Elena Kapitonova is a makeup artist and lifestyle blogger based in New York. The makeup done by her has a recognizable touch: a radiant, healthy skin; she achieves this effect by a certain method of applying makeup, which allows to make a skin with any imperfections ideal for the event. Elena has a lot of experience and is a big fan of her job. This is the case when a hobby has become the vocation of a lifetime, and she never stops to deepen her knowledge and create new makeup techniques, figure out which cosmetics allows to make a revolutionary step in makeup, and which is already lost in the past.
Elena has been working as a makeup artist for 11 years now. She worked as the leading makeup artist of Burberry and Armani in Russia, and after moving to the US, she started collaborations with celebrities. At the Oscar Party 2020, Elena did an absolutely stunning makeup for an IG blogger Tatjana Mariposa wearing a Beyonce exclusive dress, in collaboration with the BBB society brand, Elena was also an ambassador of the Botanical Beach Babes brand at the Miami Beach Week this year. For all her rich experience, Elena has created looks for the covers of Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar and other magazines, more than 100 covers in total. On the Instagram, she shares her secrets of how to emphasize the natural beauty of a face, shares the results of her work with brands, as well as with creative teams, and makes posts about life in the US, as Elena lived both on the west and east coast.
Elena has been collecting fashion magazines since her childhood – her favorite section was cosmetics. She always enjoyed studying different textures and mixing colors. Elena sees beauty in everyone and is sure that a good quality makeup makes a huge difference, favorably emphasizing the beauty and harmony of the face, making the difference visible even to the client themselves. The moment of transformation, when the client is in awe, makes Elena happy. Elena does not want to stop at the level achieved, and there are still many celebrities on her list of desired clients. Elena strives to spread the word about herself, her experience in order to work with well-known masters of their craft and with top creative teams.
So, good skin preparation, as well as the secrets of applying a foundation, how to emphasize the natural sculpture of the face – all this can be found on Elena’s Instagram, or in this article: Elena agreed to describe her method of preparing the skin and applying the base and foundation, and mistakes that novice makeup artists make.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR SKIN FLAWLESS
As photographers usually say, you need to take care of a good makeup before the photoshoot so that you don’t have to retouch a photo a lot. This is considered a high level in photography.
The same thing is in makeup – to do a neat makeup that emphasizes individuality and does not require any Instagram filter. This is the true goal of makeup artists.
What do we usually do when we take selfies? The first thing you want to do is to hide skin imperfections and fatigue behind Instagram filters. I will tell you how to prepare your skin so that it looks perfect without retouching, and you can shine bright like a diamond in all the photos from the event.
The secret of expensive-looking makeup is in the preparation of the skin and a good, sheer foundation with even coverage. The products you use should be of high quality. Reserve a nice piece of your budget for them. It is almost as if you should properly prime the canvas so that the drawing looks good and clean.
I choose a microfoliant from Dermatologica in order to exfoliate dead skin shell – it can spoil the evenness of the foundation and take on more product than it is necessary – there is a risk of ending up with a spotty face. Under the eyes I apply Clinique All about Eyes Serum De-Puffing Eye – yes, these products really work, it removes puffiness under the eyes.
Then I apply a moisturizer to the skin – it’s better to over-moisturize it rather than underdo it – especially for those events where makeup sits on the skin for long hours. Without proper hydration, the foundation may begin to clog into creases.
As for the foundation, I prefer to mix several colors. It is often difficult to choose one product so that it perfectly matches the skin. That’s why you can safely choose 2 or more tones to mix them to your ideal color. And now my secret for a radiant skin is that I add a special glow fluid Chanel Les Beiges to the mix of foundations – about 30% of the mixture, not too much, so that the fluid gives off a healthy skin radiance. The skin looks smooth, healthy, the mixture sits on the face like a second skin. After that, you can start contouring the face to revitalize it and give it a full of energy look. To create shadows on the face, I use GUCCI Eclat Soleil Luminous Bronzer – this product has a good selection of shades that will absolutely give no brick color effect. And to lighten and emphasize the protruding features, I use a highlighter: I highlight the bridge of the nose, cheekbones, the upper lip contour and the brow bone.
Nice to take a note, to give the face a youthful look, I comb the eyebrows upwards with MAKEUP BY MARIO Master Hold Brow Gel.
If you repeat the method described above, I assure you, you will look stunning. Beautiful skin is a 50% of success in makeup. Then you can proceed to the usual routine with eyes, lips and eyebrows.
By the way, I gave up lipsticks and switched to lip glosses – they add up to the image of freshness. And to make the shine last longer, I use a lip pencil as a base.
MAKE-UP ARTISTS’ MISTAKES
At photoshoots and social events, you always have to be ready as a makeup artist: everything does not always happen as planned. A makeup artist should always be ready to adapt to any kind of situation: a model got sunburned, an allergic rash on the cheeks, a cat scratch, or bruises after a beautician – this is life, this is ok, we are not perfect. But my task is to make it as if these problems did not exist.
The most common mistake is not knowing the effects of the products you use. How many times has it happened that at an event with flash cameras we see white spots on the face on the photo? The skin looks good in life, but on the photos its is covered in spots. What is it?
Just imagine, the client is late, the summer heat, poor air conditioning – makeup artists have to work in a variety of conditions. Any makeup can simply float away, get all watery. Do not try to put a lot of transparent powder on a sweaty face! The powder will stick in thick layers, and all this will be visible in flash photos! Not every powder is suitable for events where there are paparazzi – make sure that the powder is talc-free – talc gives the effect of stuck white spots in a flash. I choose the Lawless Seal the Deal Talc-Free Loose Setting powder. It does not reflect flashes, and also smoothes fine wrinkles very well. By the way, I always recommend using powder in the area under the eyes – if an eyeshadow suddenly falls off, they can be easily brushed off without damaging the foundation.
It is also necessary to take into account the weather conditions and climatic features of the area where the event takes place. For example, where I come from, it’s low humidity. However, when I moved to New York, I felt the difference, and slightly changed the approach to the makeup I usually do. So that the makeup does not float away because of high humidity, I use the Make Up For Ever Mist&Fix fixing spray.
And of course, the key to good lifespan of a makeup is a well-moisturized skin. Remember, I said that it’s better to overdo than underdo.
And finally, be brave! I have an amazing experience of interacting with famous bloggers; I feel great at big events, as I do not give in to difficulties and always choose to communicate with people, make the first step myself to approach them. Networking is your best friend. Communicate, take on creative projects, practice. The best teacher is experience, no courses will replace it for you. Many secrets in makeup I brought out myself while working on creative projects. I noted the mistakes I made, and the next time I already knew how to correct it in similar situations. Also subscribe to big makeup artists, as well as makeup artists who work with popular celebrities – they are not just taken for no reason! Examine their works and develop your taste in beauty, increase your viewing experience. Reach out for the best to one day get on the same level with them!
Instagram – https://instagram.com/ellekastylist?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=