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.
No comments:
Post a Comment