Pro Makeup Tips – Kara Yoshimoto Bua

We will always flip for the latest beauty styles (we’re currently giving Amy Winehouse a run for her money as we try to perfect fall’s cat-eye liner), but despite getting our heads turned by trends, we’re still suckers for perfectly pretty, natural makeup. When we spotted Jessica Biel at the MTV Movie Awards, we were immediately gaga for her low-fuss look. Biel’s glowing skin, pinky-nude lip, and flirty eye makeup was the perfect combo of fresh and polished and we had to know how to get this look ourselves. We got on the horn with Biel’s longtime makeup artist, Kara Yoshimoto Bua, who patiently walked us through the process, step by step.

“We were just going for a simple, easy look for the MTV Movie Awards,” Bua said. “She’s naturally gorgeous, so I just wanted to enhance this with a shimmery eye to give her an approachable and sexy look.” Bua likes to prep a client’s face by first applying Chanel’s Sublimage Eye Essential Regenerating Eye Cream. “It’s fragrance-free and gives the skin smooth moisture,” she says.

For this look, Bua began by using a neutral brown, crème pencil (in this case, Chanel’s Le Crayon Yeux Precision Eye Definer in Coffee Bean) to line Biel’s upper eyelid along the lash line. She created a lightly smoky effect by blending the liner with an angle brush. Bua prefers to not augment the eyelid in any way, say with a base or concealer, as the pencil should sink into the skin and slightly smudge on its own. After finishing the top lid, Bua used what pigment was left on the angle brush to line underneath Biel’s eyes. “You just want a very soft feathering under the eye, so don’t go too heavy on the product and be sure to blend it out for a natural look,” she said.

On Biel’s lids, Bua used Chanel’s limited edition Les Quatre Ombres de Chanel Quadra Eye Shadow in Shimmering Dunes. She loves the silvery-taupe color in the palette (“It would work on anyone!”) and used the shadows mainly on the crease of Biel’s eye. “The shimmer and softness of this quad’s colors makes it easy to create a smoldering eye that doesn’t look heavy,” Bua said. For an additional spark, she finished Biel’s eyes with a sprinkle of Make Up For Ever’s Diamond Powder in White Gold 2 in the center of the lid and the corner of the eyes. It’s easiest to apply this with a soft, round brush spritzed with rose water.

After curling Biel’s lashes, she used Chanel’s Inimitable Mascara Multi-Dimensional in Noir-Brun. “Using brown mascara makes your eyes look open,” Bua said. “It also never looks harsh. I like this mascara because it gives you really long lashes, quickly and without clumps.” For applying mascara to Biel’s lower lashes, Bua used a stiff fan brush, like M.A.C.’s 205 Mascara Fan Brush. Any version of this brush with synthetic fibers works. Just rub the fan on the mascara wand and mainly concentrate on applying product on the outside of the eye (use less close to the inside of the eye, by the nose).

Bua used combination of two foundations on Biel, Pro Lumiere Professional Finish Makeup SPF 15 in Sand and Vitalumiere Satin Smoothing Fluid Makeup SPF 15 in Nude, which she applied with clean hands to the face. She dusted Chanel’s Irreelle Blush in Incognito across the apple of the cheek, orbital bone, as well as lightly touching the top of Biel’s nose, chin, and forehead for a sun-kissed glow. The look was finished with Chanel’s Rouge Hydrabase Crème Lipstick in Moire. (The lipstick looks really dark in the tube and on this layout, but it’s super lightweight and goes on almost like a gloss.) So, there you go, no need to hide behind a hat and Ray Ban sunglasses anymore. Use these tips and get out there ladies!