I recently had the luxury of an afternoon spoil session with Darcy Manning, who owns DarcyMM Makeup Artistry and is busy tending to the business professionals, brides and lucky ladies on the Space Coast able to book into her calendar.
Darcy spent hours with me, helping me understand the nuances of makeup brushes, how to successfully apply shimmery eye shadow and how to contour the rounds of my face to appear less, well, round and more youthful.
BEFORE
AFTER
STEP 1
After applying primer and foundation, place concealer (two to three shades lighter than your foundation) over the eyelids and in the T-zone area of the face. A bright center of the face helps create dimension and contrast. Set the entire face with a translucent setting powder, concentrating most of the powder in the T-zone. For those with dry or mature skin, use only a light dusting of setting powder.
Favorite foundation: CoverFX Natural Finish Foundation;
Favorite concealer: Tarte Shape Tape
STEP 2
Contour the forehead, cheeks, jawline, nose, and lips with a powder contour. Make sure the powder is matte and cool, toned. Using a large fluffy brush, place powder bronzer over the contoured cheeks, forehead, chin, and nose. Bronzer also makes for a beautifully effortless daytime or natural eyeshadow look, so sweep some across the lids and under the eyes as well. Add highlighter to the high points of the cheeks, then top with blush. Highlighter in the inner corners of the eyes awakens tired eyes.
Favorite contour: KVD Vegan Beauty
Favorite bronzer: Beautycounter Radiant All Over Bronzer
STEP 3
Fill in the ever-important eyebrows and complete the eye look. Brows look best and most natural when the tail is shaded in darker than the head. Creating a more dramatic brow arch gives the eyes an instant lift. Warm neutrals such as browns and golds are flattering eyeshadow choices for all eye colors and shapes.
Favorite brow pencil: NYX Microbrow Pencil
STEP 4
Add eyeliner, mascara, and false lashes to complete the eye look. Skip the falsies for a more natural look, but never forget to tightline! Tightlining is placing eyeliner on the waterline or rim of the eyes to define the eyes and create the illusion of a fuller lash line. Tightline only the upper waterline for a more natural look. NYX offers an affordable and waterproof option that stays all day.
Favorite mascara: CROP Natural Mascara
STEP 5
Finish the look with a flattering, long-wearing lipstick and makeup setting spray to lock everything in. Setting spray is essential in helping makeup last all day and also prevents foundation from separating or fading. Some, such as the Urban Decay De-Slick, helps prevent looking too shiny or greasy.
Favorite long-wearing lipstick: Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick
Facebook & Instagram: @makeupbydarcymm
Shawna Lucas
Shawna Lucas (formerly Kelsch) has lived and worked in Brevard county for the past 20 years, serving in a variety of jobs and community service roles. She’s a former food and news reporter for Florida today, and was owner/operator of a marketing company that assisted clients and partners such as the Florida Healthcare Coalition, Blue Cross & Blue Shield Foundation for Florida, The Brevard Health Alliance, and Florida Tech to identify and solve pressing community health issues. She has she has dual bachelors degrees in Journalism and Sociology from the University of Miami, and was an inaugural fellow at the Freedom Forum Diversity Institute at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN.
Darcy Maeda Manning
Darcy Maeda Manning is a 20-year public relations executive turned professional makeup artist who moonlights as a freelance writer. The Southern California native switched coasts in 2016 and now calls the Space Coast home. Not only does Darcy find tremendous joy in helping Brevard business executives, politicians, and philanthropists look and feel their best through her makeup application, but she also enjoys writing about these movers and shakers.
