Summer Beauty Tips fromTop Makeup Artist and Beauty Expert Colleen Stone!

Everyone wishes they had the advice of a top makeup artist not just for photo shoots and skin care, but for every day, as the seasons and trends change, and it can be hard to keep up with all the new products hitting the market.  Top makeup artist Colleen Stone has worked with Pandora, Dooney and Bourke, Echo, FemeStage and countless other projects this past winter and spring, including TV appearances for Coco Rocha. Colleen answers our beauty questions and shares her tips for spring and summer beauty, so we can all try to look as gorgeous as her models and you can find more tips on her website at www.blushandbeyond.com

1) What is your secret weapon to achieve amazing summer skin?

As the summer months heat up, so does the humidity, and your skin care routine should be adjusted. A lighter day moisturizer like one of the new gel type moisturizers such as Neutrogena Hydro Gel will keep skin hydrated without the heaviness of a regular winter cream.  Sunscreen is a must for the summer too and there are many lightweight versions to choose from that won’t clog pores and make skin look oily.  I really like some of the sunscreens coming out of Asia, specifically Korea. They protect the skin with advanced technology and feel and smell more like moisturizers than typical sunscreens. Beautiful summer skin can be achieved with some spot concealing and a bronzer. I like to use waterproof concealer to protect from the humidity, like Lancome’s Effacernes, and a cream based bronzer like Tom Ford’s Shade & Illuminate.

2) What is your best skin prep advice for models for the night before a photo shoot?

Plenty of sleep, of course, and lots of hydration!  Anytime you have a photo shoot the next day, it’s important to take the time to properly remove your makeup, hydrate your skin, and get plenty of rest, although sometimes models with busy schedules may not be able to sleep as much as they would like.  That’s where makeup artists’ work comes in, sometimes using sheet masks or under eye masks to revive tired skin. The night before a photo shoot is NOT the time to try new skin care products or treatments or pick at your skin, as it will only look worse in the morning, leaving the makeup artist with little choice but to add a lot of concealer.

3) What is your favorite summer makeup trend?

My favorite summer trend for 2016 is a natural looking bronzer and highlighter, or “nontouring”. This new term refers to the look that is the opposite of contouring.  Instead of heavy streaks of contour cream or powder topped with shiny highlighter (Hello Instagram!) this look is more “model who jet-sets from Ibiza to St. Tropez.  Her bronzer is subtle.  You Tube tutorial coming soon!

4) What in your opinion are the top three things a model can do to have good skin?

Great skin begins from the inside, which means that in order for your skin to be clear and have a glow, you need to have proper nutrition and hydration. Fruits and vegetables provided plenty of the vitamins and minerals essential for healthy skin, so if you don’t feel your diet is adequate, adding a fresh pressed green juice everyday can go a long way to achieving a healthy glow. Exercise helps eliminate toxins through sweating and also reduces stress, so a regular exercise routine that includes cardio and toning will help you maintain beautiful skin. And finally, a skin care routine that works for you and that you maintain on a regular basis. Making sure to properly remove makeup will really help your skin allowing for any treatment products like serums to penetrate. I am a fan of the double-cleansing method, especially for models who wear a lot of makeup on a regular basis. Double-cleansing involves removing makeup with an oil cleanser, and following that with a foaming cleanser or a milk cleanser to remove any residue and clean the skin, exfoliating dead skin cells.

5) How do you deal with summertime humidity on location so the model doesn’t look like a hot mess?

When humidity soars, the less makeup the better. Trying to cover the skin with foundations and powders will only lead to patchy skin as you sweat. Cover any imperfections with a waterproof concealer and coat lashes with waterproof mascara. I like to use waterproof eyeliner, like the Aqua Eyes from Make Up For Ever to add touch of color and fun for a summer look. Try lining eyes with a bright aqua eyeliner, add some bronzer, and finish with a lip stain or balm in a coral shade. Minimal fuss and gorgeous!

Colleen Stone’s blog Blush and Beyond gives tips and advice to looking your model-beauty-best.  www.blushandbeyond.com

Contouring is the New Photoshop! #NoFilter

 photo courtesy of craveonline.com

Because you can't always walk into a room with Photoshop, there are many things you can do to make sure you always look picture perfect! Sculpting your face without surgery, is simple to do if you understand how and what products to use. You literally can transform your face with this magical illusion.

Until recently this maneuver was reserved for A listers who could afford celebrity makeup artists who have long understood the purpose of doing so, but there's no reason that the rest of us need be kept in the dark. I wrote about how to DIY in my book by using your face shape as a guide with a specific tutorial. If you want to fine tune your skills as per your face shape check out Chapter 6 of Face This: Real Advice from Real Models available for only $7.99 {HERE}, not to mention all the  great photo and posing tricks you will learn.

But basically the concept is simple. An oval face shape is what you are trying to emulate, so you want to contour areas outside of a centered oval. Contouring will make areas recede. So, if you have a square jaw you will want to contour your jaw line more, if you have a high forehead you will want to contour the top of your hairline more.

You don't need to go out and buy any special products, anything that is 1-2 shades lighter than your foundation will work, for example Loreal's true match makeup works, any concealer is great too because you usually buy this lighter than your foundation. Anything that is light, sheer and shimmery will do the job! 

For contouring, anything darker than your normal skin tone is perfect whether it be a bronzing powder or cream/liquid. But for contour be sure it is not shimmery - you are trying to create shadows here and not draw attract the light. The biggest secret to getting it right - BLEND, BLEND, BLEND!

For your nose: If you have a wide nose, contour the sides. Highlight down the center of your nose - the slimmer the line the more narrow your nose will look. If it's long, contour the tip. 

For cheeks: Apply your blush beginning at the apple of your cheek and sweep upward toward your temples. Highlight above and contour below in the hollow - underneath your cheek bone. Make the fish face to know exactly where this is.

Highlighting the center of your face brings out that ideal oval shape . 

Always contour your neck. This will give you a stronger jaw line, which becomes more critical as you age because skin sags here first. 

My favorite place to highlight that most people forget is the clavicle! The product I find easiest to use here is the same one I use on top of my cheekbones to brighten underneath my eyes:  Smashbox Photo-op.  Makeup artists use this to bring life to model's eyes when the call time is 5am!