Rescu. Beauty and makeup expert, Napoleon Perdis, shares his top three beauty inspirations from the 84th Academy Awards and how you can achieve these looks at home!
THE NEW NUDE
Beautyflash: Nude has never been more prominent on the beauty landscape than it is now. Not only was it strong on the runways of New York, Milan, and Paris these past few weeks, it’s also edged its way onto the red carpet. At the Oscars, Kate Bosworth went as close to bare faced as a celeb can get away with under those lights and HD cameras with a hint of mascara on her top lashes, a subtle flush apricot to bring out her cheeks and her gorgeous natural lip colour topped with a soft gloss. George Clooney’s Stacey Keibler stepped it up by adding a subtle hint of black at the outer corner of her top lash line to add volume and thickness to her lashes. While Gwyneth upped the glam count by teaming nude cheeks and lips with smudged, smoky definition on the top lash line.
But back to reality…When many women think ‘nude’ they think it’s about literally wearing next to no makeup. But the new nude is about a more glamorous interpretation; there’s definitely makeup but it appears effortless. Skin texture is flawless but fresh, foundation and concealer is worked until it appears ‘skinvisible’. Eyes are either completely nude, or subtle definition is used on the top lash line to accentuate the lashes. Any colour on the cheeks should be lightly applied to look like your natural flush and lips are finished with a slick of gloss.
5 WAYS TO WORK THE NEW NUDE
1. As complexion perfection is the hero of this look, treat your skin to a hydrating serum and allow to soak into the skin for a few minutes before using a primer (opt for a mattifying formula if you are prone to oil, a brightening primer if your skin needs a lift) to perfect skin texture. Apply with your foundation brush as normal and be sure to work well into any areas of concern.
2. I love a light, sheer base when working a nude look and tend to go for a lightweight liquid foundation or a tinted moisturizer. But you can even dilute your favourite foundation by mixing with a little primer and apply it like a wash over the face, always starting in the centre and working outwards. Let’s face it…everyone needs a touch of concealer somewhere – and the nude look requires careful camouflage of any obvious imperfections. It’s easy to get a little heavy-handed, especially around the eyes – it even happens on the red carpet, trust me! – so keep it fresh and light by not using too much product, warming the product up with your fingers or applying with a small blush to keep it light handed.
3. Lash and brow definition is essential when you’re working a softer, more neutral palette. Apply 2-3 coats of mascara to really bring out your eyes. For a more glam nude, add some individual lashes to dial up the volume further. Your brows also play a part in lifting this look; comb your brows into submission and use a natural shade of brow pencil or shadow to accentuate shape. Need more definition around the eyes? Smudge a brown, black, or grey pencil into the top lash line for a subtle smoky effect.
4. Blush colours should be ones that naturally appear in the complexion, like peach, apricot or rose. Apply to the apple of the cheek and sweep up slightly for a healthy glow. I like to fuse cheek colour into your base by taking any product left on your foundation brush and buffing it over your blush application for a truly natural effect.
5. I believe that the most flattering nude lip is close to your natural skin tone but kicked up a notch. Any nude shade of lipstick is improved with a slick of gloss in the centre of the lip and helpsIf your natural lip tone is uneven or particularly muted then try a gloss with a subtle pink hue which will gently stain the lip. That hint of colour smooths the tone in your lips for a perfected but nude finish.
WINGED EYE-LINER
Another key trend seen at the Oscars this year was flirty, flicked eyeliner. Chanelling the 50’s and 60’s, the line was winged but wearable! Winged liner lifts and elongates the eyes for a flirty, feminine finish with a touch of retro glamour. Budge-proof formulas like gel liners or an eays-to-use pen liner work best for this effect and trying to achieve a ‘flick’, preventing overly thick lines and fuzzy edges. I particularly loved the classic 50s liner on Jessica Chastain and Emma Stone, paired with subtle shimmer on the lid and coupled with a faux lash. JLo’s look was more 60s inspired with a strong contour through the inner socket, her liner extending from the lower lash line to extend the length of the eye.
5 WAYS TO WING IT:
1. Mascara first! Keep the density even from root to tip and all the way along the lash line. Your liner will then follow and accentuate both your eye shape and the thickness of your lash.
2. Brows are important here too; they need to be carefully groomed and clearly defined. The line you’ll follow to create your ‘flick’ will flow from the outer corner of your eye up to the end of your brow, so it’s important that your brows are perfected before you apply your liner. Brush them or use a little gel to keep them in place.
3. Time to line! Start from the outer corner of the top lash line and work towards the inner corner, keeping it as close to the root of the lash line as you can. Use short, steady-handed strokes with your brush or pen to keep the line clean. (Rest your elbow on a flat surface if you have a shaky hand.) Continue along the top lash line, graduating the line to a fine point as it reaches the inner corner of the eye. If the line needs a little correcting, roll a cotton tip through a bit of primer or makeup remover and clean up the line.
4. Now for the flick. First mark out the angle you’ll need to follow. With your eyes open, look straight into the mirror. Take a brush and hold it to mark the outer corner of your eye up to the end of your brow – this is the angle your line should extend on. Think about how long/thick your want your ‘flick’ and make a faint little mark with your liner. The longer the line the more dramatic the effect.
5. Time to join the dots. Join your marker to the end of the line on your top lash line and continue to smooth the flick until your line is perfected. Your flick should taper to a very fine point. Correct the line with a cotton tip and primer so that it’s perfect. Finish with a further two coats of mascara, coating the lashes evenly from the roots to the tips for the perfect compliment to the liner.
PRETTY AND PINK
The Oscars also saw the return of pure, feminine beauty, though the look was slightly more delicate and romantic than previous seasons. Pink takes a starring role: soft, pretty hues on the eyes (especially good on deep brown eyes) and cheeks but with a stronger rose hue on the lips. Michelle Williams was a vision with her not-quite-fuchsia stained lip and pixie crop. Kate Mara also deserved props for working hues of pink and lavender around her eyes. Cameron Diaz wore pink perfectly, sporting a soft lip and a rosy flush on the cheeks.
5 WAYS TO PULL OFF PINK
1. This is an easy look to get right but the key lies in keeping it subtle. Just a touch of pink on the eyes, cheeks and lips or focus on just one area. If you’re doing a stronger pink lip, keep the eyes to a light champagne shade of shadow. If you’ve never worn pink before, an easy way to toe dip into the trend is to stain the lips by pressing a fuchsia lipstick with your finger tip for a softer effect.
2. To play up pink on the eyes try using a soft hue with a subtle gold fleck to keep the effect warm and wearable. Sweep over the eye lid with a soft fluffy eye shadow brush or press into the lid for a stronger application of colour. To add definition, take a deeper rosy pink and either sweep through the socket or press into the outer corner of the top lash line for a little more definition.
3. If you love a liner then try a metallic copper – gorgeous when paired with pink! Smudge into the lower lash line for extra definition and sweep a little of your soft pink shadow over the top to blend.
4. Keep a pink blush strictly to the apples of the cheeks. Never contour with a pink, it will take your look from pretty and soft to pretty out there. If you can’t find the apple of your cheek, look in the mirror and smile – the fleshy part that accentuates when you smile is the apple.
5. Soft pink lipsticks work well for the red carpet or a special event as they have more staying power than a gloss. For a richer pink try using a deeper pink lipstick to stain your lips then coat with a soft pink over the top. Always keep your lip line clean, when pink hits the skin around the lip it can stain, so be precise in your application.
