Beauty basics: transform your look

Make-up not only transforms your face, it can make you feel good, too. Nikki Goldstein shows you two modern yet simple looks that will turn up the volume on your ‘wow’ factor.

Whether you’re 16 or 76, it’s possible to make up your face so you look and feel great. You don’t need a million products to transform your look; all you need is a little time to try our techniques, and a sense that make-up is about having fun.

There is something irresistibly seductive about make-up. The glistening tubes of lipstick that promise to paint your lips the colour of a just-bitten cherry, the little pots of eyeshadow that shimmer like taffeta in their come-hither jars, demanding your attention as you eye them off in the department store lights… these are the accoutrements of beauty that few modern women can live without. Make-up has a siren’s song that speaks the language of femininity.

Make-up has the ability to transform us from ‘so-so’ to stunning in a nanosecond. And it’s not just about the way we look. It’s amazing how powerful the effects of strategically applied colour are on your self-esteem. Kate, a film producer, agrees. “I can be feeling really ‘blah’ and as soon as I slap on some foundation and put on some mascara, I instantly feel better about myself. I feel as though I can conquer the world; or at least my little corner of it,” she says. 

It’s easy for us to judge ourselves as superficial because we’re so susceptible to feeling better merely because we look better, but the fact is, women do feel better about themselves with their faces adorned. Take for example what happened in the US in the 1940s.

Having entered World War II, the government ordered a 20 per cent cut in cosmetics manufacture to conserve metal and mineral oil. Four months later the order was rescinded due to overwhelming demand. Women argued that lipstick was so essential to morale it would compromise the war effort if it were banned.

Women suffering cancer know the transformative power of make-up, too. A glance at the Look Good...Feel Better website, www.lookgoodfeelbetter.org, an organisation that helps women with cancer by supplying them with wigs and holding make-up workshops, clearly reveals how a little dose of kindness and a dab of colour can help a woman cope with the debilitating effects of the disease. “The program [Look Good...Feel Better] has given me an immeasurable gift. It made me feel special and beautiful, gave me back my confidence and made me feel feminine again,” writes one grateful recipient.

There’s hardly a woman alive who doesn’t long to be made-over with make-up. Even women who don’t wear it often enjoy it when they do. “I’m not a big fan of make-up,” says Chris, a stay-at-home mum. “But even I like the look and feel of a little gloss on my lips when I go out to dinner with my husband. It marks the event as special,” she says.

Whether you are 16 or 76, it’s possible to make up your face so you look and feel great. You don’t need a million products to transform your look; what you need is some time to try our tips and techniques, and a sense that make-up is about having fun and lifting your mood.

We asked Anne Carullo, senior vice president of global product innovation for Estée Lauder, to give us her secrets on how to make over your face – and while you’re at it, your confidence, too.

Get the right attitude

“I was the most unlikely person to go into the cosmetics industry. I grew up with three brothers and we would play basketball and baseball,” says Anne. But she was always intrigued by the idea that she could help women look and feel better with improved cosmetic technology. “The trick is to use good products that give you control, skincare that produces genuine results, and make-up that looks as good on your skin as it does in the packaging,” she says.

Anne has given us her tips and techniques for a very modern look, ‘Metallic Magic’, as well as a simple, pretty, everyday maquillage called ‘New Romantic’, that will flatter your features. Whichever look inspires you, put on your make-up with pride.

Metallic Magic

“Metallics are hot, hot, hot!” says Anne. “They can look precious and sheer, or heavy-handed, depending on how much you apply and where you apply them,” she explains. Silver, gold, rose, bronze and copper are all shades of the moment. “The key to creating a glamorous, knock-’em-dead face is to work with your features,” she reveals.

Anne’s philosophy is simple: if your eyes are your best feature, play them up with metallic shadow or eyeliner. If your lips are your best feature, bring them out with a shimmery lipstick or gloss, and if you’re blessed with great skin then make the most of it with a pearlised primer or pigment.

As a general rule, frosty, icy colours such as silver, white and shell pink work best on paler complexions, while copper, bronze and gold look better on warmer skin tones. But if you want extra drama, go for shades that compete with your natural eye colour. “Grey, silver and white can make a brown eye ‘pop’, while gold and bronze make a blue eye stand out,” says Anne. Try Max Factor Lasting Colour Eye Shadow, $12.45, in shades such as Silver Energy and Hollywood Gold, for a subtle take on the latest metallic hues.

The reason shimmering shades have been around for the past few seasons is that ultimately they’re very flattering. “Shimmer gives the illusion of light on the skin,” says Anne. “And what woman doesn’t want her face to look glowing and illuminated?” The easiest way to wear shimmer is to apply a sheer veil of pigment over the eyelids or use a pearl-flecked lipgloss. “You can’t go wrong when you keep it simple,” adds Anne.

It is wise to be a little cautious with shimmer if you have any wrinkling around the eyes or cheekbones, as this can look exaggerated with shine. “If you’re concerned about lines, use a metallic pencil to rim the eyes instead – you’ll get the look without risking an ageing effect,” says Anne.

New Romantic

“Pastels can make the face look very pretty and fresh, especially in spring,” says Anne, who likes to start with a creamy, matt foundation. “Create a soft canvas with a foundation that delivers good, even coverage, yet keeps the complexion dewy,” she suggests. Try Clarins Truly Matte Foundation, $60, which comes in six different shades.

A pink blush applied to the apples of the cheeks is the next step. “Think of a Botticelli angel,” says Anne. “Keep it neutral by blending the colour really well into the skin.” The newest powder blushes deliver a light veil of colour, while a cream blush rubbed into the skin will give you a more modern look. We like an apricot hue for this season’s pretty visage. Try i.d. Bare Escentuals bareMinerals Clear Radiance, $70, a translucent powder that brightens cheeks with a flick of a brush.

Violet and indigo are the key colours this season, so it’s a good idea to master them now. Anne suggests rimming eyes with a violet or blue pencil, then going over it with a metallic violet or navy shade to give depth to the eyes. “This is a very romantic look,” she says.

To keep your look alluring but not overdone, etch in brows with a shade that matches your natural brow colour, then apply mascara to your lashes. “Don’t be heavy-handed with the mascara,” cautions Anne. “Right now it’s about keeping your face sheer, light and radiant, without too much embellishment.”

Finally, apply a neutral lipstick and coat it in a lightly shimmering lipgloss. “Reach for pink or cherry. They bring instant prettiness to the complexion and offer a no-fail, no-fuss way to update your look with confidence,” says Anne. Our pick this season is Elizabeth Arden Cool Blue Hot Bronze Sheer Tint Lip Balm, $32, in Berry Sun.

 

Photography: Steven Chee. Styling: Nadene Duncan. Hair & make-up: Angie Barton.