All The Gear, No Idea!

Beauty writer Lucy Partington has a dirty little secret. She’s rubbish at make-up, but gets paid to tell you how to do yours. So what happened when we sent her back to beauty school?

- Lucy Partington

Full disclaimer time: I can’t do my own hair or make-up. Sure, my beauty stash might be labelled obscene (I definitely own more eye shadow palettes than pairs of pants), and I can contour with all the finesse of a fine-art illustrator. But as for the basics? I’m hopeless. So my editor forced me back to beauty school. What I learnt is a lesson to us all…

The Base Lesson

My main foundation gripe is that it doesn’t last, no matter how I apply it. Oh, and I can never find my exact colour match, either. So I turned to Rebecca Restrepo, Elizabeth Arden global make-up artist and face painter to the likes of Michelle Obama and Gwyneth Paltrow, for some truly expert intel.

1 Pick your tools

If a brush is your weapon of choice, then make sure it’s synthetic. “Natural bristles collect foundation inside the hair, but synthetic will hold it on top while you put it on your face. Or you can use a wet or dry sponge. Just remember that wetting it will make your foundation more sheer,” says Restrepo. “And when you’re buying foundation, swatch on your collarbone as well as along your jawline, then go outside, away from the unflattering department store lighting and see which product disappears. That way you’ll never look like a floating head,” she adds.

2 Start in the centre

“That’s where people tend to have the most blotchiness, so start at your nose and blend outwards,” Restrepo explains. “It’s important to fade it out towards the edges, otherwise you’ll look like you’re wearing a mask.”

3 Make it last