Elsa Morgan is one of the Australian fashion and beauty industry’s favourite makeup artists. Why: her work is just as lovely as the girl is herself. Elsa’s makeup style is often described as ‘pretty’, ‘glowy’ and ‘natural’. But basically the thing about Elsa is that she makes you look how you wish you looked naturally.

After completing a BA at the University of Sydney, Elsa went to work in the fashion department at New Woman magazine. She soon realised she was more interested in what went on the models’ faces, rather than bodies, at photo shoots. It didn’t take long to absorb all the makeup tricks of the trade - Elsa was soon ready to make them her own. She began to build up her kit and collaborate on test shoots (the key way that up-and-coming photographers, stylists, models, etc put together a book that will then help clinch them paid work). Before too long, Elsa found herself being booked for the likes of Cleo, Shop Til You Drop, and Madison, as well as working on a number of celebrities before big red-carpet events.

A beach girl at heart, Elsa now flits between Sydney and Paris, where she has been swiftly forging another fan-base, and discovering a new world of beauty inspiration, from working backstage at the fashion shows, to wandering through the halls of the Louvre. We caught up with her on one of her recent Sydney stints:

Always in Her Kit: Becca Shimmering Skin perfector in Pearl ($60, from Becca); Becca Bird of Paradise Gloss ($40, from Becca); M.A.C Select Cover-Up ($32, from MAC).

Trick of the Trade 1: “A dash of gold eye shadow at the inner corners of eyes gives the prettiest effect. Use a flat shadow brush to etch around the corner then a little way under the lower lashline.”

Trick of the Trade 2: “Individual lashes are worth making the effort to apply. Just a few short clusters at the outer lashline looks gorgeous and is surprisingly natural looking.” Try: Model Co Lash Out Individual Lashes + Glue, $18, from Model Co Shop.

Biggest Makeup Mistake:* “Too much foundation - especially in summer. In this case, you should try to skip foundation altogether and just spot-conceal. The key is to prep the skin well. Ideally, end your skincare routine with a non-slippery moisturiser or a primer, then wait a few minutes for it to settle in. Next, use a small concealer brush to dot away any blemishes with concealer or stick foundation.”

Try Now: “Statement eyes. Try using both gold and silver across the entire lid - a look I saw and loved at the Chanel summer 07 show (pictured here). Alternatively, try some ’60s-mod winged black eyeliner. Strong brows are also back.”

Winter Prediction: “Perfect, polished skin. We’ll be wearing a bit more base, but it will be flawlessly applied. Blend a liquid foundation over the skin to tone down any overall redness, thinking of the foundation as more of a veil of colour. Then spot-conceal before finishing with a whisk-over of translucent powder.”

The Favourites File …

Skin product: Clarins Huile Orchidée Bleue Face Treatment Oil ($62, from Adore Beauty).

Haircare: Bumble and bumble (available from Mecca Cosmetica stores, see Mecca Cosmetica for locations).

Body Product: Jojoba oil.

Fragrance: Comme des Garçons Odeur 3 ($150 from Mecca Cosmetica).