We’d all look much better on our long weekends and holidays if we had some experts on call. Lucky for you, we’ve asked pros to share how to adjust your beauty routine — no matter whether you’re going to a beach, city or country. This week, make-up artist Khandiz Joni shares her secrets to simple holiday make-up. Bonus: All her Birchbox Shop product picks are comprised of natural ingredients and are not tested on animals.
ON A CITYBREAK:
Brows: By day, Joni says, keep it simple: All you really need are strong, face-framing brows. Use a Lord & Berry Magic Brow Pencil to draw on individual hairs, beginning at the arch and working out toward your ear. “The part closer to your nose is thickest and usually doesn’t need much definition,” Joni says. “When people start there they end up with brows so thick and solid that they’re distracting.”
Face: Miracle Skin Transformer provides full coverage and SPF protection, but it should be applied from the centre of your face, blending out, to avoid those terrifying make-up lines at the jaw. As you begin to see T-zone shine throughout the day, dab on Wild About Beauty Mattifying Balm. “It absorbs oil without looking unnatural – I love the velvety texture,” Joni says. For evening touch-ups, Laura Mercier’s Secret Camoflage Concealer hides every imperfection.
Cheeks: For day, dab one of The Balm’s mini-book of lip-and-cheek balms onto the apples of your cheeks – not too close to the nose – and blend out toward the hairline using light, feathery strokes. For evening, try a more sophisticated, slightly contoured look: “Dab the colour on halfway up the cheekbone and blend up on a diagonal toward the temple,” Joni advises. “Start with a little and build if you need it – you don’t want a whack of colour.”
Eyes: While you might just dab a bit of peachy cheek-stain onto eyelids for day, evenings call for a simple colourwash of Wild About Beauty eyeshadow over the lid. “The three-step smoky is a bit dated – and it’s especially unrealistic on holiday,” Joni says. Instead, amp up drama for a night out with Eyeko’s easy-to-use liner pen and lots and lots of Eyeko Mascara. Joni likes applying one coat from above so that it covers the top of the lashes. “Then apply from underneath, pulling the wand from the inside out toward your ear for an elegant, 1950s-style look.” Once you’ve got a coat or two on, lock in volume by applying mascara to the roots only.
Lips: “You’re in a foreign city – why not try a colour you never would at home?” Joni asks. Dip your toe into a new lip hue by puckering lips and dabbing it on using short strokes, working out from the center to the edges for a subtle, stain-like look.
IN THE COUNTRY:
“As wonderful as make-up is, sometimes you’ve got to take it off and embrace your own face and skin,” says Joni, who calls for facial massage with One Love Organics Beauty Balm, an hour with a Weleda’s rose-scented Soothing Masque and ample Balance Me Eye Cream. When you venture out for a long walk, apply Laura Mercier moisturiser (in the same way described in the Citybreak section above) for light coverage and SPF, with a swipe of mascara.
ON THE PLANE:
No matter your plane routine, carry one thing: Carole Franck Aromatic Spray. Whether you go bare-faced on airplanes or insist on wearing a full face of make-up, “A spritz of this midflight and after you land will do wonders,” Joni says. “You’ll feel energised, nourished and moisturised. The spray even refreshes make-up if you’re wearing it.”
AT THE BEACH:
Body: All good beach days start with self tanner. Start the self-tan process four hours before heading out by exfoliating skin and applying a moisturising lotion. Let it fully sink in (which could take 20 minutes) and then apply Makebelieve’s Self Tan Lotion with Bronzer. Then, using the biggest kabuki brush you can find, buff the self-tanner into skin to end up with a natural, streak-free glow.
Face: If you use the same self-tan process on the face (using a smaller kabuki brush and focusing on buffing at the hairline), there are just a few things to bring to the sea: COOLA sunscreens for face, body and lips and a Jane Iredale Lip & Cheek Stain to apply before you hit the beach bar. “Heat damages makeup, so you shouldn’t have foundation in your beach bag,” Joni says. “This is the time to embrace a natural look—helped, of course, by the self-tanner, lip and cheek stain and maybe a little waterproof mascara.”
– Eimear Lynch