Renaissance Woman: Charlize Theron Inspired Makeup

When I was thinking about what to do for the Wolf Hall makeup look, I wanted to do something a little different. My brain went everywhere from doing another historical based makeup tutorial, to something dramatic and artsy. Then one day, I happened to see Charlize Theron on the cover of a Bazaar magazine. Her makeup was minimal. Her clothing was minimal, yet regal. Light bulb moment.

Even though the book Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel is based on Thomas Cromwell's ability to become every person, I was inspired by the idea of Charlize Theron being a renaissance actor. She has the ability to portray so many different characters through her body language and acting ability. Instead of going with the Bazaar cover, I decided to do a look from Elle UK 2015. The photography was closer to her face so I was able to see her makeup more clearly, and again the makeup was minimal.

The no makeup makeup look can be tricky. I always hear this from other makeup artists and think, no it's not. But when I'm doing it on myself it is. You want that effortless makeup look, and yet you want your features to pop as well. This kind of look is great for a job interview, work in general, or just everyday. There's nothing distracting about this makeup. Sometimes if we go too heavy on the eye makeup or do a lip pop people who aren't used to makeup get distracted. The only thing people will be looking at is you. Which means there is no where to hide with your makeup.

On the other hand, in reality, it is quite simple to put on. The key to a no makeup makeup look is creating that balance between popping your features, and maintaining that effortless feel. For me, one of the big moments is at the eyes. Skip the black liner, and skip a traditional liner altogether. Use a darker eyeshadow on the outer corner to elongate your eyes or make your lash line appear thicker. Thicker lashes create the image of youth.

The other key piece here, is to grab a lip color not that different from your own. For me, that is Kitten Mischief by Lisa Eldridge. Put a nude gloss on top and I'm ready for my whole look to come together. Your lip color can match, or be one shade darker than your natural lip color.

Enjoy this look, and let me know how you get on. All products are listed in the description box of my video.