Pro Makeup Tips To Follow For Your Everyday Makeup Routine By Charlotte Ravet

Professional makeup artists will agree that we are often asked for makeup advice. Teaching someone a full makeup routine adapted to their features is not a 10-minute process, but there are some tried and tested tips and tricks you can apply to your everyday look!

FIRST THE SKIN:

Skin prep and skincare routine are two different things. Makeup artists will focus on preparing the skin to receive the makeup application and ensure it will last for the day. We are not focusing on active ingredients such as retinol or acids but the hydrating agents that will create supple and plumped skin. Before a night out you can follow these simple steps to create the perfect canvas: - Double cleanse and gently exfoliate the skin: avoid any chemical peels or other indepth treatments three days before the event. This would cause the makeup to not adhere properly to the skin. Focus the exfoliation where the skin most often presents with dry patches such as the creases of the nose. If you do not have an exfoliator, I recommend using a bit of hydrating balm (Paw-paw, Baume de rose BY TERRY) to gently push the dead cells away using cotton tips. You can also use this technique on the lips. - Use a fresh mist or a toner to revitalize the skin. I love using sprays that freshen up the skin and hydrate. - Apply a hydrating serum. Hyaluronic acids serums are great as they plump the skin without leaving a greasy effect. - If you have time, use some eyes patches to moisturize and awaken the eyes. - Apply a nice hydrating cream that can prep the skin for makeup and help the makeup to glide on the application. I love Embryolisse Lait Creme Concentre as it perfectly prepares the skin for makeup and is very well tolerated by all skin types. I can use it as a primer before applying the foundation. I can also use it as a mask or makeup remover!

FOCUS ON CREATING A NICE COMPLEXION:

Before even thinking of creating eyes or lips, the complexion and the eyebrows must be perfect. This is going to make the difference between average makeup and a high-end look. I prefer using lightweight texture for the foundation, even when I aim to create full coverage. I focus on using correctors and concealers only for the areas that require extra coverage. The more foundation is applied to the skin, the more touch-ups are needed as the natural oils coming from the skin will create shine and more powder is required to keep the skin mattified. For the concealers, I use cream ones for pigmentation and breakouts, liquid for the under eyes area, where the skin is thin, and an illuminating pen one shade lighter than the complexion on the creases to plump them. I have a lot of different foundations I love to use but one item I always have in my purse and my kit is the Touche-eclat from YSL. Shade number 2 suits most of fair complexion and really plumps the creases underneath the eyes. Just apply it on the crease not all over if you have dark circles.

EYEBROWS AND LASHES:

Beauty is in the details! Lashes and eyebrows are going to give the definition to your look. For the eyebrows, I always start by accentuating the arch and then the beginning, this allows me to open the eyes and give a nice lift to the eyes. For the lashes, I love mixing colour and black mascara. Using a colour mascara on the bottom or just on the tip of the lashes create a subtitle creative touch of colour that you can choose accordingly to the colour of the iris. If you are a fan of soap brows, you can simply use a glycerin soap and a bit of fixing spray with a clean mascara wand. This product will last you for months and keep your brows in place for hours. (Pears soap) I have recently been impressed by two Australian owned brands for eyebrows: Garbo and Kelly for their large choice of shades and easy to use tools and True Brow that have a unique product to create a natural-looking eyebrow and restore the natural shape.

USE THE RIGHT PLACEMENT FOR YOUR BLUSH:

Blush draping makes a comeback! Blush draping aims to create a natural flush effect on the skin, and you can place your blush on the cheeks, toward the cheekbones and even give a touch to the bridge of the nose. But it is not for everyone! If you are a bit tired, I recommend not going further than the arch of your eyebrows. Placing the blush at the centre of the cheeks can accentuate dark circles and do the reverse of the expected effect. I love peachy cream blush and even use a peach colour cream corrector as a blush for a natural effect.

USE CREAM PRODUCTS!

I am a huge fan of cream textures. Cream textures allow me to create a perfect blend and once the products are set with loose translucent powder they stay in place for hours. For the eyes, I love to use eyeshadow pencils, it’s a two minutes step to create a perfect base that can be intensified with eyeshadow. Another tip I love is using liquid lipstick as an eyeshadow base. Mac cosmetics has a large choice of colours that can be used on eyes and don’t stain the skin.

PLACE A MIRROR UNDER YOUR CHIN:

Doing eyes makeup is not always easy but with this simple trick, you should even be able to apply false lashes! Simply place a mirror under your chin! That will allow you to see your entire eyelid and will make the makeup application 10 times easier.

SMILE WHEN APPLYING LIPSTICK!

Creating a youthful complexion is a must but it goes the same way when we apply colour to our lips! Overdrawing the bottom of the lips can be quite ageing. Smiling with closed lips when applying lipstick allows you to see the bottom of the lips to follow your natural line. If you want to give extra volume to the lips, you can simply place a shadow just underneath the bottom lip. To whiten the teeth, I recommend using lipstick that is blue-based. Blue colour brightens the white, the same goes if you are tired and want to open your eyes. You can use a blue pencil on the upper waterline.

Charlotte has taught makeup students and performers at N.I.D.A. developed workshops for Maqpro, Franck Provost and Marie France and created and developed the beauty advisor training program for Manicare and Priceline. After being the head educator for a leading makeup academy in Melbourne, Charlotte came back to Paris as the International retail and artistry education trainer for the brand By Terry. Learn more about Charlotte and her work at www.charlotteravet.com