Saturday, January 19, 2013

Barely-there-makeup... how to achieve this sneaky beauty look

This week while trawling through my favourite online blogs, image servers, beauty how-to’s and just magazines in general, I noticed I was gravitating to one makeup look in particular, the no-makeup look.

Before you start to question how far I can flesh out a beauty post on a look that, well, to be honest seems non-existent,  believe me, it does. It’s just of the more cunning kind.

The first time I was captivated by such a look, I saw it on none other than Drew Barrymore, and to be honest, I didn't even recognise her. I was drawn in by a mysterious lady who had fresh skin, scooped up hair and innocent looking eyes, then it hit me that it was Drew and that she should opt for this look more often. It really did take ten years off her face.

Exhibit A:


The next look was Leighton Meester. To me this is the look men have in the back of their minds when they suddenly proclaim that they 'like girls with no makeup on best'. You know those polls we read of, in magazine titles like Cleo and Cosmopolitan, the ones that make us scratch out heads thinking “I certainly don’t think any man would vote my just got out of bed with puffy-eyes and patchy skin the sexiest.” You see - it’s celebs like Leighton who pull off this look so well that make men, who believe that she isn't wearing any makeup, when  in fact she is, think this is the natural we all should try achieve.

Exhibit B:

And to fully concrete a look that I knew was on the up, I saw this totally ethereal image shot by photographer Harper Smith. The model here pouts with just bitten lips ... and not much else (to the naked eye).

Exhibit C:


The truth is, apart from some good genes (we’re talking a nice eyebrow shape and reasonably good skin) these lasses would look nowhere near as good as the images I have burdened you with, without the use of  some trusty beauty products that I shall acquaint you with now. So starting with the base first and building up to the peepers here’s the what and how:

Skin:

You need to prime your skin still with a mattifying primer. Why? Because this way any oily residue, that pushes up and out of your pores during the day, will be blocked leaving you with the silky finish you see above. I like the Estée Lauder Matte Perfecting Primer. It’s a light diffusing, velvety finish primer that refines, mattifies and instantly creates the look of even skin tone.

Wear a fluid foundation. Anything that is too powdery will give off a look far too polished and well, makeupy? We’re after dewy naturalness. Opt for Lancôme Teint Idole Silky Mat that gives eighteen hours of coverage that feels lightweight and looks shine-free. The foundation leaves skin looking fresh and flawless, and contains Lancôme’s Colour Keeper Refining Complex to minimise the appearance of pores and imperfections. Apply with clean fingertips. I say this because your hands will warm the product as you apply meaning a more natural seamless result at the end.

 Now take a light illuminating bronzer. Carefully swirl a large bristle makeup brush in the compact, tap off any excess powder, we don’t want this cakey, and lightly sweep on the hair line, ridge of the nose, contour under the cheeks and add the slightest amount on the chin. For this particular look I love Aveda’s Inner Light Loose Mineral Powder.


Take YSL touch éclat, draw onto the highest plan of the cheeks, the temples, the forehead and the cupids bow (area just above the top of your lips), and blend with a clean finger. An insider secret to many a makeup artist!

Lips:

So you want your lips to look like you have been anxiously awaiting a phone call from your lover, you’re sitting with baited breath, biting down on your lower lip with your teeth. This look, it’s the one of love.  Achieve by taking Benefits Posie Tint. Blot onto your lips, leave for ten seconds, take a soft Chux (I say this because I find tissue paper very drying on the lips and can ruin the finish result). Now apply a clean balm and dab a little on the centre of the upper and lower lip to create a soft, full, yet natural effect.


Eyebrows:

Take your spoolie and brush eyebrows up and then out to the furthest corner; this is your most natural shape. Take a very light brown shadow and fill in your arches with a tiny amount of pigment just to give shape and also define. Take a clear setting gel like M.A.C Brow Set and comb over the entire brow.

Eyes:

Eyes are the most uncomplicated part of this process. You may have noticed creating a flawless bass is where all the makeup artistry is at.

Take a nude eye shadow. This is the pigment in your makeup palette that you may have questioned in the past for its actual validity. It looks so nude and fleshy that its almost invisible on the skin. Sweep over the eyelids entirety and blend. This will create enough shadow, but not look like your wearing anything at all. Benefit’s World Famous Neutrals Kit’s have just launched, so be sure to check them out. They make nude toned eyes a cinch.

Take brown mascara and carefully sweep over your upper eyelashes starting at the very base, concentrating most of the formula here. This will help give lift and build depth to your eyes. Once you have built up volume at the base of the lashs, carefully sweep the tiniest amount up the whole strand making sure to separate each lash and not to create any clumps. ErePerez All-Day Sunflower Oil Mascara is brown and enriched with organic sunflower oil, which gently nourishes and cares for lashes without smudging or flaking.


That’s it beauties. Give this look a try and tell me how it's received amongst friends, family and love-interests. I'm sure all will love it; they may even ask what you have done differently.

SS x

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