Putting On My Runway Face…… 3 of My Beauty Tips and a Giveaway

Byljanning@dukemanorfarm.com

I must admit that when I started this blog I didn’t think I would be offering you unsolicited advice on my beauty tips, but then again, I never thought I would be living in the country driving a tractor and  raising donkeys either. But the truth is, even us country gals like to look our best from time to time. And while I make absolutely no claims to looking like a super model, I do like to put on a great face every now and then.
When I was in my corporate career, I didn’t feel completely dressed without my base, blush and eyes, so I would be a frequent shopper at department store cosmetic counters. I mean who doesn’t like to try new makeup in front of hundreds of shopping strangers in the middle of the mall at the cosmetic counter? And while the experience was a bit daunting and awkward for me, I continued trying and buying makeup over the years this way. 



Fast forward many years and I am now a mom, raising kids, feeding donkeys and managing a business with no time to sit at the cosmetic counter and play with makeup. So luckily, I have a few friends who play with makeup for a business and like to come over in the comfort of my own home in my jammies and let me try some on……. so long creepy shoppers walking by as I apply a new lipstick color. As so begins the relationship between my face and Mary Kay®. I recently got to try a few looks that were featured on Project Runway Season 13 as Mary Kay® was the official Beauty Sponsor. And although I didn’t look exactly like I was walking the catwalk, I did look pretty good for a date night out with my husband.


So here are my unsolicited beauty tips (you can thank me later).

Tip #1    I always use a cream foundation and apply with a foundation brush. Applying with a brush makes it go on a bit easier and without a lot of tugging on my skin. The cream to powder foundation takes me from the day to night with a powder freshen up in between. I vary between Mary Kay® Beige 2 and 3 depending on the season. Don’t want my face to look a different shade then my neck.


Tip #2
I always try to enhance my eyes with shadows that compliment my eye color.  I used the Emerald Smoke look which was created by Mary Kay® Global Makeup Artist Luis Casco for Season 13. I pretended he was working on me as I applied my shadows. 

For a more dramatic look use a dark color in the crease or on the outer edge of your eyes . Next apply your eye liner. For a day look, I tend to line just the bottom of my lids and for a more dramatic look, I will line both top and bottom lids.
Side note. Is it just me or does your mouth just naturally close when putting on eye shadow and mascara?



Tip #3

I will always finish off my makeup with some translucent loose powder then apply my lipstick. In that order. Don’t forget to apply powder to your lips,  it helps to set the lipstick. The loose powder helps to create a flawless look and set’s my makeup in place. Always remember to use a good powder brush, it makes a big difference.


And now me and my twinkling Emerald Smoke Eyes are ready for date night with my husband…..as soon as I feed the donkey. But before I do, leave me a comment (please include your email if I don’t have it) with your favorite makeup trick to be entered for a chance to win a $100 Visa Gift card and a collection of Mary Kay® products to create one of the looks featured and some beauty essentials.
For more inspiration and ideas you can visit Mary Kay® on Facebook, Youtube, and of course, their website. 
Sweepstakes Rules: 

No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
1.  Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
2.  Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
3.  Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
4.  For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. The notification email will come directly from BlogHer via the sweeps@blogher email address. You will have 72 hours to respond; otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 9/4/2014-10/7/2014.
Be sure to visit the Mary Kay brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ posts!

Good luck and cheers to all you beautiful friends out there….with or without your makeup on.

 Grateful
Shelter


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Just a gal that loves to share my family, home decor, design and life around here in the country.... on my real life funny farm at Duke Manor

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128 Comments

  1. You look great, girl! I was in theater for years so I know all about makeup but who has time any more? My tip is to make sure and get the foundation blended into your neck so there are no lines and then check the mirror in the car as you're leaving! I swear my bathroom mirror lights are different on either side of my face!

  7. Your make-up looks great, you look wonderful for date night and feeding the donkey. I like to choose foundation to match my neck also, because I don't like make-up on my neck, I have never figured out how to keep it off my collars,. If I'm going to an important event and no collar I will wear it on my neck. I think the most important tip I ever got is never ever go to bed with make-up on and always moisturize your face and neck with a product for your skin type. I would love to win this contest, I love Mary Kay. Thanks for the chance.

  8. I too wouldn't have gone anywhere in my corporate days without foundation + blush + mascara + lipstick but today get totally paranoid about wearing too much on my face when I use a tinted SPF … it makes no sense. So true story, I was walking by the makeup counter @ Nordstroms recently and one of the representatives reached out and grabbed my arm and gently said, "sweetie, natural doesn't mean bare". Well she got my attention!?!? She gave me some samples and suggestions and sent me home. I'm working on it. My tip is for eye brows … mine bleach out in the summer and definitely need filling-in for definition then … brush the brow hairs down first then you can add a defined line above the brow, then brush the brow hair UP to soften / feather the fill-in line; this really prevents a harsh drawn-on brow look.

  9. I used to use Mary Kay years ago and always loved their products. Just so happens I'm due for a change with my depleted makeup drawer. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!!!

  15. You look beautiful! I think you look pretty great without make up, too! I love Mary Kay. I had a friend who sold it years ago and I tried many of their products. I was surprised at the quality and nice packaging. Thanks for a great giveaway!

    My tip. Hmmmm…I could never understand why magazines would say to put on 2 coats of mascara. I mean, wow, I can imagine the pulling and tugging and clumps. Then I learned you need to do it while the lashes are still wet from the first coat and it really does make such a difference. Very natural but thicker and longer. Do one eye quickly, then the other and then back again, like all in one minute! You will love it!

    Thanks again!

    Jane

  16. When wearing red lipstick, make sure it's a true red…no orange…to make your teeth look whiter 🙂
    Now let me win! You look marvelous! Thanks for the giveaway!
    Debbie

  17. Jo….I would like to be entered in the giveaway…love your make up tips…..I always have to use a lip liner to accentuate my lips….

  18. Hey! You look beee-u-tee-ful! My tip is to use two different colors of blush. Use bronzer in an "L" shape, start at the temple and go down and shade around the cheekbones. Next use a very light pink on the apples of your cheeks. Just a touch! The bronzer will slim,contour and define a round face, and the pink apples will give a youthful glow!

  20. My favorite makeup trick is putting concealer on my eye lid. It helps hold your eye shadow on & it isn't going to crease.

    Nicole.ddziedzic at gmail dot com

  32. Thanks a bunch for the giveaway chance! My all-time favorite beauty product costs $3.00 for a 4 month supply…Elf Makeup Setting Spray from Target. My 23 yr old daughter introduced me to this and it is beyond amazing…my makeup looks as good at 5p.m., as it did at 5 a.m. when I apply it. Unbelievable! Jane

  33. I'm most likely the plainest Jane you ever saw, I seldom wear more that eye brows, (when you get older they sometimes tend to disappear on you and plucking for many years didn't help), blush, eye liner and lipstick. Thats it for me when we go into town. ONce in while some foundation. How do you know what right color is?
    You look so pretty. How do people learn how to use make up so well? My 14 yr. old grand daugther has it all over me using make up. If I won the Mary Kay I'd have my grand daughters teach me how to use it. I might even look not too bad for an old lady? I can wish can't I? I'd sure love to win it all. What ever it is I'd want to win it. Go for broke huh? Keep up good work. I usually have to check the nests before we go anywhere to see if we have any eggs. Don't want them sitting all day if we're gone past supper time. Happy weekend

  37. What a fun giveaway! I like to put my makeup on sitting on my bedroom floor with my mirror on the windowsill. It lets me use natural light and I avoid foundation lines. It also makes plucking those annoying chin hairs much easier since they show up better in natural light.

  41. I enjoyed reading your makeup tips, Laura. When I fill in my eyebrows, I use eye shadow that matches my brows instead of a pencil. It is a much more natural look. Also, any time I have to cover a flaw (like a blemish) I set the makeup with a brush and loose powder. It camouflages almost anything 😉

  44. I always use a primer on my eye lids to keep my shadow from fading over the course of the day. It works! Great post, Laura — bet the hubby was a happy man on date night, you hot mama!
    xo heidi

  45. You look fabulous, my dear! I bet the donkeys were braying when they saw you! Many years ago, I used to be one of those girls behind the cosmetic counter so I picked up a lot of tips back then. Then I started teaching school, but I always made sure I "put on my face" before I went to work each day. Some of the teachers used to ask how I kept my lipstick on all day and my trick is to not only line my lips with a lip pencil, but to fill in the lip with it. Sorta stains the lip and then I put my lipstick on over it. Love Mary Kay-I've had friends who sold it.

  48. Look at you, pretty girl!!! I love Mary Kay products! If I were stranded on a dessert island I would have to take my lipstick… and maybe sneak in my mascara! Thank you for this fun post and giveaway!

  53. I recently had a facial/makeup tryout and I really like Mary Kay. I bought a few things and have decided I need MORE ! You look fresh and pretty for your date night !

  54. Best makeup trick would be always moisturizer before applying makeup and if you have pimples, add some pimple treatment and then the makeup. That way it won't affect that area with bacteria.

  55. If you have drier skin, add a but of moisturizer to your foundation for an easier application.
    prettyinhotpink6 at gmail dot com

  60. My favorite makeup trick is to smooth a silky foundation on lips before lipstick to make the color more vibrant.
    tcarolinep at gmail dot com

  69. Beautiful sweetie. The donkey will flirt with you unabashedly now!! I'm sure of it 😉 hehe
    All kidding aside, great look for you! I worked a line, helping ladies in the middle of the mall many years ago. I also sold MK later in life. It's a wonderful company and they really make a top-shelf product, every bit as good as the high end line cosmetics!! Hope you had a great date night, looking all gorgeous and stuff!! xo

  82. A mineral foundation works better on older skin – doesn't settle into wrinkles.
    bingomamanorma at gmail dot com

  89. I just rediscovered MK. I love the creamy lip color Retro Rose. I never leave my house without it. I keep several tubes in strategic places so I can apply my lips during a hasty exit: purse,husband's pocket,car console,and drawer closes to the door. Applying eye makeup on the go isn't as easy for me so I grab my sunglasses and Voila!!!! Lipstick and sunglasses are all you need to feel amazing

  95. I wet a cotton ball, squeeze out excess water, then gently pat it over my face after I've applied foundation and powder. It helps to "set" my makeup and it lasts much longer without smearing or flaking.

  96. Aw, you and your donkeys sound so cool! 🙂 I actually have the opposite problem, my mouth always opens when I am applying liner or mascara, so I look like a crazy person with her mouth wide open when I apply eye makeup. 🙂 One makeup tip that I like is to apply mascara to the tips of my lashes first (like the top half of the lash) and then go back and apply from the roots up the whole lash, it gives a little more thickness at the tips, which makes them stand out more. 🙂

    Thanks so much for having this giveaway!

    missbonniebelle (at) gmail (dot) com

  99. My favorite make up tip is to apply mascara only to my outer lashes. It really makes your eyes pretty and it's kind of retro. And it's easy 🙂
    dmarie824 at aol dot com

  113. I don't wear makeup but have heard that it is important to set your makeup with powder once it is applied and perfected.
    Angie
    14earth at gmail dot com

  117. I don't always wear makeup, and when I do it's minimal, but I always make sure to wipe off the makeup everyday, so that it doesn't clog the pores.

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