Makeup Tips

Have a question for our experts? Ask them one here.

Question:

Hi! I just found this site a few days ago and am really interested in starting a collection of all the beautiful stuff but don't really know where to start. i have deep blue eyes that id love to highlight but I'm not sure how. I've read about a million things but they're all different!any help you can give would be great! Thanks tara
 

Kirsty Replies:

Hi Tara, Deep blue eyes are best brought to life by using eye shadows that are bronze, peach, coral, rusty orange & gold in colour. These shades intensify and compliment blue eyes so anything in that colour family will work well. Try NYX Trio eye shadow palettes in shimmer-peach-copper or guru to make your eyes pop. You can use these colours for day or night looks, don't be afraid to intensify your look for night time with a dark brown shimmer shadow smudged into your lash line. If you want to use blue shadows you can, but stick to warmer shades even deep khaki or bluey/grey tones. Have fun experimenting with colours & welcome to Crush Cosmetics :).

Question:

Hi, this is a question for Kirsty Delores, I am interested in becoming a makeup artist next year and I was wondering how long did you have to study until you became qualified? thanks
 

Kirsty Replies:

Hi Melissa :) There are so many makeup courses available it can range between 6 - 3 yrs to be qualified. My best advice is to start off with a basic makeup course. I studied a 6 month course to learn and understand the core elements in makeup artistry . After that i decided to research and explore fashion and photographic makeup. After completion of a basic makeup course you should be certified to perform bridal and special occassion makeup. Having a basic qualification gives you a head start into the industry and is a great stepping stone to studying more advanced aresa of makeup artistry e.g: special effects, fashion etc. Research as much as you can about the courses offered, and don't be afraid to call the schools and ask questions. I wish you all the best in your makeup artistry adventure :)
 

Question:

Hi! I love makeup and wearing it, but I have so much so much trouble applying eyeshadow and eyeliner because unlike almost everyone I know, I have single- lidded eyes and any eyeshadow I put on is soo unflattering, so do you have any tips/ advice for putting on eye makeup for single-lidded eyes? Thanks so much, Nina

Kirsty Replies:

Hi Nina,

Single lidded eye's can be a little tricky but with plenty of practice i'm sure you will be able to master enhancing your eyes in no time. The key is to blending very well. I would suggest using neutral tones to start off like the NYX Nude on Nude Natural Look Kit that you can get from Crush. Use the lightest shade as your highlight underneath your brow bone and your darker shade from the outer edge of the eye blending towards the centre of your eyelid. Continue blending toward your inner corner until the shadow fades to nothing. Most of your shadow colour should be where a crease would naturally be. To avoid harsh lines make sure your brow highlight blends into your crease colour. If you wish to use eyeliner make sure it's as close to your lash line as possible, and adding very slight wing at the end of your eyeliner will help create lift to your eyelid.

Best of luck :) Kirsty xx

Jacie Replies:

Thanks for your question Jia-Min.

Seche Vite May go gluggy after a few months. Apparently, it's part and parcel of their formula. The more it's exposed to air, the more it will thicken over time. It does not lose its effectiveness in making your polish dry in under five minutes, but it may make it more difficult to work with.

Seche have a thinning product called Seche Restore, a few drops of which will restore the Seche Vite to its former glory. Seche Restore can also be used in other lacquers that have gone gluggy, which is great for me as I have 20 year old lacquers that I still want to wear!

Crush are currently investigating thinners and - fingers and toes crossed - will have some products online for you to purchase shortly!

Question:

Hi Sumi, I was wondering if u could help me out with the lipstick shades I am after?!!! I luv NYX Round Lipsticks. I already have Indian Pink and Acapulco. But could u pls let me know what other lipsticks would suit me.??? I am an Indian. I have pigmented Lips. I was also thinking of getting the ELF bronzer in Warm. Could u pls let me know ur suggestions. Thanks Preetha

Sumi Replies:

Hi Preetha,

Indian Pink and Acapulco are gorgeous. I would also recommend Cocoa (great on it's own, or as a base for a brighter lippie which you were too afraid to wear by itself to tone down the colour), Saturn, Peony, Doll and B52. All gorgeous very wearable colours.
ELF bronzer although I haven't tried myself looks good. I suggest maybe having a look on You Tube for reviews of it prior to purchasing. Barry M blush in Terracota would be gorgeous with your Indian Pink lipstick as it would give you a lovely coral peachy look.

Hope this helps!
Sumi

Question:

Hi, Going on a bit of a splurge here. And I was wondering what you think your basic must haves for makeup are? And how do you tell if a bronzer will be the right shade? Thanks, xo

Asterikx Replies:

Hi Samantha,
Crush is the best place to be if your after a splurge, as not only do they stock all your basics to create an endless amount of looks, the prices are the best iv seen. So, as far as basics go, you will need the following.

* Sleek iDivine Palette in Storm.

*Urban Decay Primer Potion, the best way to keep your eye shadow fresh and crease free...

* NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk, Cottage Cheese and Oyster...these are used as tinted eye bases, just put a little on the lid and blend with your finger for a light, natural, highlight under the brow or just on its own on the lid..

*Barry M Intense Eyeliner Pen in black and Bee Luscious Creamy Liner in Black Out.

*Barry M 3 in 1 Mascara

*Lipsticks are a must for autumn, lip colour is back, however your shadow choices are going to affect your lip colour choice daily, along with your skin tone, so i recommend the NYX Round Lipstick in Rea, Orange Soda, Honey or Echo for fair skin, and for olive skin, Mars, Milan, Frappachino and Ceto. These lipstick are amazing, so blendable and last all day.

*NYX Round Lip Gloss in real nude and natural

*NYX Cream Blush in Glow

*Bee Luscious Mineral Matte Blush in Coral Sun

*The Balm Bronzer, - use this as a contour for a defined look, blend well with a small blush brush under the length of the cheek bones, under the jaw, and into the temples to give ir face dimension. And to answer your question, rarely is a bronzer ever too dark, the secret is to blend well, and start with a little and blend. Then add more if needed.

*Elf Blush Brush, get a couple, youll be using them heaps, even for flawless liquid foundation application. As good as the MAC 109.

*NYX Powder Blush in Angel, for a highlighter, and Desert Rose for an evening look.

I hope this is helpful, feel free to ask any questions for more details regarding application, or colour choice. Lots of luck and happy shopping Samantha,, let me know how you get on when you get your products.

Asterikx

Question:

Hi Sumi, I just finished browsing your pics on facebook..all of them look just awesome. Can you suggest a lipcolor to give a nice pink look? I have pigmented lips ( like any other Indian girl..:-( ). I would like something which is not in frost finish. I don't want something too bright. TIA

Sumi Replies:

Hi There!
Thanks for the compliments on my facebook page! Much appreciated :)

Yes, I totally understand your concerns on pigmented lips as I have the same problem! I tend to fill in my lips with a nude lipliner to even them out.

You could try the Nyx Black Label Lipstick in 'Princess' and Nyx lipliner in Bloom to finish the look. A nice nude pencil that could also be used is the Nyx 'Rose Brown' lipliner.

A gorgeous pink shade is MAC's Mystic lipstick. It's a gorgeous mid tone pink with no frost. I love it!

All the best!
Sumi

Question:

Hi, I have a semi dark green blue dress which I will be wearing to my friend's wedding. It's simple, strapless and knee length. I was wondering if I should wear a deep gold on the inner corner of my eyes, with a green eyeshadow over the lid, followed by a smokey darker green colour.

Can you suggest me another combination of colour for my eyes? What can I do to make my eyes more smokey looking? I want more definition on my eyes but I don't want to look trashy. I have the Sleek Storm eyeshadow palette (very shimmery and pigmented) and also the Coastal scents 88 palette in matte. I also have the napolean party set from Target.

What eyeliner should I use to best suit? I have a brown kohl pencil, a black gel liner and a black Barry M liquid eyeliner. Please help!

Sumi Replies:

Hi!
Sounds like a gorgeous dress! I'll give you a couple of nice combos - one a bold look, and another a more toned down with a pop of colour. If the wedding is during the day, you may want to go for a more toned down look with a pop of colour, but then you can make a statement with a bold look! I have the Storm palette and I love it!

Toned down with a pop of colour - I would use a taupey browney grey on the lid, then in the outer V do a dark green smokey colour. Blend well to make the colour look continuous and smokey. I would wet a brush slightly (a thin eyeliner/angled brush) and use a dark green colour for the bottom lash line. Use your Barry M liquid liner to line the top lash line. If you have a gel liner, use that to line the water line- either a dark green or black would look stunning. Don't forget to top off with mascara.

More bold look - use a smokey green all over the lid, use a darker green in the upper crease (blend well) and use black in the outer V (blend well). Take the dark green you used on the lid and bring it into the lower lash line, then use the black and also take it along the lower lash line. For a more smokey effect, use a gel liner for the upper lash line and use a smudging brush to smoke it out - do the same for the lower lash line.

Hope this helps!
Cheers,
Sumi