Favouring the undone

image: gq-magazine.co.uk

Woah, that Harry Styles.

Now, I'm old enough to be his mother (eek..well, almost) and whilst I'm in no way a One Direction fan (unlike my friend B! Tsk) the cover of GQ certainly caught my eye this month...but not for the reason you think.

It was actually Harry's brows that caught my eye, in particular the one on the right. Why? Because his brows are 'undone', slightly askew, and not preened to perfection. Which I liked. He is a man, after all (ahem, OK, a young man).

Harry's brows got me thinking...when it comes to our own makeup, can we get too perfectionist about it all? Is 'undone' a good quality to nurture when it comes to our own routine?

Whenever I find myself doing a bit of male grooming on set I automatically reach for the brow gel and a clean mascara wand (to comb through the brows). But it's always at the back of my mind not to make them too neat. Same goes for concealer...some guys - especially those who are about to be photographed/filmed - need a touch of concealer under the eyes, not a lot, just a little, but in applying it there is always a fine balance.

Photography: © James Champion; hair and makeup: Natalie James Makeup

I love it when boyish/undone makeup enjoys a renaissance in women's magazines and on the catwalks, which it does with unsurprising regularity. The kind of 'barely there' makeup that favours boyish brows and bee-stung lips. There is something quite primal about this look which I've always liked. It seems to allow a woman's femininity to shine through all on its own, giving it a break from the usual mask of kohled eyes and bronzed cheekbones.

I guess the point of this post is to say there can be a time and a place for perfection (gala dinner? wedding?) but that our day-to-day makeup is far best left slightly undone. So what if your eye liner's a bit askew or your lip line not quite perfect. Get out there and don't sweat it. You'll still shine...