Costco Connection - December 2007

Makeup pro Carmindy shares her secrets

Your

fabulous

face

PALMA KOLANSKY

By Carmindy

HOLIDAY EVEN TS ARE a time when every woman wants to add a little glamour. Here are some easy steps to help you achieve your best look.

Day-to-evening looks

There are times when you have to leave straight from work to attend a dinner, a party or even your kid’s school play. By adding a few quick steps to the 5-minute face you applied in the morning (see sidebar), you can transform yourself from day to night in no time at all. Here’s how.

❖ Use oil-blotting papers to soak up any greasy areas. Next, use a concealer brush dipped in a little foundation to smooth out any makeup that may have seeped into fine lines or under your eyes. Touch up areas of redness or dark circles the same way.

❖ Add evening drama to your eyes with dark eyeliner. Sweep it along your lash line on top of your day liner. Next, apply a shimmering eye shadow in an evening shade, such as a sparkling smoky taupe, from your upper lash line up to the crease, and under your lower lash line. (For a more dramatic look, consider the “smoky eye,” described at right.)

❖ Sweep a bit more highlight powder on top of your cheekbones, under your eyebrows and by your tear ducts, just as you did in the morning. (I prefer powder over cream for an evening look because the color pigments in powder are more intense.)

❖ Swirl on a bit more blush.

❖ Apply a slightly deeper shade of lipstick or choose a lip gloss to add a sexy touch.

❖ Add a light dusting of translucent powder to your T-zone and a spritz of your favorite scent, and you’re gorgeously good to go!

There is no need to reapply mascara—it will just look clumpy. Let the dark eyeliner add the “pop.” Foundation will still look fresh just by spot concealing; evening light is more forgiving than daylight.

The Costco Connection Kirkland Signature^™ by Borghese cosmetics c a n help you achieve a polished look anytime. For the holidays, consider the shimmer powder, sheer lip gloss trios and eye shadow quads with eyeliner, along with the cosmetic brushes for perfect application.

The smoky eye

At some point we all want to try the smoky eye. It’s sexy, smoldery—what’s not to like? But go too heavy with the dark hues and you can wind up looking like you’ve been in a bar brawl.

face

Women with closely set or very small eyes ought to avoid this option altogether because it can look too overwhelming. For the rest of you, here are the basic steps for creating the smoky eye.

❖ Take the first five steps of the 5-minute face (see sidebar).

❖ Line your upper and lower lash line (right into the roots of the lashes) with dark eyeliner, such as black or chocolate brown. Smudge it with an angled brush to soften the line. For large eyes, line the inner rim with black eyeliner for an extra-sultry look.

❖ Apply matching dark eye shadow from your lash line up to the crease, and sweep under the lower lashline to soften the pencil. Now use a softer color in the same family, such as burgundy brown or eggplant, and sweep it into the crease of the eyelid.

❖ Add another sweep of shimmery highlighter under the arch of each brow and to your eyes’ inner corners, by the tear ducts.

MOST WOMEN ARE intimidated by makeup. They don’t have the time or the desire to take on a multi-step routine, or they get scared by pushy makeup-coun-ter salespeople who have their own commissions in mind, not a customer’s best beauty interests. Women tell me all the time that they feel left out by beauty magazines whose focus has become celebrity beauty ideals and red-carpet looks that don’t relate to everyday life. In the end, many women throw on mascara and lip balm and run out the door, not feeling their best.

❖ Blend, blend, blend together so there is a gradation of color, from darkest at the lash line to light-est under brow.

❖ Gently sweep black mascara on the top and bottom lashes.

❖ Last, swipe on a pearly sheer plum lip gloss. You don’t have to wear black, charcoal or brown

But by following the steps of my 5-minute face, you can create a complete, polished makeup look without a hassle. It’s what I use every day; it’s fast—and easy!

eye shadow to achieve a smoky look; all kinds of hues, from plums to greens to blues, will work. The key is to keep the liners and the shadows in the same color family.

0:00–1:00 Smooth on foundation or tinted moisturizer.

1:00–1: 20 Pat concealer under your eyes with your ring finger.

If you choose a daring makeup look, let your face be the star of the show and go simple with your hair; try a style that’s sleek and understated. Jewelry should follow suit. C

1: 20–1: 55 Spot conceal any redness from tiny veins or breakouts.

1: 55–2: 15 Use powder to set your makeup.

2: 15–2: 45 Sweep on highlighter.

2: 45–3:05 Apply blush.

3:05–4:05 Line your lash line.

C ostco member Carmindy ( www.carmindy.com) is the makeup expert on TLC’s What Not to Wear. This article is adapted from her book, The 5-Minute Face (HarperCollins, 2007), available on costco.com.