As Beyoncé’s longtime makeup artist, Sir John is nothing short of a makeup extraordinaire. A real wizard with makeup brushes who has worked with Kim & Khloe Kardashian, Viola Davis, Chrissy Teigen & Karlie Kloss – to name but a few.
An no, he is not knighted. Sir John is his real name!
Lucky for us this genius recently visited South Africa. He hosted two Beauty Masterclasses in conjunction with Woolworths private beauty label ‘WBeauty’ & was also in charge of the runway makeup looks for the most recent South Africa Fashion Week (SAFW) for which WBeauty was the official makeup sponsor.
Here are Sir John’s 5 fantastic pearls of wisdom. Enjoy!
Tip #1: Good Make-Up Starts With Good Skin
He places a lot of emphasis on healthy, glowing skin which starts good nutrition, clean diet & good habits like not going into the sun with a good SPF. Drinking enough water & moisturizing your skin often will make your makeup look stunning. And no matter how you feel always cleanse your face before you doze off. He is also an advocate of fresh juices like kale which cleanses the skin from the inside & carrot juice with beta-carotene for increased cell turnover.
Tip #2: Customise Trends For Your Age
Young ladies under 18 should stick with minimal makeup. Avoid lip liner & dark lips. Get a natural look by using a bit of mascara, soft lip balm & a cream blush.
“I see so many cool things happening right now…,” says Sir John who loves the unicorn highlighter & the prismatic highlighter – but only for women under 35. This is also the age to play around with bold eyeshadows & dramatic mascara.
Looks for women over 35? “If you happen to be a bit more mature, I’m going to lean towards under-eye smudges, which would be smoking out the bottom lash line & no eyeshadow on top. No liner on top. Just tons of mascara. Keeping that lid completely transparent on top doesn’t weigh the eyes down. It gives you rockstar vibes because you still have the slightly smoky eye underneath, but you still look young & fresh. It also keeps your eyes open & awake.” Keep focussing on good complexion as you age.
Tip #3: A Red Lip Will Always Give You An Edge
“Whenever you want your skin to pop or your tan to come alive, you always want to choose an orange-based red. Think ‘50s red or tomato red. Those will always make your skin look healthier.
On the contrary, if you want your teeth to look really, really white & your smile to illuminate, go for a blue-based red. A blue-based red happens to go anywhere from raspberry to dark Merlot lips. Blue-based makes your teeth look really brilliant & orange-based red makes your skin look healthy,” says Sir John.
Tip #4: Make Concealer & Foundation Your BFF’s
“Concealer is your best friend providing that you are taking care of your skin, getting enough sleep, you are hydrated & drinking your kale & carrot juice.” Don’t apply concealer on dry skin, because it will literally sit on top of your skin.
Foundation should be light & let the true you shine through. You don’t want to look completely different when you cleanse your face at night, says Sir John who loves a tinted moisturizer. Just mix your foundation with a tiny bit of your day cream to make a tinted moisturizer.
If you have blemishes or a pimple, cover it up by all means, but keep the rest of your skin lightly covered. “Don’t be afraid to use different foundations on different areas of your face, like a mattifying foundation on the t-zone, but something a bit more luminous on the rest of your face.”
Tip #5: If You’re Not Keen On A Trend, Wait It Out
Think super thin brows of the ‘90s vs thicker brows that we’ve been seeing for the last few years. “I think everything is going to come full circle,” says Sir John. “We had the ’80s where people didn’t even tweeze at all. But the thin brow didn’t come from the ‘90s as much as it comes from the ‘30s: Marlene Dietrich, Ava Gardner & women of the film noir era. It’s all going to go full circle. If you look at any beauty staple in the 20th century, it’s a re-shopped idea. So wait for it if you love it. If you love something & you want to campaign for it, make a case for it. If someone tells you ‘oh that’s not in style’ or ‘that’s not really in’ just tell them to wait for it. Have the confidence to rock it & know that it’s coming back in season.”
To follow Sir John’s glam life, check him out on Instagram,
Thank you for reading. Hope you enjoyed the tips!
Yolandi ♥
Images: Supplied by Woolworths
Additional Sources: Elle; In My Bag Blog; IOL