Makeup Mondays With Mario: You, But Better

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,


Usually, I don't wear much makeup. In fact, I usually just wear some sort of lip balm and then I'm out the door. But I recently decided to start putting some more effort into my look. So can you share some tips and products to help me look put-together, but natural? I want to look like a prettier version of myself - but I also don't have a lot of time in the mornings to apply makeup. Thanks a lot!

-Joan

Hi Joan,

I’m glad you've decided to show yourself some love by putting forth the little bit of effort to be a prettier you. Starting with just a few products will have you looking naturally beautiful and smiling in no time.

Tinted moisturizer, applied with your fingers to your face and blended into your neck, will even out your skin without feeling heavy at all. My favorites right now are from Laura Mercier and Lancome. Use a bit of concealer under your eyes to brighten up and also on any red or dark spots - try Smashbox High Definition Liquid Concealer.

If you brows need grooming, be sure to have this done. It gives an instant lift. Try filling in your brows with a brow pencil and focus on the mid to outer corners for the most natural result. Brow Tech To Go, also by Smashbox, is a personal fave. You can set your brow with the brow gel on the other end of the pencil.

Curl your lashes as I can’t stress enough how huge of a difference it makes. Just do it! LOL. Follow with a basic black mascara on top and bottom lashes and you won’t even need liner.

Looking in the mirror, smile and apply a bit of blush to the apples of your cheeks. To find the right shade for you, I recommend you go to a department store and have a makeup artist help you out. Another option is to choose a couple of drugstore shades and test them at home.

Answering this question brings back fond memories for me, so I will share them with you…

My mother never wore any makeup her entire life - aside from lip balm - and she still doesn't. I do remember, though, that on very special and rare occasions, she would take out this pinkish, natural lipstick tube and in front of the mirror, softly dab it a few times on her lips, barely applying any color. Next she would very gently and cautiously dab that same lipstick onto her cheeks, followed by a smile in the mirror. All together, this took about 20 seconds. I’d stare up at her and smile because I thought she looked so beautiful that way. I’m smiling again right now at this memory, even twenty years later.

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!