Makeup Is Easy: Get a Foundation Brush

I've always been a fingers-and-palms makeup person. Up until a couple years ago, this even applied to eye makeup - I just never used brushes. I don't know why, but my nearest guess is that my Mom didn't worry too much about in-depth makeup bootcamp (...well played, Mom. Seriously.) so I just figured that makeup only needed what came in the package. No brush included, no need for one. I now use brushes for eyeshadow - standard EcoTools ones available from your local CVS - but for a long time I resisted using a foundation brush, quite frankly because that whole concept sounded dumb as hell to me.

But oh my God you guys, you've gotta get a foundation brush.

My theory on foundation brushes' usefulness is that the bristles allow finer spread of the foundation and also remove the problem of the makeup getting snorked up by your fingers as you work it in. I don't have any MAGIC SCIENCE to back this idea up but that's how it works in my brain. Moisturizing will always allow better makeup application, but the brush really takes it to the next level. Check this out:
My skin is not that good...but it LOOKS that way because foundation brushes are awesome! As with all brushes, it's important to clean them regularly. I've started just cleaning them after every use, and I usually use shampoo but I want to try Michelle Phan's technique with olive oil and dishsoap to see how that goes.

On to the specific eye makeup, I've used my Anastasia brow powder to define my brows, which as you can see really goes a long way. The key is to keep it within the edges of your natural brow so you avoid the Older Lady From The Boonies Effect.
I used a new liquid liner I got that I'm kind of ambivalent about. On theone hand, it really stays put and the color is nice and rich, but on the other, the applicator kind of sucks. I like liquid liner applicators to be super, super fine, and even though this one does have a mitered edge, it just doesn't go on as thin as I would like. Dealing with liquid liner is always dangerous thanks to the increased potential for small-but-incredibly-problematic misfires, so having a less than ideal applicator is a bigger problem that with other makeup types. In any case, I carefully winged out my eyes, then added The She Space's Yin and Yang over the top of it, working it into the hollow of my tear duct so the color really popped. I finished the look with a dose of Phenomen'Eyes mascara and made sure to do the lower lashes as well, to compensate for the strength of the black liner. Voila!