I attended the Elle B makeup artist masterclass in Liverpool to check out tips and tricks from a top celebrity MUA as to how to get flawless skin, whilst finding out what she uses on her clients.
Elle B studied from Mario Dedivanovic, makeup artist of the Kardashians, and having had celebrity clients on her books, since her training in New York she taught us two different looks. I learned a book full of techniques that are unheard of from magazines and blogs. They’re here to be shared today so you can start to utilise the best from the top, in your daily makeup routine for flawless skin.
Elle showed us two different looks that are very easily achievable from the technique, down to the products.
The first look being an orange toned smokey eye, dewy looking but flawless. Whilst the second look has thicker mink individual lashes, a red eye and a glossier lip.
Both very wearable during the day and can be enhanced to a night time look.
ELLE B’S TOP TIPS
Take your time
Elle explained that in between each step she will switch to another part of the face whilst the makeup goes tacky, and has time to sit on the skin before applying the next layer of foundation, colour corrector or concealer. The best example of this is lower lashes, the longer you spend on your lower lashes the more likely you are to wipe excess product off, whilst the under coat dries, so as you apply your eyelashes are increasingly longer.
Sandbagging
An odd term I know but this revolutionary new trend has changed under eye makeup entirely, this is the one tip I shout from the rooftops since trying out and is now a staple in my routine.
Sandbagging involves a lot of loose powder being applied heavily under the eyes, and leaving for 5-10 minutes before being brushed away. I highly recommend switching to contouring, eye makeup or eyebrows at this point as it can seem quite time consuming on a daily basis. The effects you see is a flawless, none crusty finish which is perfect for anyone with very dark under eye circles like myself.
Blend gently
Makeup should be applied in small steps, and despite all the little things seeming insignificant build up to a look that seems to come together within the final steps.
By blending your contour or eyeshadow in small flecks down the face (never upwards) you pull the product down without wiping off all the layers, for a softened diffused look.
Darken around the lips
To achieve that slightly swollen lip look that Kylie Jenner swears by, apply a small amount of dark contour or as Elle uses eyeshadow around the lips to make them appear more distinguished. It helps to balance out the face with existing contour around the cheeks, jawline, around the forehead and along the nose. From this you can go onto your usual lip routine preferably with a darker lip liner to stop bleeding from the lipstick.
Use a beauty blender
This little wet sponge is the savour to getting rid of lines, smudges and shine. Opting for a beauty blender allows you to use the appropriate amount of product for thin layers and remove excess.
Switch the beauty blender the opposite way and it can be used for applying powder to the under eyes, t-zone and chin. Using a beauty blender pushes the product into your face for longer wearability. The shape of the sponge fits to all the contours of the face where it can be tricky to get a smooth finish, and this trick has shown lasting effects on a night out, tried and tested from 7pm to 6am without shine.
Use a grey based contour
Most contouring palettes have a red brown hue, which blushes the cheeks but doesn’t make shadows look darker. Elle’s tip on using a grey based contour like Bobbi Browns Contouring Palette makes the contour look sunken instead of flushed, which comes across as realistic.
Apply concealer in a triangle shape
By doing a triangle, with the point ending at the bottom of your nose, you balance out the face with a lighter colour, and go over the top of the concealer under the eyes for more coverage so it fits better with the foundation instead of using a contouring kit. Using this technique in your makeup routine allows for strobing so highlight can be applied in the appropriate sections of the face without too much product sitting underneath. Elle always recommends to use a concealer three shades lighter than your foundation.
Arrange individual eyelashes on top of strip eyelashes in the pack
This saves all the faffing around of applying individual eyelashes over the top of eyelashes whilst on your eye, use the box they came in to add extras whilst they’re still on the packaging. By doing this you can create a custom look and guarantee symmetry and accuracy. Elle used mink (cruelty free) 3-D Lilly Lashes, that Kylie is renowned for wearing.
Finish your routine with a bronzing mist
Elle instead of using finishing spray gives an extra glow to the skin using the Guerlain Terracotta Bronzing Mist in medium for both of these looks that gives that dewy finish.
Elle’s final tip is to take a photo, you’re most likely wanting to take a photo after applying flawless makeup and the only way of checking how it’s come out is it selfie it out!
Some of the products she uses which the likes of Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner use in their daily makeup are the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation, Smashbox Green Colour Correcting Primer, Colour FX Custom Cover Drops, Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder, MAC’s Red Brick , Anastasia So Hollywood, Highlighter, YSL Babydoll Mascara, Benefit Hoola Bronzer and the Bobbi Brown Concealer palette.
Let me know what you use in your makeup and if you’ve learnt anything.
Find Elle B at 34 Rodney Street, L1 9AA to have your makeup done!
