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How to recreate Katy Perry's best beauty looks

Katy Perry is never one to shy away with her clothing choices (for a Super Bowl press conference on Thursday she sported a football-themed two-piece outfit) — or her makeup. Whether it’s candy-coloured eyeshadow (and hair!) or a bold, ’50s bombshell red lip, the 30-year-old singer manages to pull off pretty much any look. Want to steal Perry’s best beauty looks but don’t have a makeup artist on hand? We enlisted CoverGirl makeup pro Veronica Chu to give us the inside scoop on how to recreate five of her most popular looks at home.

Will you be watching Katy Perry’s Super Bowl halftime show on Feb. 1? What do you think she’ll wear? Let us know in the comments.

LOOK #1: Soft and pretty

"I love thislook, because it has the right hints of colour in all the right places," says Chu.

To recreate this look, first define the eyes with a black gel eyeliner keeping the liner close to the lash line. Finish the eyes with two coats of a lengthing and volumizing mascara.

"For the first coat, wiggle the brush at the base of the lashes to amp up the volume before pulling it through the lengths of your lashes. For the second coat, turn the wand vertically and use the bristles right at the tip of the brush to deposit mascara starting at the base of the lashes and working up to the ends," Chu advises. "This helps get to even the smallest lashes in the inner and outer corners of your eyes."

To help open the eye even further, perfect your brows with an eyebrow powder, lightly brushing the wand up and out for the best effect.

Add a pop of colour to the cheeks with a blendable cream blush in a pinkish or peachy tone on the apples of the cheeks and finish off the look with a swipe of lipstick in a lavendar pink shade.

To finish things off, set the look with a light brush pressed powder.

LOOK #2: Polished and monochromatic

While this neutral look can look totally chic, it can also be difficult to pull off. To make it work for you, Chu suggests to start by perfecting your skin with your favourite foundation.

"To prevent appearing washed out with a monochrome look, you want to play up your features, perfecting your brows and adding just a hint of colour on the cheeks," she says. "This will keep a natural finish, without being too colourful or dramatic.·

To define the eyes, line the top and bottom lash lines with a gel eyeliner, extending the line just past the outer corner, and add a coat of volumizing mascara.

Apply a lipstick that matches with your skin tone and your cheek colour, to help pull the monochrome look together, and finish the look by applying a mattifying balm on your T-zone, which help keep your matte finish without the weight of a pressed powder.

LOOK #3: Playful colours

"This look is all about the eye," says Chu.

Start with a greenish yellow eyeshadow, applying it to the inner half of the
lid and at the inner corner of the eye. Next use a pale blue shade to add
dimension to the outer corner of the eye, and along the bottom lash line for a
colourful, yet sultry look. Finish the eyes with two coats of a volumizing mascara.

To ensure your brows aren’t overpowering, Chu suggests using a lighter shade to fill them in. “This will soften and lighten the entire eye,” she explains.·

For glowing skin, apply an illuminating cream along the middle of the nose
and the top of the cheekbones a classic pink powder blush to
the hollows of the cheeks. This will provide subtle definition that doesn’t
compete with the rest of the look.·

Finish with a sheer, watermelon-hued lip balm for a sheer colour and soft
shine.

LOOK #4: Gothic glam

"To pull off a goth-glam look, focus on perfecting your features," suggests Chu.

Start with a duo concealer and foundation – this will help ensure that you don’t start looking oily part way through the day.

Define the eyes with neutral shades, applying a nude colour with subtle shimmer across the lid, a matted neutral brown along the crease and a light, and an off-white just under the brows to help open the eyes. Since the look is a bit stronger, feel free to go a bit heavier on the brows and keep the lines sharp instead of aiming for a softer look.

Use a liquid liner to line your eyes, adding a small “flick” or miniature wing to the outer corners. Focus on getting a sharp point to the flick that will complement the overall look.

Even though this look is gothic-inspired, Chu warns against creating a look that’s too severe. Use a three-toned blush compact to add dimension to the face and contour the cheeks. Use the deepest shade in the hollows of the cheeks, the middle shade along the cheek bone and the lightest shade along the top of the cheek bones for a healthy glow.

For a bold pout such as this, start by lining the lips with a dark brownish purple lip liner, then filling in the entire lip once the outer edge has been perfected. Then layer a plum-coloured lipstick on top.

LOOK 5: New Hollywood
To make a statement lip like this pop, start by perfecting your skin with a good foundation. Softly define the eyes with a black liner, keeping the look natural to avoid competing with the lips.·

Contour the eyes by a bronze shadow across the crease of your eyes and finish with two coats of Volumizing Mascara.·Then, set your foundation with a light dusting of pressed powder and warm the apples of the cheeks with a touch of blush.·

Wondering how to pick the perfect red? Chu has some suggestions:

"First look at your skin tone," she says. "For cool skin, look for a cool
or blue undertone and for warn skin tones, choose a shade with a warmer, orange undertone,” she says. ” For those with a darker complexions, you can really wear both – a blue undertone will look more natural, but orange undertones will really pop.”