Criminal beauty behaviour you can totally get away with.
Criminal beauty behaviour you can totally get away with.
Beauty trends change as often as Cara Delevingne breaks into another creative field (singing with Pharrell Williams? Lead in Paper Towns? Model? Master of fun Insta-selfies? That’s a yes to all). But what about the golden beauty rules? If wet hair, slicked back with gel, is now the height of sophistication, and falsies can be worn in daylight, those glamour decrees from five years ago are outdated. So we rewrote them! Permission to break these formerly contemptible beauty behaviours, granted.
Let Your Brows Get Rowdy
In keeping with beauty’s “perfectly undone” theme for 2016, unkempt brows aren’t such a bad thing. To keep your brows looking groomed minus tweezers, comb them in the direction of hair growth and fill them in with a product one to two shades lighter than your hair colour. If you want to tweeze, stick to the perimeter of your brows, only removing the rogue hairs outside.
TOUCH UP YOUR FACE IN PUBLIC
Clipping your nails on the MRT is a definite no-no! But applying makeup in public is different grooming territory. “There’s nothing more beautiful than watching a woman apply her lipstick – it’s a sign of empowerment,” says Kate Squires, Napolean Perdis global makeup artist. But first, stock your beauty kit with travel-friendly cosmetics to keep things light and mess-proof.
Go Bold All Over
Beyoncé, Cara Delevingne, Rihanna and Taylor Swift all regularly pair statement eyes with daring lips, giving us definitive proof that the “focus on one feature only” makeup law is so over. “A simple but smouldering eye and a bold lip is a beautiful and modern way to wear makeup,” confirms Kate. Her tips: keep the definition around the eyes blended, stick to neutral shadow tones and avoid any overly contrasting textures. “Keep the deepest intensity (of colour) at the lash line, and fuse your colours out from there,” she adds.
PAT PRIMER ON AFTER YOUR FOUNDATION
Gone a little OTT with the concealer? Kate says simply tapping primer over the top of your foundation “will instantly revive your skin and lend it a fresh finish”. It’s the easiest way to take a cakey finish and make it dewy again, especially when you don’t have time to start over.
Wear Your Makeup When Working Out
Regular exercise has countless beauty benefits, including improved skin and eye health. What your face looks like for that period really doesn’t matter, but Kate says if you want to don a little mascara and cheek colour before hitting the weight station “you shouldn’t be judged for it”. She adds, “It’s about doing what you need to feel empowered and confident.”
The sebum control properties in long-wear foundations are more breathable, which means a no-makeup look that’ll hold up against sweat. Waterproof mascaras are optimal for a smudge-proof workout, but if you find they take too long to remove, Kate advises opting for one that includes beeswax, a very strong wax that won’t run.
REUSE FALSE LASHES
Strip lashes can be used up to three times, provided they are well looked after. Just avoid applying mascara, which makes them stick to your natural lashes. To ensure your strip lashes last, soak two cotton pads with eye makeup remover and hold them over each eye for 30 seconds to dissolve the temporary glue. Once you’ve gently peeled off your lashes, spray a little brush cleaner onto a cotton tip and run it over the strip lashes for a final cleanse.
Apply Mascara Before Eyeliner
Eyeliner, then mascara, is the makeup routine most of us stick to each day. However, flipping the order of these steps is the easiest way to avoid too-dark eye makeup. Try framing the face with brows first, then add definition with mascara, before applying your eyeliner.
“These essential framing steps act like a road map for the face, and tell you how much more product to apply” explains Kate. After all, liner is a whole lot easier to remove than mascara.
LEAVE YOUR ROOTS ON DISPLAY
The sight of roots used to be frowned upon, but now it’s welcomed. Exposed roots, however, do require a bit of upkeep so they seamlessly blend in. “The key is to avoid colouring techniques that will create a straight regrowth line,” adds Schwarzkopf’s technical educator Grant Withnell. “Ombre, balayage and highlights all help to achieve this.”
Layer Perfumes
Spritzing perfume over perfume allows you to create a truly unique, signature scent. To make the perfect fragrance stack, start by choosing two fragrances with a common note such as a violet or jasmine. Or layer perfumes that only have one fragrance note (a vanilla will blend well with a floral) to keep your scent simple. Add another predominantly oriental, woody or fruity fragrance into the mix to match your mood, the occasion or the season.
