'Highlight your best features'

FACE UP

Every face in his chair inspires him to do try something different. “There’s no question of monotony at work,” says Sonic Sarwate, global senior artist, MAC Cosmetics. In an interaction with Deccan Herald, the makeup artist touches upon trends and tricks. Excerpts:

Dramatic impact or understated glamour — what’s your style?

Being a makeup artist, I love dramatic impact! But I believe in maximum impact with minimal products. Even when I am creating some very dramatic eye makeup, I like to keep everything else on the face understated.

Something that’s never out of style…

A bright lip colour brings a smile on any face. Red is classic and a must-have in every woman’s makeup wardrobe. Think of Marilyn Monroe; who can resist that luscious red pout and winged eyes!

Makeup trends to watch out...

This is time to bring out your brightest colours. Dig in for those highly pigmented pinks, fuchsias, greens, blues, yellows....there is no limit to colour. Aqua blues are a must-have this season. Wear it in your own style — just a tight line, graphic liner, or full blown blue smokey eyes. Just focus on one element with minimal makeup and dewy skin to make a statement.

Glossy or matte, what’s better?

It’s easy to decide on what to pick if you have the end-result in mind. To make the lips look fuller, go for glossy shades even if they are high maintenance and need touch up more often. But if you like pop or solid colours, which will last for hours without touch up, opt for matte.

Let the eyes do the talking…

Graphic liner, smokey liners or a tight line the eyes. Eye shadows can be used
in single colour or combination of two or more. You can follow your natural eye shape or try to achieve a rounded, cat eye or graphic one. Or you can just play with lashes. Lashes are big this season! Try top and bottom lash to define the eyes — the best accessory for maximum drama
without much makeup.

Shopping for the right cosmetics…
The first thing is to understand who you are and what would you like to portray to the rest of the world. Do some research and have some reference pictures of the makeup you like. Also, know your skin type and skin concerns to find the best match for you. Always take expert help at the store and try the makeup on your face before the actual purchase.

Is the Indian man ready for makeup?

Absolutely! They may be a little shy because of lack of knowledge but they definitely want to be groomed and look good. I see male models and actors wearing makeup every day. In fact, a lot of regular male customers come to buy makeup in our stores everyday.

Tips for the bride and groom...

Do some research on the makeup artist you are hiring. Be it simple or dramatic, whatever your style, use makeup to complement your look or outfit and not match it to the T.

Magic fixes for the problem areas...

Always highlight your best features and underplay the ones which you are not so fond of. Corrective make up can be used to change the appearance of features to some extent. Using the right concealer or colour corrector or both, depending on the intensity of discolouration, is crucial.

Mostly a coral or orange corrector can  work wonders on extremely dark circles. Contouring helps to make the face look more chiseled. Use two shades darker colour of foundation or contouring colour under the chin or jawline to make it look slimmer. To make the lips look fuller, use light to medium shades and avoid deep, dark shades.