Category Archives: Interrobang Article

Coral for Summer

Original designs by Fanshawe’s own; Kali Orenchuk, Sebastian Taborda Guarin, Christine Petric and Megan Shepherd. Models are wearing coral toned eye shadows and blush. 


As the school year is quickly coming to an end and summer is just around the corner, it’s time to put away your heavy moisturizers and foundations and bring out the colours of the summer! Even though summer is a time when most people put away their makeup, you can still add pops of colour to brighten your complexion and makeup looks, especially for any nights out. This summer, try adding the charming colour of coral to your cheeks, eyes, lips or even your complexion!

When some people first look at the colour coral, they are terrified of its intensity and swear that they will never wear it. The truth is, if the right shade is picked and is properly applied, coral can look good on anyone. For someone who is just going out and about on a summer day and doesn’t really want to wear any makeup, putting on a coral lipstick can add a fresh look to your appearance. If you have a fair skin tone, stick with cool-toned corals as these will suit you best. If you have a bit more colour to your skin tone, you can really pull off any coral. If you have a dark skin tone, the brightest corals work the best.

If you aren’t much of a lipstick wearer, you can always add some coral to your complexion by using a primer and/or blush. Lise Watier has a duo primer that has a coral/apricot colour to it that is perfect to give a glow to the complexion and can be worn alone. However, if you are very fair, I would personally avoid using this product, or use very little of it, because you don’t want to end up looking orange. If you just want a little bit of colour on your cheeks, Benefit’s Coralista is the best blush to use because you can use it for just a sheer glow or you can build it up and get a really bright burst of colour.

Lastly, coral makes for a beautiful eye shadow colour that can be used for a simple and fun look or can be made to look more sophisticated for an evening out. For a day look you could use a glittery coral eye shadow with some dark brown eyeliner and black mascara and you’d be set. It’s simple but would make for a fun summer look. For an evening out, you could use a matte coral eye shadow and contour it with a chestnut brown colour, and then add on final touches with black eyeliner and some false eyelashes!

Next time you go out to look for your summer shades, don’t be afraid to try on some coral because chances are it will look stunning on you. If you still aren’t convinced, buy an inexpensive coral lipstick that suits your skin tone and wear it around for a day; count the number of compliments you get; you may be surprised!


High Fashion and Runway Makeup Artistry

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A lot of people wonder why makeup artists are even needed for high fashion photo shoots and runway events because “it is so easy to apply some eyeliner and powder, right?” Well, if by “easy,” you mean applying black eyeliner in the crease of the eye (without it smudging), creating a flawless complexion and uniform look that is visible on stage on 10 models in a matter of 30 minutes, and ensuring it will last for hours, then you are definitely in the right industry.

Makeup artistry in the high fashion industry is a very fast-paced, exciting and stressful career that requires a number of skills. Before even learning the tips and tricks to runway makeup, you need to first make sure that you are able to multitask (for example, powdering a face while fixing another model’s smudged lipstick five minutes before the show starts), work well under pressure and also provide pristine results in a timely manner. Once you have these skills perfected, you can then move on to the actual makeup techniques.

One of the most important things to remember when doing makeup for runway is that the models will be on stage with a ton of spotlights and flashing cameras pointed at them. This means that more makeup is needed to make sure it is visible up on stage. While it may seem clownish or way too much makeup when you’re face-to-face with the model, on the runway it will just appear to be a normal amount of makeup. In this article’s picture, I used a ton of blush and dark eyeshadow, but in the picture it just appears to be an average day’s worth of makeup due to the bright studio lights and camera’s flash.

Since there are so many bright lights and flashes, as mentioned in my previous article, these lights tend to “white out” the face and make the complexion seem very flat and two-dimensional. To correct this, you need to make sure to heavily contour and add a lot of colour to the cheeks (if that is the desired look). You can use a really dark bronzer (with absolutely no glitter or shine) or contour powder to shape the face; however, sometimes these products are not dark enough, and you may actually need to buy a darker coloured powder foundation and use it to contour.

Another important aspect to always keep in mind when doing makeup for high fashion is you want the makeup to be on trend and interesting by putting your own personal spin on it, but it can never overshadow the garments being showcased. The makeup needs to complement the collection while giving it an overall uniform feel.


Makeup for Photography

Have you ever taken a picture and wondered why you looked so white (washed out), overly shiny and/or had a really flat complexion? Chances are you were just applying your makeup like you normally would on a day-to-day basis. The truth is, makeup for photography is a bit different because there are certain things you need to avoid and there are certain products that work better than others. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to go out and buy a whole other set of makeup, but you may need to apply the makeup you already have in a different way.

The first and most important tip is to avoid foundations that have an SPF. Any foundations that contain these sun protection ingredients tend to turn out very pale when the flash hits it. This is because they are reflective – the flash’s light bounces off of it, making the face appear very pale and washed out. Also, some translucent powders can lead to the same effect that a foundation with a SPF has. However, that being said, powders are very important in reducing shininess, which leads me to my next major issue with makeup for photography.

People can tend to look shiny in photographs when a flash is used, especially when the person has oily skin. Even a person with dry skin can appear shiny due to the fact that the camera’s flash is reflecting off the face. There are two ways to avoid this: use a mattifying primer and/or use a setting powder. A mattifying primer will help regulate the face’s oiliness while a setting powder will help lock in all the makeup as well as keep everything matte. Avoid certain translucent powders as they can create a washed-out complexion; use powders with a little bit of a skin tone colour

. Another problem people have with pictures is that their complexion tends to look a little bit flat. A photographer can usually edit this to give more depth and dimension to the face, but it’s best to accomplish this with makeup. The key to this is contouring, highlighting and adding blush/bronzer to the complexion. For pictures, it is okay to apply a bit more product than usual because you want to make sure your face has enough dimension (especially if the photo is being taken at a distance). The best products to use for this are either the Lise Watier Portfolio or the Smashbox Contour and Highlight Kit.

The next time you are modelling for a photo shoot or are going to an event where you know a lot of pictures will be taken, you now have a few tips to use to make sure you look fabulous in each photo. Avoid SPFs, invest in a setting powder and don’t be afraid to add a little bit more makeup than you are used to in order to make sure it shows up in the pictures.


Nail Couture

One of the most overlooked trends in beauty has to do with something that is literally right at our fingertips: our nails. While most people just think of French manicures or picking out a fancy colour to shade their nails with, the nail industry is booming with innovative creations. From magnetic to holographic to 3D art, nail trends are appearing quicker than ever. While some of these trends haven’t fully made their way to London, Ontario yet, they are approaching faster than you know it.

The one nail trend and new technology that really shocked me was magnetic nail polish. While this has been around for a little bit, it is extremely interesting to see! What you do is apply a generous amount of the magnetic nail polish to your nails and then quickly hold the cap (that contains the magnetic design) above them and watch it make an imprinted design in the nail polish. The only cautions are you need to use the magnet right away while the nail polish is still wet or else it won’t work, and you have to be careful not to let the cap actually touch the nail. Brands such as Nails Inc., LCN and China Glaze all produce this and can be bought at Sephora.

Another really interesting innovation is the holographic nail polish, which is exactly like it sounds. It is a top coat that you can apply over top of a coloured nail polish (it works best on either really dark or really light colours) to give it a holographic special effect. With just a thin coat, it adds a little bit of flare to your everyday look and gives a little bit more excitement to your nails. With two coats of this, it gives a very dramatic, shiny look that is perfect for an evening out. Again, you can find this by Nails Inc. at Sephora.

One of the most extravagant and “out there” nail trends is the 3D art made famous by celebrities such as Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Willow Smith. People have many different opinions on this trend since it is so dramatic; some view it as creepy and weird, while others view it as art and a fashion forward statement. Basically 3D nail art is either acrylic or fake nails with various objects and beadings on them to give it a three-dimensional look. Usually the nails have some sort of theme to them, such as floral elements, gems or even candy. While this trend may be too extreme for some people, you can definitely make it your own by having one nail with 3D art to create a statement nail. Are you daring enough?


Lise Watier: The Colour of Beauty

Being an artist, I use many different cosmetic lines and can never chose just one to use, but the one brand that stands out the most to me is Canada’s own Lise Watier. As many know, I blog and write a lot about this line, but I have never have had an entire article dedicated to it, so I thought it would be appropriate to touch on the history of the line and some of its exciting new product launches.

Madame Watier, who founded Lise Watier Cosmetiques in 1972 in Quebec, started off at the age of 19 just doing makeup on friends and family, which was the beginning of an internationally known cosmetic line. She then obtained her own segment on a TV show talking about beauty and etiquette, which was when she started to become recognized. People started telling her that she should start her own makeup line, which is exactly what she did. She started selling the products on her own in various stores until it lead to partnerships with large corporations like Shoppers Drug Mart.

Lise Watier cosmetics are all about innovation, creativity and quality, which is exactly why it stands out so much to me. There is so much that can be done with the line, whether it’s for a wedding, a fashion show or even a theatrical production, Lise Watier’s products are suitable for all. Some of the most vibrant colours, glamorous glitters and innovative technology are found in all of their products.

After 40 successful years, Lise Watier teamed up with a team of researchers at Université du Québec à Chicoutimi to create an innovative global anti-aging line, Age Control Supreme. This product is made up of an exclusive extract of Labrador Tea, which is proven to help improve the skin’s elasticity and firmness. This new anti-aging line is 20 times more potent than idebenone (found in Elizabeth Arden’s Prevage) and is three times more active than vitamin C. This fabulous product is just the beginning of the future for Lise Watier’s releases.

As for further innovation in their beauty products, Lise Watier was the first Canadian company to release a nail polish that includes an LED light to provide convenience and precision. Along with their makeup releases are duo primers (incorporating a silicon base and bronzing primer to smooth the skin as well as to illuminate it), luscious lip lacquers and a brand new tinted moisturizer.

Lise Watier plans to continue creating top-of-the-line, quality products that always complement high fashion and beauty trends. With 40 inspiring years behind them, Lise Watier as a brand is going to grow even more (especially over this year), focusing their image and products in a trendy and avant-garde fashion.


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