Article by Xavier

When it comes to make up it seems everyone’s looking for that new ‘new romantic’ look; a combination of rock chick and ultra glam, and a large portion of minimalist influence is creating a storm on today’s catwalks. Minimalism, in this case, doesn’t mean the absence of makeup but is all about strategy, making the skin look flawless and almost porcelain like.  The lips and eyes take on a soft  approach in application but a strong inclination to colour. The key is to accentuate features without loosing the feel of playfulness which is where colour comes to in to play. Blending of colour and definition for lashes and eyebrows are the key this season.
 
Skin
Porcelain skin, achieving this look is as simple as keeping shine at bay especially on the T Zone. On oily skin the best way to start is by choosing a matt finish foundation and if necessary complement it with a slight touch of powder on the T zone. I prefer to use a damp sponge to apply matt or semi matt foundations as it helps to move the product and blend it more effectively. For dry skin simply using blotting paper after the base is applied will keep that translucent matt effect.

Bearing in mind that in winter central heating tends to dehydrate the skin, drinking plenty of water and moisturising at night, and before starting your makeup, becomes a must. Exfoliation is very important throughout the whole year but more so in winter, after the summer the skin needs extra help to get rid of any sun damage. To unveil a fresh complexion there’s nothing better than weekly exfoliation to help minimise pores and fine wrinkles making the foundation look simply flawless all day through.

Blusher is great to break the paleness in winter and is ideal complement to matt skin. It freshens and rejuvenates and becomes very important to give volume to the cheeks. Make sure to work it in layers using a soft brush until the skin looks warmer and healthy. Applying the blusher slightly under the cheekbone on a round face can help to sculpt the face and applied further up from the apples of the cheek rejuvenates and volumizes the cheeks creating a plumping and rejuvenating effect. The colours for this season have complemented the lip shades warming the complexion and simply giving a flushed natural look.

Eyes

Winter 2010. It’s a very eclectic season when it comes to eye makeup. Powerful colours, smokey eyes and eyeliner are here to stay but barely there eye makeup paired with beautiful lashes, is probably the key trend this season. For that romantic porcelain look a simple wash of colour is enough to capture that feel. I recommend to get hold of a nice brush that will cover the entire lid and just sweep a delicate touch of the colour of  choice. I love muted purples and nude browns to just dress the lids  delicately. False lashes are one of the beauty industry and celebrities best kept secrets of all time, taking this season’s eye definition and beauty to the next level. A great solution is to have semipermanent lash extensions that can be tailored to your needs, creating volume, length and shaping the eye to perfection. Eyebrows are a very prominent feature for this season remaining groomed and never untamed. An eyebrow pencil can help give the extra definition that frames the eyes to perfection, just remember to choose an exact match to you natural brows and work in little strokes blending as you go to get a natural feel as hard edges on eyebrows tend to age the face.

Lips

Matt lipstick is going strong and this season we are seeing lips that are soft in shape and colour for the day, and strong and defined for evenings. To achieve the day look blending is the key, apply colours like mauves and dark reds with the tip of the finger as a stain, alternatively load a lip brush with very little product and apply until the softness and colour are obvious but not too powerful. For the evening beautifully executed red lips are probably the biggest trend for the season, for this remember to use lip liner first to keep the lipstick from bleeding. To choose the right shade remember that blondes usually look better in cherry red and those with olive or dark skin can wear deeper fiery reds with warmer undertones. When in doubt, choose a rich, deep classic red that usually looks great on everyone.As always remember to moisturise the lips morning and evening, all lipsticks look better when applied on nicely taken cared for lips. This look goes really well with mascara on the lashes and ultra natural eye makeup.

Nails

Nails have been a focus on the catwalks, perfectly manicured not excessively long and in colours ranging form classics like Rouge Noir and dark pinks to dark greens and purples. Even when the looks have been extremely natural we’ve seen nails that evoke shine and glamour taking colour on the nails to accessory status.