Kay Montano, Make-up Ambassador for M&S, delivers the ultimate in modern line drawing lessons. By Susannah Taylor
Liquid eyeliner: it’s the ultimate in painterly party sophistication - elongating the eyelid, defining the shape of the eye and with its flicked tail, enhancing the curve of our natural lashes. However for many it can also get a bit monotonous.
Enter this season’s fresh new take – the double line. Influenced by 1960s make-up where make-up artists and models would enhance the socket with a hard line, it’s a look that was also seen at the autumn/winter catwalk shows. Here Kay has broken the line up in places to artful and playful effect.
Step 1: Prime Time
The key to any modern make-up look is a fresh but flawless base and for this you need two products – a great foundation and under eye concealer. Kay has used a smoothing effect foundation here on well-moisturised skin. She uses a triangular sponge to apply it but admits this might not suit everyone. “I don’t believe there is one good way of applying foundation, I use the sponge as it’s what I’ve always done and it gets into all the crevices of the face. The most important thing is the product you use.”
Under the eyes Kay recommends you use a ‘creamy and dense concealer’ which is great for disguising the blue around the eye area. This can also be used on any blemishes the foundation fails to disguise. Finally, she used a light dusting of very fine translucent powder – essential for stopping shine without looking caked.
Kay used: Diego Dalla Palma Lifting Effect Cream Foundation , £27.50 and Pur Mineral Disappearing Act 4-in-1 Concealer in Light, £19.50.
Step 2: High Flicks
Applying liquid eyeliner can be notoriously hard to do especially with tricky obstacles like eyelashes and laughter lines to contend with. Kay recommends using a felt-tip type eyeliner for this look as it is the least likely to smudge and easiest to create a thick, even line.
For the smoothest application, Kay has the following tips: “Keep looking back at yourself straight in the mirror, as that way you can see how the eyeliner will appear to others. It’s one thing applying it when your eye is closed and another making sure it looks right when your eyes are open.” She also suggests holding the pen sideways along the top of the lashes. “This way your lashes don’t get in the way of the application and you can create a really even line.”
To create the flick at the edge she suggests a trick she’s seen Alexa Chung do in the past. “Put your forefinger at the outer edge of your eyebrow and pull towards your hairline. This opens your outer eye so you can create a flick easily. ”
Kay used: Autograph Quick Dry Eyeliner Pen or Autograph Ultimate Gel Eyeliner in Black , £7.50.
Step 3: Double Vision
In the 1960s make-up artists would enhance their socket line with with a solid continuous black line, but here Kay has applied it just above the socket line, and only where the socket would deepen naturally for a modern, fresh, edgy look.
Kay used: Eyeliners as above.
Step 4: Lashing Out
No evening look is complete without lashings of black mascara. Here Kay has used it only on the top lashes so as not to detract from the overall look.
Kay used: Autograph Neverending Lashes in Black, £8.50
Step 5: The Mood for Nude
“The way to stop this sort of make-up looking theatrical is to play down everything else,” says Kay, “which means minimal or no blusher and a ‘nothingy’ lip.” Kay has used a very light nude with a hint of peach for a modern but pretty twist.
Kay used: Ultrashine Twist-up Lip Colour in Peachy , £9.50
Credits
All make-up by Kay Montano at D+V Management using make-up available from M&S stores nationwide
Hair by Maarit Niemela at D+V Management
Styled and directed by Susannah Taylor
Model: Eeke at Union
Top £88 and necklace £48 both by Anthropologie