Holiday Glamour by Ephraim Hunte

Pretty and practical are my buzz words for this holiday season. The intent is not meant to be overly extravagant, but by adding a little decorative flamboyance to your face and body, you will be ready for an unforgettable night out on the town. The season calls for festive elegance, so, bolder and more colourful hues on eyes and lips will enhance the spicy skin tones and exotic beauty of the Caribbean woman. Your makeup for this special look will require a few new trade secrets for eyes, lips and cheeks and a bonus tip from hairstylist Joey Smith will be thrown in to add the finishing touch to your holiday glamour.  

Sultry Eyes
For the holiday’s look, dark eyes will definitely play up the season’s sophistication and you can learn to skilfully apply your favourite blue or green eyeshadows on your eyelids to complement your one-of–a-kind designer’s frock.

Get the look:

• There is one highly guarded secret among makeup gurus when using colours like green and blue in your eye makeup application (without looking like you just landed from Mars or Venus). The trick is in mixing the cool hues with warm, neutral tones (e-mail for more info). Finish off the eyes with a black, navy, or forest green eye liner and three to four coats of mascara. 

Flushed cheeks
Your cheek colour is the fulcrum that balances your eye and lip colour. Select your blush colour to balance the colour of your lips and eyes while enhancing your cheeks.

Get the look:

• To prevent overly done cheeks that can ruin the balance in your makeup, first dip your blush brush in your powdered blush and then in loose translucent powder. Apply on your cheeks (starting from your cheek bone area close to your ear) for a subtle effect. Repeat, if you need a little more colour.

Vivid lips
Outlined lips can be generously painted in your favourite red, cranberry or burgundy lip colour, but in creamy to matte formulas for a rich lustrous texture.

Get the look:

• Line your lips with a lip liner close to your lipstick colour, smudging the liner to prevent a hard edge. To prolong the lasting effect of your lip colour, dab on some “light” or ‘no-colour’ translucent powder on your lips after your first coat of lipstick. Press lips together and re-apply a second coat of lipstick. This layering technique will ensure a longer lasting wear. 

Sculpted coiffeur
Hairstylist Joey Smith dares anyone to not wear an up-do for their holiday extravaganza. “Think about glamour, sophistication and elegance and enter the arena of the celebrity woman,” is Joey’s advice for the holiday’s look.

Get the look:

• Joey first blow-dried our model’s shoulder length hair. He sectioned the hair and used a bumper iron to curl the ends. Her hair was then wrapped to create a smooth front, gathering the sections at the back and twisting and pinning the sections to create an exotic, classic chignon. Hair was then lightly sprayed and bumped with the barrel of the bumper iron for a smooth, clean finish.

Model, Salena Ali is sure to make a lasting impression this holiday season in her Zadd and Eastman Couture design with equally creative applications of makeup and a sculpted, dimensional, up-do coiffeur. Eyeshadow colours in Green, Gold and Copper created a harmonious complement to her red dress.