A Holiday Makeover with Katrina Hess!

The holidays are here, and for a lot of us that means 12 months’ worth of socializing in 6 weeks. My makeup routine needed a refresh, so I booked a makeover with Boston’s most famous and talented makeup artist – Our Beauty Editor, the one and only Katrina Hess of Katrina Hess Makeup Studio!

We had a lot of fun in Katrina’s lovely studio, and she taught me so much during our session. I want to share some of her advice with you!

Moisture is the first step, and oils do an amazing job

I’ve been using a product labeled as a moisturizer, foundation and sunblock all in one, and noticed my skin getting drier. Katrina started by applying a skin oil on my face. It was surprising how quickly my skin absorbed it, and how it prepped my face for a smooth and glowing foundation application. We tried oils from Skin Owl and Saint Jane, and both glided on and smelled beautiful.

When you’re doing your makeup, think of your face as an inverted triangle

Thinking of our faces as an inverted triangle when applying makeup really brightens our faces and draws attention to our eyes. If you have discolorations and sunspots (ahem, like me) feather the foundation out to cover them with a light hand.

Apply your blush so you look like your grandmother just pinched your cheeks!

Katrina says for a natural look, smile and apply blush to the apples of your cheeks. Use your blush brush or your fingers to stamp or dab on your blush and blend up. It made me look so healthy, as if I’d just been out in the fresh air.

Eyebrow shaping starts with your arch

All these years I’ve been filling in and defining my brows by beginning at the start of my brow and working my way across. And I could never get them to match. Katrina explained we need to start with the arch, because it dictates the shape of our brow. When I tried it at home it made a huge difference.

Eyeshadow, eyeliner and mascara – updated and up

Just like with blush, Katrina explained it’s important to focus product application up to give you a bright-eyed and fresh look. She didn’t apply any of the products under my eyes. Makes sense!

The hollows of my eyelids are gone, replaced by a hooded eye. Katrina showed me how blending a rich color (we used a deep taupe) over the lid and where the hollows used to be gives you a subtle, pretty look. She also showed me how using a very deep brown – not black – pencil eyeliner in and just above the lash line gives our eyes definition and just a hint of drama. She applied two coats of black mascara for a finishing touch.

Exfoliate and moisturize your lips

If you’re like me, your lips start getting dry and chapped as soon as we turn on the heat in our house. Katrina had me use an exfoliator and lip balm before we started, and it made a big difference in the texture of my lips. They looked plump and the lip liner and color glided on.

Here’s my “after” photo (I won’t scare you with the “before”). I looked fresh, my skin glowed and my eyes sparkled. And with a little practice, I could easily recreate the look Katrina gave me at home.