AfterGlowCosmetics.com - Application Tips

Application Tips

Face

Foundation gives you a flawless base for your face, giving your skin a healthy uniform color, texture, and appearance. Use a foundation that matches your skin tone. Remember, the golden rule with mineral makeup is that a little goes a long way. Start with clean skin. If you use moisturizer, make sure it has been fully absorbed before applying our mineral cosmetics.
Conceal Flaws - Tap a small amount (a nickel size) of your foundation into the lid of your container. Sweep up the foundation in the lid using our Ultimate Concealer and Blending Brush. Lightly brush over areas of your face to cover skin issues, acne, broken blood vessels, discoloration and dark circles under your eyes until you achieve the coverage you desire.
Apply Foundation - Before you get started please know that mineral foundation should NOT be applied wet, using fingers, in large quantities or on damp skin - this will produce a cakey, uneven application. Our mineral foundations are highly concentrated and need to be applied in very small quantities, using a good dense bristle brush such as our Kabuki Brush or Foundation Brush. Follow the steps below for flawless coverage.
TAP a small amount of powder (a nickel size) into the top of the powder container or similar small dish.
SWIRL your quality kabuki or powder brush into the powder until you have swept up all the powder from the top.
TAP your brush lightly on the side of the top with the head of the brush facing upwards. This will allow the powder to sink into the brush bristles.
SWEEP the powder filled brush firmly across your clean dry skin starting with your forehead, nose, chin (T-zone) and working outwards in a light circular motion.
Repeat the above steps until you get the coverage you desire.
Tinted moisturizer - Our Multi-tasking Foundation also blends beautifully with your moisturizer for a creamy tinted moisturizer. This application is best for people who have dry skin, don't need a lot of coverage and just want a hit of color. Simply tap a VERY small amount of foundation into your hand. Add a drop of moisturizer and blend until smooth. Apply to your face using your fingertips or cosmetic sponge.
The Healthy Glow - We suggest taking a two product approach to creating a healthy glow by using both GLOW Bronzer and blush.
GLOW Bronzer - Tap out a small amount of GLOW Bronzer into the container lid. Sweep up with your perfectly round blush brush and lightly apply to the areas of your face where the sun would naturally highlight your features (forehead, cheekbones, nose and chin). A little goes a long way. Make sure not to overdo this step!
Blush - Using the same, Perfectly Round Blush Brush , and the “tap, swirl, tap, sweep” method to sweep up a small amount of blush and apply to the cheekbones and away from the eye area, blending the color just on the cheekbones and starting it about one-half inch behind the laugh lines. Don't know where your cheek bones are? SMILE! Cheekbones become more prominent when you smile. Start at the apples of your cheeks or slightly above and sweep the brush back into the hairline. Using a high quality blush brush is essential for a flawless application.
The Finishing Touch - Finish with our translucent Setting Powder to give a soft-focused look, minimizing pores and creating a lovely finish that will prevent shine all day long. Though it looks white, it buffs in clear and soft.
Applying Eye Shadow - Afterglow Cosmetics go on beautifully wet or dry. Use make-up brushes to apply your eye shadow for optimal coverage and ease of application. First apply a medium-toned shadow lightly all over the lid. This is usually gives the eyes enough color and sparkle for daytime wear.
Add Drama - For more dramatic emphasis add a darker tone of shadow to define the crease of the eye and the outside edge of the lid.
Powder Eyeliner - To enhance the look of lashes and create the illusion of thick lashes and/or sexy smoky eyes, use a darker eye color as an eyeliner. The darker shadow tone can be applied wet or dry to the upper lash line to create a dramatic smoky effect.
We recommend using our superior angled eye liner brush to a pply the eye shadow by wetting the brush and using it as "liquid" liner. Tap a very small amount of Powder Eyeliner in the lid of your container, wet the brush and swirl it around in the powder until it forms an inky consistency. The application is more controlled, but once it dries you have the soft look and the staying power of a powder without the hard edge that liquid eyeliners can create. The eyeliner brush gives you absolute control over the thickness of the line around the eye.
Foil for Artistic Effect - For added dimension, tap a bit of a lighter shade multi-tasking eye shadow into the lid. Dip a wet superior angled eye liner brush into the lid and swirl around to create a light paste. Sweep over middle of eye lid to create another dimensional shade to your eye shadow color.
Open up the Eyes - With a light tone sweep a very light color directly under the eye brow or center of the eye lid. This will highlight the brow bone and open up the eye area. Curl your lashes and add mascara to open up your eyes.
For Small Eyes - Dust medium shadow on upper lid and crease. Add a different contour shade to outer 1/3 of the eyelid crease. Add highlight (as suggested above) under the arch of your eye brow. Use a complimentary eyeliner color to softly line the outer 1/2 of upper lid, extending the line slightly upward. Curl your lashes and add mascara to open up your eyes.
For Close Set Eyes - Apply medium shadow over the lid. Apply dark shade to outer 1/3 of eyelid crease and blend to the outer edge of the eye. Don't forget to add the eye opening highlight shadow to brow bone directly under the eye brow arch! Line eye lid at lash line by starting 1/2 way across the lash line with liner, extending the line just past the outer corner of the eye. Curl your lashes and add mascara to open up your eyes.
For Wide Set Eyes - Apply medium tone shadow over entire lid. Apply dark shade in the eyelid crease from midway moving inward. Add highlight directly under brow bone at brow arch. Curl your lashes and add mascara to open up your eyes.
Vanishing Lids - Curl eyelashes and add one coat of mascara. Apply medium shadow over entire lid from lash line to brow bone, adding a darker shade directly above crease. Blend this dark shade towards brow and add a lighter color directly under brow to highlight brow bone. Softly apply eyeliner to lash line.
For long lasting lip color, first line your lips with a liner that closely matches your lipstick or neutral lip liner. Never use a lip liner darker than your lipstick or gloss! For more staying power, fill in entire lip with liner. Once lips are lined, apply lipstick using a lip brush or a very steady hand, apply lipstick and blot with a tissue. Add gloss for a beautiful smile.
Difficult Skin
Concealing Scarred, Damaged Skin - Acne, discoloration and other complexion challenges can be concealed with our Multi-Tasking Foundation
Dark Circles - Start with clean skin. First apply eye cream underneath your eyes. Allow the cream to dry completely. Lightly apply your same Multi-Tasking Foundation with our Ultimate Concealer and Blending Brush. Lightly brush over areas of your face to cover skin issues, acne, broken blood vessels, discoloration and dark circles. Follow with face coverage (as mentioned above) as necessary.
ISSUE: Too Heavy, Cakey, Chalky, Too White
CAUSE: This effect is generally caused by applying too much foundation at one time, applying the foundation with the wrong brush, applying the foundation to skin that is moist or wet, applying the foundation fingers instead of a brush or using a color that is too light.
SOLUTION: Apply foundation in very small quantities using the TAP, SWIRL, TAP, SWEEP method mentioned above. Make sure the face is dry and all moisturizer has been absorbed. Use a high quality fluffy, dense bristle brush such as a Kabuki brush.
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ISSUE: Face continues to appear oily or shiny quickly.
CAUSE: Oily prone skin, over application of foundation or over application/inappropriate moisturizer.
SOULTION: Dust a small amount Setting Powder over skin (in the T-zone) before applying the foundation and then again after the foundation is applied. Don't use moisturizer. If you have oily skin your body is over producing moisturizer already. If you need light moisturizer, look for one that is oil-free or for oily skin.
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ISSUE: Application is uneven, streaky or blotchy.
CAUSE: This effect usually indicates there is moisture on the skin or in the brush when the foundation is applied.
SOLUTION: Be sure that your moisturizer is fully absorbed. If your moisturizer stays damp on the surface of your skin try another one that will absorb fully. Also try using less foundation when applying. A little goes a long way. In this case less is more. You can also try mixing the translucent Setting Powder with the foundation for a more sheer finish that is a bit lighter.
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ISSUE: Foundation is sinking into lines or pores appear larger.
CAUSE: Generally this occurs when too much foundation is applied at once.
SOLUTION: Try using less foundation (only a dime or nickel size). Also apply translucent Setting Powder under the foundation for a smoother, more refined application. Make sure to apply with a good, fluffy bristle brush like a Kabuki brush.
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ISSUE: Makeup leaves skin is too dry.
CAUSE: Afterglow Cosmetics' foundations are not moisturizing foundations. If you previously used a moisturizing foundation, apply a moisturizer before the foundation that will work for you all day.
SOLUTION: Try applying a heavier moisturizer before the foundation. Make sure that the foundation is fully absorbed (not wet or moist on skin) before applying the foundation to avoid streaks or blotches. Also try mixing your moisturizer with the foundation for a tinted moisturizer.

AVOID applying color to wrinkles on eyelids AVOID using heavy mascara on bottom lids AVOID heavy dark colors during the daytime AVOID using too many different colors on eye shadows

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