BeautiControl Shadow Control Creme isn’t new but it is new to me and I have to say it works amazingly well. It works like a eye primer that helps eyeshadow to last longer without creasing or fading. Unlike some silicone products, this one is very sheer and creamy in texture. Which is why I wasn’t sure it would actually keep my eyeshadow from moving, since my eyelids are super oily. I applied a normal amount to my eyes and then put a powder eyeshadow on top. 15 hours later my eye make up looked like I’d just applied it. It did not budge. No creasing, no fading just perfect looking eyes! This will stay on until you take it off.

One of our best-loved shows for FW10 has to be Lanvin. From the jet black wigs with super strong fringe, to the blinged out smoky eye, and the clothes are amazing too! Here are a few tips to get the look:

1. Start with a semi matte foundation to even out skin tone. I like Shu Uemura’s Nobara Stick it has excellent coverage.

2. For intense smoky eyes use the blackest black eye kohl and shadow to set. Make sure to pull the shape out towards the temple.

3. Use a small flat brush with a little vaseline on it to adhere the glitter to the eyelids.

4. Lips should be nude and matte with a peach beige undertone.

1. MAC smolder eye kohl 2. Shu Uemura Nobara Stick Foundation 3. MAC reflects gold glitter 4. Nars honolulu honey lipstick 5. Illamasqua gimp eyesahdow 6. Kevyn Aucoin medium flesh tone lip pencil

Toronto International Film Festival while not as full on glam as Cannes, still has it’s fair share of red carpet moments. All the girls look red carpet ready but my favourite’s are  Megan Fox with her scarlet lip, Natalie Portman’s smoky eyes, and Emma Stone’s peach cheeks.

Images from justjared.com

Dark lips and red lips are mandatory for Fall. If you can’t handle the colour full on, first apply a sheer amount of lip balm and then dab your dark lip colour on with your ring finger for a subtle look.

I just tried these new lipsticks from Make Up Forever. They really are quite nice. They come in 3 different textures-matte, pearly, and satin. I enjoyed the matte and the satin, I’m never a huge fan of overly frosty textures. All 3 textures are packed with pigment, apparently 50% more than traditional lipstick. The pay off is excellent, and they wear very well. What is most exciting is the fact that there are 50 new colours to choose from! A make up kit overhaul is in my near future, and these new lipsticks will be great new additions to my lip palette.

Available at Sephora

Lea Michele looks super hot in these images from marktbeauty.com. As a make up artist skin is my favourite feature. These pictures attest to the fact that you should never under estimate the importance of glowing skin.

P.S I can’t wait for Glee to return this Fall!

Lipstick is going to be essential for Fall, especially red lipstick. I’ve been wearing Ellis Faas Creamy Lips in L101, it’s totally perfect for the upcoming season. For a long wearing lipstick (I had it on for about 6 hours, drank a bottle of water and it held up) I did not expect the texture to be as smooth, and comfortable to wear as it is. You twist the top of the very chic shiny packaging, and the colour pops out in tiny droplets onto the sponge. It glides on the lips with a sponge tip applicator that’s slanted like a lipstick.

Milky Lips is more liquid like and less opaque than Creamy Lips, but still wears well. This one has a brush applicator which gives even coverage. I tried L203 which is kind of a rosy pink brown.

Lisa has been wearing Glazed Lips in L306. It goes on really smooth not at all sticky and delivers nice glossy shine. She liked the brush applicator because you can control how much you want to wear. A sheer application gives more of a stained look, and when applied heavier the colour is considerably more vibrant than the image appears.

The website shows all the lip colours on 3 different skin tones, making online shopping a little easier http://www.ellisfaas.com/

*Ellis Faas Lips were provided to Smudge Style

For Fall 2010 it’s all about the well groomed eyebrow. The common brow theme at Gucci, Dolce and Gabbana, Chloe and Fendi-all seen above, is- full, brushed, defined, and slightly arched.  Here’s how to update your brows for the new season:

1. Use a mascara wand shaped brush to brush the brows up

2. Fill in gaps with a eyeshadow and an angle brush or pencil about one shade lighter than you hair colour. Use short strokes.

3. For more definition use a slightly darker eyeshadow or pencil.

4. Finish with either a wax or brow gel to keep the brows in place.

1. Anastasia mini duo angled/spooley 7 2. Smashbox brow tech 3. Laura Mercier brow gel 4. MAC eyebrows

Spring runways were full of the sheer trend. It’s the perfect airy way to dress for the warm weather for your clothes and make up. To get the look think translucent, glowy colour that lets your natural skin show through, on eyes, cheeks and lips. Nothing opaque or heavy, just soft, light, and feminine. My absolute favourite product for this look is MAC Lustre Drops. This tiny bottle of liquid radiance, has a medicine like dropper that dispenses the perfect amount of product.  I use the #109 brush to buff it onto my cheeks for sheer colour and lots of glow.

1. Nars Duo Cream Eyeshadow Summertime 2. Essie Nail Polish Pillow Talk 3. MAC Lustre Drops 4. Laura Mercier Mosaic Shimmer Bloc 5. Hourglass Extreme Sheen Lipgloss Imagine

During the Summer months don’t waste time with make up that can’t withstand the heat. Waterproof products will keep you looking fresh whether you’re at the beach or in the city. Look for silicone based eyeshadows and eyeliners like Make Up Forever Aquacream. This cream eyeshadow blends on easily and then sets and stays put. For lips and cheeks products that leave a sheer stain are often very longwearing, try Stila Lip and Cheek Stain. Don’t forget about your foundation. During hot and humid weather you need a foundation that will perform under such circumstances. Diorskin Forever Compact is waterproof and transfer resistant.

Tip: Use an oil based cleanser to remove waterproof products easily.

1. Stila Lip and Cheek Stain 2. Make Up Forever Aquacream 3. Smashbox Limitless Eyeliner 4. Lancome Definicils Waterproof Mascara 5. Make Up Forever Waterproof Eyeliner 6.  DiorSkin Forever Compact Flawless & Moist Extreme Wear Makeup SPF 25

For nude lips that complement dark skin tones choose a warm caramel lipstick with gold undertones. My favourite is Dolce & Gabbana Cashmere lipstick. Avoid anything that has an undertone that is too white or pale.

Image from allure.com

Kim along with her other sisters, were in Miami for the Beach Bunny Swimwear fashion show. Kim of course was wearing her signature make up look: dark smoky liner, but she had this very pretty deep peach colour on her eyelids. Lots of lashes, liquid eyeliner, bronze cheeks and of course the nude glossy pout. What was slightly unexpected were Kim’s neon pink nails-I like!

Images from hotcelebs.com

The Burberry Beauty collection is as chic and sophisticated as it’s clothing line. Starting with the beautiful packaging with signature Burberry check, to the lipstick cases that close magnetically. After trying the majority of the line, I found the foundation, powder, eyeshadow, and gloss to be quite sheer. Everything feels very smooth and silky thanks to the silicones, and glides on for effortless application. Makeup Artist Wendy Rowe, responsible for the make up direction at Burberry’s runway makeup for the past nine years, says the line is “effortless and relaxed, but sophisticated.”

I purchased the gloss in nude beige No.9. It is sheer and very smooth, not at all sticky. Oils and ceramides that leave the lips hydrated, supple and naturally plumped. The shadows come in a variety of neutrals as well as some blues and purples inspired by England’s stormy weather. I picked up the eyeshadow in gold trench No.4 the colour is a pretty golden beige and it looks great on my lids or as a highlight colour.

The lipsticks come in a nice range of easy to wear colours from nude tones to darker reds. It’s very light on the lips and quite moisturizing while leaving just the right amount of pigment on the lips. Lisa got the No.3 cameo pink which is a light-medium warm pink colour.

Update: (From Lisa) After wearing this for a while I decided that I don’t love the smell of the lipstick and foundation. I find that a lot of the products smell like perfume — maybe even baby powder which is a bit off putting. But if you’re okay with the smell then its a pretty nice lipstick. Leah has been using the lipgloss and it has no smell.

Denim is a huge trend this Summer. Not just jeans, but dresses, shorts, shirts, jackets, shoes and bags, pretty much everything. Chloe even showed denim on denim. When it comes to your make up, denim like blues are an easy switch from your regular routine. Swap your black gel eyeliner for navy or smudge indigo eye kohl under your eyes instead of grey. A steel blue shadow is a more subtle for anyone that wants to try blue but can’t get down with this season’s other trend-brights.

1.Givenchy Le Prisme Eyeshadow in Dressy Indigo 2. Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner in Denim Ink 3. Maybelline Sapphire Ice Eyeshadow Quad 4. Top Shop Kohl in Bolt 5. OPI Breathe Life Nail Polish

Ellis Faas is a phenomenal make up artist.  Her work spans runways, magazines, as well as campaigns for cosmetic companies like MAC, Clinique, and Lancome. What I was most inspired by when I worked with her, was the way she mixed colours. Her concoctions created unique shades that proved that she was a true artist. I met Ellis Faas in Milan for the Fall shows in 2007. I assisted her for the make up test for Blumarine in Milan, Cacherel, and my favourite Giambattista Valli in Paris. I discovered that her make up kit was more like that of a painter than a make up artist. There were unmarked tubes, pots, and palettes of colour. So I was excited to hear last year Faas started her own make up line. I have not had the opportunity to try the line but from what I can see it looks very good. The products are straight forward and concise with sleek packaging.

Images from Management+Artists

Now this is quite a transformation for miss Amber Rose! Usually seen around town bald headed and scantily clad on the arm of Kanye West. Amber Rose is all dolled up in old Hollywood glamour with a very modern twist. Those brows are amazing.

I think she looks pretty fantastic. What do you think?

Images from yrbmagazine.com

For a perfect sun kissed look use a large powder brush and apply bronzer on all the high points of the face. The forehead, cheeks, nose, and chin.

Image from vmagazine.com

Concealer is a lifesaver. It covers anything you ever want to hide, from blemishes to bad tattoos. Here are a few concealer tips:

1. Choose the right tool. Small soft brushes for concealing under the eyes. Small firm brushes are better for blemishes and spots.

2. If you can, avoid using heavy cream concealers under the eyes they can look noticeable. Instead opt for a medium coverage liquid concealer for seamless coverage.

3. Use a warm coloured concealer to cancel out dark circles that have blue undertones.

4. When applying concealer under the eye or on a blemish, focus on the area that needs covering. Don’t over apply where you don’t need it.

5. Choose the right colour. Too light only emphasizes what you’re trying to disguise.

6. Always prep the skin with appropriate skincare before apply concealer. Concealer will blend easier and look more natural.

Our favourites:

DiorSkin Nude Skin-Perfecting Hydrating concealer

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage

MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer

YSL Touche Eclat

The most common misconception when it comes to contouring the face is where on the face to shade and highlight.  Most people think that you need to draw a diagonal line from your ear to the corner of your lip. The reason people think this way is because when we look at ourselves straight on, the cheekbone appears to be on a diagonal. We get the illusion of a diagonal line because we’re 3 dimensional. The best way to figure out placement is to feel for your cheekbone with your fingers. You will see that it actually runs across the face, and then turn to the side to see yourself in profile.

Before you get started you will need the following things:

1. A dark colour for shading in either a cream or powder, and it should be two to three shades darker than your skin tone but in the same undertone. If you choose to use powder it should be matte.

2. A light colour for highlighting in either a cream or powder. The colour can be considerably  lighter than your skin depending on how much you want it to show. The highlighter can be matte or shimmer depending on the effect you want to achieve.

3. An angled or medium sized blush brush. Using a angled blush brush makes shading much easier as the angle of the brush will fit perfectly under the cheekbone.

Here’s our simple step by step guide to create prominent cheekbones:

1. Using the angled part of the brush and your darkest colour, sweep under the cheekbone starting close to the ear and finishing with the brush leaving your face.(#1 in above image) Repeat until you get desired intensity.

2. Dust off the dark colour on a tissue before picking up the highlight colour.

3. Apply the highlight colour to the top of the cheekbone by gently tapping or brushing. (#2 in above image)

Anywhere you shade with a darker colour will recede and what you highlight will be brought forward. Remember to do both to beautifully contour your cheeks.

Apply a sheer layer of gloss to the very edge of the upper lip.  The gloss, unlike a pencil will reflect the light and ultimately make lips look fuller.