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It's Time to Face
YOUR Face
Words Shemaiah Gold
We started quarantine questioning whether we'd still be putting on our best face and being indecisive about what hairstyle we wanted to wear for the day. Editorial Hair & Makeup Artist Shemaiah Gold, believes that whether you're at home or on a cute lunch date in the city - you still have to show up & look your best!
Most women have found themselves dressing their best to attend a meeting in their living room whilst others are getting lost in their makeup bag - full of products they've had for months but have no idea how to use them, experimenting with different looks and actually learning how to do their own makeup. Makeup artists are also using this time as an opportunity to pass on their skills through online lessons, which are beneficial for those that wouldn't have the time to learn otherwise.
SCREEN MAKE-UP
Can I just put it out there that the new idea of 'screen make-up' doesn't have to mean emptying out the contents of your makeup bag to go to your virtual meeting. Ladies, let's not get too carried away! You just need a few simple products best suited to your face.
Placing emphasis on the fact that it's your face, we want to see YOU and not a completely different person. It's time to get comfortable with all the little features that historically haven't always been embraced, but are the elements that make up your beauty.
Just think about it - less than a decade ago, the idea of beauty came from the socially constructed view that European features, were the best but this is now changing and we are now seeing the most beautiful models, some with freckles, big lips, moles, birthmarks and the list goes on. Not to talk of the latest covers, featuring NHS workers where we are seeing beauty in its simplest form - simple makeup, classic hairstyles that allow them to get their hands dirty in order to change lives.
LET'S FACE IT
Have you ever asked yourself, why the continuous fight to look like everything but yourself? The increasing pressures on social media platforms such as Instagram really don't help. Everyone is going for the same look. The spider lash extensions, harsh contour and the overbearing eyeshadow. If you haven't been able to discover your own look, now is the time! Apps like FaceTune turn you further away from facing the reality of the way you look and loving those features.
Photographers, say no to the strong overbearing smoothing tools. We want to see your skin! As women, we're used to buying into the idea of going for a certain look but when are we ever told that it's okay to look like yourself? We are seeing it more as celebrities are using the quarantine period to learn how to appreciate their own look and use cosmetics to embrace it.
Disclaimer: Natural does not mean boring, it means saying bye to someone else's face and hello to yours. Make it fun, discover your own way of embracing the features that make up your face using makeup. I have been having a lot of fun on TikTok recently and it's interesting that two of the beauty trends that have gone viral are: Too Faced - Lip Injection Lipgloss via @Mikkzazon and the DIY Faux Freckle Hack. In short, the facial feature we dislike is what someone else may pay for. It's time to embrace your face!
YOUR HANDS
Your hands are the best way to get to know your face. During the lockdown you'll have more time to analyse the details of your face and create the best skincare routine to keep your face intact. My advice would always be to keep your skin healthy if you want your makeup to look good. Flawless makeup only looks flawless if the foundation has been prepped. Using your hands as a makeup applicator may be considered to be unhygienic but you would be surprised to know that makeup brushes harbour more bacteria even whilst they're clean that can inflame skin conditions like acne, and also, makeup brushes soak up a lot of precious product that could otherwise be used on your skin.
The best thing about applying makeup with your hands is that it warms up the product to give an easier application - this is the best way to apply your cream and liquid products and working your base into the skin with your fingers will create a custom, second skin look, especially with flexible formulas.
THE WOTC FACE
Embrace your moles, freckles, wrinkles, birthmarks, scars, lips of all sizes, noses of all shapes and sizes. The natural you is already the perfect masterpiece. Embrace it - we love to see it all!
Thank you for being YOU.
Shemaiah Gold - Editorial Hair & Makeup Artist
