Look at any gorgeous glossy face in the fashion pages of Madison or Vogue and chances are you’re looking at the handiwork of Noni Smith. Makeup-obsessed as a teenager - “my after-school activities consisted of emptying the contents of my mother’s makeup drawers and trying out new looks on myself” - Noni went on to work in a beauty boutique, where she taught herself the tricks of the trade and gave makeup lessons to women more than twice her age. Word spread and she was soon booked by the fashion editors at magazines.
After many years training and working overseas, Noni is now settled back in Sydney and a key image-maker in the fashion industry (she is pictured here, at the Camilla & Marc Fashion Week show, earlier this year).
What’s a regular week for you? “
I could be working with Sylvester Stallone (seriously! I worked with him when he was here recently), then shooting for Vogue, then doing Jennifer Hawkins’ makeup for an advertising campaign or an in-store appearance.”
What has been your career highlight?
“Toni Collette is a very loyal client and booked me to do her makeup for the Europe leg of publicity for the film, In Her Shoes. We toured five cities in three weeks and all first class. It was incredible. My other highlight would be the Guess campaign with Anna Nicole Smith, back in the 1990s. It was the hugest brand of the day and Anna Nicole had just been discovered. We styled her in a very Marilyn Monroe way.”
Who’s your celebrity beauty icon?
“Sharon Tate was absolutely gorgeous. I love that style of makeup. The late ’60s/early ’70s is an era I really relate to. Makeup was used to structure the face and give it shape. I also love Veruschka’s work. She was a German model who appeared in many fashion shoots, but she brought out a book in the ’80s, called Transfigurations, in which she bodypainted herself to camouflage in with different environments. It was really influential on me and I still find inspiration in it to this day.”
What’s the celebrity look of the moment?
“I always get asked to do one of two things. Either a smoky sexy eye with a nude lips. Or else a bare eye, except for lots of mascara, and a strong lip - say, a dark red, or an almost neon-bright, looks that have been popping up on the catwalks lately.”
How can you get glowy celebrity-looking skin?
“I always use an illuminiser and mix it into foundation - unless the foundation already is light-reflecting, which many are these days. I tend to leave celebrities’ t-zone free of foundation. It’s much more flattering under flashlight. Instead, I’ll just use a concealer to even out skintone and touch up any blemishes.”
FYI, one of Noni’s favourite illuminisers is Revlon Bare It All Lustrous Lotion, $34.95
“The other thing to know is that you might need to prime before applying foundation, if the skin is tired or dry or lined. I also like to treat the eye area before applying eye makeup - I use SK-II Signs Eye Masks ($120, 14 pairs, call 1800 012 169 for stockist details), which are great for hydrating and plumping out lines around the eyes. I’ve also found lately that Lucas’ Papaw Ointment (from $3.50, from pharmacies) is good for calming down puffy eyes - it must be something to do with the papaya enzymes. It’s also nice to add a little on top of makeup to moisten it up and make it a bit dewy.”
Any other tips for the eye area?
“I’m obsessed with eye creams! I have about three to four eye creams that I carry around with me and layer on during the day. I’m especially addicted to SK-II and La Prairie’s eye products.” (For information on La Prairie, see La Prairie).
What are you top tricks of the trade?
“Use an eyelash curler if you have straight lashes. I really like Model Co’s heated one ($29.95 from Model Co Shop) - you need to apply it after mascara and make sure to hold it against lashes for for a while … Eye drops are the best things for brightening eyes - I always use them before I start working … Lining the rim with a white or pale pencil is also a great way to liven up an eye - unless you’re doing a smoky eye, of course. Just make sure the pencil isn’ttoo stark-white, which can look very unnatural … I love to apply a self-tanner to my face, neck and décolletage at night. I usually spray on Scott Barnes Self Tanning Mist ($56 from Kit Cosmetics, see Kit) and I wake up looking like I’ve been to Tahiti. It evens out skintone, looks completely natural, and you hardly need to wear any makeup when you have this one.”
Your other personal beauty essentials?
“Concealer, black mascara and lots of lip gloss.”
What’s the most common makeup mistake you see women making?
“Foundation in the wrong shade and that stops at the jawline. You need to apply makeup carefully and in natural light - and remember to blend it beyond your face. A lot of women get it wrong though at the point of purchase. Department stores have such bad lighting. You need to swatch some foundation on your jawline and go outside to look at yourself in natural light. You might feel silly but it’s much worse to waste $80 on the wrong shade.”
What’s the biggest makeup myth?
“I’m not into lip plumpers at all. Maybe they make lips one-tenth larger for ten mintues. But I’ve never been impressed by any.”
Noni’s look to try right now:
One of Noni’s looks at Fashion Week earlier this year was the super-sparkly eye, as seen at Camilla & Marc. Noni used the new Revlon limited edition makeup collection, in particular the Molten Metal Liquid Shadow in Platinum Pinup ($23.95) and Diamond Lust Sheer Shadow in Plantinum Play Thing ($23.95), pressing the powder shadow into a layer of liquid shadow - when still wet - for the most eye-catching effect.
