{NM Daily}

NARS International Lead Makeup Stylist Uzo works with the world’s top publications, designers and celebrities, all while encouraging every woman to find her natural beauty and personal style. We were so lucky to have Uzo as a guest speaker on Neiman Marcus’ Beauty Live chat platform. We fielded a lot of questions that day! Here are some of the best tips that Uzo shared.

NM: Should I change my foundation in the summertime?

Uzo: Have you ever tried our powder foundation? It’s great for summer. It has nylon, so it never looks cakey. It goes on very smoothly and you can use it for touch-ups during the day. It also has some UVA/UVB protection. What we use on a lot of celebrities is actually a combination of Sheer Matte and Sheer Glow foundation. You would do a pump of each, mix them together, and then set it with our powder. This will give you more coverage and a gorgeous finish. We do it all the time for the red carpet.

NM: What’s the best color eyeliner to use on Asian eyes, and what’s the best way to apply it?

Uzo: I tend to like olive brown. Our eyeliner pencil in Kyoto would be great to smudge, then use our duo eyeshadow in Earth Angel. Black eye liner is great too, our Black Moon is a must-have in your eye makeup wardrobe. I like to put most of the definition on the upper lash line and go very soft on the bottom. Use the taupe side of the shadow to line softly on the bottom. At night you can use a black liner on the inner line of the eye.

Night Clubbing Eye Shadow, Charade Duo, Kyoto Eye Pencil

NM: I’m 46-years-old and LOVE makeup. I wanted to know any thoughts you might have on how to wear color without overdoing it, or looking like you are trying too hard. I have very green eyes and red hair.

Uzo: My advice is not to shy away from bold color, but to know where to strategically place the bold colors. Something that will never go out of fashion is the Charade Duo. This is great as a shadow base. Then, you can play with liner colors: Our pencil in Kyoto and a similar shade eye shadow to set it (such as Nightclubbing Eye Shadow Single). Also, I would recommend Mambo Eye Pencil set with New York Eye Shadow Single (this is a gorgeous deep aubergine shade). Finally, use Kaliste Eye Pencil set with the new Dogon Duo Eye Shadow.

Aigle Noire Soft Touch Pencil, Madrague Duo, Cordura Duo

NM: I need tips on how to make a smoky eye.

Uzo : First, create a neutral base — try the Madrague Eyeshadow. You would use the taupe on the lids and the ivory on the browbone area. Then you would take a black eyeliner pencil (Black Moon) or a softtouch pencil (Aigle Noire) and line the upper and lower lash line. Using a smudge brush, you can then smudge it with Cordura Duo Eyeshadow or you could take Night Breed and smudge it.

Dogon Duo and Kaliste Eye Pencil

NM: What’s new and fun that you would recommend?

Uzo: The duo eyeshadow in Dogon is very exciting; it’s a great way to pair a classic taupe with an icy green undertone w/ a charcoal black. We recommend pairing it with a teal colored eye pencil (Kaliste) to give an additional pop. This is the biggest trend for Summer 2011.