Getting Started with Hiding Beard Shadow

Today’s article is for the girls out there who want some tips on concealing beard shadow. Much of this article has to do with makeup, but if you are looking for a more permanent solution to ridding yourself of facial hair, getting a professional to do laser treatments is the best option.

Shaving
This process starts with a fresh shave, as close to the skin as possible.

1. Shower or use a hot towel to open your pores and soften the beard and mustache hair. Soak your shaving brush in hot water to soften the bristles and prep for lathering.

2. Use a few drops of pre-shave oil, to protect your skin. These are usually made with grease-free oils like sunflower, coconut, or olive oil and will not clog pores.

• I liked this pre-shave oil, because it does not smell overly masculine as it is made with super moisturizing oils. 

3. Apply shaving cream. Using a shave brush will allow you to froth up a thicker lather that will help raise your hairs, allowing you a closer cut to the root.

• This kit, features a badger hair brush which I have heard is very soft.
• I prefer this kit, purely because the brush is synthetic and not sourced from animals.

4. Shave first with the grain.

5. Pull skin taut before each stroke, giving you a nice surface to run the blade across.

6. Re-lather and shave again, going against the grain.

7. Apply aftershave.

8. Apply moisturizer.

For those of you that are just getting used to this shave routine, nicks and razor bumps are part of the learning process. For cuts, use a bit of Neosporin to help the healing process, an unsightly facial wound will heal up better, faster, and without scarring when Neosporin is applied regularly. For other dark spots, ingrown hairs, and inflammation, I like this product. Use after every shave for the best results. 

Makeup
Now that you have a smooth and freshly shaven face, it’s time for makeup! Makeup lasts the longest when there is a smooth and moisturized surface to work with, so make sure your skin is hydrated!

1. Apply primer. This will help create a smooth surface for you to work with. Usually I just apply a pea sized amount to the tips of my fingers and work it into my face, adding more as I spread as necessary.

• I like to use Nyx Studio Perfect Primer because it is light, does not clog my pores, and instantly makes my skin feel smooth and ready to paint.

2. Apply color correction.* This is a tough one because you need to be able to see what underlying tones your beard has in order to find the appropriate correction color. Using an eye shadow blending brush, which is a small brush with medium-long flexible bristles, stipple your color corrector over the darkest areas first, then blend it into the rest of your beard area. Not too much of this is needed, so do not completely cover yourself with color correction. The majority of the work will be done by your foundation and concealer, so think of this step as light handed prep.

• For my skin and hair situation, I liked using Nyx's Color Correction. I found that the the pigmentation is great and very easily blendable.
• But for those of you who aren’t as sure as I am about color, this palette has a lot of colors for you to play with and find what works best for you. 

3. Apply concealer.

• I like Tarte’s Shape Tape, for concealer. I like liquid because I find it’s easier to control and blends better.

4. Apply foundation.

• I suggest using a CC Cream which stands for “Color Correction.” This product is my favorite because it includes sunscreen, a hydrating serum, and the actual makeup particles are very fine, making for a flawless airbrushed look.

5. Finish look and apply setting spray. You can mostly skip the setting spray if you aren’t really going to be out for long, or you’re just playing with looks, but a good setting spray will keep your colors bold all day.

• Urban Decay’s All Nighter is an award winning spray for a reason. As someone who loves to do makeup and show it off, I need it to last through a full day of work and a full night of parties. 

*Color Correction
Color correction has a steep learning curve, we’ll get into the basics, but each person’s skin and hair is different and you will need to play around with colors a bit before you get this down perfectly. For those of you who are not artistically inclined, take a look at the color wheel below. To correct color, you are aiming to use the color opposite of what you are trying to conceal. For example, if you have an unsightly pimple that you are trying to cover up, you would see that the pimple is red and inflamed, so you would apply a green based color correction in order to dull the brightness of the red. If you have dark hair, your shadow might be blueish, therefore an orange based correction is appropriate. If you have purple bags under your eyes, yellow will counter it.

Listen to “Smooth” to get you motivated to shave, and “Makeup Meticulous” for makeup cravings. Mind your Mistress and remember to always stay beautiful!

Read this post for a full list of Getting Started Articles! 

xoxo,
thelibrarian