Hello, fellow make-up addicts! I recently had a chance to get in touch with an incredibly talented Make-Up Artist, as well as my lovely acquaintance, Miss Chelsea Still, and ask her a lot of the questions about make-up that others like me have been needing to know. Well, I've got all of her answers in one spot, so settle in and have your brushes at the ready!
Who you is, gurl? What yo name?:
Heeeeeyyyyyyyyyy
gurl…My name is Chelsea Still…that’s who I am.
What’s your makeup story? How did you get into makeup
artistry and what would you ultimately like to be doing?
Oh god, I was such a nerd when I was younger. My best
friend, who also happened to be my neighbor, was equally as weird and
nerdy as I was. We would get into our parents' old clothes and dress up and put
the most god-awful makeup on our faces and prance around our neighborhood…we
would literally have orange faces…it was scary. I would always make my friends
let me put makeup on them…it was something fun but not anything I ever
thought about doing as a career.
When I was 18
years old, I started managing a Halloween store in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I did
that for about 5 years and got really passionate about the horror makeup. I loved horror movies growing up--sneaking off and watching scary movies
with my dad even though I was WAY too young-- and blood & gore always excited me. I definitely wasn't a girly girl,
that’s for sure. It never occurred to me
that you could live somewhere and make a living by doing this amazing, creative
and fun makeup.
When I was 20, my house flooded and I found myself homeless
and broke. I took a job in Alaska at a
fish cannery and busted my ass and became mentally and financially ready to go
to school. I chose to go to Makeup Designory (MUD) in Burbank. I moved to
LA by myself without ever visiting and began the most amazing adventure of my
life. I spent the last 5 years working in special effects labs, working on
films, photo shoots, commercials, doing makeup for Halloween Horror Nights at
Universal Studios Hollywood and just having fun and finally feeling like I had
found what I was meant to be doing.
My ultimate goal is to get back out to Los Angeles, find a
lab to work in and just do art and makeup. To have a job that I genuinely enjoy
waking up for every day and would gladly work 90 hours a week doing.
Did your Special Effects makeup training influence your
normal makeup in any way? If so, how?
There's a lot of highlighting and shadowing that you use in SPFX makeup in order for the look to be dramatic and to stand out, I carried that over to my beauty makeup routine
but dulled it down a bit. Highlighting and shadowing your features is a great
way to make things stand out, disappear, or look different.
What products do you swear by?
Are there any drugstore brands that you recommend over
pricier versions?
As far as foundations go I don’t recommend drugstore brands.
I think its worth spending a little extra money for a foundation that’s made
for your skin type, tone and color. I always love trying out new
eyeshadows, blushes and lipsticks though,
especially if there's a great sale!
(Meagan here, this is actually very exciting, because I LOVE the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer and just ran out a few weeks ago, and was dreading the idea of spending $36 on it. I cannot wait to try this!)
What are your most critical makeup tips?
I cannot stress enough how important prepping and priming
your skin is to the outcome of your makeup. Exfoliating and moisturizing before
bed and then again when you wake up is a great habit to get into. Blending is
also key to makeup. Blend, blend, blend, blend! I can’t say it enough!
What types of concealers are best for covering up
blemishes/red spots/dark under eye bags? Any product recommendations?
I’m a sucker for
MAC’s Pro Longwear Concealer. Its got
amazing coverage and it's long wearing, I never have to touch it up throughout
the day! Everybody has different skin types tho so what works best for myself
may not be the best for you. Color correction is really important for really
covering up imperfections.
When trying to cover up a red spot or blemish you
should use a green corrector, the green will neutralize the red.
When trying
to cover up dark under eye circles or birth marks you want to use an orange
corrector. The Orange will neutralize the purple/blue in the skin.
After using
a corrector, set with a translucent powder and then apply your concealer and/or foundation on top.
How can thin lipped girls like me create natural looking,
fuller lips?
You’ll want to start off by finding the proper lip liner
color that suits your coloring the best, everybody is different! I like to hold
the lip liner at an angle and apply it starting at the center of the lip and
lightly filling in my natural shape, top and bottom lip. Then you can just add
onto the shape, little by little, to correct or enlarge your lips.
Use a light
colored concealer to line around your new shape to give a slight highlight and
pop a tiny bit of gloss onto the center of your bottom lip to give a “pouty”
lip appearance.
I have tons of freckles, and though I love to let them
be, there are times when I’d like to cover them all up and have a smooth, clear
face. Are there any ways I can do this without layering on foundation and concealer?
A common misunderstanding I always come across is the
thought that full coverage = thick and heavy makeup. It doesn't have to be that
way! MAC has
Studio Fix Liquid Foundation and Makeup Forever makes
HD Foundation that both are full coverage and have a BEAUTIFUL matte finish to
them. This makeup is so pigmented that you really need such a small amount of
makeup to get the coverage you want or need. You can even mix in a little
primer or moisturizer if you want to sheer it out more.
In my opinion, eyebrows are so important to the outcome
of your look. Do you have any brow tips?
I look back at pictures of myself before and I'm amazed that
it took me so long to learn how to properly fill in my eyebrows. I fell in love
with the
Lingering Eyebrow Pencil from MAC. It’s a soft brown pencil that stays
on all day.
-To start filling in your brow,
you gotta find the best starting point. To do this, hold your brow pencil or
brush up so that one end lines up with the edge of your nostril and the other
lines up with the inside corner of your eye. The extension of the brush into
your brow is where your brow should start.
-To find the ending point of
your brow hold your pencil or brush up so that one end lines up with the edge
of your nostril and the other lines up with the outside corner of your eye. The
extension of this line into your brow is where your eyebrow should end.
-To create the arch in your
brow, use your pencil or brush again. Line
the pencil up with the corner of your nostril and the very center of your eye.
The place in your brow that the end of the pencil hits (or would hit if it were
long enough) is where your arch should be.
-Choose a powder (for more
natural brows) or a pencil/gel (for more defined brows) in the color that’s
most appropriate for you
-“connect the dots” and make an
outline of your desired brow shape using your guidelines mentioned above. Don’t
fill in the brows yet, just make the outline – top shape, tail and bottom of
brows. Lightly color in the brows, starting at the tail and working lighter as
you work your way in. Finish off with a clear brow gel and you have some nice
brows!
What makeup do you find goes best with green/blue/brown
eyes?
Shades of purple will make green eyes really pop and stand
out since it’s a contrasting color, same with orange tones on blue eyes. I
really love using purples on brown eyes a well because it will pull out the
natural green tones in the eye. I love bronze and golds on any eye color. Its
always nice to have a color wheel accessible so you can see what will work best
with your eye color. Look at the wheel,
find your eye color, and find the color that is opposite of your eye color. The
opposite color will help make your eye color stand out the most!
What’s the best way to use foundation & powder? How
does one avoid the “caked-on” look? Do you have any foundations/powders that
you recommend?
I like to apply my foundation lightly with a brush. After I
have the foundation applied I take a big fluffy brush with my chosen powder and
lightly press (not rub) the powder onto my face. This keeps the powder light
and soft and will help to set the liquid foundation. I also like to finish off
with spraying my face with
Fix + Spray from MAC. The spray helps to hydrate the
powder and make it appear more natural, not so much like a powder sitting on
the face. You can use translucent powders or lightweight sheer powders if you
don’t want to add more coverage or alter the color of your foundation.
What types of brushes do you use on a regular basis, and
where on your face do you use each one? Any brush tips?
These are all MAC brushes so ill be using the numbers for
the brushes. You can look all of these up online to see exactly what I'm talking
about.
For moisturizer, primer and liquid foundation -
#159 or
#188. Both duo-fiber brushes. I love these brushes because they pick up a small
amount of product and really feather/buff the product into your skin. They
don’t leave your foundation looking streaky and they are the perfect sizes to
be able to work around the eyes and nose easily.
For powder -
#134 or
#150. The #150 is a much fluffier
powder brush, applies your powder light and soft. The #134 is a denser, firmer
brush and allows for more product to be applied. This is great for when you
want a heavier powder or more coverage.
#168 is my favorite blush brush. Its
soft and fluffy and just perfect.
For eyes -
#217 IS MY FAVORITE!! It’s a fluffy brush that is
amazing for softly applying colors in your crease. The
#224 is the perfect
blending brush. I never put product on this one, I simply use it to blend blend
blend! #230 is great for packing on colors. It’s a flatter, more dense brush
that picks up more product. Great for the lid.
#210 is my go-to brush for gel
eyeliners. Its not too short, not too long and not to thick. Just perfect!
A lot of people make a big fuss about spending money on
brushes…but honestly….these brushes are your tools. You want beautiful makeup?
You need the proper tools to apply your makeup! You can't expect to have a Kim Kardashian face when you use your fingers to apply your makeup. Brushes are an
investment and when taken care of properly can last you YEARS, and I mean
YEARS. I shampoo my brushes once a month with a gentle baby shampoo. I squirt a
dime size amount into my hand and twirl my brush, gently, in a circular motion
in the shampoo. Do this underneath warm water until the water runs clear. Then
lay your brush on its side to allow it to dry. I also clean my personal brushes
once a week with a brush cleaner to help condition the bristles and keep them
clean and free of bacteria.
What makeup rules are vital to you?
If you are planning on being in front of a camera, taking a
lot of pictures, or somewhere that has a lot of bright lighting- don’t be
afraid to make yourself a LITTLE darker than you usually are. I'm serious when I
say a little, I'm not telling you guys to go out and give yourselves orange
faces, but it is a good idea to take into account bright lights and flashes
from cameras that will make you appear a little more pale than you look in real
life. Not sure how you look on camera? Take a picture with a digital camera or
your phone with the flash on and see if your face matches your body!
Proper skincare and a good primer, even though its not
makeup, will have a HUGE effect on your makeup.
I’ll say it again, BLEND, BLEND, BLEND!!!!
If you were only allowed to use 1 makeup product for a
day, what would you pick and why?
Oh wow, that’s quite the question. I think I would have to
chose “Have A Lovely Day! Lip & Cheek color from MAC. It’s a beautiful mauve/berry crème color and
gives a beautiful healthy pop of color to the lips and cheeks, even on the eyes
if you want it.
What are primers, and why are they important?
I like to think of primers as double sided tape. The one
side is clinging onto your skin, while the other side grabs onto your makeup.
Primers help to hydrate the skin, allow the makeup to be applied smoothly and
more evenly, and helps make the makeup last all day long.
What would you recommend for someone who wants a quick
but effective makeup routine?
I really love
Studio Fix Foundation Powders from MAC for
people who want to be quicker in their makeup routine. It has a compartment for
a disc sponge and gives you the same coverage as a liquid foundation, but you
can easily throw it in your purse and run out the door. If you prefer liquid
foundation then
Matchmaster from MAC is amazing. As it oxidizes on your skin it
will change color to match your color. It also allows your natural skin tone to
shine through so youll never look too pink or too yellow. Find a nice soft blush color for your cheeks
and your eyes to give a nice amount of color to the face from just one product.
Throw on some mascara and lip gloss and you have a super quick 5 minute makeup!
What is your preferred order of application/skin care
routine?
When I start my makeup routine every day, I start with my
skin care. I'll exfoliate, moisturize and prime my skin. I then will move on to
my eyes. The reason I do this is because your skin needs a good 10-15 minutes
to really soak up and absorb all that moisturizer and primer you’ve just
applied. Going straight to your foundation is just going to mix your products
all together on top of your skin. Another reason I love doing my eyes next is
because after you’ve done your eye shadow, if you have made any sort of mess on
your face (it happens to all of us) then you can easily clean it off without
messing up any existing foundation. When I do my eyes I prime first with my
painterly paint pot, then apply my eye shadow. After I’m done with my eye
shadow I move on to my concealer, then foundation, then powder. After applying
the powder I like to move onto highlighting and contouring with powders ( If
you prefer to use creams or liquids to highlight and contour then do that
BEFORE your foundation) I add blush next and blend all together, then spray and
set with fix plus. After that I draw in
eyebrows, add eyeliner and finish off with mascara. I wait to do the eyeliner
after foundation just so that it stays fresh and dark. I always do my lips last
so they look nice and crisp and juicy!
How did you get into the business, as well as any tips
and tricks for getting started.
Practicing your artistry is so important as a makeup artist.
There are always new trends and styles that you can learn and perfect. Take
pictures of every single makeup you do, even if it isn't the best thing you’ve ever done. It's good to have pictures to look back and compare to be able to see
how far you’ve grown as an artist. Make a website! I made a Wix website. It's
nothing fancy, but it’s a place for me to put pictures of my work and
information about myself so when I apply for jobs and gigs, I can send them a
link so they are able to see my work right away. It makes you look a lot more
professional than giving somebody your Facebook or Instagram account.
I learned
a lot from makeup school but there are also many artists who are always looking
for interns/apprentices and can help teach you and help you understand the
business side of makeup. YouTube is a great tool too for learning new tips and
techniques. Every artist is different and has something new to teach you so
don’t ever stop learning and growing!!
Model Mayhem is also a great website to
network through and to find photographers and models in your area looking to
work!
And last but not least, would you rather fight one
horse-sized duck or 100 duck-sized horses?
Are we going by prison rules? Street rules? Well….I would
battle 100 duck-sized horses, seems easier to kick and stomp and attack them
all…maybe try to tame one of them to be my new pet...where the horse-sized duck
could do some serious quick damage to any part of my body….and would probably
take some seriously nasty shits.
----
THANK YOU, CHELSEA! I think I can speak for all of us when I say WE APPRECIATE when the experts take the time to let those of us who aren't as experienced learn the proper way to apply makeup!
To view Chelsea's work, please visit
