Makeup Mondays With Mario: Red Carpet Glow

Celebrity makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic is answering your burning beauty questions!!! Every Monday, he will answer a beauty/skin care question as part of a weekly column on Spoiled Pretty, Makeup Mondays with Mario.

Hey Mario!

I think you're so sweet to be giving advice to people! But one thing I have to ask is about the celebrity glow that most celebrities have when they're on the red carpet. I visited a few makeup stores and they all keep telling me to use Sally Hansen's Airbrush Legs. I did, but it was just so messy and it smudged everywhere, especially on my clothes and it made me look more oily rather than giving me a glow. I'm already tanned so I don't need to get something with color/tint in it – what I want is the shine and the glow.

What do actual celebrities use to get that awesome Brazilian glow (face & body)? I really hope you have the answers!

Hope to hear from you soon!

Thanks in advance,
Mona

Hi Mona,

Achieving that red carpet glow that you and so many others love may require some trial and error. Celebrities and their makeup artists use many different products and techniques to get the skin glowing. There is no specific product that we all use. Personally, I tend to mix and blend a few different things together because this allows me to create a custom blend that perfectly fits each individual client.

There are a few things you should always take into consideration before you get your glow on. For example, skin tone - darker or olive tones look great with a golden glow. Pale, lighter skin looks best with a pearl-ish glow. Do you want any coverage with the glow or just some shine? The Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs provides superior coverage and a beautiful, even glow when applied and blended correctly.

Since you're not looking for something with color, you may want to try using a highlighting product in a powder form like Eye M Glam from giella.com, applied with a big brush. This will feel the lightest on your skin and you can easily mix it with your favorite body lotion and apply with your hands.

Also keep in mind that the glow you see on the red carpets is heightened by all of the amazing lighting/cameras, etc. Try having someone photograph you in a similar lighting to the occasion so you can see how the glow looks on you before you go out. I almost always do this because what we see with the naked eye differs from how the camera captures it. You will, most likely, need to add some more glow after looking at the photo or blend some of it out if you went overboard.

Thanks for visiting Makeup Mondays with Mario!

xo,

Mario

Got a question for Mario? Email your makeup and skin care queries to spoiledprettyquestions@gmail.com, and check back next Monday to read Mario's expert advice!

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NARS Illuminators!

Every time I apply foundation or tinted moisturizer, I mix in a little NARS Orgasm Illuminator - without fail. It takes my complexion to a whole nuther level...which is why I am positively giddy that NARS just added three new shades to the Illuminator family.

COPACABANA - Like its namesake Multiple, Copacabana Illuminator will impart a pearlescent sheen and can be applied all over the face, mixed with foundation, and used to highlight the neck, shoulders and décolleté.

SUPER ORGASM – Infused, like the blush, with golden shimmer and a peachy-gold hue that can be applied all over the face, mixed with foundation, and used to highlight the neck, shoulders and décolleté.

LAGUNA - A golden-bronze hue, just as in Laguna Bronzer, that will give a sun-kissed glow and can be applied to the face or mixed with foundation.

This collection of light-reflecting liquids glides on to refresh the skin, enhance the complexion and create a shimmering incandescence. The Illuminators can be used to highlight bare skin or to light up your makeup as it lights the skin from within.  

Key ingredients include:
• Polar Berries, known for their antioxidant properties 
• Bisabolol, known as an anti-inflammatory (obtained from the Chamomile plant)
• Indian Frankincense, known for its soothing and comforting properties
• Vitamin B5 to, known to condition skin 
• Sodium Hyaluronate, known to hydrate skin

The Illuminators are $29 and are available at the new NARS Boutique in NYC, NARS counters and narscosmetics.com.

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Makeup Mondays With Mario: How To Wear MAC Pigments

Celebrity makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic is answering your burning beauty questions!!! Every Monday, he will answer a beauty/skin care question as part of a weekly column on Spoiled Pretty, Makeup Mondays with Mario.

Hi Mario,

First, let me say that I think you are a makeup genius and I am a very big fan of yours. Which is why I am reaching out with this question. My question is about MAC pigments. Have you ever used those? I have a whole bunch, but for the life of me, I can't figure out how to use them. Can they only be used as eye shadows or can they be used elsewhere on the face? And what's the best way to apply them - I have trouble making them stay put. Thanks so much and best of luck to you!

-Keisha


Hi Keisha,

Thank you! I recommend priming the eyelids with either concealer or an eye primer and setting it with loose powder before you apply any pigment or mica. This allows for a more smooth, clean application. The brush that you use should not be too fluffy. Blending brushes will not work when applying pigments. Instead, use a normal eye shadow brush that is more dense like Sigma's eye shading e55 brush. A dense brush is great for building eyeshadow for more intensity and also holds on to the pigment so it goes exactly where you apply it.

Pigments can sometimes be used on the cheeks or as a highlighter and even on the lips. If the color is appropriate, dab some on your lips and rub it in or mix a bit with a gloss. It has great staying power. Shimmery pigments look great when applied with a wet brush. I often wet the brush myself before applying a shimmer pigment because it makes application very clean and I get more intense color. Another tip is to first dip and sweep your brush into the lid of the pigment before you apply it to your face. This coats the bristles in pigment and, again, provides a more clean and precise application.

Thanks for visiting Makeup Mondays with Mario!

xo,
Mario

Got a question for Mario? Email your makeup and skin care queries to spoiledprettyquestions@gmail.com, and check back next Monday to read Mario's expert advice!

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Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Giveaway Winners Revealed!

Congrats to Alcimary123, Barbiedolltori and victoriasecrets11 - winners of Spoiled Pretty's Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Giveaway!

Each winner will receive Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Blush & Highlighter, which features five coordinated waves of luminous color that can be applied as eye shadow, blush or highlighter. Darker shades can be used to contour and accentuate cheeks. Lighter shades can be used for an instant highlighting and brightening effect. Or sweep a brush across all shades for the ultimate blushing glow!

Winners will receive Shimmer Strips Custom Blush & Highlighter in all four shades (Healthy Glow, Natural Glow, Rosy Glow, Sunkissed Glow).

Shimmer Strips Custom Blush & Highlighter is an inexpensive dupe for Bobbi Brown's Shimmer Bricks. For more drugstore alternatives to your favorite department store beauty products, watch my latest TV segment!

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Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Giveaway!!!

Did you happen to catch my latest tv appearance? A few weeks ago, I taped a segment for the Philadelphia NBC affiliate and dished on my favorite drugstore beauty buys. If you haven't seen the segment yet, I highly recommend you check it out because you’re missing out on some super fab product recommendations. For example, if you love Bobbi Brown's Shimmer Bricks but your wallet is saying, "Nuh-uh, honey" – you (and your beauty budget) are in luck.

Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Blush & Highlighter features five coordinated waves of luminous color that can be applied as eye shadow, blush or highlighter. Darker shades can be used to contour and accentuate cheeks. Lighter shades can be used for an instant highlighting and brightening effect. Or sweep a brush across all shades for the ultimate blushing glow!

For the price of one Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick, you can get three Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips. But I’m going to do you one better. This week, three lucky Spoiled Pretty readers will win Shimmer Strips Custom Blush & Highlighter in all four shades (Healthy Glow, Natural Glow, Rosy Glow, Sunkissed Glow). Each prize is worth $48!

Enter to win by leaving a message in the comments section. Make sure to leave your email or another way for me to get in touch, just in case you get lucky.

Contest is open to U.S. residents. The giveaway ends at noon (EST) on Tuesday, June 15, 2010. Good luck!

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Makeup Mondays With Mario: Plump Your Pout

Celebrity makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic is answering your burning beauty questions!!! Every Monday, he will answer a beauty/skin care question as part of a weekly column on Spoiled Pretty, Makeup Mondays with Mario.


Hi Mario,

My lips are on the thin side, and so I was hoping you could share some techniques and products that will make them look fuller.

Thanks!
Joanna

Hi Joanna,

To make your pretty little lips appear more full, start out by lining just above the natural lip line with a lip pencil very close in color to your natural lips. Careful not to overdraw too much, especially on the outer corners as it can look clownish or sad-ish. Follow with lipstick and/or gloss and make sure to fill the lips in completely, going over the lip pencil as well to prevent seeing the matte pencil next to the shine or gloss. In other words, apply the gloss exactly over the pencil, not just within the lip line.

For a really pretty pout, finish the lips by applying a cream or powder highlighter to the cupid's bow and center of the bottom lip. This will attract light and lift those areas a bit. If using a gloss, apply the highlight before the gloss or use a light, shimmery gloss on the center instead.

Thanks for visiting Makeup Mondays With Mario!

xo,
Mario

Got a question for Mario? Email your makeup and skin care queries to spoiledprettyquestions@gmail.com, and check back next Monday to read Mario's expert advice!

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