Lipstick Masala

Every week, I go to my local grocery store and buy the latest issue of In Touch magazine. And now that my sister is back in town, every week I will be fighting her over who gets to read it first. She updates herself on the latest Brangelina breakup rumor and I pore over the pages searching for the newest shades of lip gloss or nail polish. This was how I discovered the technique known as “foiling.” Oftentimes, I would find myself questioning why my eye shadow never had the same finish as celebrities at the Golden Globes. Sure my eyes looked nice enough, but it seemed I was missing the key ingredient or miracle product that would make my shadow gleam like JLO’s or last all night in the way Scarlett Johansson’s makeup did.

After countless primers and pigments, I finally discovered “foiling,” which is essentially applying your shadow wet to create a vibrant, metallic sheen (hence the reference to the metallic foil). Now, some of you may be thinking “ew, why would I want disco ball lids?”

Don’t worry, like all makeup, there are varying degrees of intensity to foiling. You can foil your whole lids or simply your liner, you can choose to look like a drag queen or keep it simple and elegant like Penelope Cruz. If you do wish to stick to a light look, a little wet application can still transform your dull shadow – it won’t exactly be a “foil” look, but it will emphasize the color and texture of the product and allow your shadow to last longer rather than melt down your face in the summer.

Because there are many different looks that one can achieve by foiling, another post on application will follow this one in a few days. But first, it is important to get down the technique, which isn’t as simple as running your brush under the tap, as you run the risk of caking on too much product, looking streaky, and worst of all, damaging your precious eye shadows.

Tips to remember when starting out:

- Foiling is usually recommended for loose shadows and pigments, and some mineral shadows.

- Most pressed shadows (including those by MAC) are not supposed to be used for foiling because they will harden and crumble. However, if you wish to use your MAC shadows (I do all the time), you can get around this by picking up product from one side rather than the middle of the pot. This way you will be able to use the pressed shadow for both wet and dry application in the future without ruining it. I will show you what I mean a little further in this post.

- There are pressed shadows available (i.e. caked into a pot) that are specifically made for wet/dry application. You can find such wet/dry shadows in the drugstore by most brands including Revlon, Milani, and Wet’n’Wild, and in department stores by Lorac, Vincent Longo and some MAC artists agree their “mineralize” shadow is safe for wet application. You can freely add moisture to these without worrying about ruining the product.

- Try to use a regular shadow brush rather than one created specifically for wet/dry application. The wet/dry brushes retain a lot of water and can cause shadows to look cakey or streaky. You will have more control with a regular fibered brush.

- Foiling is usually done with shadows that have shimmery, pearly, and glimmery consistencies as these products bring out the metallic look on the eyelid. The use of matte shadows is not really considered “foiling” by most makeup artists as it doesn’t produce a metallic sheen, but you can still apply the technique to make the colors more vibrant.

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There are two main techniques artists use: dry application and direct wet application. Both methods require you to dampen your brush. Some people use water, others don’t like to because they feel water results in a cakey look and evaporates too quickly to work with.

Here are your options to wet your brush so choose the one below that is easiest for you. Remember, the idea is to dampen your brush – do not make it soaking! If the brush is too wet, you will end up with streaky, clumpy shadow.

- Spray your brush from afar with MAC Fix+ (an aqua-spritz of vitamin and minerals), or Evian spray. Gently swipe against a tissue to spread the moisture and get rid of any excess. You may need to spray more later as the moisture evaporates.

- Squeeze out some eye drops (preferably one, no more than two) and swirl your brush around to evenly distribute the liquid. Swipe against a clean tissue to get rid of excess.

- Swirl your brush onto a baby wipe. There is enough moisture to dampen your brush and is light enough so you won’t pick up too much. You may need to reuse the wipe repeatedly as your brush keeps drying.

- Lightly dip your brush in water. Squeeze out the excess water from the bristles with a towel. You may need to repeat this as water dries fast. I personally don’t like this technique as I think plain water makes the shadows slightly cakey.

- You can also use a mixing medium that is generally made up of a combination of glycerin and water, such as the one by MAC PRO, but can be difficult to find. There are recipes available online to create your own mixing medium so you can Google it if you’re interested, but I personally don’t feel comfortable using a concoction I made myself on my eyes.

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Dry application: This method is for ladies who a) are not too comfortable with eye shadow application b) want a more subtle look and c) are in a bit of a hurry and don’t have time to struggle with wet application. Also, this way is safe to use with any kind of shadow, loose or pressed, as you will not be adding any moisture to the actual product pot.

Step 1) Apply your primer, then shadow as normal. Make sure to blend in your creases and any lines between shadow colors.

Step 2) Before applying your liner and mascara, wet your brush in the method you have chosen.

Step 3) Begin to slowly yet firmly pat the brush against your shadow rather than in a brush stroke. Using brush strokes will ruin the applying and blending you spent time on in Step 1.

Result: The foiling is light, but still visible, and none of your shadow pots are ruined.

Direct wet application method: Best for ladies who a) love experimenting with bright colors b) are adept at blending and c) have some time for application. However, remember, even if you don’t want your shadows too bright you can still use this method, just apply less shadow for a sheerer look.

Step 1) Dampen your brush using your favorite method.

Step 2)

- If you are using loose shadows or pigments: Tap a little powder into a cap or little plate/bowl, or use the product that is stuck to the cap. Using your brush, pick up the product and then swirl it around against the surface to make sure the product is evenly distributed, has a slightly creamy consistency, and is not lumpy or you will end up with cakey makeup.

-       If you want to be a brave soul and use your regular shadows, remember to only use ONE side of the shadow (as noted in photo below) every time you do a wet application. The dry side as indicated in the photo is to only be used for dry shadow application. The reason for this is that once you wet a part of a shadow, it changes consistency and can no longer be used for dry application, only for wet. This is why it’s important to keep both sides separate. Swirl your brush into that part of your shadow so the product is distributed evenly.

Step 3) After using primer, apply product directly to your lids as you would normal shadow. You will most likely need to re-dampen your brush as you start to fill up your eyelid and the moisture evaporates. Remember, it is a bit difficult to blend wet shadows. I try to blend the shadow while it still has some tackiness, while others find it easier to wait until the shadows completely dry before blending, You will have to experiment to see which works best for you, just remember to apply slightly more pressure than you normally would. It is more important to blend your wet shadows than dry because the increased pigment and consistency means lines are more visible than with dry application.

Everyone has their own favorite products and foiling techniques. Don’t be intimidated – it really is a lot simpler than it looks. Once you get the hang of it, you will most likely adopt your own methods. We will be back with some application tips/wet looks for you to see. For now, try it out and let us know how it looks, and if you’ve tried it then share your results!