The makeup artist reveals her secrets to flawless makeup
Famous for the signature clean, dewy, and never-overdone looks she creates,
Gucci Westman is a rare breed of makeup artist equally beloved
in the inner circles of fashion and in Hollywood
What is the secret to creating an impeccable complexion?
If you really want to see a difference, prepping before makeup is key.
When I have time with a client, I usually use a light scrub,
followed by a moisturizer, and then a brightening cloth mask
on top for a few minutes. Once I remove the mask, I massage
any remaining product into the skin. It makes a great base
and helps the makeup settle in to look more natural.
Any tips to avoid caked-on coverage?
Don’t use foundation all over. Dab a yellow-based color-corrector
cream on areas with redness, or a rosier shade to brighten,
and then apply foundation where it’s needed, mostly to even out
tone under the eyes and the chin. I like to use my fingers
first to warm the makeup so it easily absorbs into the skin.
Feather it with a dry foundation brush, sweeping down and out
to blend it into the jawline. Most people’s complexions aren’t just one color
you may want to invest in a few different shades of
concealer and foundation.
What’s the best lip to pair with a nearly naked face?
Nothing beats a classic matte mouth it lasts for hours.
If it’s a browner color, I’ll dab the lipstick onto lids
with my finger. If it’s a pinkier hue, I’ll try it on the cheeks.
Sometimes it’s nice to keep things monochromatic.
How do you make features pop?
Contouring is a great way to bring out your bone structure.
Add a very thin line of cream-based luminizer
down the bridge of the nose, along the cheekbones,
in the tear ducts, and in the Cupid’s bow to make them stand out.
Then use an angled brush to apply a darker powder below
the cheekbone, blending with a foundation
brush to make it look seamless.
What else do you like to sculpt?
To create dimension in the eye, vary the shades
of shadow on the lid. Make an ivory line close to the lashes,
then use a taupe in the socket. It’s an old drag queen trick!
Can you do that with brighter colors?
Absolutely. I recently did the same thing on a shoot with
the new Revlon eye-shadow quad in my collection,
using the brown tone close to the lashes,
coral in the middle, and blue closer to the brow.
It’s the gradation of color from light to dark
that opens up the eyes.
So what shade are you feeling for spring?
Coral is the color right now. I’m obsessed with the version
in my quad and have been applying the powder to cheeks,
lids, and moisturized lips. It’s so bright
Remember ladies as what Calvin Klein said
Be careful in applying makeup because sometimes
when we like it to much the more we pack on
to make it obvious, just stick to the
rule a little bit goes a long way.
an article by ELLE.COM
xoxo miki ♥
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