Beauty Fix: How to wear bright lipstick without dry, chapped lips getting in the way and more answers to your beauty questions
Every week we take on your questions about makeup, skincare, hair and more and provide all the answers. This week Beauty Fix helps you decide if a highlighter is a necessary addition to your morning makeup routine—considering that it’s a great way to hide a lack of sleep, we’re onboard! We also share a trick for avoiding the cakey look of powder foundation and a new mascara that really, truly provides all the volume you’d ever want with just one coat. Have a question we haven’t answered? Email us at [email protected].
I have oily skin, but am apprehensive about the look of powder foundation. What do you recommend I use?
This concern is completely understandable. Traditionally, when we think of powder foundation, images of cakey coverage come to mind—a look that few people are fond of. However, it’s really colour matching that plays into how a powder foundation looks on the skin. The whole idea of foundation is to improve upon your skin’s natural appearance and not to mask it in its entirety. Make Up For Ever Pro Finish Multi-Use Powder Foundation ($42, sephora.com) is a safe bet for anyone in the market for a powder foundation. There are three different undertones for each shade (pink, neutral and golden), which means that there will inevitably be a colour match that suits your skintone—no more cool-toned powder when a neutral shade would probably work better! This powder can be worn wet or dry, for a satin or matte finish, respectively. It’s also as imperceptible on the skin as a powder foundation can be, but if it’s midday and you realize you’ve applied the foundation with a heavier hand than you thought, keep M.A.C Fix+ travel size ($12, maccosmetics.com) on hand. A few spritzes and you’ll be refreshed with no powdery skin in sight!
A bright lipstick on chapped lips is my worst nightmare, but wearing no colour so dull! What can I wear on my lips to hydrate them without looking totally washed out?
I think I speak for everyone when I say it’s a collective worst nightmare to have a bright lip applied (or worse, reapplied) on dry lips. While we all know that applying a lip balm underneath a bright lip is advisable, doing so can compromise the colour payoff of a bright lipstick, depending on how the balm and lipstick work together. It can be quite beneficial to use a product that moisturizes and will work with your lipstick simultaneously to achieve longer wear. Try Mèreadesso Tinted Lip Treats in “Sheer Pink” ($28 for two, mereadesso.com), which is a tinted lip conditioner that contains grape seed, coconut and sunflower oils to moisturize lips, plus a sheer tint of colour. Using Lip Treats as a lip primer underneath a bright lipstick will actually extend the wear of your lipstick, but will also look fresh and very “Makeup? What makeup?” chic when worn solo.
I have a small, heart-shaped face and blush intimidates me. How do I wear it without overpowering my face?
While it can be easy for a blush application to go awry, blush is insanely flattering when applied well and the proper technique is not at all difficult to master. The key to dealing with your particular face shape is using the right tools and a blush placement that will visually balance out the face. Smaller faces require smaller brushes that provide greater control, so grab a brush like Sephora Collection Pro Flawless Airbrush #56 ($38, sephora.com). While this brush is technically meant for foundation application, its small head and tapered, synthetic bristles will give you all the control needed. When choosing a blush, go for a shade that is a proper flush of colour: Smashbox Love Me Blush in “Idolize Me” ($32, sephora.com), for instance, is a warm mid-tone pink with a satin sheen. Dab the brush in the blush and knock off excess pigment on your hand. This is key because it’s very easy to apply too much colour too quickly. In a soft, tapping motion, apply the blush along the cheekbone, starting from the top, moving downwards and inwards, and stopping at the vertical point of the outer corner of the eye. Take whatever product remains on the brush and sweep it lightly over the temples. Repeat and build colour to desired intensity and boom, visual balance of the heart-shaped face!
Do I need to wear a highlighter?
I suppose no one needs to wear a highlighter, but I can promise you that once you find a highlighter you love, you probably will wonder how you went so long without it! Facial highlighting is one of the quickest ways to look insanely fresh and awake even if you’re exhausted and haggard. Some people tend to associate highlighters with chunky, disco ball-type shimmer, but allow me to put you at ease when I say highlighters come in a slew of varieties and you can avoid the glittery, greasy look altogether as long as you choose wisely! My highlighter of choice these days is the much-revered Kevyn Aucoin The Celestial Veil Powder in “Candlelight” ($28, ebeauty.ca). This pale gold powder is buttery soft, finely milled and contains microfine shimmers that do not scream “HIGHLIGHTER!” when applied. The tiniest dab goes a long way on the tops of cheekbones, and I also like applying this as an inner corner highlight for my eyes. If I’m really dragging my heels and need a boost, I’ll swipe some under the brow bone and maybe even along my Cupid’s bow. Glam gleam, know what I mean?
I feel like I have to load on my mascara for any kind of high impact. Can you suggest a volumizing formula?
I’ve actually been feeling this way lately about many of the mascaras in my rotation—it seems that no matter how much I curl or how many coats I apply, I just couldn’t get the volume I was envisioning in my mind. Then I tried Chanel Le Volume de Chanel mascara ($36, at Chanel counters) and discovered that it essentially did in a single sweep of my lashes what other mascaras took multiple coats to accomplish. The genius is in the brush, which is actually patented (!), and has snowflake-shaped discs stacked one on top of another, catching each lash to deposit the soft wax formula and separating lashes simultaneously. Tip: Try this mascara in “Bleu,” a navy shade that will visually make the whites of your eyes appear brighter.
 is a safe bet for anyone in the market for a powder foundation. There are three different undertones for each shade (pink, neutral and golden), which means that there will inevitably be a colour match that suits your skintone—no more cool-toned powder when a neutral shade would probably work better! This powder can be worn wet or dry, for a satin or matte finish, respectively. It's also as imperceptible on the skin as a powder foundation can be, but if it’s midday and you realize you’ve applied the foundation with a heavier hand than you thought, keep M.A.C Fix+ travel size ($12, maccosmetics.com) on hand. A few spritzes and you’ll be refreshed with no powdery skin in sight!
A bright lipstick on chapped lips is my worst nightmare, but wearing no colour so dull! What can I wear on my lips to hydrate them without looking totally washed out?
I think I speak for everyone when I say it’s a collective worst nightmare to have a bright lip applied (or worse, reapplied) on dry lips. While we all know that applying a lip balm underneath a bright lip is advisable, doing so can compromise the colour payoff of a bright lipstick, depending on how the balm and lipstick work together. It can be quite beneficial to use a product that moisturizes and will work with your lipstick simultaneously to achieve longer wear. Try Mèreadesso Tinted Lip Treats in “Sheer Pink” ($28 for two, mereadesso.com), which is a tinted lip conditioner that contains grape seed, coconut and sunflower oils to moisturize lips, plus a sheer tint of colour. Using Lip Treats as a lip primer underneath a bright lipstick will actually extend the wear of your lipstick, but will also look fresh and very “Makeup? What makeup?” chic when worn solo.
I have a small, heart-shaped face and blush intimidates me. How do I wear it without overpowering my face?
While it can be easy for a blush application to go awry, blush is insanely flattering when applied well and the proper technique is not at all difficult to master. The key to dealing with your particular face shape is using the right tools and a blush placement that will visually balance out the face. Smaller faces require smaller brushes that provide greater control, so grab a brush like Sephora Collection Pro Flawless Airbrush #56 ($38, sephora.com). While this brush is technically meant for foundation application, its small head and tapered, synthetic bristles will give you all the control needed. When choosing a blush, go for a shade that is a proper flush of colour: Smashbox Love Me Blush in “Idolize Me” ($32, sephora.com), for instance, is a warm mid-tone pink with a satin sheen. Dab the brush in the blush and knock off excess pigment on your hand. This is key because it’s very easy to apply too much colour too quickly. In a soft, tapping motion, apply the blush along the cheekbone, starting from the top, moving downwards and inwards, and stopping at the vertical point of the outer corner of the eye. Take whatever product remains on the brush and sweep it lightly over the temples. Repeat and build colour to desired intensity and boom, visual balance of the heart-shaped face!
Do I need to wear a highlighter?
I suppose no one needs to wear a highlighter, but I can promise you that once you find a highlighter you love, you probably will wonder how you went so long without it! Facial highlighting is one of the quickest ways to look insanely fresh and awake even if you’re exhausted and haggard. Some people tend to associate highlighters with chunky, disco ball-type shimmer, but allow me to put you at ease when I say highlighters come in a slew of varieties and you can avoid the glittery, greasy look altogether as long as you choose wisely! My highlighter of choice these days is the much-revered Kevyn Aucoin The Celestial Veil Powder in “Candlelight” ($28, ebeauty.ca). This pale gold powder is buttery soft, finely milled and contains microfine shimmers that do not scream “HIGHLIGHTER!” when applied. The tiniest dab goes a long way on the tops of cheekbones, and I also like applying this as an inner corner highlight for my eyes. If I’m really dragging my heels and need a boost, I’ll swipe some under the brow bone and maybe even along my Cupid’s bow. Glam gleam, know what I mean?
I feel like I have to load on my mascara for any kind of high impact. Can you suggest a volumizing formula?
I’ve actually been feeling this way lately about many of the mascaras in my rotation—it seems that no matter how much I curl or how many coats I apply, I just couldn’t get the volume I was envisioning in my mind. Then I tried Chanel Le Volume de Chanel mascara ($36, at Chanel counters) and discovered that it essentially did in a single sweep of my lashes what other mascaras took multiple coats to accomplish. The genius is in the brush, which is actually patented (!), and has snowflake-shaped discs stacked one on top of another, catching each lash to deposit the soft wax formula and separating lashes simultaneously. Tip: Try this mascara in “Bleu,” a navy shade that will visually make the whites of your eyes appear brighter.
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