Lauren Conrad: Signature Look With an Emphasis on Eye Highlighter

By now you know that Lauren Conrad and I love a contoured face; I do this by "pushing" features inward to create depth by applying a darker color foundation and bronzer in the hollows of her cheeks, temples, along her hairline and under her jawbone. But lately we've taken it one step further by "pulling" other features forward, using a highlighter under her eyes, above her cheekbones and above her brows. It should be subtle and undetectable (hint: BLEND BLEND BLEND!), but you'll see how it really draws the attention to her best feature, her eyes. While promoting her second NY Times Bestselling novel Sweet Little Lies this month, I used the technique for extra drama on her appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live (watch the video clip below), for her last book signing in Los Angeles and her appearance on Good Day NY (see clip below).





Here's how to replicate it yourself. Basically, picture yourself skiing with goggles on and getting too much sun, when you remove the goggles, that's the area above and below your eyes that you want to lighten with the highlighter. Starting on a clean face that has been moisturized and primed, first correct any under-eye dark circles with your favorite concealer. Then, using mark cosmetics Get Bright Hook Up Highlighter (I used the shade "Light" on Lauren), apply the pearly liquid highlighter under your eyes, starting at your nose then working outward. You can use the applicator wand or use the wand to scoop out enough product into the palm of your hand (about 3 or 4 scoops) then apply it with an egg-shaped blending sponge, using the pointed end of the sponge to dab it to the desired areas (this really presses the product into the skin). But unlike under-eye concealer, you don't want to only cover directly under your eyes, instead you want to increase the area down to above your cheekbone, all the way from your nose to the beginning of your temples. Then again on about a half-inch above your brows, starting at the outer corner above your left brow then dabbing all the way across to the outer corner above your right brow.



Next apply foundation to your whole face, reaching the perimeters of the highlighted area, but not covering it. To be more precise in your foundation application, use a sponge or foundation brush, then blend with your fingers. Then contour your face as described in my posts on Lauren's Seventeen Magazine Cover Look and Lessons in Contouring. Finally, set with powder if needed, but leave the highlighted area untouched. Try it, email me pics and I'll post them! xoxo



All photos and video courtesy of ABC, My Fox 10, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Good Day NY, WireImage and Mark Cosmetics.

Lauren Conrad's Seventeen Magazine March 2010 Cover Make-up Look

For Lauren Conrad's Seventeen Magazine cover look, I wanted to create her trademark California Glow, even though we shot it in November. So I used a foundation color one shade deeper than her skin tone, which can be tricky since it doesn't match, so I made sure to shade in her neck, chest and even her arms as well. I used mark cosmetics Speedway Foundation Stick in Honey with their Foundation Brush for her face then a large sponge everywhere else to save time by covering more area. Because Lauren doesn't like to wear eye shadow, I used the Speedway stick on her eyelids as well. Now that I made her face into a blank canvas, I had to go back and create dimension, so I contoured the hollows of her cheeks, temples, at the hairline and underneath her jawline with Speedway in Golden, a slightly darker shade than Honey. TIP: to find where your cheekbones are (mine didn't come in until I was 26!), suck in your cheeks like a fish, then contour slightly below where the bones protrude.
Next I used mark Just Pinched Instant Blush Tint in Peachy, a brand new color that they sent us that is amazing but not out just yet (sorry!). I applied it with mark's foundation brush on the apples of Lauren's cheeks. TIP: to find exactly where your apples are, simply smile in the mirror and they look like little cherries!



Now that all the cream work was finished, I powdered her entire face with mark Mattenificent Oil-Absorbing Powder in Golden Honey using a mark Powder Brush. Then I contoured and blushed the same areas again, this time using powder formulations. For the hollows of the cheeks, jawline, temples and along the hairline, I used mark Bronze Pro Bronzing Powder in Pro Golden with their Angled Contour Face Brush for better precision. I used mark Good Glowing Mosaic Blush in Chica on the apples of her cheeks with my favorite Kabuki Brush.



Of course then we lined her signature cat eyes with mark Get In Line Hook Up Waterproof Liquid Liner in Painted Black. If you have trouble or are intimidated, a great technique is to start with drawing the wing first by imagining a line from the corner of your lashline to the end of your eyebrow, then use that angle to start building your wing with small brushstrokes. Then go back and line your lashline starting at the inner corner. I followed with two coats of mark Make It Big Lash Plumping Mascara in Raven.



Finally I coated her lips with mark Dew Drenched Moisturlicious Lip Color in Mist followed by mark Juice Gems in Juicy HoneyDew.











All photos courtesy of Seventeen Magazine and mark Cosmetics.

Krysten Ritter's Signature Red Carpet Make-up Look

I love Krysten Ritter's signature make-up look because it's a lot like she is: bold and chic yet effortless. She has amazing features and can rock a red lip while still playing up her eyes, which is hard to pull off for most of us. The keys to this look are opting for tinted lip balm in lieu of a heavy lipstick or gloss (creating a softer finish), a light grey color on the lids (anything darker paired with a red lip becomes too 1920's costume-y) and a nude-colored blush (again not to compete with the strong lip color).

SKIN PREP
I prepped her skin for make-up and the dry winter weather with Amala Hydrating Face Cream; I love it because it's eco-certified (rare in the USA) and 100% natural.



FACE
First I used Dior Diorskin Nude Hydrating Glow Make-up in Linen all over her face applied with a foundation brush in light sweeping motions. I concealed under her eyes with Cle de Peau Concealer in Ivory then powdered her t-zone (forehead, nose and chin) with NARS Loose Powder in Snow.



CHEEKS
I highlighted Krysten's cheekbones by applying Dior Diorblush in A Touch of Blush starting at the apples of her cheeks and continuing outward along her cheekbones.



EYES
Using a lay-down eye shadow brush, I swept Dior 1-Colour Ultra-Smoothing High Impact Eye Shadow in Chrome all over the lids and crease. This style of using only one eye shadow color all over the lids is called a color wash and it's always a good option if you're wearing a bright-color lip. I then lined the upper and lower lashline with Cle de Peau Intensifying Cream Eyeliner in 101. This product has amazing staying power yet glides on like a paint. Lastly, I applied two coats of Dior Diorshow Mascara in Black to her lashes, the only mascara that Krysten ever wants to use!



LIPS
Still both of our all-time favorite tinted lip balm, I used Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Sheer Liptint in Berry.



Be sure to keep your eye out for Krysten starring in the upcoming STARZ series Gravity, as well as the feature film She's Out of My League, both premiering this Spring!





All photos courtesy of WireImage, Amala Beauty, Dior, Cle de Peau, NARS and Elizabeth Arden.

Pretty Pearlized Lids on Whitney Port

On today's episode of The Bonnie Hunt Show (seen in the clip above), Miss Whitney Port wore a gorgeous and flirty pastel dress from the Spring '10 collection of her own line Whitney Eve. So I kept the make-up soft and pretty, using a pearl color on her entire eyelid, pink blush and light pink lipstick. Here are the highlights of this look:

FACE
I prepped her face with Rodial Skincare Glamotox, a cult favorite moisturizer that super hydrates and plumps up the skin, diminishing any fine lines.



EYES
Using one of my all-time favorites, I applied the lightest color (pearl) from The Body Shop Shimmer Cubes. But I applied it WET for more intensity and impact! Pour a splash of water in the lid of the package and dip your eye shadow brush in it until it is fully soaked. Then drain out excess water by pressing the brush against the side of the lid. Dip the wet brush in the pearl color and swirl it around to make a paste then test the consistency on the back of your hand. If it's too water-y, go back in the product and swirl some more until you've loaded up the brush with a nice "paste". I always go back and test it on the back of my hand before applying it to the eyelid. When you're happy with the solution, do a "color wash" (a single color on the entire lid and crease) by sweeping the color across your lids and crease. Break up any small clumps with your ring finger. You'll find that this eye shadow applied wet is the most gorgeous finish ever! (And the 3 other colors are amazing wet as well, when you're in the mood for something darker.)



CHEEKS
My favorite 3-in-1 cheek palette right now by far is the Shimmer, Shape and Glow Face Defining System from Mally Beauty. On Whitney, I used the "In The Pink Lighter" palette because the bronzer isn't "muddy," the pink looks gorgeous on everyone and the highlighter has the perfect amount of shimmer. Apply the bronzer with a kabuki style brush on the hollows of the cheeks and directly on the cheekbone. (Then of course add a quick sweep across your hairline, temples and under your jawline.) Apply the pink shade to the apples of your ckeeks and the highlighter just above your cheekbone.



LIPS
I used Cle de Peau Extra Silky Lipstick in #105, a really happy and feminine pink color that feels like silk when you apply it. It's a little bit of a splurge but it does last a long time and is such a treat for your lips.



Here's a shot of Whitney wearing this look later that night (after a quick wardrobe change!) at the Alternative Apparel launch of Rethink.



All photos courtesy of WireImage, Rodial Skincare, The Body Shop, Mally Beauty and Cle de Peau Beauty.

Whitney Port's Eyes Sparkle in Gemtones

Wednesday night at US Weekly's Hot in Hollywood party, Whitney Port wore a vintage cream-colored lace dress and a tousled faux-bob, the perfect canvas for a dramatic gem-toned eye in garnet, topaz, gold and pearl. The best tip I can give you for pulling off this look is to blend blend blend! I applied the darkest colors (garnet and topaz) on the lids, closest to the lashline, then used a golden sand color to soften any hard lines in the crease. To really make it pop, I added a true gold color in the inner tear duct, opening and separating the eyes. Because the eyes are the headliner, I kept the lip and cheek colors light and airy in soft rosy nudes. I used all NARS Cosmetics.

FACE
Sheer Glow Foundation in Deauville
Sparkling Loose Powder in Venus



CHEEKS
Blush in Oasis (sparkling pink champagne) on the apples
Bronzer in Laguna in the hollow of the cheeks



EYES
Eyeshadow in Grenadines (garnet) all over the lid
Eyeshadow in Nepal (shimmery rose) in the crease
Eyeshadow in Voyage (golden sand) to blend above the crease
Eyeshadow in Goldfinger in the inner tear duct
Soft Touch Shadow Pencil in Aigle Noir (black infused with gold shimmer) on the waterline (inner rim)
Larger Than Life Volumizing Mascara
Eyebrow Pencil in Panama



LIPS
Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Bahama
Lip Gloss in Belize





All images courtesy of WireImage and NARS Cosmetics.