Celebrity Makeup Artist, Sian Duke Shares Her Tips for how she got Annabelle's Look
1st Oct 2015
Celeb Makeup Artist Sian Duke, worked wonders with her makeup skills to make Annabelle picture perfect for our recent photoshoot for Undercover Glamour's Hair Extensions, Half Wigs and Breast Enhancers.
We are so pleased with the finished look (Annabelle, pic below) and Sian is delighted to share her beauty tips with us all.
Skincare
It is very important to take the time preparing your skin before applying any sort of make-up. Following a skincare routing is essential to help prevent blackheads, spots, dry patches and redness.
In the first instance, I used BioDerma Solution to cleanse Annabelle’s skin. By doing this, I am removing any oily residue from her skin and preventing oil buildup in her pores.
After cleansing the skin, it is a good idea to moisturise to keep the skin and lips smooth and free of blotchy/ dry patches. I used Embryolisse Lait Crème on Annabelle’s face, and my favourite, Dr Lipp for lip hydration.
TOP TIP: - Take the time to prepare your skin, it is ALWAYS worth it!
Base / Foundation
When it comes to foundation, not everyone needs it. But for this photoshoot we wanted a flawless and photo ready finish, and these tips worked perfectly for Annabelle’s skin type and face shape.
To begin, I used a combination of MAC Face and Body Foundation and MAC Pro Longwear concealers. I love the glow you get from the Face and Body Foundation so I used this all over Annabelle’s face as a base coat.
Once there is an even base coat, I like to bring forward the features by highlighting them, especially the nose, under the eyes, the forehead and chin. I love the texture of MAC Pro Longwear concealer as it gives slightly more coverage. By using a shade slightly lighter than Annabel’s skin, I can get a perfectly highlighted finish.
TOP TIP: - A good set of brushes is essential for a perfect photo finish, and I LOVE my new discovery of ZOEVA brushes!
Highlight / Contour / Blush
Highlighting and contouring is a fantastic way to emphasise your best features and by also using a bit of blush, you can really lift the cheek bones while adding a hint of colour to your face.
I used a touch of High Beam Complexion Enhancer from Benefit cosmetics along the cheek bone, nose and cupids bow. To contour I used a NARS Bronzing Stick along the jawline, the sides of the nose, and under the cheek bone. Finally, I used Rose Blush by Bourjois to give Annabelle a slight rosy complexion and to bring out her cheekbones.
TOP TIP: - Contour using a colour that is only a few shades darker than your skin. Any more and it will not blend effortlessly.
Powder
As a final touch to the skin, I like to use a powder, this will keep shiny, oily skin at bay and helps to blend the foundation and concealers just a little bit more.
For Annabelle, I used Rose Silk Finishing Powder – Translucent by Jurlique. It’s the loveliest, lightest, translucent powder with a beautiful rose scent. To apply it evenly to her face, I used a large fluffy Powder Brush from Crown Brushes and then a slightly smaller eyeshadow brush to add powder to the hard to reach areas, such as around the nose. On camera these areas really seem to show the most.
TOP TIP: - Apply the powder very gently, to preventing smudging of the blush etc.
Brows
Another brilliant way to add definition to your face, is to perfect your eyebrows. I used Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow Pomade brushed through along with MACs Eyebrow Gel in Beguile. For fair eyebrows I often find less is more and there is a fine line between defining eyebrows, and a drawn on mess. It is a good idea to have a brow brush so you can comb through the product to get as natural a finish as possible.
TOP TIP: - Don’t overdo it. There is a fine line between definition and a hot mess!
Eyes
It’s is definitely necessary to prime the eyes ready for eyeshadow application. For this, I used Urban Decay Original Primer Potion, and it’s a super long lasting eye priming delight because, what is the point in applying a beautiful eyeshadow if it’s going to come off in an hour or so. By layering the shadow on top of this base, you get the true colour of the shadow you see in the palette, and it will wear for longer.
The eyeshadows that I chose were from Urban Decay’s Naked Palette, to which I added MAC Reflects Gold Pigment for extra shine. Applying the glitter with a slightly damp blending brush such as a MAC #224 gives a subtle application (also, you won’t lose as much on the floor). I then added an extremely thin line of NYX Matte Liquid Liner and lashings of MAX FACTOR Lengthening and Defining Mascara to finish the job.
TOP TIP: - Eye primer is a necessity if you want your eyeshadow to last all night long!
Lips
We wanted to give Annabelle a very subtle/ natural lip colour for the shoot, so I chose not to apply any lip liner (lip liner is a valuable tool with brighter/ stronger colours, as it gives a perfect finish and helps prevent colour bleeding).
The colour I chose is a combination of two nude shades by DR Lipp and MAC Bare Again Lipstick. This completed the entire look, and gave us a beautiful, natural finish.
TOP TIP: - Lip liner isn’t always necessary with nude lipstick, but it is a must have when wearing darker/ brighter lip colours!
Lots of Love
Sian x