Tips from a make-up maestro

Still on the topic of natural-looking beauty, Laura Mercier is now available in Sephora Singapore. Previously, it was only available at one small make-up boutique, so few knew of its existence. The prominent displays at two Sephora stores I've passed by - Ion Orchard and Takashimaya - are already giving the brand much greater visibility here.

Laura Mercier, the founder of the 12-year-old brand, is credited as the pioneer in creating make-up primers, which is basically a product you apply all over your face after skincare and before foundation. A primer helps to create a smooth surface on the skin so that make-up applies more smoothly, stays on longer and looks fresh for a longer length of time.

Before: Getting my skin prepped for make-up

To mark Laura Mercier's grand re-introduction into the beauty scene, its director of international artistry & promotions, Tayaba Jafri, was in town to run a series of workshops. I was asked to be the demo model for one of the sessions and happily took up the offer so that I could get firsthand information on how to get the brand's signature "flawless face" look -rubs hands with glee-

In short, there are four steps to getting that smooth, even complexion: primer, foundation, concealer and setting powder. With some practice, these should take about five to seven minutes to slap on.

Some interesting things I learnt:
1. The name tinted moisturiser is actually a bit of a misnomer. According to Tayaba, tinted moisturiser is actually an industry term for a light foundation with moisturising properties. So, you should actually still apply moisturiser before tinted moisturiser.

2.  Less is more with Laura Mercier's make-up. When it was launched, the liquid foundation was the first in the industry to be highly pigmented, which means a tiny blob of product will provide a whole lot of coverage. It is best to use a sponge for application as it will absorb the product to prevent too much from clumping on the skin if it were applied with fingers or a brush.

3. Use a concealer brush. I usually just dab on concealer with my fingers to my undereye area, but for more precise coverage, and to really get to the tiny nooks and crevices around the eyes, use a brush instead.

4. Tightlining is a level 2.0 eye-makeup technique which I've always been afraid of doing. This is when you use an eyeliner to line the tiny strip just under the upper lash line, so I'm always terrified of getting liner into my sensitive eyes and tearing up, hence ruining the rest of my make-up.
To prevent tearing, you should only apply liner to the thin strip of skin just above the pink membrane underneath the eyelids, says Tayaba. And be sure to use only an ophthalmologist-tested eyeliner because you don't want untested stuff irritating your eyes.   

5. Apply five to ten per cent more powder blush than you normally would. Apparently, most women tend to underapply blush (I'd always thought it was the opposite!). Also, powder blush is the first product that will fall off your face, so brushing on a bit more means there will at least be some colour on your cheeks when you walk out of your house.

And, ta-daa, the new and improved me!

After: More luminous skin and brighter-looking features

I got to take home my own Flawless Face kit, which contains a primer, tinted moisturiser, two types of concealer, finishing powder as well as the relevant brushes and sponges to recreate the look.

It costs $105 at Sephora, but when I checked on Tuesday night, both Ion and Takashimaya were sold out. There are, however, plenty of primers ($52), tinted moisturisers, liquid foundations and silk creme foundations ($68 each) on sale.

This is a great starter kit for those who want to try out the brand's greatest hits and it's a handy size for travelling as well :) This baby is coming along with me this weekend when I hop over to Bangkok for the Songkran celebrations!