Beauty Q & A with John Gustafson

Our make-up, skincare and beauty guru solves all your beauty dilemmas

Hello John,
Please can you give me some advice about what colour eye shadows will suit me?  I am struggling to find a good colour as I have droopy eyelids.  I have tried the smoky eye look but people always say I look tired!  Is it best to stick with lighter colours?  My eyes are brown and I have pale skin.
Thanks
Rhiannon

Rhiannon,
I tell you what; it is not so much the colours you choose as it is the application. If your eyes are droopy, you need to apply colour in a way that helps to lift the eyelid. Softer shades can help by not pushing the eye back into your head, but that is sort of a safe move. We have a new Handbag TV clip ready to go up that will teach how to lift droopy eyes, which should give you a helping hand on application. Layering the colours is nearly as important as the shade selection too. The more layers you apply; the easier your blending will be. If your paler skin is warmer - then select soft flesh tones through to donkey grey/browns. If you have a cooler complexion - go with the more rosy flesh, taupes, and greys without blue. But blending colour up and over the bones' contour as is demonstrated in the video will give you the open effect and leave you much more able to play with whatever colours you choose.
Hope that helps,
John

 

Dear John,
I hope you can help. I am 29 and have suffered with incredibly bad skin since my late teens (acne, deep acne scarring, hyper-pigmentation....). I have been having fraxel laser treatments over the last year and my skin has greatly improved. However, I do still need to wear make-up and I still only feel confident if I know my skin is covered up. But with an affectionate toddler and just being a busy mum I feel the only way to ensure that my foundation and cover-up stays put is by applying loose powder. The problem is that I then feel my make up is quite ageing - something I am increasingly self-conscious about as I have bad bags under my eyes (3 years with next to no sleep!) and am getting fine lines around my eyes (which the powder picks up!). Do you have any suggestions for youthful make up that will give reasonable cover up, look natural AND stay put all day?!! Please help!
Thanks,
Hannah

Hannah,
Absolutely! Try the Estée Lauder Doublewear Light foundation. It is transfer-proof so it will stay on you and not the baby! Max Factor has two with Facefinity Compact and Lasting Performance Liquid. Both give a staying time of about 8 hours and the compact may be an easy time saver for you as well. Lancôme offers Teint Idole Ultra in a long-wear light-weight formulation, and Guerlain's new Extreme is waterproof as well as transfer-proof. Finally, Clinique Superfit is a great option that is priced in the middle and has a good range of colours. That should give you plenty to think about, but if you need any further assistance, please do drop me another line.
Regards,
John

 

Dear John
Please can you advise me on how to get that smooth airbrush look for legs that some women seem to achieve? I de-fuzz using an epilator, tidy up with a razor, exfoliate, scrub, moisturise, leave it all a while to settle - add a bit of colour and I still end up with speckly chicken skin legs.  Also, my lower legs never seem to pick up the sun and although I am really careful with the sun protection I still end up with dry, almost scaly skin on my shins.
Please help
Jenny

Jenny,
Sorry flower, but this may just be the way your legs react to hair removal. Do they look speckly in between shaves? If they smooth out after a few days, it might be an idea to go and investigate laser removal. That would give you a much longer time between treatments and might allow you to have your legs the way you want. Other than that, makeup for your legs is the ticket - and it is the same ticket punched by many a celebrity. There are two products we generally use. The first is Makeup Forever Face and Body Foundation. Great texture...very liquid. And then once it sets, it stays transfer-proof so your clothes don't get ruined. The other is Air Stockings spray. Like a can of spray paint for your limbs! Again, the product is transfer and waterproof so you can dance the night away without the colour shifting. Both can be achieved with that freshly polished look you see on the red carpet so it would kill all of your birds with a single stone. If it were me, I would look at a combination of more permanent removal and a body cosmetic product...
Good luck,
John

 

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