February | 2014 | makeovertoday.co.uk

February 2014 archive

27
Feb
2014

Nude lips and why you shouldn’t use them.

categories: Blog, Makeup Tips and Advice

Stop wearing a nude lip, it doesn’t become you. And I am going to tell you why!

I know all things go in and out of fashion. But the nude lip thing that has been around since Mario Dedivanovic started using it on Kim Kardashian for a photoshoot, is one that many pale skin and medium toned skin women should avoid like the plague. They should wish it would disappear from magazines forthwith.

Try using your own lip tone

Please remember this, unless you are a woman of colour with rich olive tones to your skin (and a makeup artist like Mario) a nude lip is going to wipe you out colour wise. It’s going to drain colour from your face and make you look ill.

It may look good and funky on an editorial spread on a red headed freckled faced girl when the art director is trying to call attention to something ( like the motorbike she maybe draped over) but it really is no good for most women and they really, really should stop wearing a nude lip and they should really, really should chuck out those nude lip tones from their makeup bags.

Olive skin tone women, who had had their face dramatically highlighted and contoured by a make up artist can wear a nude lip and it looks great, because the nude lip is a colour contrast to the colour in the skin tones and the colours created by the makeup artist; and therefore it stands out.

There used to be a saying in makeup artistry that many still hold to be true If you go heavy on the eyes then go lightly on the lip.And of course visa versa. However, “going lightly on the lip” does not mean wiping out the colour of your natural lip tone.

If you want a a true nude lip, just chuck on a light gloss over your natural lip colour.In fact I would recommend the Gale Hayman lip lift as an alternative. It’s a great product which protects the lips and has some plumping properties.

So let me just remind you. If you have gone for a big dramatic smokey eye, go lightly on your lips so that you don’t look like a drag queen. I would recommend using lipstick close to your own natural lip tone. That really is a nude lip. Or a gloss over your own lipcolour. But don’t wipe out the colour of your lips with a glossy beige tone and think you look great,. because the chances are that you don’t, and you are the one that is going to have to live with the pictures or yourself trying to be a Kardashian clone some way done the line. We live in an age of social media. Believe me, those pictures are going to come back and haunt you.

12
Feb
2014

When contouring goes wrong.

categories: Blog, Makeup Tips and Advice

There has been a trend of late to heavily contour the face with either different shades of foundation or bronzing powder.

Contouring the face is not new. You trace contouring the face back to the black and white film era and into colour film. Even the likes of the beautiful Marilyn Monroe relied heavily on her makeup artist Whitey to help create her perfected look.

( Above a concealer palette with light and dark shades. The darker shades can be used to sculpt the face, whilst the lighter shade can be used to highlight. Another low cost option when contouring the face.)

Marilyn used contouring to define her face shape and to help alter the look of her nose .But what you didn’t see in her pictures were awful muddy dirty stripes down the side of her cheeks, in an attempt to try and emphasis her cheek bones.

If you are going to contour your face then try to be subtle about it. Remember less is more and never use bronzer with shimmer if you can avoid it. This often has the tendency to react with the oils in your foundation or skin and can turn a muddy colour on the skin.

On a recent photo shoot I did with a professional model, I was a appalled to see a model turn up with awful hollowed out cheek bones in a glittery muddy brown. I asked her to turn up with light make up so that I could touch up and enhance where needed for speed on the shoot. Well that request has taught me a lesson I will never forget. Her facial makeup had to be removed and redone ( without any bronzer or contouring,. The model had great cheek bones, all she needed was a little blush. She looked fantastic once her makeup had been redone. But that time is taken from the time needed with the photographer and the loss of daylight.

Please, please re think the use of heavy contouring on the face. Remember when using a bronzer you should use it lightly in the places where the sun would naturally catch your face. Use it to sculpt around the hair line on a high forehead. If you must use it on your cheeks then use it very lightly just under the cheek bone, and then sculpt the jaw line. But even then, it would probably serve you better to invest in a face powder a couple of shades darker that your foundation, than to use a shimmer bronzer.

Not everyone needs to contour their cheek bones. Some people are naturally blessed and if you over emphasise an asset you can end up detracting from it. So think before you reach for the brown powder and brush.

03
Feb
2014

Pump up Booster Mascara

categories: Blog

I purchased this on the basis of feedback given on the Superdrug website.

Mascara by Miss Sporty, sadly this one does not live up to expectiations

But unfortunately for me all this mascara produced was spidery lashes. So despite its low price tag, other mascaras I tested far out performed this mascara by Miss Sporty.

If you want a good mascara at a low price point, then the NYC Showtime would be a much better investment for your pennies.