Before The Great Gatsby hits theater on May 10th, get Daisy Buchanan‘s makeup (played by lead actress Carrie Mulligan, sided by the one and only Leonardo DiCaprio) from this latest novel-to-the-big-screen romantic drama.
As you can see, Daisy’s makeup is very delicate and feminine, but holds power at the same time. The story takes place during the 1920’s, but in this modern film version of The Great Gatsby, the makeup does not take on the particular extreme-retro look that was seen in this era of the ‘20s.
It is modified into more of a subdued and romantic look. Expressing the feeling of power and grandeur, while still keeping the innocent, delicate mood the Daisy possesses. Certain elements such as the face, cheeks and lips are kept quite soft and other features, such as her eyebrows and eye lashes, reveal the prominent statement of boldness that are added to compliment the distinguished, refined essence of her character.
How To Get The Look:
1. Daisy has very flirty, wide-awake eyes with dramatic lashes, and a strongly shaded top lid. The rest of her skin is very fresh and clean with little to no makeup, only to cover any discolorations. But before applying any concealer, to perfect and open up tired, dry eyes, we need to prep this area by moisturizing with an eye cream.
Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Eye Cream ($180.00)
Apply a small amount of cream under the eyes and inner corners to soften and recharge any areas of dryness. One of the best creams on the market is a Korean brand called Sulwahasoo. They have created a new innovative technology within the product that is immersed with ginseng that instantly transforms droopy, sluggish eyes — reviving them. It’s a MUST-HAVE! This step is very important, because her look is super-natural and clean under the eye, with natural bottom lashes, so you will want to make sure that your peepers are properly prepped for any concealer beforehand.
2. Choose a tinted moisturizer or BB cream (that contains a moisturizer with sunscreen for protection) to even out any red, blotchy or problematic areas. And be sure to pick a shade that will balance your natural skintone; make sure it matches with your neck, since that area is well exposed.
Since we are choosing a base that covers large pores, fine lines, wrinkles and other areas, you can skip a moisturizer — you have already used an eye cream. Generously apply around the eye area, face and blend into the neck. A great product for a light-to-medium coverage, with a moisturizer and SPF all in one, is a new product by Dr Lewinn by Kinerase Instant Perfecting B.B. Cream. This particular BB cream is for all skin types, whether you have dry, combination or oily skin.
You can read BeautyStat’s Dr Lewinn by Kinerase Instant Perfecting B.B. Cream review HERE!
3. Use a small amount of concealer for the under eye area to hide the purple/blue or any other discolorations normally found there. A simple stick concealer will do: Apply only where the heavy bags appear under the eyes and inner corners closest to the nose — where it is usually very dark and creates unwanted shadows. Soflty blend into the skin. A quick-to-use concealer, for a matte finish like Daisy’s, is Wet n Wild’s Coverall Coverstick ($1.99). It is shaped like a tube of lipstick, and you can apply it right from the stick to the face.
4. To set the skin, lightly apply a sheer translucent setting powder to finish your base and prevent any shine. With a medium-to-large soft, fluffy brush, dip the brush in the powder and tap off any excess, sweeping it over the T-Zone: on the forehead, around the nose, on the chin, under the jawline and a tiny bit under the eyes to keep that fresh look. Tarte makes a perfect airy, loose powder called Amazonian Clay Finishing Powder ($29.00).
5. Daisy’s cheeks are slightly enhanced with a barely there sheen of color that is seen only the apples of the cheeks. Tarte’s Cheek Stain ($30.00) is perfect for this look, because you can really control the color and add on if needed.
It creates a very natural flush to the skintone. To keep the control, apply the blush on fingertips first, then press onto your cheeks. For this makeup step, to keep things natural and light, do not apply anything right from the product onto the face.
Apply in layers, as you can always add more if needed. With one or two fingers, apply the blush stick to the apples of the cheeks, closest to the nose, creating sheer, small circular shapes closest to the nose, in the center of the cheek. To make sure you are not contouring the side of the face, keep away from the cheekbone area. Use this trick: Smile, hold it, then add the color only to the center of the apples — where your cheeks pop out and bend outwards naturally. The color that Daisy is wearing is a very light rose, or light nude/peach for a natural sheen. Two recommended shades of Tarte’s Cheek Stain are Awakening and Loving.
Beige — first shade on top row, or fourth shade on top row
Dark brown — last, darkest shade on top row
Brow bone — first, lightest shade on bottom row
6. Now that we have polished off her perfectly fresh base, let’s move on to the next step: her eyes! Choose a matte beige, tan or tawny shade and apply all over the lids up to the natural crease. For this step, leave the brow bone bare for now.
Next, create the darker “V” shape on outer edge of the eyelid. Use a deep chocolate or cocoa color on the outer corner and blend up to the crease, only going over slightly. If you have covered your crease line halfway, that is too much, and also blend outwards, away from the eye, to complete the V-shape.
With a crease brush, take a bit of the darker brown shadow and apply to end of the upper eyelid — this is the darkest part of the eye. Move the brush in an upwards motion following the natural crease, shading only a quarter of the line — this will allow for a subtle shading of the shape you are creating adding subtle depth.
With a separate fluffy brush (Face Stolkholm Blender Brush #39; $29.00), apply a lighter bone or subtle sheer white wash all over the brow bone. With a clean, medium-sized soft, brush, lightly blend the crease and brow bone, so the eye is more subtle and faint. A gentle depth to her eye s creates that delicate look.
A fabulous new palette by Tarte is naturalEYES Eye Shadow Palette Volume II ($44.00). It contains 10 matte shades, and 3 of them you will be using for this makeup look. You can use the rest of the beautiful shades to add to your kit! It also comes with a shading brush to apply the beige shade all over the lid, and on the opposite end there is a separate crease brush to use for applying the darker brown shade.
For more definition to the eye, fill in any sparse areas of the upper lash line with a gel or cream eyeliner. This dramatically gives more drama to the eye and intensifies the contrast between the lashes and soft shadow on the lids.
7. A new products by Wet n Wild in collaboration with Fergie is the On The Edge Cream Liner ($4.99) that comes with a thin brush — it really stays in place, as it is water-proof. As you can see, it is a soft line, nothing too dramatic, even though the color she wears is black.
Start off by dipping the brush lightly into the pot, not collecting too much of the gel, and draw a thin (but still noticeable) line from the inner corner just to the end of the lid, where the darker crease shadow ends. Daisy’s eyes are wide and open, keep consistency with the blush. The key to this look is to keep the main focus on the front of the face, as you will see in Step 8 why this is most important!
8. To finish off the eyes, apply a very black mascara that not only elongates, but provides a great amount of fullness to achieve her intensely luscious lashes. Generously apply one or two coats of mascara only to the top lashes. The bottom lashes are not defined and are kept very soft and natural.
A great mascara by Wet n Wild is their new Mega Wink Mascara that is shaped on an angle to really curl the lashes upwards, which opens up the eye even more.
The most part important and dramatic part of her distinguished look, and most obvious, are her BROWS! Keeping with the trend of the 1920’s, but in a slightly softer way, her exaggerated eyebrow is the focus. This dramatically changes the femininity for the rest of her face, and gives her a sense of strength and individuality.
It is important to notice that although her brows are elongated, they are still quite natural. You don’t want to go overboard and create a very drawn-in, dark line. This step will make or break the look. Just the right amount of product will keep the brow natural, but dignify the uniqueness of her face.
Choose an eyebrow powder, instead of a pencil for this step, to avoid any harshness or too much definition. The eyebrow should be noticeable, but not too defined or theatrical, keeping as close to the color of your natural eyebrows.
With an angled-tip brush, ever so lightly tap off any excess powder and fill in any sparse brows, but make sure not darken or thicken them. Keep your natural brow, as you normally would, and focus on expanding the length of them. Draw a soft, thin line from the edge of your brow just past the outer corner, making sure that you are creating something that is a bit over-exaggerated and noticeable, but still fresh and as natural as you can.
To soften the line, if you have made it too dark, use a Q-tip and go over the line to straighten it out. Clean up edges and perfect your new brow shape.
One of the best eyebrow powders is Face Stockholm’s Brow Powder ($24.00) — the consistency if very light and natural, and comes in six different shades. They also carry an angled brush that works best for defining this type of brow: Angular Sable Brush #13 ($22.00)
10. Using a brow gel after this step will keep your brows in place and set them so they don’t move around. Brush upwards and outwards in a continuous direction of the line you have just created. A clear gel is perfect for this step: Face Stockholm has added to their collection Brow Fix ($18.00), which has a sturdy, controlling brush that grooms for just the right amount of hold; it provides a natural effect without any harshess or extra shine that some other gels often do.
11. After creating your 1920’s style brow, move on to the subtle shading on her lips.
Apply an amazing lip tint to the mouth. Daisy’s lips are a faint raspberry color or subdued sheer-rose. Choose a shade that is not too bold, intense or flashy. Tata Harper has created a heavenly lip color that is also formulated as lip moisturizer, lip plumper, which will decrease and prevent lines. It is soft, supple and conditions your lips for a silky feel. Apply a generous amount directly on top and bottom lips. Use Be True Lip Treatment by Tata Harper ($28.00). It is the perfect product to get Daisy’s subtle, blooming lips.
Are any of you lovely ladies excited about recreating Daisy’s look at home? Let us know by commenting below (you just might win a free sample)! Make sure to check out our Pinterest page by clicking HERE! And don’t forget to get the latest beauty and skincare news by following us on Twitter @BeautyStat!
– Dawn DeSantis, beauty expert and editorial makeup artist (www.dawndesantis.com).
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