GLAMOUR - NOW!

By Anna Magee

If you’ve been doing the same make-up look since high-school it could be that you’re stuck in a make-up rut.  So why not experiment with some new products and techniques?  With the onset of the party season, beauty companies have released some of the hottest, sexiest new colours ever!  There’s no better time to be gorgeous…

There are degrees of glamour.  With a few looks up your sleeve it’s much easier to match the amount and style of make-up to the time and place.   If you’re wearing the exact same face for Saturday night drinks as for Sunday afternoon office picnic, and if putting on make-up has become a boring chore, you might need to try an alternative. So what’s the short answer?   Play with some hot new looks.  Not only have you got some time to practice before serious party times are upon us (experiment with a new look before a big date!), but autumn/winter 1999 sees some of the most high-tech product formulations (including a strong look-great-but-do-some-good-too-factor) that make application a breeze.  And, if beauty had one blatant message at the1999 autumn winter collections, it was this - THINK SEXY!  Here’s how to translate that to your face.

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And, if beauty had one blatant message at the 1999 autumn winter collections it was this - THINK SEXY!

FOCUS ON LIPS

[pic 1 - choice of 2 possible shots - 2 provided plus one more of Madonna arriving from Max Factor on Monday]

Rethinking Red

Once the domain of overdone Joan Collins look-a-likes, this season the luminous red mouth makes a funky comeback as the siren’s number one accessory.  This winter red is deep, bold, meticulously applied.  As for the rest of the face, think minimally and let all your features pay homage to a luscious “come and get me” mouth.  But beware, not all reds are created equal.  That means we now have all manner of blue, yellow or orange based reds to deal with, all the more reason to find one that you can’t live without.  Here’s how:

[Illustration note - I have included some of these lippies and some of the aforementioned eyeshadows - so if the PR shots provided are not sufficient, these can be shot at some stage if possible] 

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Perfect Pout - A User’s Guide To Red

Blond hair, cool skinYou can be daring and wear just about any bold, bright red shade from crimson to fire-engine red - Try Aveda lip satin in Redwood

Cerise £16.50; a sheer, sexy blue red or Mac Satin Lipstick in Media £11.50 -possibly one of the hottest, silkiest lipsticks I’ve ever tried and also one of Sharon Stone’s faves.

Blond hair, warm skinTry a pink-red like Maybelline Moisture Whip Lipstick in Electric Orchid £4.50 to set off warmth in your skin.  Or a rose-red like Mac Satin Lipstick in Del Rio £11.50  

Dark hair, cool skinRich blue-reds like wine, burgundy and real blood red are hot and make a stunning

contrast with dark hair and pale skin.  Wow them with Yves Saint Laurent’s Lipstick in No.7 £14.50 (Fran Drescher’s favourite).

Dark hair, warm skinBrick reds and transparent, sheer ruby colours.  A rich gloss like Clarins’ Lip Glace £10.50 in Flame can really set offdark, shiny hair. 

Red hair, cool skinGo for a delicate, orange-red that errstoward coral undertones.  Revlon

Colourstay in Brick £7.95

Red Hair, warm skinWarm, fiery reds with yellow/orange undertones like No.7’s Cajun Red or Pimento, both £5.75

Dark Hair, olive skinRich, deep sienna reds with bold, full, matte 

colour.  Splash out on Yves Saint Laurent’s

Pure Matte Lipstick No 12 £14.00. 

Black hair, brown skinBerry and burgundy reds are drop-dead gorgeous.  Try Mac Frost Lipstick in Siren £11.50

The Season’s Hottest - Thick, glossy colour that oozes sex appeal is big news.  When wearing gloss, prepare the lips well, as it has a high propensity to bleeding and can really make a mess. MAC UK Training Manager, Lindsay Walker suggests the following to prevent lipstick or gloss bleeding:

Lightly pat concealer over the lips and dust with loose powder.  Line lips with lip pencil  and fill in towards the centre of the mouth.  Using a lip brush, apply colour [if you prefer a stain or hint of colour apply with your fingertips instead of a brush - skip the liner] and blot with a tissue.

Top Glosses

Shine has come a long way since you got your first tube back in third year.  New high-tech ingredients mean more staying power and punchier pigments.  We loved:

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Clarins - Lip Glace £10.50, a texture that has to be experienced to be believed - seriously shiny.  Contains vitamins A and E to keep lips moisturized.  Has a light consistency that feels sexy on the mouth

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Christian Dior Diorific Plastic Shine £13.  For very rich, deep colour and amazing shine.  Has a thicker consistency than most other glosses but the  colour really does last all day (or night).  Worth the dosh.

Best Worn With - Little, long or skimpy (in fact any variation of…) black dress.  Anything black

Inspiration - Marilyn Monroe, the late Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, Madonna (her latest look created by make-up artist Sarah Monzani for Max Factor)

Get Red Right

¨Use concealer and/or foundation sparingly and only where needed, taking care to even out the skin tone and hide redness like broken capillaries or under-eye circles (red lipstick will tend to highlight the red in your skin, so cover it well)

¨Spray a toothbrush with some hairspray and brush brows upward, keeping them natural - it’s best to avoid pencil or powder with this look.  A stark eyebrow line will result in a hard ‘over-the-top’ look.

¨Dot a soft brown eye pencil between lashes and smudge it until barely visible.  This will make your lashes look fuller.

¨Apply one colour eyeshadow in a very pale pink or beige and blend it well.

¨Apply a light coat of mascara, top lashes only.

¨Blush is not necessarily compulsory, if you feel naked without it, try a very pale pink applied to the apples of the cheeks and blend it well with a jumbo blush brush.

Last Minute Tip: To prevent lipstick from getting on your teeth here’s a trick:  Once you’ve applied the lippie, put your finger in your mouth, wrap your lips around it and pull it out.  Sound odd?  It works!

FOCUS ON EYES

At Gucci, it seemed make-up artists were trying to inspire a Brigitte Bardot revival - all very well if your Carla Bruni, built like a pencil and wearing exotic, transparent black lace courtesy of designer, Tom ford’s vivid

imagination.  But mere mortals rejoice, the look can be modified and applied to the real world for that smoulderingly sexy ‘smoky eye’ look:

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Brow-Beaten

Striking eyebrows are de riguer for this look.  In fact (and most make up artists agree) those unsuspecting little snippets of fuzz above your eyes are the most important part of your face.  By perfecting your eyebrows you can add glamour and a ‘frame’ to your face. Try this trick:

Brush brows up with a toothbrush and, using a nail scissors, trim the tops of the brows.  Pluck from underneath only, keeping to the eyebrows natural shape. Bobbi Brown says, “ You are born with a brow shape that works naturally with your eyes and face.  Your brows’ own natural line should be your guide.”  Using an eyebrow pencil (a shade lighter than your natural haircolour) pencil along the natural arch. Spray the toothbrush with some hairspray, brush the brows up again and voila! You’re sporting the models’ look!  The key message: Forget thin, hard, dramatically pencilled (or non-existent!) eyebrows and think neatly groomed and shapely.

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Brows’ Secret Weapon: Lancome Kit Sourcils £22.  This snazzy little compact could be re-named the brow survival kit.  Mini-tweezers, colour powder (available in two shades), applicator and brush. 

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If you’re averse to powder and prefer a sleeker look try Bobbi Brown’s Natural Brow Shaper and Hair Touch-Up £14.50; a conditioning cream-gel that fills in the brows while controlling and adding shape to eyebrow hair.

Smouldering With Ease - get the look right

¨Dot and blend concealer on under-eye areas and blemishes.  Follow with a dusting of translucent powder.  A satiny matte skin texture really suits this look

¨Again blush is not a necessity, a smidgen of cream blush in a natural tone just under the cheekbones will add definition if needed.

¨Apply a pale, shimmering eyeshadow in white, pale pink or silver to the entire eyelid, concentrating on the area just under the brow bone.  Try Bobby Brown’s Shimmer Wash eye shadow in Snow £15 or Revlon Custom Eyes in Light £4.95

¨Use a dark grey eyeshadow on the eyelid, stopping at the crease and directed a little outwards and upwards at the outer corners.  Try Revlon’s Custom Eyes in Thunder £4.95.

¨Sparingly apply a charcoal eyeshadow like MAC single eyeshadow in Print £9.50 to the area around eyelashes on both eyelids in soft, short strokes.   For a stronger look, use a cake-liner for this step

¨Blend with a capital B. 

¨Apply a very pale pink lipstick like Revlon’s Bolt £7.99 with fingertips for an ultra-natural look with a really funky shimmer.

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With any of these looks, don’t even think about using dark brown lipliner ala Pam Anderson. 

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Secret Weapon:  Bobbi Brown essentials Eye Smudge Brush £21.  Soft, yet dense with a narrow, tapered tip.  This brush will help perfect your blending which in turn will perfect your look.  Do not (I repeat, do not) underestimate the effectiveness of a good brush.

Special Treat: Clarins new Stardust For The Eyes £26 features a silky dark contouring shade in the centre of a luminous, pale one encased in a gorgeous red compact.  Available in three colour schemes and full of light diffusing particles so you really sparkle. 

Best Worn With - shimmering, evening sheath party dresses in cool, pale shades.  Anything white or black or grey.

Inspiration - Andrea Corr, Sophia Loren, Victoria Adams (a.k.a  u-know-who)

NEUTRAL GLAMOUR

A fresh take on the natural look which is even more sexy and sophisticated this season.  Top billing goes to beiges and browns with warm colours applied lightly to keep the look balanced all over.   No one feature makes a grab for attention.  Models for Mark Jacobs, Calvin Klein, Ted Lapidus and Jean Louis-Scherrer were sporting variations on this theme (some with gold added, others opting for olive green eyeshadows or rustic brassy browns)  to set off the neutral, earthy shades and rich textures of the designers’ autumn/winter collections.

[pic 3] Courtesy of Christian Dior

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Chic, understated and indulgent.  If you’re after really splashing out, take a look at Christian Dior’s new colour story for Autumn winter ‘Tone on Tone’.

Back to Basics - get the foundation right

A good base is the backbone of a look like this.  Look for a colour to match your skin tone so the effect is ultra natural.  Trying to enhance or change your skin tone, by going darker or lighter just looks fake.  To see if your foundation is right for you Bobbi Brown suggests applying a swipe of it onto your cheek.  Take a small mirror and go outside into natural light.  If it’s really hard to see the swipe, then your foundation works. If it’s obvious and really visible, invest in a new one.  When buying foundation always test it on your face, then look at it outside in natural light - department store lighting is incredibly deceiving - wait a few hours and see how it wears.  Never feel pressurized to buy on the spot, but if you spend big on only one product, make it this.

Top Marks for natural-looking Base

Prescriptives - Virtual Skin £23

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Yves Saint Laurent  Line Smoothing Foundation £25.50

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New - Christian Dior  Teint Glace Fresh Stick Foundation (Oil Free) £19.50

Balancing Act - secrets of staying neutral

¨Use foundation only where it’s needed. Daniel Sandler,  Bourjois UK make up artist says this season foundation is fresh and intended only to even out skin tone.  Not to change it. 

¨Keep eyebrows groomed but erring towards natural and generous.  No thin or hard lines here.

¨Apply a pale beige eyeshadow like Maybelline Natural Accents in Goldlights £3.50 all over the lid.  Follow with a medium brown like Bourjois Brun Baobab £4.50 in the crease and blended slightly outwards.  According to Daniel Sandler, “Brown eyeshadows enhance everybody’s eyes and no matter how dark or light you apply it, you can’t make any mistakes.” 

¨Apply a soft black kohl pencil along the lash line, concentrating on the upper lid and directing the line upwards only slightly at the eyes outer corner.  Blend well.

¨Apply two coats of black mascara, only to the top lashes.

¨Apply a nude or beige lipstick with your fingertips for a natural daytime look.  For a longer-lasting effect, use a matching liner, apply lipstick with a lip brush, blot with a tissue and re-apply.

With any of these looks, don’t even think about using dark brown lipliner ala Pam Anderson.  Make-up artists are unanimous, that look is passe, out, gone…If Pam herself has reformed her ways with lipliner, it’s time we did too.

Best worn with - Any take on beige. Fluffy polo necks, long hand-knitted scarves and matching beanies in earthy shades.  Old denim.

Inspiration - Jennifer Aniston, the ageless Catherine Deneuve, Gwyneth Paltrow, Lara Flynn-Boyle.

COPYRIGHTCOPYRIGHT ANNA MAGEE 1999

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