Jess Gray draws the contours of London’s most fashionable look.
Perhaps the hottest look in town is the famously ‘glam’ glow which Kim Kardashian and others are known to achieve by contouring. But most of us cannot afford the services of a professional make-up artist, and some of us are simply not make-up savvy enough to apply it for ourselves. So is there a way to achieve the effect of contouring minus huge expense and without top-notch cosmetic skills?
I asked make-up artist Arianna Mendak (20) from Bethnal Green, who suggested trying the user-friendly version of contouring which is known as strobing. This (below) is how it turned out on me!
Contouring means giving shape to an area of the face and enhancing the facial structure through makeup. Strobing entails highlighting certain areas of the face to illuminate your best features and give you that soft glow.
Arianna explained that rather than minimising areas of the face, strobing is all about accentuating facial features in such a way that they become luminous – reflecting natural light rather than absorbing it. The facial areas best suited to strobing are the cheekbones and the T-zone (forehead, nose, around the mouth and chin, jointly forming a T-shape).
So how do we achieve this look? Arianna explained it in four simple steps:
- Apply natural/light foundation.
- Apply highlighter to your cheeks and T-zone very heavily.
- Apply only a few blinks of mascara, keeping eyeshadow to a minimum.
- Apply a nude or clear lip.
And here (below) are the products which she recommends for achieving this look:
- Mac Strobe Cream £24.50 http://www.maccosmetics.co.uk/product/178/364/Products/Skincare/Moisturisers/Strobe-Cream/index.tmpl
- No7 instant radiance highlighter £9.95 http://www.boots.com/en/No7-Instant-Radiance-Highlighter_1407560/
- MUA undress your skin £3 http://www.muastore.co.uk/undress-your-skin-highlighting-powder-1
Click the link below to see how designer Sophia Webster used strobing makeup to strong effect in her SS16 (Spring/Summer) catwalk at London Fashion Week: http://www.theupcoming.co.uk/2015/09/20/sophia-webster-collection-presentation-lfw-ss-2016/
If you would like to see more of Arianna Mendak’s makeup artistry, check out her website: http://ariannamendak.wix.com/makeupbyari