The Makeup Show Recap: Beauty Tips for a Flawless Face from OCC's David Klasfeld

If you're a regular on this blog, then you know I recently attended The Makeup Show Orlando. Needless to say, I was excited. Not only would I be surrounded by beauty products for two whole days, but I'd also get to listen to industry experts share their insights on growing your career, building your kit, and applying makeup for different types of jobs.

Among those speakers was David Klasfeld, founder of Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics. I sat in on his live demonstration of editorial makeup application. During that discussion there was one vital takeaway: Editorial makeup isn't always avant garde and over-the-top.  In fact, most of the time, it's not. 

He pointed out that when you look through magazines, most of the photos and ads you see include models wearing natural-looking makeup that makes their skin look flawless.

Go ahead, grab your latest fashion magazine and flip through the pages. I'll wait...

David Klasfeld demonstrates his techniques for creating a flawless canvas for editorial makeup 

His point, as I understood it: Many of the editorial jobs most makeup artists will work on will require an ability to apply makeup that has the appearance of natural, enviable skin. Your models won't always have it (Doesn't that help make them seem a little more human?). You need to know how to create a flawless complexion without ending up with cake face. (He said this more eloquently. I interject humor.)

Since he was talking flawless skin, I thought it was a good opportunity to jot down some notes. After all, you don't need to be gracing the pages of Glamour to covet a beautiful complexion. So here's what I learned:

Klasfeld answers audience questions during his demonstration.

• Want the dewey skin you see in magazines? Reach for a good tinted moisturizer. Look for a tinted moisturizer that offers coverage and is buildable. In other words, look for a medium coverage that won't look or feel heavy when you build it up. David recommends OCC's Tint ($29.50), which offers medium coverage and an airbrush finish. It also uses aloe to moisturize without leaving residue. A nice drugstore option is Garnier's BB creams ($11.99), which offers  good color pay off that's easy to build. (Note: I'm not comparing Garnier BB cream to OCC Tint just stating that Garnier has nice pigmentation)
• Use more than one shade of foundation. Most people's faces aren't one single flat color tone. By using two different color foundations/tinted moisturizers you can create a more real-life effect. Typically, you'll use the lighter color in the center of your face, and the darker color (opt for a shade darker) along the perimeter to create natural shadows.
• Your makeup application tools are everything. But remember expensive doesn't always equal good. When choosing a foundation and concealer brush , look for brushes that are firm enough to provide control, but have enough give that they can adjust to the contours of your face. For example, a firm tipped brush will allow you to get right up to the edge of the lash line, but needs enough give so you can gently pull and blend the color down.
• Try to reduce the number of products used on your face. Too much product will make you look overly made up. When trying to look natural, multi-tasking products are your friend. Tinted moisturizers are an obvious gem. You can also use your concealer as eye shadow primer. If you're using cream shadow, make sure to set it so it won't crease.
• Cream blush gives you a healthy natural glow and will keep you from having too much powder build up on your face. Choose a long-wearing option like OCC's creme colour concentrate ($20), which  uses aloe to keep your skin moisturized without any oily residue. Bonus: It's a multi-use product for face, lips, and eyes. I'm also a fan of water-based creme blushes, which have a similar moisturized-but-not-oily effect.
• Only apply blush to the top part of the apples of your cheeks and lightly blend down. Why? When you smile you push your cheeks up. If you apply blush all over the apple of your cheek as you smile, that color will travel down when you stop smiling, creating a sagging effect that ages you.

Having a fan-girl moment meeting David Klasfeld

Those are his tips for editorial beauty you can easily use in your every day routine. Are you already using some of these tips? Which ones will you be adding to your beauty regimen?