Behind-the-scenes beauty is now mainstream. Gone are the days when only die-hard makeup obsessives would know how to do a cut crease, or the names of their favourite star's glam squad. Now, thanks to YouTube, Instagram and a certain reality show, you can watch the nitty-gritty of a look coming together, master new techniques and find fresh new talent - all while munching your breakfast.
One breakout star who's capitalised on our insatiable thirst for getting #selfie ready beauty is makeup artist, Mario Dedivanovic. An early adopter to bringing the masses backstage, Mario's hosted makeup masterclasses all over the globe where he shows every step of his process in intricate, HD detail. Add an A List client base into the mix (Kim, Kourtney, Khloe, Kris, Kendall and Kylie are all on his roster, as well as Gabrielle Union and Nichole Scherzinger).
It would be remiss not to mention the dozens of titles foisted upon him, most of which surrounding contouring - he's often called the 'King of Contour', thanks to his work with Kim in particular taking the sculpting trend mainstream. Now fronting L'Oreal Makeup Designer Paris' new Sculpting Range, Mario spoke to us about how to do modern glamour and get flawless skin...
We’re all bombarded with tutorials these days, so why do you think some women are still afraid to try new trends?
'I think, for one, some people aren’t too open to change. When there is something new out there that everyone seems to be doing, it can be a little bit intimidating, you know. And sometimes, all these YouTube or Instagram tutorials can add to that – remember clown contouring? It can make things seem more confusing. And there are just a lot of products out there, and several shades and colours of everything. I mean, if I was a woman, I’d be intimidated by it! I wouldn’t want to look a crazy lady!'
Do you think the fear of looking too ‘done’ is present for a lot of women?
'For sure, and not knowing how to do it [contouring]. It’s something very new in the mainstream and I understand that. And if you think about it, if you don’t live close to somewhere that sells lots of makeup, how are you going to know what are the right products for you?'
What advice would you give to women who are interested in trying different makeup, but are wary of that ‘cakey’ look?
'Less is more. Use a very little bit of product, and if you like it and you’re happy with it, then you can build onto that and apply more. And blending! That’s like my biggest life tip. Blend everything you apply fully – it makes such a huge difference to the overall appearance of your face. Find what works for you, whether that’s a blending brush, your fingers or a Beautyblender.'
All of your clients always have the most fantastic, clean, glowing skin. How can we transform dull, grey complexions?
'A great, even base is key. Go for something super light – the secret with glowy skin is to try and get your natural skin to shine through as much as possible, so go for the lightest coverage you feel comfortable with. Avoid using too much powder on your cheeks, so that way your natural oils will give a nice light glow. I’m obsessed with glowy cheeks at the moment, and creamy blushers and highlighters that have that little bit of shimmer to them. I’m not so much into powder right now.'
We love the makeup you’ve been doing on Shay Mitchell right now – her skin looks flawless.
'Again, I tried not to use too much powder at all. For the campaign, we had to keep things super light and super natural looking.'
You’ve always been big on using a rich moisturiser instead of a primer. Is that still the case if we want a glowy finish?
'I just love moisturiser. Nothing will give you a glow like a good moisturiser. A radiant primer or a shimmery primer, for me, it doesn’t work. If I’m putting a foundation over the top, it doesn’t sit well that there’s particles underneath that are sparkly. And when you really work a moisturiser into the skin, it’s like a little facial massage which gives you a glow, too.'
Say we don’t have Shay Mitchell’s or Kim Kardashian’s skin. How can we cover imperfections?
'I would still go for a lighter coverage foundation and then I would do spot concealing. I think using fingers works really well for that, just pressing it into the skin and blending it so it warms with your skin. Use a translucent powder on a small brush and just dot it over those areas, try and avoid doing the whole face or it can look flat. I’d suggest using a light textured concealer and just layering it up. Anything that’s going to stick to the skin is good.'
What’s the complete wrong way to cover up a bad skin day?
'Using a thick, thick pressed powder or thick foundation all over the face. To me, that can actually magnify the problem so much more because it makes the skin look bumpy and dry.'
What about dark circles?
'If someone has a really dry or grey-ish undereye, I always go for more liquid formulas and just build and blend, build and blend softly. But it can be challenging – I usually avoid highlighting concealers, because you don’t want light-reflecting particles in an are where there might be lines.'
Are you excited for a new era in sculpting?
'I’m very passionate about sculpting and I feel like I have a responsibility to educate people about different ways to do it, and reassure people it doesn’t always have to be that dramatic look they see on social media. There are plenty of modern, elegant ways to do contour, and I think L’Oreal Makeup Designer Paris does that beautifully.' (ed note: the new L'Oreal Infallible Sculpt Palettes are a dream for this natural contour.)
L’Oréal Paris Sculpt collection is available from February 2016 from Boots & Superdrug.
For more information visit L'Oreal Sculpt School.