This month, Billy answers readers' questions on how he creates his signature makeup looks, and offers tips on how to use his techniques for yourself or your own clients.		February 1, 2005 American Salon
	What kind of shadows do you use to get such depth in color—do you do them before concealer and foundation to keep the look so clean? And I love lining eyes, but I'm intimidated when it comes to building underneath the eye with such drama. How do you achieve this? —Wendy Fitos, via e-mail I like working with makeup that is richly saturated with color and easy to work with. For this reason I'm a big fan of MAC; it's makeup artists' makeup. Plus, you can put it in palettes of 15. For a smokey eye, I like to use several colors and do lots of blending, starting with the lighter and working toward the darker: for instance, a smokey gray to black. TIP: Line the eyes first. My favorite black liner is MAC Smolder. It's a super-emollient pencil, almost wet—not waxy and hard like some. Line the eyes, inside and out, then use a small brush to smudge the outside line and set with shadow. This gives the line depth and makes it long lasting. Don't just line the inner bottom rim, but the upper inner rim too. This thickens the upper lash line and makes the smokey effect richer and darker. Every makeup artist has his or her own preference, but I always do the foundation first, including the lids. This gives a good, smooth surface to work on; otherwise, makeup will just skid on the skin. Eyeshadow on naked skin is difficult to blend. TIP: To get that flawless look, I do the foundation first, then load a small brush with translucent powder and "pile" it under the eyes and on the cheekbones. As you work applying the smokey eye, any falling debris lands on the loose powder. When you are finished, simply dust the loose powder away along with any debris, and you'll have a flawless face. As for a very smokey look underneath the eye, keep in mind that not every face can handle it. For instance, if the client has small eyes, skip the pencil and use a small firm brush to apply a powder eyeshadow in gray, not black, under the bottom lashes for a smokey but less dramatic effect. TIP: To make eyes look bigger, line the inside rim with white or beige pencil. When I want to create a pure, pale look, I can get the complexion to look flawless, but the cheek color looks harsh. How can I get my blush to look as fabulous as what I see on TV—cheek color that looks like a natural glow of color from within? —Jeannett James, via e-mail The makeup you see on TV is always impeccably lit, so you have to take that into consideration and not be too hard on yourself. It's not always possible to achieve the look you want on everyone. It's much more important that the face and body—the neck, chest, shoulders—match. As for blush, of course makeup brands vary. With some of them, you can load your brush tons and nothing sticks—I call it "flyway" makeup. Again my preference is MAC; I find it easy to apply. As for color, my eye tends to gravitate toward the lighter shades, but the trick is in the application. It's easier to add color than take it away, so if you're hesitant, try starting with a lighter color and keep applying until you reach the desired effect before moving to a deeper color. TIP: For a dewy effect, try MAC Sheertone blush; it adds a gorgeous sheen.		For a smokey eye, Billy starts with lighter colors and works toward the darker ones, blending to achieve the desired look. (Photography: Anthony Parmelee)