I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. 🙂
In today’s last installment on Holiday Makeup, expert makeup artist Karin Noel, will share her thoughts on the topic along with Hollywood reporter, Fashion and Lifestyle Consultant, Lizza Monet Morales.
Here’s is the transcript of responses Karin and Lizza provided me. Let’s read what the ladies had to say:
Q. What colors are right for me (ex. how do women pick the right shades that compliment their eyes and skin tone)?
A. Here is a a basic formula for picking eyeshadows that complement a women’s eye color. Depending on skin tone, the amount that you apply would be different. In general, the darker you are, the heavier your application of a color so that it always pops. But remember- rules are made to be broken if you know how to break them.
* Green eyes do well with anything in the plum or cool tones
* Blue eyes do well with anything in the golden or warm tones, as they are the opposite of each other on the color wheel, which makes the eyes pop.
* Brown eyes also do well with warm golden tones to dark chestnuts. However, for an extra WOW factor, try midnight blue.
* For everyone though, if you aren’t sure if you can pull off applying the color on your own then there is no shame in playing it safe with neutral tones. Actually, you will embody a classic look, which is a guaranteed hit!!
Q. Am I too old to wear trendy shades?
A. A woman is never too old to wear trendy shades, it’s just how she wears them that differs. Take a runway look for example- more often than not, these looks are not intended to be exactly recreated for street wear. Instead, they are meant to be modified appropriately for individual use. Which means, that if you are 40 and are dying to wear a glitter than maybe just add a bit to the corner of your eyes for some pop. As opposed to putting heavy glitter on your whole eye, which doesn’t look well on anyone regardless of age unless you are going for costume make-up. If a trendy shade is used in a subtle way, it can make you feel so sassy.
If you are ever in doubt, then book an appointment with an experienced make-up artist and ask how you can modify the current makeup trends you are interested in to work for you.
Q. What are the key tools necessary to get the best evening look?
A. Makeup, like cooking, is about following certain steps to create a specific result. So why then can someone follow the same steps but get a different result each time? Like any great chef will tell you, the secret ingredient to recreating your recipe time and time again is the specific tools you use! The better tools, the better the results. The same theory applies to make-up. A good set of brushes is important to correctly applying eyeshadow, blush, and foundation.
*Insider tip-Professional make-up artists like to mix-n-match the brands of their brushes and you can too. Don’t feel stuck to using the brush in a set you bought that might not be working for you. Better yet, rather than buying a pre-made set of brushes, make your own!! While one brand may make a fantastic blush brush, another brand may have the best concealer brush. Don’t be afraid to experiment and invest properly in your brushes. If taken care of, they will last you several years. Go to several makeup counters or stores and feel the brush against your skin and compare the textures of the brushes. They are available at all price points. Remember to bring this list with you and you will know exactly what brushes you need to buy for your personal make-up kit.
If you are on a budget these are the 3 essential brushes you need:
1. Angle Brush– This is a double duty brush that should be used for lining your eyes AND filling in your eyebrows.
2. Flat Brush– This should be used for applying the lightest color on your eye, for blending and for layering colors.
3. Crease Brush– This brush should be used to create the 1/2 circle arch on your eyelid. It does takes the guess work out of creating your smokey eye.
If you can splurge a bit more, then add these to your kit:
1. Blush Brush– This brush should be used with just your blushes and not your bronzer ladies.
2. Powder Brush– When buying this brush, make sure that it has a beveled end. This is so it can get to all the contours of your face which is angled.
3. Bronzer Brush– This is a dedicated brush for your bronzer, which has a darker pigment than your blushes.
4. Foundation Brush– Eliminate streaks and helps you naturally blend around your neck line.
5. Concealer Brush– Gives you better control of how much is applied and allows you to spot treat.
Q. How do I apply eyeshadow, blush, foundation etc.
A. Now that we have our proper brushes, let’s start applying our makeup.
EYES:
*Eyeshadow- start with lightest color first and work into the darker shades.
* You want to finish with eyeliner then lots of mascara.
*If you want that extra glam look, don’t be scared to apply some lashes too!
CHEEKS:
* Blush- a general rule is to pick a color that resembles what you cheeks would look like if you were naturally blushing. Then place the blush on just the apples of your cheeks.
* I also recommend a light bronzer for your temples, chin, neck line, any area you would like a little extra color.
FACE:
*When selecting a foundation color on your own, test a foundation shade on your neck to see if it matches. This is a better sampling of your skin color as opposed to the back of your hand. It will also prevent you from having a line of demarcation between what’s on your face and your natural color on your neck.
LIPS:
* This all depends on how dark or light your eyes are. However, the color trend of the season is wearing red or wine tones are your lips. Have some fun the next time you are at the make-up counter or with your make-up artist and experiment with the different shades available and pick the one that is right for you.
FOR A CLASSIC EVENING LOOK:
I’m a big fan of a smokey eye. Here’s an easy way of recreating this at home.
1. You start by applying a highlight color for just under your brow.
2. You then add a little darker shade next, maybe a taupe, a bronze, or a dark beige. This will go on your lid-brow bone area and under your eye.
3. Then add a black or black-brown shadow on your lower lid of your eye. And also right at the lash line underneath the eye.
4. Follow this up using a black pencil or liquid liner along the top and bottom lashes. For a more dramatic look, line inside the eye with a pencil.
5. If you choose this look, I would stick with a light shade for your lips so it doesn’t take away from your eyes.
A SIMPLE DRAMATIC EVENING LOOK:
This look is very easy to do and reflects the current trend of wearing your make-up as they did in the 40’s:
1. Use a neutral eyeshadow on your lid.
2. Follow with a liquid liner just on the top lid.
3. Fill-in a more dramatic brow.
4. Your lips are the key to this look. You want to use a deep color on them.
5. Of course, you could add false eyelashes for an extra pop.
Q. Solutions for common mistakes women over 30 make?
A. It has been my experience that it isn’t necessarily mistakes that women make, but rather lack of education that is the issue. I believe that if every woman made an appointment with a makeup artist for a makeup lesson, it would make their lives so much easier. They would walk-away with a true understanding of their particular bone structure, their coloring, how to use their tools properly, and what does and doesn’t work for their face. As a result, they would be empowered to go anywhere and anyplace and buy makeup!!!!
*Insider tip- Makeup is a mood, if you love it, it will love you and look amazing on you! always have the confidence to rock it!!!!
Q: Are there any rules that women in their 30’s, 40’s, 50’s+ should be following?
A: As for general rules, there are three big ones that apply no matter what your age.
1. Never wear a dark liner just on the outside of your lips and a light frost lipstick just inside the liner. While this is great for Halloween, it doesn’t make for a youthful attractive mouth!
2. It is vitally important to match you foundation properly to your face and neck. Otherwise, you will look like you had a head transplant which leans more on scary than sexy.
3. Ladies, please don’t overdo the mascara!! It’s bad for the lashes and you look like a crazed Barbie doll. Relax on the double pumping of the wand, all you are doing is pushing air into the tube which is bad for the mascara. The more air, the less your mascara lasts and the easier it clumps.
The following is from Karin Noel and “Hollywood’s go-to Fashion and Lifestyle expert”, Lizza Monet Morales:
For all women 30 and above:
You should have a strong skin regime started by the time you are 30 and should be getting regular facials. As long as you can lift your arms and drive or be driven to the spa, this should be something you never stop doing.
Women in their 30’s:
As Karin mentioned above, this is the time when you want to start with a regular skin care regime if you haven’t already. In regard to makeup- have fun with it and experiment. Personally, we both like to do our makeup according to how we feel that day. For example, If Karin is feeling sassy, she might choose to only wear a red lipstick and nothing else. Remember, makeup is a mood. If you like it, and are confident, it will look cool. For Lizza, your 30’s are all about being flirty not with just men but with life. Experimenting is your key word during this time. You are finally coming into your own and realizing that wearing your confidence, not just saying you are, is the true secret to glamour.
Women in their 40’s:
Women tend to freak out when they turn 40, but you are really just hitting your prime. Why do you think the media is now so obsessed with the concept of “cougar” women these days? Which proves that Ashton Kutcher isn’t the only one with his eye on older women!! So, your in your 40’s…be proud of it!! Don’t freak out all of a sudden and try to wear what you did in high school as a way of holding onto your youth. You want to find colors that will make you look polished and classy. There isn’t anything sexier than a put together woman. One of Lizza’s favorite quotes comes from Simone de Beauvoir who wisely stated, “one is not born a woman, one becomes one.”
Women in their 50’s:
Lizza points out that Baby Boomers have really defined 50 as being the new 20 by breaking the rules and creating their own. There isn’t a better time than now to be in your 50’s. Whether you are volunteering, traveling, working or gardening, your personality comes out in everything you do and your make-up shouldn’t hide it.
As a result, Karin suggests that following the less-is-more approach to your make-up to keep up with your active lifestyle. Let who you are shine with your make-up. A neutral shade on the lips with a blush that gives you a natural glow and some mascara are all you really need. You definitely want to try to avoid too much frost on the eyes and sparkle on the face.
Fashion Sensei readers also posed a couple of questions to our experts. Take a look at what advice Karin had to offer:
Q: “I am not very sure what base color of correctors should I use. Can you help? I am Asian, fair.”
A: First off, it is important to know what you are trying to correct. A concealer is meant for use around the eye area and camouflage is meant for other areas on the face, such as blemishes, broken capillaries, brown spots. The common mistake is to use concealer for everything and that doesn’t typically produce the results we are after. The reason for this is that concealer is more hydrating and softer than camouflage. Simply put, it doesn’t have the right consistency to do the tough stuff. Remember, it is meant to brighten and deal with dark circles if necessary.
That said, let’s talk about how to handle dark circles under our eyes. You would want to use a a warm beige tone to cover blue/purple circle. But if your circles are green, yellow, or brown, then a pinkish beige tone will do.
Of course, if you are not correcting anything and are just after a little more of a flawless look, then you want the concealer to match your skin. After applying, you must set the concealer with a light powder, this prevents it from moving around. You will only need to use a small amount and pat it around the eye.
Now as I originally mentioned, if you are covering up any area beside your eyes then you will use camouflage instead. You will find that camouflage is dryer and has more pigment in it. As a result, it will stay in place better. I am a firm believer in mixing colors too in order to get the perfect shade that matches you.
Once you have your camouflage shade, you will need a small synthetic brush and setting powder to apply it correctly. You start with putting a small amount of product on the back of your hand. This warms it up and if you need to mix, it’s a perfect spot. You always want to layer, meaning start with small amounts and slowly work it around. you never want to look like you have cake batter under you eyes or on you face! EEK!! Definitely not glamorous.
Q: (From a male reader) I would like to know the expert’s opinion/advice on makeup on men, and if it could work in a setting besides movies/television/media/formal settings…
Answer: I was soooo excited to get this question. Men can ABSOLUTELY wear makeup!!!!! My approach to make-up is the same whether a man or woman is sitting in my makeup chair. Meaning that one of the key goals of applying make-up is to even out the skin and making it look as if you aren’t wearing anything. This is in contrast to makeup that is used on TV, stage, film or even a formal event where the make-up is applied much heavier to compensate for dilution of color that happens when you are on camera or on stage. In this case, the makeup is very obvious to the eye in person but will appear softer on-camera or from a distance.
If I had to pick a foundation that works for men or women who are after a very natural look then I would go for two of Makeup Forever’s products. I just love them!! Their foundation and HD powder gives the user a” natural no make-up” type of makeup look! Laura Mercier’s products would also give you winning results. Remember to have fun, go natural or glam it up, either way if you rock your confidence it will be sexy!!
Lizza Monet Morales is a notable entertainment and fashion reporter as well as a lifestyle consultant. She is not only a native Angelino, who speaks fluent Spanish, but conversational Japanese as well. Lizza can be seen reporting from; either the red carpet, various closed sets, fashion shows, press junkets for up and coming projects or out-and-about town at the hottest locations. She has been on-air for Access Hollywood, Telemundo, EXTRA, Celebrity Justice and The TV-Guide Channel among others. In addition, she has reported for Us Weekly, People Magazine and as a featured columnist in Item Magazine. She can currently be seen co-starring in Vh-1’s top-rated show “New York Goes to Hollywood.”
Karin Noel is an established make-up artist with 19 years of experience doing make-up for editorial, run-way, special events and every day looks. She is part of the award-winning hair and beauty stylist team of Mars Salon in Costa Mesa, California.
Offer For Fashion Sensei Readers:
“Mars Studio is pleased to offer all Fashion Sensei readers the following special deals in the month of December:”
- 60 minute Holiday Make-up Application and Lesson for $100 (50% off)
- 45 minute customized Eyebrow shaping for $30 (10% off)
For bookings, call Mars Studio at (949) 631-6890 and mention “Fashion Sensei” to receive your discount.
My thanks to Karin and Lizza for their time and expertise. They certainly had some very valuable information to share. I hope you found it as useful as I did.
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