Level Up Your Makeup Routine: Unveiling the Magic of Underpainting

I have come late to the make-up party. It never used to be a priority of mine.

Bt after having my children and coming out the other side of the baby, then toddler fog, I have gravitated to make-up and skincare as a form of easily accessibly self care and creativity between the moments of chaos in my daily routine.

I have dabbled with and explored different make-up application techniques as my obsession grew, and one such technique is that of underpainting.

Very basically, underpainting is the process of applying products that you would normally put on your face last - think concealer, bronzer, blush - first.

Now again, I am a novice, but a curious and positive one, and I am not afraid to experiment. So I have been trialling underpainting for a while now (perfecting my technique ;-)) and...I love it. I am confident that this will be the way I apply my make-up from now on.

Routine

Here is my routine and the star products that perform really well with my skin.

Please know that, I am slowly trying to swap out brands and products with ones featured on the Clean and Conscious Awards website (also check out their instagram page) and other brands that place sustainability as a high priority in their manufacturing and production. And when I can't, I recycle my empties with Terracycle

Step 1. I apply all my skincare (that's another future post) and my primers (eyelids and face - game changer! Also another post).

Step 2. After appropriate drying time, which is very important, I will use my favourite concealer - the Runway Room Pink Flesh: Pink Toned Creamy Concealer.

I apply this lightly to my eyelids, under my eyes and then on my chin (in that order) where I have some acne scarring and redness. This concealer is 'chefs kiss'. They call it creamy for a reason, because it melts in to my skin and I only need the teeniest amount. It is the perfect shade for me to neutralise under eye blueness, eyelid veins and redness.

Step 3. Then I apply my bronzer. Now I am super fair, and have just started dabbling in the fake tan department, so the amount and colour of my bronzer depends on the colour of the rest of my body. (I have glowing reviews for Three Warriors self tanning products). Recently I have been loving the Revolution Ultra Cream Bronzer in light. I have also used the loose and pressed mineral powder bronzers from Nude by Nature, but my skin is loving cream products at the moment. I use an angled fluffy brush which allows me to place the bronzer in near my hairline without making my hair brown and be a bit more precise with my colour placement on the rest of my face.

Step 4. I then go in and complete my eye make-up (eye shadow if I am doing

more of a done look & mascara). My favourite mascara that makes me feel so special each time I pull it out of the soft black bag, is Lashes of Change. I have the Lotte brush with Colour Explosion Brown formaula and the Diana brush with the Water Resistant Black formula. I usually use the brown on more casual days, but the Diana brush makes my lashes look so long, curled and fluttery that its hard not to grab for this one each time.

Step 5. My last step before applying a bb cream is the blush. Now, like I said, cream formulas are my friend at the moment, so I interchange between the Australis Dewey + Daring Cream Blush in Side Kick and the Huda Beauty Cheeky Tint Blush Stick in Proud Pink. I usually apply my cream blush with a flat dense brush and then tap a little of the MCoBeauty Highlight and Glow Stick in Champagne over the top to add a little extra glow and tame down the blush colour if I was accidentally too heavy handed.

In between each of these steps I will make sure I allow enough drying time so the products don't completely smoosh together when I apply everything over the top. I will spritz with setting spray too if I am going to have a long day.

Last step. Finally I apply my bb cream. Lately I have been a bit of a scientist and have been mixing the Cancer Council's Face Day Wear Moisturiser Matte SPF50+ Light Tint and the MISSHA M Perfect Cover BB Cream SPF 42 PA+++

because I bought the MISSHA product online and the colour wasn't quite right. But, in the interest of limiting my waste, I mix a touch of both on the back of my hand like an artist mixes paint, and usually come up with a good colour match.

So there you have it.

If you have not tried the underpainting technique, I highly recommend having a play one day to give it a go. I now use less product, have less caking and settling into my fine lines, and as a result find I now have a more natural make-up look.