Berries, browns and golds spice up smoky eyes this fall. (Photo credit: iStockphoto)

Kiki Finley urges women to explore color to enhance personal beauty

By Ricki Jae Morris, My Salon Scoop writer

LOS ANGELES—This season beauty plunges into the deep rich and misty shades dimming from its fluorescent tints this summer. Colors like berry, brown and gold lend drama to the classic smoky fall look.

"A lot of the soft, smoky eyes (are paired with) more earth tones...more browns, cranberries are going to be hot this fall," says Kiki Finley, celebrity makeup artist based in Atlanta. Finley has worked with industry heavyweights; Mary Mary, Mike Epps, Angie Stone, Chante Moore to name a few.

The best way to achieve the look is to use a light application touch, she says. "A nice subtle smoky eye...just enough to make the eye pop."

Then, finish the look with a matte red lipstick. "(With) a classic red lip...you can get away with just putting on a tinted moisturizer with a little bit of liquid bronzer," Finley says, adding that Bobbi Brown Cosmetics has a great tinted moisturizer and foundation for women of color.

Colors
For top-of-the-line eye shadow colors, Finley says M.A.C Cosmetics is the best in the game. "Their eye pigments are unbelievable, I don't think anybody on the market is touching their eye shadows, and their blushes."

The M.A.C look for fall is in-your-face dramatic with collections entitled "Fabulous Felines." Each color palate matches its feline of inspiration: Leopard Luxe (golds and browns), Palace Pedigreed (plum, maroon, blue), and Burmese Beauty (green/gold mix and more brown). The colors work with all skin tones.

"It's a matter of how you incorporate (the colors)," explained Mayra Sanchez, a Los Angeles-based makeup artist for the M.A.C store in the Beverly Center mall. Each palate could be mixed and matched.

In addition to the tinted moisturizer, this fall the Bobbi Brown line pushes the darker makeup hues.

"Darker lips, eyes and subdued cheeks," says Ana Vurganov, a Bobbi Brown beauty advisor at Bloomingdales, is this line's fall direction; touting the theme, "Bobbi Goes Bold with Noir Collection."

Eye colors called Black Charcoal, Black Berry, Black Velvet, Black Maple and Black Raspberry urge women to embrace the dark and mysterious sides of their beauty.

Finley at work on the face of comedian, Bill Cosby.

In addition to these high-end brands, you can find similar fall hues at your local drug stores. Iman Cosmetics is sold in Walgreens and on a number of online retailers. Her "Luxury Eyeshadows," are said to be long-lasting crease resistant. Her colors include: African Violet, Nutmeg, Tiger Eye, Pewter, White Gold, Mixed Metal, Safari and Mysterious (Pink and Black).

CoverGirl, another pocket friendly brand, keeps up with the trendy hues and even lends a nifty tool to achieve the look: Smoky Shadow Blast, a double-sided shadow stick that gives a one-two step in achieving a "bold and easy" smoky eye. It comes in colors: Onyx Smoke, Silver Sky, Purple Plum, Bronze Fire, Citrus Flair, and Tempest Blue. A visual tutorial on how to use the Smoky Shadow Blast can be viewed on CoverGirl.com.

Makeup Rules
Color choices can be perplexing especially for women of color. In Iman's book, The Beauty of Color: The Ultimate Beauty Guide for Skin of Color, she confronts the so-called rules of color: "The archaic rules about who can wear what makeup drives me crazy-like the one saying dark- skinned women can wear only deep plums and rich browns neutrals. Please!"

This quote comes from the section titled Juicy Fruit. In it is a photograph of a dark-complexioned woman rocking florescent colors the right way. Iman's book is chock full of great makeup techniques and color ideas. Other books with great ideas include: Eye Candy by Linda Mason, Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual by Brown, Debra Bergsma Otte, and Sally Wadyka, and Face Forward by Kevyn Aucoin.

Finley also bends the so-called color boundaries. "You can venture out; it's just about moderation. I don't think you should ever be scared to venture out. Just play around with your colors because you never know (if you don't try.)"

Being adventurous with color is the only way to discover your individual beauty. "Everyone's face is different...(you) have to work with what you have," she says.

Finley believes the best makeup approach is to highlight your assets rather than create new ones. "It's about accepting what is there and making that pretty."

But remember, no matter how pretty the colors if your skin isn't healthy the look will be ruined.

"The biggest rule of thumb with doing your makeup is make sure that everything is clean," Finley urges. "The last thing you want...(are) unexpected breakout or eye irritations."

Ricki Jae Morris is a freelance writer in Los Angeles.

Copyright 2010 © My Salon Scoop, LLC

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