tips + tricks: you beauty

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Red hair + fair skin + dark eyes
Inspiration: Isla Fisher
The expert: Rebecca Noonan, Benefit make-up artist
Foundation: “Fair skin often has pink undertones and can be prone to complexion issues, while older women with fair skin often present signs of sun damage,” explains Noonan. “Look for a medium-to-full coverage foundation and apply with a brush for a smooth, even finish.” Try: Play Sticks in Spin the Bottle, $60, by Benefit, 02 8353 5000.
Concealer: “Pale skin needs a light shade that will both camouflage and brighten under and around the eyes and really make them pop.”
Bronzer: “Don’t overdo the bronzer. Look for a matt brown that you can build in colour to give your face a subtle, healthy glow. Apply to the T-zone, apples of the cheeks, bridge of the nose and chin.”
Blush: “To best complement pale skin tones, especially when paired with red or auburn hair, try a coral-based colour that will warm the complexion.”
Nude lipstick: “Nude lipsticks look great on redheads with yellow skin undertones and green eyes,” says Noonan. “Avoid beige and brown-based nudes as these can leave skin looking flat. Choose soft pinks and natural peach tones as these won’t clash.”
Colour lipstick: “When fair skin is paired with red hair, you need to add warmth. Try pale pink, orange or brown reds and orange-based corals.

Blonde hair + fair skin + dark eyes
Inspiration: Abbie Cornish
The expert: Grant Power, Giorgio Armani make-up artist
Foundation: “Best avoid any base with pink colouring as it makes fair complexions look more flushed. An apricot-toned foundation gives skin a lift and stops it looking too rosy.”
Concealer: “Fair complexions require a light, sheer, moist formula with a neutral base that will even out skin and blend easily. Dark circles can be covered with a peach, yellow-based concealer.”
Bronzer: “Use a matt bronzer to contour around the jawline, temple and under cheekbones,” advises Power. “To add colour on the whole face, use a bronzer with subtle gold flecks to warm the skin.”
Blush: “Peach is the best blush for this skin as brown can appear flat and pink is already present in the complexion. A sheer, sheeny blush applied to the apples of the cheeks looks fresh.” Try: Giorgio Armani Sheer Blush in 3, $76, by Giorgio Armani, 02 9931 8888.
Nude lipstick: “Beige and apricot nudes look beautiful on fair-skinned women as they add a hint of colour and won’t appear flat.”
Colour lipstick: “Oranges and orange-based reds look fantastic, as do warm-based pinks, but you’ll want to avoid cool-based pinks which will only bring out the redness in the skin.”

Dark hair + dark skin + dark eyes
Inspiration: Jessica Mauboy
Foundation: “Yellow-based foundations can look sallow and ashy on indigenous women, who need a warmer bronze tone to liven up the skin,” says Thompson. “Look for a creamy liquid foundation that dries with a slight sheen – this looks heavenly on darker skin and brings out the natural contours – and apply sparingly.”
Concealer: “A creamy, full-coverage concealer melts into dark skin and covers spots or pigmentation while maintaining a healthy glow. A warm shade counteracts the blue tones often found in under-eye circles and pigmentation.” Try: Studio Finish Concealer in NC45, $32, by M.A.C, 1800 613 828.
Bronzer: “Applying foundation and concealer to dark skin can leave it looking flat, but a bronzer brings back warmth and shape,” explains Thompson. “Avoid matt formulations and look for a copper/rusty-toned bronzer with a shimmer.”
Blush: “Women with darker skin should steer towards colours like peach, bronze, copper, plum and deep rose to add a glow to the complexion.”
Nude lipstick: “Matt lipsticks are hard to pull off, so try a creamy, glossy lipstick with a honey or caramel tint which is much more flattering,” Thompson says. 
Colour lipstick: “The trick here is finding a shade with enough intensity to stand out,” explains Thompson. “Intense violets, fuchsias and oranges are fantastic and should be layered to build colour and longevity.”

Fair skin + blonde hair + pale eyes
Inspiration: Lara Bingle
The expert: Monika Kaczkowska, YSL make-up artist
Foundation: “Women with blonde hair and blue eyes can have either a fair/pinkish or a fair/clear beige complexion. For the former, go for a pink-toned foundation and for the latter try a yellow-toned foundation.”
Concealer: “For general-use concealer, apply the same guidelines as above to choose the right tone,” advises Kaczkowska. “If, however, you’re trying to cover red blemishes, use a green-toned concealer.”
Bronzer: “Avoid matt bronzers, which can make you look dull, and go for a shimmer bronzer in a light shade which will look natural on you.”
Blush: “A light pink or peach blush always look refreshing on fair skins,” says Kaczkowska. “Ditch red or brown shades which look obvious on your colouring.” Try: Touche Blush No2 in Coral, $69, by YSL, 02 9931 8888.
Nude lipstick: “Some of the pinkish nude shades contain lots of blue pigments and can make you look ill,” warns Kaczkowska. “Try pure nude shades to complement your skin.”
Colour lipstick: “Light pinks and peach shades look beautiful on you. Raspberry is great on pale, pinkish skin and for evening, a classic red is very elegant. Skip dark browns, blueberries and wine shades which are too intensive for fair complexions.”

Dark hair + olive skin + dark eyes
Inspiration: Pia Miranda
The expert: Alphie Sadsad, Bobbi Brown make-up artist
Foundation: “Yellow-toned foundations help counteract the combination of natural green and yellow tones found in olive skins,” explains Sadsad. “The yellow balances the green and gives skin a lift without making it look grey and dull.”
Concealer: “Olive-skinned women can sometimes have dark, almost greenish under-eye circles – offset this with a peachy concealer to eliminate shadows.”
Bronzer: “Avoid bronzers with pink or red tones as these will act more like a blush rather than complementing your natural olive skin,” advises Sadsad. “Try a warm bronzer, in either matt or illuminating formulas.” 
Blush: “Soft pinks, soft reds and plums will bring a natural rosiness to your cheeks,” says Sadsad. “Avoid orange or peachy shades as these disappear into the skin.”
Nude lipstick: “Skip pastel nudes and try warm or sheer pink and bronze-based ones. Another option is clear gloss for a natural look.” Try: Creamy Lip Color in Blue Raspberry, $44, by Bobbi Brown, 1800 061 326.
Colour lipstick: “Avoid bright reds, corals and fuchsias. Look for richer, deeper shades like plums and berries which will perk up your complexion.”

Dark hair + fair skin + dark eyes
Inspiration: Poh Ling Yeow
The expert: Belinda Joerge, Shu Uemura make-up artist
Foundation: “Asian skin can sometimes be dull or yellow, so a base with a pink undertone provides instant radiance,” says Joerge. “A light, sheer foundation with a neutral base evens out the skin and blends in perfectly.”
Concealer: “Dark grey/purple circles can be a common problem for Asian women, so a yellow-based concealer is a must. To stop eyes looking dry, use a hydrating cream formulation.” 
Bronzer: “You should use bronzer for contouring, not as a blush as it will be too flat in colour,” advises Joerge. “Asian faces are sometimes very round or square, so a bronzer, applied around the jawline, temples and under cheekbones can slim the face and add shape.” Try: Bronzing Powder in Medium Bronze, $85, by Shu Uemura, 02 9931 8888.
Blush: “If you use bronzer to contour, peach and soft pink blushes will add colour and should be applied to the apples of the cheeks. You may want to slim the face and in this case skip blush altogether.”
Nude lipstick: “Asian ladies often have fuller lips that are naturally quite pink, so even a nude lipstick can look bright. To avoid this, brush a tiny amount of foundation over the lips before applying a beige lip colour.”
Colour lipstick: “Avoid deep colours and browns as these will wash you out. Instead, any blue-toned shade like pinks, reds and soft berries will contrast nicely with your yellow-based skin.”

Brown hair + fair skin + pale eyes
Inspiration: Jessica McNamee
The expert: Dean Nixon, Estée Lauder make-up artist
Foundation: “This skin has a cool tone so go for a pink-based foundation and one specific to your skin type – dry skin needs a hydrating, oil-based formula while more oily skin needs an oil-free foundation,” says Nixon. “Warmer, yellow-based skin needs neutral tones that contain equal amounts of pink and yellow.”
Concealer: “Cool, fair skins should go for a pink-based concealer and warm skins need a yellow-based concealer.”
Bronzer: “Avoid making the skin look too orange by opting for a lighter shade of bronzer with a matt or soft shimmer finish.”
Blush: “Soft pink will make the skin look radiant. Apply to the apples of the cheek.” Try: Signature Silky Powder Blush in Tender Petal, $58, by Estée Lauder, 1800 061 326.
Nude lipstick: “You want to balance your dark hair and light features,” says Nixon. “A cool, subtle pink that is close to the natural lip shade gives a hint of colour and makes the eyes pop.”
Colour lipstick: “You have such a diverse palette of colours to play with. For a dramatic look, warm skin tones with yellow undertones should go to the opposite end of the spectrum and try a lipstick with more pink in it.”

Dark hair + olive skin + light eyes
Inspiration: Jodi Gordon
The expert:  Jennifer Worger, Laura Mercier make-up artist
Foundation: “It’s easy to choose a foundation that is too ashy or muddy for olive skins,” Worger explains. “Test foundation on the jawline and match it to the collarbone and décolletage to ensure it has the right gold undertones to complement your skin.”
Concealer: “Olive skins have more purple-to-brown shadow under the eyes so look for an oil-based, highly pigmented product with an orange undertone to counteract the colour rather than just cover it up and make the eye area look ashy. For really dark circles, apply a deep concealer first to correct the area and then the orange concealer on top.”
Bronzer: “You can pretty much take your pick here. Whether you’re after a natural glow or a matt finish, most bronzers will only enhance your beautiful golden undertone.”
Blush: “A rosy pink or plum blush on the apples of the cheeks gives olive skin a radiant lift. For a more natural but still glowing look, try a blush with a coral undertone but ensure it’s not too light as this will wash you out.”
Nude lipstick: “Avoid blue-based nudes as they can look pasty, and try a subtle caramel colour which is warming and flattering.”
Colour lipstick: “Soft plums are for every day. A vibrant rosy pink or a deep berry will glam it up.” Try: Lip Plumper in Rose Flush, $45, by Laura Mercier, 02 9663 4277.