I’ve recently realised that I had stacks of photos from a beauty shoot I did ages ago. The good thing is that during that time I learned a thing or two about how to apply make up effortlessly as well as a few tricks of the trade.
Contrary to common quotation: I certainly DO hope you try this at home. Numerously.
I now leave you with three looks that you can take inspiration from.
Foreword:
If you want a flawless complexion – or how I refer to it, a perfect canvas to paint on – you may want to start from your skin routine. A great way to do so is apply a mud mask and relax a few minutes before washing your face. What works especially well for me is a simple mud mask, for instance Montagne Jeunesse Chocolate Face Masque, which costs almost nothing at your nearest drug store. After the mask, you might want to add a bit of serum to your face – I use Thalgo’s Bio-Repair which leaves skin hydrated and rebalanced. Afterwards, it’s a good idea to apply a moisturiser which would not leave your skin oily, I recommend Clinique’s Anti-Blemish Solutions Clearing Moisturizer. Don’t be alarmed by the name – it will simply moisturise your skin without a hint of that oily effect that some moisturisers tend to leave – especially visible on pictures. Eww.
Lashes Galore
This is a fairly easy look to achieve. But as simple it may sound, one false move might make you look like a trannie, especially if you apply fake lashes.
When buying false lashes, go for the ones which look more natural, as these are the ones which will create the illusion of naturally never-ending lashes. If you opt for the exaggerated ones, they will be fun – but will be quite obvious that they are not real – which sometimes might the the look you are looking for.
Nevertheless, having applied foundation (in this case, the make up artist applied Bobbi Brown‘s Natural Finish) and a hint of pink blusher just above the cheek bones, we can start with the eyes. The eye brows can be angled slightly with a pencil and primer added to the eyelids (keeps make up in place for longer). Afterwards, if you decide to go for the fake eyelashes – this is the time to apply these. Simply put glue finely on the lashline of the faux lashes and place these solidly as close as possible to your own lashline. Remember, more often than not, the faux lashes will be longer than your lashline, so just cut off the excess with scissors – less is more. Having placed them, you can draw a line with a liquid eye liner. If you don’t have a steady hand – draw with a kohl pencil first and overdraw with the liquid liner for longevity.
The layer above the black kohl should be done with a light eye-shadow, think neutrals: white, pink, a slightly lighter than your complexion nude. The upper layer should go just under your brow bone half way in a darker shade, browns or dark greys go perfectly well with this look, although in my case the make up artist used purple and it blended in really nicely.
Apply the mascara last. You might want to apply it to both the upper and lower lashes (as my make up artist did) but looking back, I’d rather it were only the upper lashes that were dramatic. If the eyes are geared with make up, the key is to remember that the lips should be kept simple or natural.
Smokey Eyes
Probably one of the most favourite looks of us all today is the ye olde smokey eye. Take all the steps I described previously in terms of skin care, eye brows, cheeks and lips. The key to this look is a kohl pencil that can smudge easily. Try Estee Lauder’s Eye Defining Pencil in Softsmudge Black 01. After applying the primer, draw a thick black line as close as possible to your lashline and start smudging it upwards in the opposite direction of your nose to create a smokey cat-eye effect. Smudge the bottom eyelid as subtly as possible. When you have finished the smudge-fest, take two eye shadows – a dark grey and light grey. Apply the dark grey on top of the smudged black and the light grey on the eye lid area which is closest to the nose, creating a degrade effect. In this case, my make up artist used MAC eye shadows and mascara. You can customise this look using other colours – brown, deep purple or a mix of shades which naturally degrades, for instance red-brown-black.
The Glitterati
While the previous look could be manipulated into a degrade smokey eye – which means the smokiness has 3 shades: light (the light grey eye shadow), darker (the deep grey) and darkest (the black kohl smudge), this look is dependant on a single glittery shade.
In my case, the make up artist chose an emerald green eye glitter (yes, the ones you too have used in the 90s) by Barry M. This is a very festive look, so New Year’s Eve or clubbing nights are going to be events which allow your make up to quite literally shine.
As per usual, make sure you use primer first and this time apply nude eye shadow all over the eyelid to prepare it for the shimmering. Apply the glitter all over the eyelid in a thick layer. Don’t forget to add a fine layer of glitter to the lower eyelid as well. As this is a very dramatic look, you can use theatrical mascara with a volumising effect. As I mentioned before, YSL’s Volume Effect Faux Cils is the one I usually go for.
Final words:
You might have noticed that I was referring to always using a primer. The perfect primer which really works wonders for me is Chanel Le Blanc. It makes skin look naturally healthy and lets make up stay on for longer. I also found that Guerlain made one of the best eye brow pencils, I sincerely recommend them.
Shoot away any questions regarding products, techniques or just general queries.
Have a fabulous New Year’s Eve.
PRET-A-REPORTER 