Discover the Perfect Natural Makeup for Olive Skin Tones With Diala Makki

Diala Makki — TV presenter, host of the Fashion Diaries, and columnist for Style.com/Arabia/MEN — is a striking, glossy-haired beauty with a schedule packed full of fashion soirées, photo shoots, and on-camera interviews with top-tier fashion folk. With this in mind, she’s becoming somewhat of a beauty enthusiast and has recently been named a Pantene ambassador, a role she adds to her ever-growing list of product endorsements.

While in Paris for the last (and best) leg of fashion week, we caught up with the beauty between shows to discover which beauty products best suit her olive skin tone. As Diala herself admits, “on off-days I like to wear little makeup because when filming I have to wear heavy duty formulas, so I like to let my skin breathe.” To discover which makeup products and shades work best with her complexion, we enlisted the expertise of makeup artist Gregoris Pyrpylis, who is first assistant to the globally renowned makeup master Tom Pecheux. Pyrpylis worked backstage at both the Elie Saab and Chanel Fall 2015 runway shows during Paris Fashion Week. Here, he tells us how to create a beautiful natural makeup for olive skin tones.

THE SKIN
“If I have time, I like to prep cleansed skin with a facial massage. Working a moisturizer over the contours of the face stimulates the blood flow and can create a great, plump canvas to start applying makeup.

I concealed the under eye area with a thin layer of foundation and then I added another layer of this magnificent concealer in liquid form because it doesn’t highlight any fine lines. Dabbing the product with your finger will give the best coverage.”

Star Products:

THE POWDERS
“I used a powder to set Diala’s skin because I wanted a velvety yet matte finish. I applied this with a large powder brush all over the face and switched to a powder sponge for the T-zone.

I’m not a big fan of harsh contouring—it can create really dark and unflattering shadows on the face. It isn’t necessary for women like Diala who already have defined cheekbones. I preferred to slightly warm up the area with a bronzer. I love this Bobbi Brown bronzer because of its ‘London brick’ color that absolutely flatters olive skin tones.

Women with olive skin tones should avoid pink and fuchsia blush shades. Try to always have a peachy base in your blush in order to look natural and glowing—as if you’re wearing nothing at all. Place it directly on the cheekbones and never forget to blend it with your contouring, or you will end up with two stripes.”

Star Products: