Here are some of our fail-safe steps to updating your look and nailing daring make-up every time! We’re talking smokey eyes, perfectly flawless skin, luscious lips and beautifully polished nails.
Follow these top tips for the ultimate glam look…
Smokey eyes
Subtly smoked-up eyes never go out of style, but there’s a simple trick to keeping it looking fresh… And, if there’s one new piece of make-up you need to buy, make it a dark, smudgeable eyeshadow in a deep, chocolatey brown, or one with midnight blue tones. Ideally, choose one with a vague shimmer of gold or silver so that it still looks flat, but not completely matte.
3 easy steps:
- Smudge dark shadow closest to the lash line as a liner to help give the illusion of even thicker lashes, and in the socket, creating a ‘V’ at the outer corner of the eye. Blend and fade out – the latest shadows are so easy to smudge together to create that smoky effect, but a proper eyeshadow brush will ensure the powder is really ‘pushed’ into your skin and stays in place. We absolutely adore these Colorstay Creme Eyeshadow pots from Revlon, R105.
- Apply pencil liner over the top to intensify the lash line. Then take a liquid liner and paint in any areas you notice between the lashes that appear pale.
- Tidy up the edge of your eye shadow using a clean cotton bud. Make sure you wing the shadow up at the outer corners to lift your features, not bring them down.
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Flawless skin
“When you focus the attention on your eyes or lips, the last thing you need is full-on blusher,” says celebrity make-up artist, Val Garland. “Now it’s more about cheekbones, and less about colour. Soften the blush because too many focuses highlight flaws in the complexion.” Skin is more matte and less shiny now, and the idea is to use anything to make skin look flawless. The trick is to prep your skin well so that you can get away with applying less foundation.
3 easy steps:
- Always make sure your skin is clean before you start. You can’t put face cream, foundation and powder on top of dirty skin and expect it to look fresh! A wonderfully gentle cleanser is new Johnson’s Fresh Hydration Micellar Cleansing Jelly with rose water, R54,99 for 200ml, which soothes, and removes dirt and make-up all in one, thanks to intelligent magnet-like micellar technology.
- Try a skin primer – they miraculously help to fill pores (which become more obvious with age) and smooth the surface of your skin so that anything else you put on top glides on more easily. Our favourites include the iconic Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch priming cream, R485 for 15ml, and Optiphi Set the Canvas Flawless Finish Make-up Primer, R312 for 15ml.
- Touch out imperfections with concealer over anything else you need to with foundation and powder over the T-zone. Apply a delicate touch of blusher onto the apples of your cheeks to give shape, but not so much that it will compete with your eyes or lips.
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Luscious lips
After season upon season of easy-wear, pinky-beige glosses, it’s time to wear lipstick again. The question is, how dark can you afford to go? The biggest trend right now is a lightly stained lip. Many new lip colours are light-reflective, so you get more of a three-dimensional stain that looks velvety, rather than dry – and so is ultimately more flattering.
3 easy steps:
- Prep skin on lips first using a concealer or foundation, or try MAC Prep + Prime Lip, R345, which helps the lipstick last longer.
- Press colour into your lips using a lip brush. This helps the colour to last longer too. Or for a fresh kiss of colour, simply dab onto lips and then blot off excess with a tissue.
- If you like using a lip liner, try using it over your lip colour rather than underneath it. We like Rimmel 1000 Kisses Stay On Lip Contouring Pencil, R104,95. The waxiness of the pencil prevents feathering, but because it’s on top of your lipstick, it doesn’t leave a ghastly rim around your lips when the colour wears off.
Beautiful nails
Nail polish doubles up as a protective barrier, helping to prevent your nails from splitting and peeling, and so allows them to grow stronger. Also, take care of your hands in between manicures – whether you do them yourself or go to a salon – by lavishing them with sunscreen, moisturiser and cuticle oil.
3 easy steps:
- File nails first before soaking them and the cuticles.
- Massage a little oil into the cuticles before polishing, it makes the skin look softer and more groomed, especially next to a dark polish that shows up any imperfections. Try Mavala Daily Care Cuticle Oil, R180 for 10ml.
- Buff nails to a high shine before applying any polish,” says nail expert Pippa Hebden, who tends regularly to the tips of Geri Halliwell and Scarlett Johansson. “This makes the polish go on more smoothly and the shine comes through the polish, making the end result even glossier.”
