Be the belle of the ball with tips from DuWop founder Cristina Bartolucci.

Want to be in the beauty know? Then it’s a good thing you’re here! Cristina Bartolucci, founder and creative director of DuWop Cosmetics, took some time out of her busy (and very glamorous, obviously) schedule to share her beauty know-how with AC. No doubt you’ve already seen her tips for gorgeous staying power at prom in our April issue, so check out our exclusive interview below for even more expert advice on your big night! (And don’t forget to enter our DuWop contest at the bottom.)

AC: What’s your number one makeup rule?

Cristina: Blend. Blend and blend and blend and [ital: blend]. You can literally make anything look good if you blend it in well enough. That’s foundation, concealer, lipstick, eyeliner, shadow… It’s the key to making everything look seamless and believable. What you want to see is beauty—enhancing the features rather than painting them up.

[But] when you’re young, you can really get away with a lot of makeup. It’s not that you put too much on—it’s the blending issue. [If you] put makeup on and someone tells you that [it’s too much], it’s because you didn’t blend it. Makeup is for the young. It’s a time to play, a time to experiment. The only thing you shouldn’t blend is a liquid eyeliner cat eye.

AC: Which features should our readers play up for a glamorous prom look?

Cristina: It depends on the person. If you’ve got one stand-out feature that really pops—a lot of times it’s eyes, sometimes it’s lips, sometimes it’s the shape of the face, like beautiful cheekbones—you’ll want to influence your makeup with that feature.

AC: How do you get dramatic eyes?

Cristina: You’d save them for last; you’re putting your cherry on the sundae. Look at your eyes and do everything possible to enhance them. Lots and lots and lots of mascara—especially now, it’s fashionable to wear a lot of mascara. You either need to get a lash comb or get all the mascara off the wand and comb them and comb them. They have to have zero clumps. They have to be seamless. It can easily go from looking incredibly striking to skeazy.

And think about your eye color. If you’re working with blue eyes, you’ll want to stick with neutral palettes, or a little [amber-infused] brown. For green eyes, the burgundy family is really beautiful to make eyes pop. If you have brown eyes, use any sort of purple. Deep violet purples are really pretty. [Use the same colors for] brown or green eyes if you have hazel eyes. Most people want to bring out green in hazel, so try burgundy.

AC: What about a red lip?

Cristina: The worst thing you can do is roll up red lipstick and put it on with the tube. With red, you have to be careful. Take your finger or a brush, and use the red lipstick as a stain. You’re going to put it on the brush and press it into the lips. You want to work that stuff in. Then it’s going to look organic instead of a big layer of red over the lip. [The latter] becomes very ’50s, not contemporary.

I wouldn’t recommend a red liner—it can look kind of clownish. I would use the brush and lipstick, and make a very clean shape with the mouth. It’s better [to use] neutral liners, like DuWop’s Reverse Lip Liner, which is a clear matte pencil. It goes on the skin outside your lips (circle three times around). It stops lipstick and gloss from bleeding out, like a fence around your lips. It’s a very useful product.

* Cristina even got a note from Buckingham palace raving about the Reverse Lip Liner! So you know it’s good enough for royalty.

AC: How do you make sure foundation stays put the entire night?

Cristina: Bring a bit of powder with you. Loose powder is the best, but it’s unrealistic [on the go]. I’d use a nice translucent powder; Almay has a great pressed powder that’s sheer and lovely, and you can put it in your purse. For every one time you powder, you’re going to blot three times. If you’re sweating, it’s going to mix with the powder and leave your face muddy. When you start to sweat, you need to blot. You can use a Kleenex or blotting papers, but squares of toilet paper are even better than blotters.

AC: What’s the best way to choose the perfect foundation shade?

Cristina: You’re not going to use foundation as a mask. You work it in all over, so it becomes part of the skin. The color of your skin is everything. [Foundation] is the only thing I’d spend money on. You’ll do damage if it’s crap. As far as colors go, you need to invest in two. Have someone help you.

Get a liquid foundation in two shades, since you’re usually in-between. Buy both, because as you’re in the sun or out of the sun, you’ll go a little darker or lighter. You’ll learn how to mix them easily. Remember that your neck is always going to be lighter than your face because your face shades your neck. Take that foundation and blend it all underneath your chin and onto your neck. Make sure the color is consistent between your face and neck.

AC: How important are primers?

Cristina: A good foundation includes ingredients to keep your face in good shape. Foundation is designed to go on the skin. A primer is just another layer. If your foundation is good enough, you shouldn’t need it. Try applying a light powder before your foundation so it goes on smoother.

Eye shadow primers—those work. They keep the powder from creasing and absorb excess oil. You can also get them with a slight tint of color. Primers, for me, are more about texture.

AC: Do you think it’s better to coordinate your makeup with your dress or mix it up?

Cristina: It really depends on how edgy you want to be. With the whole ’80s thing and primary colors, if you go matchy-matchy, then it’s fun. But that’s more for the very fashion savvy. Just have a beautiful palette that works well with your eyes and features. The outfit is separate completely. Even for dramatic looks, work with your features.

If you have black on, and you’re going out, I think a stained up lip looks really gorgeous. Those [looks] are just sort of intuitive. But if you have white on, red doesn’t look good. Think about what complements your outfit.

AC: How can you prepare skin for better makeup application?

Cristina: If you’ve got blemishes, it’s a good idea to dab on a touch of some sort of salicylic acid-based acne product before you put on your foundation. You’ll have less of a chance of it getting worse as time passes while you’re wearing makeup.

I also recommend a very light, gel-based moisturizer that’s refreshing. The time you should be piling the cream on is at night. If you’re going to be wearing makeup at all, keep your moisturizer very light, and if you can possibly avoid moisturizer, do it.

AC: Any warnings when it comes to a beautiful prom look?

Cristina: I feel like girls get too into their hair. It’s not that your hair shouldn’t be lovely, but it should be really beautifully finished—big sexy curls pulled back a little. Hair should be sexy and move around and be kind of casual and touchable, and a little bit simple. For me, it’s the makeup that makes your look go crazy. If your hair is too structured, it stops it from being sexy.

When you’re going to do your makeup, just go for it. Pop your eyes as much as possible. I would do a peachy, pinky sheer lip, tiny bit of contour (be careful with it) and experiment with false lashes. I recommend single lashes and starting on the outer third of your eye (not the edge). Blend them into your lash line and then use mascara to blend the lashes with the false lashes to make it seamless.

*Need some help perfecting your prom look? Then comment below to score some gorgeous goodies! Let us know which of Cristina’s makeup tips will help you most come prom time, and you could be one of three DuWop prize pack winners!

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