Foundation Match Making

As a makeup artist, the question I get asked most frequently is consistently the same, 'how do I choose the right shade?'

So here is a quick but accurate 'how to' guide to getting it right....

Firstly, you must test it in the right place; this means slap bang in the middle of your face where you can see it. Not on the hand, which is fine for testing texture and level of coverage but the colour of your hand does not relate whatsoever to your face.

Also rule out testing for shade on the inside of your wrist, under your chin, on your neck or anywhere other than where the product is designed for!

I know it can be tricky to test at counters and they certainly don't make it an easy process for you as they glare at you and ask you 'are you alright?' 50 times whilst simultaneously re-applying their own lip gloss and discussing last night's escapades with their colleague ( who is also glaring at you!).

Now, I know I'm being harsh, and there are some truly talented artists behind counters these days, but it's an intimidating experience if you don't feel that you know your cool tones from your warm tones. Don't even start on corrective undertones, textures or pigments!

It's a minefield at those counters, so my one piece of advice is to make it easy on yourself ...get samples and try at home. In your own mirror when you have the time to really analyse if it looks good on you. It's also a good idea to wear a possible new foundation for a full day so you can see how it lasts over time. If they aren't forthcoming with these little sample sachets that appear to be more precious than gold, then bring in your own empty pot. Bring several, in fact, and fill up with three different shades in colour sequence. So, the shade you think looks closest to your skin tone and the two shades on either side.

When it comes to trying them on, have a clean face. If you are swatching at a counter and really want to purchase there and then, ask for a wipe to clean off any makeup you have on so you can get a proper sense of the shade. Then apply to your full cheek, blend it in and wait a minute as it drys as a lot of foundations tend to dry darker than they look wet.

The golden rule of colour matching is this; If it blends in seamlessly into the skin , if it almost disappears; then it is the correct shade. If it shows up as yellow, it is too dark. If it looks ashy, it is too pale. In fact, if it looks obvious at all, it is wrong.

It is the job of foundation to even out and perfect your skin, not create a mask, so always bear this in mind. Never try to add colour or tan to your skin with a dark shade -there is nothing more aging. Learn to use bronzer correctly but get your skin tone right and you will always look better.

It's as simple as that!

All or Nothing

There are two things going on with eyebrows at the moment; strong definition or bleached out nothingness. It's pretty polarising among makeup artists and I know which camp I'm in. I just love a strong brow; I think it gives the face a beautiful power and it enlarges the eyes so well by making the entire eye space look bigger. In my view there are two types of defined brow; the natural and the unnatural. The shot above shows the unnatural...so called as it is an obvious mis-match for the hair colour but it looks great with the smudgy smokey eye.

This is the natural, strong brow and I think this is my favourite. The brow itself is left at it's true shape and thickness with just the minimal grooming to define the arch. It has been defined with some colour; most probably powder and wax, but very softly...no colour blocking as there is in the first picture. This is a great day to day brow that looks amazing.

I have two favourite products that I use to define brows. The Brow Zing by Benefit is fantastic as it's a complete kit with tweezers, brushes, powder and wax. It comes in a variety of shades so match the colour to your brows or as close as you can get. I've used these kits for years. Apply the colour through the hairs with the slanted brush using light feathery strokes. Concentrate the colour from the arch outwards following the shape of your brows. Don't try to draw in a new shape; it always looks bad. Apply a tiny amount of the wax on top to set the hairs and take care of any of those little hairs that always seem to grow out at a 90 degree angle!

For the darker brow I like to use one of the brow pencils by MAC. They are fantastic for building up density but do take it easy; you are looking for sexy strong eyes not Groucho Marx's sister.

On the other side is Lara Stone. She became famous and got so much more work after she bleached her brows away. Now, I get it, I just don't love it. I think she looks amazing and almost other-worldy but is that what you want?

It's a great high fashion look and as it puts the focus directly on the eyes, it's a good way to showcase interesting eye makeup designs. All you need to copy Lara is a pot of Jolen cream bleach and brush it through the hairs for about five minutes and you'll be whited out...but would you?

Seriously, would you? Which camp are you in?

(first two images via Jennifer Behr and Happenstance)

Curl Up

No. It's not a torture device; It's the Shu Uemura Eye Lash curler. It is the best one on the market and that is that! No other curler can compare and this is an essential step in the quest for perfect lashes. Curl before you apply mascara and gently pinch the lashes from the root out to the tips for a soft natural curl rather than a 90 degree bend that you can get with inferior curlers.

Simple Smokey

I have recently been sent this MAC grease paint stick to try and I love it. It is such an easy route to a quicker than quick smokey eye. They are like a thick, metallic crayon with a smooth, creamy texture. I have the beautiful Greengrease which is a dark forest green with pewter grey undertones. You just draw it all over the lid making sure that you leave no gap at the lashline and blend it out with your finger at the edges and at the socket. You can pull it out towards your temple to make a feline shape to your eye. It's so easy to use, just scribble and blend. No brushes needed.

To finish the smokey effect, I love to pat one of the MAC pigments on top. They add another dimension to the look with their metallic finishes. One of my very favourite shades is Blue Brown and it is totally fab over the Greengrease stick. Blue Brown is a two tone pigment (as the name suggests! ). It is great over any dark pencil or grease stick but not so good on it's own as it turns too reddish- brown when applied to a clean lid. Again, no brushes necessary; use your ring finger to pick up a small amount from the lid and pat it over the eyeball, keeping it just to the lid; not the socket. Keep it simple; it looks classier!

Line Up

I have had a few emails asking for tips on how to use liquid liner to achieve the classic eye line that flicks out at the end, giving a feline, sexy look to the eyes. So here goes...

• Firstly, you must know that this takes practice. But each time you do it, you will be better at it. I promise!
• Secondly, get your product and brush sorted. I actually like to use a gel liner like Blacktrack by MAC or the gel liners by Bobbi Brown are great too. Gels are a little easier to move across the skin as sometimes liquid liners can bump and clump. I do think that the liquid liner from Rimmel is very good though and the brush that comes with it is easy to use. For the gels, you will need a thin, pointy brush with short bristles; too long and the line will become too fat. The 210 precise lining brush by MAC is perfect.
• The goal is to draw a skinny line from the first lashes at the tear duct that becomes fatter as you cross the pupil and go out towards the outer corner of the eye, flicking out and up at the end.
• Start by loading up your brush with the colour and taking a bit off on the back of your hand, this ensures that you are not putting too much on. It is easier to build up your liner than to fix it if it goes wrong.
• Now, dot the brush all the way along the lashline; imagine that you are putting a dot at the root of each hair.
• Next, join the dots, making a complete line. Keep it as skinny as you can for now.
• Once you have a full line, you can build it slightly higher using the lashline as a guide. Remember that is should be graduated , thin at the inside, thicker at the end.
• Keep your strokes small until you get used to it, eventually you will be able to do it in a couple of moves.
• To get the correct angle for the flick you have to look at the lower lashline as your guide; look at how it rises from the widest point of your eye under the pupil to the end of it. Imagine that the lower lash line continued upwards towards the end of your eyebrow. That is the line you must cover with liner. You can mark it out with dots first as a guide if you wish.
• Finally, connect the top line of the liner on the top lid to the end of the flick, filling in the little hollow area that you will have created at the edge of the eye.

This look is all about the liner, so keep it simple; use no shadow or just a neutral flesh tone to keep it modern. A good nude lip colour like Blankety by MAC or a great red and a soft blush will finish this look off nicely.