Tips for a flawless face from Laura Mercier’s international make-up artist

Tayaba Jafri hosts a Laura Mercier make-up masterclass in Dubai. Courtesy Hafsa Lodi

Tayaba Jafri, director of international artistry at Laura Mercier, hosted a make-up masterclass at the Laura Mercier Boutique in Dubai's Galleria Mall on Sunday.

The make-up artist, who has been with the beauty brand for more than 14 years, taught guests how to achieve a flawless look by using some of Laura Mercier’s key products. “I love these events — I get to have good, intellectual conversations about beauty,” she said, kicking off her live demonstration with a model.

Here was Jaffri’s guide to flawless make-up:

Step 1: All women should begin their cosmetic ritual by applying primer to the face, since it will make make-up look more natural, says Jaffri.

Step 2: Next, she applied some Laura Mercier Candleglow Foundation, using her fingertips to spread the formula lightly on the model's face.

Step 3: While many make-up users tend to apply concealer before foundation, Jafri prefers the reverse. She applied the brand's Secret Camouflage concealer duo, which has two shades in its palette. Jafri used one side of her brush to pick up one colour, and the other side to pick up the other colour, and then patted off any excess pigment using her hand. The warmth of your skin, she explained, helps in mixing and creating a desirable texture. As she mixed, the clay consistency became creamier. Then, she lightly placed the brush on top of select areas of the face. "If the brush starts to bend, you're using too much pressure," she told guests. After touching on areas of the face with the brush, she used her fingertips to lightly press the concealer into the skin. The Secret Camouflage concealer, she claimed, is great for discolouration around the lips, and since it's oil-free, is good for covering blemishes.

Step 4: For the under-eye area, Jafri opted for a different product: Laura Mercier's Secret Concealer, using the same technique described above. She used a separate brush to set the concealer, tapping it gently over the eyelids, warning that without setting it, the powder would start to crease. She also warned against applying concealer on the outer orbital bone near the eye, as it could make your skin look older than it is. Instead, she applied some serum to this area, and to the inner corner of the eyes, to make the skin look fresh and bright.

Step 5: Jafri explained that many who attempt contouring get it wrong, and you can tell, because there's often a stark line down the sides of their cheeks, from the ear to the lip. She used a blush cream, to avoid layering powder on top of powder, dabbed it with a brush and touched it to the apple of the model's cheek, then carried it around in a horseshoe shape. This, she claimed, prevents a dark, 1980s-style contour line, and instead achieves the look of a natural flush. She noted the importance of holding the brush loosely while applying the blush, as opposed to the way one holds a pen while signing a cheque.

Jafri continued to work on the model’s eyes and brows to finish her make-up look, applying liner to the inner top lash line, and using a pencil to build on the model’s eyebrows. She highlighted the importance of following the natural arch of the brows to enhance them, rather then engineering an entirely new arch, since it can look obvious when talking or otherwise expressing yourself.

Laura Mercier products are available at leading beauty retailers in the UAE.