In-depth smokey pink 'glam' makeup tutorial

Emma Taylor
Nov 14, 2019
3 min read

I sound like a saddo when I say this, but my favourite part of a night out is getting ready for it. It's no exaggeration when my friends say that I take hours to get dolled up, because I literally do spend around 2-hours on my makeup alone, but that's because I generally enjoy doing it so much. There's a typical makeup look that I tend to go for when I'm going out for an evening, so I'm going to talk you through the products and techniques that I use to achieve this.

To get a flawless base, I first of all moisturise to get minimise any dry areas and then make sure to use a good primer, because as Nikkie Tutorials says 'not to prime is a crime!'

The primer that I use is the Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer, and it's an oil-free product that blurs imperfections and fine lines on your skin and creates a smooth base while protecting your skin from environmental stress and damage.

Moving onto foundation, I use around a pump-and-a-half and dot it all over my face, avoiding the under-eye area. The Bourjois 123 Perfect foundation is great for blemished skin, as it has three built-in colour correction pigments: 'green that neutralises redness, yellow that conceals dark circles, and mauve that corrects dullness.' I have freckles and quite a few spot scars on my natural skin, so this foundation is great to help reduce those appearances with its medium coverage.

Once dotted on my face, I use a damp Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge to evenly bounce the product onto my skin. The reason you want to make sure you dampen your sponge is because it will then prevent your foundation from being absorbed, meaning you won't waste as much of your product. The sponge will also ensure you're getting a really great coverage and a more flawless base.

Once my foundation is blended out, I then go in with a concealer that is lighter than my foundation to brighten up certain areas of my face. I use the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer in the lightest shade there is, and I swipe around three lines underneath each eye, in the middle of my forehead and on my chin, then blend them all out quickly with my damp Real Techniques sponge. When I applied my foundation, I said that I avoided applying to my under-eyes, this is because I wanted to apply the concealer straight to that area to prevent too much product build-up in such a delicate area - doing this will ensure that this area is kept looking fresh and young without any 'cakey' lines appearing.

I then dust the RCMA No-Colour Powder all over my face with a big fluffy brush. Going in again with the trusty damp sponge, I'll dip it into some powder and dab in into areas on my face that I really want to stay matte which is my forehead, nose and chin. I'll also do this underneath my eyes to really lock the product in and reduce the appearance of any lines appearing throughout the evening.

Now that my face looks completely flat and pale, it's time to add some dimension and colour back into it. Using a contour brush, I give it a swirl around my Bare Minerals Bronzer and begin to chisel those cheekbones, sucking in my cheeks and following the natural line. I add this into my temples and along my hairline and other areas that I would naturally catch a tan. As for blush, I just sweep this across my cheeks to bring a pop of colour, and then use a highlight to really accentuate the high points of my cheekbones.

I filmed a short video where I apply some of the makeup I've already talked you through, but you can really see how I achieve the pink smokey eyeshadow look, and I figured it's best to see it visually!

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/a1b90d_2887a9b72d1a464c9f2f91709000834c/480p/mp4/file.mp4

Products used:

Base

Primer - Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer

Foundation - Bourjois 123 Perfect, Shade Vanilla

Concealer - Collection Lasting Perfection, Shade 0 Extra Fair

Powder - RCMA No-Colour Powder

Bronzer - Bare Minerals Bronzer, Shade Faux Tan

Blush - Laura Mercier Blush, Shade Grapefruit

Highlight - Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit, Ultimate Glow

Setting Spray - NYX Matte Finish

Eyes