Fragrantly Beautiful

Stealing beauty

From News.com.au

July 02, 2006


Avoid make-up faux pas; take a few tips from the experts. By Helen Hawkes.

I don't know about you but if I was the beauty police, I'd be issuing tickets all over town. Minor infringements would include lipstick on the teeth, mascara blobs on lashes and foundation with a demarcation line. I'd save the really big guns for clown-like blush, eyebrows tweezed out of existence and overdrawn lipliner. Of course, I'm guilty of the occasional assault myself: failure to replace eye shadows or mascaras after oh, five seasons, fear of eyelash curlers and persistently choosing the wrong shade of lipstick. With a new make-up season ahead of us, it's time to'fess up and make amends. As make-up guru to the stars Napoleon Perdis says, it's never too late for anyone to learn to make the most of their beauty - day and night. We asked Perdis, Melbourne-based make-up artist for True Solutions International, Andrew Christie, and owner of Mecca Cosmetica, Jo Horgan, to give us a few guidelines on going straight, no matter whether it's for work or a date, as well as some pointers for the new season.

prime suspect
"Not to prime is a crime," says Perdis. Why? Because primer on the face, eyelids or lips, helps foundation, eyeshadow and lipstick glide on more smoothly and stay in place. Try Napoleon Auto Pilot Pre-Foundation Primer, $45, Nars Makeup Primer, $90, or Clarins Instant Light Perfecting Touch, $36. Horgan also suggests Prescriptives Flawless Skin, $79 (5).

concealing evidence
Concealing old products at the back of your vanity cabinet could be the reason you see women still wearing bright blue eye shadow from the 70s. "Every woman should throw out some make-up every season and replace it," says Perdis. "It's the same as updating your wardrobe. Don't hang onto old colours that won't enhance your new look."

base acts
Getting foundation right is essential, morning or night, but it's also tricky. Colour is where most women commit unlawful acts. Forget about trying a shade on your hand or wrist - try it on your face! Consider texture too. What you want from a foundation may vary between day and evening, so treat yourself to a couple of choices. Clinique Colour Tint, $52, is oil-free and contains flattering line-correcting pigments; Revlon Colorstay Makeup, $34.95, boasts super staying power so it won't rub or kiss off; Aveda's Inner Light Liquid Foundation, $49.95, is great for medium coverage; and Napoleon Minimal Makeup, $55 (4), provides good coverage but still looks natural. If you're planning on sleeping in your make-up, id bare Minerals SPF 15 Foundation, $65 (6), is the way to go. Composed of pure, crushed minerals, it won't irritate the skin.

eye witness
This season's eyes are intense. You'll find dark blues, lavenders, greys and even greens like Innoxa Line & Define Eye Colour in Blue and Olive, $10.95; Biguine Black Purple and Black Blue, $33; Napoleon Ultra Pearl in Amytheste, $24 (7), Clinique Colour Surge Eye Shadow Quad in Plum Seduction, $66. A little powder and liner creates just a hint of allure on the lids for daytime glamour; piled on, the look gives off serious night-time heat. "For intense colour, stay soft, then intensify slowly," says Christie. If you have small eyes, graduate the colour - darkest by the lash line and lightest at the brow bone. Fair lashes can be overpowered by intense colour on the lids, so always curl your lashes and pile on two coats of mascara.

swimming with the fishes
Still making a fish face when you apply blush? "You want to apply the product to the apples of your cheeks only and your aim is to make it look like you've had the best one-night stand ever or like you've just worked out at the gym," says Christie. This season, Horgan suggests Nars Guele De Nuit Cream Blush, $60 (8). "This peachy, brown shade provides just the right amount of 'flush' to cheeks." For a dramatic evening look, plum can be flattering on cheeks, but use a sheer version like Clinique Touch Blush in Plush Plum, $43.

clean slate
No matter what you put on, be professional about taking it off. Try Dr Le Winn's Derma-Wash Facial Cleanser, $32.95 (1), which dissolves excess oils and contains soothing aloe vera gel; alcohol-free Refining Toner, $32.95; and, to finish, Oil Free Day & Night Cream, $64.95, with multivitamins, antioxidants and herbal extracts.

smoke and mirrors
Smokey eyes are ideal for night-time glamour, says girl-about-town and cosmetics queen Tali Shine. "False eyelashes are also a fun way to add glamour." Apply two or three to the outside corner of the eyelashes. "Adding some pearly, luminous powder on cheeks and just under brows can also amp up your look."

highbrow defence
Eyebrows are important this season, so don't overpluck, underpluck or pluck in the wrong places. And if you don't know what any of this means, have a professional eyebrow shaping. Even then you may need to make up brows to fit the season's high-definition look. A brow powder, like Laura Mercier's, $45, will stick to fine down hair to give the illusion of three dimensions. A waxy liner will tend to melt or move, so avoid it. And don't go more than two shades darkerthan your natural brow. There is no defence for that painted-on eyebrows look, even at a late-night soiree.

crossing the line
Repeat after me: liner after lipstick, says Perdis, and never, ever, over the natural lip line. To make lips look bigger, go lighter with a soft gloss like Tali Lip Gloss in Portofino Princess, $19.95 (3), or id bareMinerals Sweet Pink Gloss, $39; or a light colour lipstick like Innoxa Pure Indulgence Lip Colour in Faithful, $14.95. To sizzle in reds try Chanel Rouge Hydrabase, $42, or Napoleon DeVine Goddess, $30; or pout in plums like Innoxa's Love That Lipstick in Velveteen, $14.95, and Clinique Stay The Day Lip Colour in True Bloom, $42. For those who failed lipstick for dummies, try Biguine's Soft Kiss Rouge A Levres, $35 (2), a high-shine liquid lipstick with its own tube-top applicator.

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posted by Cheryl Levesque @ 1:37 PM