Make up artist to the stars, Karen Malcolm-Pye shares her secrets.
Do you have a brown lipstick circa 1990 lurking in your make up drawer? I’m guilty! With so much on our radar, keeping abreast of the latest make up trends is often relegated to the back burner. When I was on the Marilyn Denis Show, I was lucky enough to run into Karen Malcolm-Pye. Karen’s a big deal makeup artist and has worked with loads of top celebrities. Because she’s based in Calgary, I thought it’d be fun to do an intervention I mean interview, to find out how I can up my game. More importantly, I wanted to know if I was making any critical make up mistakes. (In short: YES!)
Karen regularly shares her secrets on The Marilyn Denis Show
Mistake #1: Heavy make up
You don’t want your make up to look too obvious. Says Karen, “I’m just waiting for heavy make up millennial trend to die.” It’s not just millennials, though. Gen X and Boomer women can also be a tad heavy handed in this department. Less is more as we age. Plus, it’s easier to intensify when you need to, rather than pull it back. Check your jawline for foundation lines, and try to curb heavy lower lash eyeliner.
Mistake #2: Not wearing sunscreen
It’s not sexy, but sunscreen has to be part of your make up routine. It just does. Karen recommends checking out the brands Revoderm and Cyborderm – both are zinc based. She’s also a big fan of make up that has zinc in it such as Jane Iredale. (I use Jane’s foundation and love it.)
Mistake #3: Confusing sparkle with illumination
To be clear, Karen thinks illumination and glow is fine for all ages. It’s anything sparkly or shimmery on eyes and skin you’ll want to stay away from. “Light reflective products are good and facial illuminators are fantastic if you’re going for a natural healthy glow. There’s so many of these products on the market now you can choose between sticks, powders and lotions,” she says. Her faves that hit several different price points: Smash Box and Becca. Both are known for their skin brightening and texture products.
Mistake #4: Being a sucker for a certain eye shadow or liner colour
People use eyeliner and shadow for different reasons, but If you want to bring out your eye colour, some colours do that more than others. The trick is in finding the shade that’s just right for you. For example, pretty much any eye colour can pull off purple, but the skill lies in finding the right tone for your skin and eye colour.
When it comes to eye make up, it isn’t even colour that dates you as much as how you’re applying it. (Notice how there’s not much heavy eyeliner on bottom lashes anymore?) Karen recommends taking a few pictures from magazines into a make up counter and showing them what you like. From there, you can learn how to modify your approach (if needed) and get tips on how best to apply the product to get that look.
Mistake #5: Over plucking your brows
Have you over-plucked your brows? Kids, the fuller eyebrow movement is here. Yes, it’s a trend, but eyebrow trends last for years – almost an entire decade. Fuller brows frame your face and draw attention to your eyes in a way eyeliner and eye shadow can’t. According to Karen, we can’t go wrong with adding a bit more. She does caution the trend could swing back in a few years, so just keep abreast of it.
Mistake #6: Believing celebrities are all natural
I was dying to know if celebrities truly are just like us. Were they totally average sans make up, genetically blessed or filled with plastic? Karen reminded me there’s no way a woman in her mid-40s can have no wrinkles or that same fullness in their face they had in their 20s. “Everybody in that world is doing something. It could be as simple as regular facials, or it could be “work,” she says.
Mistake #7: Not taking care of your skin
Your make up is only as good as the skin you put it on. Good skin and looking gorgeous comes down to lifestyle. Make sure you’ve got a good skin care regime with products that are hydrating. Yes, genetics plays a huge role, but so does product – like sunscreen! Check out this post on skincare secrets from a beauty insider.
You can book in with Karen for a one on one consultation
Want Karen to make you over?
In addition to doing make up for TV and celebrities, Karen puts her skills to use at photo shoots, commercials, weddings and even offers personal make up lessons. Her lessons are very specific to each individual. She won’t do group lessons because she tailors them completely to the person. In a two hour session, she’ll go through your make up bag, make recommendations, do your make up and teach you how to do it yourself.
Thanks Karen for answering all my annoying questions Be sure to check out her site: www.karenmalcolm.ca
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