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Want to Try the Painterly Eye Look? Here's How
Make Up Artist Rob Povey explains how he achieved four key beauty looks from youtime's launch campaign shoot.
Rob Povey
Makeup Artist
0 minute read
In addition to coming on board as a Youtime contributor, I also had the privilege of working on the platform’s launch campaign photoshoot as the makeup artist, creating various beauty looks over a two-day shoot.
The launch campaign featured some incredible beauty moments, from soft and understated natural looks to high drama lashes and the instantly iconic blue "painterly" eye look.
The base of the look on each model — skin prep, complexion work, sculpting, brows and lips — was more-or-less the same, so that the focal feature - the eyes - could really pop each time.
For each look, a luminous, glowing complexion was the starting point.
Camera-ready complexion: How to get the best skin you've ever had
I never skimp on thoroughly prepping the canvas before we even start considering makeup.
I love to spritz freshly-cleansed skin with a hydrating mist first, such as the MAC Cosmetics Fix+ Magic Radiance. Not only is it a nice way to wake up the skin (and refresh throughout the day), but it also acts as a humectant to draw in moisture from all subsequent products and boost their hydration.
To moisturise, I love the Weleda Skin Food, which is a deeply-hydrating, rich cream that imbues the skin with a glow like no other. I adore it under makeup for shoots because it preps the skin like a dream and I can always control the shine on set, but if you’re very oily or favour a more matte look, opt for their Light version.
Lastly, to give the skin a boost of luminosity, I apply the Laura Mercier Pure Canvas Primer Illuminating. Because the sheen is refined and not shimmery, I can apply it all over for a lit-from-within effect.
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To even out the complexion, I used the Ere Perez Oat Milk Foundation which delivers a beautiful, luminous finish and light-to-medium coverage that melts into the skin. I love a foundation brush to first apply the product throughout the centre of the face and then a small, damp beauty sponge to blend out any harsh lines or edges.
To conceal any remaining blemishes and brighten under the eyes, I used the Ere Perez Arnica Concealer, warmed up by my ring finger which makes the product more malleable, and gently stippled over any areas requiring the additional coverage until the edges of the foundation and concealer were blurred.
To gently sculpt and shape the face, I used the Fenty Beauty Match Stix in the shade Amber, a perfect cool taupe for contouring most fair to tan complexions (while Caviar is incredible for deep dark skin). Simply swipe the bullet-shaped product under the cheekbones and jawline and across the temples, then blend out with an angled cheek brush.
To amplify the glow, I applied the Ere Perez Vanilla Highlighter in Falling Star to the high planes of the face — the cheekbones, bridge of the nose, cupids bow and browbone — first warming the product up with my finger and then stippling the melted product onto the skin in a delicate tapping motion.
I adore blush and my favourite formula on the market, the Flavedo & Albedo Dew Tint comes in a perfectly curated trios of tones — Rose for very fair, cool complexions, Grapefruit for warmer, olive undertones, and Toffee (my personal favourite) which honestly works on everybody when applied with a light hand, but looks especially amazing on deeper skin tones.
To set everything in place and knock back unflattering shine, I applied the By Terry Hyaluronic Hydra-Powder through the centre of the face — the forehead, chin, around the sides of the nose and under eyes — while keeping the dewiness in the cheeks.
To frame the canvas of the eyes, which will form the centrepiece of each beauty look, I groomed brows with the Ere Perez Argan Brow Hero, lightly tinting them to give shape and body, while also holding the hairs in place in a fluffy, brushed-up effect.
To finish off the base of the looks, I hydrated the lips with my holy grail, Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream, which keeps lips feeling and looking nourished all day, while also adding a subtle caramel glaze of colour to them.
How to Get Photoshoot Make Up Looks at Home
Four key looks from youtime's launch shoot
Look 1: Painterly Eyes
Look 1 was my favourite beauty moment of the shoot – a playful, painterly explosion of colour on the eyes, offset by an otherwise minimalist face. The key to this look is not aiming for perfection; the more organic and imperfect, the better.
I applied the Danessa Myricks Colorfix Mattes in Beaches and Primary Blue across the lids in a haphazard fashion, contorting my brushes at atypical angles and motions to create the paint stroke effect.
This product is perfect for a look like this because they’re incredibly pigmented, but once blended out, they dry down to a waterproof finish, so your eye makeup will stay put until removed.
Look 2: Spiky Lashes
I love an intentional clumpy lash and for Look 2 I kept the eyes super soft, with a just sweep of the Flavedo & Albedo Velvet Eyeshadow in Rose Quartz across the lids to allow the lashes to be the focus.
To create a chunky lash, first apply a lash primer like the MAC False Lashes Maximizer to build bulk.
Then apply a carbon black, volumising mascara like the NARS Climax Extreme Mascara to get a solid first layer.
Allow a minute for the mascara to dry down, then press a decent amount of loose translucent powder onto the lashes with a small firm eyeshadow brush. The powder will effectively ‘seal’ the first coat of mascara so that the next application will build upon the first and not just marry with it, creating the chunky effect.
Apply a second coat of mascara and then follow with more loose powder. Repeat as many times as necessary for the desired result. To create a more deliberate spiky effect, you can finish with a pair of tweezers to delicately pinch together little clusters of lashes.
Look 3: Glossy Eyes
Look 3 was only a subtle variation on the base makeup, applying the Ere Perez Vanilla Highlighter in Sun Halo all over the lids for a soft golden sheen.
To amplify the glossiness on both the eyes and lips, I added the MAC Clear Lipglass for an ultra-glossy effect.
Wearing non-setting creams and glosses on the eyes means it will crease as you wear it, but I think the ‘lived-in’ feeling is beautiful and worth the compromise for the impact.
Look 4: Graphic Liner
For Look 4, we wanted an unexpected contrast to the serum skincare focus of the image with an unconventional beauty moment.
To create the graphic liner along the lower lashline, I used the Flavedo & Albedo Bright Stripe Eyeliner in Black to map in my shape, cleaning up any minor mishaps and extending the shape with a fine Q-tip coated in micellar water.
Once the blueprint had been laid out, I intensified the pigment and sharpened up the edges with the Fenty Beauty Flyliner Longwear Liquid Eyeliner to trace over the shape.
I’d love to see your interpretations of these looks, so please tag me in any recreations you share on Instagram: @robpoveymua and @youtime
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Rob Povey
Makeup Artist
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