Tickled Pink with Marcus Monson

Guerlain’s National Artist Marcus Monson gave me the greatest tip today…Use a Q-Tip dipped in the teeniest bit of eye cream to tweak and correct your eye makeup.

Marcus did so when applying my makeup today and it was like a beauty epiphany. It works way better than makeup remover.

I got to see Guerlain’s new summer palette, which is so fresh and exciting. It’s really unexpected and so beautiful with the signature rich, velvety colors that Guerlain always creates.

Marcus is such a gifted artist. He used hot pink eyeshadow and hot pink lipstick. It ended up looking so fresh and youthful now that I’ve seen it on my face.

I have to admit, I balked. “You’re using that on my lips? Isn’t that a little bright?”

Marcus is so cool. He just said, “So you don’t think you can wear this color?”

“No,” I told him flatly.

Then he pointed to my hands and asked, “Did you ever think you would be able to wear that color?” referring to my dark nails.

What could I say? Of course, I said no, and shut my mouth, and let Marcus do his thing.

A good artist can bring you into the now, without looking awkward or feeling awkward.

When I told him that I wished I had brought my lashes, Marcus said, “Why? You have outstanding eyes. You don’t need them.”

I’m still not so sure about that, but how Marcus made hot pink eyeshadow look so awesomely beautiful, is beyond me. Completely modern and not tacky or obvious or overly-urban in any way.

Marcus made me rethink my heavy top eyeliner and false lashes with a more current approach–the upper and lower inner lash lines, lined, with the skin left bare. I love it so much, it really looks so innocent, giving you that fresh doe-eyed look.

And that’s the great thing about having a professional application by a quality makeup artist. Even if you have to pay for it! You really get to explore colors and application techniques that you would never learn elsewhere.

To get the doe-eyed look, first you take a flat eyeliner brush, Laura Mercier makes a good one, and dip it in eyeshadow or powder cake liner (Marcus used a dark grey on me) and just sweep it across that inner lash line on the bottom. Peel your top lid upward with your thumb on the lid. Be careful not to ruin your eyeshadow. You may have to touch it up. Sweep the flat eyeliner brush, from one side to the other, until your upper inner lash line is also coated.

Using a combination of stippling and swirling, Marcus made sense of the spring eyeshadow palette for me. I can’t wait until it is available!

In addition to the eye shadow, I noticed a beautiful new blush and Marcus revealed that there will be five new Rouge G lipsticks. Stay tuned for photos of the colors when the new Guerlain palette makes its way to America.

And thanks, Marcus. Our hot-pink lips adore you.