eyeshadow first or last? Why does my concealer clump and settle? Feel. You. The holidays are the perfect time to experiment with makeup, and this time of year is usually associated with a little more glam than usual. Whether you like to rock a bold lip or a smokey eye - we’re recapping our makeup masterclass with celebrity artist and newest clean beauty guru Jenna Anton -- highlighting her fav makeup tips, tricks and products for a glowing complexion all holiday season long. We’re rolling back the curtains and helping you take your makeup game to the NEXT LEVEL. Let's #getglowing! Shall we?
1.First thing’s first. PREP YOUR SKIN!
Nourishing your skin with the right products can make a huge difference when it comes to creating a proper base for your makeup - and can ultimately affect the way your makeup sits on your skin. Jenna’s top picks for a flawless finish:- Josh Rosebrook Hydrating Accelerator -- Organic vitamin-infused aloe water and fatty acids penetrate deep into the skin and enhance delivery of hydration, antioxidants, and nutrients - for a more supple, plump, and firm complexion.
- Botnia Daily Face Cream Light -- Formulated from ultrapure water, botanical hydrosols, jojoba oil, and vitamins E and B5, Botnia’s Daily Face Cream delivers moisture, vitamins, and minerals to all skin types. It goes on smoothly and feels weightless - making it the perfect face cream to layer underneath makeup.
- Botnia Eye Cream -- A gentle eye cream to help fight dark circles, fine lines, and dehydration around the eyes. This is key for concealer to absorb + cover nicely, without caking and settling into fine lines.
- Alima Smooth + Prime -- This primer smoothes and mattifies the skin, creating the base for a seamless, long-lasting makeup application. Formulated with nourishing lipids, botanicals, and antioxidants it prevents creasing and flaking, and helps enhance your natural glow.
- H is for Love Lip Conditioner -- give your pout some hydration and l-o-v-e.
2. We might surprise you with this next step - move on to EYES.
This may seem strange, but it’s so very common for shadows and other eye products to fall onto the skin below. And if you’re constantly touching your eyes or wiping away excess with one-too-many Q-tips (guilty here!) - it’s best to apply foundation and concealer after your eyes are finished for a more polished look. Prep the eyes by applying concealer on the lids with a small brush. This will help neutralize redness and allow pigments to adhere to the lid better - Yaaas to long lasting eyeshadow! For a natural daytime look, Jenna recommends applying one color to the entire lid (sans brow bone) - which will also act as a backdrop for the eyes and give the illusion that you definitely got your 8 hours of sleep last night and have it all. under. control. For a more bold nighttime look, begin with one lighter / more neutral shade over the entire lid before dabbing your favorite color (or colors) from lash line to crease. Use a darker hue in the crease to give the eyes depth, and make them appear brighter and wider. When it comes to brush selection for eye shadow application, remember that fluffy brushes will help even out color and more stiff + compact brushes will deposit more. There really are no rules when it comes to eyeshadow - play around and see what works for you! If you’re feeling overwhelmed and don’t know what color to choose, you can really never go wrong with a taupe hue (this looks great on everybody!) If you’re feeling a little more adventurous (which, let’s be real, we were def inspired after Jenna’s masterclass), you can always put your finger in different pigments and hold up next to your eye against the mirror. This will give you a pretty good idea as to how the color will look on your skin tone! Let yourself be inspired by the different combinations and even by your outfit that night - if you think it looks good… it prooooobably does. Once eyeshadow is done, bring on the eyeliner. Pencil eyeliners (vs liquid) are a lot more forgiving and easy to work with, especially if you’re a beginner. Our favorite takeaway tip of the night - you really need to get to the root of the lashes if you want volume. Go in with your pencil and create little dots on the roots in between hairs. Do this on your entire lash line, and follow by pressing (and wiggling) a darker eyeshadow powder right over the dots. This will lock the liner in place and avoid smudging - you heard it straight from the pro herself! Time for our favorite part - LASHES. And you really shouldn’t be skipping the curling. Take your time with mascara and really try to get at the root of the lashes by applying it in both horizontal and vertical directions. Another big takeaway of the night (which we can totally relate to) - don’t be hard on yourself if you make a mess… it still even happens to the pros! Smudge out any mascara with a bare Q-tip, or for better results, dip your Q-tip in Ere Perez’s Ginko Micellar Water. Jenna’s top picks for glowy eyes:- RMS Master Mixer
- Lily Lolo Laid Bare Eyeshadow Palette
- Aether Beauty Rose Quartz Palette
- Ere Perez Avocado Waterproof Mascara
- W3LL PEOPLE Hypnotist Eye Pencil
3. Moving on to SKIN.
When it comes to foundation, it’s best to choose liquid or creams for the colder and drier winter months. Jenna (and our entire Shop Good team at that) can’t stop crushing on Ere’s Oat Milk Foundation - it’s a lightweight and soothing formula that provides buildable and long-lasting coverage. Jenna’s tip for a natural contour of your best features - choose 2 foundations, a lighter and a darker option. Why? Our skin actually varies in tones on different areas of our face! Areas like our forehead, cheeks, and jaw typically are a bit darker since these are spots were the sun naturally hits. Apply darker foundation on these areas (also - this magically doubles as a liquid bronzer!) and apply the lighter foundation in a downward triangle on the face - around the eye area, nose, and ball of chin. This will brighten up the center of the face and contour your complexion, naturally! Make sure to really blend and work the different foundations into the skin by using a larger blending brush… our Shop Good Chubby Blender is our go-to (in-store only!). If you feel like you need a little something more, (maybe extra help covering that blemish from one toooo many holiday cookies) go in with a concealer and tap or press into areas you want a bit more coverage in. Try TMF’s Dream Conceal or Alima Pure Cream Concealer. If not, feel free to skip this step! We can’t talk GLOW without our favorite beauty tool for a glowy complexion. You guessed it - highlighter comes next. Jenna’s top pick? RMS Living Luminizer, and quite frankly, we can’t argue here. This formula is the ultimate illuminator for creating a sheer, luminous glow with a satin-pearl finish. Apply with fingers over the cheekbones, down the bridge of the nose, and on the cupid’s bow above lips for a natural glow. You can even apply a hint of the Luminizer along the shoulder blades and collar bones for a glam evening look! Before movin’ on to LIPS, set your skin with a finishing powder. Alima Pure’s Radiant Finishing Powder is our favorite for a natural luminous glow!
4. Our favorite - time for LIPS.
The holidays are the perfect time to confidently rock a bold lip. Lip liner is optional for both bold or neutral lips, but Jenna recommends this step to keep your lipstick looking more polished and defined. It will also help add shape! Once you’ve crossed the lining off your list, you’re clear to move on to lipstick. Apply straight from the tube or use a brush. Jenna firmly believes there are no rules when it comes to skin tone and lipstick hue - do what looks GOOD and FEELS GOOD to you. For a glowy holiday pout, top your lipstick with lipgloss of choice! Not ready to commit to bold lips? Blot down with a tissue after applying lipstick for a stain look!Our picks for a kissable holiday pout:
- Lily Lolo Lip Pencil
- Alima Pure Velvet Lipstick (all shades are insanely good - go on like a balm, wear like a matte lip!)
- Ilia White Rabbit Lip Gloss
5. After the party - optimal makeup removal.
We’ve talked allllll things makeup application. But, what about taking your makeup off? All the holiday parties and fam jams can have us reaching for more makeup than usual, and in most cases, your natural cleanser alone may just not cut it. Our top makeup removers:- Ursa Major Face Wipes - the ultimate skin care multi-taskers. Infused with anti-bacterial and hydrating plant botanics, they clean, exfoliate, soothe and hydrate - leaving your skin feeling refreshed, firm and alive.
- Ere Perez Ginkgo Micellar Water - gently removes face and eye makeup (even waterproof options) and cleanses skin. Hydrating aloe vera and antioxidant-rich ginkgo biloba support a balanced complexion and leaves skin feeling soft and smooth.
- H is for Love Rapha Oil Cleanser - The dreamiest oil cleanser to harmonize and purify the skin. The end result? RAPHA removes makeup, dissolved impurities and helps maintain the skin’s natural oils for optimal cleansing without depleting the skin of its moisture. A must try!
- Province Apothecary Organic Cotton Face Cloths - These are great for gently removing dirt and makeup! Each cloth has one smooth side and one lightly textured side, doubling as a great exfoliator for all skin types!
