FASHION Magazine

It’s no easy feat to apply makeup for work during the summertime, especially when heat often results in runny makeup and super shiny skin. Who wants to spend a ton of time putting on makeup in the morning only to have it messed up after a short walk from the subway to the office? Piling on makeup to hide those little imperfections when it’s so hot outside is definitely not ideal, and unfortunately not many of us can rock the “I woke up like this” look for the office. So, how do we get the best of both worlds? Well this week, Beauty Panel tackles the office beauty look for the summer and show us tips and tricks on how to stand out while still looking professional.

Challenge 71: What is your office beauty look this summer? See the answers now! »

Gold! We can’t think of a more perfect shade of makeup to be on trend for Spring 2014—it’s super flattering, super wearable and a colour that’s open to a variety of interpretations. Just ask the designers who all included gold makeup in their looks this season: Jason Wu did a classic splash of metallic shadow on eyelids, while Dior turned heads with gold-tinted eyebrows. And, taking it one step further was Dries Van Noten, whose models had a splash of gold to part their hair. So really, the gold makeup trend is all about wearing the shade in a way that best suits your style.

January Jones’s beauty look from last night’s Mad Men premiere is an excellent example of how easy the gold makeup trend is to adapt for any occasion. She added a bold swipe of gold underneath a deep blue cat-eye, citing another of-the-moment trend (dragons!) as her inspiration. Of course, the best way to explore a makeup trend is by asking our Beauty Panel to share their takes, and this week we’ve got quite the roundup of gold looks. A Pop of Colour‘s Shayna Wiwierski loves the shade because it makes her blue eyes pop, which is why she wore gold to the Juno Awards this past weekend. (Her look is a definite red carpet winner!) Ellie Somfelean from My Beauty Box used rose gold pigments in her look to warm up the metallic look, while Spiced Beauty’s Jennifer Francis layered pigments for a deeper shade of gold. Clearly, however you wear this makeup trend you can’t go wrong—just click through all of this week’s Beauty Panel answers to see what we mean!

Challenge 56: How do you wear spring’s gold makeup trend? See the answers now! »

If you’ve ever spent more than 60 seconds inside a Sephora, you know how quickly things can rack up. A Guerlain bronzer here, a Chanel lipstick there, maybe even a Nars eyeshadow quad or two—and suddenly your makeup bag is worth more than your designer handbag. It makes us long for the days when a splurge was considered dropping $4 on a drugstore Lipsmackers.

Saving money on beauty products seems like a great idea in theory, but is it possible to save funds and still look fabulous? The short answer: YES! With a mix of drugstore brands and savvy shopping skills, it’s more than possible to create a complete look for less than $25. (And one that’s just as glam as a look created with top dollar products!) To show you just how easy it is to do beauty on a budget, we challenged the Beauty Panel to share their bargain beauty buys.

Challenge 55: How do you create a beauty look for under $25? See the answers now! »

In the clutches of this terrible, no good, very bad winter we’ll take any excuse to think about warmer temps. While it’s a little premature to bust out the short shorts and crop tops, we’ve found a way to inject some summertime ease into our lives thanks to our new favourite beauty trend: orange lipstick.

If you’ve never considered wearing a bright orange lip, the Spring 2014 runways provided a multitude of different ways to make it work. Prabal Garung and John Galliano both opted for a matte orange lip with slicked-back hair to create a clean and uncomplicated look, perfect for a casual Friday at the office. Dsquared2, on the other hand, showed the versatility of the colour, using a coral-orange lip with a smoky eye and ‘80s pageant queen hair to create quite the glamorous look.

Challenge 51: What are your tips on wearing spring’s orange lipstick trend? See the answers now! »

Kim Kardashian’s style may be constantly evolving, but when it comes to beauty, she’s had her makeup routine on lock since day one. That flawless complexion and enviable bone structure owes a great deal of credit to the magic of makeup. But you don’t need a makeup artist to look like Kim—just a few simple contouring tricks can make all the difference in making your features pop.

Sure, the idea of contouring and bronzing can evoke flashbacks to high school beauty disasters: if done incorrectly you risk looking like a pumpkin or and ‘80s prom queen. (Not a good look for anybody!) However, the end goal is to highlight the different areas of your face, achieved only through seamless blending and proper colour choice—and it’s it’s not as difficult as you may think.

Challenge 49: How do you contour your face? See the answers now! »

If your beauty bag is missing violet hued products, we think you’re in need of a serious update. From eyeshadows to nailpolish to lipstick, deep purples have been creeping into every aspect of fall makeup and today, we’re teaching you how to make the rich hue work for you.

Jason Wu’s Fall 2013 collection reiterated purple’s prowess in flattering all skin types. His final runway piece, a floor grazing indigo dress, set the tone for the season’s runway beauty look. The show’s purple eyeshadow lifted all muted palettes and monochromatic looks while adding drama to the rouge and indigo pieces.

Challenge 31: Purple is a flattering and easy colour to wear for most eye colours and skin tones, but it can also look super dramatic. What are your tips for wearing the shade? See the answers now! »

Spring may have brought back cool blue tones for eyes, but this season the trend is something much more dramatic: red eyeshadow.

Essentially drama meets punk chic (think Kristen Stewart at the 2013 Met gala), red makeup may be one of the hardest colours to master when it comes to the eyes. However, with Gucci’s cranberry-red shimmer and Emporio Armani’s subtle-yet-flirtatious red eyeliner, we can’t help but want to give this look a try. But before we jump to the punch and risk looking too costumey, we asked the Beauty Panel to share some of their tips and tricks on how to make red eyeshadow work.

Challenge 27: How do you wear red eyeshadow? See the answers now! »

While summer definitely calls for brightly coloured lipsticks, sometimes it’s nice to tone down the drama and allow your natural beauty to shine. Looking to the 1990s for inspiration, many Spring 2013 runway shows featured minimalist beauty looks that truly made us envy simplistic style. From Alexander Wang to Balmain, fashion houses made the neutral look appear effortlessly chic.

To achieve the minimalist look, a neutral lipstick is essential—but how do you wear such a pale shade without washing out your entire face? It’s all in how you apply it. With the right colour and technique, a neutral lip colour can make a statement.

Not convinced? Let our Beauty Panel guide you. This week they’re sharing tips and tricks on how to choose and wear a perfect neutral lip colour—while ensuring that the rest of your look also stands out.

Challenge 21: What are your tips for choosing and wearing a neutral lip colour? See the answers now! »

You’ve printed off your resume, know your strengths and weaknesses and have the perfect job interview outfit planned. But have you considered how to do your hair and makeup? Just like a low cut top is a job interview no-no, glittery makeup or a messy ponytail is best saved for more social situations. While some of us may seek work in offices that are more creative or casual than others, when it comes to making a first impression, showing up at that job interview looking perfectly polished is key.

When you want to put your best face—and hair!—forward, a neutral look that highlights your natural beauty is best. Don’t distract from your talents with hair and makeup that’s better suited for a night out with friends. To make sure the HR department focuses on your credentials rather than a makeup blunder, we asked the Beauty Panel to share some job interview-worthy beauty looks. Read on, take their advice and all you’ll have to worry about is showing up at the right place at the right time.

Challenge 18: How do you do your hair and makeup for a job interview? See the answers now! »

Let’s be real. Some nights you just need to look like a total babe. While we love to keep our makeup looking fresh and natural during the day, when it comes to a big night out in the summer, we want to have some fun. Whether you’re going to the Power Ball, a night out with the girls or a date with someone special, it never hurts to play up the drama. To help inspire your next date makeup look, we asked the Beauty Panel to share tips and tricks on bombshell beauty.

Challenge 14: Some nights you just need to look like a total babe! How do you do your makeup for a big night out during the summer months? See the answers now! »

Summer wedding season is here, and whether you’re walking down the aisle, standing up for your best friend or just showing up and dancing the night away, it’s important to consider how you’ll look. In terms of outfits, we certainly have you covered. But what about your hair and makeup on the big day?

More and more brides are taking the DIY approach to their wedding makeup (even Kate Middleton was rumoured to have done it herself!) and it goes without saying that most wedding guests aren’t spending a day at the salon before a friend’s nuptials. But with photographers everywhere and some weddings starting at the crack of dawn and going into the wee hours of the night, it’s advisable to put some extra effort into your hair and makeup.

To get the best advice on wedding day makeup and hair, we turned to the Beauty Panel. With a number of professional makeup artists on the panel, these experts have many weddings under their beauty belts—and plenty of tips for you, regardless of your bride, bridesmaid or guest status.

Challenge 12: How would you do your hair and makeup for a wedding? See the answers now! »

This season it’s all about the statement lip. Moving away from the darker hues of fall, designer after designer sent models down the spring runways wearing vibrant shades of lip colour. From Prada to Rochas to Dries Van Noten, the statement lip was certainly the beauty statement of the season.

When done right, the statement lip can look stunning, but it can be tricky to find the right colour for your skin tone. And when you’ve found that perfect colour, how do you make sure it stays on all day (or night) long? Luckily, with a little help from the Beauty Panel, we have all the tips and tricks you’ll need to find the best lipstick out there—and to keep it on your lips.

Challenge 11: The statement lip is a big trend this season. How do you make your lipstick colour stand out and last?