Woman-made // A FEW WORDS ON MAKEUP WITH FINGERS

Apr 23

Apr 23 Woman-made // A FEW WORDS ON MAKEUP WITH FINGERS

Whether you're someone who uses very little makeup, or you're as obsessed as I am, you likely use it to some extent in your daily life. In doing so (whether you meant to or not), you've developed a routine with how you apply it. The benefit of being into makeup is that I've learned all about the incredible, beautiful tools that exist out there to give the best finish and application. But, I started to get so into the tools, that I forgot about the two best (and free) ones... my hands.

Transitioning to green beauty helped bring me back to my roots. I started working with a lot more cream and oil based products, which meant that my daily routine got a shakeup. It felt more natural to start using my fingers, especially when the look I was going for was also more natural. Nowadays, it takes a lot for me to even want to use a brush anymore! When it comes to blending smoothly, I've found that truly nothing compares to skin-to-skin contact. To that point, some of the most influential makeup artists in the world, like Mary Greenwell and Violette_FR, almost exclusively use fingers for that very reason. I feel that using my hands has helped me to understand products. Things that didn't feel intuitive before, now do. And you'd be surprised at the amount of precision you can still achieve. It's basically adult finger painting!

But, I understand that this technique can seem intimidating when you're either not used to it, or aren't sold on the idea. So I wanted to share my best tips on how and when to use your fingers.

1. Fingers work great for any number of types of products, but work especially awesome when used with cream-based products, like a cream eyeshadow, blush, highlighter or concealer.

2. Using your fingers makes it almost impossible to "over apply" product. By being able to actually feel the makeup, you get a much better sense of how it works. You will rarely see someone who applied their makeup with fingers and think it looks overdone. Your hands are the best and quickest way to create a real, lived-in look.

3. When applying anything on or around your eyes (especially under the eye), always use your ring finger. The skin under and around your eyes is especially vulnerable and prone to wrinkles/stretching over time. Your ring finger is naturally a bit softer because you use it far less, therefore giving it the least amount of impact on that sensitive area. Just remember to Always Be Gentle!

4. Using fingers makes it easier to layer product slowly, so you get just the amount you want. Take a cream highlighter stick for example. Instead of piling it on straight from the stick in a "strobing" fashion, you can pinpoint the tops of your cheekbones and the inner corners of your eyes and pat the product on a little a time.

5. One my recent favorite things to do is apply my lipstick, somewhat messily, and then use my finger to go around the outside to soften the edges. Then I'll take the product on my finger and apply softly as a blush to the apples of the cheeks. It creates a super easy and minimalist/monotone look.

Bonus Tip - If you're applying on the go, carry some small makeup wipes in your bag for cleaning your hands up at the end!

The takeaway here is, don't be afraid to use your two best tools. Your hands will never steer you wrong.