Makeup and Skincare Tips from Celebrity Makeup Artist Genn Shaughnessy

Makeup and Skincare Tips from Celebrity Makeup Artist Genn Shaughnessy

Genn Shaughnessy’s affinity to produce various types of make-up for print, video and stage work demonstrates her amazing eye for detail and her unique ability to think outside the lines of conventional thinking. She has numerous national credits to her name that include People magazine, Teen People magazine, American Idols Live, and Trading Spaces. Shaughnessy’s celebrity clients include Carrie Underwood, NY Giants Brandon Jacobs, Leslie Segrete, and Laurie Smith from Trading Spaces, Constantine Maroulis from American Idol, the US Olympic Hockey team, and former New York State Governor Elliot Spitzer. She is also the author of the book, Makeup Made Simple, launched last spring. We sat down with this expert and asked her for her advice on prepping the skin for makeup, changing skincare routines to coincide with the seasons, fixing smudged makeup, and more.

Q: What sets your book, Makeup Made Simple, apart from other makeup books?

A: This book is written from a Makeup Artist/Educator’s point of view. Therefore, it takes various learning styles into consideration and goes in-depth on how to do things and steps outside the normal realm of comfort. It also focuses on applying makeup. It is not written from a brand or endorsement standpoint so it’s not an advertising pitch. I talk about what I think works for the topics at hand, and I am not persuaded to a different direction other than what I believe will work.

Q: What is the best way to prep the skin before applying any makeup?

A: It varies depending on the skin type, but as a general rule of thumb, always clean and hydrate. Keep in mind that hydration = water, not oil. Even if the skin is oily, it always needs hydration or it will start to over produce oil. Then use a primer for face and eyes to maximize the longevity of the makeup. If you have an uneven texture, are flaking or haven’t done so in awhile, be sure to lightly exfoliate with a face scrub. This will minimize the potential for an uneven application. I personally love MAC’s Eyeshadow Paints as an eyeshadow base and Jan Marini’s Age Intervention Face Primer. I use them both daily and my makeup lasts for up to 14 hours. To apply eye primer, use a concealer brush or ring finger and lightly apply MAC eyeshadow paint all over the eyelid in a thin, barely seen layer. Blend the crease outward toward your brow bone. Then immediately apply your eyeshadow on top of it. For a neutral skin color, try Bare Canvas for pale skin, Untitled for pale pink skin, Bamboom or sublime nature for tan/darker skin. To apply face primer, use your fingertips or a foundation brush and apply a thin layer of primer after moisturizer in a downward motion starting out from the center of your face. If it’s balling up and pilling off when you put your foundation on, note that you’ve put too much on.

Q: What adjustments would you make to your routine with the changing seasons?

A: Being that I am located in NY, it ranges from fall being cool to a bone chilling windy winter, back into a cool spring with a hot and humid summer. It personally affects my skin drastically. I am super oily in the summer and as dry as a sponge without water in the winter. As I said before, hydration is key. If your cells are not hydrated, makeup takes up the space and goes on unevenly, blotchy, ashy, etc. I also make sure to hydrate internally and take supplements and vitamins to aid in general health which in turn helps beauty health like skin, hair and nails. If you’re not sure what your status is, check out Web Md’s Personal skin evaluator. Don’t let this replace medical advice, but to steer you in the right direction. If you have an extreme issue like acne, sores, blisters, cuts, etc. talk to a trusted, licensed skincare or medical professional.

Here are some great tips and products for the changing seasons:

WINTER

SKIN
I tend to use a creamy cleanser like Noxzema, followed by an intense moisturizer like Caroline Chu’s Night Cream and Day cream or FACE Stockholm’s Advanced Hydration Vitamin Cream.

I also tend to use scrubs more often in the winter, 1-2 times a week as opposed to once every ten days to 2 weeks. Caroline Chu’s Bamboo Facial Scrub is awesome! Even the most sensitive skin can use this gentle cream without trouble. Be careful around areas that are prone to irritation. If you suffer from cold sores, never scrub the area around your lips, it will initiate a break out.

Then there’s also the need for feeling tan; I hold onto it by hugging my body with St. Tropez or Kymaro Tanning Products. I love the Kymaro Sunless Tanning line (they also have great lashes too!) The St. Tropez also gives amazing color and it is available in a spray.

MAKEUP
I tend to use less powder and drying products, and use cream blushes, concealers and foundations, where needed. Polish it off with a light coverage powder. I like MAC cream blush, Jemma Kidd’s Lip and Cheek Stain, and Senna’s Mineral Powder. Jemma Kidd Dewy Glow all over radiance cream is also a great addition to any face cream or foundation. It can also be used for a highlighter on the tops of the cheekbones or brow bone.

HAIR
Growth always slows down so much in the winter and the texture tends to be so dry and lifeless. I always need a little extra help from my hair friends in the winter and tend to rely heavily on Rene Furterer’s Karite Intense nourishing conditioning cream and Ojon’s Restorative hair treatment. I usually alternate one every week, once a week. I also change my shampoo and conditioner to Joico K-pak. I also use these same products when changing my color drastically or it’s had a lot physical or chemical damage done to it where a lot of damage needs to be repaired.

For styling, I usually use Kenra 25 Hairspray with Paul Mitchell’s Super Sinny Serum mixed with their hair wax. Right on the back of my hand I mix the two and use my fingertips to distribute it through my hair to create a whispless foundation that’s nice, smooth and textured. Then once I have my style, I spray it with hairspray.

SUMMER

SKIN & MAKEUP
My face tends to be oily in the summer so I make the switch in skincare to less rich, and deeper cleaning washes. I love gel cleansers in the summer like Boots UK No 7, Gel Cleanse. I also use Protect and Perfect Serum Eye cream and Rebalancing Day Fluid with SPF 15.

Since I get a lot of color in the summer and am always out in the sun, I use very little makeup. It’s usually a waterproof liquid eyeliner, MAC primarily, with a waterproof mascara Maybelline Full N Soft is the only one I’ve found that doesn’t run. Using a tinted moisturizer, I usually just mix my lotion with a tad of foundation and lather it all over. When I get oily I wipe excessive oil with a tissue. For a little bit of shine, I use MAC Blot Powder, usually in medium-dark in the summer, light or medium in the winter. I follow with a foundation powder, bronzer, and blush. I love IT Cosmetics Bronzer, Blush Highlighter trio. They are all waterproof and sweat proof. Then all over my body I mix some sort of body oil with a tad of tan or gold pigment like MAC or DEX NY’s. If I’m going to be put in a spotlight, I always use Per-fekt Body Perfection gel in Medium. It’s also waterproof and minimizes imperfections in legs and arms.

HAIR
I usually keep it simple in the summer since I’m always in the pool or at the beach. I always make sure to put a protecting spray on to protect my hair and color from sun damage. I love Paul Mitchell’s Color Protect Locking spray or Ouidad Summer Shield combined with my all time favorite hair product, Derm Organic Argan Oil. When my hair becomes a tad oily or I don’t feel like washing it, I dust my roots with a wee bit of The All Nighter Styling Powder.

For fall and spring I am always somewhere in between. I just follow or start new trends and pay close attention to what my skin is telling me.

Q: What is the best quick fix for smudged lipstick or eyeliner?

A: Bottom eyeliner is so simple. Clean off your pinky finger and wipe from inner corners of eyes, outward at the base line of the lashes. For top liner, depending on how smudged, what kind and what your shadow situation is, just concentrate on the outer corners… grab a tissue, wet it if needed, and work the same way on both sides. Start by cleaning off where it shouldn’t be and go from there.

For lipstick, you can stop the smudge by preventing it. If you normally have messy lips try using a reversible lip liner around the outer part of your lip line like those by Too Faced Borderline or Prime with POP Lip Magnet. Another good way to stop it is to use a long last lipstick, like L’Oreal’s Infallible Lip Color. My favorite is Linda’s Beige.

If it’s just a random smudge, grab a tissue or use a makeup sponge (like those found in powder containers) wipe only skin area, not touching the lips with said lip color and wipe away the mess. Use a wipe if it’s red, or wet toilet paper with a little soap and water, then wipe off, use a wet tissue to wipe soap off, then dry. Apply a little powder over it if need to blend in the rest of your makeup. I keep face wipes in my purse. I personally love the Boots UK No 7 Line. It can be found in Target for a very modest price.

Q: How is the makeup application process different for film, print, and everyday wear?

A: Again, it really depends on who it’s for. You would never wear as much every day as you would on film or camera. And it also depends on the camera’s being used, lighting, etc. As a general rule, it’s usually a big rush process to get someone done for film, where as there is usually more time allotted for print. For film it’s always on the go, and it’s a big hurry up to wait. I usually have an hour, maybe two, to get talent done for film, if that, whereas for camera I usually have twice as much time to spend and really get every little detail flawless.

Since films don’t focus on an individual, they don’t seem to be so concerned with every last detail, so long as it fits into the big picture. Print, however tends to focus on one image and very little talent. So every detail has to be perfect, down to every little hair, line, etc. I always have to make sure talent fits the creative direction given by the director, manager, or whomever is responsible for telling me the part, script, etc. I always have to read a script for whatever I am in charge of and try to see it in my mind so that I can predict how it’s going to pan out in film. Same goes for “the shot;” I always have to see the image in my mind and what I want to see on print. Sometimes I don’t have a ton of freedom which can be a challenge. Sometimes I am told what I have to do, and that’s that. Then it’s a matter of using what I have available to make that happen.

Everyday wear is what works for each individual client, their profession, the amount of time they want to spend on their routine, the money they want to invest, and how they want to look. For example, a corporate lawyer who needs to convey a very professional and smart image will not be taken seriously with 24-inch long hair extensions and a smokey eye. And a nightclub bartender or dancer won’t be looked at much or given the amount of tips she could be if she wasn’t wearing that same look.

Everyday is different for everyone, every profession, budget ranges, etc.