From The Straits Times    |

LFW Spring 2014 beauty trend: How to get the dewy barefaced look

The girls were wet at Felder Felder (left) and Julien Macdonald

WHAT: For beauty observers, the ongoing London Fashion Week runways were as slick as the famously wet weather of the capital itself.

The overall effect was akin to witnessing a boarding school’s worth of ruddy-cheeked, impossibly slim English lasses, caught in a gentle garden drizzle – fresh, dewy and undone.

Over at Temperley London, Alice Temperley appeared to be inspired by the feminine charms of one of her most famous clients, the Duchess of Cambridge herself. Models in floral jackets and billowing boleros were given faces that glimmered with subtly highlighted cheekbones and the sheerest of tints on the lids and lips – very Romantic and regal indeed. 

Other English roses in bloom were seen at Paul Smith’s colourful, suit-stuffed show. Lanky girls in slouchy jacket-and-pant ensembles strode down the runway with artfully mussed up hair with wispy flyaways, their strikingly bare faces dotted with painted-on freckles.

SEEN AT: Alexis Barrell, Christopher Raeburn, David Koma, Felder Felder, Julien Macdonald, JW Anderson, Paul Smith, Temperley London, Whistles

HOW TO WEAR: Unlike the bright matte lips at New York Fashion Week, London’s clean look relies a great deal on shine to add interest and dimension.

Think of it as “mermaid makeup” – the goal is to look like you’ve just swam a few laps and emerged onto the edge of a Hampton beach rockpool.

LFW Spring 2014 beauty trend: How to get the dewy barefaced look

Faces were stripped down and beautifully prepped at David Koma (left) and Christopher Raeburn

Here are some pointers to achieve this lustrous, clear-skinned look:

The lightest touch. The first course of action is to even out your canvas. Skip heavy foundation and veil your face with a sheer layer of tinted moisturiser.

Tip: modern makeup isn’t about blanket coverage. Experiment with a deeper shade of tinted lotion on the hollows of your cheeks, for a natural contouring effect. Blend well in natural light – do your makeup next to a sunlit window, if possible – to make sure you’re not overdoing things.

Set with a light dusting of translucent powder. Apply powder using a soft brush and deft circular motions, then pat off excess by lightly cupping your palms against your face.

The final flourish? Literally wet yourself with a spritzing of facial mist.

Not a dry face in the house. Here’s what we do when we’re gunning for the dreamy, dewy look. First, start by blending in a tinted moisturiser on a primed face. While waiting for it to absorb, mix a twenty-cent coin’s dollop of creamy foundation into roughly the same amount of moisturiser. Use this extra-moist custom “highlighter” on your cheekbones, for a sexy, out-of-the-shower look.

Play peekaboo with your flaws. If Gaga can go (relatively) natural, so can you. It might take some getting used to, but you’ll look more youthful if your visage isn’t caked over with pancake product. Dot and dab concealer only on the undereye and any visible spots.

If you have dark circles, warm up a bit of creamy concealer between your fingers, look down onto a mirror placed flat on a table to locate the crescent shaped shadow beneath your eye, then carefully pat in with your ring finger.

LFW Spring 2014 beauty trend: How to get the dewy barefaced look

Flirty freckles peeked through the sheerest of coverage at Paul Smith (left), while glossy lids were paired with lips kissed with soft rose at Temperley London

Highbrow art. It’s absolutely essential that you anchor your minimal makeup look with strong brows. Fill in sparse areas with a brow pencil, then darken and set with a clear gel.

Using a damp brush, pick up some champagne or bronze shadow and press onto your lids instead of sweeping it on – this will lend your eyes a pearlescent luminosity.

You may skip liner if you wish, but curl your eyelashes and add a slick of glossy-formula mascara onto your upper lashes. If you’re blessed with generously fringed eyes – lucky you! – amp up the shine with none of the clump by using a clean mascara wand to wiggle clear petroleum jelly onto your upper and lower lashes.

Zip your lip. A sheer peachy stick or nude gloss formula is all you need for this look. To avoid looking shellacked, press the tint into the centre of your lips using warm fingers, then purse your lips together for an ultra-natural stain. 

Wet behind the ears. Just about all the London presentations paired a pared down face with high-shine ponytails – a trend that was also seen over at New York. Find out how to get the wet look hair here.

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