Sir John is Beyoncé’s make-up artist, 20 years ago he was working on MAC’s beauty counter in SoHo, New Year; little did he know he was soon to be the make-up artist for one of the world’s most loved female celebrity. When he was working backstage at Milan Fashion week he was introduced to Beyoncé by Charlotte Tilbury and this is how it all started. Skip to 2019 and he is now Beyoncé’s go-to make-up artist, he has a television show and travels the world.
He has shared his 7 tips to get a flawless base. Here they are:
Get your skincare right!
Sir John recommends investing in a good moisturiser as hydration is key. He likes to apply foundation to wet skin as it clings to the skin in a natural/organic way. By the term ‘wet’ he means apply your moisturiser but make sure to apply your foundation straight after before it dries.This will give your skin more coverage and less ‘fake’. Your skin will look as natural as it can with foundation this way and will make your base flawless.
Good lighting is key!
Natural lighting is the way to go, bad lighting will make you not see what you are doing to your base clearly therefore, you will end up missing a patch or applying way too much foundation. Sit yourself were the natural light is and do your makeup.
You can never have to much foundation…
It is always better to have at least two different foundations as your skin changes throughout the seasons. In summer your skin will get darker and in winter it will get lighter so you should have a lighter and darker foundation to suit both. Even if you have a lot of shade darker foundations you can use it to contour or bronze your face. This concept is the same for concealer. With concealer it is also good to have two formulas one for spots/pimples and one of brightening and illuminating.
Full coverage is not always the way
Sometimes a bit of dark circles or the natural colour of your eyelids is good, it allows the skin to look more natural and not plastic or like a mask. Sir John says your skin does not have to be lacquered from your forehead to chin and it is good to see freckles/natural skin.
Loose powder
If you want long lasting make-up use powder (loose powder), Sir John recommends to buff loose powder into the T-zone. He did this to Beyoncé before a performance and she wiped her face many times but the make-up stayed glued to her face. To apply the powder with a fluffy brush and he uses a fluffy brush for other products as it creates a flawless base. One tip he has is to never apply pressed powder on the eyes because it is heavy and dry which will age you.
Blend your concealer with a fluffy brush
Sir John recommends to dot your concealer under your eyes and by your nostrils where you get broken capillaries. Now buff away with a fluffy eyeshadow brush to create a smoothly blended look. Do not hold the brush near the tip as this will be too heavy and tug at the skin. On the other hand, just use your ring finger and it will be less harsh and pick up less product.
Add some glow…
Highlighter can add hydrated and healthy glow back into the skin, applying it to the high points of your face will capture the light and make your skin look flawless and healthy. Sir John likes to use a creamy and luminous highlight which contains no glitter or particles. Using a highlighter which chunks and bits of glitter in will make the highlighter look more fake and not as natural. If you have a cream highlighter simply apply with your finger using tapping motions.
There are the seven tips to follow if you want a flawless base like Beyoncé.
