Who says you can't look naturally glowy in the wintertime? Many people think that just because the weather is cold and dreary, their makeup and hair has to accompany that-- but that's not true! Actress and singer, Vanessa Hudgens, is often seen as looking bronzed and summery, regardless of the time of the year. Her hair is typically in loose waves (as seen in the photo to the left) and in this case, her bangs are clipped to the side to show off her radiant makeup look. The makeup mainly consists of browns, bronzes, golds, and oranges with a small amount of peach on the lips and cheeks. Whether you're as tan as Vanessa Hudgens or extremely pale, you can pull off a natural looking tan with a few quick and easy steps! You'll have people thinking you just returned from a long vacation without your look appearing to be forced. Be sure to keep reading to find out just how this look is done!Makeup Directions:
1. Sunscreen. This may sound silly but if it's winter or summer, you're going to need sunscreen. Not only will it moisturize your skin, but it will protect it from the sun and harsh winds that winter brings.
2. After allowing your sunscreen or moisturizer (with SPF, of course) to set, pick up your primer. This is going to be essential for the makeup look due to the fact that you won't want your bronzer or highlights to fade off or melt. If this happens, your artificial glow will look, well, artificial. And that's what we're trying to avoid. So, blend that in all over your skin, up to your hairline and down your neck.
3. Next, apply a BB Cream or tinted moisturizer (Maybelline has one of the best BB Cream products and it's about eight dollars at any drugstore). Apply the appropriate amount you need onto the tips of your fingers and begin rubbing your hands together. This will warm up the product and allow it to blend into your complexion much easier. Dot the product on your forehead, nose, cheeks, chin, and neck. Then blend it all together for an all over natural coverage.
4. Conceal any imperfections.
5. Picking up a concealer that is a shade brighter than your natural skin tone, place the product beneath your eyes and blend it up to your cheekbones. This will begin the process of a natural glow and bring in the appropriate amount of highlight to your skin.
6. With an angled face brush, pick up a matte bronzer. Avoid shimmery bronzers at all costs because nobody has a natural glitter effect to their skin (that would be weird). Blend the product in the hollows of your cheeks and up into your hairline on both sides, creating a mirrored "C" shape. Also, blend the product down the sides of your nose and down to your neck for a full tan. I recommend using the Nars Laguna Bronzer from Sephora.
7. Prime your eyelids with a shimmering primer. Cover only your lids with the product, staying away from blending the product too far up. Keep it away from your brow bone and the inner corner of your eye. Bare Minerals Prime Time primer would be a great option.
8. With a fluffy crease brush, pick up a shimmery bronze eyeshadow and begin blending it in through the crease. Stay out of the outer-V and keep it only in your actual crease.
9. With a shimmering dark brown shadow, you can now begin applying that to your outer-V. This will add definition to your eye and give more of a dramatic effect (if that's what you're looking for).
10. Lining your eyes is an optional step but in this case, Vanessa appears to be wearing a black coal liner in her waterline and tight line. An easy trick to getting liner up into your tight line would be to apply the liner to your waterline, then blinking repeatedly. The color should transfer.
11. One to two coats of your favorite mascara follows.
12. With a matte peach blush, apply the product to the apples of your cheeks and blend out to avoid any harsh lines.
13. Finish off the look with a light pink or coral gloss.
Hair Directions:
1. Start off with your hair down, and completely brushed out to get out all of the knots and snarls.
2. Since we will be applying heat to the hair, heat protectant is a definite must. Spray a generous amount of your favorite heat protectant on your hair, making sure you get all the way from your roots to your tips. Brush through your hair once more to evenly distribute the heat protectant.
3. Depending on if your hair curls easily or not, you may need to put a little moose in your hair to help hold the curls.
4. Take your favorite curling wand and since we want big loose curls, choose a barrel that is 1 1/2 inches or bigger. Wrap a section of hair that about 1 inch big, and wrap it around the curling wand. Hold for about 30-45 seconds and then let it fall. Continue all around your head until all your hair is curled.
5. To make the curls a little looser and relaxed, take either your fingers or a comb and brush through the curls. Don't forget to spray on hairspray to keep the curls in tact and to hold all day/night long.
6. To complete the hairstyle, and dress it up a bit, take an inch section of hair at the front of your head on each side of your part near your hairline.
7. Take both sections of hair and twist the back away from your face.
8. At the back of the head, take the two strands of hair and pull them together with a small butterfly clip.
