Adele’s Makeup Artist Reveals the Secrets to her Signature Look

Back in April, Adele’s makeup artist, Michael Ashton, was featured on the world renowned MUA Lisa Eldridge‘s YouTube channel. Michael is working with Adele for over 9 years. He created Adele’s signature makeup look with that most-searched winged eyeliner tutorial. Here are some foolproof methods, tips, tricks, and techniques that will help you achieve the signature look of Adele whenever you want.
Adele's Makeup Artist Reveals the Secrets to her Signature Look

1. Prep the skin right

To remove excess oil from your face and make it ready for moisturizer, apply Bioderma Sensibio H2O with a cotton pad very very gently all over your face. Ashton recommends a plumping serum or a moisturizer for a fresh, plumped and hydrated look. Later on, for a strobing effect, you can use Bobbi Brown Illuminating Balm or something like that in your vanity (emphasize on the high points of your face).

2. Get those lovely Adele eyelids

adele makeup
To begin with, brush the eyebrows using a little amount of a clear brow gel and prime your lids using MAC Paint Pot (Michael uses Groundwork on his model). Apply it all over your lid till your crease and then soften the crease using a blending brush. Also take it a little down towards your lower lash line. This will give Adele-like depth to your eyes. Take an eye shadow palette with golden and bronze hues. Use lighter shades to buff on to your base. And, do take some to the inner corners also as it will make your eyes look wide and awake. Again, blend this to create a seamless look.

3. That signature Adele eyeliner

adele eyeliner
Take your favorite gel eyeliner on the back of your hand or a palette and let it dry out a bit. Take it on a fine eyeliner brush, start drawing a line (as close as you can to your lash line) from the middle of your eyes working it outwards. After you have got that major eyeliner on your upper lash line, stretch your eye outwards to get nicely to the inner corners of your eyes. Apply eyeliner from the very inner corner making it meet the previous line you made in little artistic strokes. Keep revisiting lines to build up color intensity. Place your brush at 45 degrees angle, again stretch your temples and eyebrow end area a bit, and draw a neat flick. Sharpen that wing with more pressure on your brush. If you make any mistake, just use the micellar water on a cotton-bud to clean up.

4. Add drama with false lashes

Use wispies style fake lashes and a black eyelash glue which sets to a matte finish. Before the glue dries completely, use your fingers to blend in these falsies with your natural lashes using a gentle upward lifting motion. Use a tiny fan brush, take mascara on the back on your hand and give fuller look to lower lashes by applying mascara with this brush. It gives a smudged kohl look as well. Apply mascara to upper lashes while trying to blend the falsies again with your natural lashes. Last but not the least, the master stroke – apply a liquid eyeliner on the top of that beautiful matte wing you created to add some glossiness.

5. Brow game

Keep brows natural. Use your favorite pomade or eye brow pencil to fill in the sparse areas. Remember, we had put clear gel at the very beginning. It will help adhere the pigmentation even better. Clean up the top of your brow using a moisturizer on a small concealer brush and swipe it across the brow. Comb it with a spoolie to soften your brows. Set your brows with a long lasting eye shadow, press it on your brows to finish.

6. Clean up real smart

Take a cotton bud, wrap it in a face wipe and use this cleaner to get rid of fall outs from eye makeup. Reapply your moisturizer and illuminating balm on the cleaned skin.

7. Base game

Apply your usual foundation. Take the same foundation in a lighter shade to use it on your t-zone to highlight and enhance natural contours. It’s more like painting your face rather than usual contouring of drawing all the light and dark lines beforehand. Don’t forget jawline and neck. Use an illuminating under eye highlighter. Less is more.

8. Contour like Adele

adele contouring
Dust the areas to be contoured with a pressed powder. An angled blusher brush is Michael’s preference when he applies the contour shades. Take the pigment, dust off extra and apply it on the hollows of your cheeks, temples and jawline. Use a blusher and keep it concentrated on the cheeks for a sheer coverage.

9. Flawless look

Spot conceal using a fine brush and your favorite concealer. Use brush for spot concealing and your fingers for larger areas. Do the stipple motion rather than dragging the product. Blend the edges using a blending brush.

10. Lips like Adele

adele lips
Apply a lip oil or a balm to nourish your lips. Now take a n*de (MLBB shade) lip liner to outline and fill in the lips. Pat your lips with your finger to make it look like your natural lip pigmentation. This is a great natural look you can carry anywhere. Make it stand out by using a shimmery gloss to make those lips sultry.