May photo shoot #1: Michela

This series of close-ups is part of the first photoshoot I did with photographer Luca Cadamuro.

Model: Michela

We worked a classic yet intense smokey eye to leave more space to the model's bright hair and colourful accessorizes. Her necklace speaks for itself!


I prepped her skin with my usual MUFE HD Microperfecting Primer n.5. Although this is specifically designed to brighten and correct fair skin with redness issues like rosacea, over time I saw it working amazingly well on a variety of complexions. It does have a light blue undertone to it, but that doesn't show up at all if you use it sparingly (I believe that piling up primer isn't a good idea anyway).

Foundation was MAC Face&Body in C3, which turns out to be my most used shade! I toned down the redness on her nose with a green corrector (KIKO Natural Concealer n. 04) and evened out other minor imperfections with a blend of Natural Concealer n. 03 and MAC Pro Longwear Concealer NC15.

On her eyes I created a flawless canvas to work on with a primer (Too Faced Shadow Insurance) and layered a dark grey creamy base, namely Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in Skinny Jeans. This shade could be described as a blend of grey, taupe and green hues with a metallic finish. It truly enhances any eye colour!

I applied a duochrome eyeshadow on top of the base (MAC Club) so as to achieve a multi-dimensionality to the eye, which plain black does not give. Instead, I used a black eyeshadow (NYX Caribbean Palette I Dream of St. John) to smoke out Club in the outer corners and above the crease. I added a touch of gold eyeshadow (Urban Decay Half Baked) on the centre of the lid to make it pop even more. Eyeliner was MAC Blacktrack and mascara Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme. I filled in her eyebrows with MAC Eye Brows in Fling, an ashy blonde colour.

A soft but sexy contouring was achieved by applying MAC Cream Colour Base in Luna on the cheekbones as a highlighter, Estee Lauder bronzer on the hollows of the cheeks and MAC Blush in Blushbaby on the apples of the cheeks. I powdered everything out with my usual E.L.F. HD Powder. 

I wanted to keep lips as neutral as possible, so I lined them with a flesh-toned pencil (Subculture by MAC), and applied Clinique lipstick in Blushing Nude on top.


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