From Jo Lofthouse, Make-Up Artist
The party season is just around the corner, giving us the perfect excuse to inject some sparkle and drama into our evening make up. If time is short follow this simple but effective step-by-step guide to create glamorous evening make up.
Here we focus on creating the key look of the season for the eyes but check online for tips on creating the whole look.
A quick bit of product advice
Always starting with applying a small amount of eye shadow primer over the moveable part of the eye and up to the brow to provide extra staying power.
Cream eye shadows are easy to work with and great time savers. Choose a contrasting colour to your eye colour to really make them pop: blues, greens, purples and plums for brown eyes; browns, peaches and golds for blue eyes; burgundy, violet and pinks for green eyes.
Shadow
Using a soft applicator brush, pat the cream eye shadow onto the moveable part of the lid and slightly up into the socket, building the intensity up in fine layers, being careful to stay inside the invisible line that connects the outer third of the eyelid to the brow.
Soften the edges of the cream eye shadow with a matte powder shadow of a similar colour, blending into the crease and ‘smoking out’ the colour using a fluffy crease brush, blend the seams of your two eye shadow textures.
Outline
Start with a soft black, waterproof kohl pencil, work closely into the top and bottom lash lines and lower waterline. Gently soften using a smudging brush.
Apply a little of the cream eye shadow over the top of the kohl liner on the lower lash line with a fine blending brush. Set in place with a small amount of the matte eye shadow.
Sparkle
Now for the sparkle! With a fine liner brush, tap glitter gel liner over the black liner on the upper lid and taking a clean brush, pat some onto the centre of the lid too.
Shimmer
Choose a light shimmery eye shadow to compliment and tone in with your other eye shadows (I’ve used a beautiful loose silver pigment). Gently dab on the inner corner of the lid, around the tear duct and a tiny amount across the brow bone where the cream colour meets the matte eye shadow. Blend to soften.
Conceal
After you’ve applied foundation, apply a small amount of illuminating concealer in tiny dots on any dark areas under the eyes and blend in a tapping motion from inside to out. You can also use the illuminating concealer on any red area around the nose ensuring to blend well.
Smooth
Prepare the skin for your choice of base and apply a primer across the skin. Remember, primer is like underwear for your make up and will give it extended wear and a smoother finish.
I have chosen a medium coverage foundation for Arrianne and am applying it from inwards to out on the areas needed to correct the skin tone, making sure to blend well around the nose and jawline with my choice of foundation brush. Fingers or a beauty blender can also be used if preferred.
Curl
Curl the lashes if required and add plenty of mascara (waterproof for extra longevity!) to both top and bottom lashes. Apply in a zig-zag motion from root to tip to help prevent clumping.
Drama
For an extra touch of drama and if you have time, apply false lashes. I love the “feline” look that these accent (half strip) lashes add to Arrianne’s eyes.
Groom and Frame
Groom the eyebrows and define them and frame the eyes. Keep them soft and use a brow powder gives more control than a pencil and gives a softer look.
Bronze and Blush
To slightly shape and contour the face, use a kabuki brush to gently add bronzing powder to the temples, under the blush line and jawline (in the shape of a number 3 as it were).
Apply your favourite blusher making sure that you don’t bring it any further into the nose than the apples of the cheeks. I have used a soft coral peach tone to compliment the colours I have used on Arrianne’s eyes.
As an extra option and if desired, add a touch of highlighter on to the cheek bones, down the centre of the nose and the bow of the lips to add luminosity to the skin. Highlighters can be found in liquid, powder and cream form.
Pout
Tap a nude or neutral toned lip liner across the lips to give a slight stain to your natural lip colour. Ensure it is of a soft texture so as not to pull to the delicate skin around the lips. Finish with a slick of balm or your favourite choice of nude lip gloss or lipstick and you are good to go!
