by 
Well, hello again all my Beautify friends! I’ve been looking forward to sharing some great makeup insight with you but when it hit me that most of my gray-haired girlies out there are always in my DMs asking what shades and tips I can recommend since going gray myself, I figured I better open the floodgates and release the pro makeup tip kraken!! And if you’re like me and love a great Greek Mythology movie or even a Pirate movie, you just enjoyed a hilarious mental image right there. So here we go, let’s get crackin! (see what I did there?)
1) Stay True to Your Hues
Under no circumstances should you feel the need to label yourself “a cool” or “a winter” now. I know that hasn’t been a thing since the late 80’s but I’m seeing it rear its ugly, misleading head again in the recent months. What I mean by that is, if you had gray hair, pink undertones, cool blue eyes, etc., the classic department store beauty counter makeup guru of the day would “diagnose” you as warm, cool, autumn, winter, or whatever the trendy term was. Now don’t misunderstand me, there’s definitely value in understanding your skin’s undertones when selecting an appropriate foundation shade, but it shouldn’t dictate every shirt, lipstick, and blush choice you make for the rest of your fashion life. If you’ve got gold undertones in your skin, you should 100% still be able to rock the super trending Barbie makeup looks with so much pink you might as well have been hosed with Pepto Bismol. Yes, I say go girl, go! Do that pink thang if that’s what you like! And honestly, if you’ve gone gray naturally it typically means you’re aging a little bit and may be losing a little bit of the color or glow in your skin so bronze up and go for a “sunkissed cause I was in the Caymans” kinda vibe!
2) Think Pink
Although I say no one should dictate your color choices besides you, I still say too much brown makeup can age you. That’s why you need to check my latest YouTube video featuring the new “Strawberry Latte Makeup Look”. I took the viral Latte Makeup look and put my gray- haired diva spin on it in order to keep us silver foxes (no matter your age) looking fresh & vibrant! So always add a little pink into that earth toned, brown neutral look we always seem to be going for. Afterall, one of the things you can see immediately on a little girl or young woman is pink cheeks and pretty, pink lips. As we age, this fades a little so pop it back in there every chance you get!
3) The Pro’s of Contour
When contour is a must-have in your beauty bag of tricks, consider the type of gray you’re rockin’. Is it a warm gray? No problem, go all in with the bronziest glow ever. However, if you’ve been besties with your purple shampoo or you’ve just naturally got cool undertones in your hair, you may want to opt for a more neutral-based contour palette. That will help maintain a more cohesive look to your end-game. Unless of course, you’re still all-in on that sun kissed island girl look we already talked about. Remember, I’m a huge advocate of the “No Rules in Makeup” rule. These are all just my guidelines and suggestions I’ve been packin’ around with me through my 30 years as a makeup artist.
One more side note about contour, if it’s a more orange, gold or bronze you’ve chosen, stick to a warm or neutral blush so it will compliment and not compete.
4) Zoom In
Next up, choose to focus on either the eyes or the lips (whichever you love most at the time) and go all in… way in! What I mean is go bold or deep with your eyeshadow shade and make your eyes say “Hey! Check me out! I’m saucy!” but then keep those lips turned to about a 5 on the stereo volume. But, when sticking to a nude eyeshadow palette, turn it all the way up with a bold, beautiful lip, or even a well-defined liner with your favorite ultra glossy lip plumper.
5) Sunset It
And for my final all-star pro makeup artist tip for my Silver Strand Sistas is, (drumroll please)… Make a point to try the new “Sunset Eyes” trend. It’s simply mimicking the shades of an evening sunset on your eyelids. Starting at the lash line with the deepest shade of indigo or purple, transition it with a rust or bronze choice and begin fading up toward the brow bone with a lovely, warm peach color. You’ll want to keep it blended so well that you can’t even tell where one shade ends and the other begins. Just like the intense, romantic Arizona sunsets that greet me at the end of every day. Sound like a romance novel? Excellent! My job is done here!
Ok Beautify friends, that’s a wrap! I hope you enjoyed reading about all of these fabulous tips and techniques, but what I hope for the most is that you actually give them a try, no matter what your hair color is. And if you have the blessing of living in an area where the seasons change, (unlike myself over here in the desert with an uber-long hot summer) enjoy a lovely transition into Fall and I’ll catch you here next time at Beautify.Tips! Love you all!
Jackie
XOXO
MEET JACKIE ALVES
Jackie Alves helps women rediscover their beauty, gain new confidence, and boldly step into their next season of life. She’s the Co-Founder & Head Makeup Artist of The Beauty Bar Skincare & Makeup Studio, as well as the Head Educator of The Beauty Bar Pro Makeup Academy & Creator of the studio’s line of professional makeup products.
Jackie is the Founder & Beauty Educator of The Real Makeup Artist, a beauty brand featuring on-demand masterclasses and personal, online makeup tutorials focusing on “Real Makeup for Real Women” and how to “Become Your Own Makeup Artist”.
After landing her first makeup gig at the age of 17 in Las Vegas & now having over 30 years of experience in the beauty industry, Jackie uses her experience to help women overcome the challenges of finding practical beauty choices & techniques to fit their individual styles & needs in a world overrun with cosmetic companies, products, and procedures.
Jackie has worked with dozens of A-listers, including iconic fashion designers, Estel Day & Mark Tango of the fashion brand Mark & Estel, Movie Producer & Director, Kate Cohen of Straight Up Films, and several top photo & film studios in Las Vegas, Nevada.
