Our community wanted to know how to nail foundation, brows and lip liner, so makeup artist Lauren Andersen is walking us through all three!
When we asked our community what you wanted to learn from celebrity makeup artist Lauren Andersen at the Women of Today Beauty Summit, the same three themes kept coming up: how to find the right foundation shade, how to get full brows that still look natural, and how to line your lips without it looking obvious. So we asked Lauren to show us exactly how she does it. Good news: it’s a lot easier than you think.
Lauren’s whole philosophy is makeup that looks like your skin, just a little better. She tests foundation right on her jawline, uses two shades instead of one, and keeps every layer light so nothing looks cakey. Here are her step-by-step makeup artist tips for foundation, brows and lips, all things you can do at home with a few basic tools.
Finding your foundation match:
- Swatch on your jawline. Lauren dots four shades along her jaw and goes with the one that basically disappears into her skin. That’s your match.
- Start in the middle. Apply your shade through the center of your face and forehead, then buff it in with a damp beauty sponge.
- Grab a shade lighter. Go one shade lighter on the center of your forehead, under your eyes, down the bridge of your nose and along your jawline. Bonus: the lighter jawline helps your face blend right into your neck, so there’s no harsh lines.
- Press, don’t swipe. Bounce the sponge into your skin. It blends everything and soaks up any extra foundation for that seamless finish.
- Go in with a small brush for the details. Brighten under your eyes, highlight the tip and bridge of your nose, the center of your chin and right under your nose. Press over it once more with the sponge, and your dual-shade foundation is done.
Fluffy, natural brows in a few easy steps:
- Brush backward first. Lauren takes a tinted brow texture stick and brushes it against the hair growth for a soft base of color.
- Comb up and out. Follow with a spoolie, brushing upward and outward.
- Let your nose be your guide. It shows you where your brow should start. Begin your thin, hair-like strokes there.
- Give the strokes some breathing room. Space them out so your brows look airy and fluffy, and keep checking that both sides match.
- Lock it in. Comb a tinted or clear brow gel up and out to set everything in place.
- Fill gaps and finish the tail. Spot a sparse area? Paint in a few more hair-like strokes, then define the tail. Lauren’s golden rule: follow your natural hair growth and leave a little skin between strokes. That’s what makes brows look fuller and more natural.
Lip Liner That Looks Soft, Not Drawn On:
- Even things out. Lauren’s lips aren’t perfectly symmetrical (most of ours aren’t), so she slightly overdraws one side to match the other. Just stay close to your natural lip line.
- Blur it with your fingertip. She loves a softer look, so she presses and buffs the liner with her finger.
- Connect the corners. Carry the liner into the corners of your mouth so the shape looks finished.
- Want a crisper edge? Clean up the outer line with a little foundation.
Hope this helps!
