Springtime in Cleveland; the weather is a mixed bag, thanks to good old Lake Erie! Sunny and in the 80's last week, and what's that this morning? Steel gray skies and snow? Hey, it happens. But different weather means different makeup. A bronzer that looks beachy on a sunny day can look totally orange under grey skies; soft makeup on a cloudy day can look too bare in the sun. So what's a girl to do, especially around here where it's sunny one moment and raining the next?
The answer lies in good skincare, and in creating a soft and luminous makeup look that will work in any light, from day to night. That's me modeling the look at left; notice how there's no difference in color between face and neck, or between undereyes and face. The skin looks softly luminous with emphasis on the eyes, and there are no harsh colors or sharp lines.
Here's everything you need to recreate the look at home!
- Give yourself a quick reviving mini facial with an antioxidant packed exfoliating scrub and vitamin C serum. We love Freeman Beauty's super affordable and super effective Superfruits Transforming Facial Scrub; jam packed with goji, acai, pomegranate, mango, mangosteen, cranberry, noni and blueberry, it feeds skin with the nutrition that it needs to glow. Follow with a potent vitamin C serum; we are obsessed with Obagi Pro-C Serum 15%, available at Dermatologists' offices and medi-spas (see below for a list of Cleveland derms who prescribe Obagi). Vitamin C is the "BLT" of skincare: it brightens, lightens, and tightens. We saw brown spots, sun damage, and old acne marks fade significantly after using this just once!
- Dab on a sheer layer of lightweight, medium coverage hydrating foundation with a sponge; here, we're wearing Cover Girl Simply Ageless Foundation, which we love for its ability to conceal a multitude of sins while still looking natural. The most important thing here is that your foundation is the identical shade as the skin on your neck. Use Covergirl.com's cool online tool, "Match Your Department Store Shade For Less," to find yours; if you're still not sure, buy a few different shades and try them all at home by striping them at the jawline (many people don't realize that you can return used cosmetics to CVS, Duane Reade, Rite Aid, and Walgreen's, but you can). (Shown here: shade 220 Creamy Natural)
- Conceal around the eyes with CHANEL Lift Lumiere Concealer; it's the only concealer we've ever found that is imperceptible on naked skin. And we're not exaggerating--we've seriously tried them all. All of them. (Shown here: shade 20 Rose Lumiere)
- Dust Tarte Park Avenue Princess bronzer high on the forehead, down the nose, in "Nike swoosh" shapes on the cheeks, on chin, and under the jawbone. This bronzer is a favorite of makeup artists because it has absolutely zero orange in it, but it still never looks muddy. Take note: this is not a good bronzer for photography because of its light reflecting pigments. If you're going to be photographed, consider something more matte (but still sheer) such as this one from Guerlain.
- Add a pop of bright, matte bubblegum pink high on the cheekbones. Shown here: Cargo blush in Catalina.
- Smudge some shimmery pastel eyeshadow on lids. Shown here: Dior 5-Color Eye Shadow in Petal Shine 809, which we love for its velvety texture and major color payoff. Smudge palest lavender shade on lids and palest pink shade on browbones.
- With a fingertip, dab silver shade from L'Oreal HIP Studio Secrets Professional Crystal Shadow Duo in Charming along upper lashline and in inner corner of undereye to brighten.
- Line inner rims with Tarina Tarantino Eye Dream Hyperliner in Tommy Jet, a rich and creamy black shade. Smudge a little bit more under the lower lashline, sweeping outwards and up to create lifted, wide eyes.
- Enhance lashes with Cover Girl Lash Blast Fusion mascara. We swear that we are not wearing any falsies or extensions in this photo (unless you count the Fiberstretch fibers built in to the mascara--the same kind used in salon lash extensions). Look at that length and definition! Tip: to achieve the most dramatic effect, take your time and apply mascara in layers, rolling and wiggling the wand, and using the tip to emphasize outer corners. Shown here: shade brownish black.
- Finish with Bobbi Brown Shimmer Lip Gloss in Pink Sugar; after glossing lips, line softly with a liner that's the same shade as your natural lip tone (shown here: Bobbi Brown Lip Liner in Blondie Pink).
- Add a deeper lipstick for evening, and you'll be all set! Our signature shade: CHANEL Rouge Coco in 36 Lune Rousse.
- Clean up any shine midday with a light dusting of mineral powder through the T-zone only (leave cheekbones alone so they glow!). Our fave: Cover Girl Tru Blend Microminerals Finishing Veil, which we love for its ingenious packaging and oat flour (to soothe redness).
Keep it soft and natural, and you'll be beautiful in any light! Don't forget to smile--that's the finishing touch that makes everyone look radiant!
A list of Cleveland area dermatologists who carry Obagi skincare products:
JANET BLANCHARD, M.D.
(440) 974-8577
5900 Som Center Rd
Willoughby, OH 44094
MARTHA HACKETT, MD.
(440) 856-6462
8300 Tyler Blvd
Mentor, OH 44060
LU-JEAN FENG, MD
(216) 831-7007
An Obagi Diamond Club Physician who is recognized for their expertise in dispensing Obagi Medical Products skin care systems.
31200 Pinetree Rd
Pepper Pike, OH 44124
U.S.A
Phone: (216) 831-7007
STEVEN GOLDMAN, MD
(216) 514-8899
An Obagi Diamond Club Physician who is recognized for their expertise in dispensing Obagi Medical Products skin care systems.
3609 Park East Dr
Beachwood, OH 44122
U.S.A
Phone: (216) 514-8899
GREGORY M. FEDELE, M.D.
(216) 464-1616
2520 CHAGRIN BLVD #180
BEACHWOOD, OH 44122
MARK FOGLIETTI, MD
(216) 292-6800
22901 Millcreek Blvd Ste 145
Beachwood, OH 44122
CLEVELAND CLINIC FOUNDATION
(216) 636-7341
An Obagi Diamond Club Physician who is recognized for their expertise in dispensing Obagi Medical Products skin care systems.
2035 East 86th Street
Cleveland, OH 44106
U.S.A
9500 Euclid Ave # A60
Cleveland, OH 44195
NICHOLAS DIAMANTIS, MD
(330) 715-4491
111 1 St St
Hudson, OH 44236
GEORGE PICHA, MD.
(216) 328-0800
5005 Rockside Rd Ste 640
Independence, OH 44131
NICHOLAS DIAMANTIS MD FAACS
(440) 845-0555
14700 Detroit Ave
Lakewood, OH 44107
Comments
I love the natural look. While make-up is indeed an enhancement, the trick is to put it on so that the overall "look" is what impresses,not the make-up. Thanks for the tips to help us make the seasonal transition and look fresh as the spring daisies, using all the wonderful products at our disposal today.
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