Nikki Lovrich is one of the most well known makeup artists working in New Zealand today with over twenty years experience in the fashion, beauty and film industry. She has worked with a number of famous faces from international stars including The Bee Gees and Good Charlotte to Kiwi favourites Crowded House and Hayley Westenra. 

Nikki let us in on her top ten makeup tips...

1. If you are wearing dark, smokey eye makeup, always go for a natural lip colour and if you choose bold lips, keep your eye makeup minimal to avoid looking overdone.

2. Avoid foundations that are too heavy for your skin. Remember that foundation is used to even out your complexion and add colour and warmth - not create a mask!

3. Get in the habit of cleansing and moisturizing every morning and night and you will truly notice the results. Great skin is the perfect palate for good makeup.  I love the new Olay Definity Tone Correcting Anti-Ageing range because it helps visibly transform the appearance of skin and fights what ages skin the most: dark spots and discolourations, along with lines and wrinkles

4. Exfoliate your face at least once a week to remove dead skin cells and you will find that your foundation will glide on more easily.

5. Always have two colours of foundation in your kit - one for summer and one for winter. You can then mix them between seasons to create the perfect shade.

6. Always layer your mascara while it is still wet. This will stop the mascara from ‘clumping’ and the result will be long, separated, lashes.

7. Coloured eye pencil drawn along your top lash line is a great way to brighten up your eyes and so much easier to use than eyeshadow. Try a flash of aqua or jade green for summer.

8. Stay away from dark lip liners! As your lipstick wears off you will be left with a hard, unflattering line around your lips, so always choose a pencil in a similar shade to your natural lip tone.

9. Clean out your makeup bag regularly and never use old or expired makeup. Keeping your makeup collection fresh and minimal makes getting ready so much easier!

10. Bronzer is not just for your cheeks, you can sweep it across the high points of your face for an instant tan, use it on your brow bone as a natural eyeshadow, or dust it across your chest and shoulders to even out tan lines.