I’m a Celebrity Makeup Artist, Here’s How I Get My Clients Photoready Every Time!
Michael Brown is known as the go-to guy for beauty with a career spanning 24 years.
He has worked as an educator for multiple brands, collaborated for content for even more and now has many media roles, like his regular appearances on Today Extra at Channel 9.
His artistry skills have drawn in the likes of Gisele Bundchen, Miranda Kerr, Delta Goodrem, Sonia Kruger and Jesinta Franklin to name a few. You can follow Michael at @mbrown_beauty
When you’ve been in the makeup game for 24 years, you’d hope I’d know a thing or two about artistry, but more importantly, long lasting makeup!
My days consist of photoshoots, red carpets, TV shows and general ‘event’ style makeup application and the number one question I get asked is, “But will it last?”
I get it, it’s a big factor for all of us, not just celebrities!
Longevity and how makeup will read on camera is what I do best, so let me share my best tips and some of my top non-negotiable products to nail the shot every time.
Skin Prep.
Now this section can be hard to generalise because of so many personal factors like skin type and concerns, let alone the environment you may be in when wearing makeup…
My best advice? Don’t over complicate pre-makeup skin prep!
Keep it simple and think FRESH with GLOW.
There are so many amazing skin products out there, but in my work, I keep rich textured creams and heavily active ingredient skincare more for night use, or for non-makeup days.
I find heavy moisturiser creates a barrier, therefore has less bond between skin and makeup and then certain actives can over stimulate skin which can affect how makeup will last throughout the day.
My best tip for skin prep:
Think lightweight, water-based or gel-cream textures that give instant plump and glow, feel fresh and cool the skin – This creates the perfect and very important bond between skin and foundation.
This a new fave of mine for pre-makeup: Laneige Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Gel Moisturiser 50ml
Complexion.
This is such a big and crucial section to makeup artistry, with so many elements to makeup application, so ill break it down for you into my most important sections.
As the saying goes, complexion perfection! It really is the key to a great overall makeup look with skin type and the weather you are in playing a big factor to choices made.
- Primer
I really struggle to not use a primer on any makeup I do, mainly because my clients are usually wearing makeup for long periods and it could be a red carpet or TV appearance where lighting is strong and temperatures can be high.
Great skin prep is to hydrate, freshen and plump the skin, but for me, primer is to smooth. I look for key words like 'pore refining' or 'blurring' and only use in the central most parts of the face. My go-to is: MAKE UP FOR EVER Step 1 Pore Minimizer Primer 30ml
- Foundation
A big trend right now is soft matte foundations and I’m here for it!
The hype of glowy and dewy is great, we love glow, who doesn’t!
Problem is, the more lightweight, dewy or glowy the foundation is, it generally means it won’t last the distance. A soft matte foundation typically gives a velvety finish, smoothing the skin in a blurring manner – Like the Instagram Paris filter for the face, we are all guilty of loving that one!
If your foundation isn’t lasting or looking like a greaseball by the end of the day, definitely try the new-age soft matte foundations.
My top pick right now is Yves Saint Laurent All Hours Liquid Foundation
Eyes.
While eyes are probably the most asked about in terms of application techniques with tutorials, I still think nailing your complexion makes the rest of the makeup products used in a look fall into place more seamlessly.
There are so many elements to eye makeup, but here are my top 3 pointers for photoready perfection.
- Eye Definition
I can’t stress enough that just wearing eyeliner alone, or wearing a skin-like tone of shadow only won’t do much to your eye shape;
Eyeliner alone just defines the eye shape you already have…
Skin-like toned shadow worn alone has no depth to contour or sculpt your eye shape in any way.
I love using a cream shadow, either a bronzer style product or a cream shadow stick to create depth on the eyelid, working into the eye socket to sculpt, open and lift the eyes.
This must be matte to get the best effect. Wear alone, or add your other fun eye shadows over the top – Works so well for instant eye definition and lift.
Try these in the matte shades:MCoBeauty Eyeshadow Stick
- Brows
We all know by now how big the brow category has grown in makeup and it can be a little confusing.
Yes, I love a little hair-like-stroke brow pencil to fill in any gaps in a brow, but if I had to do one thing to the brows, it would be to apply a light wax to brush the brows upwards for immediate lift – it really does make a difference and give that finishing touch to your eye makeup.
My absolute go-to brow wax is: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Freeze
Lips.
Lip makeup is one of the most personal, even more than foundation, in my opinion.
Not only how each person sees their own lip shape, or should I say, how they want them to look, but choosing a lip colour can be very personal and not as easy to change.
Having worked with literally hundreds of women over the years, when it comes to lips, they often do their own or have their own they want me to use, and that’s totally ok!
The best thing for me to do in this category is to go through top trends with lips right now to take on board for a photoready moment.
- Lipliner
Lining lips into shape is once again very personal, but I am loving using a deeper tone first around the lip edge, then a lighter tone just within that line and buff into lip for a 2 tone pout effect.
Try these lip liners: MAKE UP FOR EVER Artist Color Pencil Extreme
- Lip Glow
When taking on my double liner tip above, you get outer lip definition with slight colour inside the lip giving great fullness.
*Note - If you try to leave the most central part of the lip free of any liner, you then have a contoured lip for even extra pout.
In the area left vacant of colour, this is where I apply (and only that area) a sheer shine lipstick or gloss. If you apply shine or gloss to the whole lip, the gloss takes over and you lose the contoured pout effect.
This is a major lip technique for that photoready lip every time and my fave lip shine right now is the Yves Saint Laurent Loveshine Lipstick 3.2g
Set.
The last part of a makeup is the final set, and these days with powders becoming so fine and with skin-smoothing properties, then there’s the addition of so many setting sprays to choose from; it’s become even easier.
The ‘Set’ is really so important for longevity of your makeup, especially in warmer weather and when going from day to night – Here are a few of my top tips to set and forget!
- Powder
Don’t over-powder! This usually happens by using too big of a brush and not concentrating on high shine areas. Middle of the forehead, nose, frontal cheek bones and chin are ‘hot spots’ for shine, especially in harsh lighting.
Use a small tool to lightly dab these areas and then an even smaller tool for under the lower lash line so any eye makeup does not move or smudge.
I love a setting powder that blurs the skin like the M.A.C Cosmetics Studio Fix Pro Set + Blur Weightless Loose Powder
- Setting Spray
Just like in my foundation section, where I mention we all love glow, but sometimes glow doesn’t look the same hours later and turns into shine, this is the same mentality I have for setting sprays, especially to look photoready.
Rather than choosing a glow-giving setting spray, I always opt for a matte variant for even extra-long-lasting effect, this keeps skin exactly how I want it for hours longer.
My go-to is MAKE UP FOR EVER Mist & Fix Matte 100ml Spray
So whether you apply 1, 2 or 5 of these product recommendations and tips to your makeup routine to get you more photoready, you’ll have that touch of artistry magic that really does make your makeup pop, but also last all wear –gotta love that!
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