Photo Tutorial: Natalie Portman's Modern, Polished Everyday Look

Aside for my admiration of Natalie Portman's acting skill, ethical convictions (she's a proud vegan!), and undeniable natural beauty, I was also drawn to the above issue of Elle Canada because of the makeup look Ms. Portman was sporting on the cover. It definitely makes a statement with its perky pink lipstick and softly sultry eyes. At the same time, though, it is a look that can certainly be worn on a daily basis for a polished, professional, yet punchy look.

As you can see from this closeup, this makeup look is characterized by a subtle, brown smoky eye, flushed pink cheeks, and vibrant (but not over the top) rosy lips. I found it to be the perfect balance between vibrant and demure. And I've done my best to re-create it here for you!

Here's my final look, after which I've broken everything down step-by-step:

Step 1: Base and Blush

Natalie's above look features flawless-looking skin with a slightly dewy finish. To even out my skintone and erase redness, I applied Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream in a mix of shades #21 and #23. To cover up my undereye circles and any remaining red spots, I used MAC's Pro-Longwear Concealer in NC20.

(L-R):  Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream in #21 and 23, MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NC20, and NYC Blushable Creme Stick Blush in Big Apple Blush

Natalie's look also features rosy pink cheeks- like a natural flush, with a bit of a kick. To emulate this, I used NYC's Blushable Creme Stick in Big Apple Blush.  I like to apply cream blushes before face powder, as they blend nicely into the foundation. It's ok if the blush looks a bit brighter than desired at this stage, as applying powder over top will tone it down a bit. Here's what it looked like at this point:

Step 2: Powder, bronzer, and highlighter

Once the above products had set on my face (I usually wait about 15 minutes or so), I applied a sheer layer of MAC Blot Powder in Medium. This worked to tone down shine, even out the complexion further, and mute the blush slightly. To emulate Natalie's sculpted cheekbones and warm glow, I used some of Hard Candy's Hula Hula Baked Bronzer to contour my face and give this look a summery feel. I applied the bronzer mainly below the blush, along my temples and forehead, and down my nose.


Left: MAC Blot Powder in Medium. Right: Hard Candy Hula Hula Bronzer. Front: Guerlain Meteorites in Mythic Beige


To up the glow factor a bit, I applied a small amount of shimmery gold highlighter (Guerlain Meteorites in Mythic Beige) on my cheekbones above the blush, and on the bridge of my nose. Here's what everything looked like at this point:

Step 3: Brows!

Natalie's look features some seriously defined brows. They are bold, but not distracting or over-the-top. To re-create this effect, I first filled in the sparsest areas of my brows with Clarins' Brow Pencil in Soft Blonde 03. Then, I finished with a layer of Anastasia Brow Powder Duo in Ash Blonde, thoroughly combing out the excess product afterwards with the spool end of Anastasia's Brow Brush. You can do the same with a clean mascara wand!

Step 4: Brighten the eyelid and brow bone

I next chose to brighten and highlight the eye area (before adding any smoky effects), focusing on the centre of the eyelid, brow bone, and inner corner of the eye. For this, I used MAC's Powder Eye Shadow in Ricepaper, a soft, shimmery golden yellow shade. Here's what that looked like:

Step 5: Apply a Soft, Smoky Brown

To solidify Natalie's smoky brown eye, I applied a warm, mid-toned, gold-flecked brown eye shadow to the crease and outer corner of the eye, as well as lightly to the lower lash line. I wanted to add some depth and interest to the eye, without making things too bold to wear on a daily basis. MAC's Powder Eye Shadow in Woodwinked was perfect for this! Here's how it looked:

Step 6: Eyeliner

Eyeliner is the perfect way to add more depth and definition to a smoky eye, but the goal here was to do so without adding too much drama. No one wants to hide their eyes behind raccoon-like loads of black eyeliner on a daily basis (though it can be fun for a night out!), and Natalie's cover look shows a perfect way to achieve this. Rather than a pitch-black liner, I chose to use a softer black shade with a hint of gold to add some warmth. I applied NARS' Soft Touch Shadow Pencil in Aigle Noir in a thin line on the upper lid, winging it out slightly, and also lightly on the lower lid over the brown eyeshadow already there:



Bottom right of palette: MAC Powder Eye Shadow in Ricepaper. To the right: MAC Powder Eyeshadow in Woodwinked. Standing up: Boots No 7 Maximum Volume Waterproof Mascara in Black. Lying down: NARS Soft Touch Eye Pencil in Aigle Noir


Step 7: Mascara!

No smoky eye (subtle or otherwise) is complete without full, sexy lashes. Natalie seems to be wearing a couple coats of black mascara on her cover look, and I was happy to mirror this, using Boots No 7 Maximum Volume Waterproof Mascara on top and bottom lashes:

Here's how the finished smoky eye looked, before attending to lips:

  

Step 8: Lipstick

For me, the prettiest part of Natalie's cover look is the lip. I loved the bright, warm shade of pink lipstick she wore, which added a flirty pop of colour to this otherwise neutral look. To re-create the shade, I applied a mix of MAC Amplified Lipstick in Chatterbox and NARS Semi-Matte Lipstick in Schiap (which I've featured on the blog previously). Schiap created a matte, fuchsia base, while Chatterbox warmed up the colour and added a hint of shine. Here's what it looked like:

(L-R): MAC Amplified Lipstick in Chatterbox, NARS Semi-Matte Lipstick in Schiap

And- ta da!- here is the final look! I was happy with how it turned out, and am eager to give it another try. Here are a few pictures of the my completed attempt, with a dramatic one at the end to mirror Natalie's sultry cover pose. Again, more dorky than sexy, but I can live with that ;)

 

 

I would love to hear any feedback or questions you may have about this post. And, as always, thanks for reading! :)