Armani Beauty: When in Venice, Between the Armani Glow and Gabrielle Caunesil’s Looks

Among the tips for the red carpet and the steps to obtain the best use of the Armani Beauty new products, Donatella Ferrari (Armani Beauty National Makeup Artist) explains to us how to get the Armani Glow. We chatted with her about Gabrielle Caunesil’s looks and the key products to achieve a natural but empowering makeup.

Key products and steps for Gabrielle Caunesil’s makeup:

She’s a delightful person, I also did her makeup for her wedding: I’ve never cried so much in my life. They were both gorgeous, you could feel the love in the air. And she’s a wonderful person, on the outside and the inside. Gabrielle is really down to earth, in her private life she likes to play with her natural colors — such as chocolate, terra, bronze, and gold — and also for her wedding she asked for a rather natural look.

The important thing, for Armani Beauty, is to get to a result, which is the Armani Glow.

The Armani “glow” is pivotal and the first step to achieve this result is to use the Armani Prima Smart Moisture Serum. For her wedding, I didn’t use the Armani Prima Moisturising Balm to achieve an even fresher effect. So I used a touch of Armani Prima serum, which is a hyaluronic acid concentrated that hydrates the skin and the water that is absorbed makes the skin way more firm and glowy.

After that, I applied the Fluid Master Makeup Primer, our makeup base, which leaves the skin matte and velvety, perfect for sweat-control: they got married under the scorching sun, when she changed clothes I even said, “Look, you got a tan!”.

After that, because she has beautiful skin, to even the complexion I applied a bit of concealer — the Power Fabric Liquid Concealer — in the eye contour area, in the whole area under the eye and a little on the nose. We didn’t have much to conceal; it was just to add that touch of brightness to the makeup on such an important day.

I then applied the NeoNude Compact Powder Foundation on the strategic points of the face: just a little bit of product which I then blended towards the temples.

The secret of this makeup is that there’s no material thickness perceived, which is typical of the Armani makeup style. I applied very little product: among us at Armani Beauty this is a magical product, in two touches Gabrielle’s complexion was completely made up. This foundation was born with patented agents, then the water is evaporated so that the product turns into a powder. Said powder is then pressed, shaped and placed in the pack. However, the powder has a memory so when you apply it; the serum made of water and oils absorbs this product, which becomes one with the skin but that it’s not perceived since the layer it creates is extremely thin.

To highlight the perfect oval of the cheekbone I applied, always from the Nude line, a touch of Contour Nude for a light effect, just a touch of shading.

The crucial point on which we wanted to focus was the gaze, because Gabrielle has doe eyes. For her bridal makeup I used Eye Tint in number 10, which is our eyeshadow made of water and pigment, which is just so easy to use: you apply it very quickly, the water evaporates, and the powders settle. She danced, sweated and cried but the makeup remained perfect.

I created a smokey eye with this slightly warmer cappuccino shade: she loves the elongated effect on the eye, so I stretched the product over the entire eyelid creating a sort of tiny, blended tail that reaches almost to temple, specifically to achieve this elongated effect.

Then I applied a touch of eyeshadow under the lower eyelashes, starting from three quarters and stretching the line until it met the outer shade. Then, inside the eye and under the eyebrow, I put a teeny tiny touch of Eye Tint in that light gold shade.

Gabrielle’s Eye Makeup for the Venice Red Carpet:

It’s practically the same makeup but I used the Eye Tint number 38, Night Viper, which looks like an aubergine color but has also a touch of chocolate in it, as well as bronze-tuned iridescences. I then applied, underneath the lower eyelashes inside the eye, a single layer of black pencil, but just a little. Then I applied a lot of mascara, our Eccentrico Mascara.

Also here, for the cheeks, I used the Contour Nude to sculpt, while on the lips I applied the Lip Maestro from the new Matte Nature collection.
 I finished with a touch of balm from the Neo Nude collection to add brightness. Gabrielle loves being soft, not too structured. For eyebrows instead, I used the Eye & Brow Maestro, and here as well they are well defined but not excessively structured.

Red Carpet Makeup for Everday:

This is a makeup that is both interesting and easy to use daily, even if this is Gabrielle’s version. To wear it every day, the shading should be applied to the eyelid without excessively stressing the entire blending. I would also let the under-eye area free, unless you want to make the eye look bigger.

The products your kit can’t do without:

Definitely, the Armani Prima serum, or the Fluid Master Primer base or the new Luminous Silk Hydrating Primer.

A concealer, either the High Precision Retouch or Power Fabric Concealer.

Contour Nude, because it allows you to sculpt and play with all those lights and shadows without using color.

The Neo Nude Fusion Powder: two touches of it and you are halfway through the makeup already.

The lip Balm of the Neo Nude line.

As an extra, I’d pick a product for the eyebrows. If you create a nice base, apply a veil of gloss and have perfect eyebrows, you’ll look beautiful even without mascara.

The little secrets for a red carpet look:

To intensify the glow effect, I love the highlighter from the Neo Nude line. All it takes is a little touch, even on the lip contour before applying the lipstick, to make the lip plumper: it gives a silky skin effect.

The important secret within Armani Beauty is to never exceed, it’s better to fade and tune-down.

We also have a product called Brow Maestro which is very sparkly. For example, the shade number 1 is a midnight blue, and it looks spectacular when applied slightly past the center of the eyebrows for a red carpet.

Then, some women have a more prominent chin and a less noticeable lower lip: therefore, my advice is to apply between the lower lip and the chin a touch of chocolate-shaded pencil, then blending it well. In this way you’ll have a “smaller” chin and it will make the lips a little fuller.

In the end, a touch of Neo Nude and Eye Contour on the tip and corners of the nose helps to achieve an amazing and soft result.

Photos by Johnny Carrano.

Thanks to Armani Beauty.