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Mariko Tagayashi, senior make-up artist M.A.C Japan, backstage at Somarta

How to create the "Mona Lisa on the Beach" Make-up Look

Some make-up looks are quite easy to create, other make-up looks require more technique and more - sometimes much more - experience. Some are ok for everyday life, others a little bit less, but especially the last ones show the infinite possibilities of the art of make-up. This goes also for the 'Mona Lisa Make-up Look' at the Somarta fashion show FW 2012 2013, created by Mariko Tagayashi, senior make-up artist M.A.C Japan. Adversus went backstage at the Somarta show and followed Mariko Tagayashi's make-up demonstration. In this article we explain step-by-step how to re-create this look.

Mona Lisa on The Beach Make-up Look

The inspiration for this make-up look is Mona Lisa on the beach. The main image is Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa. But Tagayashi went a step further and imagined the famous lady bathing in a warm, soft, beach sunlight.

The overall look is elegant, the skin is mat and not too shiny or bright, just as you can see in the pictures. For the rest it is all about sculpting the face, especially cheekbones and eyebrow bones. Tagayashi has chosen brown and pink colors to create light and shadow. The latter is inspired by the Somarta collection which shows a lot of pink.

If you take a closer look at the make-up you will notice that eye make-up has the same bone structure as the Mona Lisa's and that the eyes - with all due respect - are a bit drooping. The eyebrows are faded out and no mascara nor eyeliner are used. Everything is very soft and natural. Although color is not that important for this look, pink and orange shades add a soft feeling. The lips are in pink beige colors and all shapes are kept very soft. Tagayashi didn't want any sharp or edge lines.

How to…

Step 1: Comb the eyebrows in an upward direction and fix them with a product (Tagayashi used Pritt Stick - yes, the one you used to use at school! - but you can also use some eyebrow gel, or spray some hairspray on your eyebrow brush and apply it on your eyebrows - never apply it directly to your eyebrows)

Step 2: Fade out the eyebrows with foundation or concealer.

Step 3: Apply loose powder on the eyebrows (Tagayashi used M.A.C Prep + Prime Transparant Finishing Powder) to make them quite invisible (photo 2)

Step 4: Apply a foundation that suits your skin (here M.A.C Studio Sculpt Foundation). Don't forget to apply some product also on your ears and neck.

Step 5: Use a concealer to cover up imperfections and dark undereye circles (photo 3)

Step 6: Apply some liquid foundation with a sheer shine in a dark shade on the cheekbones and blend the product into the skin (photo 4)

Step 7: Apply loose powder (M.A.C Prep + Prime Transparant Finishing Powder) with a large brush all over the face

Step 8: Apply a beige primer on the eyelids and in the inner eye corners (photo 5)

Step 9: Use a matte light brown eye shadow to draw a diagonal line beneath the eyebrow bone. The line starts high up in the inner eye corner and ends in the outer eye corner (photo 6)

Step 10: Apply white eye shadow on the eyelid under the diagonal line (photo 7)

Step 11: Use a beige eyeliner (M.A.C Chromagraphic Pencil NC15/NW20) on the inner rim under your eyes.

Step 12: Add some light brown eye pencil under your eyes and softly smudge the line with a blending make-up brush (photo 8).

Step 13: Add a warm touch of orange and pink blush underneath your eyebrow and tip some product on the eyebrows (M.A.C Mineralize Blush)

Step 14: Add some pink eye shadow in the outer eye corners and blend the color to the center of your eyelids (photo 9)

Step 15: Give your cheeks a warm glow with a large brush and a small amount of pink blush (M.A.C Gentle Mineralize Blush)

Step 16: Add another touch of loose powder all over the face (M.A.C Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder) for a mat finish.

Step 17: Choose a pinky beige lipstick for your lips (here a mix of five M.A.C lipsticks in pink and beige tones, photo 10)

Click here to go to the photo gallery

We thank M.A.C Japan for the interview http://www.maccosmetics.co.jp/

Charlotte Mesman and Alessio Cristianini for Adversus