Five great beauty skills to learn

This is the time of year when make-up, hair and skin can feel lacklustre. What you need is to learn a few beauty skills to perk them up! By Kate Fentiman

Same products, same routine, same so-so results - it's all too easy to fall into lazy beauty habits. But replace those die-hard patterns with some fresh beauty techniques and you'll be surprised at how quickly and easily you can turn things around. Genning up on a different or long-forgotten skill will inject new life into your look and boost your confidence levels. To help you pass with flying colours, we've gathered together some inspiring expert advice and shopped for the hardest-working beauty buys around.

 

 

Skill 1: give hair a salon finish

 

Adam Reed, London's Percy & Reed Salon

‘Rethink your styling methods and you'll find that the sleek finish that distinguishes a professional blow-dry from a DIY attempt is very achievable at home. Rough-dry your hair to 80 per cent before attempting to create any shape. Next, apply the styling product to damp hands; this will help you distribute it through your hair more evenly, avoiding any sticky build-up or a concentration of product in one area. Start styling at the back of your head or you'll disturb the front as you move round. Pay equal attention to the roots and the ends, and lift your hair from the roots using a brush.

‘Although it might seem obvious, keep the nozzle on your hairdryer and direct it down the hair shaft - this will banish frizz, create shine and make a real difference to the end result.'

Adam's number one tip: ‘Hairspray is great for giving hold to your style, but avoid a ‘set' look by spraying it onto your brush and then brushing through the hair rather than just covering it in a huge mist.'

 

 

Easy as one, two, three ...

1. Kérastase Nutritive Oleo- Relax Slim Cream, £17.20

This first-class blow-drying cream gives the most rebellious hair a frizz-free finish.

2. James Brown Scandalous Big & Beautiful Volumising Shampoo, £5.99

Puts the oomph back into limp tresses, making styling much easier.

3. Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Reconstructor, £4.49

Safflower seed oil smoothes rough cuticles and leaves locks looking lustrous.

 

Skill 2: keep skin radiant

 

Vaishaly Patel, Facialist

‘Experts agree that achieving that covetable lit-from-within glow is all down to the way you handle your skin rather than the make-up you put on it. Facial massage, for instance, is lauded among the facialist elite as the key to inner radiance. I regard it as my best anti-ageing secret.

By working through the "belly" of each muscle group - where we all hold our tension and stress - massage makes the muscles relax and fine lines disappear, along with puffiness linked to congestion. The face looks uplifted and the features are softened.'

Vaishaly's number one tip: ‘Using either your cleanser or a facial oil, sweep hands up your neck two to three times, then massage using the pads of your fingertips, starting from the jawline and working upwards. Now sweep fingers outwards along the brow bone, then stroke inwards underneath the eye. Repeat two to three times. Finish by massaging the forehead, working from the middle outwards. As well as dislodging dead cells and toning muscles, massage stimulates blood flow and warms cold winter skin, making it more receptive to products applied afterwards.'

 

Easy as one, two, three

1. Vaishaly Cleansing Balm, £59

Massage tired skin with this luxurious essential oil blend and watch it bloom. Pricey but it lasts for ever.

2. Origins Multi- Grain Makeup SPF14, £20

With oatmeal, soy and goji berry, finely milled grains cover like foundation but still give a fresh, dewy finish.

3. Clinique Even Better Skin Tone Correcting Moisturizer SPF20, £32

A great everyday choice, this tackles dark spots and guards against future discolouration.

 

Skill 3: make feet summer fit

 

Margaret Dabbs, Foot Expert

‘Good-looking feet are a fashion and beauty must-have. It is simply liberating to be able to pull out your feet at any time and reveal smooth, soft skin. To bring neglected winter feet up to scratch, take a troubleshooting visit to a chiropodist, followed by weekly DIY pedicures; a foot scrub to shift dry, dead skin, a foot soak to soothe and destress, followed by an intensive oil or hydrating lotion, which penetrates the dermal layers and moisturises deep down. Cut nails straight across and file smooth.'

Margaret's number one tip: ‘Between sandal seasons, it's a good idea to give nails a break from polish - dark colours discolour and stain, which takes time to fade - or at least stick to pastel shades. Use a foot file on dry skin before every bath or shower and apply a good moisturiser daily. Changing your shoes each day not only allows them to retain their shape but the variation in style and contour benefits your feet, too. Give them the same attention you give your face and they will never betray your age.'

 

Easy as one, two, three

1. Margaret Dabbs Intensive Treatment Foot Oil, £20

Rich in moisturising emu oil, this miracle worker transforms parched feet and nails.

2. Bliss Foot Patrol, £53

For dissolving dry heels, this foot buffer and softening cream, with fragrant aloe leaf and peppermint, make the perfect pair.

3. The Sanctuary Reviving Foot Soak, £5.99

With nourishing olive fruit oil, anti-bacterial tea tree and lavender oil, it leaves the skin super soft and refreshed.

 

Skill 4: widen your eyes

 

Kirstin Piggott, Makeup Artist

‘Light-coloured shadows with a little shimmer are my favourite eye-opener. Dark shades can make eyes appear smaller. For a sultry look, a sweep of eyeliner works wonders, but if your eyes are small, rather than lining the entire eye, draw along the outer corner only, extending the line slightly up and beyond the natural corner. This will instantly lift and open them. Finally, to successfully play up your eyes, you need to play down all your other features.'

Kirstin's number one tip: ‘If you fancy trying bolder, brighter shades, a little shimmery highlighting powder applied to the inner corner of the eye, centre of the lid and brow bone is another instant eye-opening trick. To complete the look, curl lashes before applying mascara (it makes a huge difference), then wiggle the mascara wand into the roots before pulling through. If you've a steady hand, try dotting liner between each eyelash - this will help them look even fuller.'

 

Easy as one, two, three

1. Benefit Automatic Eyeliner Pencil, £13

The perfect liner - super-smooth, self-sharpening and a sponge tip for blending.

2. Rimmel London Colour Mousse Eye Shadow, £4.99

Lightweight formula delivers luminous, transferproof colour.

3. No7 Extreme Length Mascara, £11.50

Ideal for getting that falselash effect without the false lashes.

 

Skill 5: have chip-free nails

 

Leighton Denny, Nail Technician

‘Layering the product is vital for giving nails a long-lasting, professional-looking finish. Start with a base coat, then apply two coats of polish at most, leaving two minutes in between to help prevent smudging. Finish with a top coat to give a smooth, shiny finish. Most damage to newly painted nails happens while waiting for them to dry, so be patient.'

Leighton's number one tip: ‘Technique-wise, start by rolling your bottle of polish upside down between your palms to ensure even colour. Next, paint one stripe of polish down the middle of the nail (if you have long nails, re-dip the brush and paint another stripe across the tip.) Dip the brush again and fill in on each side. Protect your colour by investing in some rubber gloves for washing up; slather hands with hand cream before you put them on and the heat from the water will help the product penetrate.'

 

Easy as one, two, three

1. Christian Dior Diorlisse Ridge Filler For Nails, £15

A single stroke fills in ridges and disguises imperfections.

2. Chanel Le Vernis in ‘Trapèze', £16

Low-maintenance, expensive-looking shade that's quietly on trend.

3. Leighton Denny Expert Nails Crystal Finish, £9.79

Dries fast and hard, and gives nails that just-had-a-manicure finish.

 

5 beauty routine tweaks

 

1. Swap to richer skincare in winter rather than piling on twice as much serum or moisturiser.

2. Spray hairpins with hairspray before using them to keep that fiddly up-do in place for longer.

3. Dampen cotton wool before removing eye make-up with it. This way, it won't drag your skin and the product will go much further.

4. Mix your shampoo with a little water first for a more even coverage.

5. Switch from powder to cream blush; your complexion will look naturally flushed and moisture-rich rather than flat and chalky. (Try Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Cream Blush, £22.)

 

---

You might like this ....

 

Classic fashion and beauty - your guide to the year ahead

Hair inspiration from the stars

Diet clever - how to keep the weight off

Subscribe - SAVE over 45%