Monthly Archives: June 2009

Illamasqua Makeup Master Class with Alex Box

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Selfridges, Oxford Street, London

The genius makeup artist Alex Box is doing her first master class for her eponymous line, the wonderful Illamasqua, at Selfridges on Friday July 3rd (6-8 pm), and Saturday July 4th (11-1pm).  The class costs £20, redeemable in product, and places are filling fast so if you want to go you’d better call them NOW on 0207 318 3788.

Having seen Alex work I can tell you that you are in for a real treat – she is an absolute master at what she does. To get you in the mood, here is another of her Illamasqua videos, the Siren.

Also don’t forget to check out their new blog at www.illamasqua.blogspot.com

How To – Nude Lips

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Oh how I love me some beige – lipstick that is. And it was all over the runways again this season, although most makeup artists used concealer and lip balm to create the perfect nude lip. kgpz9iwmn8

Great! I hear you say. I have concealer. I have lip balm. I can rock this beige lipstick look.

But I have to warn you, there are some questions you have to answer first:

  1. Are you 8 feet tall with legs up to your armpits?
  2. Were you born in Lithuania, Latvia or Russia?
  3. Is your name Svetlana?
  4. Did you stalk the runway for Balenciaga?

No? Well then you are not a model and clearly need to work a little bit harder to get a beige lip that looks gorgeous and not like Wednesday Addams.

If you have a lot of pigmentation in your lips, then you are a good candidate for the concealer, or MAC’s genius concealer lip balm (they really do think of everything, those people!) Lip Erase in Dim or Pale. Again don’t go nuts, a touch is enough. For everyone else, go straight to the lipstick.

Now here comes the tricky part – getting the right beige for your skintone. The secret is to make sure it doesn’t match your skin too closely, because then your lips just disappear into your face and you look like a honeydew melon with eyes – I give you Exhibit A, Antonia Kidman.

You want something with a slight peach or pink effect to it, and as much as I would love to be able to offer you the perfect nude for everyone, this one is one of those trial and error jobs. So get thee to a makeup counter!

Good ones to try:

  • NARS Honolulu Honey, Belle de Jour and Blonde Venus
  • Laura Mercier in Discretion
  • Estee Lauder Pure Color Lipstick in Vanilla Truffle
  • YSL Rouge Volupte in no. 2 Sensual Silk and no. 3 Ultimate Beige
  • Rimmel Lasting Finish lipstick in Birthday Suit
  • Christian Dior Hi-Shine Addict Lipstick in Nude Silhouette 214 and Casual Beige 222
  • MAC in Myth, Freckletone and Jubilee

Adding a clear or nude colored gloss can help cut the cadaver effect also.

Glosses I like:

  • Dior – Dior Addict Ultra Gloss in Linen Beige 317
  • NARS – Chihuaha, Turkish Delight, Chealsea Girls
  • Laura Mercier – Champagne GlaceWe’re looking to do this

Chalize Theron Nude Lips

Bin It: Mineral Powders. All of them.

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Mineral PowdersMineral makeup, mineral makeup – it’s everywhere, and it’s being sold to consumers as the be-all and end-all of your skin and foundation woes. You would have to have been living under a rock (and then slathering it all over your face with a Kabuki brush) to miss out on this hot new trend.

Um, I just don’t get it. And it’s been explained to me a million times. It sounds like something dreamt up by a Scientologist, but when you buy into the craziness, also like it’s so weird that it COULD just be the greatest thing ever: Pure ground up rocks get buffed onto your face with a brush, all over, in a circular motion, and the more you buff the shinier it is and hence! The more like skin it becomes. So technically you end up with a face of perfect-looking skin. Problem is, what it actually looks like is a big old face of buffed-in shiny powder foundation, laid on with a trowel.

I’ll tell you what looks like skin – skin! Real skin, your skin, on its own. So if you have pimples or under eye bags, or pigmentation or rosacea, why not deal with those problem areas with a good concealer and a concealer brush, instead of covering all your beautiful skin with a faceful of grey sludge?

OK, I know people who love it, and they say it’s changed their life and that’s wonderful when makeup makes you feel good, but personally I just don’t get it. Apparently, it’s so natural you could sleep in it. Why on earth would you want to sleep in your makeup? The thought of having a layer of stuff on my face (even if it is a bunch of hypoallergenic crushed up rocks) whilst I’m sleeping makes me feel icky. The only time that should be happening is when you’re passed out and can’t find your face wipes after too much Wine Time!

It’s the biggest selling foundation in America, and one of the major brands even has a tour bus that travels the States, preaching to the unconverted about the wonders of shiny mineral makeup face.  So I know I’m probably going to get some flack for this post. Most major brands now have something mineral in their lines, including Prescriptives, MAC, Maybelline, Revlon, Clinique, L’Oreal, Laura Mercier, Lancôme, Dior and the originals which are Bare Escentuals and Bare Minerals.

I do know that its quick and easy application method is alluring for some, and certainly if you feel like you need to cover a lot of problem areas quickly, it could seem like a gift from the gods. Plus the fact that it doesn’t have a lot of the nasty chemicals that some of the conventional cosmetic brands do is positive. But as one of my clients with sensitive skin yesterday told me after she had been on (and off) the mineral makeup train, just because it’s natural doesn’t mean it won’t make you break out! Like anything with foundation and skincare it’s educated guesses and trial and error to find what works for you. So if that’s mineral makeup, you go girl! But for me, it’s heading to the big storage unit in the sky.

BIN IT!

Bag It: Dior Beige Massai

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Dior Beige MassaiThis is officially my favourite eyeshadow set at the moment, and it’s been in my kit so long that it’s the old enamel blue and black stripes (and that’s old! I think I bought it pre-2000) and it’s still getting cracked out on a regular basis.

Why so good? Well it has the perfect nutmeg brown for starters, which has a slight bit of shimmer but only a touch (the other four shadows are matte). It has a cream, which I never use but hey at least it’s there if I ever need to do – well, a cream color, a gorgeous matte peach which has just the right amount of blue to it, not too coppery, an almost wine color which is lovely on blue and green eyes mixed with the brown, and my other fave, a mustard-y camel color which is just the wrong shade of tan to be oh so right.

They’re gorgeous mixed together or used separately but they are a kit staple, so for me it’s BAG IT!

Summer Lovin’: Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge Calypso Coral

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Bobbi Brown Pot RougeGet the steel band going and pour me some Jamaican rum, ‘cause I’m feeling like a dreadlock holiday…
Well it’s more like Sainsbury’s in Putney, but when I dab on a little bit of Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Calypso Coral I can at least imagine that those waving palm trees and daquiris poolside are on their way (even though it could be a while).
Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge is a great, dense cream blush for cheeks and lips that I have (and love) in my kit in Summer Tan, Milk Chocolate, Pale Pink and now Calypso Coral. Just dab on with fingers for the kind of believable blush that makes you look and feel like you’re just back from holidays (even if the closest thing you have to a holiday right now is reading Grazia with a packet of crisps in the park).

From the Front Lines: Matte Nail Polish from Marian Newman Nails.

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Prepare to be dazzled by a revolutionary new polish coming out from Marian Newman Nails in the near future – it’s matte and it’s nude but the finish is completely different to others of this type that are currently on the market. The ones that I have seen so far tend to be chalky, but these babies give a flawless, satin texture that still dries perfectly, deliciously matte.

And we all know that’s we’re going to be wanting for the colder months!

Plus Marian knows nudes like no-one’s business, as she’s pointed me in the direction of some fabulous ones in the past. (If it wasn’t for her I’d still be standing in the nail polish section of Boots right now!)

She used the new polish which can be applied alone OR mixed in with other polishes, on a very big advertising campaign last week, and quite frankly the client went crazy for them. As did we.

Matte Daddy indeed!

Please explain – Cream Eyeshadows

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How many of my Makeup Molettes have bought a cream eyeshadow expecting it to be amazing and got it home, smeared it on, and it’s just well…not? I’m constantly mystified as to why magazines tell people to try a new color eyeshadow in a cream texture, as if buying a powder  eyeshadow to test something out would be too shocking. Ladies, I think we’re strong enough to handle it!

What the magazines don’t tell you is that cream eyeshadows are the diet version of powder eyeshadow – the anorexic younger cousin, the Lite to powder’s Maxi. Yes, they can be beautiful on their own, but you’re never going to get a full fledged rockin’ look if you don’t layer it with powder.  So expecting to get some amazing strong effect from a cream shadow, well it’s just not going to happen (sorry).Nars Cream eyeshadow

Because cream is more transparent than powder it’s always going to give you a sheerer wash of color – so for a neutral, natural everyday look they can be lovely. For this transparent, taupe-y effect I highly recommend NARS cream shadows in Corfu and Savage and Laura Mercier Metallic Crème Shadows in Gold and Rose Gold.

They are great as a base – MAC Paint Pots and Paints (which come in dinky little tubes) are often used as a base color to give the powder something to adhere to. Personally I don’t like using a ‘base’ color as I think it changes the color you put on top, but on any given Sunday Youtube is awash with people who disagree with me, so it’s really personal choice.

If you are looking for something with more oomph, Illamasqua cream eyeshadows come in amazing strong colors and strong pigments, (the strongest I have come across), so for creating really bright colored eyes I would definitely recommend these. MAC Paint sticks are also a winner although the color range is a bit limited.

I do love creating editorial looks with creams, and for this I generally turn to my trusty MAC Cream Color Bases (or CCB’s as they are fondly known around the traps). These are a staple, staple item in my kit in pretty much every color available. They are unbeatable for smudging and creating beautiful shadows and highlights – once you try them you will be hooked!

Bobbi Brown Cream EyeshadowI have also recently tried and LOVED the Bobbi Brown cream eyeshadows which are the only ones that I have found that don’t crease. For this is the definite drawback with cream eyeshadows – most of them crease like crazy, which means they need to be repaired throughout the day (not usually something most people want to worry about!) They also crease more on those with oily eyelids or in summer. You can help prevent this by setting with a small brush and a translucent powder, or a powder eyeshadow in a similar color.

And if you are channeling your inner 80’s diva, nothing beats the combo of powder and cream eyeshadow to give you mega glam slam eyes. And just like painting, half the fun is in the mix. Get to work!