by I haven’t worn makeup for so long that a glamorous party look throws me off. My default evening makeup is usually exactly the same as my daytime makeup, with a little more eyeliner and an extra coat of mascara if there’s time. But I’m not sure if that’s flattering for my 50+ skin.
Since most of us have less than 10 minutes to put makeup on our faces, I wanted a lesson in how to do evening makeup easily, which will make me look a little more glamorous than usual and allow me to walk out the door without my husband losing his cool. control while waiting in the car.
I called on the skills of British makeup artist and author Wendy Rowe, who has done makeup for everyone from Helen Mirren to Priyanka Chopra, and is on Victoria Beckham and Sienna Miller’s speed dial when they want to look fabulous on the cover of a magazine or in the Red carpet. .
“There are two really easy party looks,” Rowe tells me, “that are ageless, relatively quick to perfect, and suit most faces. The first is a red lip with lots of lashes and the second is a relaxed smoky eye.
“The key to both looks is getting the skin right,” Rowe continues. “When people ask me what my best advice is if you’re short on time, all I say is redo your skin (complexion) even if you don’t have time to redo your eye makeup. Great looking skin will make average makeup look like amazing makeup.”
How to make your skin look perfect
“You probably don’t have time for a long massage, but even a quick two-minute massage to depuff while you cleanse or apply moisturizer (focusing on your jawline) can make a difference,” says Rowe (she has some good videos). to follow on her website wendyrowe).
“If you have time, continue wearing a mask. The 111 Skin Cryo De-Puffing Face Masks work wonders and I always use them on people before a big event or photo shoot. They really make the skin look better. They are also great if you have redness as they are cooling. You can always apply mascara while you wait for it to take effect,” adds Rowe.
111 Puffing Skin Cryo Face Mask, £20, Selfridges; Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Matte Beauty Blush Wand, £30, NK Space
Rowe’s other trick is to apply contour and blush to hydrated skin before applying foundation. “I think doing it this way gives a more beautiful and luminous finish to the skin. It feels weird at first, but it makes the skin look more polished,” says Rowe.
“When it comes to blush, apply it a little higher than normal, almost on the cheekbone. As you get older, your cheeks recede a little, so this is a good way to subtly enhance your face.” Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Matte Beauty Blush Wand is a good one.
“Then blend the contour stick (applied on the apple of the cheek and below the jawline) and blush into the skin with a large brush before applying foundation and concealer to just the areas you need. One of Rowe’s favorite foundations is Mac Studio Face and Body Foundation, as it is not too heavy and does not accentuate any lines or wrinkles like most other foundations.
“Finish with a matte bronzer and a little highlighter, but don’t be tempted to use anything shimmery, as it will settle into your lines and make you look older,” says Rowe. She loves Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream and Westman Atelier Lit Up Highlight Stick, which is patted onto cheekbones and gives skin real crystal clarity.
Westman Atelier Illuminated Highlighting Stick, £44, Cult beauty; Face and Body Foundation £38, Mac Studio; Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Tanning Cream, £46, Juan Luis
Three rules for the perfect red lipstick
“Finding the perfect shade of red is a bit of trial and error. Matte red looks a little more elegant than a bright red and requires less maintenance since you won’t have to keep doing touch-ups,” says Rowe. She created a red lipstick that suits “almost everyone” for refillable lipstick brand La Bouche Rouge, Makeup by Mario and Armani Beauty also have great reds.
“Use a lip liner before applying it and remember that the lower lip is much fuller than the upper lip. The key to a great lip line is to smile to stretch your mouth. Don’t try to do it with your mouth normally, as it will become feathery. I don’t think lining too much is a good idea. Work with what you have, don’t try to create something else; It’s just going to look a little bad.
“If you’re going to wear a red lip, you need to own it,” says Rowe. “You can’t just put it on and expect no one to notice. You have to say: I’m using it and I feel great about it. Think Robert Palmer addicted to love video.”
The Red Mouth, £36, cult of beauty; Mario Makeup, £30, sephora; Giorgio Armani Lip Power in 400, £35, Boots
How to do an easy smoky eye
Rowe applies the mascara first. “You can go all the way to your lash line, and if you get a little messy with the application, it doesn’t matter since you’re putting shadow on top. And as you get older, use lighter mascara to keep your eyes as open as possible. Volumizing mascaras can make the eyes appear smaller and that is the opposite of what we want.” Max Factor 2000 Calorie Waterproof Mascara is great.
“As of a certain age, use an eyeshadow with a cream texture, as it does not focus on the lines. Victoria Beckham has some good ones in taupe. Simply apply it to the entire eye socket and eyelid. That easy. She then finishes with a deeper chocolate-colored powder eyeshadow right on the outer corners to give the impression of a larger eye. The Chanel Les Beiges eyeshadow palettes are my favorite and have fantastic chocolate browns. You can blend with a small brush to give it a polished finish, but remember to blend upwards from the corner of your eye so as not to drag your eyes down.
Max Factor Waterproof Mascara 200 Calories, £9.99, Superdrug; Les Beiges Eyeshadow Palettes, £53, chanel
“As you get older, be careful with eyeliner as it can be too harsh. You want everything to look soft and without harsh lines,” says Rowe, who decided not to use any eyeliner on me.
“The most important thing is that you don’t be tempted to use glitter in your eyes (or anywhere on your face). It will wrinkle and last for a few years. A shimmery, wet-looking eyeshadow is a stylish alternative. Surratt Lid Lacquers are excellent and very easy to apply.
“And try to avoid making your eyebrows look too arched like we did in the 1980s. Use an eyebrow pencil to make them look a little straighter. It will look more youthful.” The Anastasia Beverly Hills eyebrow pencil has a very good choice of colors.
Anastasia Beverley Hills Brow Wiz Eyebrow Pencil in Caramel, £18.40, looks fantastic; Surratt top lacquer in Hadaka, £35, NK Space
Three tips for party hair
Hairstylist Neil Moodie, who works a lot with Rowe on celebrity photo shoots and at his east London salon, says that if your hair is long enough, a high ponytail with a bit of volume towards the back of the hair. crown is a quick and easy solution. style to accompany a red lip. “Apply hairspray directly onto your brush as you brush the hair into the ponytail. And follow the line of your cheekbones to where you make the ponytail sit at the back of your head. It can also enhance the face a little.
“Depending on your style, having your hair a little ‘tousled’ can be more youthful than looking too polished. French women are good at this relaxed look and it can work well with a smoky eye, as you don’t want everything to look too perfect.”
If you don’t have time to blow-dry your hair, spray a blow-dry spray at your roots (try Sundaze Sea Salt Spray for a tousled, relaxed look or Save the Do for a more polished finish, both from Hair by Sam McKnight) and blow dry with a brush. round or with your fingers to quickly increase volume in fine hair.
Sam McKnight Save the Do Blow Dry Style, £26, Zipporah; Sundaze Sea Salt Spray, £26, Zipporah
