Make-up artist to the stars BK, is the go-to woman for SA’s celeb set. She’s been doing TV presenter, chef and WH cover star Lorna Maseko’s make-up for two years. Whether Lorna’s doing a shoot or hitting a glitzy red-carpet event, BK is who she calls to make sure she’s looking on point. We chatted to BK at Lorna’s Women’s Health cover shoot and got her to dish some of the beauty tricks that keep celebs like Lorna looking flawless.
Highlighter is always a must.
“We need to highlight the face to give it a bit of glow,” says BK. “I feel like a glow gives off that natural look — it helps the skin to radiate. Because foundation takes a lot away from the skin, the highlighting brings back the dimension in the face.” Of all the brands she’s tried, she rates Anastasia Beverly Hills highest (find it at MuseBeauty.co.za). “Anastasia Beverly Hills is the queen of highlighters. No one beats Anastasia from the highlighters that I’ve used,” she says. For best effect, highlight sparingly. “I highlight mostly above the cheekbone and the bridge of the nose and a bit on the tip of the nose and just above the top lip — your cupid’s bow.”
READ MORE: This is what you need to be doing for whiter, healthier teeth.
We’re loving the yellow eyeshadow trend, especially on darker skin. Hesitant to give it a go? We asked BK to show us how it’s done….
Be smart about your foundation.
“You need to look at the skin and decide which foundation will work best,” says BK. “For Lorna, I use cream foundation because most creams are oil based so it helps to moisturise the skin as well. So you don’t get that super-matte look.” But a creamy formula isn’t for everyone. “You wouldn’t use cream on someone who’s really oily because it will make the oiliness worse,” she cautions. “So then you’d use something that’s water-based, which you’ll find in liquid foundation.” For shoots, though, BK likes a cream formula for coverage. “Most liquids don’t give you the full coverage that one would need, especially for shoots.”
READ MORE: Lorna Maseko’s 5 Secrets For Getting Everything You Want Out Of Life
The longer the lash, the better.
That’s BK’s philosophy on choosing lashes in almost every instance. “But if you have small, hooded eyes, I’d say keep them small,” she concedes. “Not too long, but a with bit of volume.” As for shape, most people can’t go wrong with flare. “Flared-out lashes are always nice, except when someone has a rounded eye — then you’d need a full lash,” she says. “I’m not a fan of individual lashes — too much maintenance — so definitely strips. I’m a wash and go kind of girl — I don’t like maintenance in the morning. If you take care of your strip lash, you can reuse it many times. Take it off, clean it with normal water, rubbing softly so you don’t damage the lashes, and put it back into the packaging.”
READ MORE: 5 Surprising Things You Didn’t Know About Gunnhild From Vikings
Get The Lorna Maseko Look
“I’ve probably done Lorna’s make-up about 50 times,” says BK. That includes getting her camera ready for both seasons of her TV show The Hostess with Lorna Maseko, as well as numerous events. So it’s no surprise that she has Lorna’s signature look down to a fine art. For starters, she accentuates Lorna’s eyes. “Because of her eye shape, I make the eye darker in the outer corner so it lifts the eye and blend the colour into the crease, lifting it up,” she says. Complete the look with a nude lip and nice, defined eyebrows. “Luckily, Lorna’s eyebrows are naturally thick and full, so it’s quite an easy job,” says BK. All BK needs to do is create a bit more definition and darken them slightly.
