Last weekend, I went for a makeover/makeup coaching session with Dior makeup artists. If you remember, I told you about it here and I also found out that those who did use the password got a really good gift set! I’ll be reviewing the Capture Totale One Essential mask this week, for those who had the benefit of getting it so you know how I like it and how I use it 😉
Its been a while since I’ve been for one of these makeover things. Most of the time, its classroom style to listen to a makeup artist talk about the brand and products but its different to be able to have them work on your face, to tell you what techniques work for you and what doesn’t and just be able to ask all the questions I wanted. So I bring you the 5 top tips that I learnt after the makeover! 😀
Also, a picture of the absolutely lovely makeover I was given (and a hairy surprise!) that I went grocery shopping in, and that I was so loathe to wash off when I got home, I did my household chores with a fully made up face. True testament to the new Diorskin Nude liquid foundation that there was minimal fading even after I had mopped, cleaned the bathrooms and prepared dinner! LOL! So, onward ho!
1. Recommendations for which foundation brush to use
I asked Zaidi, the makeup artist, which of the 4 new foundation brushes he recommended for a newbie and why. His answer was the flat light coverage foundation brush for liquid foundation and the round light coverage powder foundation brush for powder. I was referring to the new Dior Backstage foundation brushes 🙂
So we know what I’m talking about
His rationale is that the light coverage liquid foundation brush applies a lighter application of product on skin, and there is less room for error. Ditto the powder foundation brush.
In terms of the round liquid foundation brush (I reviewed it here) he told me that instead of using it in a dab-dab motion as I have been doing (and as I have also been doing with the similar shaped Shiseido brush), I should first swirl on product on skin in a circular motion to blend it on skin, then dab for even coverage. If you dab it on right away, you might end up with too much product on one spot. Good tip that one! I’ll be putting it into practice.
I also copped a feel of the full coverage powder brush and its gorgeously soft and dense! You use it to buff on loose powder foundation, mineral foundation or powder foundation for higher coverage.
Zaidi started with the light coverage liquid foundation brush to apply the Diorskin Nude Liquid Foundation, then used the full coverage liquid foundation brush to touch up areas that need more coverage. Concealer was only dabbed on the intrusive pimple spots. Then, using the light coverage powder brush, he lightly dusted on some powder foundation to set. The result was a very natural, evenly covered base that did not look heavy, thick, masky or unnatural.
2. Employ the Magic of the Skinflash Illuminating Pen!
I am such a huge fan of the Skinflash Illuminating pen that its embarrassing 😛 I have gone through 2 of these and am now on #3. There will be #4 and #5 etc because this magic pen is quite something. I’ve done a gushworthy review of the Skinflash here but I use it primarily as an undereye concealer and illuminator (If you have not tried it, do. It helps me look alive when I feel dead)
But Zaidi taught me so many other ways of using this wonderful illuminating or as Dior will have it, Radiance Booster pen:-
- To trace the outside of your lip – this not only helps with your lipstick, it helps define the shape of your lips
- Down the bridge of your nose to highlight – He ran it down my nose and suddenly voila! I had a nose bridge!
- Around your eyebrow – After penciling in my brows, he used this pen and drew under the arch and at the top of my defined brow. The brow looked more defined and prominent
- Hide your lines – He drew it along my laughlines and they immediately looked less prominent
All this, apart from using it as an under eye concealer and illuminator and highlighter along cheekbones. I guess you can say my reverence for this product has just increased five-fold 🙂 I’m sure you could employ the same tips with other similar illuminating pens – there are quite a few in the market and the results are really something 😀
3. To add a glow to skin add a drop of One Essential Serum to liquid foundation
Capture Totale One Essential (mentioned here) is a serum I finished up and am now on my 2nd bottle. Its a product I stopped using for a spell, but now that I’m using it again, I can see what a difference it has made to my skin. Knowing that I can add a drop of it to liquid foundation, which he says, will help make skin look more radiant is most intriguing. Needless to say, I will be trying it out this week.
Diorskin Nude liquid foundation in 010 (new formula), Diorskin Nude Concealer in 001, Skinflash Radiance Booster Pen in 02 Moonlight, Diorskin Nude Compact Powder Foundation in 010
4. Use eyeliner as a base for eyeshadow to help colour look more vibrant and stay on longer
This has got to be one of the most brilliant tips I’ve heard all year. Its not so easy to describe but I will try to replicate this and tell you about it separately too because it really is brilliant 😀 Zaidi explained that Dior makeup artists use this tip backstage, because they need to be quick when doing eye makeup and they want good vibrant colours.
- Take a black pencil liner and start close to your lashes and then draw it in thickly about 1/3 of your lid
- Smudge the edges of the liner to soften it
- Take a lid colour and dab starting from the middle of your lid.
- Take a darker colour and dab, on the outer half of your lid.
- Open your eyes, then take a clean blending brush, and gently blend the colour with your eyes open
- Take a highlight colour and dab just under the arch of your brow, then blend
5. Not everyone needs eyeliner for the top lid
Most of the time, we are conditioned to think that eyeliner goes on the top lid, close to the lashes. Well, Zaidi took one look at my eyes and said that what I should be doing was lining the underside of my eyes, or tightlining, to make my eyes look bigger and more defined. Here’s a post I did on tightlining and a more updated post.
Lining the top lid, he told me, would not do very much because my lash line is hidden when I open my eyes, and I would need a thick liner for it to show. On the other hand, tightlining would be faster, and define my eyes better. The thing is, I have actually skipped lining the top lid altogether recently! All I do in the mornings is tightline and go. Its quick and easy and its great to know that I sort of figured this out. So, if you have slightly hooded lids like mine, practise tightlining and reap the benefits 🙂
Here is the finished result from all the above tips. I was so impressed with the eye makeup that was done so quickly yet so effectively, that I swore to have to learn to do it myself. Practice makes perfect, they say!
(1) Gorgeous eye makeup using the eyeliner trick and the Dior Golden Jungle 001 Golden Khakis palette (2) Photobombed by Xin (3) With Zaidi, Dior Makeup Artist who kindly shared these tips (4) Oh and I have new hair 😛
Products used in my look were the base products listed above. For colour, it was Golden Khakis on eyes, New Look Mascara, Eyebrow pencil #653, Cheeks in Rosy Glow Petal and highlighted with Diorskin Nude Shimmer compact and lips in Rouge Dior Nude Lip Blush in Swan #263. Gah! I love how the eyes turned out!
I hope you found one of these tips useful 🙂 For myself, I’m going to be working on the eyeshadow one, and yes, I have new very much shorter hair. With this new hair that I can’t hide behind anymore and that shows a lot of face, I’ve learnt that I need to have really good skin or failing that, really good base makeup. Needless to say, you can expect to read more of my base makeup exploits as we go along 🙂
Paris B
I love how your eyes turned out too. And I lvoe the new hair. I’m so tempted to chop all of mine off now that summer’s here. GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Thanks Geek 😀 😀 Now that summer is here, DO IT! 😀
Wow, PB with dark eyes! I like! ^.^
I absolutely adore using dark eyeliner as a base for colorful, shimmery shadow! It just gives them more bang for your buck heh heh, because once you layer the two together, you’d get a beautiful jewel-toned look.
Thanks Hanny 😀 I think I’d read about the tip before but never really tried it. So seeing it on me has really made me want to use this trick all the time (and I have these 2 days and I love it!)
LOVE ur eyes!!! Super duper gorgeous! And elegant! Love it very very much!
Thanks Gin! 😀 I’ll have a tutorial go up once I’ve had time to take some pics 😉
Zaidi is awesome! He’s the only one who matched me with the right foundation shade. LOL! I do tip number 4 all the time. So quick and easy. I must try tip number 3. Sounds promising 🙂
You’re rocking this look by the way. Gorgeous!
Zaidi mentioned you to me! 😀 So yeah he remembers you 😀 Thanks Lily!
Wow wow wow! Paris dearie! I love love love your gorgeous eyes and awesome new haircut! 😀
Thank you AnT 😀 The hair was a sudden impulsive decision because my hairdresser promised me I wouldn’t go back for extensions if I didn’t like it LOL!
You look great! Lovely makeup and nice change 🙂 I myself want to do something with hair but I have no idea yet what 😀
Im wondering if this pen is better than clinique airbrush concealer. Did you try Clinique one?
Thank you Catherine! 😀 I’m forever messing about with my hair – I think its the easiest look to change and hair will grow back! 😀 I haven’t tried the Clinique one yet but I’ve tried the famous YSL Touche Eclat and I didn’t like it. I hear the Clinique one is very good too. Actually, the L’Oreal Touche Magique isn’t bad either and its affordable!
I so need to try highlighting my laugh lines!! I really laugh too much, and the lines are starting to bug me a lot these couple of years. All my friends who are my age don’t have laugh lines.
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hehe, same here on the hooded lids thing. Like you, I seem to have figured out my own that I don’t need eyeliner on top! I often go without eyeliner now, as I find that my mascara is able to tightline for me because of its dense bristles. The comb mascara is especially good at multi-tasking for me.
Just dabbing some really deep dark brown eyeshadow on the outer corners (my hooded lids are tapered inside, so no point lining there at all) of the top lashline and 1/3 the bottom lashline will do. Exactly like how you Dior look is in the photo. =D
Think of it this way – you have had more to laugh about? 😉 I developed laugh lines early too but am not really lined anywhere else, which is a happy trade off 😉
And Yay for tightlining! I find it so much quicker, and I was getting so frustrated that I would work on lining my eyes and then find that nothing is seen when I open my eyes because my lash line slips under my lids. Sounds like you have a nice quick eye routine! Always a good thing 😉
Your eyes are gorgeous! The look and colour really pops on you. Also, when you said to line 1/3 of the lid, did you mean the outer 1/3 or middle 1/3? (Sorry! Eye makeup noobie here) Does this trick only work for dramatic/deeper colours or is it an all rounder even for neutral colour lazy days? Would it be rude of me to request for a step by step tutorial one day for some of us inexperienced ones? Thank you!
Thank you Jas Min and yes, I will be doing a step by step because I love this tip and I’ve tried it for 2 days now with great success both times! (it is never rude to ask 😉 ) If you want to try it yourself, the lining is 1/3 horizontally from the lash line upwards and then blend out the edges. It actually gives a pretty dramatic look but my eyes look HUGE when I do it. If you want something less dramatic, then you may need a lighter eyeliner e.g. brown
love your new cropped hair do! 😀 a very different and chic look!
Thank you Stacey! 😀
You look gorgeous! Love the eye makeup and the new haircut!
Thank you so much Gio! 😀
Ooo.. really cool and great new things/techniques/tips to try out. Thanks for sharing!! I can hardly wait to start trying out the tips.
Hark! I hear Skinflash call my name. (although I have YSL’s Touche Eclat sitting, barely used in my make up box but the pong is a real put off.)
The new hair do PB, is oh-so-chic!
Oh God, JK you got the stink of Touch Eclat too?! I thought I got a dud, to be honest. It was what put me totally off it no matter how great everyone says it is. I found my alternative in Skinflash and although its pricey, I haven’t found anything better. I have found comparables but never better although I hear the Clinique Airbrush something is good too. Thanks for the compliment – I love how wash and go the new hair is! 😀
When I first experienced the smell after just 2 uses, I thought it was something I did. Then I read your post some time back about the smell complaint and felt better – it was not me! After yesterday’s post, I thought I would give Touch Eclat another go today. Over the weekend I had cleaned the brush bit with eye make up remover – hoping for some improvement. Opened the cap and ughhh – best description would be something like 1 week old sweaty gym socks which have been kept in a sealed humid environment. Struggled on and actually applied the stuff on my face. Looks fine but the smell hovered for a bit. (Touch wood – face has not broken out with anything odious despite the the pong). It’s just a shame to throw away the pen after so few uses – considering the price I paid and the distance I went to pick it up. But we move on .. just waiting for the weekend to check out Skinflash.. pant pant 😀
ROFLOL!! “1 week old sweaty gym socks which have been kept in a sealed humid environment” I love your description 😀 😀 It is apt 😛 I tossed mine you know. Couldn’t handle it >.<
I freaking LOVE your new hair style! Heart, heart, heart. 😀
GAH!!!! And I love that makeup look of yours. Now I feel like I NEED to go try the new Nude foundation, the illuminator pen and that concealer! 😀 But I’m terrified that I might end up buying it. Cause I still have my NARS Sheer Glow and MUFE HD left. And I didn’t have much love for the YSL brightening pen thing (horror! I know).
Believe it or not, I’ve actually never even tried the old one. 😛
Eee… thank you Sze Ling 😀 Now I have short hair, I’m starting to wonder why I never did it sooner! 😀 You know what? I nearly bought Nars Sheer Glow while in HK but I missed the opportunity thinking it was available in the airport but it wasn’t! So that’s my missed Sheer Glow story LOL I think the new Nude foundation is better than the old actually. It seems to hold on the skin better without drying it out, and you already know I love the concealer and Skinflash 😉 I never liked YSL Touche Eclat pen – stinks after a few uses eww! The L’Oreal Touche Magique pen isn’t too bad, to be honest! 😉
I chopped off my long, long hair a couple of years ago, and I loved the freedom of not having to worry about it looking like a mess. LOL. It was liberating. 😀 Hahaha.
Now, I’m trying to grow it long again. Well, I want it to be longer than I ever had. Just for kicks. 😛 But I can’t resists a couple of snip every 3 months, cause I like the feeling of cutting a haircut. (Such a weirdo. Haha) So it’s going to take ages. 😛
So bummed that I missed out the chance to get that 1-on-1 makeup thing with Dior. And I’m actually a little bit intimidated to walk up to them at the counter to ask for a trial. It always seemed like they are expecting me to plonk down the money straight after they apply the foundation on my face. But you know how we (beauty product enthusiasts) have to wait for a full day to know if the foundation would work or not. Right? Talk about pressure…
You’re not a weirdo, I love getting haircuts too! Its that nice feeling of getting a good head massage, the feeling of heaviness taken off your head and just the magic of looking like a million bucks 🙂 I can’t imagine growing my hair anymore actually – I could never get it very long and I realised I look old with longer hair so its now wash and go for me 😀
I know how you feel about the counter SA. I feel the exact same way when I go to the counter and they give you that once over. Every one does it, some more openly than others. With counters, I try to get samples instead. Sometimes the SA’s skills are mediocre at best and you could probably do better at home 😉
Ooh great tips! I’m going to have to try the eyeliner as base trick. And I wanna get my grubby hands on the foundation brush too.
Ps – Great hair too!
Yes yes, try that eyeliner as base trick. I swear, its changed how I do my eye makeup (well, if I want something a little more dramatic – I even wear it to work LOL!) Thanks, (cyc)ling! 😉
I still can’t get over your hair Paris–you look seriously beautiful! And love how he did your makeup too! I tightline as well. I do line my upper lashline but only the outer third–if I do it from inner to outer corner, it always smudges no matter what formula I’m using because the inner part of my lid folds over. Great tips!
Aww *blush* thank you Becca 😀 I was so impressed by the makeup too – simple yet polished. I think tightlining is heaven sent, seriously. I didn’t even realise that my lids would dictate the way I line my eyes! Ok maybe I should have been paying more attention and not trying to be like every other girl out there 😉
Ooh, like the colour on your eyes. It’s a good chance for me to learn about makeup but pity I couldn’t make it that day. ( The timing is always wrong for me when there’s a good deal, bad luck i guess )
Aww sorry to hear you couldn’t make it Bugs 🙁 There is another sessions this coming Saturday but I’m not sure if its all full already.
Love the eyes and LOVE the hair…you look gorgeous!! You’re definitely right about showing alot more face…I realized I started paying more attention to my make-up (and earrings!) after I cropped mine…=)
Thank you so much, Soo Yin! 🙂 I’m still getting used to having my face seen from all sides, to be honest and like you, I’m starting to pay a little more attention to details too! Oh and finally starting to wear earrings again 😀
Lovely eye makeup Paris! Green and gold never looks so classy 😉 I love how the makeup artist pair it with very light lips and cheek.
Thank you so much 🙂 It was so tastefully done, I was terribly impressed 😀
Pretty, Paris! The new hair is really cute!
I love that eyeliner trick as well. Oh and I think I need Skinflash! I must have overlooked this wonderful little pen in their regular line-up 😉
Thanks Sunny! 😀 Skinflash – magic in a pen, I promise! Never once failed me 😀
Wow, v gorgeous makeover. Zaidi’s got some serious skills n a pretty model helps heaps too!
Thank you Rudi and yes, mad skillz! 😉
I like your new hairstyle! Freshens you up instantly!
I’m tempted by the Skinflash. I’ve since asked my cousin to get the Full Coverage Liquid Foundation Brush from Malaysia and is now waiting for it.
I like Dior Nude foundation but it didn’t last long enough. I might purchase the other foundation – Forever something I believe.
Great entry! Thanks for the tips!
Thanks Callie and hurrah! You are getting the brush! 😀 I’ve been using it the past week or so and the long handle does certainly make it feel a little different from the Shiseido. Diorskin Forever is much more lasting if on oilier skin – I found it a bit drying for me but then I have slightly dry skin 😀 Hope you like it, whichever you choose to get 😉