The Fresh

Fashion week. Haute couture. Full of looks that are completely beyond anything any normal person would care to pull off. The truth is, however, that these high fashion looks set the trend for the commercial realm and we all land up following suite in watered down forms, regardless of how we feel about the initial show. Keeping up with the times is thus quite necessary, however fickle it may seem.

New make-up trends were showcased recently, and it seems that the powers that be have decided that barely-there fresh faced make-up is the new on-point.
We have seen glowing natural skin, often with no foundation at all. (Seen at Marc Jacobs- strange choice as they have their own makeup range to promote). Freckles- which are one of my favourite beauty features- also showed face. Eyeshadows were in fleshy tones like neutural browns and pinks, creating natural shadows more than being very present.

Michael Kors

Marc Jacobs

I suppose it was to be expected. There has been season after season of bright, bold trends. Glitter masks, berry lips, purple eyes, thick blackened brows. Fashion always moves to the complete opposite of whatever has been on trend in order to make a a strong impact.

Fresh faced looks can make those of us with less than perfect skin want to cringe. Don't be fooled though. No make-up makeup can take just as much work as a full face with perfectly painted brows. How does one look glamorous and follow trend?

- Make sure you have your skincare routine down to an art.  Cleanse. Tone. Moisturize. Mask. Facial.. whatever it takes.
- Invest in a sheer tinted moisturizer that will let those freckles show through while evening out your skin tone. Try a BB or CC cream.

- If you want the coverage use a moisture-rich foundation and forego the setting powder,

- or conceal only in necessary areas in a concealer shade matching your exact skintone, blend out slightly and then use a tinted moisturizer over that.
- Avoid powder as this will dull the glow.
- Use a cream blusher

- Curl your eyelashes for extra impact without the mascara layers.

- Find a sheer tinted lip gloss or lip balm in a light peach, brown, pink or berry shade.

- Avoid the eye and lip liner.
- Comb your eyebrows into a neat shape.
- Don't fill them in, or use a light dusting of powder in the same shade as your natural hair.
- Invest in an illuminating cream. Focus placing this on the same areas you would place your highlighter in a contouring situation. (See my previous blog post).

MAC Strobe Liquid Lotion

Smashbox

Glow by Dr Brandt, Ruby Crystal

MAC Strobe Cream

- Remember to use SPF. Many foundations have SPF in them, and you may not be in the routine of sunscreen application.

I can't fathom a world with no make-up, but here are my easy to achieve, wearable versions of these looks.

Fresh Pinks

Fresh Earths

xoxo B xoxo

Contouring the Masses.

Contouring. The play on light. You can make your face look thinner, nose look narrower, chin look more shapely. Its magic really. Made famous by celebs like Kim Kardashian, we all want to know the secret. The tutorials are all over instagram and pinterest, but it seems so time consuming! It is.

The truth is that real make-up artists (I mean the kind that make a living out of putting make-up on people's faces other than their own) can, but rarely do contour to the extent that these online artists do. Some clients need or want it and I have covered the techniques in my workshops but honestly, its not necessary. 

We artists generally use these techniques for what's known in the industry as "corrective make-up". Someone has a seriously wide face, manly features, skew nose or a receded chin then sure, it's used. Not for every day or even photographic make-up looks is it used to the nth degree- as shown on the artist youtube videos. So please ladies, don't sweat over trying to master the art. Its a fad and the chances are your face is perfectly fine the way it is.

If, however, you want to try the technique in a quick and plausible way, here is a quick cheat-it method.

Golden Rule : Remember that dark recedes the area visually and light brings the area forward. 

1.Dust a matt/ shimmer-free bronzer along the hollows of your cheeks, temples and sides of your nose. I run this shade along the hairline on the forehead too if this is a large area.

 Add some to your cleavage if you want weapons of mass distraction.

2.Dust a highlight coloured shimmer with a different brush on your upper cheekbones toward the temple, bridge of your nose and lips including your cupid's bow. Also add some to the brow bone (under the eyebrows) and inner eye corners ONLY if your eyes aren't far apart! 

I don't bother with the chin unless it's recessed as most people actually feel their chins are too prominent already.

Add some highlight to your collar bones.

Make sure it's light and well blended all over!

Done!

If you struggle with finding the right shades, try for something in a couple of shades darker than your own skin tone- not too orange -and a highlighter that's not too white.

Practice, practice practice!

xoxo B xoxo

The Professional Look

The common eyeshadow palette. Some of the colours may seem pointless if you don't know what they are used for. Medium shades can be fantastic blending tools. This is a wonderful illustration on how to use the various shades found in most pharmacy brand eyeshadows.

1. The Highlighter : lashes to lid

2. The Medium-Dark : blend over the outer half of lid, lashes to crease.

3. Dark : apply in a C/V-shape on outside of the eyelid, keeping to natural crease lines and blending harsh lines.

4. Light-Medium: blend into the entire crease.

Finish off with liner and mascara! Intensify by using a darker dark and a lighter highlighter.

xoxo B xoxo

At the Very Least

People often ask if I get tired of putting on a full face of make-up everyday. One of my favourite icons, Coco Chanel, put my thoughts on the matter into perfect words.

One never knows what exciting events might unfold while on a trip to the local grocer. Best we prepare. With a simple wave of a mascara wand, a little blush and some gloss, the 2 minutes you take to primp could turn out to be the best decision of your day!

Here's how to apply a really simple quick look:

1. Apply a tinted moisturizer to your face and blend into the neck. This will lightly even out the skin tone while maintaining a fresh look and keeping skin hydrated. Choose one with an SPF to  save time and expense. We all are using SPF every morning anyway, right? Lie to me. 

Or you could try the latest trend , the BB cream.
Most cosmetic houses have brought out their own version. I have tried ones from Garnier (very well priced here in SA) , The Body Shop, and I tried the Maybelline Bright Benefit BB in India.
These are great for light quick coverage if one needs to pop out with minimal effort. I find this also works well as a sheer tint on my aged clients that cant wear heavy make-up.  

Unfortunately I find BB cream can transfer or go a bit patchy if used for a long day, especially on oily skin. Another quick option is a brush over with a mineral powder foundation. I love MAC Studio Fix. Use a concealer if you need extra coverage. 

2. Next apply a quick coat of mascara (or two coats if you have time). My latest discovery is a fantastic formula by L'Oreal. Its called Volume Million Lashes. Many people have asked if my lashes are false while wearing it.

3. A sweep over the apples of your cheeks with some blusher will add some vibrancy and glow. Know your best colour ( I'll post on this at a later stage) and  invest in a decent brush to avoid clown circles or streaks. Something like these will do the trick.

4. Apply a colour gloss or lip stain to your lips. The brighter the colour the more impact. Remember we want maximum effect from minimal input. Don't be afraid of colour! Lips are the easiest place to experiment with brights safely.

Here I am with Maybelline Clear Glow BB 01 Nude, Volume Million Lashes in Black, MAC Powder Blush in Buff and Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain #030 Smitten Eprise. 

XOXO B XOXO