Red carpet events are entertaining to watch, and I love them not only because of the celebrities, but also because they tell me what fashion and beauty trends the celebrities are embracing.
Below are my favorite looks off the Grammys red carpet that I believe will fit Filipino women and will be easy enough to try on their own.
Technicolor smoky eye
Look up to date with shades of radiant orchid around your eyes. Rita Ora looks sultry by outlining hers in soft lavender, and this wonderfully brings out her amber eye color.
Although lavender and purple shades are tricky to pull off because doing it wrong can make you look like you haven’t slept in years, here’s a tip: Use primer around the eyes to help the pigment stick.
Then, use a neutral color as base, like nude or beige. (I love MAC’s Prep + Prime Primer Eyeshadow Base Yeux.)
Take your eyeshadow and press, not stroke, the product on the lids to contour. Stick to one color, and I suggest use a matte shade, because a shiny shadow will just be too overwhelming.
Do not exceed the tip of your brow. Be extra mindful about the under-eye. Line color outside the waterline, and carefully blend outward to connect it to the lid contour, creating a subtle cat eye. Lightly dust off excess product with a round brush.
If you make a smudgy mess, don’t worry! The easiest way to clean up the eyes after contouring is to reapply highlighter or a light layer of foundation after dusting off excess product. Finish by lining the waterline with black eyeliner to add dimension. Failing to do so can make the eyes look messy and drowned in product. Add false lashes for extra drama.
For a simpler version, take Taylor Swift’s cue and keep the lids neutral, save for colored eyeliner (she used cerulean) on top of the black cat eyeliner. Highlight the inside of the eyes with a matching highlighter, like silver. And because her makeup is shiny and metallic, Swift balances her look with clean, subtle eyebrows.
Clean eyes, bold lip
The black smoky eye trend is over. Update your party look by applying less product on the eyes and going for a dark, blue-undertone lip. But you can do this two ways: “Royals” singer Lorde, who wore a black Balenciaga, kept her eyes really light, while Beyonce, who wore a white Michael Costello, put more eyeshadow. If Lorde wore dark eyes, she will look too vamp, and if Beyonce wore less color on her eyes, she will look too bare and that just won’t do for the superstar, considering that “Drunk in Love” performance. Always keep your outfit in mind when deciding what makeup to use!
Barely there
This trend hugely emphasizes the woman’s need to focus on skincare. Beauty experts say that this season, the less effortful the look, the better. Just look at Katy Perry, Sarah Hayden and Giuliana Rancic (though I find Rancic’s too matchy-matchy with her orange dress). Use concealer around the eyes, around the nose and around the mouth for a flawless look; blend foundation all the way towards the hairline to avoid gaps, and use lipstick that closely matches the natural color of your lips.
If you are completely clueless about makeup, don’t fret. Our friends at MAC know that a lot of women would rather learn how to do their own makeup than insistently book makeup artists. They developed the MAC Technique, a globally branded event offered to consumers; for a minimum buy-in at any MAC store, one is entitled to participate in a workshop held by a certified MAC artist. There will be series of MAC Technique workshops in March at MAC Glorietta, MAC Shangri-La, MAC Trinoma, MAC Eastwood, MAC Rockwell and MAC Mall of Asia.
Visit www.maccosmetics.com.ph.