michael brown Archives - Kate Waterhouse

How to fake looking rested when you’ve been out all night

26th November, 2023

Whenever I need to look camera-ready I turn to Michael Brown. As my go-to makeup artist he’s been known to get me looking fresh and ready for an event in a flash, even if I was looking absolutely exhausted right before. He’s that good. So, given there are events aplenty right now, and Christmas parties galore, I know there are going to be those who may need to look bright eyed and bushy tailed even if they’re feeling anything but. But what’s the best way to fake eight hours sleep with what’s sitting in your makeup kit? What are the best makeup tricks to hide looking tired?

I asked Michael to talk me through the whole process—from what products to use to how to tackle problem areas such as dark circles and a dull complexion—so I could share it with you to use as your go-to guide over the next few weeks. Here are Michael’s top makeup tricks to hide looking tired—so you can fool everyone into thinking you were in bed nice and early last night. It’s our little secret…

If you’re going to try and fake looking like you’ve had eight hours sleep, what should be in your tool kit and why?

“To fake eight hours sleep, it’s all about a good hydration product for instant plump and glow; a great concealer for any redness on the skin and of course dark circles; eye drops to re-fresh tired eyes and for me it’s a great lip/blush combo, something fresh and on the brighter side to add colour and brighten your overall look.”

What’s the key to brightening up a tired, dull complexion?

“A non-sparkly highlighter, concealer and a great fresh/bright lipstick would be my first choices to brighten a tired complexion!

The highlighter (try a creamy/liquid, non-metallic version) can be used under and/or over foundation on highlight points, especially cheekbones, to capture and reflect light to give the illusion of super fresh, glow skin.

Concealer is a must, and is more for redness around the nose and then lightly applied under the eye area for an instant refresh!

Lastly, a bright, fresh lipstick, like peach, dusty rose or a brick-based pink/red can also be dabbed and applied to the cheeks and eyelids to really awaken the skin, giving colour and freshness back to a tired complexion.”

How can you effectively disguise tired eyes?

“Sometimes overcompensating and applying too much makeup around the eyes when tired is actually worse! Avoid dark and heavy, think fresh and light, while steering clear of pinky/reddish shades, as these can make the eyes look more tired.

Use eye drops to clear redness and re-fresh, concealer under the eye to brighten dark circles and then neutral tones across the eyelid and socket bone with mascara. No eyeliner will do the trick to open and define, but not overdo the area with makeup.”

How can you best cover dark circles?

“Dark circles really need two shades of concealer to really get that celebrity, red carpet style, super fresh under eye snd it works a treat!

Depending on the depth of the dark circle, apply first a peachy/yellow (orange for extreme dark circles) to the actual dark circle area and dab to blend for colour correction.

Then, over the top, use more of your skin tone shade and even slightly lighter, and this will brighten the area.

Once you colour correct the dark circle away, only then will your skin tone shade or lighter tone work over the area, otherwise it may go greyish if you don’t colour correct first.”

What are the key things to do if you want to look fresher?

“It really is also about focusing more on your skin prep!

We are so quick to slap on a bit of makeup when tired, but skin prep does all that for you…. With hydration comes glow and plump skin, it’s important to massage skincare into skin well to reduce puffiness and to look fresher.

Are there any looks to steer clear of if you are trying to look more rested than you actually are?

“For me, it is just heavy eye makeup. It can definitely make you appear more tired than you are as it’s quite heavy for the eyes —especially big lashes and thick eyeliner!”

If you’re dealing with a hangover, what’s the quickest makeup routine to do to help freshen up your look?

“As above. Eye drops, skin prep, concealer, non metallic highlighter, brighter lipstick and blush.”

Beauty

The biggest makeup trends in 2023

27th February, 2023

I love playing around with different makeup styles whenever I get the opportunity so I’m always curious to know what trends are coming up, especially what we can see being huge throughout the year. Makeup inspiration is of course everywhere, from runway shows, to Instagram and TikTok, to TV shows, so it can be hard to keep track of what’s what. This is why I decided to turn to my good friend and go-to makeup artist, Michael Brown who always keeps me abreast of what’s happening in the world of makeup and beauty. When it comes to trends in 2023, it might be time to embrace the 90s and farewell to that contour brush, while it seems a minimalist foundation approach and upping the gloss factor when it comes to lips is going to be top of mind.

Skin-like Foundation

Continuing the no makeup/makeup trend, we are seeing an even bigger pushing to bare faces. Skincare-like tints are IN. Dewy, fresh, less matte full coverage skin is all the rage in 2023

This is also with the rise of skincare knowledge —good skin = less makeup!

Tip: If you have a foundation that is more matte or full coverage and don’t want to splash out on a new purchase, just add a drop of your favourite hydrating serum and mix, this will give that skin-like finish.

Shadow Winged Liner

We saw a big rise in winged liner in recent times, this is still a thing, as it really can define and elongate the eyes! But rather than sometimes struggling with a liquid liner, we are seeing more of a ‘lived in’ eyeshadow applied wing, allowing for a little less polish and more ease in application.

Tip: Use a thin-tipped brush to apply a deeper tone shadow on the top lash line and extend where a wing would go. It’s a good idea to try and do this when your eyes are open, to give a realistic take on placement as you don’t walk around with your eyes closed. Using the upward angle from your lower lash line can be a great guide into the correct placement of a winged look. Blend and smudge with ease, using a shadow.

Vinyl Lips

YAY! I personally am over the matte ‘dry lip’ look. Yes, we have come along way when it comes to matte textures, being more creamy, but unless your lips are so juicy and hydrated, a matte just looks, well matte and often very dry by the end of the day.

Big, bold, juicy, fresh and shine is your lip trend for 2023.

Tip: If you are worried about shine/gloss going everywhere or creeping into lip edge fine lines, just applying gloss or a ‘sheen’ style lipstick on the very centre part of the lip is all you need to get that vinyl look—but go bold in colour to really complete this lip effect.

Michael’s my go-to for on point makeup looks

Brow Art

Brows are kind of always on trend lists, lately for big, fluffy, gel and soap brows being a ‘thing’ but now we are seeing lots of creativity.

From bleach brows (it’s a no from me) or even just lightening them slightly with lighter brow gels than your brow colour, it’s all the rage to add some art and design to brows.

Thin brows are slightly creeping in, thanks to the 90s comeback, but for me it’s not necessarily going thinner, just a more accentuated arch.

Tip: Using a brow product – I am loving the felt-tip brow pens at the moment – accentuate and exaggerate the arch of your brow to create focus. Then, especially for deeper toned brows, try a brow gel lighter than your brows so brow hair can catch the light to give a different dimension.

Go Grunge

Yes, we are seeing it everywhere, a nod to the 90s.

Now we aren’t saying go the full Ghoul Girl trend, as seen on TikTok, but less ‘pretty’ and ‘sparkly’ makeup is a thing. We were obsessed with ‘Euphoria beauty’ last year with face embellishments and metallic eyes, which had a pretty cool girl vibe, now we are seeing a lived-in, smudged black liner, raw fresh skin vibe – think Kate Moss or Courtney Love in the 90s.

Tip: This look is fresh, but with no colour. Think a black pencil liner, smudged up into your eyelid with a brush for a lived-in smoky vibe, less blush, but still fresh beautiful skin.

Lashes On Lashes

With a big decline on false lashes and eye lash extensions (thank god), especially as a nod to the 90s comes into play, we are still seeing big, thick, almost chunky lashes, but with mascara.

That lived-in trend is also on mascara, so using a double or triple layer technique, building up big thickness, rather than the prettiness or overly styled long lashes from falsies or extensions, mascara brands are going BIG this year.

Tip: For this to really work, curl your lashes first then use a lash/brow comb to make sure you still have big, yet full, but separated lashes.

Hyper Glow Skin

So, we know that the super raw, fresh faced, tint like skin is in and we are seeing way less contour and bronzer used in makeup trends – I mean probably a good thing, as faces were starting to look muddy!

The glow factor we all love hasn’t changed, well in terms of placement – on an area you want to enhance and bring forward – it’s the textures that have changed.

Powder highlights are out, unless they are super fresh, creamy-like and no shimmer. Fresh, mirror-like, reflective but less shimmer is in to make skin look so transparent and glassy, this will give you a natural contour, now that bronzer contour is fading.

Tip: Always apply highlighter to the frontal points of the face, where light will hit naturally first… Peak of brow, cheekbones, centre of nose, cupids bow of the lip etc. But, if you are naturally a shiny/oily person, make sure you balance this glow with a touch of powder in the shiny/oily T-Zone areas.

Beauty

The key to great foundation according to my go-to makeup artist

9th July, 2022

Whenever I have to get my glam on, whether it’s for a big event or a shoot, more often than not I turn to makeup artist Michael Brown. With over 20 years’ experience, he’s worked with major brands such as Marc Jacobs Beauty and VS Sassoon, is the resident beauty expert for ATC Races and has worked with celebs like Miranda Kerr, Gisele Bundchen, Jesinta Franklin and Jennifer Hawkins. So, essentially he knows his stuff when it comes to makeup.

I usually walk away from one of our makeup sessions with a new product to try or a tip to remember. So I figure who better to share his expertise on the first step in any makeup routine. With a wealth of knowledge up his sleeve, I asked Michael’s tips for how to achieve a great base and get foundation spot on—plus the big no-nos to avoid.

Skin prep is key

“This is a very common trend in Australia, foundation looking very heavy or obvious on the skin.

Yes, this could be incorrect foundation choice or bad application if it is looking obvious on the face, but more times than not, the foundation product has been applied over skin with no real skin prep which is crucial for that second skin complexion that most women are after.

It is important to apply foundation to a smooth, well-hydrated, plump skin, so this all comes down to good skincare. Try to exfoliate once a week to buff the skin. When your skin is well hydrated, foundation will melt into the face, not catching or looking dry in certain areas either.”

Avoid dense formulations

“Use a water-based or light fluid moisturiser under foundation for that perfect bond. A more dense cream can sometimes be to thick or oil-based and much longer to absorb into the skin, so foundation doesn’t actually bond well, rather than a lightweight gel-cream for example.”

Understand your skin tone

“I see so many women wearing very obvious mismatched foundation shades on their skin. Yes, there sometimes can be other factors like not enough moisture on the skin, therefore the colour can appear darker on dry patches of the skin, but in most cases, its just not getting the skin tone correct.

It is important to understand skin under-tones such as warm, cool and neutral.

Do you have any pink running through your skin? This is the easiest way to tell between cool and warm. Pink equals cool and you’ll have a bluish vein tone on the back of your wrists. Warm skin tones will have no pink, more a yellowish undertone and a green vein tone on the back of your wrists.

For anything else, you might be neutral which is very common with Asian skin tones. Or if are trying to diffuse colour from your skin, neutral foundation shades are for.”

Don’t match foundation to the back of your hand

“Never try to colour match your foundation on the back of your hand, as it wont be applied there and hands are often darker than our face, so apply on the cheek/jawline area, as that will give the most true colour match.

If someone wants to warm up their skin, especially now coming out of winter and going into warmer months, rather than going up a notch in foundation shades, it’s best to mix a dab of liquid bronzer into your foundation so that it slightly warms up the product to give warmth, otherwise your face can look very different to everything else if you try to change your skin tone.”

Fashion

Every single beauty product I used on Day 3 of Afterpay Australian Fashion Week

2nd June, 2021

It’s another hectic day on the Australian Fashion Week calendar, and today in particular I was juggling hosting the launch of 25 Martin Place in Sydney, while also heading off to check out the Anna Quan show tonight. So, makeup that had staying power was a definite must. Luckily, I was working with Michael Brown again to do my glam. For today’s look we went for neutral eyes, with a pop of colour on the lip. It’s something I tend to love doing away from events, so it’s always a makeup look I’m comfortable with for big occasions such as today’s launch. Here’s a product-by-product guide of everything I wore.

Ardell Naked Lashes 424 (trimmed in half)

Lips

Clarins Joli Rouge Crayon

Marc Jacobs Beauty Enamored Lip Lacquer in Sugar Sugar

Fashion

Every single beauty product I used on Day 2 of Afterpay Australian Fashion Week

1st June, 2021

I had two shows today, Oroton and Maggie Marilyn plus a fitting at David Jones so I needed makeup that was going to have me looking fresh-faced but had staying power. When I’m on the go I don’t like anything too fussy in terms of beauty looks but I do want it to look polished and put together. This means a great flawless complexion and some bold colour accents. I had my makeup professionally done again, something I usually do for big events such as this so I made sure to take note of all the products that my makeup artist used. Here’s a breakdown, product by product.

Skin

Clarins Double Serum

Olay Regenerist Whip

Kora Noni Eye Oil

All about glowy skin for any beauty look

Complexion

Clarins Everlasting Youth Fluid in Honey

Bobbi Brown Cream Concealer

Kora Rose Quartz Luminiser

Clarins Joli Blush in Cheeky Coral

Eyes

Tom Ford Quad Shadow Palette in Sous Le Sable

Marc Jacobs Highliner in Rococoa

Clarins Supra Volume Mascara

Fenty Brow Pencil in Medium Brown

Benefit 24hr Set Brow Gel

Lips

Clarins Joli Rouge Lipstick in Intense Nude

Fashion

Every single beauty product I used on Day 1 of Afterpay Australian Fashion Week

1st June, 2021

Wearing this pastel pink Rebecca Vallance dress on the first day of Afterpay Australian Fashion Week called for an equally as fun, and vibrant beauty look to match. So, I called in my go-to makeup artist Michael Brown to create a look that was all about fun, feminine shades. The colour palette was a lot of shades in the pink family, interspersed with slightly rosier and coral hues. I always like my makeup to look polished, but also to have some vibrancy to it and this look was the perfect marriage of the two. Here’s a product-by-product breakdown of what Michael used to create this look.

Skin

Clarins Multi-Active Day Cream

Olay Hyaluronic + Niacinamide Serum

Kora Noni Face Oil

Hylamide HA Blur Primer

Complexion

Clarins Everlasting Foundation in Honey

BECCA Under Eye Brightener/Concealer

Fenty Pro Filtr Loose Powder

Clarins Joli Blush in Cheeky Coral

Eyes

Fenty Snap Eyeshadow Palette in Rose

Marc Jacobs Beauty Velvet Noir Mascara

Ardell Lash, Short Individuals

Fenty Brow Pencil in Dark Brown

Lips

Clarins Joli Rouge Crayon

Clarins Lip Oil in Candy

Beauty, Fashion & Beauty

How to ensure your makeup goes the distance at the races according to a makeup artist

4th November, 2019

Michael Brown is my go-to makeup artist for many an event. He’s worked with me on everything from Fashion Week to the races and many a launch, and one of the great things I’ve learned from him is how to ensure makeup lasts. For long days trackside, you want to take the proper steps to keep your face looking as fresh as it did when you walked out the door. There’s nothing worse than being all dolled up, only for your makeup to let you down because your eye shadow’s all but disappeared or your T-Zone is looking shiny. But there’s an art to makeup longevity and here’s how to do it, with tips from the man himself.

Prep your skin

As with most things, the more you prep the better the result. Michael says, “Trackside beauty needs to go the distance and it all comes down to good skin prep, so your makeup has that perfect bond.”

The combination of a long day and standing in the harsh sunlight can mean that your makeup is very visible and that means you need to ensure that you hydrate your skin as much as possible for a nice finish. To do this Michael says, “I recommend a sheet mask before you apply foundation/concealer. Sheet masks hug the skin, trapping all the moisture and goodness so that it can be absorbed correctly.” The more hydrated your skin is the better your makeup will look.

Have the right finish

All good makeup needs to look polished and if your skin has a tendency to go shiny Michael suggests using “a mattifying or blurring primer on your T-Zone to minimise shine coming through your makeup as the day goes on.”

It’s also important to ‘set’ your makeup. “[Use a] translucent powder and dab into shine prone areas with a Beauty Blender — this can really lock powder to skin. But you don’t want to be over powdering all day, as this can look dry, so invest in an appropriate primer to match your skin’s habits, such as going shiny when wearing makeup.”

Blend, blend, blend

Adopt the right technique when applying your eye makeup and you’ll find that most of the time it won’t budge. “Eye makeup generally stays put, once it’s applied, if its really pressed or blended correctly,” says Michael. “Try smudging and really blending product into eye skin, so there is a bond, rather than just dusting on top where it can easily fade.”

Dab your lipstick

A beautiful pout is perfect for a day at the races and Michael suggests opting for a long lasting lipstick which will stay in place throughout the day. “For those that prefer comfort over long wear (as they can feel dry) try dabbing your lipstick with your fingertip for application. This will bond and drain the pigment, so it’s actually in the lip, not sitting on top,” says Michael.

Carry concealer

What’s the number one thing every girl should have in her bag at the races? “Concealer! You never know when you might need a little brighten around the nose, mouth or under the eye, it can be that instant fresh effect we all sometimes need,” says Michael.

So if you want your makeup to stay Insta-worthy throughout the day, it’s worth investing the time and effort to ensure that you’ve locked your look in with the right prep. A few extra minutes spent in front of the mirror will avoid any makeup dramas and keep you looking fresh faced whilst trackside.

Beauty, Fashion & Beauty

A breakdown of all my Fashion Week beauty looks

5th June, 2019

One of the best parts of going to Fashion Week every year is handing my hair and makeup over to a professional to look after. Not only is it nice to just sit back and have someone make me up, it’s also a great opportunity to pick up some ideas for new beauty looks. Since my haircut, I’ve been looking for fresh ways to style my hair and working with makeup artist extraordinaire Michael Brown not only provided me plenty of new hairstyles, but he also gave me lots of tips and tricks for doing daytime and event makeup too. If you liked one of my looks, here’s a breakdown of what Michael used and how he did it.

Day 1

“Using colour on the eye can be scary, but when applied as concentrated pops of colour, it is modern and not overpowering. This look was made fresh with pops of pink, mainly inspired by this outfit by Aje.

When using colour on the eye, it’s best to use your go-to base eyeshadow shades as a starter, then add colour on the mobile eyelid as a pop and brightener to your usual daily shadow shades.

I used the Fenty Beauty metallic eye & lip crayon in shade Parka Princess at the inner and centre upper lash line and buffed up into the eyelid to add a rose gold base, then I added a Marc Jacobs Beauty blush in shade Lush & Libido over the top for extra pink hue to pop the eye. Teamed with a Marc Jacobs Beauty Enamored gloss in shade Rio, the look came together perfectly.

With a 25mm VS Sassoon ceramic curler through the hair, it made the look fun and playful. We normally always curl away from the front of the face, but for short hair, I curled into the face on the short length part side, so the overall look of hair wasn’t too wide.”

Day 2

“This beauty look was a bit of daytime elegance, inspired by Kate’s black dress. Always think about where and what you are attending, before going overkill on the beauty.

With hair simply pulled back into a low messy bun and lots of Moroccanoil Dry Texture Spray to create a lived in feel, the beauty needed to be simple yet chic.

To do this, it’s about a polished brow and a little shadow wing on the eye to lift and elevate the outer eye. My two go-to base eyeshadow shades are from Marc Jacobs Beauty, O!Mega Shadow in shades The Big O! and Perfect-O! One a shade tone and one a highlight. I use them as a base on pretty much on every makeup I do.

I then added a touch of metallic light in the inner corner and then using a darker shadow, O!Mega Daddi-O!, with a pin point brush, I applied this on the lower outer lash line and slightly wing it with the brush to create a day time winged liner. It’s lifting the outer eye, but not as dramatic as an actual liquid liner.

Using Kat Von D Signature brow pencil in medium brown to create a fuller brow and then put in place all day with Benefit Cosmetics 24hr Brow Set, the look is done.”

Day 3

“I loved this look! We were working with very neutral tones outfit-wise and starting with khaki, so I wanted the beauty to have a touch of modern colour to lift the look. We had a bit of fun!

For this look I used a copper shade of the Fenty Beauty metallic eye and lip crayon in Pretty Penny, all over the inner and mobile eye lid—these are very long lasting for long days, such as Fashion Week.

For more impact, I used a Marc Jacobs Beauty O!Mega shadow in shade O!MG over the top to brighten and to set.

Velvet Noir Mascara from Marc Jacobs Beauty is my go-to Mascara for all my makeup looks, I love how thick it makes lashes, but no clumps! I used this in a few layers, to really contrast from black lashes to copper lids and finished the look with a Marc Jacobs Beauty Enamored gloss in shade Rah Rah.

A new look for hair is a modern take on the beach wave. We used a straightener to curl the hair, using the tool in a vertical manner, so it creates almost a barrel curl.

But, with the VS Sassoon Straight to Curl brilliance, you can still do this, but also create a new look ‘flat wave’ effect, by using the tool in a horizontal manner, creating up and downward bend movements through the hair, so hair is more mermaid-like and flatter to the head, rather than round curls.”

Day 4

“This look has some edge to it, mainly inspired by the outfit itself.

I wanted hair away from the face, but not totally slicked back flat, it needs some height to appear more effortless. With the VS Sassoon Digital Hot Air Styler and 3D ceramic paddle brush attachment, I brushed and smoothed hair, all back, into position.

I then sectioned a small part of the top front to mid of hair and clipped, while I then styled the sides back into a slick style using the Moroccanoil Thickening Lotion first. Then I added some styling gel to hold and have a ‘wet’ look appearance, tucked behind the ears.

The top clipped section was then very slightly back combed on the underside, then I added Moroccanoil Dry Texture Spray to the roots and lightly through the hair. With this piece I wanted more of a dry appearance—it was placed back over the head, and finger combed through the rest of the hair to form a blend.

Because the hair was edgy, I wanted a stronger cheekbone, so I used the Kora Organics Clear Quartz Luminizer, dabbed into the upper cheekbone and then the Marc Jacobs Beauty O!Mega Bronzer in Tan Tastic! Under the cheekbone to create this effect.”

Day 5

“As it was the last day of #MBFWA, we wanted a slightly more casual vibe, but still something fun and different to finish off the week on a high note. So why not crimp!!

After convincing Kate that I wouldn’t crimp the whole hair—we hate overkill—it was a subtle effect that turned out to be a talking point. And later that day, Kate pulled her hair back for the closing show with the crimp still seen, but creating a different vibe again.

I used for this the VS Sassoon Total Crimp tool and adding a light crimp to sections of the hair, in line, or at random, is a modern way to crimp for fun and texture.

I then added another Fenty Beauty metallic eye & lip crayon, (they seriously last so long) in the shade Sunfrost across the eyelids and paired lips to the eye look by using the Marc Jacobs Beauty Enamored gloss in Sugar Sugar over a nude lip liner. I am loving a slightly lighter gloss just in the centre of the mouth at the moment, it creates a fuller mouth!

Then I brushed up the brows and we were done!”