By Helen Hawkes
it’s always the eyes that get special attention from makeup artists.
“The 60s looks is currently a huge trend on runways and red carpet in the United States and Europe and is all about well defined eyes made dramatic with liquid liner, feathery boudoir lashes and matt porcelain skin,” says Rebecca Prior, National Creative Services Manager for Napoleon.
Applying your eye makeup before you do your base will avoid any fall out, she says.
Start with a neutral eyeshadow base to make the makeup last.
To create a smokey eyes, apply a dark shadow like Inika mineral eyeshadow in Gunmetal (shimmering charcoal grey) or Thunder (matt black), $24.95, over the eyelid and blend, blend, blend, once you reach the eye socket.
If you have blue or green eyes, consider other shades like chocolate or burgundy, such as Lauria Mercier Eyecolour Matte in Coffee Ground or Truffle, $42 which will not overpower your eyes.
For a hot date, smudge a brown eye pencil or gel liner close to the lash line and finish off eye makeup by using a dark eyeliner on the inner corner of the upper lash line, says Prior.
“This gives the eye a crisp finish and elongates the eye at the same time. “For more understated glamour, use a soft feathering of brown eyeliner on the outer corners of the top lash line and a sweep of apricot of terracotta eye shadow through the eye socket,” she says.
“Use a white eyeliner on the inner rim of the eye to give a clean, bright, open finish.”
Two coats, not one, of mascara will finish the look – curl lashes first to really open up the eye. Kevyn Aucoin’s Eyelash Curler, $48, has been voted best by beauty editors worldwide.
For extra oomph, especially for a sexy evening look, why not experiment with false lashes?
“Cut the length of the strip lash in half and work it onto the outer edge of the lash line for a seamless finish every time,” says Prior.
Or you can just put one or two lashes at the corner of the upper lash.
“False lashes can look amazing – they add definition and sex appeal.”
Napoleon Lash Patrol Strip Lashes cost $12.
Dewy is nice for daytime but a matte base will help you achieve a look that is classic glamour, says Prior.
Try these three steps to create a flawless finish.
Step 1: Apply primer. It provides a barrier between skincare and makeup, says Tayaba Jafri, International Makeup Artist for Laura Mercier. “Like cement between bricks, if fills in all the ridges on the skin to create the smoothest surface on the face for foundation.” We like Napoleon Auto Pilot Pre-Foundation Primer, $45, or Skeyndor Instant Beauty Gel Makeup Base, $78, to absorb shine and smoothes out lines.
Step 2: Use a makeup brush to apply foundation sparingly and only to the areas where the skintone is uneven. “Keep foundation on the forehead to a minimum as this can show signs of the times,” says Prior. Use a moisturising formula if you want to maintain a soft glow but still get good coverage; a cream foundation if you have dry or mature skin; and a pressed foundation powder if your skin is oily. Cheat Mother Nature with Shiseido Lifting Foundation, $69, that covers fine wrinkles, large pores and blemishes; or By Terry Light Expert, $110, a perfecting foundation in click-pen form.
Step 3: Always set the base with a light dusting of powder so that you makeup stays put, unless you want to achieve a very dewy look. Laura Mercier’s True translucent powder, $60, is 100 per cent pigment free.
For all those anti-glamour factors – undereye discolouration, age spots, pimples –trust concealer.
“Choose a concealer that matches your foundation exactly, or is one to two shades lighter,” says Jafri. “A concealer with a yellow undertone is best, even more so for covering the brown of age spots, the purple of undereye circles, or any red in the complexion.”
The secret to concealing everything that you do not want to see is applying concealer just to the discoloured skin only – learning to colour within the lines.
While most blemishes should be concealed post-foundation, under-eye darkness is the exception.
A bronzer or blusher or a luminizer cream can be used sparingly to emphasise your best features.
“For bronzer or blush, start lightly from your hairline hitting your cheek bone and go in the direction of the corner of your nose,” says Baron.
“Use a small blush brush so you have more control but you can amp it up at nighttime.”
For glamour that goes anywhere, swap blush for a luminiser cream or powder.
“You can also add some sheen and shimmer to the inner corner of your eye and just under your brow bone but no white frost, that’s too Kath and Kim. “
Lip colour is a personal thing. You need to think about your skin and eye colour, what clothes you wear and what is maintainable, advises Baron.
“If you know you rub your face and lick your lips, no matter how great a strong lip colour is on you, if it’s going to be all over your face in five minutes don’t go there!” she says.
A good way to choose a sexy colour is to look at a celebrity who has similar colouring and style to you and see what colours they wear, advises Baron.
Remember always play up your eyes or your lips, not both. A coat of mascara is all you need to match a glamorous lip.
If you have small lips, try this trick: use concealer or white pencil around the outer edge of the lip line and blend well before applying your lipstick or gloss to make your lips appear bigger. Or to make lips “pop”, add a highlight to the top of the cupids bow and the centre of the bottom lip.
If you want to go the extra distance for a lip that says star power, the new Restylane LIPP is designed specifically for lip “volumising”, feels soft and moves naturally, says cosmetic physician Dr Frank Vella.
Super straight hair looks unquestionably glamorous. You’ll need a straightening iron and you should work in sections, pulling the iron down at 45 degrees out from the head, says Jon Pulitano, director of headcase hair, Sydney.
For evening, try a diamante hair clip, suggests celebrity stylist Joh Bailey.
Or, add a long-lasting flower to your style.
For those with short hair, use a little more product to tousle it for a sexier evening look. Coloured highlights can also add glamour day and night.
Wish you had more hair to do something with? Consider extensions.
Award-winning NSW hairdresser Judy Dowd has been taking clients from short to long for more than a decade and says good technique is the secret of a natural look.
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There is nothing glamorous about a scaly elbow in a little black dress or a rough heel poking out of a pair of killer heels. Exfolaliate daily. You can make your own body-scrubbing mixture, with olive oil and sea salt as well as a drop or two of an essential oil like lavender or ylang ylang, or try a salon product like Endota Mimosa & Ginseng Body Polish, $42. And use your foot file as soon as you get out of the shower.
Once your feet are in shape, add a glamour polish, says Australia’s leading manicurist Christina Fitzgerald.
Her favourite colours: Choopi (platinum), Geronimo (deep shimmering purple) and Sarah O (raspberry red), all $22. Or go classic with China Glaze Anniversary X collection in Red Pearl, $12.95.
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