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It’s the skin we yearn for; eternally glowy, bronzed summer skin. And despite the unexpected downpour of summer rain across Australia, eternally radiant, otherworldly, burnished skin defines the season in terms of beauty.
The mantra? Coverage is sheer, colour is rich and finish is luminous; it’s natural and earthy and raw. And it seems ModelCo and First Base know this narrative well; both brands born under the hot Australian sun, they have captured afresh this idealised notion of summer skin. Collaborating for high summer (and celebrating the launch of the NEW MC2 High Performance Tanning Range and First Base Summer Swimwear Collection), the campaign personifies that intangible Australian “glow”. Fronted by Dominique Elissa, a model with perennially honey-dipped limbs, the collaboration is a shared love of healthy living and gleaming bronzed skin.
Lensed by Jody Pachniuk, makeup and skin came courtesy of Ayana Fitzgerald, who was inspired “by the typical Bondi beach babe who just has that natural, lit-from-within glow.” With Bondi as her muse, it made perfect sense to keep “the look as natural as possible, but just adding definition here and there to make Dominique’s features stand out.” This notion of “enhancing” rather than “creating” underpinned the entire look, and is a summer beauty canon to adhere to. “My motto is, ‘it starts with the skin’ so I avoid using product where it’s not needed; there was no need for foundation or concealer.”
In terms of makeup, product was kept minimal, with just brows, lips and high points tended to. “ModelCo More Brows Brush on Fibre Gel with a little of the Instant Brows Brow Pencil (in Medium Dark) feathered away for a super natural look,” notes Fitzgerald. Then for lip, ModelCo Lip Plumper Gloss Hydra Lip Therapy was slicked across for a dewy, juicy pout. Cheek bones, nose, cupids bow and chin were all smothered in ModelCo Luminosity Shimmer Whip. And that rich copper skin? “MC2 High Performance Self Tan for a slick, even, golden tan that dries quickly (and doesn’t smell)”, buffed to bronzed perfection with the Buffing Mitt.
Sweet (skin) dreams are made of this.
Just add water. And a Spritz.
AYANA’S TOP TIPS
1# Using the Blend Buffing Mitt, make sure to work quickly with the MC2 Self Tan Lotion to ensure an even application as it dries quickly.
2# When working with a cream highlighter such as the Luminosity Shimmer Whip, using your fingertips is ideal as the warmth of your hands helps to blend the highlighter into the skin, making it look more natural rather than just sitting on top of the skin.
3# I cannot live without a good quality lip balm – so make sure you are putting this on first to allow it to sink in properly (especially if you are adding a liquid lipstick over top). Or wear alone for a natural plump lip like Dominique.
4# When filling in brows with pencil, don’t use too much pressure as this can make the brows look too harsh. Also stay away from the front of the brow and focus on the tail end drawing feathered strokes for a natural look. Finish with a coat of More Brows to keep hairs in place all day and to give your brows some texture.
Credits:
Photographer: Jody Pachniuk
Hair and Make up: Ayana Fitzgerald
Model: Dominique Elissa
