Next tutorial - White foundation

I'm currently stuck with this laptop's inbuilt cam and mic after ages of fruitless wrangling with both my desktop and netbook and the separate camera, so this video is not exactly beautiful (but it IS in focus ad mostly the right colour, hurrah!).  I'm also getting my head around new software because, as many already know, Windows Movie Maker is not designed for people who want to actually edit their videos.  All should be done by the end of the week.

Eyeliner 101 - It goes 'round your eyes.

I'm here at last and I've made a video.  This covers the absolute basics of applying pencil, liquid and gel liner - where it goes, how best to apply and how to do one form of basic cat-like eye.  No more, no less; this one's for the beginners.  Don't worry about the rubbish focus at the start, the camera was adjusted for close-ups so you can see what I'm doing.

A bit more on eyeliner types:


PENCIL: Also called Kohl.  This is your absolute basic must-have, great for touch-ups, colouring one's waterlines and creating smoky eyes as well as marking where you want liquid liner to go or filling in between lashes.  Also useful to keep in your pocket just in case you or your friends need to be gothed up in an emergency (such as when visiting nurseries - kids love odd-looking people and all goth recruiters know it's best to catch them when they're young).  Most need a sharpener, aside from those 'automatic' twisty ones. 

LIQUID: More long-wearing and versatile than the pencil, this also requires a bit more care when applying. Has various methods of application but generally you'll get 'felt-tip' and 'brush' types. Rest your arm on a table or steady your hand against your face to help minimise wiggles. Use light strokes for fine lines and press a tiny bit more (don't hurt yourself, red-eye is not a good look) for heavier lines.  Wipe excess off the brush before applying and don't fully open your eye until it's dry lest you get blobs of it right under your eyebrow.  A good all-rounder and a must if you want to add wings, dots or flicks beside your eyes - pencil is just too smudgy for this.  DON'T GET THIS IN YOUR EYES, IT'S BLOODY SORE.

GEL: The ultimate eyeliner, and thus the most expensive.  Requires a separate brush, you decide which you think is best.  Good ones are smudge, budge and water-proof, and as stated in a previous post of mine it will stick about even on oily skin.  Very good for drawing extra curlicues if one is so inclined, but remember - if you look like you have a skin disease when you're done, you're probably best leaving those out.


Final tip - don't apply eyeliner before preparing a dinner that has chopped onions in it.


[ETA!  Chris Chaos, burlesque performer, MUA and moustacher-wearer extraordinaire has done a nice quick tutorial for those who prefer a little definition without having big thick lines.  Guyliner my foot - anyone can do this. ;)]

What I'm testing tonight

Forgive the dreadfully-lit picture and somewhat daft expression. I'm off to dance the night away and, should my makeup last, I'll have a couple of things to recommend and use in my eyeliner review.

Foundation a mixture of Lily Lolo Porcelean and Gothic Geisha white mineral powders (both in the big makeup list below), eyeliner Maybelline Lasting Drama gel liner (new in today, never used before), lipstick Rimmel, eyeshadow MUA.


ETA: Here's what the eyeliner looked like after a night of dancing.  I'm bedraggled, sweaty and tired, but the black has not budged  - not a single trip to the mirror for touch-ups required!  We have a winner!

WHERE ARE YOUR POSTS OH GOSH HURRY UP

Here's why I've been shirking my responsibilities:

I'M REALLY TIRED AND DELIGHTED AND COVERED IN DOG SALIVA. Rock on.

'Help, my brother is dating a goth!'

I found this one on Spookywebs daily.  My response could have been about a million times sarkier, but I went for the 'helpful with an irritated undertone' style instead.  I wasn't unnecessarily mean, was I?

Question by Poor: How do I stop my brother from dating a goth chick?
A goth chick? My brother is a freakin idiot, how do I stop this?

"As a long-time goth myself, I can cheerfully tell you that not only should you not police his partners based solely upon their fashion/music choices, but you can also be assured that, despite media hype, goths are often rather nice people who like baking, happy music and making friends – not ‘satanic rituals’, ‘drinking goats blood’ or ‘eating children’.
Instead of trying to stop your brother from dating people in your personal disapproval list, I would suggest that you examine WHY you are so offended by his choice in ladies – perhaps even read a few things about goths BY goths to find out if your prejudices are substanciated [oops, clumsy typo-there!]. If you end up broadening your mind it will surely lead to a happier relationship between you, your brother, and his likely-rather-nice girlfriend, and will set you up for more lovely new friendships and good interpersonal relationships in the future."

I should also have added that the new girlfriend probably has a similarly poor view of this person's clothing, hence why she looks a bit different. 

Unedited image of the Author

So you know what I look like with the makeup I advocate below.  It's not exactly 'flawless airbrushed super-HD OMGWOW!' that many advertisments claim but it works well enough for me.

No tricks, no unnecessary bending! 

Upgrading

My new webcam has been dispatched, so I'll hopefully be back with another video tutorial (I'm thinking an eyeliner 101)  around the end of the week.