How to Fake Being Awake

I was working double duty as both a staff member and a guest at a recent comics event. I can’t help it – I tend to get involved if I feel I can make something more awesome. The downside to this is that I don’t get any sleep whatsoever.

At this particular con I had been at an industry party late the night before and still managed to be awake before everyone else. After all, it was my job to make sure everyone had eaten and gotten to their vendor tables on time. While the lot of us webcomics were eating breakfast, my colleague Brad Guigar stopped, looked at me and asked, “How on earth do you look fresh as a daisy this early after having no sleep?” So, thanks for the blog post idea, Brad! :D

The answer is makeup. I’m an artist, so makeup isn’t really much different from blending colors on paper. I know this might bore the guys, so I’m going to keep these posts infrequent. Also note if you are an artist that knowing this will also help your ability to paint people. :D

Products Used:
Neutrogena Healthy Defense Tinted Moisturizer or Makeup Forever HD Foundation
Benefit Erase Paste Concealer
Benefit Cosmetics High Beam
MAC Paint in Bare Canvas
Benefit Eyeshadow in Leggy
Benefit Brow Zings

Procedure:

Tinted Moisturizer or Foundation:

If you wanna be low maintenance or fear makeup, just use a tinted moisturizer. I like Neutrogena Healthy Defense SPF 20. It’s one step and gives your skin protection from the damaging effects of the sun.

If you want more coverage for photographs, use 1 or 2 pumps of Make Up Forever HD Foundation. This stuff is so amazing I almost can’t stand it. It’s formulated to show up nicely on HD film and has an easy to manipulate, buildable coverage. It’s definitely worth the expense. It lasts forever too.

You don’t need a foundation brush. I just put it on with my fingers.

Concealer and eyeshadow primer:

Concealer and Eyeshadow Primer are the main thing here. Here is an AWESOME CRAZY diagram of where they go:

- Use your finger and apply your favorite concealer under your eye. Blend from the tear ducts outward. I’m using Benefit Erase Paste.

- Use your finger to apply a tiny amount of MAC Paint in Bare Canvas from your lashline to your eyebrow. Be sure to blend it nicely so it doesn’t look unnatural.

Eyeshadow:

Sweep a neutral eyeshadow from lashline to brow. I’m using Benefit eyeshadow in Leggy. Since you have a primer on, you can even use cheap Wet n’ Wild. Just make sure that it is a neutral skin color. The primer will grab onto the shadow and hold it there ALL DAY. It even lasted on me all the way through a day at the Magic Kingdom and through a rainstorm. If you want, you could probably go out with just the MAC Paint on. It’s the main component that makes you look awake.

Highlight:

Dot Benefit High Beam on your browbone and blend with your fingers. You can also blend it in the tearduct area. This will bounce more light and make you look awake. glowy, and defined. If you don’t have High Beam, you can use any shimmery eyeshadow for this. Sparkly:

Here is what the eye looks like when you are done:

I also used Benefit Brow Zings to fill in my eyebrows. I don’t believe in covering up what I look like, so it’s super light and natural. I often skip eyeliner and mascara because I can’t really be bothered with it unless I’m going out somewhere that is fancypants. :) Now GO GRAB A RED BULL, RUB DIRT IN IT, AND TAKE A LAP, FELLOW GLAMAZONS!