With 2014 in full swing, now is the best time to kickstart the top the beauty trends you have always wanted to try. And with awards season going on all around us, seeing how celebs test out the season’s
best looks on the red carpet is a great way to get inspired for your own beauty routine. The key element to a fresh start? Having the right tools (from
professional makeup brushes to a palette of fresh lipglosses). We asked Heather Nightingale, lead artistry expert, Make Up For Ever, to share her expert tips on how to kickstart the top beauty trends of the year.

Beauty trends: Flawless skin

Beauty trends come and go, but there’s something about having great skin that will never go out of style. “It’s all about the complexion,” says Nightingale who’s repeatedly asked by clients how to achieve flawless skin. “It’s the backdrop to any colour.” Not only is a perfect-looking complexion timeless, but it brings the features of your face into focus. Purposeful placement of foundation through
highlighting and contouring sculpts the natural lines of the face. “Then you can think about where to place colour next,” she adds.

Try Make Up For Ever’s Star Powder 940 as a highlighter to leave a silky and dewy finish on the skin. “We have to think of ourselves as artists,” explains Nightingale. “An artist would never start putting colour on a canvas without prepping and
priming it first.” Same thing applies to the face.

Flawless skin: GET A MATTE FINISH

Beauty trends: A fresh blush

Adding colour to the face helps to achieve a youthful complexion, and blush is crucial to adding a fresh, natural glow. It completes the face, says Nightingale. “I love a peachy coral—it’s not quite pink or orange, but a middle tone.”

If skin naturally has pink undertones to it, a soft coral blush will add a natural radiance to the skin. “Like a brisk walk outside or natural flush,” she says. “But it’s beautiful on every client.” As for placement, a classic look is to wear blush on the apples of the cheeks, sweeping up toward the hairline. Just smile, and
use your fingers to blend onto cheeks.

FOUNDATION TIPS: Find the right shade to get flawless skin

3 more beauty trends to try —from a statement lip to pastel eyeshadow— on the next page…

Beauty trends: Eyeliner
“This is your go-to item,” says Nightingale. Whether it’s a kohl pencil to create a soft, smoky eye—just apply in feathery strokes and smudge out—or to get that edgy, graphic look with strong lines. Try a bold liquid liner above the lash line on the lid. Either way, “It’s a nice basic,” she says.

“Makeup represents your sense of style,” explains Nightingale. “The edgy or soft looks work for all of us, depending on the day.”

Flawless skin: The best MAKEUP PRIMERS

Beauty trends: A statement lip
A pop of colour on the lip is the perfect accessory to any look, says Nightingale. “Orange is huge,” she says of the bright yet bold statement lip colour. It looks beautifully worn as a creamy, vibrant matte shade, or toned down as a soft lipgloss.

Or try 2014’s hottest shade, as elected by Pantone: radiant orchid. Try a light violet shade on the lips in a sheer lipstick. Adding bright colours to your beauty bag is a fun way to have a fresh start in the new year. Post-sparkle and drama of holiday makeup, “You can add colour in a completely different way,” Nightingale says.

Beauty trends: Pastel eyeshadow
A beautiful wash of pastel shades on the eyelid is a beautiful and fresh approach to adding colour. For this, Nightingale recommends radiant orchid and soft pink eyeshadow shades. “Place colour at the base of the lash line and the crease and blend out,” she explains.

MAKEUP TIPS: 5 reasons to try violet eyeshadow

Or for a bolder take on this pretty and feminine trend, trace around the eye with black eyeliner, then add a wash of violet eyeshadow to the lid, and blend around the eye. “It’s a soft and fresh look,” says Nightingale. Perfect for a beautiful start to 2014.

Read more:
The 13 best lengthening mascaras
How to contour: 6 makeup tips
Skin care: 10 pore-minimizing products
How to apply blush: 10 rules to live by