Many of you watch her on American Idol and have asked for more tips on how to achieve her gorgeous look. So I turned to my friend Scott Barnes, who was her makeup artist for more than 10 years and whose book, About Face, features Jennifer on the cover. Scott points out that Jennifer often pairs a smoky eye with pale lips. This combination can look polished for daytime or glamorous at night, depending on how much “smoke” you apply. Here’s how Scott does it:
- Line the inside of your upper and lower lids with a black eye pencil. Scott’s favorite is Maybelline ExpertWear eyeliner in Velvet Black. First he flames the pencil with a lighter or match; this softens it and makes it easier to smudge. But be careful! Let the pencil cool and test it on the back of your hand before using it. He also uses the pencil to fill in between the upper and lower lashes to make them look thicker.
- Use an eyeshadow brush to apply brown or gray shadow in the crease. Sweep the brush back and forth from the inner corner to the outer corner to build up color and give your eyes depth. (For Asian ladies who don’t have an obvious crease, feel where your brow bone is, then move your finger down until the bone stops and your eyeball starts. That’s where your shadow should go.) Bring the shadow above the crease and under the brow bone, but leave a space between the shadow and your brow as well as the middle of your upper lid. Then take a shorter, tapered brush and use the same shadow above and below your eyeliner making the line thicker at the outer edges of your eyes. Blend well so it doesn’t look stripy.
- Use your finger to dab on shimmer in the middle of your upper lid. Scott likes gold (with brown shadow) or silver (with gray shadow). As he says, “When you look down, there’s something happening on your lids.” For evening, dab a bit more shimmer on your brow bone, between your shadow and your brow.
Want to win an autographed copy of Scott’s book? Send an email to Submissions@AskJessicaWu.com and tell me your favorite J Lo look. I’ll choose one at random and announce it in an upcoming Shout Out. Good Luck!