Q. Dear Catherine;
My favourite actress is Lauren Conrad from The Hills, how can I get my make-up to look like hers? Her eyes are awesome!
---Meghan, Toronto
Hi Meghan,
When Lauren is getting all dressed up for a special event on The Hills, she creates a cat-eyes look. This effect is all about good eye-liner technique (it may even take a little practice to get it perfect). You will need either a very fine eye-liner pencil or a liquid liner. The best tip I can give you is to start with tiny dots along the lash line from the inner eye and working out. Once complete, try connecting the dots following the natural curve of the eye. If you want a really dramatic cat-eye, apply a light base shadow, a sand tone really makes your eyes stand out. Another suggestion if you want a step-by-step tutorial is to buy “Purrfect Eyes – The Talking Palette” from Stila. This kit provides everything you need to get started – base and contour shadows, black liner, and brushes.
Q. Hi Catherine,
I have tried numerous products to get rid of the appearance of dark under-eye circles, nothing is working for me. What do you recommend?
--Tracey, Windsor
Hi Tracey,
I personally struggle with this as well, but I have found a few products that definitely help me. The first step is to minimize the look of dark circles with a hydrating cream and then disguise excess with an under-eye concealer. My top choice for an eye skin hydration treatment is the Tourmaline Charged Eye Cream from Aveda because it minimizes the dark shading and brings an overall brightness to the eye area. This would be applied along with your moisturizer under your make-up. For an under-eye concealer, I recommend either Yves St Lauren Touche Eclat or Laura Mercier Secret Concealer. Both are amazing quality products and should do the trick.
Q. Hi Catherine,
I hear a lot about make-up primers lately, what are they supposed to do? Do they actually work?
--Jennifer, Vancouver
Hey Jennifer,
Thanks for your question. The purpose of make-up primers is to smooth out lines on your face, so that when you apply your make-up it goes on more smoothly. It also helps to make your make-up last longer by creating a barrier between the make-up and your skin’s natural oils. The primer is applied after your moisturizing and before your foundation (if you use it). To answer your question, yes they do work. However, I would suggest that you do not wear a primer everyday. Remember to give your skin some time to breathe. If you are looking to try a primer, my suggestion would be Photo Finish Foundation Primer from Smashbox. This can be found at most drugstores as well as online.
Send Catherine Main your beauty questions to counter_intelligence@hotmail.com