3 New Makeup Techniques I've Learned About and Been Trying

Over the years, I have built a very solid makeup and beauty routine that I know works for me and that I enjoy doing and execute quickly. That said, one of the greatest joys about makeup for me is trying something different. This week, I thought I'd talk about three new-to-me techniques that I have been experimenting with.

Soap Brows: This is something that I have only heard of quite recently but don't know how I could have not done it before. It must be the easiest way to get fluffed up, full-looking bushy brows that somehow still look groomed and stay in place. Basically, all you do is lightly dampen either a spoolie brush or one leftover from an empty brow gel ( a cotton bud will also work in a pinch) roll that in a cake of soap until the brush is thinly but completely coated with soap and brush your brows up with that. The soap will hold the brow hairs up and in the desired place all day long and will not dry crispy or crunchily the way many brow gels do. Even the most basic soap (as long as it has a glycerin base) will work for this technique. So this can make for a much more cost-effective alternative to any brow gel, and it will last you a much longer period of time.

Blush Draping: Draping is a blush technique that was popular on fashion runways in the late 60s and early 70s that now has come back on trend. Blush is applied starting at the temples and working down the sides of the face in a C-shape in towards the cheek bones. Some draping techniques involve taking this concept one step further by then taking the color which ends up on the cheekbones and then fanning and diffusing that color more broadly outward towards the ear. Essentially, this technique is a way sculpt and define the bone structure and take care of blush color in one step and with one shade. Also using blush in a draping method emphasizes all the places—not just limited to the apples of the cheeks-- the face would typically redden and flush when they flush naturally or get wind-bitten but does so in a very painterly, artistic way but one that can easily be adapted for everyday wear. I've been getting back into wearing blush, especially since the weather has turned cooler, and have really been enjoying experimenting with blush draping. I like it because it defines facial structure with on product and in one step. Plus, as a person who usually only chooses between the eyes and lips as the feature to emphasize in makeup, blush draping is a neat way to have the cheeks take centerstage.

Cut Creases: This something I hear termed a key feature of the Instagram-style eye makeup a lot, but nobody seems to really explain what it is, or rather, what it specifically refers to and how it is done. But upon further investigating, I discovered that cut creases are a technique of packing a deeper (usually neutral-colored, like a gray or a brown) eyeshadow to shade the crease of the eye to make it appear as if it were, instead, part of the eyelid. This gives the illusion of having a higher crease to the eye than you actually do and makes the eyelid space appear bigger and the entirety of the eye wider over all. This false expansion of the lid gives a broader playground to do multiple colors or more complex mixtures of color across the “new” eyelid. Those with hooded eyes (eyes that open in such a way that little to no lid space can be seen when the eyes are opened and looking ahead), find cut creases useful because it gives the illusion of more lid space and reshapes the eyes to allow more of the person’s eye makeup to be noticeable when their eyes are open. I am still practicing doing cut creases, but so far, I do like the effect. The thing I have to watch out for is to not going crazy in blending the line created with the dark shadow that creates the new crease too far outward, which makes what is meant to be a defined and sculptural look become too messy and overly diffused. But as someone with slightly hooded eyes, it really does give me more space to create more intricate eye makeup looks and overall just makes me appear fresher and more wide-awake.

The joy and fun of beauty for me is not just limited to making myself look better or trying out new products. It is also discovering new ways to use products, both old and new and seeing what I can create. Whatever new things I try next, I look forward to sharing them with you.