Ask KKZ [Bronzer, Blue Eyeshadow, Guyliner]

Welcome to the second edition of Ask KKZ! This is the official style advice column where KimmiKillZombie answers all of your beauty, hair, and lifestyle questions.

I Hate being pale in the winter. But whenever I apply my powder bronzer, which says it’s perfect for lighter skin tones, I end up looking like I’m wearing glittery mud all over my face. Am I just using the wrong color, or should I switch to cream or lotion? -Suzy Hardy

First off, let me just sa, pale skin is sexy. I love pale skin in the winter. But that doesn’t mean bronze is bad. Bronze can be a really awesome way to ad a glow to your skin. I just prefer pale skin and rosy cheeks.

It may be the color washing out your skin. But it could also be how you are applying it. Powder bronzers aren’t meant to cover your whole face. So if you are just applying it like a powder foundation, that may be why you end up looking like a sasquatch.

If you are using a light golden/creamy bronzer, you should use it as a highlight. Brush it onthe apples of your cheeks, your cheekbone, jaw bone, and brow bone.

If you are using a true bronze, or copper bronzer, you should use it as a shader, so the hollows of your cheek, and the frame/ sides of your forehead.

Don’t forget to give your neck/ collarbone a light dusting!

If you are looking for an all over glow, I’d recommend getting a tinted moisturizer in a color a shade darker than your skintone. They even have ones that come in ‘brozning’ shades. You can then apply this on your arms, legs, neck, and have an even glow. The more you put on, the darker it will be, so you can have it as translucent as you like, without looking like ‘mud’.

I heard that blue eyeshadow is a no-no. Is there any way to pull it off? – Kait.

I’m pretty sure you know already that I’m not a very conventional person. Hell, my hair color right now glows under blacklights.

So ofcourse here is where I say, HELL YES you can pull off blue eyeshadow.

The key to not looking like you stepped out of the 80′s is pairing it with another color. For example, blue eyeshadow fading to lime green, or shimmery purple are hot eyecolor combos.

Another way to keep your blue shadow looking good is keeping it contained. Don’t use blue up to your eyebrows. Use it
as a liner, or in your crease. Blue is not a highlight.

And, Last rule: Be deliberate. Don’t use ‘wisps’ of blue shadow. If you are going to use blue eyeshadow, go all out. Otherwise it will look tacky, or like you didn’t know what you were doing / wanted to achieve with it.  Blue is a very statement color, so be prepared to make a statement with it.

Check out our serious blue eyeshadow.

Guyliner. Yay or Nay? -Antony

NAY. Antony, although I am super psyched that a male actually wrote into my column, I’m going to have to be frank here. Very, VERY few people can pull off guyliner. A lot of male celebreties have been photographed sporting all kinds of black smoke, and let me just tell you this – they don’t look good.

I would rather be seen with a male wearing full our foundation and powder than wearing smudged black liner.

That being said, I will tell you how to do it.  It better be for a Costume though. Or if you are a pirate. Pirates get a pass. And girls, don’t use this mini tutorial. Thick black liner under the bottom of your eyes makes them look small and unbalanced. If you want smokey eyes, you want to dark your lid, and do a quick swipe with black liner, not a block of it.

You need a black liner, and some q-tips. If you feel extra fancy, buy some mascara as well.

1. Make sure your skin is clean and not super oily. If it is, wash it and dry it. If you aren’t adverse to putting powder on your face, pat some around your lower eye.

2. Breathe on the tip of your liner for 5 seconds. This will slightly melt it and make it have a darker payoff and smudge easier.

3. With the middle finger of your not-so-dominant hand, pull down your lower eyelid. On that little ‘shelf’, swipe with your liner from corner to corner. Slowly pull the pencil down until you are running through your lower lashes. Let go and check. You can continue adding more liner until you are satisfied with how dark/ low the black goes.Repeat with the other eye.

4. Take a clean q-tip and smudge the edges of your liner. If you want to add those ‘cry lines’ some guys seem to prefer, you can drag the q-tip downwards. Be sure to use another completely clean q-tip for the other eye so that you don’t end up with a big smudge.