Make-up Artist Johny Saade Speaks to Vogue India

Hollywood celebrity make-up artist Johny Saade, with Aim Artist Agency, gives us exclusive 'insider' tips

On the hottest make-up colors for spring summer 2009 [keeping in mind desi complexions]
The hot colors for eyes this spring season are nudes, earth tones, golds, taupe, camel, nude pinks and peach. Dior has beautiful palettes called Parisian Lights 559 and Elégante 553 . To define eyes, you can never go wrong with Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Black Ink. Diorshow in Black will give you a nice full lash.

For cheeks, use light pinks to sandy colors depending on where you want your look to go… NARS Cosmetics has a good duo called Hungry Heart Blush Duo; it has pink and ivory. For lips, go with nude tones ranging from nude pinks to beige like Dior Addict High-Shine Lipstick in New Look Beige 220… or go for a punch with NARS Shrinagar Lipstick. In short, the look this season is nude with a punch of color on the eyes or lips… stay with nude pinks and beige; gold also works well on desi complexions.

The summer trends are radiant berries, corals and pinks. From sweet to edgy comes the sun-kissed bronze look... that you can never go wrong with… but this year you can add a berry lip or cheek to give it a pop. The biggest key is to blend blend blend… make sure you blend your eye shadows, bronzer and foundation…don’t leave visible lines; you want everything to look flawless.

On bronzer complementing the desi skin tone, how it should it used and the overall effect
Bronzer is a must-have for any desi woman and suits all skin tones… it brings out warmth from within and gives you a healthy glow; it can even out your skin tone, making your skin look flawless. Women with darker skin tone should apply blusher before they apply bronzer because most bronzers won’t show up well. If you apply a rosy blush first and then apply a bronzer on top of it you will get a rose bronze sun-kissed look. Apply bronzer with a big fluffy brush and concentrate on the areas where the sun naturally hits your face… cheekbones, bridge of nose, forehead and chin. M.A.C carries a nice range from a matte bronzer to one with gold shimmer called Refined Golden.

On the best method to apply glitter on the eye lids
Glitter application can be a problem but there are a few tricks that I have learned over the years… apply a cream or gel based eye shadow like M.A.C Cream Color Base or eye treatment, get a damp brush dipped in glitter and apply directly to eye lid, and press in. This should keep it in place and prevent flaking. Also nowadays there are clear eye gels that you can mix glitter with and apply to the lids; it will dry and set on your lids… another trick I found is if you have a few glitter specs falling on your face, an easy way to remove them is to get a piece of tape and tap it on the glitter; it will pick it up without messing the rest of your make-up.

On matte or luminous skin
I personally like a glow to the skin; I don’t like matte skin… Freida Pinto always has a little glow to her skin = youthful look. Some foundations have luminous qualities; like Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation and they have a full range of colors. When you apply foundation, apply a light coat of powder… just enough to set it. I just powder the T zone and leave the rest untouched to get that natural glow… if I need a little more glow, I use a cream or powder highlighter. NARS The Multiple in South Beach color has the perfect amount of shimmer.

On a method to cover up dark under-eye circles or zits on the eve of a party or fashion week
For dark circles, moisturize the under-eye area or use an eye cream. A good one is La Prairie Cellular Revitalizing Eye Gel; it helps reduce darkness and puffiness. Then choose a shade of concealer that is a shade lighter than your skin tone. I like AmazingCosmetics AmazingConcealer, it gives awesome coverage. Choosing a concealer that is too light will result in a grayish, violet cast and a concealer that is too dark will compound the problem. Use concealer after applying foundation. The foundation will partially hide dark circles, lessening the amount of concealer you need to use. If it feels too thick, or tends to look dry and cakey, blend it with a drop of eye cream, which will help absorb it into the skin and thin the concealer into a workable consistency. The key is less is more. Using too much concealer draws attention to what you are trying to hide.

Another insider tip I use on celebrities with dark circles is Orange. If you have an orange blush or an orange colored cream, you can apply it over your foundation just in the dark area to neutralize the dark color, and then apply a little concealer to finish the job.

As far as blemishes go, a little trick if it is raised and red is to put a few drops of Visine Eye Drops on a cotton ball or a Q tip and apply to the blemish; this will help reduce the redness. And then apply a concealer the same color as your foundation, not lighter or darker, because you don’t want to bring attention to it.

On make-up products a woman must have in her bag for a 12-14 hour schedule during fashion week
A woman’s must-haves in her handbag are concealer, mascara, bronzer, lip gloss…and if all else fails, a nice pair of sunglasses.