North American teenage model, Cassandra
Banks, always knew there was a difference between outer and inner beauty but
admits that as a young woman, she sometimes found it hard to draw the line.
That was until her boyfriend, who often saw her sans make-up and was well aware
of her severe skin problems, took her aside and told her exactly why he loved
her. “When I realized what that was, what that felt like, I knew that every
man, woman and child could feel the same way”.
Cassandra
Banks
Cassandra, 19, is an upcoming model as well
as a dancer, event’s organizer, entertainer and “all-round entrepreneur”. At an
age when most teens are obsessed with simply getting through University or
being invited to the coolest parties, she is already choreographing shows,
running a talent agency for models, photographers, actors and other talent
(which she does for free to “give back”) and producing photo shoots,
commercials and music videos.
Despite her hectic schedule, she is best
known for one short video, which she posted on her YouTube channel, diamond sand
heels 14, and which went viral practically overnight, with some 7.6 million
hits and counting! The video shows Cassandra’s transformation from a severely
acne-ridden teen to a stunning, alabaster-skinned beauty, thanks to a number of
products she discovered over the years, when make-up artists at professional
shoots were at a loss as to how to cover her blemishes properly. Cassandra’s
skin is so bad in the ‘before’ scenes, she admits that it look her an entire
month to post the video after recording it, fearing she would receive “the same
hatred and insults I received in high school… it took me a further four months
to actually watch the video and see how I looked”. The uplifting words received
from her boyfriend prompted Cassandra to bury her biggest fears and show
herself exactly as she was, flaws and all, revealing how a few simple products
could hide an agonizing problem. “I though, if I could help just one person
with my video, then it was worth it”. Indeed, her good deed has helped millions
suffering from the same skin condition all around the world. This month, we
share her secrets with you. These are the products and techniques she uses to
achieve a look that is as perfect as porcelain:
Step 1
Cassandra applies Smashbox Anti-shine
Lotion across her face in a thin layer. This lotion keeps skin from taking on
an unpleasant shiny look as the hours go by, though for older skins, we
recommend an oil-free moisturizer, available from brands like Clinique or
Deléor.
Before
make up
Step 2
She applies Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer
SPF 12. Most people apply foundation straight to the skin after moisturizing,
but using a primer allows the foundation to glide on smoothly to obtain a very
polished look. She advises using a primer from Makeup For Ever, to MAC, Bare
Essentials or Sephora.
Step 3
She applies Makeup For Ever HD Foundation
in 125 and 120, though you can stick to your favourite foundation, so long as
it is High Definition. She uses two ‘Pumps” for the entire face, using her
fingers to dot the foundation on then spread it evenly across the face. She
uses the 120 shade (which is lighter) on her forehead, cheeks and chin, and the
125 shade (slightly darker) on her jawline and neck. The reason for using
lighter colour in the middle of the face is to highlight the ‘triangular’ area
comprising the forehead, nose and lips. She also applies 120 to her lips and
the visible parts of the inner nostrils.
Step 4
She uses MAC Studio Finish Concealer NC 30
on the most affected areas of the face, blending it with the foundation until a
smooth effect is a achieved.
Step 5
She uses a 134 brush to apply MAC NC5
Powder, patting it onto her forehead, cheeks and chin and spreading the power
around over her eyelids and the sides of the nose.
Step 6
She uses the same brush to apply Smashbox
Halo Hydrating Perfecting Power in Light to her face and neck.
Step 7
She uses Makeup Forever Micro finish Setting
Power to set both her foundation and powder. It is a super-fine powder that
“gets into all the spaces that the other powders missed”, says Cassandra.
Step 8
Finally, she sprays on a bit of Mac Fix
Plus Spray from a distance of around 30 cm to ‘set’ all the products previously
applied.
After
make up
