Top Tips for a Natural Makeup Look

When it comes to makeup, most people want to look like themselves with a bit of “pop” - not as if they have on gobs of makeup. Sometimes you may want drama, but on most days, if you’re like most people, you probably want to look like natural. Here are some of my top tips for your bringing out the natural you.

Face

If your skin is normal-to-dry or dry: 

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer

Use a sheer moisturizing tint such as Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 to smooth without looking like you put anything on. I recently did makeup for someone who doesn’t like makeup. Because I didn’t want to scare her I used this product, assuring her that she would not look like a “painted lady".  And because she actually liked it, I gave her a tube so she can use it every day for moisturizing benefits, and, more importantly, sun protection. As I keep saying, never leave the house without sunscreen. If you don’t want to use a tint, still use something that has a sunscreen. I am currently moisturizing with LaPrairie Crème Biologie Marine Avancee Jour SPF 20 under my foundation - I always make sure my moisturizer and foundation have sunscreen in case I missed applying somewhere.

Clean and Clear

If your skin is oily:

For especially oily skin, try an oil-absorbing powder in place of a foundation. And carry oil-blotting papers with you so you don’t have to keep reapplying – if you continually reapply, the powder might start to cake up and not look natural at all. On shoots I’ve been using Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets – they are affordable and great for every day too. Just press them right where you need to blot excess oil. I use these on set to keep people from looking shiny on camera.

Bare Minerals Warm Radiance

Cheeks

For the natural look (as seen here on Melinda), I used a soft reddish bronzer. If you’ve read my other articles, I don’t mean to bore you by recommending the same things over again – but I do love the tried and true and will only share the things I really like. This is bareMinerals Warm Radiance – the shade is so versatile I use it on almost all skin tones. It’s a loose powder so you have to be careful or it can make a mess - dip the brush in lightly and then tap off excess before application. bareMinerals recommends dipping the brush into the top cap to avoid getting too much product on the brush. It’s a definitely good tip. If you really prefer a pressed powder, I like Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder. (People also love Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick Compact if you want some bronze sparkle.)

Eyes

For natural softness, use shades that blend into skin and hair tone. This is usually earthy shades, such as soft beiges, creams and browns (depending on your skin tone). Blend well.

Eye Shadow

• A soft beige eye shadow from lash to brow

• A soft rust shade in the outer corners (a rust accent complements Melinda’s hair color and pulls the makeup together.)

Clinique Naturally Glossy Mascara

Eye Liner

I lightly applied brown eyeliner on top lash line. To keep it subtle, always apply right on lash line, not outside or inside of it. Staying on the lash line just makes lashes look a bit fuller.

Lashes

Try brown or black/brown mascara on top lashes only. I am still a big fan of Clinique Naturally Glossy Mascara. It never clumps and always looks natural. I am also allergic to most mascaras but I can wear this one!

Brows

Clinique Brow Shaper is super-easy to use. The shades are subtle and it comes with a stiff brush that helps you shape without looking drawn on. Apply lightly and then step away from the mirror to make sure you’re using just enough product to lightly define brows.

Lips

For this shoot I used a sheer gloss with a tint. I like the non-sticky lightness of Clinique Almost Lipstick (one of their classic best-sellers and my favorite is a shade called Black Honey). I recommended it here as a Clinique Beauty Icon product.

The shades listed here work for most skin tones. If you have a deeper skin tone you can use the same shades, just with deeper pigment. For example, instead of brown use a black eye liner and mascara. In addition, use brands that have more pigment-rich colors in general, such as MAC, Stila or NARS. Viva au naturale!

MODEL IMAGE BY:

Photography, Chris Eckert

Model, Melinda Lennox

Hair, Kristan Serafino

Makeup, Robyn Tamura

Looking Like an Idol

So it’s down to the finale. Maybe by the time you read this it will be over but it’s not about the winner, is it? It’s about who’s in it. I watched American Idol last night (of course) and because there were only two women featured, I think I can do this (as opposed to my last American Idol post when there were too many people to keep track of). Jennifer Lopez

I am pretty sure Jennifer Lopez’s makeup artist was off for the night. This was not the same makeup artist. I don’t like to be hypercritical of other artists’ work because I know how hard it can be, how much lightning can affect makeup, how the person wearing it affects the makeup, how brutal HD can be, and so on. And when you’re famous, everyone is too often looking at you and criticizing you, which is awful. Plus I love Jennifer Lopez. But since her makeup is usually flawless I have to say that it just didn't meet its usual high standard.

JLo almost always wears concealer under and around her eye area that brightens and draws attention to her eyes. This time it was too much - either too light or too thick and you could see the line between where her concealer started and stopped. It looked like she had a two-toned mask on, her nose looked uneven and she was shiny. Of course she is still gorgeous, but I’m talking about the makeup and what we can learn from it.

Don’t

Unless you’re going for a specific look that requires it, don’t let makeup lines show on your face. That always says that you’re wearing makeup, not just looking glow-y and smooth. Make sure that everything is blended, blended, blended.

Do

If you are on camera – particularly if you have a tan or darker skin tone - wear powder. Even if your skin is not oily, the flash or bright lighting can make your skin look shiny.

Jessica Sanchez

Jessica Sanchez looked good, especially during the first song. Everything was just right – the dress was glamorous without looking too sexy for her age, the hair and makeup was soft and matched the dress. Throughout the season, Jessica’s makeup sometimes looked a little drag queeny. Part of it is that she already has naturally strong brows so when you add makeup it can quickly look like too much. But last night her eye shadow was soft with a touch of shimmer, she had lots of lashes, soft cheeks and lips with a little glossy light color. And the lips weren’t too defined so it looked good without being distracting.

However, by the 3^rd song Jessica had too much blush on. This is what I’m talking about – let me be clear that she does not/did not look like a drag queen - but you venture into drag queen territory when you wear too much makeup all over.

Don’t

Wear too much too much on all features. If you want to wear more makeup, concentrate on one feature, i.e., smoky eyes with lighter lips, dark lips with more nude eyes. This ensures you look sexy and glam without it being too much.

Do

Try out a pinky nude lip! For the first song she wore a pinky brown lipstick with a beige/nude gloss on top. Not everyone can wear a completely matte-nude shade like you see on models in a magazine – but most people look good with the shade Jessica wore.

Here’s how:

1. Find a pink-brown or pink lip pencil to line and fill in lips for a matte base (the color will stay on longer with a matte base).
2. Follow with a pinkish brown or brownish pink lipstick.
3. Apply a nude lip gloss on the inner part of lips (as opposed all on lips to the lip line) because the gloss will move out to the edges as you wear it.

And on a final note - of course, I do love my Phillip Philips, who always looks the same, which is boyishly gorgeous. He is kind of good-looking but if you really look at him it’s more of his expression, his eyes and that smile that make him good-looking. Which, after all, is the essence of beauty. After his first song I really thought he would lose. But when he pulled out that last song, I think he won. Only time will tell. And let’s see if JLo’s makeup artist is on the job tonight.

Top 6 Things to Do About Your Dry, Chapped Lips

6. Avoid Super Long Wear. If you wear lipstick, don’t use one of those longwearing lipsticks that has a lip stain on one end and a moisturizer on the other. At least, I’ve not found one that works. Even with the moisturizing stick, lips still feel dry shortly thereafter so you have to keep using the moisturizer on top of the stain all day long. And I don’t even think the color ends up being super long wearing anyway. Or else I’d be wearing them. 5. Find a Moisturizing Lipstick. I personally hate reapplying lipstick so I wear the driest, most matte lipsticks that don’t ever come off. This causes people to constantly comment on what a great color I have on but that my lips look really dry. Which, again, if I have to trade one thing for another I’m not going to wear a lipstick I have to reapply over and over. The alternative for me is not wearing lipstick. But you, like most people, probably don’t have this hang-up. So find something really creamy and soft like Lancome’s L'Absolu Rouge.

4. Moisturize Nightly. Since I wear dry lipstick during the day, I moisturize at night. I like to use either Burt’s Bees Nourishing Lip Balm with Mango Butter or Nivea Lip Care Essential. For some reason I discovered Nivea years ago in Dubai. It was in my hotel room or something and I had not had it before so I bought a whole bunch while I was there, only to realize we have it here. But since then I have loved many Nivea moisturizing products.

3. Exfoliate Lips. Use a gentle face scrub on your lips from time to time. I like Clinique 7-Day Scrub Cream because it has a cream base and small, perfectly round beads that are gentle and buff off dryness. Do not use a chemical/cream exfoliant on your lips unless a company says it’s OK - if it’s not specifically made for lips it can be irritating (or worse).

2. Use a Lip Balm with a Lip Pencil. If you can’t find a moisturizing lipstick that does it for you, use a moisturizing lip balm with a lip liner. First apply lip balm; then line and fill in lips so you can wear it all as your lip color. Apply the balm first or else the lip pencil will probably drag and pull on your dry lip skin.

1. Drink Lots of Water. Cure that dryness from the inside out. Eight 8oz. glasses daily are the recommended but I find that I do best with 12 (glasses a day). This makes my brother to warn me about hyponatremia (water intoxication that can be fatal) but I rarely achieve 12 glasses anyway. I know if I did my lips would be soft and supple every day – without ever having to use any lip balm.

Mwah!

Behind the Scenes: Emmelle Fall 2012

This is a photo shoot for Emmelle’s Fall 2012 collection. Designer Mi Jong Lee’s clothing is feminine and strong and I especially like her Asian inspired pieces. She is also a very nice person! To complement the styling, we started with a softer makeup look but then decided to make it more dramatic. Below is the look I started with (via iPhone pics below); the second is what you see here in the final images. For the final look I just applied deeper shades over the first. The model – Angelika – is quite fair so it didn’t take much to add drama.

Here’s what I used:

Skin. Foundation, concealers, powders should be invisible - used as sparingly as possible. Her skin was pretty even so I just used a concealer only where she needed it. But she wasn't going outside. For most people I recommend a sheer foundation with an SPF to make sure you get daily sun protection. My friend Mary swears by Jouer Illuminizing Moisture Tint. I once gave it to her and later found out how much she liked it when the product ran out and she called me, very concerned that didn't know where to get another one (I’ve only seen it in Bendels NYC and she lives in California . . . but to her relief she found it online). I've given Mary many products over the years and she is very discriminating so I am confident in passing on her recommendation.

Cheeks. I like powder blush because it’s easy to blend and if I need to adjust application, it’s also easier to blend off. In general, a good rule is to start with less - it’s always easier to add than subtract! Here I used Clinique Blushing Blush Powder Blush in Precious Posy. It’s one of my favorite shades because it’s soft and warm. And it’s kind of a happy color.

Eyes. For eye shadow, I used one of my favorite palettes from Prescriptives, which unfortunately is no longer a brand so you can’t buy it anymore. A similar shade combination of what I used is Clinique Eyeshadow Duo in Like Mink. It has a pale shimmery cream and a dark shimmery brown. I used the light shade all over lid and the darker shade from lash to crease. For more drama, I applied a MAC Eye Shadow in Carbon and smudged it on the lid and around the top and bottom lashlines. Then I added layers of Clinique High Impact Mascara.

Lips. I kept lips soft because the eyes were so strong. I have a Bobbi Brown lip palette that has something like 20 or 30 shades so I never remember the names, but I used a peachy gloss with a Clinique Lip Liner called Honeystick (Can you tell I've worked a billion years with Clinique? I first worked with Clinique in 1990, so I have a pretty good idea of what their products do and do not do. So, yes, listen to me. I know!).

Anyway, as usual we had fun! I especially like how bride of frankenstein beautiful Angelika looks here:

Photography by  Seiji Fujimori, Styling by David Yassky, Hair by Kristan Serafino, Makeup by me.

I'm Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas Makeup Tips

In case you’re here to find makeup tips for a Holiday Look, let’s talk about that. It makes sense that most holiday looks always involve some kind of sparkle. So what kind of sparkle should you use? Anybody who knows me knows I’m not much for rules. Just do what you like and what works for you. But here are some ideas and tips: If your dress is especially sparkly, balance your look with a softer eye.

Matte. Try a matte eye shadow. Use a lighter shade for a brighter eye look or a smokier shade for more drama. Try a lash to brow lighter shade for daytime; a dark brown or black smudged shadow around the eye (like an eyeliner). With either, apply eyeliner on the top lash line and lots and lots of mascara.

Soft. Use a lipstick that’s close to your natural lip color. That way you still get some color that doesn’t compete with your dress. Or, if you’d prefer to compete with your dress, go for bright red lips. Your choice!

If you want your makeup, not clothing, to show your festive side, sparkle it up!

Shimmer. Find a lighter, shimmer-y eye shadow shade and apply from lash to brow and a darker shade in the crease. Then use a light silver or gold shade or eye pencil to brighten the inner and outer corners of eyes. And, again, apply liner on the upper lash line and lots and lots of mascara!

Sheer. For lips, use a sheer gloss for a touch of shine. If you want more color with your gloss, line and fill lips in with a lip liner and then apply gloss on top.

If it’s a nighttime cocktail party, the lights are usually softer and you’re probably going to get your picture taken at some point.

Especially now that everyone has cell phone cameras, the likelihood of having your picture taken is about 100%. Consider:

Soft Lighting. Under softer lights, you can wear deeper, darker shades without looking too made up. If you like to wear more makeup, this is the time. You won’t look overdone (unless you really do overdo it…which of course you won’t do).

Photography. Make sure everything is softly blended because the flash of light magnifies where and how you apply your makeup. If it’s blended, your features look emphasized; if it’s not, you can look garish, even if you don’t look that way under regular lights.

So go be festive. Look amazing. But most of all, have fun!

Smoothing Your Foundation

If you feel like foundation either makes your skin look worse or just doesn't look as good as it used to, here are some tips!Start with Skin Care. Exfoliate and moisturize before using foundation and/or powder. After cleansing and before moisturizing, try Origins' Modern Friction. You’d think I’d learn, but every time I use it I’m surprised how soft my skin feels.

Clinique 7-Day Scrub Cream - MakingupBeauty.com

If you have sensitive skin, use Clinique 7-Day Scrub Cream. You might mistake its creaminess for greasiness, but it’s the cream-base that helps make it gentle. And once you feel your skin afterward, you’ll never think “greasy” again. It’s called “7-Day” because it’s gentle enough to use every single day.

Use the Right Formula. Make sure the foundation you choose is right for your skin. If you’re oily, it should be made for oily skin, dry for dry, etc. The right foundation can help balance your skin, make it more comfortable and smooth.

Apply Where Needed. Don’t slather foundation all over your face—apply selectively. Look for areas you want to tone down redness or even out skin. Use your fingertips or a brush to dot onto those areas and then blend out so foundation fades away.

I'm a big believer in exfoliation for lots of reasons - it smoothes and brightens, helps clear pores, helps moisturizer penetrate the skin more easily and makeup wear so much better!

Moisturizing Into Fall

Summer is disappearing (or has disappeared, depending on where you live) into the cool crispness of fall. And as the weather changes, your skin does too! Some fall skin tips: Moisturize to the Season. Skin gets drier as the weather cools, so you may need additional moisture. If you’re oily and worried a heavier cream will break you out, use an oil-free hydrator, such as Clinique Moisture Surge under your regular moisturizer. Likewise, if your skin is normal or dry, look for one made for drier skin. Most moisturizers are specified by skin type.

Adjust Your Foundation. If you wear foundation, it’s time check if it’s the right formula. Like a moisturizer, your foundation needs to fit your current skin condition. If you're using the wrong formula, it won't wear well. And who wants bad foundation? Nobody.

Drink, drink, drink. Water hydrates so skin plump and more comfortable. So if your skin is dry, drink up! (I also feel out of sorts when dehydrated so it keeps me from being grumpy too). Because it's good for you in so many ways, I am a little obsessed about drinking water...but that's a story for another day.