Start at the very beginning, it’s a very good place to start. So sang Maria in the Sound of Music about learning to sing, and so it is with learning most anything. Including make-up. So I attended M.A.C seminar, Back To Basics…
Start at the very beginning, it’s a very good place to start.
So sang Maria in the Sound of Music about learning to sing, and so it is with learning most anything. Including make-up.
So it was with great interest I headed along to Saturday’s M.A.C Technique seminar at New Zealand Fashion Festival. It appeared to me to be the largest M.A.C audience so far in the festival. I think Saturday must be an easier day for people; and Back To Basics is an approachable seminar title. In fact, I would’ve thought having this seminar first, and the On Trend and Femme to Feline ones following on later in the week’s schedule, could have been valuable.
Here are some of the top tips:
Kiri O’Brien, M.A.C Trainer, says prep skin with Fix+ to hydrate then apply Strobe Cream.
MatchMaster Foundation will adjust to your shade as it contains a mix of coloured pigments and clear pigments, which let your natural skintone show through.
Tip for oily skins – Prep + Prime Translucent Finishing powder will hold your make-up on all day.
Tip for tired eyes – Fast Response Eye Cream contains caffeine and will give a real pick-me-up for tired eyes; "Like a morning coffee for your face!" says Kiri.
Tip: Apply your Lip Conditioner now to "marinate" your lips while you do the rest of your face, to make lips lovely and soft and your lip pencil will glide on.
Contouring will bring shape back to the face after foundation makes it appear flat.
Tip: Use a contouring powder 3 shades darker than your natural skintone. The biggest seller is MAC Mineralise Powder. It contains Mica, which smoothes over large pores.
Below: Olivia, M.A.C Manager Retail Operations New Zealand, with model Monique. Olivia’s fave product is Prep+Prime Translucent Powder; it makes your make-up stay on all day.
M.A.C Backstage tip: Always brush brows UP, to make them appear fuller. Extend the end of the brow a little with whatever’s left on the brush to make brows look a little more glamorous. Lingering Eye Pencil is a shade that suits most people.
Olivia says, "I wear SEVEN coats of mascara. I really think it’s one thing that can never be too big!"
Should mascara be worn on lower lashes or not? Rule of thumb: If you have colour on lower lashes, then wear mascara there too.
Olivia is using a four colour eye shadow palette from the brand new collection instores March 2012. She uses brush 217 for contouring the eyelid crease. Start with a mid-tone from your palette in the crease. Olivia uses a purple shade in the outer corner just up to crease but no higher. Use the darker colour on the edge of the eye (the outer corner). This applies for a standard smoky eye: lightest on the lid, grey on the crease, then black on outer edge.
Tip: Take the dark colour across the eye more (from the usual place, in the outer corner), to make the smoky eye darker and more dramatic.
Olivia says a common question from customers is what to do with the darkest colour in their palettes. She says to use it as an eyeliner. Take the darkest colour and brush it along the lashline.
Brush highlighter on the inner eye corner.
Coffee Eye Pencil is a dark, rich chocolate brown which gives the strength of a black eyepencil liner, but is a bit softer than using black.
Tip: Using a lash-line pencil will help mascara appear right down to the root of the lashes.
Coffee eye pencil is also applied to the lower lash line. Only apply it to the outer edges. Use just 1/2 cm of product then use your brush to move it along which gives a nice diffused look.
Below: Another fave product; Fascinating white eye pencil, is applied to the lower water-line to brighten eyes, and Luna Cream Colour Base on the apples of her eyes so they pop.
Kate’s finished face. She wears a nude peachy lip pencil after an application of Lip Erase – a combination of Lip Conditioner and concealer – which Kiri jokes that if she had a baby it would be this wonderful product.
Tip: Shade the entire lip with lip pencil so when your lipstick inevitably wears off you’re not left with a lip line only.
Finished looks on models Kate, wearing Jimmy D; and Monique, wearing Cybele.
Words and photos by Megan Robinson
4 March 2012
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