Dolce & Gabbana Beauty: Summer 2015

I've collaborated with Dolce&Gabbana Beauty and Nordstrom Bellevue to present a couple summer makeup looks! Below are two "day" and "night" looks and the products used.

Day: I love the bronzed look for summer brightened up with apricot cheeks. Then, I added a dab of subtle shimmery cream eye shadow and a swab of the smoothest poppy lipstick.

cheeks - Glowing Bronzing Powder in "Bronze", blush - Luminous Cheek Color in "Apricot",

eyes - Matte Cream Eye Color in "Nude", lips - Classic Cream Lipstick in "Delicious"

Night: For the evening, I defined my brows and added a thicker eyeliner for more drama. Then, I contoured with bronzer and finished the look off with a classic red lipstick in matte.

skin - Perfect Luminous Concealer in "Honey", cheeks - Glowing Bronzing Powder in "Bronze",

eyes - Intense Liquid Eyeliner in "Black Intense", lips - Matte Lipstick in "Dolce Flirt"

Step 1: Makeup Base

Top to Bottom: primer - "The Primer" Makeup Base, powder - Perfection Veil Pressed Powder in "Nude Ivory", concealer - Perfect Luminous Concealer in "Honey"

Step 2: Lips

Light to Dark: nude - Classic Cream Lipstick in "Nude", poppy - Classic Cream Lipstick in "Delicious", coral - Classic Cream Lipstick in "Cosmopolitan", bright red - Matte Lipstick in "Dolce Fire", deep red - Matte Lipstick in "Dolce Flirt"

Step 3: Cheeks & Eyes

Left to Right: cheeks - Glowing Bronzing Powder in "Bronze", blush - Luminous Cheek Color in "Apricot", eyes - Matte Cream Eye Color in "Nude"

Step 4: Nails

Left to Right: Nail Lacquer in white - "Innocence", nude - "Pure Nude", tan - "Caramel", light pink - "Rose Petal", coral - "Cosmopolitan", navy - "Peacock", dusty blue - "Anise"

Step 5: Fragrance

Eau de Toilette in "Light Blue - Sunset in Salina"

I had a chance to interview Dolce&Gabbana's national makeup artist, Christian McCulloch about his tips for the "perfect red lip":

Hey Pretty Thing: I'm excited about the addition of the matte lipstick to Dolce&Gabbana Beauty, especially in a variety of reds. When wearing a matte red lipstick, how would you dress the rest of your face?
Christian McCulloch: Red is mostly classified as a "singular sensation." It's the focal point and therefore too many other bold elements can compete, and then you lose the sophistication of the look. The same way fashion is about proportion, playing with color is about balance, trial and error. The classic way to do red is little to no color elsewhere, or just very soft pretty neutrals and incorporating a sharp brow and black mascara. Clean, shimmery flesh-tone eyes, black lashes and red lips never fail.

HPT: What is your secret to prolonging the wear of a matte lip? What tips do you have for keeping matte lips moisturized?
CC: It's great to exfoliate the lips very gently and kindly to remove old cells and dead skin – then prep the lips with a nourishing lip balm. The Dolce Matte Lipstick formulation is very comfortable to wear, high in pigment and moisture. To make the application last, I recommend blotting the lip with a tissue to take away excess moisture. Then reapply to make the application richer and more intense; this double application will also last longer. Finally, pair the lip with Precision Lipliner for definition and longevity.

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