How to avoid beauty blunders

It all happened so suddenly. One day your face looked youthfully fresh like Dakota Fanning, then somehow things took a left turn and you started to look over-primped à la Christina Aguilera. It happens to the best of us, really. The thing to do is acknowledge it and move on toward makeup recovery.

Foundation Fix

Is your face a different shade than your neck? Yikes yes, but fret not. It just means that you’ve got a little work ahead of you to find the best foundation to balance your tones. Usually women choose foundation that’s too dark. Try the foundation out on your jawbone first, to make sure it blends in flawlessly. Another common problem is the use of a foundation that’s too “cakey.” Leave those Max Factor Pan-Cake days behind you and embrace a more sheer coverage. Use a light, liquid foundation and use concealer only where you need it.

Concealer Reveal

This common problem is easy to spot. Is that caked up concealer on your chin? Or perhaps you’ve created the reverse raccoon look in an attempt to hide those dark circles from one sleepless night too many. Use concealer that matches your skin tone and not one that’s too light. For pale skin, use a light beige with yellow undertones. For olive skin, use a medium beige with pink undertones. And for darker skin, try a medium to medium-dark shade with peach undertones. Apply with a flat concealer brush for the best control. The key here is to blend so it looks natural.

Anorexic Brows

Let’s face it the ‘20s are over, and so are those super-skinny eyebrows that were so popular back in the jazz age. And yet there are still far too many gals who have over-plucked their brows. Leave the grooming to a professional and get going on growing them out. While in transition, you can tame those unruly hairs with an eyebrow styling gel or clear mascara. Fill them in using a thin, stiff-angled brush with an eyeshadow one shade lighter than your eyebrow color. Use short movements to replicate actual hairs to avoid the block look. It might take a while to grow them back, but the results will be worth it.

Blush Lush

No one wants to look like they just walked off the set of Dynasty. If you’re often getting asked if you just got back from the gym, or if you’re feeling flush, take a hint. It’s time to tone that blush down. If you have fair skin, go pink. For medium skin, go coral, as it looks gorgeous on most skin tones. Try an orangey coral rather than a pinkish one though. Dark skin becomes bolder with a vibrant orange or fuchsia. Remember, less is more and apply with a natural bristle brush.

Black to Back

We all loved the Amy Winehouse retro liner look back in the late 2000s, but some things are better left last decade. If you’re still rocking that very black liquid liner, it’s time to take things down a notch and embrace a softer, more natural look once again. Is black the right colour for you, or would dark brown or even eggplant serve you better as eyeliner options? Use a powdered eyeshadow and a slightly damp eyeliner brush to get a soft line close to the lash base. This will result in a softer look that will get you back to your beautiful, natural self.

Classic Beauty Winners

Do you get confused when shopping for cosmetics? With new beauty products constantly bombarding the shelves, who can keep up with the latest beauty buzz? Well, there are some makeup staples that have proven themselves and are recommended by make up artists, beauty bloggers, and beauty editors all over the world. Here’s a cheat sheet for you to get in the loop.

Mascara Magic

Introduced in 1971, Maybelline’s Great Lash Mascara is still the number-one best selling beauty product in the world. It’s a light mascara that gives a natural effect. It’s also a slow builder, so you can put on many layers without worrying about clumping. Lancôme Definicils is often touted as the best lengthening mascara out there. It works well at elongating and separating, without buildup. If it’s volume you’re after, Diorshow by Dior is the ultimate choice for that special night out. Lancôme’s best thickening mascara is their Hypnose, which is also great for length. And if drugstore brands are more your speed, L’Oréal’s Voluminous mascara is a great choice for faking fake lashes.

Conceal and Reveal

Finding the perfect concealer that will hide facial flaws without caking up your skin is a challenge. Yves Saint Laurent’s Touche Éclat has long been a cult classic for beauty and fashion editors alike. It’s a concealer and highlighter, which is great for hiding those under eye circles, earned from champagne late-nighters during fashion week. Laura Mercier’s Secret Concealer is moisture rich and especially designed for under the eyes. Lancôme Effacernes is a newer kid on the block but has won many hearts with its creamy coverage. Bobby Brown’s Creamy Concealer kit comes complete with a powder that creates a dynamic duo for a moisturizing effect without the sheen. Smashbox Camera Ready Full Coverage Concealer is a thicker texture that can conceal anything; just use minimally to avoid buildup.

The Perfect Powder

Mineral powder/foundations are hot and Bare Escentuals come out on top of the pack. They have fifteen different shades so you’re bound to find a good match. Laura Mercier’s Mineral Powder has an SPF 15 and gives a luminous complexion. Givenchy’s Prisme Loose Powder is a quad that gives you a gentle glow with its tiny particles. Guerlain Les Meteorites Powder has four colours of pearl that highlight, brighten, and tone down redness. This is the beauty editor’s secret to irridescent skin. If you’re looking for that perfect pressed powder, try L’Oréal’s True Match Powder, it’s the drugstore choice winner.

Luscious Lips

While lipsticks certainly aren’t passé, most modern gals favour lip gloss for their everyday choice. Juicy Tubes by Lancôme is a classic that has been a mainstay in many girl’s gloss gamut for awhile. Their many colours and flavours is what keeps everyone addicted to them. Smashbox’s Lip Enhancing Gloss is ultra-moisturizing with both vitamin E and sunflower seed oil. Going even more natural is the Bare Escentuals Lip Gloss that is free from preservatives, parabens and artificial dyes. Bare Escentuals also has a Buxom line, which offers a natural lip plumper to give enhanced, juicy lips. Fusion Beauty’s LipFusion Micro-Injected Collagen Shine may sound like a mouthful, but it will definitely make your lips look full.

Mega Moisturizers

First developed by a NASA scientist, Crème de la Mer is an icon in the beauty world. It’s sworn by many to be the most intensive moisture out there for dry skin. But if you prefer a moisturizer that doesn’t cost as much as a pair of designer shoes, Philosophy’s Hope In a Jar might be right for you. It’s 99.9% oil-free, lightweight, and it hydrates, exfoliates and protects the skin. Clinique’s Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion is another popular lightweight lotion that has been a favorite for over forty years. If you prefer a lotion specially created to treat wrinkles, then the Olay Regenerist UV Defense Regenerating Lotion is a refreshing option. The best in category drugstore option is the Aveeno Ultra-Calming Daily Moisturizer with SPF 15; this lightweight moisturizer has made the grade for sensitive skin.

Plucked your eyebrows to death? Hi-tech transplants can bring them back to life

The bold and the beautiful: Make a statement with your eyebrows

The bold, defined brow remains a beauty staple: everyone, from catwalk models to Hollywood actresses (see Megan Fox’s Ava Gardner arches) is going for big brows.

But what if yours are fine, fair or straggly? Well, panic not. A host of high-tech treatments will give you back the brows you plucked into extinction, or simply never had in the first place.

Transplants and semi-permanent solutions are now more convincing than ever.

In the past few years, hair transplant surgery has become far more sophisticated.

Previously, it was almost impossible to replicate the natural angle and growth of the eyebrow and lashes.

Now, one follicle can be implanted at a time, and, crucially, surgeons are able to control the precise angle of the hair, which is very acute in eyebrows.

This new know-how can now be used to implant hairs into the lashline, too, giving you a fuller, thicker set of lashes.

Dr Bessam Farjo, who has been working on hair loss treatments and transplants since 1992, explains that hair transplant techniques have rapidly advanced since the days of plug-grafts.

During the latest procedures, a very thin strip of skin (6-7 cm long, and 4-5mm wide) is taken from the area of the scalp where the hair is softest.

The surgeon then removes each hair from the piece of skin with a thin needle. Next, he makes up to 50 tiny incisions with a scalpel where the eyebrow should be, and, using a needle, inserts each hair follicle into the incisions.

SLOW GROW

On average, it takes 65 days for an eyebrow hair to grow back after it's been plucked

The results are not immediate: it takes two to three months for the new hair to grow through the skin, and up to six months for a well-defined eyebrow. The new brows need trimming about once a month as the hair continues to grow as it would on your head.

Mary Hornby, 30, from Sale in Greater Manchester, underwent an eyebrow transplant with Dr Farjo. She began tampering with her brows at just 14: ‘I would over-pluck and be left with pencil-thin eyebrows, which at the time didn’t bother me,’ she says. 

‘As I got older and wanted a fuller shape and I tried to grow them out. But repeated plucking had meant they had stopped growing.’

She found the surgery ‘a breeze’ - even if a somewhat lengthy three hours. ‘It was completely painless and all done under local anaesthetic,’ she says.

‘It took about six months for me to start seeing the results, but now I couldn’t be more thrilled. Dr Farjo has done an amazing job, easily surpassing my expectations and leaving me with beautiful, natural, full eyebrows.’

Eyelash transplants are more complicated, because of the delicate nature of the eyelid The cost for eyebrow transplantation is around £3,500, and about £3,000 for eyelashes. (Prices vary depending on the treatment required; go to www.farjo.com for information.)

Highbrow: Jennifer Connelly, Emma Watson and Keira Knightley have enviable thick, dark eyebrows

Semi-permanent make-up has come on in leaps and bounds recently, too. Tattooing with ink, though, is now a beauty no-no. Ground-up mineral pigments are used instead for more realistic, subtler tones.

Try Tracie Giles’ 3D Hair By Hair Perfect Brows ( traciegilesinternational.com, £495-£650). The colour is custom-blended, so you can find the exact shade to match your skin tone and hair.

After using callipers to measure the face, Tracie draws on the suggested brow shape. ‘I always select a shape that will suit the face. Most people’s faces are not symmetrical, and giving them symmetrical brows can highlight that.’

Next, Tracie draws in the brow, hair by hair, using ultrafine needles. Avoiding a blocky line makes the look more natural. Apparently it’s just a bit more painful than being plucked or threaded.

Susan Bookbinder, newsreader and presenter of East Midlands Today, is in her early 40s and had noticed that her brows had become sparser with age.

‘I’d always had thick, dark brows, which I loved. But as I got older, I noticed they were less defined, and that they drooped slightly’

Susan had her brows drawn in by Tracie in September 2008. ‘Friends asked if I’d had a facelift,’ she says. ‘Tracie redefined the top line of my brow, giving me back that arch, and making me look more wide-eyed.’

Because the colour fades with time, you’ll need to top up every 18 months. Will Susan be going back?

‘Definitely,’ she says. ‘Tracie gave me back the definition I’d lost.’

 

BAFTA BEAUTY SECRETS

The British Academy Awards are on Sunday, and all eyes will be on the stars as they face the flashbulbs on the red carpet. Nobody knows how to do red carpet looks better than Lancome make-up artist BENJAMIN ROUSSEAU, the man behind the faces of many award-winning leading ladies - and men at last year's ceremony. Here, he reveals his ten steps to red carpet perfection...

1. PREPARING A CAMERA-READY CANVAS (Gemma Arterton)

Aside from getting plenty of rest and drinking lots of water, great-looking skin starts with weekly exfoliation. In the case of a big event, it's a good idea, too, to have a facial a couple of days beforehand. Clogged pores and dry, flaky skin will not give your base the opportunity to achieve that flawless, smooth finish.

At last year's Baftas, Gemma Arterton had just moved house and felt her skin was a little stressed, so I used a recharging day cream to restore smoothness and even out skin texture.

Glowing skin: Gemma Arterton, left, and Sharon Stone

2. A FLAWLESS BASE (Sharon Stone)

Flawless base: Benjamin used Lancôme Photogenic Lumessence on Sharon Stone

Complexion is a top priority for red carpet beauty, and skin needs to look flawless. The aim is fresh, radiant-looking skin - nothing too heavy or mask-like. A good primer will help to fill in pores and fine wrinkles, allowing your base to go on more smoothly.

Primers also prolong your foundation's staying power, even under hot lights or when camera bulbs are coming at you from every angle. It's a good idea to mix your regular foundation with a yellow-based foundation, as flash photography emphasises pink tones.

This will also help to neutralise and smooth out imperfections. In addition, as we age, our skin dries, so choose a foundation that will give you a dewy, radiant effect.

I used Lancôme's Photogenic Lumessence (£26.50) on Sharon Stone backstage at last year's awards. It brings a luminosity to the skin and is very comfortable to wear, keeping skin feeling hydrated for hours. It's great to apply where you need light to fully reflect on the face - the middle of the forehead, tops of cheeks and temples.

3. SPARKLING EYES (Marion Cotillard)

Use a dark liner to frame large eyes, like Marion Cotillard's. Don't join the liner from top to bottom, but leave a gap on the outer corner as this will really open up the eyes. Then zig-zag your mascara from root to tip, paying extra attention to the outer corners.

If you like to control the volume of your lashes, use a thinner brush so you can build as much or as little volume as you desire. With concealer, concentrate on the inner corners of the eye so they don't look sunken.

You can also apply on the cheekbones and cupid bow to give your highlighter added glossiness, and underneath the eyebrow to give a 'lifting' effect.

Sparkling eyes: Marion Cotillard and Daniel Craig

4. A GREAT MAN TAN (Daniel Craig)

To add a touch of colour or a sun-kissed glow on the men, I use a mineral bronzer on the part of the face where the sun would naturally 'touch' your skin - usually the forehead, bridge of the nose, top of the cheekbones and jaw line.

Shine like a star: Lancôme's limited-edition Swarovski O My Rose blusher palette was created in honour of the Baftas. £45, exclusive to Selfridges

On Daniel Craig last year, I mixed a little bit of moisturiser with the bronzing powder. The light-reflecting minerals created a natural-looking tan with even skin texture. In fact, when I came round to doing Sir Ben Kingsley, his only request was: 'Make me look like Daniel Craig.'

5. THE PERFECT POUT (Emma Watson)

Over the past few years, there has been a trend for bolder lip colours on many of the leading ladies. Neutral and pale lip colours can look washed out in photographs, so it's advisable to choose a colour that is a couple of shades brighter than you'd usually wear.

Start with a lip moisturiser to prevent feathering. Then fill in lips with a lip pencil. For a small upper lip, I tend to fill using a lighter shade than the lower lip. For full upper lips, I do the reverse. Next, apply your lip colour - you'll need something that is long-lasting and hydrating.

Keep blotting, after re-applying, then lightly dust over some loose powder and finish with a final blot.

For Emma Watson at last year's ceremony, I used an intensely rich glossy colour, which was perfect for someone who likes the colour of lipstick and the shine of gloss, with the added benefit of being long-lasting.

Perfect pouts: Goldie Hawn, left, and Emma Watson

6. A SHINE-FREE FACE (Goldie Hawn)

A matte foundation is crucial, as no one likes to see themselves looking shiny. Goldie Hawn requested a fresh and smooth complexion, so we used a primer to even the skin.

Set your foundation using a loose powder, starting at the centre of the face and moving outwards. Once you have finished your full make-up, lightly dab powder all over once more for a sheer effect.

Ideally, choose a powder that absorbs excess oil without leaving a powdery finish. Remove any excess powder with a clean, large brush. This will help avoid excess powder settling into fine lines, which exaggerates them.

7. SMUDGE-FREE EYES (Kate Winslet)

A waterproof mascara is vital for nominees - acceptance speeches would be disastrous otherwise - and sometimes, under the heat and glare of the lights, eye make-up can be prone to smudging. If I'm creating a smoky eye, it's always useful to use a waterproof eyeliner on the eyelids.

If the shadow comes off later on in the evening, there will always be remaining colour underneath, so you don't end up looking dishevelled.

British glamour: Kate Winslet and James McAvoy

8. COOL HANDS (James McAvoy)

Hands may be seen in a close-up shot when clasping an award on stage. On the ladies' hands, I use a little bit of foundation mixed with moisturiser over the back of the hand, then dust bronzing powder over the boney part to make hands look healthy.

Definitely have a manicure for a polished look. On the men, I just use a little bit of bronzing powder (foundation will be visible if there is hair on the back of hands).Trimmed tidy nails with some clear nail varnish (not shiny) complete their grooming.

9. A HEALTHY SKIN (Christian Slater)

On Christian Slater, I used a little brush-on concealer on the upper part of the eyes and underneath, so that the eyes looked fresh and open. (Choose a fine concealer - it is easy to blend and leaves no traces of panda eyes.)

I also like to create a wet-look effect on the lashes, using a disposable mascara brush and a little clear mascara - men will look like they've just stepped out of the shower.

In the lead-up to the Baftas, there are quite a few parties and dinners where alcohol will be flowing, which is not good news for the skin. A tinted moisturiser keeps skin hydrated and evens the complexion, and then a little dusting of powder all over will create a natural, satin-smooth finish.

Working the red carpet: Christian Slater and Thandie Newton

10. GREAT LASHES (Thandie Newton)

For red carpet occasions, you may decide to have lash extensions, which can last for three weeks or more. When applying mascara, focus on the middle and top of the lashes (not the root), so you don't disturb the lash extensions.

If you'd rather use what you've got, mascara primers are great for adding length and shape. Apply the primer, and immediately after apply your mascara. If you have fair lashes, you may want to consider tinting them. This will give stronger results when applying mascara

THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT... and other backstage dramas

LAST-MINUTE BREAK-OUTS

If it's a new spot, you will need to pop it out using a tissue. Apply an antibacterial lotion to the area to keep it clean and reduce redness. Leave to dry, then soothe skin using a tissue with a little moisturiser on. Remove tissue and mask any redness with a yellow-based concealer before applying foundation.

TIRED (OR HUNGOVER) EYES

After cleansing, a good trick is to soothe the eyes using a cotton pad drenched in eye cream. Leave over the eyes for ten minutes to de-puff and eliminate dark circles.

STRAP MARKS OR A BAD SKI TAN

People wrongly assume they need to use a darker foundation, but this won't match the rest of the skin.

My tip would be to use a lighter foundation or concealer to tone down the colour, blending the edges. Then use your usual foundation (whether for face or body) to even out the discolouration.

A dusting of bronzer will blur the distinction between the light and tanned skin.

OVERPLUCKED EYEBROWS

If you've been too aggressive with the tweezers, choose a soft eyebrow pencil in a shade that matches your natural hair colour.

Start at the highest point of the eyebrow and, with short feathery strokes, work inwards to fill in any gaps, and then brush the hair over the colour you've applied. Then from the highest point, taper the tail of the eyebrow out. The key is to create a subtle but flattering shape.

Finish with a brow gel or a smidgen of hairspray on a disposable mascara wand.

Easy Beauty Changes To Get You Out Of A Rut

Sephora

Welcome to February, dear readers. It’s officially the most depressing month of the year. It’s around this time that we start going a little stir crazy and spend our indoor time playing dress up or experimenting with makeup to change things up a bit. Here, some super easy beauty ideas to entertain, rock for a while, or even make part of your regular regimen.

Try switching your blush, both in texture and color. If your usual tone is pink, go for something more orange. Try out a different finish by subbing your powder for a cream blush or a tint. [Nars cream blush, $25, and Benefit’s Benetint, $28, both at Sephora.com]