Two months, which felt like at least four, with hardly any sun and very limited doses of fresh air… We are all yearning to get out of lockdown but, please, not looking like the cave-women we might feel like.
Moving mainly between the desk and the couch, the kitchen and the bedroom, possibly exercising much less than normally and, between Zoom meetings and Netflix, way too much staring at screens, hasn’t helped making us look better. Getting out of a lockdown is a beauty challenge we have never faced before. Here’s how to emerge with a fresh and glowy makeup, as if you’ve just come back from a lovely mini trip.
Step one. Remove greyness.
(Skip step one, if your lockdown occupation was mostly about new beauty routines. 😉
Everyone else: Give your skin a in-depth overhaul with the Skin Resurfacing Cleanser from Dermalogica. Apply a dab the size of a hazelnut onto your moistened face and gently massage for about 5 minutes. Insist a bit around your nose and on dry areas. Remove carefully with moistened cotton pads. Your skin will come out fresh and rosy, like new.
Step two. Get the sunkissed look.
Not seen a lot of sun these last 8 weeks and looking like it? Fake it until you make it. A bit of a good (!) Selftanner can work wonders. The one I like best is from St Tropez, the gradual tan formula is foolproof and won’t leave telltale stripes. Work small dabs into your skin, there where the sun would hit you: cheeks, forehead and the bridge of your nose. However, avoid areas with widened pores as the selftanner would make them more visible. Blend carefully. Work quickly for an even result and better wear thin gloves to avoid stained hands.
Step three. Smoothen lines
After applying your usual toner and/or cremes, and before any color makeup, apply a bit (really not too much, otherwise we’ll loose the effect) of the Mineralize Time Check Lotion from MAC. This velvety base smoothens your skin, reduces lines and will make your face look more rested and fresher. I’m usually not a great fan of makeup bases, but this one got me convinced. It really does make a visible difference.
Step four. Bring on the glow.
Instead of foundation, try a tinted moisturizer for an naturally even, glowy complexion. From the center of your face, working outwards, dab on a few drops, smoothen and blend gently. I like Laura Mercier’s Tinted Moisturizer or Chantecaille’s Just Skin, they’re really undetectable. If you wonder how to find the colour which suits you perfectly, find here my advice. 🙂
Step five. Get some outdoor freshness.
Dab a bit of rosy or, for warmer complexions peachy cream blush on the top of your cheeks. The powdery texture of Shiseido Whipped Powder or the more fluid one of Yves Saint Laurent Baby Doll Kiss and Blush or Armani’s A-Blush are really easy to apply.
I usually spread a bit of product first on the back of my hand and pick it up from there. This way I get a much more transparent application from the start which will then easier to blend. Forget the 80’s diagonals all the way into your hairline. Think rather oval for a more natural effect. It’s about imitating nature and the goal is a fresh flush, like after a brisk walk.
Step six. Open up your eyes.
The focus will be all on eyes as we are required or expected to wear face masks in public. My favourite “eye opener” is the eyelash curler. For maximum effect curl your lashes as close as possible to your eyelid. Make sure the outer corners are well bent upwards, they will give you “allure”. Then apply mascara, insisting on the roots for a volumizing effect. Keep the ends of the lashes much lighter, it will look more natural. After application, brush your lashes with a clean brush to separate them and remove clumps.
For some extra intensity, pick up a small drop of the mascara fluid with a small brush. Make tiny dots on your eyelid along your lash line. They don’t need to be too regular but should melt into the roots of your lashes. Some of my favorite mascaras are Lancôme’s Hypnôse et Maybelline’s Classic Volum’Express.
If you have a hard time finding your perfect mascara, my article on mascara may help you.
Step seven. Brighten up your smile.
For a natural, glowy look lips don’t need more than a bit of coloured lip balm. Also, with the face masks we’ll wear a lot in the near future, lipstick will be a bit of a waste.
One of my favorite lip balms is Butterstick in Simply Rose from Kiehl’s, for its soft rosy tint and softening properties. If you feel like a bit more colour anyway, have a look at Clinique’s Chubby Sticks for its huge range of pretty transparent reds, pinks and corals. The soft colors work also very well when applied on cheeks as cream blush (see step five).
With these seven steps you’ll achieve a fresh and glowy makeup and you’re all set and ready to catch up on spring.
More personnalized makeup and beauty questions? Please get in touch for a Beauty Coaching session.
*All models featured on the pictures in my blog are made up by me, unless otherwise stated.
By Louise Wittlich
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