The blossoming wedding season has sparked a series of celebrations across the country — marry that with the festive bonanza that reaches its crescendo in December and voila! You are looking at an eventful month, booked and busy. That being so, if you have been mulling over the appropriate look to don at the many celebrations that you have RSVPed to, you have landed on the right page. To help you shine like the star that you are, Beauty Book reached out to hair and makeup expert Aafreen. This affable and spirited MUA has worked with the crème de la crème of Tinseltown, sat down with me to share beauty tips and hacks that one needs up their sleeves to ace the perfect party season look. Scroll ahead to read Aafreen’s comprehensive yet easy breezy guide that will aid you in topping your holiday glam from last season. In for the challenge? Throw your hats into the ring and take ample notes.
Start With Your Eye Makeup
There is a lot of fallout after doing the eyes, so I recommend starting with eye makeup first! It allows for easy cleanup with no stress whatsoever. I start with a primer on the eyes and set it with a loose powder to avoid creases on the upper eyelids. After which I proceed to apply a twinge of highlighter on the brow bone.
Contouring The Lids For Depth
Once the highlighter is on and even, I pick the lightest brown to create a contour towards the eyebrow bone, which helps enhance the eyes by creating a depth effect on the sockets. I use a darker brown - with a thin-pointed working end of a blending brush, and start contouring towards the inside of the socket for more dimension. Use a darker brown or black on the outer corner of the eyes to give it a smokey effect.
Eye Love This Hack For The Snatched Look
If you want that snatched look, stick a stretch of cello tape on the outer corner of the eye. Now, proceed to carry out the above steps!
Wing It, Quite Literally
I go in with a pigmented gold eyeshadow on the inner corners of the eyes, a bronze-hued shadow on the middle third of the eye and blend it all out. I use a gel eyeliner with a thin brush: starting from the middle of the eyelid, veering outwards to draw the wing. I use the same brush from the innermost corner of the eye to the middle third of the eye to complete the liner.
Lashes For Days
A tip to getting lush lashes: use your blow dryer to make your eyelash curler- a tad warm (not hot, and please observe caution). Curl the lashes for 5 to 10 seconds for a conspicuous, instant lift. I use a voluminous mascara and apply it on the lashes in a zigzag formation. In case of any fallout, I use a cotton pad to brush off the remnants of makeup adroitly.
Base 101
For the base, I start with a moisturiser and an eye cream under the eyes and follow it up with a primer. For the holiday season, I would go for a primer with some sheen or a strobe cream. I will let that set for the next 5 to 7 minutes because if the moisturiser and primer don't settle onto your skin, the appearance of the foundation will be patchy.
Since the season is dry, I start with a lip scrub and let it set for 2-3 minutes. I wipe it off, only to apply some lip balm.
In case of dark spots on the face, I dab on some orange colour corrector and blend it in with a damp beauty blender. After this, I proceed to mix some more strobe cream with the foundation, or if the foundation is heavy and full coverage — I ensure to add a little liquefier to it. I apply it in clean strokes with a foundation brush.
Conceal Effortlessly
Taking a concealer a shade lighter than the skin tone, I apply it on the highlighted zones of the face and blend it in using a beauty blender. I then move on to set it ( around the eyes and the mouth but only after ensuring the absence of crease lines.) Finish it off with a compact powder to set the entire face.
Contouring, As Easy As Pie
For a more pronounced look I take some contour powder and apply it along an imaginary line, starting from the middle third of the ears to the outer corners of the lips. I use a thin pencil brush to contour the nose, the forehead, the jawline to attain a chiselled look.
The Finale Act - Masterstroke
You, Glow Girl
For that naturally flushed look, I use a blush on the apple of my cheeks. Since I want to curate an iridescent party look, the highlighter is probably the most crucial part. I begin to apply some on the tip of the nose, cheeks, and the cupid’s bow, blend it in all meticulously and lock in the look with a dewy-finish setting spray.
A Vision For Sore Eyes
I use a black or brown pencil to tighten the waterline. I then use a stroke of this pencil, half an inch below the eyes and smoke it out with the help of a brown shadow. I create a wing with this pencil brush whilst the brown blends. I follow this up with some mascara on the lower lashes.
BrowMance
I take some brow pomade to make the eyebrows look prominent. On top of this I apply some transparent gel with a spooly to blend it all in.
These Lips Seldom Lie
I use a nude pencil closest to the colouring of the lips (or a shade darker) to draw an outline. I then go ahead with a liquid matte and dab it on the lips. I top this off with a nude high shine gloss for the lips in order for them to look plump, fuller and cushiony.
