The Best Fluffy Pancakes recipe you will fall in love with. Full of tips and tricks to help you make the best pancakes.
It’s a huge question for some people and one I’ve tried to address in as many different ways as I can, but I know I haven’t yet fully succeeded, because I keep getting asked about it. So, here are my top tips for avoiding the dreaded “mush” when you’re blending your makeup, whether it’s eyeshadow, blusher or foundation. And, trust me, these tips will be relevant to all three! The thing with a beautifully blended finish is that it looks incredibly easy: there’s a good reason for that cliché about something looking “seamless” when it’s perfect.
The truth is, though, that the vast majority of the time, blending your makeup is NOT about creating a seamless join between colours. It is, in fact, about creating a soft edge, which allows you to still see where one shade starts and another stops. If you’re getting a “mushy” effect when you apply your makeup, it’s probably because you’re not creating defined edges between shades. Instead, you’re allowing them to all blend together, creating a muddy mess. So, how do you avoid that?
Well, for starters, it’s essential to use a light hand when it comes to applying your makeup. Yes, it’s easier to build colour up gradually, but it’s much harder to get rid of excess colour once you’ve applied too much. With that in mind, always start with a light application, and build up as needed. When it comes to eyeshadow, for instance, I like to apply the deepest shade to the crease first, and then stop and evaluate the colour before I blend it. This helps me place the colour exactly where I want it, and avoid getting it all over the rest of my lid. To blend, I’ll place my brush at the edge of the colour, and use gentle, back-and-forth motions to soften it. I won’t sweep the brush all the way across my lid, though: instead, I’ll focus on just the edge of the colour, using light strokes to soften it, rather than remove it completely. For cream products, use a pressing motion before any sweeping.
That helps the product settle instead of smearing. When I’m happy with the edge, I’ll switch to a lighter shade, and apply it up to the edge of the first colour. Again, I won’t try to blend the two shades together completely: instead, I’ll place the second shade as close to the first one as possible, and then use a brush to very gently soften the edge, creating a gradient effect. The key thing here is not to over-blend. You want to create a soft edge between the two shades, but you don’t want them to be fully blended together. If you keep sweeping your brush back and forth, you’ll end up with a muddy mess, so try to resist the temptation to over-blend: it really is better to err on the side of caution here, and stop blending while you’re still left with a relatively defined edge.
One common mistake is trying to fix harsh edges by adding more product. That usually deepens the stain and makes the correction harder. A better fix is to switch tools. Take a clean brush, sponge, or fingertip with no extra product and work only on the edge that needs softening. If the area already looks muddy, stop layering. Wipe the brush, pick up a tiny amount of a lighter base shade, and use it around the border to create separation again. Another frequent problem appears when base makeup underneath is still wet. Powder or blush dragged over unset foundation can grab unevenly. Let the surface settle first, or lightly set the area before adding color.
With blusher, the technique is similar, although because you’re working with a much larger area, it can be a bit trickier to get it right. The best way to apply blusher for a soft, natural-looking finish is to place the colour onto the apples of your cheeks first, and then use an upwards-and-outwards motion to blend it out towards your hairline. Don’t apply the blusher directly to your hairline, though: instead, place it onto the apples of your cheeks, and then blend it outwards and upwards, using light, sweeping motions.
