Beauty Tips From Guerlain Expert
Jasmine Ahn, Guerlain business manager at Nordstrom, applies color to her lips | Leah Friel photo
Summer is almost here, and for beauty trends, it’s a lot of color and bronzer.
“You saw cobalt eyes, orange on the lips, metallic gold on the eyes, and bright, bold nails,” says Marcus Monson, national celebrity makeup artist for Guerlain. “At Guerlain, when we did a real bright eye, we made the lips a little softer, such as a pale mauve on the lip. If we did a real natural eye, then we put on a real bright pop of color, like a good coral or orange lipstick.”
As for makeup dos and don’ts, Monson says lighting, blending and time are key factors to consider for your beauty routine.
“To me, one of the major makeup mistakes is when someone wears too much concealer,” notes Monson. “A lot of times, they might have bad lighting in their bathroom. I always tell people to take a mirror and go to your nearest window with sunlight, that way, you see all the imperfections.
“Also, so many people do their makeup in a hurry. If they would take a few extra minutes just to really look at themselves – an extra minute to blend your eyeshadow, another extra minute to blend your blush and bronzer, and another extra minute just to finalize everything, make sure your lashes aren’t clumped together, make sure your foundation is blended along the jawline – those can be some real big mistakes that can be avoided with just an extra three minutes put on to your schedule.”
Monson’s makeup tips:
* Apply concealer after you’ve finished your eye makeup. Put a little bit of eye serum on a Q-tip to clean up under the eye, and then apply concealer.
* Color can be for any age. “So many people say that as a woman gets older, she needs to wear less,” says Monson. “I personally think as I’m getting older, I need to wear a little bit of color because it perks up my complexion. I think as a woman ages, we need to have some brighter lips and a little bit more blush. I’m not saying that they should do a ton of purples, blues and aqua eye shadow, but definitely a little hint of color on the eyes never hurts anybody. But, when you’re in your teens and 20s, anything goes.”
Monson also is noticing more men using products, such as bronzer, concealer, as well as exofoliaters, eye creams, cleansers and moisturizers. “We have imperfections we want to camouflage as well,” he says.
Monson will be in Hawaii for Nordstrom’s Beauty Trend Show May 25 from 8 to 10 a.m. The event highlights the latest in makeup, skincare and fragrance trends with industry insiders on hand to demonstrate cutting-edge techniques. Tickets cost $20 (available at the cosmetics counter) and are redeemable toward any cosmetics purchase of $20 or more on the day of the event.
Monson also will make a special appearance at Neiman Marcus May 23 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
