Category: Makeup Tips

Here’s What Lion King’s Makeup Collection Looks Like On Different People

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Makeup artist extraordinaire Sir John teamed up with Disney and Luminess to create the limited edition Lion King makeup collection, and we got to try it out before it launches on June 15!

If you’re a makeup enthusiast then you know Sir John glams the faces for the likes of Celine Dion, Khloe Kardashian and Beyoncé. Now, he’s teamed up with cosmetics company Luminess to create Disney’s official, limited edition Lion King makeup collection to celebrate the live-action remake, in which Beyoncé is the voice of Nala btw. *Feel free to fan out right now!*

The eight piece-collection includes the Kingdom Sculpting Palette, Can’t Wait to be Queen Eyeshadow Palette, Be Brave Matte Lipstick in two shades, Be Prepared Liquid Lipstick in two shades, Legacy Tinted Lip Balm and Circle of Life Highlighter. The products will be available on Luminess on June 15 and makeup retailers on June 16, ranging from $24 to $42.

He actually came by our office to show us the collection and we got to try it out first hand. We were immediately blown away by how elevated the packaging was, and by the finished looks.

Taylor Miller / BuzzFeed

The makeup artist extraordinaire told BuzzFeed that this collection was an elevated take for all the millennials who grew up on the original film. We’re all grown up now and this collection is the perfect mix of childhood nostalgia and adult presentation. Everything from the sleek, metallic packaging to the super-rich and intense pigment proves that this is not a drill, people. THIS IS THE REAL DEAL!

Sir John gave Sabrina a shimmering monochromatic look, perfect for a fancy affair. If lions had weddings, Nala would’ve totally rocked this beat!

He enhanced Sabrina’s bone structure with shades Dusk and Cub from the Kingdom Sculpting Palette. For the lips and blush, he actually used the Be Brave Matte Lipstick in Pounce, which he calls a “convertible piece” because you can use it more than one way!

Can we have a moment of silence out of respect for this speck of gold in her tear ducts?! It’s all in the details, dahlings.

From the Can’t Wait To Be King Eyeshadow Palette, Sir John applied Pride Rock to her inner and outer corners, and Nala on the ball of her eye for a matte-shimmer-matte pattern. This is an easy way to create dimension to the lids. To really open and brighten the eyes he applied Simba to the tear ducts, and brought everything together by blending African Clay in the creases. He finished the look with Circle of Life Highlighter to the cheekbones, and topped off the lips with Legacy Tinted Lip Balm.
 

Here’s a cheat sheet of everything you’ll need to recreate this moment.

Sabrina’s Final Thoughts: “In all seriousness, Sir John made me feel like a Disney princess after I saw my finished look! If you’re anything like me, navigating how to properly apply makeup is nothing short of intimidating, especially when trying a new color that’s out of your comfort zone. I was pleasantly surprised at how bold, yet natural the shimmery golds were against my skin tone.

I absolutely love how Sir John balanced the use of warm colors on my face overall and especially appreciated how the combination of his technique and the collection made my eyes pop. The beautiful thing about Luminess and Sir John’s Lion King collection is that there is an array of colors perfect for every person, no matter what their skin tone is. I have never felt more confident wearing makeup than when Sir John applied this collection to my face!”

For Sarah, Sir John proved that you can bring the drama without doing the most. Her blue-red lip and soft, subtle eye make for a stunning juxtaposition.

To sculpt, he applied Cub and Marula, and finished off with the Circle of Life Highlighter. Who knew looking so good could be so easy and so quick?! Sir John knew, that’s who!

Nala would DEF rock this look for girls’ night out in the jungle. So sexy, so chic, so editorial!

He kept the focus on her lips with Be Prepared Liquid Lipstick in Romantic Atmosphere. Sir John left the eyes more neutral, applying Safari Khaki to her entire lid and punching up the ball just a tad with the shade Landscape.

Here’s everything you need for this quick and easy slay.

Sarah’s Final Thoughts: “I’m obsessed with the golden eye look Sir John created for me — it reminds of the beautiful sunset scene in Lion King where Mufasa famously says, ‘Look, Simba. Everything the light touches is our kingdom.’ And not only that, but I feel like it’s a look I could actually recreate myself pretty quickly (knock on wood!), yet the finished result looks so elegant and ~radiant~.

I’m obsessed with my blue-based reds and Romantic Atmosphere did NOT disappoint, and I think Sir John’s slight overlining of the lips really made the red pop, balanced the bold brows, and centered the whole look. Sir John and Luminess nailed it, and I can’t wait to redo this look and play with all of the other gorgeous eyeshadow shades! 😍”

And for Essence, Sir John showed us a much brighter look, punctuating the eyes and muting out the rest of her face. We can see Nala slaying this fun, care-free look at the Pride Rock Music Festival!

(Hey! I’m Essence, Essence is me. Writing about myself in third person is weird.)

He contoured with Pumbaa, applying it to the jawline, forehead and cheekbones. On the lips he applied the Be Prepared Liquid Lipstick in Trouble, and dabbed a little to her cheeks as well.

We have five words: Your favorite peacock could NEVER!

Now the eyes were the focal point so he really packed on the pigment and played with some of the more vibrant shades from the Can’t Wait To Be King Eyeshadow Palette. The shade Meadows sweeps the entire lid and the shade Zazu sits in the tear duct. He applied Pride Rock and African Clay to the crease and Wisdom to the brow bone to blend out the look.

Wanna get the look?! Here are the deets.

Essence’s Final Thoughts: “So this collection is sooooo incredibly special. I immediately fell in love with the packaging. It has this metallic thing going on that changes in the light when you hold it at certain angles, and then to follow that up with such a great product that actually performs was just amazing! The makeup itself is just as elevated as the packaging.

Now as for my look, not to sound full of myself or anything but I look GOOOOOOOD! This pigment is without any primer or enhancement in photo editing. What you see is literally what it looked like in real life. The colors work well together and I like it because even though the makeup is elevated, it’s not hard or intimidating to use. Sir John just keeps on leveling up and this collection is brilliant. It made me that much more excited for the movie!”

Disney’s The Lion King Limited Edition Collection by Sir John x Luminess will be available here on June 15th, and Ulta.com and Disney.com on June 16th. The collection will also be available at select Ulta stores on July 1st!

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A Little Lip Service

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From matte and glossy to hydrating and plump, there are a wide variety of smooch-worthy choices.

Credit Tony Cenicola/The New York Times

A coat or two of lipstick can go a long way in perfecting a wedding-day look.

“Lipsticks are a small, portable piece of beautification that brightens your face instantly,” said Todd Harris, a makeup artist based in New York, adding that new technologies and components “are making the lipstick market huge right now.”

There are a wide variety of choices available, from matte and glossy to hydrating and plumping. Here are some new releases and reliable standbys to consider for your big day — or for every day.

From left: Givenchy Encre Interdite 24 Hour Lip Stain in No. 2 Arty Pink; Maybelline New York Color SuperStay 24 Super Impact in Infinite Petal; and Luminess Cosmetics Forever Reign Lip Stain in Rustic.

Credit Tony Cenicola/The New York Times

“Stains gives you the confidence and reassurance that what is on your lips is not disappearing or bleeding — it’s one less thing you have to think,” said Mr. Harris, the New York makeup artist. “When smudge-proof products first came out,” he said, “they were highly alcohol based and drying. That’s changed with advancements, new emollients and innovative hydrating formulas.”

These 2.0 products include Luminess Cosmetics’ water-resistant Forever Reign Lip Stain, $24. It applies as a liquid and sets as a velvety finish that lasts for 24 hours. Maybelline New York Color SuperStay 24 Super Impact, $10.49, contains microflex technology, which keeps the color inked on.

Givenchy Encre Interdite 24 Hour Lip Stain, $33, is also a waterproof liquid lip ink that dries in seconds while setting. As an added bonus, black rose extract and antioxidant polyphenols help protect lips against aging.

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13 Long-Wear Lipsticks for Valentine’s Day That Won’t Budge, No Matter What Your Plans Are

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If there’s any day of the year that might pose a threat against long-wear lipsticks, it’s Cupid’s big day. Finding effective long-wear lipsticks for Valentine’s Day, especially ones that will withstand aggressive smooches from whomever or whatever you may be spending the day with, can be tough, and poor research can result in a very messy make-out session.

Lucky for you (and your boo), I’ve rounded up a list of 13 lipsticks that will not budge, no matter what you get into on Valentine’s Day.

LUMINESS FOREVER REIGN LIP STAIN

Give your lips a pop of color with this long-lasting lip stain that’s water-resistant for up to 18 hours. The mineral-based formula feels silky smooth on the lips and won’t slide off after a kiss.

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Beyonce’s Makeup Artist Teaches How to Contour with Luminess

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Watch Beyoncé’s Makeup Artist Sir John Teach Us the Real Way to Contour

There are “makeovers” and then there are “slayovers”… and that’s exactly what our very own Gwen Flamberg got when she joined makeup artist Sir John on a trip to Luminess Cosmetics’ Houston offices.

You see, Sir John isn’t just any makeup pro; he’s the man behind the brushes that paint Beyoncé and he and Gwen (along with a few other lucky beauty editors) flew down to Texas on a private jet the day after the Formation singer’s second Coachella performance. What did they do to pass the time? Makeup at 48,000 feet, of course!

Sir John is known for his “teflon” technique, which keeps a look fresh for hours on end (he even joined Us on our podcast Get Tressed with Us to explain, in detail, how he got Beyoncé’s glow to last through dancing in the desert heat — hint: it involves layering) and his killer contouring skills.

After Gwen explained that she was completely intimidated by contouring and hated the extreme looks she’d seen in youtube tutorials, the makeup pro (who also counts Priyanka Chopra, Serena Williams and Mary J. Blige as clients, NBD) explained that the key to “contouring for real life” is to “simply sculpt” the face with color by softly stroking matte bronzer or a powder foundation a shade darker than your skin tone. Also, he recommended an overall neutral makeup palette with accent shades of terracotta to make the sculpting look super authentic.

After perfecting foundation, Sir John used the Luminess taupe brow pencil to maximize Gwen’s arches, concentrating strokes at the highest points. Next up, eyes: Shades from the Nude Eye Shadow Palette were used to create definition. Sir John relied on the burgundy and rose shades, then dusted a bit of beige in the inner corners. He stroked the red shade in Luminess’ cool Tarot Series Strength Eye Shadow Palette in the center. Coco Eye Liner was smudged along lashlines and two coats of mascara finished the look.

The final touch? A rosy nude liquid lipcolor was slicked on to the pout (Gwen is still obsessed with Luminess’ Forever Reign Lip Stain in Tame.) Lesson learned: stick with a universally flattering pumped-up neutral palette and use a light hand and you’ll look uber-polished every time. Blending well with brushes (especially those that had last touched Beyoncé’s face) doesn’t hurt either!

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Luminess and Sir John Give a Group of Editors a Fun Makeover, 45,000 feet in the Air

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Sir John and Luminess team up to give a select number of editors an in-flight makeover session, flying through 3 cities in less than 24 hours. Sir John shares his best makeup tips and favorite Luminess products

 

This Is What It’s Like Getting Your Makeup Done by Sir John on a Private Jet

I never truly knew what a pinch-me moment felt like until I found myself 45,000 feet up in the air on a private jet (one of the world’s fastest—nbd) getting my makeup done by Sir John, a celebrity makeup artist whose star-studded roster of clients includes Queen Bey herself. (In fact, only 24 hours earlier, Sir John had been backstage with Beyoncé at Coachella, using the very same brushes that were about to touch my face. Casual.)

 

Thanks to Luminess Cosmetics, a lucky group of editors and I received the ultimate in-flight beauty experience, jet-setting through three cities in less than 24 hours. I’d imagine this is how Beyoncé feels all the time, and who wouldn’t want to live like her for a day? I’m still replaying the moment in my head when Sir John created the most gorgeous, warm, bronze-y makeup look on me in under 10 minutes. Staying calm throughout the experience took some extra effort, as you can probably imagine.

 

I did my best to soak it all in and really enjoy the experience, but I did manage to jot down a few insider tricks to share. Ahead, see Sir John’s best makeup tips for those of us who don’t have all day to spend on their makeup but still want to look good on the fly. (I mean, wasting a bunch of time on your makeup can really get in the way of living your best life, no?)

 

Tip #1: Keep Things Simple

 

“It’s similar to the idea of doing your makeup between 125th and 59th streets on the express in New York,” says Sir John. “If you have a quick seven minutes, you can give yourself a cool face. The way you can do it is by not using a lot of products. So for you, we rehashed the monochromatic trend.”

 

Tip #2: Let One Product Do Most of the Work

 

It was hard for me to believe that Sir John used a single lipstick liquid to create my entire makeup look. “For your complexion, I wanted to go with something really warm, amber, and bronze-y,” he told me. “I wanted something that would naturally look like your complexion. If you take a liquid matte lip color, you can use that same color on the cheeks, eyes, and lips. With a liquid matte texture, you can use it on your lips, and you don’t necessarily need lip liner. You can also turn it into a cream blush on your cheeks. Do this by using your ring finger—it’s the weakest finger and uses the least amount of product while blending really well.”

 

The final step? “Last but not least, I took this fluffy eye shadow brush, the #217 blending brush from MAC, and put a little bit on the back on my hand,” Sir John explained. “Starting at the lash line, we swiped that all over the lid and a tiny bit underneath the lash lines as well. Then I used the brush to blend. These liquid matte lipsticks are really gorgeous as eye shadows. They stay all day and are great as a base for underneath shadow if you decide to do that. They’re going to anchor to your complexion but not dry out on your eyelids.”

 

Tip #3: Transform Your Look With Statement Lipstick

 

“If you’re coming from work and you’re on your way out, the quickest way to make a really nice statement is with a lip,” says Sir John. “Since everything about your makeup was corresponding and so simple and subtle already, I like how we turned the look upside down with an inky violet-blue.

 

“It had a beautiful, creamy satin finish,” Sir John says. “Since this color is so in the middle of being a creamy satin, you can change the texture from matte to gloss too.”

 

Tip #4: Use a Beautyblender to Apply Your Foundation

 

“I like to apply foundation with a wet Beautyblender,” says Sir John. “It’s quick, and you don’t have to blend as much. Just be sure keep it in a clean container when you’re on the move.”

 

Tip #5: Cigarette Rolling Papers Make Great Blotting Films

 

Sir John’s secret? “I like to use cigarette rolling papers as blotting films for the nose, eyes, and forehead if it gets too oily.”

 

Tip #6: Bring the Heat Around Your Eyes

 

“I’m a big fan of bringing heat around the eyes,” Sir John told me. “This might sound crazy, but red eye shadows are really popular right now around the eyes. No matter what complexion or eye color you are, it works. Try wearing Currant lip liner as eyeliner and smudging that around the eyes, and then wearing the same thing on the lip. Old-school makeup artists will say this is going to make someone look sick or like they’re tired, but we’re in a different day makeup-wise. Stick to waterproof formulas and deep, Merlot, and wine-colored shades. It looks very alluring and hot on everyone. It’s super-modern makeup for summer nights.”

 

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How to Find the Best Foundation for Your Skin

Lauren C Brown

Believe it or not, there is a perfect foundation match for every skin type. Whether your skin is oily or dry, splotchy or acne-prone, there is a Luminess Air Airbrush Foundation specifically for your needs. Our airbrush foundations come in four finishes: Mystic, Silk, Ultra and Matte. Each foundation is optimized for a specific coverage and skin type, so you never end up with a foundation that doesn’t work for your skin.

Mystic

This exclusive, concealer-, corrector-, primer- and foundation-in-one provides maximum coverage with the translucent look of natural skin. With just a few drops, Mystic easily conceals hard-to-cover areas including redness, scars, birthmarks, tattoos, vitiligo, blemishes, rosacea, discolorations, hyperpigmentation and dark undereye circles, rendering them stealthily, gloriously undetectable.

For those with acne-prone or problem skin, Mystic is infused with neem extract for its anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties. Antioxidant compounds soothe inflammation and help defend your skin against age-promoting free radicals.

Silk

Luminess Air’s Silk Airbrush Foundation is a sheer coverage, ultra-lightweight foundation that delivers an outrageously rich, smooth and silky finish that gives the look of healthy, moisturized skin.  This luxurious, all-in-one airbrush foundation was developed for the woman who wants sheer to medium coverage with a smooth and silky finish. With just a few drops, Silk blurs imperfections including large pores, fine lines and wrinkles, redness, scars, birthmarks, blemishes, rosacea, discolorations and dark undereye circles.

Silk is universally flattering for all skin types and provides exceptionally soft and silky coverage in a range of skin-matching shades.

Ultra

Luminess Air’s Ultra Airbrush Foundation is a sheer coverage, weightless demi-matte foundation that delivers a gorgeous, lit-from-within look that’s the perfect balance between luminous and velvety.

This airbrush foundation was developed for the woman with combination skin who wants sheer to full coverage with a balanced, natural finish. Ultra is best for combination skin and provides exceptionally balanced, natural coverage in a range of skin-matching shades.

Matte

Luminess Air’s Matte Airbrush Foundation is a shine-free, weightless foundation that delivers soft, even coverage with a freshly powdered velvety-matte finish.

Matte Airbrush Foundation was developed for the woman who wants medium-to-full coverage with a shine-free velvety finish. Matte is best for oily to combination skin types and provides exceptionally powder smooth coverage in a range of skin-matching shades.

Check out this video for even more help choosing the best airbrush foundation for your skin.

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Airbrush Foundation is Perfect for Girls’ Night Out

Lauren C Brown 1 Comment

Girls’ Night Out — or GNO as some call it — is a tradition unlike any other. It’s a chance to get together with your gal pals and forget about — or maybe obsess over — work and all those boy problems that are keeping you up at night.

It’s a chance to laugh, flaunt a new outfit, try out a new local restaurant or bar and of course – perfect your airbrush makeup look at home and make all your friends jealous.

And because using a Luminess Legend Airbrush System at home is so quick and easy, you can invite your girlfriends over to get ready together and make it part of the fun.

With the starter kit, you’ll be able to color match for each and every skin tone of each of your friends and you’ll all have flawless-looking skin in no time – so no need to fight over a filter later when taking pictures. You won’t need it!

Choose the airbrush foundation that’s perfect for you and in just a matter of minutes — before you’ve even finished that first glass of pinot — you’ll have radiant and perfect-looking skin, ready to lead your girl’s night all the way. And the best part is that airbrush foundation is long-lasting and will likely outlast you and your girls throughout the night, since it lasts up to 18 hours!

The full coverage of airbrush foundation is lightweight and won’t look caked on and heavy like traditional makeups. So instead of going back and forth to the bathroom to touch up your makeup every fifteen minutes, you’ll have more time to chit chat about your ongoing drama or bust a move on the dance floor – which we believe is what girl’s night is all about!

Everyone does GNO a little different – what’s your favorite thing to do with your girlfriends?

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The Busy Woman’s Beauty Hack

Lauren C Brown

Getting ready in the morning can be a bit of a production.

You have to squeeze in your workout, showering, waking up your children, making breakfast, waking up your children again because they fell back asleep, getting them ready for school/daycare/camp, getting you ready for work, all in the span of a couple of hours. No modern woman has time for a lengthy makeup routine.

The one secret weapon that savvy, busy women have in their makeup arsenal is mystic.

No, really. Mystic.

Mystic is the newest foundation from Luminess, and combines four makeup steps into one simple product. With the foundation, concealer, corrector and primer in one, you can achieve a complexion-perfecting finish with opaque coverage that looks and feels as natural as a second skin.

The problem with most full-coverage foundations is that they cake, clump and feel like a clay mask. With Mystic, Luminess Air has conquered the cover-up dilemma by providing long-lasting, exceptional coverage in an ultra-lightweight formula.

This premium, all-in-one airbrush foundation was developed for the woman who wants complete coverage with the look of natural bare skin. With just a few drops, Mystic easily conceals hard-to-cover concerns including redness, scars, birthmarks, tattoos, vitiligo, blemishes, rosacea, discolorations and dark under-eye circles.

Delivered through a light, airbrush mist, Mystic provides a dewy, luminous finish that evens and enhances while still allowing your skin to breathe. With just one light layer, wrinkles instantly soften and visible imperfections disappear, leaving you with perfectly smooth, glowing skin.

Mineral-based and hypoallergenic, Mystic’s gentle formula is light enough for everyday use and opaque enough to blur any imperfection. Available in a range of skin-matching shades, Mystic is transfer and smudge-resistant for a flawless bare skin look that lasts all day.

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