Make up is one of those perks us women get in life to experiment and transform ourselves with – I wear lipstick on days I feel tired and lashings of eyeshadow when I go out. Still, I feel like often times I get stuck in a make up rut, repeating the same old looks again and again, not really having the expertise how to do something different. For this story I enlisted make up artist Claire Thomson to teach us how to do her favourite make up trends of the season, step by step.
Dark Smokey Eyes
Choose a thick pencil ( like Nars) then line the entire eye and filled the inner rims. Draw a dramatic top winged eye then use a synthetic brush to smudge it slightly up and out, softening the drama up close, but still creating impact from afar. Set with a similar shadow to your liner but only use the slightest touch mainly in the socketline to reduce creasing. Curl lashes and apply mascara. Shape eyebrows using Kat Von D brow in graphite. Keep the skin slightly dewy to keep the eye feeling modern,mixing the consistency for a sheer coverage. ( try Kevyn Aucoin Skin enhancer no 15C) Lastly, choose your lip depending on the occassion- I used a pink gloss (Fenty gloss bomb in fuzzy.) but you could add a stronger colour for evening drama. ( The Son jacket, Bec & Bridge turtleneck, Jordan Askill jewellery worn throughout )
Modern Red Lip
A classic red lip adds stunning impact but make sure your lips are hydrated and exfoliated before you begin -try rubbing with a warm, wet face flannel and then smothering in balm. Claire applied Tatcha face canvas primer on the skin to even out its texture and prepare for base and then added Giorgio Armani luminous silk foundation for a perfect medium coverage. Conceal any spots or imperfections with Laura Mercier secret camouflage and set with translucent powder. Next apply a matte nude tone over the entire lid from lash line to browbone (Chanel's beige) Using a dampened pencil brush, dip into the corner of the metallic eyeshadow. Dust off any excess on the back of your hand and then trace around the entire eye, slightly smudging outwards. Next up, use a lighter metallic shade and apply only on the centre of the lid- this creates depth and opens the eye. Curl lashes and two coats of mascara. There are tricks to a perfect red lip – Claire first blots any excess balm off and then she likes to apply red lip pencil and fill it with lipcolour. For people experimenting with bright colours for the first time, it may be daunting to fill out a naked lip with a red pencil, so try applying the colour in the centre of the mouth and working outwards, then evening out with a pencil. Claire likes to use a a light trace of concealer and powder to clean up around the lip line and add further drama to the lips. When confident try a darker lip pencil and use it to fill in slightly at outer corners lightening as you get in creating more dimension.Claire used Mac Powderkiss lipstick in Devotes to Chilli and Pro wear lip pencil in Kiss me quick and bespoken for the countoured lip . The cheek is highlighted with a soft baby pink Nars blush in Impassioned, to create a pretty contrast with the red. ( Camilla and Marc top, H Brand coat )
Monochrome cheeks and eyes.
For this look , Claire used Nars' Multiple for a nod to 70’s glamour that’s really quick to achieve First, prime the skin with Laura Mercier Primer, then use Nars tinted moisturiser sparingly to even out the skin and add a glow. Follow uo with Nars matte soft touch concealer and set the T zone only with a light dusting of Laura mercier translucent powder. Slightly fill eyebrows with Mac Brow sculpt in Spiked, then use Mac clear brow gel to brush the brows upward and outward to open the eyes and frame the face. Using Nars's South Beach, apply straight to cheeks with fingertips or a brush to countour the cheeks. Blot out any oil from the eyelids, then use the cream on eyelids by concentrating the colour at the lash line and blending it over the entire socket with upward movement so it is visible when the eye is open. Claire used a slightly winged shape on our model, play with the possibilities. Curl lashes and apply 3 coats of Maybelline Volume Express waterproof mascara in brown black. Claire clumped the mascara on the bottom lower lashes on the outer third to define the eyes, then added a bit of gold highlighter on the inner corners of the eyes and a light sprinkle over the top of the cheeks. Select a glossy lip that packs juicy colour to set off your matching eyes and cheeks, this one is Marc Jacobs beauty lipstick in Infamous with February gloss bomb in Fenty Glow. ( top from Outnet )
80’s
Intense supermodel vibes with every feature slightly amped yet still appearing naturally flawless.
Prime the skin with Ayu rose face mist than add Laura Mercier primer and apply Mac face and body really worked into the skin. Conceal any blemishes or discolouration with Mac concealer pallette in Light. Set with translucent powder. Use a bone colour shadow over the entire eye lid - lashline to browbone. Then select a matte brown shadow (Mac Symmetry) to trace lashline slightly out and beyond lashes ,arching up, back into the socketline, and blending slightly above so visible when the eye is open. Continue lining the lower lashes, thickest at the outer lashes , then tapering in. Play with intensity but make sure there are no obvious marks – blending is a must.
Use a black cakeliner such as Becca or Chanel and paint a fine line on top and slightly sitting between the lashes. Claire recommends this great eyeliner trick : sit and lean both elbows on the table then hold a compact underneath your chin and look down into the mirror- this makes it so much easier to apply a liner.
Curl lashes and add as many coats of mascara as the occassion necessitates - each coat adds another layer of drama (Ysl Vinyl Mascara). Using the Kat von D brow pomade in taupe really brush the brows and let them be slightly messy, then set them with benefit brow gel. Benefits benetint liquid blush gives a healthy cheek glow, just beware of the stained fingers – start in the centre of the cheek, blending upward and outward. Use it to also create a bitten lip stain and then use clear gloss for a juicier mouth. Final touch is a highlighter on the browbones, cheekbones, inner corners of eyes, cupid’s bow and centre of bottom lip. Claire loves Lit by Westmin Atilier or Nars Copacabana ( Camilla and Marc top )
Photographed by Tanja Gacic
Make up by Claire Thompson
this post originally appeared on vogue.com.au
On my days off, I’m not much of a make up girl, but catch me on a work day or on the way to an event and you’ll see someone who looks quite made up. Ok, to be fair, my make up skills are questionable at best as they are always put to practice between frantically feeding the cat, getting the child to school or navigating the car in traffic. Just don’t come too close and everything looks flawless. Come a little closer and you may see some patchy eyeshadow or unblended blush, however, the one thing you won’t see is clumpy or flaky mascara. Why? Because I am weirdly OCD about it, to the point that I spend half of my 5 minute routine expressly on applying it and making sure it’s perfect. Don’t ask me why this is a thing, it just is ; I cannot stand mascara that doesn’t perform well.
For this story, I reviewed the new Voluptuous False Lash Effect Mascara from Max Factor, in my eyes one of the best mascara companies on the market.
Max Factor Voluptuous False Lash Mascara, Sarina Suriano cuff, TDE passport holder, Thomas Sabo pinky rings and Ole Lynegaard diamond stars and pearl ring, Christian Louboutin bag, Josefinas ballerinas
The False Lash Effect Mascara features the redesigned Lash Lifting brush with a spiral shape and long bristles designed to provide a beautiful lift and separation. The bottom of the rounded spiky tip is best used on the outer and bottom lashes to add that extra va-voom. The biggest selling point of this mascara is not relying on curling lashes but allowing the lashes to maintain their natural shape by lifting them and thus opening the eye.
I loved how natural this mascara looked when incorporated in my usual day look with just one application. I like my day make up to be very subtle, and my eyelashes to only be slightly enhanced; I don’t like to appear too overdone and only apply mascara to my upper lashes for day. I loved how the Wonder brush coated, coated and combed each lash for an instant pepped up look that we all love, without seeming done up
Max Factor Voluptuous False Lash Mascara, Thomas Sabo pinky rings and Ole Lynegaard diamond stars and pearl ring, Christian Louboutin bag, Kate Sylvester dress
For night, when going out, I really love piling on mascara on top and bottom lashes and emulating Brigitte Bardot’s bombshell eye make up. I used four coats of the new Voluptuous False Lash Mascara and even then I did not see any clumping or flaking. I danced the night away and my lashes came home perfectly done up, which is better than I can say for my lipstick!
Rebecca Vallance dress, Giuseppe Zanotti pumps, Sarina Suriano earrings
Full story on Vogue.com.au here!
Sometimes in life I just feel : enough. Enough booze, late nights, fatty foods, desserts, overworking and being perpetually tired. That heavy feeling when my digestive system is sluggish, skin has turned into the surface of the moon, I sleepwalk through the day and lay awake at night with my mind whirring while I beg for the Sandman to come rescue me.
Over my modeling career and beyond, I have known this feeling well. I didn't know why it was happening and most often, I didn't put 2 and 2 together - in fact in my teens living in NYC, I had no idea that this feeling was in any way tied to my diet or the way I lived my life. In my mind, eating a bagel with cream cheese for breakfast with 2 espressos, a burger for lunch, Slim Fast for snack , Diet Coke as pick up and a steak frites for dinner followed by 5 Cosmopolitans and 5 hours sleep was normal! Let's face it, this was back in the late 90s and early oughties when the definition of healthy was a tofu stir fry with mung beans. Whaddaya mean fiber, micronutrients, candida, rest, hydration, gluten free ? I had no idea about these things! To me, running each morning for an hour fueled by an espresso was being healthy and fit. It took some of my family members getting autoimmune issues to set me on a road of questioning . This led me to some great books, naturopaths, chiropractors and experts. So what do I do now when I feel this way?
1. Juice cleanse. First up, I will start with a 1 day juice cleanse. This helps my digestion reset and eliminate toxins. If I am feeling particularly sluggish, I will also take a lot of vit C and magnesium on this day. This is not a day to schedule meetings, it is a day to sit at home, chill and take it easy ( and have ample access to a lavatory! ). For me, 1 day of juicing is enough followed by a fiber rich,organic, plant heavy diet with no grains. For some people that have not cleansed for a long long time or have health issues, long term juicing can transform their health. Check out my friend Joe Cross' film Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead for tips on how juicing can reinvigorate your life.
2. Clear the corners of your mind. Take a weekend or even better, a long weekend to rest, recuperate and see what is causing stress in your life. Face every problem head on, workshop solutions , write them down in a journal, smudge the house with some herbs while saying your intentions out loud and meditate or do some creative visualizations. Try to see what lessons life is trying to show you underneath the stresses around you and take mental steps to acknowledge your own blockages and bad habits. Praise yourself on the lessons you have learnt and make note of the ones you have not. Practice self love and acceptance through positive affirmations - without loving ourselves, we cannot move forward from repeating our mistakes. This form of mental detox needs to be made a consistent priority because most of our bad habits stem from a lack of reflection and stillness of the mind. Try meditation every day for a week - see how it changes your life!
3. Quit gluten and dairy for a while - this is a hard one for most people, but quitting gluten was a game changer for me mentally and physically. Whilst dairy doesn't trigger me in any way, gluten really does. It was hard for a girl from the Mediterranean to give up crunchy bread, sweet pastries and rich, flour thickened sauces - really hard! With new scientific reports proving the Gut-Mind connection exists , perhaps autoimmune disease and anxiety, stress and depression can be partially cured by diet? It certainly helped not just my outlook on life but my skin, which started glowing and best of all - no break outs anymore!
4. Sweat it out- do anything that makes you sweaty and happy! For me that is running, yoga, pilates or power plate training. If I am feeling especially tender or tired, this means a slooow walk around the beach. Take it easy on yourself, detoxes are hard.
5. Avoid toxins - duh! That means coffee, alcohol, processed food, food additives, sugar, GMOs, high fructose corn syrup, canola oil and overly rich food.. It's a good idea to keep these to a minimum in your everyday life too - your body will thank you for it!
6. Expect the worst: break outs, stinky breath, irritability, tiredness - these are just some of the signs that your detox is working - rejoice! It's called the Herxheimer reaction, it is awful and definitely the worst thing about detoxes but hey - better out than in!
7. How long does one do a detox for? For me, if I am generally healthy a week is good, however I have done a 3-4 week detox when I was experiencing bad symptoms of a toxic overload. A proper long term detox will follow 2 steps : killing bacteria and parasites and then repopulating the gut with good bacteria. Use clove and wormwood tincture to get rid of parasites alongside aloe juice, a diet high in greens, fresh garlic, chili, pumpkin seeds,coconut oil, fresh pineapple, calmyrna figs, sesame oil, black cumin seed and fennel seed tea. Then, after a couple of weeks, start introducing ...
8. ...Probiotics! Let's make one thing clear : there cannot be good health without good bacteria. So easy to lose through drinking alcohol, antibiotics, stress and bad diet. So hard to gain back in a modern world ! Eat fermented vegetables and drink kefir ( milk or coconut ) and kombutcha every day. Bottled probiotic & prebiotic powder can also be of use. This is the cornerstone of your health along with a good, clean diet - imagine your body as a garden where you are trying to cultivate good soil and beneficial insects. If you have enough good bacteria populating your garden, they will keep the bad bugs at bay and your body will function at it's optimum.
Keep it up and you may never need to detox again!
With thanks to About Life
My teen years were so heavily influenced by grunge for a while that I felt Dr Martins were synonyms for footwear, ripped fishnet stockings were normal and tartan shirts , well , I kinda lived in them - day or night. This season Saint Laurent made a return to grunge, but the fabrics Heidi Slimane used are much more luxurious and tactile than polyester or nylon , even though they look similar. While I am all for celebrating grunge, I feel too old for ripped stockings and bad materials, so I am embracing the new luxe grunge. It truly can be a tough, cool but utterly sexy and polished look if done right.
This picture is featuring an evening wear version of the trend that is all crock print glamour, spike metal heels, dark lipstick and gleaming silver jewellery
( dress Toni Maticevski, heels Casadei, clutch Proenza Schouler from Land's End, jewellery by Tiffany & Co , lipstick by Nars )
Take a spin on the old rock n' roll classic with classic army tones mixed with motorcycle inspired Camilla & Marc leggings and a sheer tartan Zambesi shirt. ( vintage Versace jacket, Balmain boots, Agent Provocateur leather bra and Pushmataha for Manning Cartell jewellery..
Check out 3 more looks and all the details in my new vogue.com.au post here
Photographed by Ana Suntay -Toledo
