Recently, Australian Caroline Francis hasn’t had the time to do justice to her luck in the genetic lottery – straight blonde hair, blue eyes, and smooth, fair skin. The mother of two (7-month-old Isaiah, who was born in Beijing, and daughter Emmerson, her 2-and-a-half-year-old born in Hong Kong) hasn’t had a proper haircut in years – unless you count sporadic trims with a pair of kitchen scissors courtesy of her husband. “I just haven’t had any time,” said Caroline, a former industrial designer turned full-time mom. Kristoffer Liu and Maya Geng of C.de France Beauty Salon treated the bubbly, charismatic mother to the works – a color test to see if her skin tone was better suited for warm or cool colors, a hair trim and blonde highlights, a full makeup overhaul, and hair-styling. A voucher to the romantic Mediterranean restaurant, Taverna of The Hidden City 1949 completed the day of indulgence. By the end of the day, it was apparent to all(including the staff at the salon and bystanders) – Caroline had transformed from mom to bona fide model. Jessica Pan
Get the Look
1. According to makeup artist Kris, people can be categorized into warm and cool complexions. In order to see which Caroline was, she slipped on a white robe and pulled her hair back. The makeup artist then draped contrasting colors around her neck to see which colors flattered her fair, pink complexion and which colors washed her out. “Some colors make her complexion and eyes look brighter. Other hues make her look more gray and tired.” The verdict? Caroline was a warm color person – she should avoid harsh, intense colors and stick to softer, warmer hues to flatter her complexion. “It’s something I hadn’t really thought about until now,” Caroline said.
2. Maya gave Caroline’s locks more shape by adding layers and more fringe. “When you have split ends, the only solution is to cut them off. Use a deep conditioner to prevent more split ends,” Maya says. Maya then mixed up a highlight concoction that made Caroline’s strands a warmer, brighter blonde color. Volumizing curls finished her tresses.
3. After applying foundation and concealer that matched Caroline’s skin tone, Kris added liquid highlighter to her cheekbones and the bridge of her nose to prevent the cakey feeling foundation can sometimes leave. He then brushed warm brown eyeshadow onto her eyelids and shaded in the outer edges with a darker powder for added intensity. Black pencil eyeliner on her top lids finished her smoky look. He filled in the lips with a natural lip pencil color and used his fingers to apply a nude lipstick. A bronzer blush, for a healthy glow, finished Caroline’s transformation.
Makeup services at C.de France: Day makeup for RMB 270 and evening for RMB 335. Get your own color test and never wear an unflattering shade again for RMB 600. Haircuts: RMB 390 (short hair), RMB 460 (long hair). Highlights: RMB 490 (short hair), RMB 580 (long hair). Various packages available for makeup lessons, eyebrows, hair consulting, hair color. Waxing services and spray tanning also available. See Directory for address and phone number.
Taverna of The Hidden City 1949 offers Mediterranean cuisine in a secluded, romantic atmosphere. For address, see Directory.
Makeup tips from Kris: Use eye shadow to fill in eyebrows for a more natural look. Never pump the mascara wand into the tube – it only breeds germs and dries out the mascara. He also applied the mascara while her eyes were closed so that upper lashes and lower lashes were coated simultaneously. Use a clear mascara to set eyebrows so there are no stray hairs. Applying lipstick with fingers makes the color last longer.
