Beauty and fashion blogger Shambhavi reveals her makeup tricks

An ex-journalist and anchor who extensively covered fashion and lifestyle, Shambhavi Mishra of TalkSassy certainly has learnt the tricks of the trade. Being a fashion journalist for close to eight years, looking on point was part of her job. In line to the same, the beauty with brains has had the privilege of being groomed by the best of makeup the industry. Here, she spills the beans on eleven of her makeup tricks…

1)    Two different types of mascaras for the perfect lashes

Many who crave for those thick and luscious lashes apply several layers of mascaras to get that look. But did you know that the trick lies in using two different types of the makeup product? The expert shares, “I use two mascaras, the first one for lengthening and the second one for curling. Basically, you lengthen your eyelashes and then you curl them with another brand because it is difficult to find one product which has the best of everything, even if it claims to do both”

She adds, “Another thing I do is after applying the first coat, I take an earbud, dip it in a bit of Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder and put a small layer on the lashes. Then I go on to the other curling coat. Doing this gets rid of any kind of lumps and clumps that occur while applying the makeup product.”

2)    White kajal as a highlighter

While the white kajal can do wonders on your eyes by defining and shaping it, it can also come handy in the brow area too. Says Shambhavi, “I often use the white eyeliner under my eyebrows to highlight the arch. To be honest, this is something that I do out of sheer laziness, but it is a good trick as it really defines the eyebrows.”

3)    Micellar water for eye makeup gone wrong

Not all of us are blessed with a steady hand and there are times when things might get a little messy while applying eye makeup. “If you are doing your eyes and it is gone haywire, a makeup remover might worsen the look when not done properly. What you can do is take an earbud (as it is very thin and sleek), dip that in the micellar water and only remove that part which is smudged,” says the beauty enthusiast. She adds, “Micellar water has the property of attracting germs and dirt and will remove the unwanted part in a matter of seconds.”

“A primer is something which will really help in minimising your pores.”

4)    Lipsticks for multiple purposes

Whoever said that a lipstick needs to be restricted just to the lips! This one product can serve dual purposes to amp up your look especially on your cheeks and eyes. “Along with applying the lipsticks on my lips, I use them as a cheek tint too. As a matter of fact, there have been a lot of the times where I have used my nude lip shade as an eyeshadow,” shares Shambhavi.

Click here to select from a wide range of lipsticks.

5)    Brown eyebrow pencil instead of a black one

We all know the importance of a good eyebrow and how it can make or break your look. A glaring mistake that the blogger has observed is in the eyebrow pencil colour that we opt for. She muses, “Indians must remember that going for jet black is not always the best option as we do not have absolute black eyebrows. Rather, we are more on the slightly dark brown side so should select something on similar lines.” The beauty adds, “An all-black shade can land up looking fake and unnatural. Remember, the eyebrow should look like a part of the body not like you have stuck it.”

6)     Powder as a dry shampoo

Have a party or important event but are pressed for time for a luxurious hair bath? The blogger shares, “If you are going for a party and you do not have a dry shampoo ready with you, what you can do is take a lot of baby powder and mix it with the talcum powder. Take it in your hand, rub a good quantity on your scalp and a little bit on your strands. Your hair will start looking as fresh as ever!”

“When you apply the moisturiser and then the foundation, you are giving your skin a base to blend.”

7)    The correct way of buying a foundation

When it comes to the base of the makeup, it can break or make your look. “The most important thing that one has to remember while buying a foundation is where you test it. A lot of people test it on the back of your wrist, but it can have a different shade or tone.” As per her, the best place to check it is on your jawline. “Because you have the neck just below and face above the jawline.” In this manner, the tone you select will be an apt one. Another tip according to her is to examine the foundation in sunlight to know how exactly it will appear.

8)    Using a primer to minimise your pores and avoid the cakey look

Minimising the pores can really help in getting that HD definition look to the makeup. One of the effective ways to do it as per Shambhavi is to use a primer. She shares, “A primer is something which will really help in minimising your pores. Many of them also come with a tint so you can just opt for it and skip the foundation for a subtle effect. Further, it will keep your skin hydrated and will give an even tone without looking cakey.”

9)    Moisturising, the key to a perfect base

A mistake that people often do according to the blogger is skipping the moisturiser. She shares, “When you apply the moisturiser and then the foundation, you are giving your skin a base to blend. It also locks in the moisture and protects the skin. The chemicals in the products tend to suck the hydration of the face because of the chemicals and hence it is important to replenish it.” Try it and you will notice a difference!

“Along with applying the lipsticks on my lips, I use them as a cheek tint too.”

10)    Attaining the perfect application of lipstick

There are times when the lipstick does not spread as well as we would like to on the lips. “If you are not able to apply your lipstick perfectly, there is a possibility that your lips are chapped. You need to apply lip oil for a couple of weeks in the night, this will give you a clean surface making the application easier,” says Shambhavi. She adds, “If you feel that this is also not going to help you, there are products in the market known as lip primers. Among other benefits, they make the application easier and help in giving a proper definition to your lipstick.” Another tip according to her is that if you have thin lips, it is better to go for a creamy texture over something matt to ensure that it looks pouty and plum.

11)    The art of highlighting and contouring

Now, this can be a tricky one, choose the wrong shade and all of your efforts will go to waste. Says the blogger, “It is easiest to go for the company made palettes where the brands offer a set of three colours. For instance, it will have a pink and a matching bronzer which will go with that particular pink. Even the highlighter will match the two colours. In this manner, it is all broken down for you.”  She adds, “It goes without saying, the highlighter which we use should be above the apples of your cheek, on the tip of your nose, on your chin and your eyebrow tips.” The pro also cautions against using too much of highlighter and strictly tells to avoid letting it reach the under-eye area.

So there you have it, eleven handy tricks that will help in a flawless makeup application.  Take a leaf out of Shambhavi’s page and get inspired.

Shambhavi Mishra’s blog TalkSassy was born as a creative platform where she could share her experiences with the world. It’s an evolving process where she chronicles her growing excitement and addiction of beauty, fashion and travel.