Beauty / 15.03.2015

Should you ditch your tried and tested makeup techniques?

By Roisin Dervish-O'Kane

Which beauty habits deserve to the stand the test of time? Celebrities and beauty gurus reveal all

Ah, grooming in the 90’s: there was good, there was bad and there was ugly. But which beauty habits should you hold on to – and which should you banish forever? We ask the experts…

1. DITCH – Dyeing dark hair blonde

‘I dyed my hair blonde once, which really didn’t do anything for me,’ reveals former Pussycat Doll and X Factor judge Nicole Scherzinger. ‘It looked yellow and brassy, and because my hair colour is naturally darker, there was a lot of breakage – so I had little broken hairs that stuck up. Definitely not a good look.’

2. KEEP – Stand out with a smile

‘Doing so much talking and interviewing I need to have a really nice smile,’ says TV presenter Holly Willoughby. ‘You definitely need a power brush as teeth feel so much cleaner using one, and a good toothpaste. Brush twice a day, and definitely floss, which we’re all guilty of not doing!’ Besides, first impressions count. ‘Being mindful of your appearance shows that you care,’ says Space NK beauty entrepreneur Nicky Kinnaird.

3. DITCH – Sticking to past-it trends

‘With 15 years working in make-up, there are certain looks I just wouldn’t do now,’ says Cassie Lomas, celebrity make-up artist and spokesperson for Bourjois. ‘They include highlighting under the brow with harsh powder highlighters and a visible lip line.’ Make-up legend Terry de Gunzburg, famed for creating Yves Saint Laurent’s Touche Éclat highlighting concealer, as well as her own By Terry make-up range and perfume collection, says the 1990s brown lips and blusher look ‘added 10 years to my face’.

4. KEEP – Get the tools right

‘Buy the best make-up brushes you can afford,’ says make-up artist Ruby Hammer. ‘It makes any make-up look more polished.’ You don’t need as many as a professional: ‘Find a blusher brush that’s not too small or it will give you a stripe across your face; one that’s used for bronzing and is too wide will deposit too much colour. You also need two different sized brushes for eye make-up: a medium-sized flatter, curvier brush for eyeshadow and a pointed smaller brush to apply gel liner and work near the lash line.

5. DITCH – Forgetting to remove make-up

‘In 1999 I was dancing with the Royal Ballet and performing almost every day,’ recalls Darcey Bussell, now a Strictly judge and face of The Sanctuary Spa. ‘I was constantly wearing heavy stage make-up. The one thing I wish I’d done differently was to remove my make-up at the end of the night. There was a tendency to just scrub off your make-up as quickly as possible. Now I understand how important it is to have a good skincare regime and to care for my skin.’

6. KEEP – Double cleanse

‘I have used this Eastern method of cleansing for as long as I can remember,’ reveals Hammer. ‘Starting at my chest area, I cleanse with an oil cleanser upwards to break down make-up, and then massage for at least a couple of minutes. I then remove the oil with a hot wet face towel and repeat with a cream cleanser in winter or a wash-off cleanser in the summer.’

7. DITCH – Wearing heavy foundation

‘Beauty is all about confidence: being healthy, strong and active makes me feel good. That’s the advice I’ll be passing on to my daughters,’ says Bussell. ‘I’ll also be advising them not to wear foundation for as long as they can. I like my skin to be fresh and radiant-looking, so I dab tinted illuminating moisturiser onto my cheekbones to highlight them, instead of applying full foundation.’

8. KEEP – Accentuate your assets

‘My favourite tip is one I learnt from the make-up artists at the Royal Ballet,’ says Bussell. ‘Apply cheek colour higher than cheekbones to accentuate them. To keep your eyes looking open and big, always lift eyeliner slightly at the outer corner of each eye.’ For Scherzinger, it’s all about glowing skin. ‘I love illuminators! They make skin look healthy and beautiful, no matter what skin tone you have.’

9. DITCH – Overplucking your brows

‘I used to pluck my own brows, and sometimes I went too far and took away too many hairs,’ says celebrity manicurist Glenis Baptiste. ‘It often left a gap and I had to fill it in with eyebrow pencil.’ Supermodel Cara Delevingne may be the modern poster-girl for full brows but Audrey Hepburn got there first – re-watch Breakfast At Tiffany’s for some beautiful inspiration.

10. KEEP – Reveal your true scent

‘If you never get comments on your fragrance, then you’re wearing the wrong one,’ explains perfumer Azzi Glasser. ‘A good fragrance that suits you and your style will always get compliments.’ Perfumer Roja Dove has some handy application tips: ‘Apply to the warmest parts of the body, such as the nape of your neck, the crease of your elbow and behind your knee.’ You should avoid spraying perfume behind your ear, however – the sebum-producing glands located there will alter the scent of your perfume.