Here in New Zealand, the month of May is a celebration of our homegrown Kiwi talent in the music industry and we are so, so lucky to have such a talented group of artists that not only write, produce and sing some banging tunes, but these gals also know how to rock some killer looks. So, I have pulled together a few of my favourite beauty looks over the years from these talented wāhine for you to recreate at home in honour of New Zealand Music Month. Kia Ora!
Lorde
Lorde’s signature curly hair and dark lip is a super sultry combination and easy to achieve – add a thin line above the lash line and a dab of silver in the corners of the eye to complete this cat-eye look and if your hair isn’t naturally curly, try plaiting the hair at night into 4 – 6 sections, leave in overnight and take out in the morning, lightly brush the plait out and spray with some sea salt spray and scrunch for some added texture.
Kimbra
New Zealand’s sweetheart Kimbra knows how to rock the blunt fringe. This look from her 2011 video “Settle down” is very pin-up girl. All you need is a pair of spidery false lashes to open your eyes up, a soft pink lip, with matching pink hue on the cheeks.
Jess B
Let your natural curls show with Jess B’s braided top knot. Take a couple of small sections from the side and create a couple of small french braids by starting at your forehead and working your way up towards the top of your head then pin in place. Pull the rest of your hair back into a tight pony on top of your head and let your natural curls fountain down. Perfection.
Benee
Brighten up your life and take a page out of Benee’s book by adding some colour into your hair with some 90’s inspired coloured panels like this vibrant blue. If you don’t want it to be permanent hair mascaras can be fun too.
Hollie Smith
Hollie Smith is the Queen of style and this look is no exception with a very Kiwiana flair. Play around with braiding and twisting different sections of your hair and pinning as you please. There is no right or wrong way to nail this look, just make sure you have a tonne of hairpins, a couple of feathers and a dark lip to finish the look off.
Gin Wigmore
One of my favourite looks is the classic, smokey black eye that Gin Wigmore is famous for. The black eye can be achieved by lining the top and bottom lash lines with a very dark eye pencil then either use a cotton bud or even your finger to smudge as much as you want. The key to this look is to keep the lip a neutral colour and dabbing a lighter coloured shadow into the corners of the eyes to make them pop.
Tami Neilson
Tami Neilson nails the 60’s Brigitte Bardot half-up, half-down look in this photoshoot. You can find an easy at-home tutorial here and don’t forget to add in some killer false lashes and a baby pink lip to complete this look.
Images supplied.