With New York, London and Milan Fashion Weeks Spring 2015 shows well underway, we have a lot to look at, but I’ve chosen my top three beauty looks fresh from the runway so far. All are amazing, not just as a runway look, but oh-so wearable for the everyday woman.
Ralph Lauren: Skin
I loved this ‘Skin’ look last week at New York Fashion week and am a big fan of Makeup Director Tom Pecheux. Sometimes less is best with beauty and this look is pure example of that.
Beautiful skin and soft accents allowing the accessories pop is just stunning; fresh, but still sculpted is a big trend, using contouring tones to give lift where needed and can be worn day through to the night as it is a classic look, then, if needed, add a bolder lip if you were taking your look to the next level.
How-To:
- Always hydrate the skin first… You want to instantly infuse water into the skin to create a smoother, plump finish to combat any dehydration
- Then prime… Depending on your skin type is the primer you will then need! Pore refining for oily skin, or illuminating for dry skin.
- I sometimes use a pore refining primer for the T Zone, than illuminating primer on the outer areas of the face, or where light is needed to brighten… Layering is a great way to get the tailored result you may need.
- Now that your skin has light added and is plump with moisture, foundation is perfect to be applied, starting in the centre of the face and sweeping outwards, to avoid any build up lines around the outer edges.
- Concealer should be used in a slightly deeper (yellow) tone for dark
- Circles and once covered, apply a lighter concealer over the top for a complete fresh under eye approach – lighter concealer can be placed over foundation anywhere that needs a little lift or brightening.
MB PRO TIP: Your foundation should not be the same thickness or even cover the entire face, let your real skin show through where possible to avoid looking over made up. Cover only what you need and adding light to the face will always create more of a glow than just foundation alone.
Complete the Look:
To complete this look, apply a bronzer as a contour, adding some shading under your cheekbone to create a lift and also on the eye socket area to give depth… Shading these areas is a little bit of sculpting to give promote the area and using a bronzer shade is more uplifting than some general contouring shades like a taupe.
Add mascara and some brow powder to give frame, focus and lift to the face, then bite your lip, take note of the colour your lip turns and this is then the lipstick shade you should be wearing daily…
The lip and brow show balance the look out perfectly and having the sculpted cheekbone gives shape to the face when wearing such neutral tones.
Tom Ford: Eyes
Makeup heroine Charlotte Tilbury created this “polished, modern and expensive pock chic look” for Tom Ford’s SS15 show at London Fashion Week” earlier in the week.
I love the drama in the eye as it pulls immediate focus, with every other makeup element so balanced, giving the eye this moment down the catwalk. Smokey eyes have changed and modernized over the years and the best thing about this look is you can tailor it to your eye shape and wear only a pencil smudged for day and then add shadows for night.
How-To:
When seeing an eye like this, you could easily think it takes just one black eye shadow and you are done, but trust me, it’s not. You don’t want the look to be all one shade as it can really take over, close the eyes for some and just be a bit flat… Work up to the end results depth by layering similar shades and you will find more success with a smokey eye.
- Prime the eye with very little concealer nothing too thin in texture as it may crease as the eye moves all day – this gives any next product something to hold too for longevity.
- I usually start any smokey eye I create, with any shade, with a soft eyeliner or kohl pencil… Applying the liner generously around the eye, in the shape you want for the eye, then using a small firm brush to then blend upwards into the eye socket will give you a great smokey eye base – in some cases, this could be enough for some, especially for the day.
- Then apply the chosen eye shadow shade over the stenciled eyeliner to create more depth… The eyeliner already smudged into the socket gives you a great guide and this new shade should be a medium to dark shade.
- Feel free to then re-apply a darker liner, in this case for Tom Ford a black was used, to deepen and smudge up the edges of the eye, creating the not so precise, rock chic look.
- Use a metallic shade, matching the smokey colours right on the mobile eyelid, this will give some light and reflect when the eye moves to give a lift – will show when you blink.
- Lastly use a clean fluffy eye brush to soften edges and blend up and outwards into brow area, so the smokey look is blended to perfection.
MB PRO TIP: Layering 2-3 shades or eye products together gives texture to the eye rather than one flat colour.
Complete the Look:
This look doesn’t an overly styled brow as the eye is the focus but also the ‘rock’ look should only require brushing the brows upwards. Conceal concerned areas present on the skin, but don’t over conceal as this look has a modern edge rather than a pretty skin approach.
A little contour under the cheekbone using that trusty multi-tasking bronzer and a nude/preach lip to add a hint of colour, making the look more in line with Spring Summer – This woman is edgy and confident!
Burberry Prorsum: Lips
Burberry never disappoints in any season and their SS15 collection burst into colour on the runway this week at London Fashion Week. Artistic Consultant for Burberry Beauty, Wendy Rowe created what was named the ‘Birds and Bee’s’ look for Burberry with tawny eyes and ruby red lips as the focal point amongst a busy with colour collection.
When wearing loud, bold prints and colours, it is important to not go overboard with beauty, it might get lost amongst the boldness of the garment or just become a little too much. A bold lip with a neutral palette was a wise choice in such a colourful display such as this.
This stand out lip is a combination of Burberry Lipstick in Ruby and Lip Pencil in Brick Red and I LOVE it! It is a great red for summer as it is not too blue; it pops very well and would be good on all skin tones.
How-To:
- When exfoliating in the shower (once a week should be plenty) gently take your exfoliant to your lip and very gently exfoliate in circular motions, lips get dead skin cells too!
- Always hydrate your lip before lipstick application, but apply this at time of skincare so the lip is not to slippery for lipstick, you will have no hold otherwise.
- I like to apply lipstick in its first touch to the lip with my fingertips… This will give a great bond with a dabbing application – a lovely stain effect is seen and can be layered to desired pigment level.
- Once this base has been applied, either keep the ‘Stain’ effect, or re-apply colour with a lip brush for a more precise application – the more you apply over the top of the stain application, the more transfer of lipstick may occur…
- Next to really sharpen the lip edge, as seen at the Burberry SS15 Show, use a lip liner and trace around lip edges for that perfect pout.
MB PRO TIP: Only add a gloss or a lighter coloured lipstick in centre of lips if a small mouth is present – it will then appear plumper using a highlight on centre of the mouth.
*To avoid lipstick transfer, avoid only using a lip brush as you are then placing lipstick on the lips, like painting… Lipstick needs to bond to the lip to last, which is why starting off your application with your fingertip works well for this.
Complete the Look:
Once again a Tawny/Taupe bronzer shade works a treat for lifting the cheekbones and eye sockets.
Apply mascara, add a little brow powder, brush them up and you are on your way to success!
In Summary:
So ladies, fresh tones, focal points (preferably one – skin, eyes or lip) and a light contouring for face shaping is so far ruling the runways… I think we can handle that?
My fave all rounder Spring Summer Product goes too… BRONZER!