Like your closest friend pulling you aside at dinner to quietly whisper in your ear that yes, you do have a tiny cilantro stowaway on your lower incisor, a well-timed piece of makeup advice can save the day. With more daytime outings—and all of their sunlit, optical truth-telling—taking place over the summer months, we asked a few of our favorite editorial makeup masters to reveal the lipstick-, eyeshadow-, and contour-derived mistakes they notice most frequently, and how best to avoid them. Because, who better to deliver the hard-hitting advice than the pros? Below, we’ve put together a guide to your virtual “do I have something on my face?” check—hopefully before you ever need it.
Too Much Contouring
“Makeup is about bringing out your best features, not changing who you are,” says makeup artist Violette, known for her supernatural touch on French faces like Léa Seydoux and Laetitia Casta. She deems the practice of sculpting, in natural light and without the soft-focus filters of social media, “too fake” and “too heavy.” Instead, Violette prefers to highlight key features—the cheekbones, the bridge of your nose—with subtle, light reflective formulas, like MAC Strobe Cream, which she applies with a fluffy brush. “It will make your skin appear much more fresh.”
MAC Strobe Cream, $33, buy it now
The Wrong Foundation Shade
“Wearing a foundation that is too pink, too gray, or too orange can be instantly aging,” advises Charlotte Tilbury, who recently launched her own 15-shade line of Magic Foundation to solve exactly this problem. Whichever formula you choose, “test your foundation across your jawline in daylight for accuracy,” she says. “And always remember to blend, blend, blend!”
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation, $44, buy it now
Heavy-Handed Eyebrows
When working with clients like Karlie Kloss and Christina Ricci, editorial pro Francelle Daly doesn’t shy away from an outside-the-box makeup risk—but there’s one trend that she prefers to avoid: “Eyebrows that walk into the room before you do,” says Daly of stenciled, overly penciled looks that attempt to re-create naturally bold arches like Cara Delevingne’s famous set. “The mistake I see most often is that the shade is too dark,” says Daly, who suggests matching the pencil to your actual hair color and using a light touch. “Make sure to follow the natural shape, then softly elongate it out using a clean mascara wand or attached spoolie brush to blend.”
Tom Ford Brow Sculptor, $45, buy it now
A Poorly Prepped Mouth for Lipstick
For Violette, a parched mouth is “not just a detail.” She considers it a canvas that’s not yet fit to be painted. “Putting lipstick on dry lips won’t look nice,” she explains, recommending to first exfoliate with a Kiko Milano Scrub and Peel Wipes (also a favorite of makeup artist Tom Pecheux), followed by a layer of Lucas’ Papaw Ointment, then an optional coat of your chosen lip color. “Even if I don’t use lipstick, it creates a dewy look and makes lips look plumper and healthier!”
Kiko Milano Pure Clean Scrub and Peel Wipes, $9, buy it now
Mascara Primer That’s Still Visible
“I love a mascara primer,” says Daly of the product’s ability to add staying power to your favorite inky formula—with one caveat: “Make sure to then coat lashes completely with mascara, don’t leave them half-painted.” To add impact to your gaze, Daly suggests opting for a dark primer (rather than a traditional white one) or taking time to follow primer with a pitch-black mascara, working carefully from root to tip, to prevent a visible thin stripe of chalky residue at the root. Because, as she puts it, “that zebra look is not a good one.”
IT Cosmetics Tightline Full Lash Length Black Mascara Primer, $24, buy it now
Vogue may earn compensation on these sales through affiliate programs.
Comments