Mission Make Up Mom Style Files Informant: Erin

 

We’re wrapping up Mission Make Up and that means it’s time to bring in an “expert”. Today our style informant is Erin, School Teacher by Day, Superhero by Night, make up lover always.

 

The rumor is Erin’s make up collection rivals Sephora. After reading her responses, I’m thinking of hiring her to be my make up artist. What do you say Erin?

 

Enjoy the interview!

 

Vitals:

Age: 31

Hometown: Northwest Indiana

What You Do? 8th grade English teacher

Blog or website: School Teacher by Day, Superhero by Night

Style ID in one word: One word? I’m not really good with one word! I would say romantic. I’m a huge fan of flowy skirts and sundresses.

 

Thoughts on going make up free?

I go makeup-free on the weekends sometimes and often over the summer when I have more natural color to my face. It’s definitely a comfort thing. I’m blessed with very few skin problems, so I feel okay, but I know people who won’t leave the house without makeup and I think that’s okay, too.

 

Do women at certain ages need different kinds of make up {ie: anti aging, etc}?

I’m never entirely sure how well anti-wrinkle or aging products really work–unless you have crazy money to spend–but I do think a good base is important to help makeup from settling into fine lines. My mom uses Bare Escentuals and it really works well for her.

 

What are your favorite products / brands and where you do buy them?

I’m kind of a makeup snob and really only use Bobbi Brown, MAC and Laura Mercier (for concealing products). I swear by Bobbi Brown foundation. It’s definitely worth it to go to a counter and get color matched, instead of trying to figure it out yourself.

 

Personally I have the hardest time determining colors whether it’s foundation, powder, eye liner, etc. Do you have any advice for a newbie?

Like I said above, when it comes to foundation… let someone else figure it out for you! They’ll try different foundations on your jawline or inner wrist to see what best matches, then you know your color from that point forward. Mismatched foundation is not a mistake you want to make. In terms of eyeliner, it depends on your eye color. I have brown eyes and have found that I can pull off pretty much any color, which is fun. I try to compliment my clothes. When I used to do wedding makeup, I had a lot of fun with rust/gold colored liner on people with blue and green eyes. It really made them pop.

 

I know some of our readers including myself would love some tips and tricks for easy application or a how to, do you have anything to share?

I think my biggest tip is to that even if you’re someone who isn’t willing to spend a lot of money on high-priced makeup, and I understand most people aren’t, you should consider good makeup brushes. Those really make the difference. Foundation applied with a foundation brush instead of a sponge will look much better. Eyeshadow swept on with an eyeshadow brush instead of a cheap application is going to have a much smoother sweep and not be blinked into your crease. While it might be hard to justify expensive makeup because it eventually runs out and needs to be replaced, expensive brushes last forever if taken care of. I’ve had most of my brushes for over ten years now and they look almost brand new. If you have an outlet mall with a Lancome Cosmetic Co outlet near you, you can usually find MAC and Bobbi Brown brushes (and makeup) at a discounted price.

 

Do you create different make up looks depending on the activity? {ie: work, playing with kids, date night, etc}?

I do, definitely. My work looks are more neutral, though sometimes I’ll go a little darker if I’m wearing a black dress. When it comes to the rare and coveted date nights, I will often do a smoky eye or darker lips. If it’s going out somewhere with the kids, I like to have fun with my makeup a little. Maybe a silver liner or something to make my eyes pop, but nothing that takes time, obviously.

 

There’s a lot of hype for natural and organic make up, what are your thoughts and do you have some you could recommend?

Obviously I’ve already showed my true colors as a makeup snob. I think the push toward natural and organic beauty products are great, but I also want products that will last all day and some of the products I’ve tried that are natural/organic don’t last for a full day. I did use Chartreuse organic skin care products for awhile and had tried and liked some of their makeup products, but then the company closed down, so that was kind of disappointing.

 

Thanks Erin!
Erin has even more useful tips and great make up information over at Peanut Butter in My Hair. Head over there to read the rest of the interview.
Feel free to share photos or techniques with us, just tag your photos #msfiles so we can give you a shout out.