Tips from a master makeup man

As well as a biography and providing the recollections of his friends and family, Kevyn Aucoin: A Beautiful Life (available at Aksara bookstore in Kemang, South Jakarta) also provides a section of his tips. Here are a few of them.

Avoiding cakey-looking makeup * Use creamy products (concealer, foundation, contouring stick, highlighting cream, cream blush, gel blush or liquid blush) first, followed by powder and/or powder blush. * Powder sets makeup products and enhances your makeup's staying power; cream on top of powder creates a cakey-looking finish. * Make sure to moisturize and exfoliate (gently, with a scrub or washcloth) if you're prone to flaky skin. * The problem might be your moisturizer; some formulas, especially those packed with special antiaging ingredients, don't allow concealer or foundation to blend nicely into the skin. You might want to save those for nighttime and use a basic day moisturizer instead.

Lips

* Getting started: Don't apply products to dry lips. If they're chapped, apply balm or petroleum jelly, then brush lightly with a toothbrush to get rid of any flaky skin. Use foundation or concealer to even out skin tone or discoloration.

Eyes

* When powdering the face, Kevyn put extra loose powder under the eyes. This allowed him to sweep away any excess product that fell there during eye makeup application. You also can use powder or cream-to-powder foundation to tone down eyeshadow if the color is too intense.

Liner know-how

* When using pencil eyeliner, get right into the lash line so there is no discernible space between the eyeliner and lashes. Wiggle the pencil between the lashes to fill in any gaps. To apply liquid liner, Kevyn pulled the eyelid taut by lightly stretching it up and out. Then he drew a line as close to the lashes as possible.