Remember that moment when Holly Golightly, a.k.a., Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, puts on that gorgeously simple black sheath dress? The dress that future generations of women would refer to as the LBD or the Little Black Dress? Or one could always argue that the LBD was championed by Coco Chanel when she showed off a calf-length black dress in Vogue in 1926. Oh god, I really am showing my age! I’m only 33 but am ever such an old soul.
This dress transcends social classes, is widely accessible and is always reliable when one needs to look smart, casual or effortless, depending on how and what is worn with it. (I suppose it's the Swiss Army knife of dresses.) And just as the LBD has become a stalwart item in every woman’s wardrobe, the world of make up has equivalents that I feel every woman should have. These products are the ones you know will always work for you and depending how you wear them, they'll give you a multitude of looks. Mind you, these aren’t just for you ladies - for me, as a make up artist, I would never be without them as well. On many an occasion, these LBD items have saved my life on photo shoots or fashion shows.
So what's on the LBD make up list? And how can you use these few products in ways you probably never considered?
Black Eyeliner
Be it liquid, pencil, gel, grease, crayon or kohl, the black liner is one item I would never do without. Its versatility to darken and ‘smokify’ anything in my make up kit is amazing. I wouldn't imagine doing the much-favoured smoky eye without starting with a layer of black eye pencil first. Or what about faking a beauty spot to create that mysterious sex-siren look? Fancy looking like Kate Moss in all her grungy post-coital splendour? Line your eyes in black, squeeze your eyes tight, lightly smudge with finger or cotton bud and you’re good to go!
If you want to go from day to night make up but don’t want to buy extra eye shadow, then do a smoky eye with a black pencil, smudge, and layer any coloured eye shadow on top to go from bog-standard smoky to smoky in technicolour. Got some shimmer? Dust that on, too, and you’ve got another look: sexy, shimmery smoky eye. You get the idea, right? This one item is so useful in changing any piece of make up you have in your kit.
I carry at least four to five different black eyeliners in my kit, as different brands offer different textures and degrees of ‘blackness’. Good ones to try are M.A.C. Smolder, Lancôme’s Le Crayôn Kohl or Prescriptives’ Soft Lining Pencil.
Red Lipstick
I hear a million women scream in unison, “I don’t wear red lipstick!” Nothing says drama, confidence, sex or class more than a red lip. Honestly, do you think Marilyn Monroe or Dita Von Teese or silent-film goddess Joan Crawford would be called sexy, dramatic, powerful or classy if they appeared in public with nothing but a bit of clear lip balm? I don’t think so! Yes, yes, I do understand why many women fear red lipstick, but if you shop around, there really is a shade to suit every woman. And who said anything about wearing a solid block colour of red? It’s all about working the colour into your lips and making it look real rather than painted-on. Look around: There’s really a huge selection of shades and textures.
One thing to remember is to really make sure that your lips are in prime condition. Buff, moisturise and balm them so that they’re soft and not dry or flakey. If you’re a red-lippie virgin, then go gentle and pat it in the middle of lips, and dab gloss or lip balm over and work colour outwards. This is probably the easiest way to wear red: safe and sheer. Feeling bolder? Well, pat colour in and work layer by layer till you get the right depth of tone. For a modern twist, skip the liner and blur the edges with fingers or cotton buds so you get a soft-edged red lip that’s blurred but still sexy and confident.
Now here’s a trick I sometimes do. Dab a little bit of red lipstick on the apples of your cheek, and on top of that, rub in some of your chosen moisturiser. You’ve got sexy flushed cheeks, as well as sexy rouged lips. Just be careful you keep it light and sheer on cheeks, otherwise you might look really flustered and bothered! Brands who do gorgeous red lipsticks are Dior, YSL, Chanel, Armani and M.A.C.
Clear Lip Gloss
Not restricted only to use on lips, a clear lip gloss might just surprise you with the number of uses make up artists have concocted. There’s the obvious use of it on lips to make any lip colour glossy and shiny, but why not try it rubbed into the top of your cheekbones when you’re on a beach holiday for that hint of beachy, sexy dewiness? Due to the thick consistency of lip glosses, it works when applied in small amounts on skin, giving you very tangible sexy sheen that’s at once real and gorgeous. During fashion week, I’ve been known to dab a little gloss on top of a smoky eye to change it to a glossy smoky. Bit like a gorgeous black tuxedo jacket, a classic with the volume turned up! My fashion-show favourite is M.A.C. Lipglass.
So have a go and try it out. If you find any other uses that I don’t know about, please let me know. More often than not, many of the tricks I’ve learnt are from real women and models I’ve met while working. Tricks invented to cut down on daily make up time and techniques honed by the test of time! It's thus safe to say that if I have these three items in my kit, I can be quite comfortable in knowing that I can change many a look according to intensity, texture or depth. Remember, it’s meant to be fun, so try and have a go. You’ll be very surprised what you can achieve with a few well selected, multi-use items.
