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Most celebrities look good in every situation--whether it's strolling down the red carpet or posing for a mug shot in the slammer. But how can us "normal" folks get our own fresh-off-the-red-carpet face? To score the secrets on Hollywood's hottest beauty looks, we turned to American Idol makeup artist Mezhgan Hussainy, expert at perfecting the gamut of styles from Rubin to Clay, Jordan to Sanjaya, and Taylor to Katherine. Savvy Miss readers asked, she answered.
Pam, 32: “How can I get the dewy skin look that you see on celebrities without looking shiny and sweaty?”
Mezhgan: Get a really pretty cream highlighter (Maybelline makes a great one) and mix that with foundation. You can add a lot or a little highlighter, depending on how dewy you want it. To mix it, I generally use the back of my hand to get the consistency I like and test it on my cheek and see how it looks..
After you put on your foundation you want to finish it off with a little bit of loose powder. It sets the makeup and keeps you from looking too oily or greasy. Even though you have powder on, your skin still looks glowy because of the sheen in the highlighter. Then just finish it up with just a little bit of blush on the apple of the cheeks and you’re ready to go.
Monika, 21: “Every time I do a smoky eye I end up looking like a raccoon. How can I get a smoky eye without looking like I was in a fight?
Mezhgan: Just because you want to have smoky eyes doesn’t mean you have to put it on the entire eye. Start with the lid and keep adding until you’re comfortable with it. It’s one of those things you play with.
I normally like to start with a taupey color and then add brown and a little bit of dark to it, like a black. Then I decide how deep I want to go with it and what liner I’m going to do—am I going to go with a really dark one or something thinner? For a little bit of drama you can add false eyelashes which really make the eyes pop. And, if you put too much shadow on, you can go back and use a makeup sponge to help blend it out.
To prevent dark eye shadow from falling on your face and ruining your foundation, get a loose, transparent powder and cake it under the eyes with a brush or sponge before applying the shadow. Then, brush off the transparent powder and it takes the fallen shadow along with it. The leftover powder also highlights your eyes because it’s light.
Valerie, 25: “How can I avoid the “five p.m. melt-down face” when all my makeup is rubbed off and my skin gets really oily? I want to look flawless all the time.”
Mezhgan: I like to use blotting paper throughout the day. It helps absorb the extra oil and keeps you from looking like you have a lot of makeup caked on. Then finish it off with blotting powder.
Blotting powder is lighter than regular powder and it’s used more to take the shine away than to cover. You should still use a regular powder in the morning and then use the blotting powder to keep everything fresh.
If your makeup keeps rubbing off, make sure to keep your blotting powder and a nice cream foundation with you. That way if you need to touch up under your eyes or hide those little blemishes that have a way of popping back out, you’ll be able to keep it in check.
Lindsey, 22: “I really want to get that classic French face, with the deep red lips. How can I get this look without having the red overwhelm my face?”
Mezhgan: If your lips are dark then your eyes should be light. My favorite is when you do a really light silver eye. (Make sure you don’t go with a dark silver.) You want something that brightens and gives you a little bit of sheen. Then use a little black eyeliner and do the crease with a taupe color to add depth.
For lips, pick your favorite deep red and then find the lip liner that matches it best. You want to line your lips and pencil in the inside. Then, when you put the lipstick on over the liner they will blend together so you can’t see the difference between the two. It also makes the lipstick last longer.
Allison, 23: “I have really fair skin. How can I have a sun-kissed face without having it contrast too much with my body?”
Mezhgan:Bronzers are always great to give you that healthy glow, but if you are really fair you don’t want one that’s four or five shades darker. The trick is to get a bronzer that’s only one or two shades darker than your skin tone. Some people recommend testing the bronzer on your inner arm or hands, but, actually, it’s better to test it on your face because then you can see exactly how it’s going to look. Your hair, eyes and lip color affect the way the shade will appear, so it’s important to try it where you’re going to use it to get the complete picture.
Once you’ve chosen your bronzer, use a big powder brush to apply. Make sure you get your neck and then bring it down to your chest and gradually fade it out. And don’t end it on your jaw line. That happens a lot. I see people and I say, “Oh my god, you look fantastic! Your face looks great,” but their neck and chest is too light. If you wear something that’s strapless you want to put a little body bronzer on your shoulders and your arms to make sure everything looks the same.