BEAUTY QUEEN

The Gold Standard. Legendary. Elegant. Innovative. The most influential makeup artist in the world by Vogue magazine. Pat McGrath was born and raised in Northampton, England. One of the most creative makeup artists of her generation, McGrath began her career in 1990 after completing an art foundation course at Northampton College, and said she “grew up living and breathing fashion in a compulsively creative family”.

• While she had no formal makeup training, her career breakthrough came while working on i-D magazine in the early Nineties.

• Since then she has worked with all the world’s top fashion photographers, designers and models.

• During the Nineties she spent ten seasons creating the makeup concepts for Prada and Miu Miu and in 1999 was asked by Giorgio Armani to design his cosmetics line.

• In 2004 she was named global cosmetics creative design director for Procter&Gamble, the name behind makeup brands including Max Factor, Dolce & Gabbana, CoverGirl and SK-II.

• She regularly collaborates on major fashion advertising campaigns such as Louis Vuitton, Prada, Lanvin, Calvin Klein and Balenciaga, and her editorial work includes regular shoots with Vogue Italia and American Vogue.

• She is also Beauty Director of i-D magazine and dispenses her knowledge in the expert advice pages of Allure.

• In a Vogue article in 2007 she was named the most influential makeup artist in the world and has worked with celebrities as diverse as Madonna, Sarah Jessica Parker, Cate Blanchett and Oprah Winfrey.

• Despite creating the makeup for a plethora of shows and campaigns each season, McGrath remains inspired, “I’m influenced a lot by the fabrics I see, the colours that are in the collections and the girl’s faces. It’s always a challenge but that’s the key – to make it different every time.”

BLUSH BABY, BLUSH!

SO CHEEKY! – CHOOSING CHEEK COLOR: Although choosing cheek color is, of course, subjective, don’t forget to consider your basic skin tone. Subtle is almost more flattering, but who’s to say you won’t look (and feel) smashing in fuchsia sometimes? Here are quick guidelines that can save you some time and trouble.

• DETERMINE WHETHER YOUR SKIN TONE IS WARM OR COOL
Here are three surefire tests: Check the veins on your wrists. If they appear greenish, you have warm skin. If they look blue, you have cool skin. Consider how your skin reacts to sun. Warm skin tends to tan; cool skin tends to burn. Slip on a silver bracelet, then a gold one. Silver looks better on cool skin; gold compliments warm skin.

• TRY ON MAKEUP SHADES IN THE SAME CATEGORY
If you have warm undertones, you probably look best in yellow-based blush colors such as peach and terracotta; if you have cool undertones, blue-based pinks and berries will work.

• TAKE A GOOD LOOK
Rules or no rules, remember that choosing makeup colors is very subjective, and the smartest approach is trial and error. It’s pretty basic, an unflattering tone will make you look tired and sickly, and a flattering one will make your face come alive. Next, all you have to do is select the formulation best suited to your needs and skin type.

“How can I tone down too much blush?”
If you’ve over done it with cream blush, blot the color off with a tissue. If powder blush is the cause of the problem, diffuse it with translucent powder. Dust it on with a brush or powder puff and smooth it across your cheeks until the color is subdued. Since gel and liquid blush “stain” the cheeks, the only way to lighten them is to wash your face, moisturize, and reapply your makeup more sparingly.

A GLOW FROM RIO

Warm colors are a girl’s best friend. Mimic the warmth of skin when achieving natural beauty. Keep in mind, it’s about quality, not quantity! Bronzing powder gives skin a healthy, sun kissed appearance, and you don’t have to spend a second in the sun. Look for warm golden or brown tones a few shades darker than your skin. The sheerer the texture, the more natural it will look. Bronzing powder also helps neutralize red or ruddy complexions.

Touch it. Feel it against your skin. Bronzing powder should feel silky soft and fine, like any loose powder, or if it comes in a compact, like pressed powder or blush. The softer the texture, the more your skin will radiate a natural flawless glow.

The trick is to shine through your makeup, rather than hide behind, accentuate rather than change. Apply bronzing powder with a medium-sized fluffy brush. Try MAC 129 Powder/Blush Brush, ($34.00, maccosmetics.com), a full, rounded, all-purpose brush that I have been using for years. Use it over foundation or on bare skin. Rather than dusting a uniform layer onto the face, apply it where sunlight would naturally hit, the center of your forehead, the bridge of your nose, the tops of your cheekbones, and your chin. Finish it off by applying a warm peach blush on your cheeks, this will give you a more fresh and richer complexion. When you naturally tan, your skin is a little flushed and rosy.

Guerlain
Terracotta Light Sheer Bronzing Powder ($48.00, guerlain.com)
PRODUCT 101: This multi-tone bronzing powder has a light texture and doesn’t contain a ton of pigment, so it’s subtle and discreet enough to use even in the cooler months. It glides on smooth, not too shimmery and the application can be easily controlled. It can slightly warm pale and medium complexions, be paired with a darker formula to create a deep tan, or help build a warm base for a smoky eye.

MAC Cosmetics
Powder Blush, Style ($18.00, maccosmetics.com)
PRODUCT 101: This shimmering peach blush is universal. It flatters more complexions than cooler colors do, and it warms up the complexion a little bit, so it still looks natural and fresh. It’s soft and sophisticated, and has a subtle touch of pink that makes it look good on almost anyone.