When you're helming a burgeoning accessories brand like sisters Coco and Breezy—the dynamic duo behind bold-but-functional sunglasses designed for everyone from Prince to Rihanna to Lady Gaga—there isn't time to highlight, shade, and blend your complexion into a seamless oblivion. "I don't like to take more than five or ten minutes to do my makeup," Coco says. "We're busy girls!" Collaborations with Transitions lenses (the girls are the brand's new spokeswomen) and Hershey's (Twizzler and Jolly Rancher-inspired eyewear are set to launch this summer) keep the New York-based siblings on the move, so they have their beauty routine down to a speedy science: Their signature look consists of a subtle cheek contour, sometimes a red lip, and always a pair of killer shades to complete the look. "We never do our eyes," Coco adds.
With this info in mind, we challenged the twins to try two vastly different contouring techniques: Coco followed the complex cream roadmap often spotlighted on YouTube. Breezy, on the other hand, carved out cheekbones with L'Oréal Paris' new Infallible Pro Contour Palette (an all-in-one kit that houses highlight and contour powders in one place). When it comes to contouring, slow and steady doesn't necessarily win the race. Here, a beauty play-by-play:
STARTING LINE:
Creating a smooth canvas with a light foundation is the first step for any contoured look. "If you apply contour powder when your base is still damp, it cuts the blending time and makes for a stronger payoff," says makeup artist Vincent Oquendo, who was on deck to provide pro tips for our dueling twins. Skin should be dewy, but not wet, he emphasizes—this prevents patches and streaks. If you prefer to gradually build your contour or like a softer finish, use the L'Oréal Paris Infallible Pro Contour Palette on top of dry foundation.
30-SECOND MARK:
Armed with the L'Oréal Paris Infallible Pro Contour Palette and custom brush (which is shaped like "two peaks and a valley," Oquendo says), Breezy aligned the "valley" with her cheekbone—starting at the middle of the ear. "Hold the brush like you would a telephone," placing the highlighter on top near the ear and the bronzer just below the cheekbone, Oquendo says. "Then, sweep it straight down towards your upper lip, stopping when you reach the point directly beneath the middle of your eye." Done!
Meanwhile, Coco is only beginning to highlight.
2-MINUTE MARK:
While more strategic highlighting ensues in Coco's corner, Breezy kicks it with the latest issue of ELLE.
5-MINUTE MARK:
Coco contours…and Breezy snaps a few selfies on set to pass the time.
FORFEIT:
Blending the highlighting and contouring creams is the final step for Coco, but Breezy lends a hand and passes off the L'Oréal Paris Infallible Pro Contour Palette. "It's all in the wrist!" Breezy says of her one-stroke approach. "I've always wanted to try the YouTube contour, but now I know why I haven't—it's a lot of work," Coco adds. No need to struggle when L'Oréal's foolproof brush does double duty and demystifies contouring by depositing highlighter and contour powder in one quick swipe.
PHOTO FINISH:
Wearing their latest Tres shades—a design the duo specially created for Prince, but re-engineered for the public with a removable third rim and interchangeable lenses—the Minnesota-born twins say they weren't always confident enough to pose for the camera. "We used to be really shy, but we were always very artistic," Coco says. "Growing up, people bullied us and made fun of us, so our only way of having confidence was wearing sunglasses. It was our way of preventing people from getting to us," Breezy adds.
Celebrities may use their unique frames to block out the world, but the sisters say that they've come a long way: "For a long time, sunglasses made us," Breezy notes. "But now we've grown as independent women and we've grown to love who we are, no matter what the outside world says."
Coco (left) wears: studded denim shirt: Sonia Rykiel; brass silver drop earring, brass silver cylinder ring, brass silver small abstract line ring: all Jennifer Fisher
Breezy (right) wears: denim shirt jacket: Ji Oh; brass stud ring, brass chain link ring, brass large abstract line ring: all Jennifer Fisher
Makeup: Vincent Oquendo
Hair: Joey George
Stylist: Shibon Kennedy
