Dua's MUA Nikki Wolff shares her pro tricks to nail 'ooh la la' winged liner and a perfect pillowy pout
Nikki Wolff is the MUA, you may also know as @nikki_makeup, who fills our feeds with drool-worthy images of glamorous makeup. Her tutorials have us lusting over her signature glowy lit from within skin, winged liner and pillowy pouts in nudes through to bright and bold hues. Her polished style is much in demand and her discerning makeup clients include Dua Lipa, Rosie Huntington Whiteley and Priyanka Chopra.
In her new role as KVD Beauty Global Director of Artistry, Nikki lets us into her boudoir and shares her ultimate beauty hacks, and her favourite makeup and skincare in this latest Beauty Spy
My instant route to glamour in minutes has got to be a liquid liner
“You just can't beat the transformative effect of a liquid liner, how it can instantly change the shape of your eye and just make you look more polished. I always say, look down rather than close the eyes when applying liner. If the eyes are open, then it means you get a nice smooth fluid finish. You can always do it in little strokes rather than one full stroke if you need to blink in between. My little tip for the wing – is look straight ahead and follow the angle of the bottom lash line. Then once you have the shape you can make it a little bit more thick and dramatic and fill in the gaps. That is what I call ooh-la-la liquid liner.”
This brush trick makes for a perfect pout
“My tip for creating a perfect shape when you are doing such a strong colour on the lips is to put the bulk of the colour on with the actual applicator, and then use a little brush just to go around the edges and that really helps you get a nice neat precise finish.”
Instagram content
The way to glow
“The best way to create the glowiest lit from within skin is to highlight all of the high points of the face.” Think tips of cheekbones, bridge of the nose, the cupid's bow and brow bone.
My no-fail hack for lash volume
“My most used beauty hack is probably to apply individual lashes before mascara and then put tons of mascara on afterwards. When you pull your mascara out, instead of wiping that little bit you get on the end of the mascara off, I like to use it to disperse mascara on the bottom lashes. And once it’s on, then I use the length of the wand to comb it through.”
Instagram content
The skincare secrets I swear by...
“I'm a big fan of double cleansing. I think it's really important to be able to remove all your makeup, any debris from the day and SPF. In the evenings I will use a serum followed by a moisturiser. My main goal is just to give my skin as much hydration as possible because it's quite dry. Then in the daytime, it’s all about vitamin C and SPF. I've been using vitamin C on my skin for years. I've suffered with pigmentation and melasma and I find vitamin C really helps to improve and just brighten the skin and give you the best glow.”
Scroll down to shop Nikki's beauty kit that she swears by on set and in IRL...
KVD Beauty Good Apple Skin Perfecting Foundation Balm, £29, Feel Unique
“This is one of those foundations that's really unique because it's super full coverage and creamy, but the beautiful thing is it still retains that gorgeous dewiness on the skin. So this is what I'll use when I feel like having a little bit extra coverage, but I want to keep my skin still looking hydrated and dewy. It’s more suitable for normal to dry skin types.”
Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup, £35, Look Fantastic
“Another foundation that I love and it's been a favorite for seven years is the Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place. This is what I use when I want a little bit more of a matte finish, and super, super long-wear.”
Valentino Beauty Brow Trio, £36, Selfridges
“This is one of my brow favourites - Valentino Beauty Brow Trio. It’s got a really fine applicator that allows you to draw in these super fine hair-like strokes.”
Nabla Cupid's Arrow Longwear Stylo, £14.50, Beauty bay
“This has got to be my most favorite nude of all time and that is quite a statement. It's just a perfect nude. It's just a pinky naturally browny nudey kind of easy to wear, looks like your lips, suits absolutely everyone from the fairer skin even to much deeper than me.”
KVD Beauty Tattoo Liner, £18, Feel Unique
“My instant route to glamour in minutes has got to be a liquid liner. This is where I use my ultimate liner - KVD Tattoo Liner.”
Guerlain Mad Eyes Mascara Volume, £29, Feel Unique
“This mascara is really great if you want full volumized lashes.”
Cle de Peau Cleansing Cream Oil, £52, Cult Beauty
“I'm a big fan of double cleansing. I think it's really important to be able to remove all your makeup, any debris from the day and SPF but the Clé de Peau cream cleansing oil is so incredible because you can just use this one product to cleanse.”
KVD Beauty Epic Kiss Lipstick, £19, Feel Unique
“I'm loving the KVD Epic Kiss Lipstick at the moment. They've got a slightly glossy finish, which makes them easy to wear and comfortable and hydrating.”
Sensai Cellular Performance Total Lip Treatment, £85, Skincity
“My favorite lip balm of all time is the Sensai Lip Treatment. More of a lip treatment than a lip balm and I use this at night rather than in the day because it's like a cream, but it's so deeply hydrating. So if you are one of these people that has lips that just never seem to be hydrated no matter what you apply, this is the one for you.”
Jamaican Mango & Lime Black Castor Oil, £6.95, Beauty Bay
"My cheap beauty thrill is castor oil. It's this really handy, kind of all around moisturiser and really nice to apply on your lashes and brows to keep them conditioned especially after wearing makeup."
L'Oréal Professionnel Tecni.ART Full Volume Extra Mousse, £13.53, Look Fantastic
“My curly hair must have is my L'Oreal Mousse. I have used it for years and years and it doesn't matter what I try, I always go back to this. It’s really, really volumising, with quite a strong hold. I just put it in the roots of my hair because it gives great root lift.”
