Today, I am going to give you some hints on how to get two Michelle Obama-inspired looks. Two suggested inaugural makeup looks, created by her longtime friend and makeup artist Ingrid Grimes-Myles, were inspired by chic and classic neutrals for daytime and high-society glam with deep, rich purples for evening. (Note: illustrations below courtesy of Stuart McKenzie/EyeCandy.co.uk)
Now you can recreate the elegant yet effortless look of Mrs. Obama by following these how-to makeup application tips from Ingrid and new product recommendations:
All suggested product available at Beauty 360, CVS/pharmacy’s new prestige beauty store. (www.beauty360.com).
10-minute Face for Day
Face:
- Begin with a cream foundation for all over coverage, using concealer under the eye and where needed. Follow with a pressed powder.
- Contour with a powder that is a shade and a half darker then your natural skin tone. Apply on the sides of nose, from the ear to below the cheek and around temples and forehead. Blend well.
- Apply a blush in a raisin shade on the cheeks, then add bronzer where the sun would naturally tan the face.
- Keep your skin glowing with a healthy diet, exercise, a diligent skincare regimen and make sure to keep your brushes clean.
- Using a contour powder about one and a half shades darker than your skin can add definition and create a more polished look, especially for important events.
- Use a neutral shadow all over lid in a yellow or bisque shade. Then apply a coordinating earth tone, such as a nutmeg, in the crease and along the lower lid and blend.
- Apply a soft brown liner at the lash line and bottom lid, keep it subtle. For more impact, add a black liner to the top lash line.
- Finish with black mascara
- Brows are the workhorse of the face. Shape your brows so they start above the inner eye, arch at the end of the eye iris. Fill in with a pencil where needed.
- Line with a neutral, mahogany shade and fill in the whole lip, layering two-three colored pencils.
- Add a coordinating lipstick or gloss on top for some sheen.
- Layering liners before lipstick helps make the color last all day.
Skin Prep
- Cleanser: Ahava Cleansing Milk $24.00
- Moisturizer: Sampar Barely There Moisture Fluid $45.00
- Face Prep: Borba HD Light Effects Serum, $50
- Lip: Borba Cashmere Fiber Lip Kit $10.50
- Primer: Laura Geller Spackle: Under Make-up Primer $23.00
- Foundation: Laura Geller Phenomenal Foundation in Deep $36.50
- Concealer: Laura Geller Crease-Less Concealer in Deep $23.50
- Pressed Powder: Paula Dorf Pressed Powder in Pecan $30.00
- Contour Powder: Mineral Essence Deep Dark with red to blue undertones (D3) $22.00
- Blush: Paula Dorf Cheek Color in Sweet Cheeks $20.00
- Bronzer: Laura Geller Bronze-N-Brighten in Regular $29.50
- POP Beauty Blush Cake in Natural in Nudes $18.00
- Mineral Essence Blush in Glamour or Elegance $16.00, $18.00
- Neutral Shadow: Model Co. ColourBox Eye Shadow in Seychelles $20
- Earth Tone Shadow: Model Co. ColourBox Eye Shadow in Portofino $20
- Mineral Essence Blush in Glamour or Elegance, $16.00, $18.00
- Eye Liner: Laura Geller Eye Liner in Mocha $15.50
- Liquid Eye Liner: Bloom Liquid Eyeliner in Jet Black $23.00
- Mascara: Fusion Beauty - Lash Fusion in Black $39.00
- Brows: Model Co. EyeBrowz Designer Brow Kit $38.00
- Lip Liner: Paula Dorf Lip Liner in Retro $19.00
- Lip Liner Base: Paula Dorf Lip Liner in Rendezvous & Poetry $19.00 each
- Lipstick: Laura Geller Lip in Coral Chiffon $15.50
- Lip Gloss: Model Co. Disco Lights in Wow Pink $24.00
- Marina Cosmetics Lip Gloss in Sandcastle or Manila Mango $22.00
- It Cosmetics Pencils Dual Ended for Lip in Attract and Energy $22.00
- BLOOM Lip Definer $15.00
Repeat steps from 10-Minute Face
Face:
- Add subtle shimmer on the brow bone
- Pump up cheek color to complement your color of dress
- Add bronzer above the cheek
- Try products that combine 7-8 shades in one pressed powder for a more natural blended look.
- Add shadow with a deeper pigment and more prominent color and blend into the crease and lid for more drama.
- Apply a charcoal or dark navy shadow from the lash line up, from the inner eye out and blend over lid for a smoky look.
- Apply a strip of lashes to the top lash line.
- Line the top and bottom lid with a liquid eye liner to make them really pop.
- Lash strips are easier to apply then individual lashes.
- Add more gloss for high shine in the evening.
- When creating a smoky eye, keep the lip a more neutral tone, avoid bright colors.
Face
- Shimmer: Model Co. Model Co -Luminosity Highlighting Serum $32.00
- Blush: Laura Geller Blush-N-Brighten in Berry $29.50
- Bronzer: Model Co. Glow Summer Bronze $36.00
- Eye Shadow: Mineral Essence in Merlot $15.00
- Eye Shadow (Lash Line): Paula Dorf Eye Color in Hussy $20.00
- Liquid Eye Liner: Bloom Liquid Eyeliner in Jet Black
- Mascara: Paula Dorf Lash Color in Licorice $19.00
- Lipstick: Paula Dorf Color Sheer in Innocence $20.00
- Lip Gloss: Paula Dorf Lip Slides in Petal $20.00