What’s a morning makeup routine without a few tricks up your sleeve? Even if you’re not a professional makeup artist, you can surely have some tricks up your sleeve! Madame Noire is here to help change your makeup routine from funky to fresh–and we come armed with the skills of freelance makeup artist Joyal McNeil.
During her 10 year career with MAC Cosmetics, Joyal was a Business Manager at various locations throughout NYC. She has made-up the likes of Patti LaBelle, Roberta Flack and a host of R&B and Gospel artists.
McNeil swears by this routine which features all of her favorite MAC products–it should take about 10 minutes–for a fail-proof and dazzling everyday look, just like you see above.
MAC eyebrow pencil in Spiked
STEP 1: BROWS
Fill in brows with a brow pencil that either matches your hair color or is one shade lighter. Use short feathery strokes and apply pencil from tail of brow to base of the brow. This method allows for a more natural land less “drawn in” brow. Joyal used: MAC Brow Pencil in Spiked. Complete the brows by dusting a light colored eye shadow onto the brow bone. This color should be a shade or two lighter than your actual skin tone. This step highlights the brow bone and offers more dimensions. We recommend: MAC Eye shadow in Brule, Soft Brown, Tete-A-Tint, Juiced or Grain.
MAC eye shadow in Tete-A-Tint
STEP 2: EYES
MAC eye shadow in Velvet Mulch
Sweep a flesh tone shadow over lids. Try MAC Eye Shadow in Velvet Mulch, Arena, Era or Bronze. Complete by lining both the upper and lower lid with black or dark brown eyeliner. This trick will give the illusion of thicker lashes. Joyal’s favorite liners are MAC’s Engraved, Smolder and Teddy.
STEP 3: SKIN
“There is nothing more time consuming that having to remove flakes of eye shadow from an already made up face,” admits Joyal. “For this reason I prefer to apply concealer and foundation after I have successfully finished eye makeup and have removed any excess. With this method you may also find that you need less camouflage than you thought. Sometimes looking at a bare face in the mirror encourages us to overcompensate by applying way too much makeup.”
MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural Face Powder in Deep Dark
Apply concealer (that matches your skin) to moisturized skin. Pay attention to the areas that need it and then set with a powder that matches your skin tone. If dark shadows under the eye persist, try a concealer one shade lighter than your skin. Recommended: MAC’s Studio Finish Concealer and Mineralize Skin Finish Powders.
STEP 4: CHEEKS
We’ve evened you out, now let’s add dimension with blush or bronzer. Using a full blush brush, sweep a peachy or bronzy blush onto the apples of the cheeks and slightly into the hairline for a natural but defining effect. Some shades to try: MAC Blush in Format, Peaches, Sunbasque and Raizin.
An assortment of MAC blushes
STEP 5: LIPS & LASHES
MAC’s LusterGlass in Love Nectar
Using a lip pencil that matches your lip color, softly line your lips creating a thicker as opposed to thinner line. Apply a tinted lip-gloss over entire lips including liner for a blended effect. Look for glosses that are pink-beige, pink-brown or peach for a versatile lip. Joyal’s favorites are MAC Lip Liner in Chestnut, Cork and Spice and MAC Lipglass in Beaux, Viva Glam V, Love Nectar and C-Thru. Finally, mascara is a must for a polished look. If eyes are the windows to the soul, then mascara is a beautiful window treatment. Apply two coats of mascara to top and bottom lashes (MAC’s X or Plushblack).
Now, you’re ready to go with makeup that will last all day! For a nighttime look, freshen up your lashes, smooth out any shine with a powder and re-apply your lip color with a little more intensity.
For all MAC products, visit MACCosmetics.com.
Joyal McNeil is now partner and Chief Creative Design Office at Detailed Events NYC, a boutique event design service.
