Spoilt for choice in beauty stakes

Red Square’s A-lister make-up gurus have summed up the look of the season with six fabulous day and night trends which have been adorning the international catwalks. Here’s what they had to say.

Less is more

This summer day look is all about flawless skin. Alexander McQueen, Valentino and Roberto Cavalli have brought back a powdered, matte finish in a trend towards velvet skin. The emphasis is on prepping skin to perfection. “We call this trend enhanced minimalism and the most important element of this look is radiant matte skin,” reveals A-list make-up artist Greg Noah. To achieve this he recommends foundation that provides good coverage but still adds that extra radiant finish. “Try Clarins Ever Matte Foundation Oil-Free (R360), Clinique Stay Matte Oil-Free Make Up (R360) or Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay in Place Make Up (R415) for this look,” he recommends.

Contouring to strengthen features is another important element to this look. Noah explains that this can be achieved by making use of a concealer such as Clinique’s Airbrush concealer (R230) which is two to three shades darker than your natural skin tone. “Only use powder around the centre of the face as this will also help to avoid looking overdone.”

To complete this look, a lip conditioner from Estée Lauder or Clarins is used to marinade the lip before applying a Gosh Long Lasting Lip Marker Pen (R110) to lightly stain the lip. Two coats of Lancôme’s Hypnôse Doll Eyes Mascara (R335) are all that is needed around the eyes as eyebrows are simply shaped by brushing them upwards.

Image courtesy Stock.xchnge

Image courtesy Stock.xchnge

The holiday look

Holidays are about the sun, the sand and the surf; and this summer you’ll want to look sun-kissed and sensational wherever you are. “To get the tan without the sun use one of Estée Lauder’s liquid bronzers,” says A-list make-up artist Tshego Maphatane. “I always recommend liquid bronzers instead of powders because powders require extremely careful application. Then make sure that you mix your sun protection with the liquid bronzer and apply them both together. If you try and apply them one after the other the products won’t combine well.” As far as the bronzer for your face is concerned, start with a little and apply more only as needed.

The same less-is-more concept applies to eye-shadows, and for this look cream eye-shadows hit the mark. “If you apply too much product, it clumps in the creases of your eye,” warns Maphatane.

When it comes to eye-liners he recommends Gosh for its trendy vibrant colours. For that healthy holiday glow, use a mineralising foundation such as Clarins Skin Illusion Foundation in place of a matte foundation. To avoid the greyish sheen that comes with applying a high SPF, mix your foundation with your sun screen and apply them together.

Bright lips

Bright lips have been all the rage on the catwalks this year with Burberry models sporting a show stopping scarlet hue. Not to be left behind, Missoni and Oscar de la Renta featured a more pinky-red, while a much more powerful red was favoured by Jean Paul Gaultier. As such this spring, fashionistas can have fun experimenting with vibrant colours. A-list make-up artist Rahista Gopal explains that in addition to a lip brush, a lip liner is critical to achieve the intensity of this look. “A good lip conditioner is also important as you don’t want lips to be cracked or dry when drawing attention to them,” she adds. For the most show-stopping shades Gopal recommends the vibrant range of colours from Gosh. “Estée Lauder also produces the most fantastic shade of red,” she enthuses. Avoid using gloss with this look as lips appear overdone.

Image courtesy Stock.xchnge

Attention grabbing eyes

Thanks to last year’s cat-eye trend, eye liner has become a fashion essential. And this year bold outlines with softly smudged edges have stolen the show at international events such as BCBG, Roberto Cavalli and Lavin. This ultra-glam night time look will ensure your eyes are the envy of the evening.

Noah describes this as the classic smoky eye which is reproduced using one of Gosh’s eye liners. “Rim the eye and then take an eye shadow brush or crease brush and use it to blend that line away,” he explains. “To avoid smudges it helps to set the pencil.” For additional brands which can be used for this look Noah recommends Estée Lauder’s double wear eye liner in bronze.

MAKE-UP MAGICIAN. A-list make-up artist Greg Noah. Picture: Supplied.

Polished and ready to go

No perfect look would be complete without the nails to match, and this spring all of our A-List experts agree bright colours and glam are the look of the season. Maphatane says that Nails Inc is also known for its bright, funky colours. “From nude to neon, Nails Inc has it all,” he says. “The brand is also known for its amazing designs and effects which are perfect for dressing up.”

Gopal comments that both brands are ideal for the year’s trend towards really bold summer colours. “Revlon also has the most fabulous effects and lasts extremely well; it’s fantastic value for money,” she concludes. Great colours this summer include Revlon’s Colourstay Nail Enamel 080 Delicious and 070 Wild Strawberry (R99.95 each). – Sapa.