Bright Red Lips

Last night Jacinda Barrett and I paid homage to old Hollywood allure at the premiere of Whiteout with a bright red lip color and I love how it turned out! Anyone can add instant glamour with a coat of red lipstick, as long as you keep everything else understated (I used a simple champagne powder on her lid, a nude blush and a few individual lashes). Jacinda is wearing Estee Lauder Double Wear Lipstick in Stay Scarlet. I feel confident sending my clients down the red carpet wearing it because it has 12-hour staying power and won’t fade. If you’re not comfortable wearing a true red, stop by a make-up counter and work with a specialist to decide if you need a blue-red (for cool undertones) or an orange-red (for warm undertones). Or next time you’re at your friend’s house, play with her reds… force yourself to get up the nerve to wear it out just once and I swear you’ll be hooked. Just promise me you won’t pair it with a smoky eye… 😉

All photos courtesy of WireImage and Estee Lauder.

Bronzed Copper Eyelids

If you want to play up your eyes, rich dark browns and coppers are a beautiful and modern alternative to the traditional gray smokey eye. A favorite for achieving this look is NARS Duo Eye Shadow in Cordura. Here on my client Shantel VanSanten, I applied a bronzed-copper “wash of color” on her entire eyelid by wetting my brush with Ben Nye LiquiSet before applying (for more intensity and lasting power) then let it dry. Next I applied the gold with a dry brush (for more blendability) along the crease for a “sunset” effect and back down over the brown. Finally I rimmed the waterline with Benefit BADgal pencil and added 2 coats of Mark Make It Big mascara in Raven.

Here is a picture of the make-up I did on Shantel for Nylon Magazine’s TV Issue Party on Monday night… she rocked oh-la-lashes and amazing over-the-knee slouchy suede Christian Louboutin boots! Not only does she star in One Tree Hill, but her new movie The Final Destination opens TODAY and I looooved her in it. And the busy actress has another film coming out this Fall, You and I, opposite Mischa Barton.

Photos coutesy of Complex Magazine, WireImage, NARS, Ben Nye, Benefit and Mark Cosmetics.

A Lesson in Contouring

Contouring is one of my favorite steps in applying make-up and always surprises me that for most women, it is often a skipped step. When you apply foundation to your entire face, you are creating a blank canvas, making it critical to go back and add the dimensions back in. Technically, contouring is about shadows and light; if you’ve ever taken an art class you’ll remember that you use darker shading to push an area inward and lighter shading to pull an area outward. This is great for creating the appearance that you have a stronger jawline, more defined cheek bones, a slimmer face and nose. For the red carpet or a photo shoot, I’ll take the time and use both cream-based cosmetics for contouring and then go over it with powder-based ones for extra intensity and longevity. But you can just use powder based ones if you were only to pick one or the other.

Cheekbones
Immediately after applying foundation all over the face and neck, look in the mirror and suck in your cheeks. This helps to see exactly where your cheek bones are. Then with your fingers, feel precisely where the bottom of them is. Depending on your age, your cheek bones might not have come in yet (mine didn’t arrive until I was 24!), or if you are holding on to a few extra pounds during a certain time of the month, they might be hiding. This is where contouring can become your best friend. Using a sponge (The Beauty Blender Egg) or blunt-shaped brush (Sonia Kushak Synthetic Flat Blusher Brush), apply a cream-based bronzer or foundation that is at least 3 shades darker than your own skin color exactly under your cheekbones, from the apples of your cheeks all the way to your ear. Blend lightly with your fingers but not too much to lose the drama. This will create more of a shadow that would appear if you had really strong cheekbones. Then apply a cream-based highlighter above your cheekbones to draw the light to the area. I love Hourglass Illume Bronzing Duo because the darker shade is a pretty universal color for light-to medium skin tones and the lighter shade is a beautiful highlight with a hint of shimmer. My favorite cream-based foundation right now is CoverGirl Simply Ageless because it offers great coverage without feeling like you’re wearing any make-up.

Jawline
To really give the effect of a strong jawline, you’ll want to create a shadow directly under your entire jaw. Using the same cream-based foundation or bronzer, sweep it from underneath your ear to your chin, then finish at your opposite ear. Then continue to “color in” your entire neck (and chest if your wearing a plunging neck line) with the remainder of the product left on the sponge/brush.

Nose
Not everyone has a perfect little button nose, and if you’re like me and a lot of my clients, you might want to contour your nose a little, though this is the least dramatic and most subtle of the illusions. With a sponge, small eye shadow brush or your finger, take the same cream-based foundation or bronzer and “shade in” each side of the bridge of your nose (starting at the inner corners of your eyebrows and ending at your nostrils) if you want a slimming effect, or the tip of your nose if you want it to appear shorter. Then take the cream-based highlighter and apply it directly on top of the entire bridge. It is crucial to really blend with your fingers so it can’t be detected.

Forehead
Strictly speaking for the law of dimensions, don’t forget when applying bronzing to sweep it across your hairline and temples, because you’ve thinned out all the areas from eyes down, it wouldn’t look right if your forehead was still a blank canvas. This is also great when creating a sun-kissed glow, because the top of your forehead is the first place the sun would hit if you were outside.

Finally, quickly repeat all the steps above with a powder-based bronzer and highlighter so it will last longer. I love NARS bronzer in Laguna if I want a little shimmer or Hourglass Superficial Waterproof Bronzer for a more matte look (both applied with NARS Ita Kabuki Brush) and my favorite highlighter right now is Mark Twinklebelle in Gold.

Here are a few more shots from my latest fashion story in the August 2009 issue of Malibu Magazine, shot by Tatijana Shoan.



Photos courtesy of Malibu Magazine and Tatijana Shoan.

The Drama of Pale Skin

There is nothing prettier to me than pale skin. Nothing. But this is a new view for me… My whole life I’ve been a bronzed beach girl and I’ve even learned to love my freckles, but after spending nine days on an international press tour with Cate Blanchett (unfortunately I didn’t get to work on her myself but loved working on her co-star Geoffrey Rush), I became obsessed with her milky white skin. It truly is the perfect canvas for make-up. Then I met my client Krysten Ritter this year and was blown away by hers! She can rock red lips, fuchsia lips, even nude lips with more contrast and drama than anyone I know. Such an amazingly gorgeous face to work on that I have to pinch myself everytime.

Here’s the make-up breakdown of Krysten’s look: First I prep her skin with Amala Hydrating Face Cream, my favorite line of skincare with all organic ingredients. I add a sweep of Hourglass Veil Fluid Make-up Foundation in No. 1 Ivory and conceal any dark circles or redness with Dior Hydrating Concealer in Light Golden. I contour her cheeks with a light bronze powder (Dior Matte Sunshine in Honey Matte) and add a nude cheek color to her apples (DiorBlush in A Touch of Blush). Then I define her eyes (but not overkill them) with a wash of pale grey shadow all over her eyelid (Mark Cosmetics i-Mark Custom Pick Eye Shadow in Minx), Illamasqua Eye Liner Cake in Mislead on both the top and bottom lashlines, two coats of mascara (CoverGirl Lash Blast Luxe in Black Platinum) and a few individual lashes on the upper outside corners. Lastly I play up her lips with a tinted lip balm (Elizabeth Arden 8-Hour Sheer Lip Tints in Berry, Blush, Honey or Plum, depending on our mood).

Here are some more snapshots of my work on Miss Ritter’s snow-white skin taken by Hama Sanders… I still love a California glow but am now secretly jealous of the pale few out there. (And never again will I leave the house without wearing my SPF 70, because a girl can dream!)

And three more shots by Eric Ray Davidson:

Different Hair Color Calls for Different Make-up

For fun, Lauren Conrad sported a brown wig for this month’s issue of Harper’s BAZAAR. They called in the darling Ken Paves for his wig expertise and me for her signature make-up look, with a little more intensity. So I deepened her bronzer and blush and added a little more definition to her eyes. To do this, I used the same shades that I normally use on her, but applied more coats with more product on the brush. If you’re in the mood to disguise yourself with a different hair color wig, make sure to snap a quick digital picture of yourself before you go out and you’ll easily see how you’ll need to change up your make-up. If you go darker, don’t forget to darken your eyebrow color with shadow or a pencil. Be careful with red lips because they might make you look too costume-y… but if you have dark hair and you’re sporting a blonde wig, you might need a little more color on your lips than you’re used to. Wigs are a great way to see yourself in another light and a good test before you dye your hair.

Here are the products that I used on Lauren, all by Mark Cosmetics :

Foundation: Face Xpert Flawless Touch in Natural
With: Foundation Brush
Concealer: Good Riddance Hookup in Light/Medium
With: Concealer Brush
Powder: Mattenificent Oil-Absorbing Powder in Natural/Buff
With: Powder Brush
Bronzer: Bronze Pro Bronzing Powder
With: Blush + Bronzer Brush
Blush: Good Glowing Mosaic Custom Blush in Hush Baby
With: Kabuki Brush
Browbone: Winkstick Hook up Eye Shadow Stick in Demure
Lid: Urban Neutral Flip For It Eye Color
Eyeliner: Get in Line Waterproof Liquid Liner Hook up in Painted Black
Bottom Lash Line: i-Mark Custom Eye Color in Corset
Mascara: Make It Big Lash Plumping Mascara in Raven
Individual Lashes: On top: Long (3), Medium (5) and Short (2) on each eye;
Lip Contour: mini Mark it stick for Lips in Peachy Pearl
Lip Gloss: Glow Baby Glow Luxe in Sun Luxe

Here are some more shots from our shoot, including one from the passenger van where I’m hiding behind a fedora and shades. 😉

All photos courtesy of Harper’s BAZAAR and Todd Cole. http://harpersbazaar.com http://toddcolephotography.com http://hairuwear.com http://meetmark.com

Make-up Sophistication

Here’s a beautiful fashion story for July’s Jezebel Magazine’s cover issue of 90210’s AnnaLynne McCord that I worked on a couple of months ago and have been DYING for it to come out!! Because the clothes were so luxurious and chic, I created a make-up look that was polished and sophisticated.

Here’s exactly what I did:

FACE:
I applied Giorgio Armani Designer Foundation in #7 then powdered all over with Giorgio Armani Loose Powder in #1.

I contoured under her cheekbones for extra drama with Mark Cosmetics Bronze Pro Bronzing Powder in Pro Glow, then dusted directly on her cheekbones with Mark Good Glowing Mosaic Blush in Sandy. Make sure to sweep both all the way up to your temples, into your hairline.

EYES:
I used a combination of the lighter gold shades in Dior’s Sunset Cafe 5-Colour Palette along her entire eyelid, blending up and into the crease.

I used Dolce & Gabbana Crayon Intense Eyeliner in Stromboli along the entire lower lash line, drawing the line thicker than expected, almost using it more as a shadow for drama instead of a liner for definition.

Followed with two coats of DiorShow Iconic Mascara in Nior, then I applied individual lashes along the upper lash line.

LIPS:
I wanted AnnaLynne’s gorgeous mouth to to be highlighted, but not compete with her eyes and the dresses, so I applied Dior Addict High Shine Lipstick in Champagne Blush, an elegantly sheer golden pink.

Here are some more shots from the story, shot by John Russo in his studio in Los Angeles. I am obsessed with the long white dress by Issa London!

All photos courtesy of John Russo, Jezebel Magazine, Dior Beauty, Mark Cosmetics, Dolce & Gabbana Make-up and Giorgio Armani Beauty.
www.johnrussophoto.com
www.jezebelmagazine.com
www.beauty.dior.com
www.meetmark.com
www.dolcegabbanamakeup.com
www.giorgioarmanibeauty.com

Crimson Lips

Lauren wanted a dark berry lip color at the MTV Movie Awards last night, inspired by the crimson roses in her Moschino dress. I used Mark Dew Drenched Lip Color in Juicy, the same color we used on the models from her first fashion show last year at LA Fashion Week. I’m so proud of her for being daring!

All photos courtesy of Wire Image and Mark Cosmetics. www.meetmark.com

Instant Californication

Soft and Touchable Lashes

I am a strong advocate that lashes should be soft and never stiff… you want your man to feel like he can pet them! Nothing makes me cringe more than when I see pretty make-up ruined with a starchy and stiff mascara job. Sorry to all the Great Lash lovers out there, but that one is the worst offender! A trick to avoid committing such a crime is to use a creamy formula mascara; Make It Big Lash Plumping Mascara by Mark Cosmetics (www.meetmark.com) is one of my all-time favorites because you can build volume without clumping. Then simply take a clean disposable wand and brush through your lashes. Start by placing the wand at the roots then drag and pull it through like a comb until you’ve reached the ends.

I used it on Lauren Conrad for MTV’s The Hills Season Five advertising campaign seen here.

All photos courtesy of MTV (www.hills.mtv.com) and Mark Cosmetics (www.meetmark.com).

Tinted Lip Balm

Tinted lip balms are a great alternative to lipstick and gloss. They add a hint of color and shine when you don’t want to look too “made-up.” My client Krysten Ritter, who is absolutely adorable in Confessions of A Shopaholic and just filmed the pilot for the Gossip Girl spin-off, is as obsessed as I am with Elizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour Cream Lip Protectant Stick Sheer Tint . Here are two red carpet shots where I used it on her in Berry for the I Love You Man premiere. And it has SPF 15 as an added bonus. It feels like heaven!

Photos courtesy of WireImage and Elizabeth Arden www.elizabetharden.com