Marie Claire » Beauty Spread

Agent Provocateur

Marie Claire — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 09:34:47 +0000

Rouge It Up – French women eat red lipstick for breakfast, so when in need for something seductive, wear it and carry it off just as a Parisian dame would. Get the look right: a matte, red pout, jet black eyeliner and a natural shade of eyeshadow for the eyes, all set to pop against filled-in, brushed-up, thick eyebrows—the way to look French chic.
Décolletage – If you’ve got it, flaunt it. If you’re coming up a little flat, flaunt it even more. That’s the cleavage rule French women have got down pat, not a sign of tawdriness but what Parisiennes perceive as a display of the classical and youthful beauty of a woman. Slather on a matte bronzing powder (skip this if you’re well-endowed) and some curve-enhancing shimmery body oil.

Bardot-esque – For sex-kittenish, sultry bedroom hair, channel Brigitte Bardot’s come-hither waves, all undone in that Choucroute mess and piled-high volume, blonde bombshell or not. Start with a hefty dose of volumising mousse to tease the top section of your hair and a curling iron to create large, undulating waves from the middle down. Tie that top section back and voilà—the sexpot cometh.
Ooh Là Là – Dramatic doll eyes with lashings of eyeliner and black eyeshadow are the new bedroom eyes, a classic French look that works every time (like the MAC Carine Roitfeld range that featured blacker-than-black kohl eyeliner). Top off the smokey eyes with a smidge of blusher, transparent, glossy lips and fake lashes for that bijoux touch at the outer corners.

Bronzed – Glowy, sun-kissed cheekbones and defined contours du jour are the mark of health and an active lifestyle for French women, who always manage to turn up in gorgeous skin and a bronzy glow in the all the right places. Smatter bronzing powder or a liquid highlighter right below the cheekbones, along the jawline, neck bones and collar bone for that sexy, just-come-from-frolicking-inthe- French-Riviera appeal.

New Sensation

Marie Claire — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 04:27:37 +0000

Into The Blue – Shimmery blue was the shade of the moment at F/W’12, in every hue—cobalt, navy, azure or purplish-blue at Erdem, House of Holland and Rachel Antonoff oozed high-octane glamour in glossy, opulent finishes. Steep your nails in any jewel-toned shade; just make it metallic, sparkly or glittery for perfectly haute, posh nails.
Bijoux, Baby – OPI Nail Lacquer in Royal Rajah Ruby; Chanel Le Vernis in Delight; Givenchy Vernis Please! in Acoustic Purple; Dior Vernis in Merveille.

Twisted Sister – Hair at Gucci came with a bar-raising, trend-setting delish twist that we think anyone with long hair should give a go— sublime wavy locks accented with sweeping sections twisted from the front and pinned at the back with a bijoux hair accessory. Aim for that undone look with undulating waves and add the twisted front sections for effect.
Fill ‘Em In – The general rule of thumb for the New Year is to leave brows a little thicker, brush out for definition and fill in any gaps or sparse brows with eyebrow pencil. Lashes also get separated and defined to the max with hefty lashings of mascara and a mascara wand for separation. For contouring, go with subtle highlights for subtly sculpted cheekbones.

Peacock Posh – The statute for eye makeup is go gaga for colour, juxtapose super saturated shades against high-impact shimmer and posh out for a bright, vivid take on Roberto Cavalli’s iconic blend-easy eyes at F/W’12. Alternatively, try something a little more demure like the sparkle-heavy emerald eyes at Jason Wu or swipes of eyeliner in zingy shades at Anna Sui.
The Look of Roberto Cavalli – Chanel Illusion D’Ombre in Mirifique; Dior 3 Couleurs Smoky in Smoky Garden; Bobbi Brown Powder Pearl in Moonlight Pearl; Shiseido Cream Eye Colour in GD803; Givenchy Rouge Interdit in Enchanted Beige.

Buchanan Babes

Marie Claire — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 06:59:06 +0000

Old Money – Try a smoky black eye gilded at the corners with a touch of gold, paired with deep, dark Bordeaux lips to invoke the opulence of Daisy Buchanan’s siren song: beauty, mystery, intrigue and all that Jazz, all set to pop against voluminous finger waves for a lavish finish.
Gatsby Glam – Lure in the obsession of Daisy Buchanan’s dreamy, idealised wistfulness, the look of the 1920s – an un-bare, ordained face with a perfectly painted, glossed-up pout in amethyst-plum, eyes decked out in a shimmery violet hue and an ornate brocade flapper headband to top it off.

Flapper Years – Steep your lips in daring crimson, the mark of a liberated, audacious Daisy Buchanan who hails from the nouveau riche set of the 1920s— offset intense, gleaming red lips and wicked winged eyeliner with Daisy-style lustrous flapper curls.
Vintage Glitz – Channel Daisy Buchanan’s dazzling socialite materialism and let the adornments in the form of glittery gold eyeshadow, lashings of mascara and liquid eyeliner outlining the eyes.

Illusoire d`Peau

Marie Claire — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 16:00:30 +0000

BABYFACE – Banish Lacklustre Skin -Banish dull or dreary skin by amping up the radiance and faking a lit-from-within-glow with a whitening primer, a radiance-infusing tinted moisturiser and loose powder with sparkly pigments for a lustrous, iridescent gleam. USE Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser; Chanel Illuminating Powder with Shimmer, RM215.
POUT OUT – Fill out THIN LIPS – Check if your lips are unproportionally thin or don’t measure up to your eyes or nose—fix this by highlighting your cupid’s bow with a shimmery powder and dot a light, pinky shade of gloss in the centre of your lips for subtle lustre and fullness. USE Shiseido Luminizing Lip Gloss in PK406; Dior 1 Couleur Ultra-Smooth High Impact Eyeshadow in Beige Print, RM98.

LADY GOO-GOO – Pop out SMALL EYES – Easily done in three steps: use a liquid or kohl pencil to create winged eyeliner (the wing pointing to the eyebrow really opens up the eye), add a swoop of glimmery eyeshadow and highlight the inner corners with beige eyeliner or eyeshadow. USE Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in Black, RM75; Dior 1 Couleur Ultra-Smooth High Impact Eyeshadow in Gold Touch, RM94.
EYES WIDE OPEN – Lift DROOPY LIDS – Elevate deep-set, hooded or tired out peepers with a smattering of glittery eyeshadow all around the eye, winged outwards and accented with lashings of mascara, and highlight under the brow bone with a light eyeshadow or illuminating powder. USE Chanel Illusion D’Ombre in Vision; Shiseido Luminizing Satin Eye Color Trio in BR307.

SLIM A PUFFY FACE – Slim chubby cheeks by slathering on bronzer—suck in your cheekbones and apply a matte bronzing powder where the cheeks recede and continue dusting along the jawline and forehead for narrowing a heavy face. USE The Body Shop Bronzing Powder Shade in Light Matte; Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Luminous Liquid Bronzer.

TRES CHIC

Marie Claire — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 03:41:17 +0000

How to wear FRIGHTFULLY NEON LIPS – Take a cue from Marc by Marc Jacobs. Bright lips overdone with an equally blinding shade of eyeshadow is a major faux pas: think poised chic, not drag queen. Match super saturated vermilion lips with a clean face and defined brows, filled in and brushed to perfection – the coiffed brow tones down the lips colour and adds a touch of class, sans tackiness.
How to wear WICKED EYELINER FLICKS – Take a cue from: Lanvin. Unless you aspire to look like a Marilyn Manson groupie, work divine, über think cat eyes with profuse lashing of eyeliner by keeping things simple: start with a glow-enhancing primer, a clean face (no cakey foundation or excessive coverage), a sheer gleam of nude lip gloss and nothing more.

How to wear DARK VAMPY LIPS – Take a cue from Yves Saint Laurent. When going goth, consider the eyes, cheeks or lips – don’t do all three. Also consider that lips lacquered a juicy, deep indigo turns skin a pallid, bloodsucker-party hue; counter the effect by offsetting dark lips against a smidge of coral or sienna blusher that warms the skin back to a healthy, rose flush.
How to wear SHOCK-A-BLOCK EYESHADOW – Take a cue from: Anna Sui. Err on the side of caution when donning eye-popping electric shades of eyeshadow or eyeliner: the thicker and brighter it gets, the less makeup goes on the rest of your face. Try juxtaposing an intense hit of azure blue eyeshadow with colour-balancing sheer coral lips for a smouldering look that’s far from trashy.

Belle Bijoux

Marie Claire — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 07:16:16 +0000

THE LOOK OF MICHAEL KORS
Evoke in the notion of a rustic-luxe cabin in the woods in winter: offset Dick Page`s dramatic, pinched flush from cheekbone to jawline with a Michael Kors Espresso Tone Link Turnlock Necklace-the ultime courture glampling formula that Kors has down cold.
THE LOOK OF EMPORIO ARMANI
Channel Brigitte Bardot with the graphic ombrѐ cat-eye in ra-ra ted Tim Quinn slicked onto the girls, paired immaculately with Emporio Armani’s equally funky-chunky cubic necklace and earrings for a structured mod-chic jive.

THE LOOK OF VERSACE
Rock the ramped-up goth look at Versace, an inimitable juxtaposition of Pat McGrath`s cool sepulchral smokey eyes with a soft winged shape through the socket, given a femme twist with Versace`s opulent-riche Medusa head Greca ring and gold metal bracelet.
THE LOOK OF GUCCI
Conjure the look Daria Strokous flashed on the runway at Gucci – don Gucci`s darkly romantic, 19th century Pendent Drop Earrings and set it to pop like a dream against Pat McGrath’s vampy, goth pout and bleached brows du jour.

Strike A Pose

Marie Claire — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 16:00:51 +0000

TIE DYE
A pivotal accessory at Emilio Pucci’s S/S12 show, Luigi Murenu gave the girls a haute gypsy vibe by adorning a low-slung ponytail with a printed silk foulard loosely fastened at the base. Approaching thelook as “gypsy couture’, Murenu carved a severe side part slicked back and tucked behind one ear and long, tousled waves messily gathered near the neckline. Wear the headscarf with boho-chic cool, a hot mess of dishevelled tresses and a liberal dose of hairspray to hold it all in place. Scarf, Emilio Pucci.
CLIP ART
Salvatore Ferragamo’s S/S12 show saw an explosion of sleek, form-fitting silhouettes and movie siren hair to match: using Jerry Hall in her heyday at Mustique circa the 70s and 80s as his muse, Luigi Murenu sent models strutting down the runway with glam, lush maxi waves worn with a clean side-part and swept onto one shoulder. Set the gorgeously sublime waves to pop against Ferragamo’s signature hair clip for a look that’s high maintenance, glossy and totally hot. Hair clip, Salvatore Ferragamo.

THE BAND WAGON
“She’s soft and romantic with a step toward nostalgia,” said primo hairstylist Guido Palau of the Valentino woman, crowning their ultra feminine muse with a wraparound French braid that was romantic yet stunning, über luxe yet laid-back, timeless and so Valentino. Guido blew dry hair and plaited around the entire head, letting flyaway strands fall where they may. Steal the show by dressing up the braided up do with a REDValentino hairband placed behind the first row of braids for that perfect touch of pretty. Hairband, REDValentino.
BOW-WOW
Hair maestro Eugene Souleiman had models at Etro rocking an abstract Art Nouveau 20s look blended with a dose of “poppiness”: a fluid half-up, half-down equestrian-meets-Victorian ponytail that was all business and clean lines at the front and party with just the right touch of clutter at the back. Souleiman paired a tight, extreme combed-over side part with a loose ponytail pulled up and back for Bardot-esque volume. Here, we’ve added a bow hair clip as from Extro an effortlessly chic way of accenting the look. Hair clip, Etro.

RHINESTONE COWGIRL
Like a sugar rush with lashings of couture, Guido Palau had every girl at Louis Vuitton decked out in silver rhinestone tiaras and hairbands atop voluminous swept-up bouffants. A edgy yet sugary sweet chignon that Guido described as “an easy updo, a French twist with bits sticking out so it`s a little bit punky,” the key was max volume at the crown (we mean literally) and hair fraying out all over, perfectly accentuated with a delicate sparkly tiara; a perfect blend of mess and princess. Tiara, Louis Vuitton.
Pre-Fall 2012 Preview: BOMBAY CALLING
Models descended upon the runway at Chanel`s Pre-Fall 2012 Paris- Bombay show flashing sari-draped dresses, lavish Nehru collars and jewel-encrusted headpieces that Sam McKnight offset against twisted dreadlocks, referencing a mélange of mysterious Indian beauty and rock n` roll. The dazzling tikkas—jewellery that hung off the forehead, attached to the hair, in homage to Coco Chanel`s love for Indian jewellery—really ran the gamut and took centre stage at the show. If dreadlocks are not your thing, here’s a simpler alternative that`s doable at home: muss up your hair with texturiser, twist a bun high on the head (the messier the better) and go all out with the headpiece. Headpiece, Chanel.

Water Baby

Marie Claire — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 16:00:30 +0000

ROYAL FLUSH
Immerse in the “peaches and cream almost pre-Raphaelite”, flushed cheeks at Oscar de la Renta with cream blusher (or a glossy, moisture-rich lipstick) in flesh-toned apricots or pinks and blend away. Try Laura Mercier Touch up Creme Cheek Colour in Canyon.
SAPPHIRE SHINE
Go gaga for colour with the edgy, statement eyes at Paul Costelloe where models flashed shimmering, azure blue lids, emerging on the runway like Parisian girls on holiday in St Tropez. Liquefy with Pop Beauty Pop Paint Duette in Ocean.

RAZZLE DAZZLE
Get inspired by the “neo neon nymphs” at Vivienne Westwood, where the dame of punk ordered ombré sorbet-jade eyeshadow blended into a steely blue across the entire lid for a completely ethereal edge. Dig Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream Waterproof Cream Colour in 23.
ULTRA VIOLET
Give the “Japanese Harajuku girls-meets-Venice Beach girls” fuchsia purple lips at Richard Chai a whirl with a full, opaque pout and a super saturated shade of plum or wine lipstick. Love Dior Addict Lipstick in Backstage.

Over The Rainbow

Marie Claire — Thu, 31 May 2012 16:00:57 +0000

Terracotta Warriors
Try the über sultry, deep burgundy pouts at Donna Karan, where Charlotte Tilbury adorned the girls with a terracotta-plum tint of the deepest, darkest pigment she could find, topping the look off with a matching shade of cream lipstick and matting it down with a swig of translucent powder. TRY Smashbox Photo Finish Lipstick in Enchanting, RM79.
Brown-Eyed Girl
Choosing from a palette of soft taupe and russet-browns, Pat McGrath gave the models at Lanvin shimmery smoky brown eyes, finishing with dollops of Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream dabbed onto lips for a glossy, wet look. Applied across the entire lid and winged at the sides, McGrath described the soft-smoky look as “strong, beautiful, ultra feminine.” TRY Laura Mercier Matte Eye Colour in Café Au Lait.

Green Day
Dig the opulent emerald-green nails at Dolce & Gabanna, where Anja Rubik and Karlie Kloss had their nails steeped in a strikingly dark forest green hue. Here’s our version of the chartreuse nail, lightened and saturated up a couple of notches for a fun, summery manicure. Definitely the accessory du jour of the season. TRY Chanel Le Vernis in Jade, RM70.
Iron Maiden
Linda Cantello sent models strutting down the runway at Giorgio Armani flashing eyes awash in a shimmery mother-of-pearl tinge, a metallic silver shade blended from the eyelids to the outer corners. Take a cue from Cantello: add impact with a slick of petrol-green liquid eyeliner and finish with lashings of jet-black mascara. TRY Dior 5 Couleurs Couture Colour Eyeshadow Palette in Gris-Gris, RM195.

Nail Couture

Marie Claire — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:00:50 +0000

VIVACIOUS VIXEN
The Trend: CHEVRON
Named after Chevron’s unmistakable V-shaped logo, models at Pamela Love flashed reverse French manicures with an upside-down V in contrasting colours: pearlescent white versus an über dark purple. Wear it with cool aplomb and Chanel’s Chain Wrapped Balluchon bag in tow.DIY: Slick an opaque matte nude over the entire nail; when completely dry, use French manicure guide strips to create the V shape at the bottom and paint the darker shade on top. USE OPI GelColor in Alpine Snow, RM59; Dior Vernis in Poison, RM72
SUGAR BABE
The Trend: FROSTED
Translucent nails adorned with snowy white flecks that took centre stage at Alexandre Herchcovitch were hailed as the ultimate haute nail—pair it with an offsetting bright, neon-hued accessory like YSL’s Logo Mini Shoulder Bag for that extra pop.DIY: Lacquer on a clear tinge of nail polish and top it off with transparent glitter polish down the centre of the nail for added lustre. USE Chanel Le Vernis in Pearl Drop, RM70; OPI Paris Couture For Sure Glitter Top Coat, RM59.

BLEND IT LIKE BECKHAM
The Trend: OMBRÉ
The sublimely deep, dark ‘lethal love’ nails at Jen Kao that shouted “Don’t mess with me” were killer nails with a decadent gradient of electric blue or green shot against a sleek black tint; here, we’ve given it a pink turn to explode against Versace’s Couture Collection Clutch.DIY: Starting with a black base, dip a makeup sponge in dark fuchsia polish and dab it on, starting at the tip and moving down. Do the same with a brighter pink and keep going until you’ve got a smooth gradient. Use a top coat to smush the colours together. USE OPI Nail Lacquer in Black Onyx, RM59; Dior Vernis in Graphic Berry, RM72.
SQUARED OFF
The Trend: COLOUR BLOCK
The rockin’ purple and hot pink chequered nails at Nicole Miller were fun yet glam all at the same time—we’ve paired the funky geometric nail with Burberry’s Multicolour Woven Clutch, picking up the handloom in muted reds and deep blue for a totally matchymatchy look.DIY: Paint one stripe of blue down the left side and another stripe of red down the other, then go in and paint the corners with opposite colours. Grid with tape for a sharper finish. USE Dior Vernis in Blue Label and Rouge Garçonne, RM72.