Makeover is such a misleading word. Most of the time what makes someone look better is actually only a few tweaks, like using concealer or lining the eyes. Makeover implies starting over. Okay, sometimes there are a lot of tweaks in making an improvement to a person’s looks. But because I truly believe that all girls are beautiful, all it really takes is knowledge, skill, and the right colors to make us look even better. It’s pretty simple. Check out these before and afters.
Always start with a light moisturizer.
I lightened up the area under Nadia’s eye with concealer, which made a big difference.
I applied foundation all over her face to even out her olive skin tone. Then I used a touch-up stick on any stubborn spots.
I applied yellow powder over the concealer, around Nadia’s nose, and in her T-zone to get rid of any shine and help the makeup last.
I used a pinkish cream blush on her cheeks. She had naturally pinkish lips, so I applied a warm beige lipstick to tone down the color because I wanted to play up her eyes.
I filled in Nadia’s brow and applied a cream shimmer shadow on her lids. The best way to put on cream eye shadow is with a synthetic brush or a fingertip, which gives a denser application. I followed that up by lining her eyes in dark brown.
A couple of coats of black mascara completes the look.
BEFORE: Justine has an open face that exudes warmth.
AFTER: I brightened under her eyes with a corrector and concealer. Then I applied foundation to even out her skin naturally. Her eyes look so pretty with a couple of shadow tones blended together and neat black liner. I used a cinnamon blush on her cheeks and a honey lipstick on her lips.
BEFORE: Hannah has amazing skin that tans easily.
AFTER: I kept the glow going by adding a peachy blush to her cheeks. For a little extra polish, we shaped, trimmed, and brushed up her eyebrows. Nail polish is a great way to add bold color. Hannah picked a bright orange, which worked well with her clothes.
NICOLE
SUNNY
ANNA
MADDIE
ELIZABETH
DANIELLA
LIZ
MOLLY
Nadia
EMILY
DANI
MELISSA
BEFORE: Nolan is a natural beauty, but she didn’t realize how pretty she is.
AFTER: By evening out her skin and giving her a soft, smoky eye, her beauty came shining through. Her strong personality and understated look complement each other perfectly.
BEFORE: Kate, who is very outdoorsy and sporty, is blessed with an easy beauty.
AFTER: She kept her look casual, but experimenting with her style by throwing on some evening jewelry pulls the whole look together. With her great outfit and super blowout, Kate can go straight from school to a party.
BEFORE: Sierra looks so good without makeup. She has tons of freckles, which I love.
AFTER: I left her eyes light with a strong liner and softly filled in her brows. With tinted moisturizer and shine on her cheeks and lips, she looks polished and beautiful.
BEFORE: Sima looks like a very young Brooke Shields. She has beautiful eyebrows.
AFTER: I made her brows even stronger by filling them in, which framed her eyes. The rest of her makeup is nude to add to the effect.
BEFORE: Christina has amazing brown eyes that match her amazing spirit. (click here for more on Christina’s charity, Dresses with Dignity).
AFTER: I used a bone eye shadow on her lower lids with peach shadow just above to complement her natural coloring. I followed that with mahogany brown eyeliner and mascara on her top lashes only.
BEFORE: The bright, clear blue of Gabby’s eyes is breathtaking.
AFTER: With her ringlets and perfect skin, Gabby reminded me of a fairy princess. So I used sheer tinted moisturizer to even out her complexion and focused on bringing out her natural pink cheeks. Then I went to town with sparkle—on her eyes, cheeks, and even her hair.
BEFORE: Aurora, Amelia, and Lena are three fresh-faced beauties with super-sweet smiles.
AFTER: I matched their natural beauty with natural-looking and minimal makeup that simply lets these friends shine.
BEFORE: Keira’s thick hair frames her perfectly shaped face. And that skin!
AFTER: I kept her face really fresh by applying a tinted moisturizer all over. I didn’t use any liner, just a bunch of coats of mascara that gave her eyes plenty of definition. It looks really natural and shows how just evening out the skin and adding mascara make a big difference.
BEFORE: Amanda is fortunate to have an amazing smile. I absolutely love her dimples.
AFTER: Her eyes are really soulful and deep set, so I lined only the top to make them stand out.
BEFORE: Jillian’s beauty mark is her signature, a punctuation on her amazing skin.
AFTER: Because she has flawless skin, no foundation was needed. I just brushed up her gorgeous thick eyebrows, added mascara, blush, and some lipgloss, and the look was complete.
BEFORE: Danielle has a great smile, beautiful teeth, and flawless skin.
AFTER: A natural foundation that evened out her coloring allowed her eyes to pop. I kept everything true to her skin color, lined her upper lids, and smudged a little eye shadow on the lower lashes. Her hair made a big difference. Loosened up, it’s softer, modern, and frames her face nicely.
BEFORE: Ana has the freckled, outdoorsy look, so I was surprised by the edgy nose ring.
AFTER: I kept her makeup fresh and pretty to counteract the piercing. The soft curls of her hairstyle add to this effect. Remember, when it comes to nose pierces, they leave a hole long after the piercing is gone.
BEFORE: Samantha has such beautiful and piercing eyes that I couldn’t help but focus on them.
AFTER: I made her eyes pop even more by using a very strong liner on her top lid. Everything else I did was in service of her eyes. I defined her brows and used a very sheer pink color on her lips so that her eyes would get all the attention. Her hair swept back adds to the effect. Her fun pink nails kept the overall look playful.
