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Jo Reid
Top make-up artist and Director of Blush. Contact: 07941 175 578 or visit www.blush.uk.com. |
Jo Reid answers all your Make-up related questions |
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Help me create a soft bridal look
Q. I'm of Pakistani descent with brown eyes and a light complexion. I can't quite seem to find the right foundation, so my make-up comprises bare skin and black eye-liner. I think this may be a bit harsh for my wedding day and would like a softer look. Can you suggest any brands and colours for my face and eyes?
A. Jo Reid says: One of the best foundations for light Pakistani skin tones is Estée Lauder Nutritious Liquid Mineral in shade 3. If this is slightly too dark, try Dior SkinFlash in number 300 which is a great airbrush foundation.
For your eyes, try browns blended with black eyeliner to soften the effect for a more bridal look. MAC Dipdown is a great gel liner that won't move on the day and you can blend Chanel black khol into the roots of the lashes for extra definition. |
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Plump my pout!
Q. I have quite thin lips and would love to achieve a fuller look without having surgery. Can you help?
A. Jo Reid says: There are many products on the market which claim to make lips bigger temporarily, but the best solution is to create an optical illusion with make-up. You can do so by highlighting and contouring your natural lips and adding gloss. Here's how: first prime your lips by applying a foundation. This will give you an even tone and your lipstick extra longevity. Then line your lips using a pencil that's one shade lighter than your natural lip colour. Next highlight your cupids bow and the centre of your lips using Yves Saint Laurent's Touché Éclat.
Finally, take a lipstick which is as close to your natural lip colour as possible and, using a brush, apply it to the edges of your natural lip line. Finish by applying a layer of clear gloss to the centre of your lips and this will enhance your new-found fullness! |
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Spot of bother
Q. Even though I'm in my late twenties I'm still prone to the odd unslightly spot and I'm worried that I'll have one on my big day. Can you recommend any products that can get rid of spots quickly?
A. Jo Reid says: We are all prone to spots at stressful times and pre-wedding
blemishes are very common. If you do wake up with a spot ahead of your wedding day, leave it alone and do not be tempted to pick it! Doing so will spread the infection and make it look worse.
One of the most gentle yet effective creams I can recommend is Sudocream, which can be found at most chemists. It will not burn your skin or make the area red and sore, but is great for reducing the size of a spot overnight. Alternatively, try Quinoderm, a great solution for more stubborn spots.
For coverage on the big day use a liquid concealer, which will last much longer. I love MAC Select Cover Up. Blend it with a small make-up brush for a natural finish and apply a translucent powder over the top to seal it. |
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Help me find the perfect foundation
Q. I have a dark Asian skintone and really struggle to find a foundation that doesn't make me look grey. I want my skin to look its best in my wedding photos. Can you recommend any brands?
A. Jo Reid says: You need to use a foundation with enough yellow or orange pigment to suit your skintone, rather than choosing a pink-based shade, which will look chalky on dark skin. MAC has a great range for dark skin, as does Iman. I love the Iman stick foundations, which give great coverage without looking too heavy.
Asian skin tends to be be darker at the outer edges of the face and lighter down the central t-zone, so using two foundations - one for the centre and one for the outer edges - can also provide a very natural finish. This method will also prevent greyness. Whatever foundation you do choose, always test it on the relevant areas of your face. If you see it disappear into the skin, so it can't be seen obviously, then you have found the correct shade for you. |
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How do I get a wide-eyed look?
Q. I would love to wear eyeliner to accentuate my eyes for wedding photos, but whenever I use it, it makes them look smaller. Is there a trick to open eyes up instead?
A. Jo Reid says: When worn well, eyeliner can indeed prove to be a real eye-opener. However, brides need to be careful as the wrong shade or technique can cause eyes to look small or severe.
If you have a dark skin tone and hair colour, go with black. If not, avoid it. Any brides-to-be with skin lighter than an olive tone look best with dark browns, greys, plums and navy colours ? all of which are softer and more flattering on light skin.
Be sure to choose the right kind of eye-pencil too. I avoid kohl pencils and prefer gel-liners, which stay put. When you apply, ensure you are wearing mascara first so you can clearly see your lash line. Black mascara is fine for all skin tones. Stretch the eye tight with one hand and with the other, use a very fine brush to apply a line lengthwise along the lash line, extending beyond the end of the eye slightly. Daring brides-to-be can create a feline effect, which really opens the eye, by extending the line out further still. |
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Cover up tips
Q. I have heard that Yves Saint Laurent's Touche Éclat can cause white panda eyes in photos. I use it all the time and can't cope without it! Do you think I should use something else on my wedding day?
A. Jo Reid says: This is a brilliant product but if you don't use it correctly it can indeed cause the appearance of white circles around the eye when combined with a camera flash. Remember that Touche Éclat is a highlighting product as well as a concealer, so you only need a very small amount. The best way to apply it is to place three dots on the inner corner, middle and outer edge of the under eye area, and then blend. Apply it to the tops of your cheekbones too. By doing so you will erase shadows and highlight cheeks.
For darker areas of the eye use another concealer. I love Dior Skinflash, which is not as light reflective but very effective at covering dark circles. If you're still concerned, just use concealer under the eye and use Touche Éclat on your cheekbones. |
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Long Lashes
Q. I have short, thin lashes and really want long, full ones for my wedding day. I've heard that you can have semi-permanent lashes applied. Would you recommend this?
A. Jo Reid says: Semi-permanent lashes can be very successful but they do have some drawbacks. For example, the lashes will come out at different rates. If you are going on your honeymoon and the lashes are not long lasting, you may have patches where some have fallen away - not great for honeymoon photos! It's also advisable to keep the lashes away from water.
If you are considering having the lashes just for your wedding day, I would suggest a trial run to see how long they last at least one month beforehand. Another option is to have temporary and individual lashes applied - a good short term fix, plus you can still wear mascara, unlike the semi permanent lashes.
Eyelure make great individual lashes which are great for brides on a budget. |
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Eye Colour
Q. I'm doing my own make-up for my wedding abroad but my eyeshadow never seems to last and is creased by the end of the day. Can you help?
A. Jo Reid says: To prevent eye make-up coming off or smudging you simply need to prepare the skin properly before applying. Buy an eye base or apply foundation and then loose powder to the eyelid. This creates a base for eye make-up to stick to and will make it easier to blend.
Another tip is to use powder shadows instead of creams or gel as these tend to melt or fade faster. It is also essential to apply the make-up using an eye shadow brush and blend well into the sockets. Avoid applying it with your fingertips which can be oily and will make colours run. Finally, if you wear glasses take extra care to blend the shadow well, as your glasses will magnify any mistakes. |
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Hide and Chic
Q. I have very dark circles around my eyes that I want to conceal for my wedding photos. What would you suggest?
A. Jo Reid says: There are many products out there that claim to conceal dark shadows but you need to make sure they contain a light reflective element to bounce light away from the dark areas.
If you have a pink based skin tone Touche Eclat is a good product by YSL but be careful not to use too much as it can make the area too bright for photos. It is best mixed with a tiny bit of foundation under the eye. You can also use this to highlight the brow bone.
For yellow based skin tones I prefer Dior Skin Flash which is the same product with a yellower base and you will not need to mix this with foundation as the coverage is very good. Blend using a concealer brush from the inner corner to the outer corner.
Most importantly, do your eye makeup before moving down to under eye concealer and foundation and make sure you clean under the eye thoroughly so as not to get eye makeup mixed in with the concealer which will make it look muddy. |
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A Lasting Look
Q. I've decided to do my own wedding make-up as we're on a tight budget. I don't want to spend a fortune but do want my make-up to look good in photos and last the day. Is it true that the more you spend on a product the longer and better it will last?
A. Jo Reid says: There are some rules to remember when purchasing make-up and the first is that your foundation is the most important product you will buy so place this at the top of your price list.
Without perfect skin your make-up will not look flawless and without a base your other products will not last on the day.
Chantecaille's Future Skin range has great foundations for ivory skin and those with yellow undertones. At £47 they're not cheap but last all day and won't leave your skin greasy.
Eyeshadows need to be good quality as you pay for the concentration of pigmentation which helps it last. I recommend Mac, Trish McEvoy and Laura Mercier.
Mascara and blusher needn't be as expensive. My favourite mascara for weddings is Max Factor Calorie 2000 for £9, and Bourjois and Rimmel have great powder blush ranges. If you can afford it also try Shu Uemera's natural blush shades.
Lipstick and lip gloss can be the cheapest items on your list as glosses with a hint of colour look great for weddings. Try Rimmel's Birthday Suit for a brown-pink nude or No 7's Nude Gloss; just one of a fabulous range which are very affordable.
Finally, before you attempt to do your own make-up I would recommend having a make-up lesson to learn the art of application. |
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Rosey Red
Q. I'm having a winter wedding but as I have very high colouring I'm worried about looking red in my photos. Are there any products I can use to hide red skin without looking caked in foundation?
A. Jo Reid says: On your wedding day a 'flushed' look can be nice - very blushing bride! But if you're worried about controlling redness there are products on the market that can help. Here are my top five:
1) For red cheeks, try an amber or chestnut blusher rather than pinks for a healthy colour without looking red.
2) Those with red skin tend to have sensitive and dry skin too. Try Darphin's Intral skincare range for sensitive, red skin. If it is used at least one month before your wedding it can have a huge effect on reducing redness.
3) Green based skin primer products on the market are intended to tone down redness but can make your skin look grey. If this is the case try a yellow based concealer and foundation to combat redness.
4) Chantecaille Future Skin Foundation has a cooling gel base with camomile and seaweed to calm irritated skin.
5) For a product that will last and not budge, Estee Lauder Double Wear can take a lot to remove but looks very natural if applied correctly with a brush.
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