My Makeover of Nicole Scherzinger for Allure

I had the pleasure of working with lovely Nicole a couple of times before the January 2012 issue of Allure’s Minimal makeup story. I knew this is a girl who LOVES her makeup, which I understand perfectly. When you’re rockin’ out on stage in big productions with dancers, back-up singers and a band you need to be noticed. The clothes, the hair, the makeup, the whole package needs to scream: I am the star here!

Having been in the spotlight since her teens, stage makeup is part of a look she is very familiar with. The featured “stripped down” story was a big leap of faith and I was thrilled to have been chosen to do it.

A few weeks later, we shot another editorial to be published soon, where I made it up to her and went full on crazy with Maximal makeup and had a lot of fun with it. It’s a no-brainer: when you are as beautiful as Nicole, makeup is just wardrobe for the face, and she can rock any look she chooses to.

Here’s the Allure story:

Nicole Scherziner's sleek and minimal look for Allure.

Here’s how the makeover is described in the magazine:

MAKEUP LESSON

To really showcase Scherzinger’s features, makeup artist Brigitte Reiss-Andersen gave the singer what she calls “the anti-smoky eyes.”

SKIN: To make Sherzinger’s skin look luminous, Reiss-Andersen smoothed on Caudalie Premier Cru La Creme moisturizer and a light foundation. Forgoing blush, she dabbed a cream highlighter on Scherzinger’s cheekbones, the bridge of her nose, her collarbone, and her shoulders. “The way it dries, it will just leave a touch of sheen, and it won’t get on your clothes like a body oil,” Reiss-Andersen says. She powdered the singer’s T-zone, but left the rest of her skin dewy.

EYES: “She has these big, almond-shaped eyes,” says Reiss-Andersen. “I wanted to show that off.” She added a few individual false eyelashes and black mascare to the upper and lower lids. The makeup artist lightly lined the inner rims of her eyes with black pencil and used a caramel-colored shadow on Scherzinger’s lids.

LIPS: To flatter Scherzinger’s golden coloring, Reiss-Andersen picked a toffee lipstick. “It’s just a touch darker than Nicole’s skin,” says the makeup artist.

Nicole with golden highlights...

Check out this video of the sitting, courtesy of Allure:

Tags: Allure, Celebrity Looks, MAKEOVERS, Nicole Scherzinger