You’re welcome ladies.
I am constantly hounded my people asking me questions about skincare and makeup.
And while I do have a pretty good level of knowledge, I am not an expert.
By expert, I mean that I am not qualified in the likes of beauty aesthetics or makeup artistry.
So, I made the decision to call in some experts to get some really brilliant beauty advice.
I reached out to highly successful celebrity make-up artists, Lauren Murphy and Elizabeth Rita to ask a few questions.
We sourced the questions directly from you, our glorious readers, using Instagram.
I chose eight of the best questions submitted, and sent them on to Lauren and Elizabeth.
Here are the wonderful answers…
1: I have bad skin that I want to cover up, but I hate looking caked. What do I do?
Lauren:
“Thoroughly cleanse the skin first, I use the NIVEA MicellAIR Professional Micellar Water, and always start your makeup application with a clean base to remove dirt and excess oil for a flawless finish. Moisturise to hydrate your skin, as this will avoid your skin drawing moisture from your makeup which can give a cakey appearance. Use a mattifying primer to control oil. Instead of using a full coverage Matt foundation, use a medium coverage foundation with a skin like finish that’s long wearing, Lancôme Teint Idole 24-hour wear or Bare Minerals Bare Pro performance wear liquid foundation are both good options. Cover up blemishes with a full coverage concealer, choose a shade that’s a close colour match to your foundation, blend out so its seamless on the skin, apply translucent powder to set blemished areas and t-zone – don’t over powder!”
Elizabeth:
“I think the first mistake most people make is get a very heavy foundation and cover the full face, but this isn’t necessary. You only need to camouflage the bit of skin you are not happy with. I suggest using Mac’s Pro Longwear Concealer or Bobbi Brown’s Instant Full Coverage Concealer.”
2: I’m always sceptical of expensive makeup products – are they worth it?
Lauren:
“My advice would be to try before you buy! Go into the department stores and trial out the product you’re interested in, see how it wears for the rest of the day then make your decision on whether it’s worth the money. With so many brands on the market there are excellent products to suit every budget. My kit is full of both high end and high street brands, for me if I like the product and how it applies and wears on the skin then I buy it.”
Elizabeth:
“I have lots of different skincare & makeup products in my kit, some come with a rather large price tag and others are an absolute steal, but they are all in my kit for a reason – they work. It’s just a case of choosing the right products for you. For example, I splashed out and bought one of my favourite bronzers, Chanel’s Soleil Tan De Chanel for a pricey €40, but I also love my favourite budget makeup remover, the NIVEA MicellAIR Professional Eye Make-Up Remover.”
3: What’s the best eyeshadow colour for hazel eyes?
Lauren:
“Hues of purple, browns, bronzes, golds really make the eyes pop, hazel eyes tend to have different hints of colour, so all of these colours work well.”
Elizabeth:
“You can play with lots of different colours with hazel eyes and bring out different hues depending on the tones of eye shadows. I love mixing browns, greens, purples and golds together. Which sounds like a crazy concoction but put them all together and it works. Start with green golds in the inside corners fade into browns towards the outside corners and under the bottom lash line. Then add a hint of dark purple along the top & bottom lash line and voila! you have yourself a rather sassy eye makeup look! I love using Charlotte Tilbury’s Stars in Your Eyes Palette for achieving this type of look.”
4: What is the fastest and most effective way to get rid of a big ugly pimple?
Lauren:
“Don’t squeeze! Although it’s tempting you will irritate and inflame the skin, making it appear worse. Dry the spot out using a spot treatment, look for products that have Salicylic Acid in, this ingredient penetrates deep into the skin and loosens the build-up of oil/bacteria in the blocked pore and calms inflammation in the skin. Cover with concealer.”
Elizabeth:
“First of all, try not to squeeze it! I know it can be hard but trust me it’s much better for your skin in the long run! My first product that helps fight of those dreaded spots is Tea Tree Oil. It’s good for your skin anyway, but in addition it contains anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties, it also helps with scarring just in case you were tempted to give it a little squeeze.”
“My other contender is Aloe Vera gel – not only does it cool your skin down, it also reduces any inflammation and removes the oiliness from your skin. Just remember to be patient when you have a spot, the less you anger it the quicker it will go away.”
5: What kind of cleanser should I use if I have dry skin? (cream, oil, gel etc)
Lauren:
“Both cream and oil cleansers are great for dry skin, what I love to use most is the NIVEA MicellAIR professional Micellar Water, it’s gentle dry oil formula doesn’t interfere with the natural skin lipid, leaving your skin clean and feeling soft and refreshed, it can be used on all skin types.”
Elizabeth:
“If you have dry skin, that suggests your production of sebum and moisture regulation has been disturbed, so you need a product that will address that and keep your skin hydrated. Don’t use any soap based or perfume heavy cleansers as they will only dry you out further. Instead I would suggest using the NIVEA MicellAIR Micellar Water for Dry Skin, which has natural almond oil in it and soothing ingredients which will make such a difference to your dry skin.”
6: I hate putting makeup on every day, any tips for how I can look fresh without lashing it on?
Lauren:
“Totally! Even though I’m a makeup artist, I tend to wear minimal makeup when I’m not working, it’s great to let your skin breathe. Instead of foundation I apply a tinted moisturiser, it gives your complexion a hint of colour and coverage. Apply light-weight creamy concealer under eyes to brighten, Nars creamy concealers are my go to for under eye concealer. Apply mascara to really open up the eyes, a touch of cream blush on the apples of the cheek to add some warmth to the skin and a tinted balm or gloss.”
Elizabeth:
“I am actually very similar, I love makeup, but I don’t want to spend hours in the morning getting ready. I know on Instagram and Youtube, a lot of bloggers and vloggers spend a lot of time perfecting a look, but it’s not reality. So first of all, you need to get a natural base, I love the Bioderma Photoderm Nude Touch Natural Tint, it looks like skin and gives you an amazing natural complexion both in real life and in photos, it’s beautifully lightweight so you can apply it with your fingertips and the pièce de résistance, it’s SPF 50. Once you have done your base, just pop on as much or as little mascara as you fancy. Finally choose a pink/ peach lip-stain (Native Cream Pale Pink by Urban Decay £15.50) and apply to your lips and to the apples of cheeks for a flush of colour. All very quick & simple, and you will look fabulous.”
7: Are sheet masks worth the hype?
Lauren:
“Yes, I love sheet masks, they are great way to home pamper yourself before bed and let the ingredients work their magic overnight or before a big event/night out for that extra skin boost.”
Elizabeth:
“Sheet masks are known for being fast, convenient and easy to use but I have to be honest I have never been tempted to use them as I don’t really like the feeling of being covered! I much prefer using creams and massaging them into my skin, I find it far more relaxing and therapeutic.”
8: What is the best eyeshadow palette on the market right now?
Lauren:
There are lots! It depends what you’re looking for… for those luxe shimmers I love Charlotte Tilbury, when you want to create gorgeous glam looks you have it all in one palette. You can’t go wrong with Urban Decay NAKED palettes – blend-able pigments and a choice of shades, ‘Heat’ has been a favourite of mine this summer full of warm tones, it will work well for autumn too. I also love the Marc Jacobs eye palettes, gorgeous sleek packaging good for travelling with, a great selection of Matt and shimmer shades in one palette.
Elizabeth:
Wow, this is a hard one! I am actually going to cheat and say two pallets, Morphe’s Jaclyn Hill Eye shadow Pallet (€42) which is all very shimmery and pretty. I also love the Blank Canvas Cosmetics Master Series Palette One (€35) which is really earthy and mostly matt eye shadows.
