Forget over-the-top smokey eyes and layers of bronzer - this summer it's all about understated sixties style, writes Susannah Taylor
Sexy summer beauty isn’t always about bronzed glowing skin, self tan and glinting cheekbones. In fact top of our inspiration list for summer this year is the 1960’s sex kitten, with pure skin, pale lips and a flirty flick of liquid eyeliner on the upper lids. Here, Kay Montano shows us how to recreate the look - 2013 style.
Step 1: Base Camp
The key to keeping your look modern (rather than looking like you’re going to an Austin Powers party), lies in your base. “Foundation must look undetectable on the skin else you can look like a 60’s throwback,” warns Kay. The knack to achieving fresh but flawless skin is to blend, blend, blend. Kay uses a sponge to apply foundation so that it really sits in the skin rather than just resting on top like a mask.
Kay used: Chanel Perfection Lumiere Foundation , £36 and Bobbi Brown’s Creamy Concealer £18.50 under the eyes to hide any shadows.
Step 2: Pretty as a Peach
To keep this look young and vibrant, Kay used a powder blush on the apples of the cheeks before blending it up along the tops of cheekbones. Instead of opting for a rosy pink which might end up a bit cutesy, Kay has used a warm peach shade which looks modern and fun.
Kay used: M&S Limited Collection Lip and Cheek Tint in Apricot , £5
Step 3: The Shadows
Clever use of well-blended nude-toned eyeshadow, strategically applied in the natural shadows of your eyelids has the power to intensify eyes without looking overdone. Here Kay used a small rounded eyeshadow brush to deepen the look of the socket line and make eyes pop.
Kay used: Chanel Ombre Essentielle Soft Touch Eyes in Safari , £23
Step 4: Watch the Flicks
“Many people think that liquid eyeliner has to be black,” says Kay, “but a dark brown is much more flattering for many people.” She warns, “Black can be very harsh and can also make you look tired.” Here Kay used a very fine eyeliner brush to apply a long-lasting gel eyeliner, winging it neatly out towards the tops of the cheekbones. She then used a pen liquid liner to draw under the eyes, fading the line out directly under the pupils.
Kay used: Becca Ultimate Cream Eyeliner in Romanesque , £16 for the upper lid and Eyeko’s Skinny Mini Liquid liner pen , £18 underneath.
Step 5: All a Flutter
There’s no need to apply false lashes to get the sixties-inspired look. Lots of mascara on top and bottom lashes is enough to get the wide doe-eyed look.
Kay used: Rimmel’s Lash Accelerator Mascara , £7.99 which separates and elongates lashes at once.
Step 6: In the Nude
A sixties pout would be coated in a chalky pale pink lipstick. A much sexier, more kissable, more modern looking alternative is a sheer nude lipstick or balm. Steer away from very shiny lip gloss which won’t look so sophisticated.
Kay used: Autograph’s Ultrashine Twist Up Lip Colour in Nude , £9.50
Finally, top off the look with a wide bejewelled hair band worn with tousled bed-head hair for a sweet but super sexy finish.
Make-up by Kay Montano at D&V Management
Photography by Billie Scheepers
Hair by Ayo Laguda Using 3 More Inches by Michael Van Clarke
Model: Maja Krag at Union models
Styling and Words: Susannah Taylor
Anthropologie Headband , starting from £24.00