Looking for a quick style pick-me-up to combat seasonal blahs? Take a cue from the striking members of Toronto’s Cecilia String Quartet and play up your best feature.
LIPS
Big, bold lips are the easiest way to kiss off your old beauty routine. In terms of colour, go for a bright fuchsia, orange or red, all of which asserted themselves on the runways of Prabal Gurung and Jason Wu this season; to be au courant, choose a modern matte finish instead of a creamy one. Keep in mind, too, that a look this strong demands that you tone down the rest of your maquillage.
Get the look
1. For a long-lasting bold lip, it’s important to pair your lipstick with a lip liner. Choose one that is close enough in colour to your lipstick for a seamless application.
2. When applying, line your lip and fill in both the top and bottom lips fully with the liner, then apply the lipstick directly over top.
3. Blot your lips with a piece of tissue. Some product will be removed, but completing this step will push the product further into your lips for lasting wear. Apply another coat of lipstick to finish. Wrap your lips around a finger and then pull it outward – this way, excess product won’t end up on your teeth.
EYES
If smoky eyes are too heavy a look for you, give your peepers a subtler allure, like a soft wash of metallic colour. Phillip Lim displayed this lighter touch best alongside the pretty pastels in his spring 2012 collection. In a chillier climate such as Canada’s, stick to appropriately icy shades of silver or pale blue. This look can be transitional, too: As the weather warms up, perk those lids up with sorbet shades.
Get the look
1. Apply a wash of cream shadow all over your lid. Using a firm brush, layer more eye shadow over the centre of your lid.
2. Next, apply the white highlighting shadow on the inner and outer corner of your eyes.
3. Remember to stipple the product onto your lid in order to get a solid application. For a less dramatic effect, use a fluffier crease brush to apply less product.
CHEEKS
You don’t have to be an Olympian to appreciate the upcoming Summer Games.
Same goes for pulling off appealingly athletic rosy cheeks. Seen on the runways of Michael Kors and Rag & Bone, the look highlights a dewy, flawless complexion. Play up high cheekbones or perfect skin with a flush that looks like you just hit the gym, even if you’ve already abandoned your New Year’s resolutions.
Get the look
1. Use a medium-sized blush brush when applying colour to your cheeks; if you go with anything bigger, your application won’t be as precise as it should be.
2. When applying blush, decide on the type of shape and finish you want. For a slight flush, focus only on the apples of your cheek. For a brighter, bolder effect, add a few different layers of colour to make your cheeks pop.
3. Pull your blush backward along the cheekbone and slightly into the temples of your face. Don’t be afraid to lightly stipple a cream product directly over your blush to add more dimension to the face. Try NARS cream highlighter in Copacabana ($46 through www.narscosmetics.com).
HAIR
Call it the Janelle Monae effect. Taking the pint-sized soul singer as their apparent muse, Haider Ackermann and Rick Owens featured a parade of pompadours on their spring runways. Working a softer variation, however, is easier than walking that tightrope: Think softness in lieu of Monae’s structure when you’re working with this kind of up-do. And if your locks boast a natural wave, work with that, too.
Get the look
1. Spray your hair with hairspray to give it texture, then curl your whole mane – two-inch pieces at a time – with a curling iron. Brush the hair out and back.
2. Pull back side and back areas of hair and pin them into a French twist, leaving the hair on the top of the head loose.
3. Back-brush the loose hair on top of your head in the direction of the twist and pin it to the top of the twist, then pull the hair forward slightly to create a loose pompadour.
Makeup tips provided by Vanessa Jarman. Hair tips by Justin German.
