Beauty Fix: A party-worthy nail polish colour, the best blush for red lipstick and other answers to your holiday beauty questions
Every week we take on your questions about makeup, skincare, hair and more and provide all the answers. This week, Beauty Fix is kickstarting the holiday season. From lips to nails, we have the tips and trends that will update your style this season. What’s the best blush to pair with a red lipstick? Is there an easy way to master false eyelashes? We have all the answers and more! In need of a beauty fix yourself? Email us at [email protected].
I don’t have the steadiest hands. What’s the best way to apply fake eyelashes without them looking lopsided or crooked?
When it comes to false lashes, if you’re new to the scene but have sought out falsies for a bit of dramatic flair, consider individual false lashes as opposed to strip lashes. This is essentially due to how easy individual lashes are to apply: Strip lashes tend to be more intimidating to work with and it can be a bit tricky to line up the seam of the lashes with your own lashline. The joy of individual lashes, such as Ardell Duralash Individual Lashes in “Flare Short Black” ($6, well.ca), is that you really can’t go too wrong with them.
Prior to applying individual false lashes, be sure to curl your lashes and apply mascara as usual. Grab hold of the false lash cluster with a pair of tweezers and dip it in a small dot of adhesive, such as Ardell LashGrip ($5, well.ca), and then wave the lash cluster around, which will allow the glue to dry a little and become slightly tacky to touch. Place the lash cluster on top of your lashline, nestled between your natural lashes wherever you desire more volume. Lash adhesive is typically white, but dries clear. Once it dries, feel free to apply eyeliner to further conceal the false lash clusters. For the most realistic look, try a lash length that isn’t too different from your own. For a dramatic look, use a mix of individual short and medium-length flared individual lashes clusters.
I loved the eye look at Chanel Spring 2013 and the silver and black makeup seems pretty holiday-appropriate. How can I execute this?
Peter Phillips certainly masterminded a great metallic eye for Chanel’s Spring 2013 runway show, didn’t he? The look was inspired by the concept of “shine”, and that’s evident by the texture of the silver shadow he used, which was extremely eye-catching. To mimic this, try to layer a couple of products to achieve a similar look. Start with a highly reflective base, such as VS Makeup Hypergloss Eye Shimmer in “Night Lights” ($14, victoriassecret.com), blending all over the lid, from lashline to just above your crease (a modification from the original look to make it slightly more wearable for real life). Blend a silver shadow over top of the shimmery base, such as the silver-gray colour from the “Black & Smoky Gray” Yves Rocher Intense Colour Duo Eyeshadow palette ($12, yvesrocher.ca), again from lashline to just above your crease, and into the inner corner, serving as a highlight. Use the black shadow from the duo to line the entire eye softly, staying close to the lashline. Use a black gel liner or freshly sharpened black eyeliner to trace the upper and lower lashline, adding a small flick to the outer corner. Finish the look with an abundance of mascara and a sheer peachy-pink gloss.
I tend to wear a red lip and never really know what kind of cheek colour to pair it with—though I do feel the need to wear something to finish the look. Thoughts?
‘Tis the season for crimson lips, which I think are fantastic for the holiday season and well beyond, so this is a very apt question. Wearing a bright or saturated lip colour can often drain the colour out of our faces almost entirely. Depending on the lip colour you’re sporting, it’s hard to know what will suit the look without pushing it to the point of looking overdone. Sometimes, simply contouring the face with a colour that’s a shade or two darker than your skin tone can be enough to bring you back to life. However, to add another colour that will complement your face, reach for Chanel Joues Contraste in “Reflex” ($48, at Chanel counters). It’s a very flattering peachy colour shot through with gold, which adds glow and dimension to the cheeks, eliminating the need for an additional highlighting product. Tip: If you’re concerned about overapplying blush, reach for a fan brush or duo-fibre stippling brush to disperse the product lightly over the skin.
I feel like I have so little time in the morning and need a really fast foundation routine. How can I speed things up without sacrificing a flawless face?
You’re preaching to the choir, sister! I don’t think there could be a bigger fanatic of a fast foundation application method than me. I have always felt a foundation is one of the most crucial products to invest in and use in the makeup process, as it’s the basis for everything else you put on, so it better look fantastic. In terms of speed, it’s really about the application method you choose: I personally feel finding a functional brush that maximizes the surface area it covers is essential to streamlining a foundation routine.
My two go-to products that work so wonderfully in tandem are Armani Maestro foundation ($68, at Holt Renfrew) and the Sigma Beauty F82 Round Kabuki brush ($18, sigmabeauty.com). Allow me to elaborate on each: the Armani Maestro Foundation formula contains no water or powders, but is actually oil and pigments, which blend out extremely easily and effortlessly on the skin—and a little product goes a long way. The coverage is natural and buildable, and frankly unlike that of any other product I’ve encountered. In terms of how I get this stuff on my face in record-breaking time, I use Sigma Beauty’s F82 Round Kabuki Brush, because it’s fairly large and minimizes brush strokes that are usually left behind by traditional paddle-style foundation brushes. I also love that it’s synthetic, so my skin doesn’t react to the bristles (which can happen with natural hair makeup brushes). A few drops of this Armani foundation on my face and maybe a minute of blending with this Sigma Beauty brush turns what can be a typically tedious routine is suddenly wildly efficient.
It feels a bit obvious to do red nails for the holiday season. Help me mix up my holiday manicure!
I think it’s normal to want to bust out of the red routine, because it can often feel a bit redundant year after year, no? Luckily, there are a slew of metallics to entice you. Metallics are virtually considered neutral at this point in the nail game, so don’t be intimidated by a little shine, especially for the holidays. For something that feels seasonal but isn’t as literal as a red polish, look no further than Butter London nail lacquer in “Scuppered” ($17, butterlondon.ca). This is a copper foil colour brimming with bronze, brown, red and orange glitter and flecks of green. Two coats results in a dimensional finish that looks like a party on your nails. What’s not to love?
, is that you really can't go too wrong with them.
Prior to applying individual false lashes, be sure to curl your lashes and apply mascara as usual. Grab hold of the false lash cluster with a pair of tweezers and dip it in a small dot of adhesive, such as Ardell LashGrip ($5, well.ca), and then wave the lash cluster around, which will allow the glue to dry a little and become slightly tacky to touch. Place the lash cluster on top of your lashline, nestled between your natural lashes wherever you desire more volume. Lash adhesive is typically white, but dries clear. Once it dries, feel free to apply eyeliner to further conceal the false lash clusters. For the most realistic look, try a lash length that isn't too different from your own. For a dramatic look, use a mix of individual short and medium-length flared individual lashes clusters.
I loved the eye look at Chanel Spring 2013 and the silver and black makeup seems pretty holiday-appropriate. How can I execute this?
Peter Phillips certainly masterminded a great metallic eye for Chanel’s Spring 2013 runway show, didn’t he? The look was inspired by the concept of “shine”, and that’s evident by the texture of the silver shadow he used, which was extremely eye-catching. To mimic this, try to layer a couple of products to achieve a similar look. Start with a highly reflective base, such as VS Makeup Hypergloss Eye Shimmer in “Night Lights” ($14, victoriassecret.com), blending all over the lid, from lashline to just above your crease (a modification from the original look to make it slightly more wearable for real life). Blend a silver shadow over top of the shimmery base, such as the silver-gray colour from the “Black & Smoky Gray” Yves Rocher Intense Colour Duo Eyeshadow palette ($12, yvesrocher.ca), again from lashline to just above your crease, and into the inner corner, serving as a highlight. Use the black shadow from the duo to line the entire eye softly, staying close to the lashline. Use a black gel liner or freshly sharpened black eyeliner to trace the upper and lower lashline, adding a small flick to the outer corner. Finish the look with an abundance of mascara and a sheer peachy-pink gloss.
I tend to wear a red lip and never really know what kind of cheek colour to pair it with—though I do feel the need to wear something to finish the look. Thoughts?
‘Tis the season for crimson lips, which I think are fantastic for the holiday season and well beyond, so this is a very apt question. Wearing a bright or saturated lip colour can often drain the colour out of our faces almost entirely. Depending on the lip colour you’re sporting, it’s hard to know what will suit the look without pushing it to the point of looking overdone. Sometimes, simply contouring the face with a colour that’s a shade or two darker than your skin tone can be enough to bring you back to life. However, to add another colour that will complement your face, reach for Chanel Joues Contraste in “Reflex” ($48, at Chanel counters). It's a very flattering peachy colour shot through with gold, which adds glow and dimension to the cheeks, eliminating the need for an additional highlighting product. Tip: If you’re concerned about overapplying blush, reach for a fan brush or duo-fibre stippling brush to disperse the product lightly over the skin.
I feel like I have so little time in the morning and need a really fast foundation routine. How can I speed things up without sacrificing a flawless face?
You’re preaching to the choir, sister! I don’t think there could be a bigger fanatic of a fast foundation application method than me. I have always felt a foundation is one of the most crucial products to invest in and use in the makeup process, as it’s the basis for everything else you put on, so it better look fantastic. In terms of speed, it’s really about the application method you choose: I personally feel finding a functional brush that maximizes the surface area it covers is essential to streamlining a foundation routine.
My two go-to products that work so wonderfully in tandem are Armani Maestro foundation ($68, at Holt Renfrew) and the Sigma Beauty F82 Round Kabuki brush ($18, sigmabeauty.com). Allow me to elaborate on each: the Armani Maestro Foundation formula contains no water or powders, but is actually oil and pigments, which blend out extremely easily and effortlessly on the skin—and a little product goes a long way. The coverage is natural and buildable, and frankly unlike that of any other product I’ve encountered. In terms of how I get this stuff on my face in record-breaking time, I use Sigma Beauty’s F82 Round Kabuki Brush, because it’s fairly large and minimizes brush strokes that are usually left behind by traditional paddle-style foundation brushes. I also love that it’s synthetic, so my skin doesn’t react to the bristles (which can happen with natural hair makeup brushes). A few drops of this Armani foundation on my face and maybe a minute of blending with this Sigma Beauty brush turns what can be a typically tedious routine is suddenly wildly efficient.
It feels a bit obvious to do red nails for the holiday season. Help me mix up my holiday manicure!
I think it’s normal to want to bust out of the red routine, because it can often feel a bit redundant year after year, no? Luckily, there are a slew of metallics to entice you. Metallics are virtually considered neutral at this point in the nail game, so don’t be intimidated by a little shine, especially for the holidays. For something that feels seasonal but isn’t as literal as a red polish, look no further than Butter London nail lacquer in “Scuppered” ($17, butterlondon.ca). This is a copper foil colour brimming with bronze, brown, red and orange glitter and flecks of green. Two coats results in a dimensional finish that looks like a party on your nails. What’s not to love?
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