Say What?

It all but breaks my heart when I hear someone say, “I love sparkly eye shadow but I’m over 50 so I can’t wear it,” or “Can you still do my makeup if I have {insert race} eyes/skin/features?” or “I feel gorgeous, confident, and powerful in red lipstick but it’s not appropriate for the office.” Somewhere along the way, these lovely people read or heard or were told they couldn’t do something with makeup or something was wrong with their faces and therefore they should only do their makeup a certain way or wear certain colors.  The people who spew all these “rules” are probably a) inept, b) misinformed, c) trying to sell something, or d) all of the above.

Don’t get me wrong – you need the right foundation color, and it is invaluable to know your facial anatomy to make the most of your makeup…

BUT

this is makeup.  It is not rocket science.  Obviously, if you work somewhere that doesn’t allow red lipstick, don’t wear it…

BUT

keep in mind that some of the most powerful and well-respected women in the world seem to work red lipstick into their dress codes (Condi...Hillary...Arianna...OPRAH...).

There are no rules in makeup.  Some colors and techniques look better than others, but that’s half the fun.  Do. Not. Let. Anyone. Hate. On. Your. Face.  Especially you.

The Real Electra Lane

Trying to name this makeup “thing” was more difficult that I could have imagined. After several years on the bridal makeup circuit, I wanted to create a place where we could sit down over a cup of tea and talk about makeup; a place where frank and practical advice isn’t backed by someone selling something; a place where no question is too silly and technique is explained instead of demonstrated.  Essentially, I wanted to give you the tools and knowledge I have so you can be your own makeup artist.

The problem is that I couldn’t figure out a name that summed up all of that, had something to do with makeup or beauty, and was catchy.  So I went a little rogue.  After a lot of research and a little guidance, I picked the name of the street I lived on at the time:

And so, Electra Lane was born.

Good Skin

It cannot be stressed enough: good skin is essential to good makeup.  More than that, your face is a reflection of what is going on in your body.  A few years ago I made some drastic changes in my diet.  While I believe that everything should be consumed in moderation, some things, like vegetables, should be included in our diets more than others (far easier said than done).  There was a time when I could not imagine not having some form of bread, cereal, or cow’s milk for breakfast.  I believe my (panicked) reaction was, “But what am I supposed to eat?!” You have to create a diet that works for you or it will. not. work. After about 8 years researching food and what it does to us, I came across Kimberly Snyder, a clinical nutritionist, and her book The Beauty Detox Solution.  While I follow some of her principles, that lifestyle in general is not for me.  One thing I swear by, however, is her Glowing Green Smoothie.

I started drinking a GGS first thing in the morning starting November 2011.  Snyder claims that if we eat balancing foods, they will continually cleanse our bodies on a daily basis.  While I have no definitive proof because I do not strictly follow her plan, I can tell you this without hesitation: my life and my skin have been transformed.

When I started drinking a GGS most mornings and began to eat clean 80% of the time, things started to change.  My nose was less runny; I had more energy; and most of all, my skin, which has A L W A Y S battled acne, completely cleared.

Snyder notes that when you first start a clean diet, toxins that have built up in your system will start to exit the body in different ways for different people.  This is what happened to me:

Don’t worry, it only lasted about a week.  These photos were taken in November 2011, just out of the shower with no product on my skin, and in natural light…as is this one, but taken today:

I hope you’ll consider what’s going into your body, because, clearly, it can show up on your face.  Let me reiterate:  I eat cookies, drink wine, and have a bit of an obsession with dark chocolate.  But balanced with way more vegetables at every meal, my skin is much happier.

Finding Your Guru

While YouTube is filled with excellent makeup advice, sometimes finding a go-to guru can take you through some rather…interesting…videos.  To hopefully make your journey easier, here are the artists I follow:

Wayne Goss (gossmakeupartist and gossmakeupchat)

Wayne is my favorite, and I’ll watch his cheeky videos several times a week.  He gives practical advice while demonstrating beautiful makeup looks for every age.

Lisa Eldridge (LisaEldridgeDotCom)

Even though I think she might have magical makeup powers, she will show you looks that you can absolutely recreate.  Full disclosure: sometimes I fall asleep watching her videos because her voice is so soothing.

Cara Brook (maskCARA)

Allure’s 2013 Beauty Blogger of the Year, Cara is a busy mom of two who shows you how to recreate celebrity looks.  Her blog also offers advice on everything from highlighting and contouring (aka HACing) to incredible hair tutorials, and she recently launched her own makeup line.

Teni Panosian (MissMaven)

Finally, Teni will give you the most gorgeous, romantic looks.  She’s also a hair genius.  She claims not to be a makeup artist, but her techniques are pretty advanced.

If you take one thing from Electra Lane…

…understand this:

NO AMOUNT OF MAKEUP CAN MASK AN UGLY HEART

-Kevyn Aucoin (one of the best, brightest makeup artists ever)

Nor can it mask insecurities, a broken heart, or a host of other negative things. Makeup is meant to trick the eye, be fun, and help us feel beautiful and confident. It is so important to keep this in mind because there is no magic cream or eye liner that will make everything better.

It is also important to remember that those with whom we most often compare ourselves, aka celebrities, have an army of stylists, makeup artists, nutritionists, personal trainers, assistants, and, let us not forget, photo shop technicians, creating an image that is far from “normal.”

Wayne Goss, a British makeup artist who I follow religiously and will reference often, expresses my sentiments far more eloquently in this video. My goal is to make you comfortable enough to be your own makeup artist, but that will never happen if you chose to ignore the beauty that is already there.