FACE & BODY

In a world of beauty products, piled high from counter to counter, no decision is easy. And I relate the task of hunting for a new foundation like going jeans shopping- post a 4kg gain... head spinningly confusing and nothing seems to fit.

But lucky me, I have had to learn  what are the questions you should ask, but more importantly what questions the ARTIST should ask. Here are some below...

1. What type of skin have you got? (dry, oily, dry-normal, oily-normal, dry-oily tzone)
2. How would you like the foundation to look? (dewy, matte or inbetween)
3. What kind of coverage are you after? (full, medium, sheer)
4. What are you currently using and what do you want to change about how it acts?

These questions will mean when you come to the decision of what foundation to choose, you know you have chosen one that fits you. Too many times do I see clients coming in confidently saying "My friend uses Studio Fix Fluid and she looks amazing. I want it!" Well, Im sorry to burst the bubble in which you had hoped that upon application, you too shall look like your model-looking, perfect skinned girlfriend.. but it doesnt work that way!

You may have completely different skin to your friend and so what looks good on her- not so much on you, unfortunately! She may answer the above questions very differently remember.

But! The purpose of this post was to RAVE about one particular foundation, which could solve your confused state of mind and knock out all the above questions... leading you to ask only this-
 "What shade of MAC's Face & Body foundation am I?"

Face & Body is the staple foundation in my kit. I use it on all skins, for all different effects, all different events and for all different ages. It doesnt complain (go cakey or make pores more visible), it's buildable, looks AMAZING on everyone and can give you a dewy effect or with a sweep of powder post application- can be turned matte.

So, next time you march forth to find your new saving grace, the product that hides your Monday-itis or covers your stressed out chin (you know the ones girls- hormonal pimples..ugh.) makes sure you set your sights for a MAC PRO store and beeline towards Face and Body. You'll love me, but maybe your hot friend wont. Now that she'll be wanting the skin your in.



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Fast forward.

If your like me and surround yourself with trends, fashion shows and stylised peeps you may have a tendancy to be kinda over everyone looking different.. and all end up looking the same.

I LOVE trends but its overwhelming..Its easy to lose your own sense of style and in a place like Melbourne where everyone climbs over "being cool" you either have to forget all about trends or just do your own thing. I think thats the one big thing I miss about London; the guys there wore a style because the felt like it represented them, looked good on them and individualised them.

So, if you want to know how to impress a makeup artist, set yourself away from the rest and give yourself a look which not many would wear...heres a list of some ideas...

- MATTE BROWN LIPS


Donna Karen S/S12: in fact, this entire look- keyed by Charlotte Tilbury, is incredible...

- A PERFECTLY ARCHED, BOLD BROW.. CLEAN AND SHARP



- NATURAL WET/DEWY SKIN



Alexander Wang

- LASHES


Rooney Mara at the Golden Globes 2012.

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Werk.

With so much going on these days in the world of beauty and makeup I think we can all get a bit confused and also lose sight of the basics..

We tend to love to put so many products on our face in the way of foundations, powders, lipsticks etc.. but what are we doing to restore the health of our skin? Do you cleanse and moisturise often?
I see it time and time again with so many clients. They want the whole kit and kaboodle with their makeup, but when I ask them what their current skin routine is, they cringe with a shrug.

There is absolutley no point going to all the effort of applying makeup on your skin to cover impefections, if you arent looking after managing those imperfections in a sustainable way. If your skin is dry, dont assume that, thats the way it is.. Or if your skin is oily.. that it will always have to be like that.

If your skin is dry, it may be that your dehydrated.. so ensure that you are drinking your 3lts a day. It sounds droney.. but I was having skin issues back in London and when I asked another artist, whos skin was to die for, what her secrets were- she swore on drinking the 3lts. And when I did, my skin improved dramatically.

At the end of the day, its only through your understanding and analysis of your skin that you will discover how your skin reacts to certain routines, products and handling. And its the 'handling' aspect that I wanted to chat about in todays wee post!

Ive spoken to several Senior Artists with MAC, annoyingly sucking them of as much information as they could give! And each one identified the importance of skin preparation before applying makeup. And its so true... when I apply makeup I love to use my hands to moisturise clean skin, working the cream into the surface..with the heat of my hands warming the skin. Applying pressure into the corners of the eyes and temples, increases blood circulation and so when its time to apply your foundation, the makeup should work itself easily onto the skin.. giving a flawless finish which glows.



For those with oily skins, you can still do this, just use oil controllers. ie. Gel cleansers, light moisturisers with silica in them (silica absorbs excess oils).

So, for beautifully flawless makeup, thats sits smoothly and creamily into the skin.. without looking heavy, flakey or patchy on the skin.. definately take the time to give your skin health some attention and enjoy the massage at the same time ;)



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JEAN GENIE

A few months ago I worked with Hannah Newman, a London based stylist/fashion journalist.. Hannah's very own blog was shortlisted last year by Cosmo Mag for the 2010 Blog Awards. So it was very exciting when she paired up with photographer Alexander Jordan to create an amazing piece on her love for Denim.

I kept the makeup extremely clean and raw; a look very much coveted by the fashion scene. Hair was kept off the face and in a quirky way, again very raw and "unkept".

After alls completed, Hannah's end result is a really great read. See below!

http://issuu.com/hannah15/docs/jeangenie?mode=embed&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Flight%2Flayout.xml&showFlipBtn=true

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Whats standing in the way of control?

The amount of people who come in to see a MAC artist to complain that they look shiney, and on perusal they do- but they may also have dry or dehydrated skin!

So many think that to combat the issue one must cake on as much matte foundation and powder as possible. And to be honest, nothing does worse things for your skin. We have to analyse our skins intensely for us to know that the product we require is going to give us an optimal finish. Firstly what type of skin have you got? Oily? Dry? Combination? Ok, combination? But what kind of combination? Is it normal to dry or normal to oily or oily with dry patches? The reason for the absurd amount of questions is because so many people think they need something but in reality they dont.

Ok so once you have anlysed your skin.. what have you got?

* If you have dry skin, you need to make sure your using emolliant skincare and makeup. Emolliants are products that will soothe and soften your skin. So using a moisturiser like Keihl's Ultra Moisturiser will help hydrate the skin and become a great base for foundation to stick to (as so not to allow your foundation to flake or become patchy). Then find a foundation that has a dewy finish, as it causes light reflectants on the skin to deflect off and create a smoother texture and softer finish. Use cream blushes to finish the look and really highlight the cheekbones.

* Have you got oily skin?

Righto, then you need to ensure your using silica based products. Silica in products sucks up any excess oil/moisture on the surface of your skin, so are very important! Great moisturisers are Oil Control by MAC, Simple Oil Balancing Moisturiser or most with a gel formulation rather than a cream. Use a primer, its so important!! If you dont have a primer down on the skin to create a barrier between the moisturiser and the foundation, the oil will cause the makeup to shift and move around- something which can be really annoying as it means your makeup lasts about 20 minutes before its all over your clothes!

Buy a foundation that has a matte finish (MAC's full coverage Studio fix powder or liquid is phenom.. and NARS Sheer Matte is lovely!) and then something thats extremely impoartant is using a powder to set it all at the end. This powder will also be the key throught the day to touch up your look with, to continually reduce any oil on the surface and to deshine you! For a more flawless finish, go for a higher coverage powder or if you dont want to pack on too much product, use low coverage products like MAC's Select Cover Foundation; which is water based, or for those who dont want any product on their face but need to deshine- MAC's Blot powder is amazing!! With only 2% pigment, all its really doing is taking away the oil and sweat...

Dark skintones in particular have a big issue with shine. I think, if managed well, dark skin looks amazing with a dewy finish. But so many of my brown sugared honeys hate it and opt to use Fix or Blot powder. Just make sure you dont use translucent powder if you do have a darker skintone, as it can make you look grey and ashy- and this is not a good look!

* I have combination skin! If you do, think about it. If its normal to dry, make sure you're using a good moisturiser and carry a powder with you, just in case you get shiney in the t-zone.

If you have Normal to Oily, again use powders. if its normal to oily, then I guarantee you that you will become shiney throughout the day.

And last but not least! What if you have shiney skin, but want a dewy finish? Great! These next few seasons are all about the sheer, dewy look. So just make sure you dont go for a full matte foundation, I personally LOVE MAC's Sculpt foundation. With a satin finish (not matte, but not dewy), it will give you what you need, without too much hydration. Then use a satin finishing powder. Again I heart MAC's Mineralised Skin Finish.. its made of minerals so has light reflecting micro particles in it to deflect light in a very natural way.



I hope you enjoyed this novel of knowledge! More tips coming over the next week...

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