GET THE LOOK | Natural Beauty
Thursday, July 30th, 2009
The “no make-up” look actually takes a little effort to achieve, but the results are simple and stunning. To get Kristine’s natural flawless finish, try the following tips:
1. Balance out the skin.
Great make-up always starts with a great base. When your skin is glowing, the rest of your make-up shines as well! Use a foundation to balance out the overall skin tone and a concealer to camouflage those areas that need a little more attention (i.e. undereye circles, blemishes – which in Kristine’s case – I didn’t have to worry about at all!)
2. For eyes, cheeks and lips, stick to pinks and neutral (close to skin tone) shades.
Pinks and neutrals are great shades for achieving the natural look. Pinks brighten the eye area, give a rosy glow to the cheeks and highlight naturally kissable lips. Neutral colours work well to subtly define the eye area and add contour without looking harsh.
ARTIST TIP: For professional photos, your make-up will stand out better if you get a little heavy-handed. In the photo above, I could have gone a couple of tones darker to really make things pop. Always try to get a sense of your photographer’s style and take note of the lighting being used, so you know how intense to do the make-up.
See more:
ENGAGED | Kristine & Gino
GET THE HOLIDAY LOOK | Red Lips
Friday, December 12th, 2008For the next few posts, we’ll be focusing on festive looks to get you dolled up for your holiday parties. So while you’re focusing on prepping for the parties you’ll be hosting and shopping for the people on your list, we’ve got your make-up tips covered here:
GET THE HOLIDAY LOOK | Red Lips
If you’re donning that little black dress for your holiday party, a pair of red lips is the perfect make-up match to complete the look. Red lips make a bold statement and can be an intimidating colour to buy (and wear!). But rest assured, there is a red out there for everyone!
How to apply:
Trace the desired shape of your lips with a matching red lipliner. Lipliner will help prevent lipstick from feathering into the fine lines around the mouth. Fill the lip in completely with lipliner to act as a base for the lipstick. Blot. For a sharp finish, use a lipbrush with your red lipstick and trace around the edges of the mouth. Then apply the lipstick directly to the mouth from the tube, swiping back and forth a couple of times on the top and bottom lip.
How to make it go the distance:
Once lipstick has been applied, blot with a one-ply tissue and reapply one more coat of lipstick. You can also take a large clean powder brush and while holding a tissue to cover your mouth, dust some translucent powder atop the mouth area using a brush. These methods will help stain the lips with some colour so if you end up caught under the mistletoe, you’ll still have some colour on the lips post-kiss!
Complete the look:
Keep the look balanced by going light on the eye make-up – a stroke of black liquid liner and neutral eyeshadow on the lids looks gorgeous with red lips. Red lips also have the tendency to make the face look washed out. Add blush/bronzer for colour and definition after applying lipstick, but use just a small amount so that the lips remain the strongest element of the make-up look.
Artist tips:
If red is still too bold, blot the colour slightly and apply a clear gloss atop to soften the look. If you’re not a lipstick kind of girl, there are plenty of red lip stains or cherry coloured glosses to help you achieve that festive red look!
To avoid the dreaded lipstick-on-the-teeth look, take your index finger, place it in your mouth and pull it straight out. This technique will help remove any excess lipstick and keep your pearly whites in check!
It’s best to first try on a red you plan on buying and looking at it outside of department store lighting. Use this as a guideline to narrow in on reds that will work best for you:
For pale skin tones, try a cool and bright cherry red. (Think Gwen Stefani, Christina Aguilera).
For medium yellow and olive skin tones, give a warm-toned fire-engine red a go.
For dark skin tones, try a berry colour or crimson red.
