Hey Zenab!

The makeup at the VS Fashion Show was definitely FIERCE! So much so that a few days after the show aired, I searched the internet with a fine toothed comb to found out who did it, how, and with what! The models definitely looked like angels with their glowy, air-brushed skin with matching beautiful cheekbones and eye makeup! The great thing about this makeup is that it looks good on EVERY skin tone and it’s relatively easy to recreate at home. I would add that if you wanted this look as it was shown at the VS Fashion Show, save it for a special occasion since the glitz and the glam can be a bit much for the day. If you wanted a similar look for day time, I suggest picking just one feature to highlight—either the eyes or the cheekbones and keep everything else understated. Now here’s the scoop on the look:

Phyllis at Makeup for Life reports, “Lead makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury created this year’s super sexy glamorous look with products from Victoria’s Secret Very Sexy Makeup line. The overall look is a “doe-eyed Bambi. It is a little bit dreamy; like a chic silhouette. There is an innocence to it”, said Tilbury.

The models’ eyes were drenched in shimmery gold and brown eyeshadows like Silky Eyeshadow in Chills, Mystified, Between the Sheets and Champagne and lined with Eyeliner in Dark Chocolate. High Definition Mascara in Blackest Black was applied to both top and bottom to give the most luscious lashes.

To play up the cheekbones, Tilbury highlighted and contoured them with Mosaic Bronzer in Goddess, Mosaic Blush in Love Life and Heidi Klum Collection Blush in Jewels.

As for the lips, a peachy color (Perfect Lipstick in Whisper) was applied and topped with a pale pink gloss (Lip Gloss in Intimate) and a nude brown (Heidi Klum Collection Lip Gloss in Cupcake), to complete the deliciously seductive look.

The Victoria’s Secret Bare Bronze collection was also used all over to give models a radiant, bronzed glow.”

Here’s my take on this look:
1. Start with cleansed and moisturized skin. The better shape your skin is in, the better a look like this will be. The type of makeup finishes that will be used to recreate this look will magnify any blemishes

2. Prep skin with a foundation primer like Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer. This will help to smooth out skin by helping to fill in any lines leaving you with the perfect canvas to apply makeup.

3. Apply a sheer, liquid foundation like NARS Balanced Foundation. NARS Balanced Foundation has a lighter feel than most makeup, resulting in a translucent finish that smoothes fine lines and imperfections without appearing heavy on the skin. If you have oily skin, try NARS Oil Free Foundation. You can apply the foundation with a makeup sponge, a foundation brush, or even with your fingers, but be sure to only apply it where you need it to keep this look fresh. Finish the foundation with a light dusting of loose powder like MAC Blot Powder Loose or Becca Fine Loose Finishing Powder.

4. Next, let’s make those cheeks pop! A beautiful tip I learned from reading Iman’s Beauty of Color book is to first apply bronzer to cheeks and then a rosy colored blush on top for a beautiful sun-kissed look. So with an angled blush brush, (smiling to expose your cheekbones) lightly tap a bronzer like NARS Bronzing Powder and then top it off with a luminous rosy blush from the Victoria’s Secret Very Sexy Mosaic Blush collection. I’ve never tried any of VS’ blushes, so as a substitute that I can put my seal of approval on, try NARS Blush in Orgasm which looks great on a variety of skin tones.

Then at the very tip of your cheekbones, lightly dab and then blend in a sheer golden base like MAC Creme Color Base in Pearl or Hush.

5. Now to make your eye pop, you need a long-lasting sparkly eyeshadow. The VS models’ eyes were drenched in shimmery gold and brown eyeshadows like Silky Eyeshadow in Chills, Mystified, Between the Sheets and Champagne. I checked them out on my last trip to Victoria’s Secret, but I’ve never actually used them before to co-sign on their staying power. What I can recommend are my tried and true favorites which are the Veluxe Pearl finish eyeshadows from MAC. First apply a shimmery base like Urban Decay’s new Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Sin which will help to further bring out the beautiful shimmer. Then apply MAC Eyeshadow all over the bottom lid–try shades like All That Glitters, Twinks, Expensive Pink, Woodwinked, Coppering, Crystal Avalanche, Antiqued, and even non-Veluxe Pearl finishes like Mulch, Bronze, Electra, and Amber Lights will work. Then apply a light matte (no-shimmer) eyeshadow color 1-2 shades lighter than your skin tone on the brow bone. Line the top line with a black eyeliner like Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes Eyeliner. Follow with 3-4 coats of mascara or for a more glamorous look, try applying ‘natural looking’ falsies like MAC #4 Lashes. Apply a highlighter shade (try MAC Creme Colour Base in either Hush or Pearl) to the inner corners of the eyes and blend.

6. Now the lips—apply a sheer shade as close to your lip color as possible. VS Heidi Klum Collection Lipgloss in Cupcake is a good one.

7. Finish everything with a very light dusting of loose powder and spritz with MAC Fix+ Spray.

And here’s a video of the artist herself talking about how she came up with some of the VS Fashion Show looks:

After watching that video, I feel like I need to add “hypnotic” and “bedazzling” in my vocab!

If you have a style or beauty question, contact me! Your question could be featured on the blog
See also:
Makeup for Dark Skin Girls
Makeup for Olive Toned Skin
Makeup Tricks
Makeup Brushes 101
Skin 101
Foundation 101

These are the products I couldn’t live without for both me and my clients! Check out which products kept us looking beautiful in ‘08:

Mac Studio Tech Foundation is my go-to foundation on photo shoots. It covers all types of imperfections without looking cakey. It can also be worn beyond the camera, but make sure you add sunscreen since this foundation doesn’t contain any. For those who love liquid foundation, I absolutely love NARS Balanced Foundation for the way it gives skin a fresh, dewy look. Becca Compact Concealer is a great cream concealer that provides total camouflage for almost any skin problem including blemishes, scars, birthmarks and under eye circles. It contains two highly pigmented formulations within one slim compact – Extra-cover and Medium-cover. This comes as no surprise that NARS Blush is on my list of Best in Beauty ‘08–this highly pigmented glorious product comes in a myriad of shades for every skin tone and gives a healthy, beautiful glow to the face. Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer gets skin ready for foundation by filling in fine lines and pores. Becca Fine Loose Finishing Powder finishes and sets foundation but most importantly it is lightly pigmented and micro-milled, creating a perfectly uniform, ultra thin layer that allows the skin’s natural oils to lightly shine through. The result ensures your foundation looks like real skin, with the added benefit of your makeup staying on all day. If you’re looking for a liquid concealer that covers dark under eye circles so that it appears as if they’ve disappeared, you need Stila Perfecting Concealer.

Urban Decay Primer Potion is an eyeshadow base that provides long-lasting, crease-proof, and vibrant eyeshadow. Because of their vast options in both color and texture, MAC Eyeshadows have been a favorite of mine for YEARS. Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes Eye Liner is a waterproof liner that creates a perfect line that will last all day—even through a crying fest. And speaking of crying fests, de-puff cried out eyes with Patrica Wexler M.D. Dermatology Fastscription™ Instant De-Puff Eye Gel. Too Faced Lash Injection Pin Point is an extreme defining, volumizing, and lengthening mascara. I get pretty lashes that don’t clump or flake when using this mascara. Duo Lash Glue in Dark and Ardell Fashion Lashes go hand-in-hand for glamorous lash looks.

MAC Lipstick and MAC Lipglass are definite must-haves for the lips. If you need to define your lips, MAC Lip Pencil is the perfect tool. The new craze in nails is Minx Nails–a a solid nail coating that comes in foil and sparkly metallics, photo-quality designs, and any color under the sun. But, that’s not all. Because Minx is made of film and not polish, it can be customized with any picture, photo, or logo. It also does not chip, smudge, or require any drying time!

Now that’s my list—what were some of your favorite beauty products in ‘08? What products would you like to see come out in ‘09?