Category Archives: Bronzer

This make-up brand was founded by the legendary Japanese make-up artist Shu Uemura and is based on the blending of nature, science and art.  Shu Uemura’s philosophy is “beautiful make-up starts with beautiful skin” and this is evident in their high performing skincare, followed by their great quality make-up.  As a make-up artist I’m always repeating the importance of looking after your skin, as it makes the job of applying much easier.

                                                                                          Photographer – Hollie Carlin

                                                                                          Make-up – Salina Thind

                                                                                          Hair – Stephen Hamilton

                                                                                          Model – Ilse  

PREP – To prepare the skin I cleansed with the Classic High Performance Balancing Cleansing Oil (£28 for 150ml).  Oil cleansers are great as they remove the toughest of make-up and feel so soothing on the skin at the same time and are immediately emulsified once in contact with water – so it’s very easy to remove and reduces the pulling and dragging on the skin.  Ever since I started using an oil cleanser, I can’t do without it!   

To moisturise I used Shu’s Depsea Hydrability Moisturizing Cream (£40 for 50ml).  This moisturiser contains depsea water and is great if your skin needs intense hydration as it locks in moisture for 24 hours.  I would definitely recommend it for dry skin.  It was also found to reduce redness on the skin, as discovered by my mum who started using this cream to combat dryness.

SKIN –  One of my favourite illuminating products is the Stage Performer – Instant Glow (£36).  This product can be used alone all over the face to give that instant radiance or underneath your make-up to give that extra glow – it’s a white cream with tiny golden particles in which smooth out onto the skin to give a really natural finish.  In this look I used the Instant Glow all over Ilse’s face before applying foundation.

Shu Uemura have a very wide range of foundations in terms of coverage and colours, I’d be amazed if you couldn’t find what you’re looking for with them whatever your shade or coverage requirement.  For Ilse (who had gorgeous skin) I opted for the light-weight, sheer coverage Face architect Mousse in Light Beige (£34) – this mousse foundation is unlike any other I’ve used as it’s so light and has a beautiful, natural finish.  It also minimises the appearance of pores and prevents shine.

EYEBROWS – For Ilse’s eyebrows I used the Eyebrow Gel (£16) which comes in a range of colours and is great for a natural colour, especially for those fairer haired ladies.  It’s best applied with a fine brush to softly enhance the brows.

EYES – One of the most frequent questions I get asked is “how do I do the eyeliner flick?”.  Step 1 is choosing the right product and for me that’s a gel liner and a brush, opposed to a pencil or a liquid liner and the reason being is you get the colour intensity and the product is easier to manipulate.  Step 2 is of course practice!  The easiest way I find to do the classic liner flick is to look straight ahead into the mirror and draw in your flick first (you may want a small one or you may want an exaggerated one) with a flat edged or slanted brush and then draw your way into the inner eye.  I’d make the line thin first and then go over it to thicken if needed.  So my go-to gel liner is Shu’s Painting Liner un Black (£20) – it has a great smooth texture, but gives you just the right amount of pull so it’s not to slippery to use and a great colour pay-off, not to mention a great variety of colours (the navy blue is one of my favourite).  It’s also smudge-proof and water-proof!

Lastly we just need to mascara those lashes and Shu’s Precise Volume Mascara (£20) does the trick.  Shu Uemura’s mascaras are great for natural finishes, but if you’re someone who loves dramatic lashes, it’s probably not for you.  Alternatively, if you want that extra something, you could always opt for a pair of Shu Uemura’s famous lashes from their lash bar!

CHEEKS - Here I used one of the Glow On Blush (£9.75), however the shade I used was a limited edition but you can use any matte brown/bronze shade.  As you can see I applied the blusher more as a contour here so underneath the cheekbones to really define them and then slightly onto the bottom of the cheeks to just give that hint of colour.

LIPS - Aaaaaaaaaaaand finally, the statement piece of the look.  The classic red lip.  This was however done in a non-classic way as I used Shu’s Cream Eye Shadow in Red (£19).  The creamy texture is perfect and it’s also long-wearing, the only thing I would say is that it can be a little drying but a bit of balm or gloss on top and that’s sorted.  The product comes in a pot so in order to get the perfect lined red lip I’d suggest using a lip brush and because of the texture I’d say you could forego a lip liner, but if you really want to keep the lip put you can of course use one.  I always start the lip by working on the cupid’s bow of the mouth and then work my way out and then repeat for the bottom lip.

Insider Tip!  This Cream Eye Shadow in Red was used on the lips of the models for the A/W12 PPQ London Fashion Week Show - which you can see here http://blog.houseoffraser.co.uk/uncategorized/lfw-watch-the-show-ppq-aw12-rightster/

So that’s how you get the look!  This red lipped/winged liner look can be worn almost anywhere due to it’s classic feel and with a variety of hairstyles (whether an easy up-do as above or glamourous waves as seen on the PPQ catwalk).  Not to mention with any outfit!  It adds a touch of femininity to a tuxedo jacket styled outfit/suit, but adds a touch of glamour to a more feminine outfit – be it something for the day or getting red carpet ready!  Your options are endless…

Are you a fan of this look?  Do you like to wear a red lip or do you shy away from it?  Let me know your thoughts!

Salina x