makeup

Going back to my ongoing need for bronzed, glowy skin, it’s also worth knowing that I massively “overapply” my bronzer. While I know that experts would call it overapplication, I think it’s just right. Makeup artists talk about lightly dusting bronzer onto the high points of your face, where the sun would naturally hit, but my approach is much more “swirl the brush around and rub it all over.”  Okay, I might be exaggerating a little bit, but I do apply far more than is recommended. Using a big, fluffy brush, I use a matte powder and dust it heavy-handedly into my hairline, down to my temple, under my cheekbones and along my jawline. Oh, and across my nose, too. Basically, the only places on my face not touched with bronzer are the apples of my cheeks. And I’m not entirely sure why I l...

If I could only wear one type of makeup product for the rest of my life, it would be mascara. It’s the first product I ever used, and it’s truly the one makeup item I’m most fanatical about. (I have a healthy collection of at least 50.)   That said, it’s truly a trick to find a mascara that can successfully curl and lift my long, stick-straight lashes. I love and appreciate the natural length I was born with, but with that blessing comes the curse of profoundly droop-prone fringe. So although I also love mascaras touting length, volume, and definition, my main concern is always curl. And, unfortunately, most mascaras I’ve tried over the years (even before I was a beauty editor) fall disastrously flat. There is some serious strategy when it comes to d...

Listen, I know most of us have been in throw-on-and-go mode for the past few years, and that doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon. Although some might miss getting dolled up on the daily, I know there’s a select few of us who are actually living our best lives wearing little to no makeup every day—sue us. Doing a full face all the time can be exhausting, so it’s actually nice to know that there are brands out there who keep us minimalists top of mind. Dare I say, minimalist makeup might be full-on trending this year, and it’s a movement I’m happy to embrace. If you find yourself nodding in agreement and would like to keep it clean and simple these days, find all the best makeup brands any true minimalist needs in their arsenal...

“I’ll put it out there: I really don’t like foundation. Not because I don’t like the way it makes me look but because I hate the way it feels on my skin. I almost always wear skin tints over foundations, and because this stuff promised to be a blend of the two, I wanted to give it the benefit of the doubt. “First of all, can I just say that I really love the packaging? The fact it’s totally recyclable is brilliant because I hate having to chuck pump foundations in the general rubbish bin. The little spatula is also brilliant for scooping foundation out of the bottle. Second, I’m a huge fan of the natural, fresh scent—it really brings a sense of zen to my morning routine. “I tried shade Medium 1W, which was a little dark for me, but that’s how I like it. The formula and finish are both good...

Is there anything more satisfying than finding your nude lipstick? As a Black woman, this journey has not been smooth sailing, there has been ashiness and some rather horrible mishaps that should never be made public. Alas, I have made it and the quest to find my nude lipstick has come to an end and I can confirm, it’s a good place to be.  A nude lipstick is what the little black dress is to your wardrobe—it’s a staple, a classic and always the right choice. The trick in picking a nude that works for you is ‘that we choose a shade that’s subtle but at the same time harmonises the skin’’ says Sasha Ghodstinat, Code8 Global Makeup Artist. Find a shade that works with your undertones—as a rule of thumb if you’re on the warmer end of the spectrum opt for a warm toned nud...

If you’ve ever wanted to know what’s really inside the makeup bags of the most stylish women in the industry, you’re in luck. We’ve created a new column—Inside My Makeup Bag—to uncover the beauty products our fashion friends genuinely keep in their daily rotations and how much their stashes actually cost. I’ll be delving inside their bags on your behalf and totting up every item in there, from the most expensive to the cheapest. Not only will you be left with an incredible shopping list, but you’ll get a realistic price tag to boot.   Melissa Holdbrook-Akposoe is the mastermind behind Melissa’s Wardrobe, sharing the latest snippets of her life as a celebrity fashion stylist, beauty expert and interior designer. As well as the recent ...

However, when I was sat in a makeup chair a few months ago, complaining to the makeup artist that I simply can’t find a way to get makeup to work for me in the winter, something occurred to me. My problem with winter makeup all boils down to one very crucial thing: it limits my glow. And that’s when the makeup artist suggested I swap out some of my usual winter favourites for balm formulas.  While I have used some balm makeup products (such as blusher) before and loved them thanks to their skin-like finish, I hadn’t thought to ever look into what other products were out there. You see, makeup balms are not only dewy and glow-boosting but they also melt into the skin and deliver ample nourishment, leaving skin looking naturally radiant and healthy. After hooking out every sin...

The idea of fresh skin for spring certainly isn’t groundbreaking, but you’ll be pleased to know it’s not going anywhere for spring/summer 2022. “I love the no-makeup makeup vibe, and I am so excited that natural skin is here to stay,” says Rachel Hardie, Nars senior artist. “Now is the time to use products that are good for the skin with ample skincare benefits,” she adds.  Swapping full-coverage foundations for lighter tints has long been the main makeup swap for spring/summer. However, this year, it’s worth looking for formulas that enhance your skin’s natural appearance too. “After the past couple of years of lockdowns, people have fallen back in love with their natural looks,” says Jamie Coombes, international pro artist at Dior Makeup. Look for foundations that contain glow-boost...

Foundation is the base of your makeup look, which is quite literally why it’s referred to as a base product. It holds a lot of power, including the power to make or break your finished look. The industry has mastered the full coverage foundations and the super lightweight barely-there foundations, but it’s the somewhere in the middle, medium coverage yet real skin-like finish foundation that is not quite there yet.  That was until the queen of makeup Charlotte Tilbury announced the launch of her new foundation, very aptly named Beautiful Skin foundation. This is basically a foundation for people who don’t like foundation, instead of the traditional, heavy finish you might expect from Charlotte Tilbury. This is the perfect product if you want a lighter and more natural fini...

It’s safe to say that I have spent a big chunk of my career measuring the real-life results of beauty products against their anti-ageing promises. Most notably, I have become somewhat infatuated with the concept of an anti-ageing foundation. If you’re asking me, few beauty products have the ability to make or break the overall appearance of your complexion quite like a foundation. While I know that active ingredients like retinol that we typically associate with anti-ageing moisturisers can’t be formulated in foundations, what I have discovered is that the formulas that deliver the most youthful-looking finish don’t dull the skin. They don’t turn the skin matte and lacklustre. Rather, they blend seamlessly for a glowing and radiant result.  Such...

Firstly, I opt for a light to medium coverage foundation if I wear one at all, and get my coverage from concealer. This makes my face look fresh and not cakey as I continue to powder throughout the day. For staying power if it’s a day-job-to-night-plans kind of day, I always wear a primer and this takes care of my foundation and concealer not sliding so the powder can just be for stopping the oil coming through. Then, after I’ve finished my makeup, I set under my eyes and around my nose with a loose skin-coloured powder. Throughout the day I carry a small fluffy brush and a pressed powder to pinpoint target areas of shine so I don’t make my whole face look flat and matte but eliminate shine in unwanted areas. There is a common misconception that using powder makes the face look t...

Here at Who What Wear, we love taking inspiration from the trends that have defined the year. Experimenting with all things fashion and beauty can be cathartic, fun, and a great way to spike your creative juices. And what better time than the final months to look back at this year’s greatest hits? We’re already champing at the bit where makeup trends are concerned, so we couldn’t wait to take a peek through 2021’s beauty lens via predictions from some of the coolest celebrity makeup artists in the business—Molly Stern and Renée Loiz, founder of Color May Vary, a Black-owned beauty guide. Ahead, both Stern and Loiz are sharing the makeup trends they’ve been most excited about, along with the must-have products you’ll need to re-cr...