makeup

Karita Brun is her own designer, makeup artist, model, and photographer. The self-taught artist proudly sports her geeky sensibilities by interpreting characters as diverse at the Hulk and Darth Vader through eye shadow and liner.

"Many comic/movie characters have easily recognizable color or patterns which are easy to transform to makeup," Brun tells Crave. "I just take some key features of a character and start working from there."

Brun has delved into the "Star Wars" universe for both R2-D2 and Darth Vader eyes. Darth presented a special challenge. "My first idea was to do the makeup in the shape of his mask, but as it turned out, it didn't work, it wasn't instantly recognizable," she says. That's when she hit on the idea of adding the lightsaber and cape. The Dark Side has never looked lovelier.… Read more

Whether you're dressing up for Halloween, putting on a play, or doing something else that involves creepy appearances, there are plenty of ways to achieve gruesome effects with common household items. Makeup FX is an e-book that details some techniques for simulating injuries and all kinds of other yucky stuff. It's definitely not a comprehensive guide, but it's not bad if you need some basic tips.

Makeup FX is really just a set of HTML files that can be viewed with any browser; it's like a Web site that's hosted on your own computer instead … Read more

MakeUp Pilot offers users a chance to improve photographic idiosyncrasies by applying digital makeup. The program is incredibly easy to use, but results vary.

We were impressed with this program's simple interface where users are immediately treated to a six-part tutorial showing how to use the makeup. Lasting only a few minutes, users will have a familiarity with various makeup applications and adjustment tools after the tutorial. For those who need more insight, a Help file is available. Applying makeup and improving picture quality was a mixed bag, with tools ranging from eyeliner, rouge, powder, lipstick, eye color, and … Read more

Technological advances in beauty products may one day render hands useless. But for now, women will at least have to hold a mascara brush to their eye, even if they don't have to do much after that.

First there was a battery-operated vibrating mascara that coats lashes and shakes at the same time. Now, with a makeup gadget named SpinLash, mascara has learned how to twirl.

Beauty retailer Akasha claims the product has a stabilizing trunk that controls brush movement, a pressure-sensitive brush that automatically stops when the user pushes too hard, and a control panel that reacts to … Read more

File this one under things a self-conscious teenage girl should probably never get her hands on. Utilizing the Nintendo DS camera, an upcoming game called Project Beauty aims at prettying up its player.

After scanning your face, the software uses a preset list of parameters to judge if your look is "cool," "active," "cute," or "feminine."

Luckily, unattractive didn't make the cut. But no matter which category your face ends up falling into, the game will tell you how to improve your visage with makeup--or as the picture on the right … Read more

Disclaimer: unless you're a makeup-wearing male (or a woman who loves both gadgets and makeup in equal measure), stop reading here.

It's seems like a guaranteed way to poke yourself in the eye, but that hasn't stopped Estee Lauder from introducing what is believed to be the first tube of vibrating mascara, according to beauty and fashion magazine Women's Wear Daily.

Estee Lauder claims there is "a relationship between vibration, length, volume, separation and curl." Stifle your laughter or raunchy jokes.

The battery-operated mascara brush will vibrate at 125 micropulses per second and has … Read more

HD DVD, just in case you didn't get the word, you're toast. The cosmetics industry says so, and would like to blow you a high-definition kiss goodbye. Mwah.

Well, sort of. Cargo Cosmetics has launched a new line called Blu_ray, designed for makeup artists who need to adapt to high-definition cameras. Design blog Notcot notes that it's marketed toward filming, photography, bridal makeup jobs, and other occurrences where high technology means that the camera really doesn't lie--those HD cameras can highlight any flaw.

In case you were wondering, it's able to skirt copyright regulations by … Read more