This time of year one’s mind starts turning to all things cosy and wintry, so it’s time for a snuggle-fest on the Mole Patrol. Crack out that duvet, whip up some hot chocolate and slather yourself in serious moisturizer for that dry and winter parched skin – it’s a cold weather delight!
Embryolisse moisturizer
This is a must for winter skin. It’s heavy and glues back all those lovely dry
crack-y bits you get when your nose turns red. I always put it back in my kit at this time of year as more and more models start turning up with their faces falling off due to too much heating inside, the cold outside, and seeing as they’re so gorgeous and can get away with it, often a diet of caffeine and cigarettes. Embryolisse to the rescue. Word on the makeup streets is that what you buy in Parisian pharmacies is better than their export stuff (which you can get in London at the makeup shop PAM in Shepherd’s Bush).
Illamasqua Cake Liner in Mislead with Sealing Gel
Because this sucker don’t move. I’d read all the raves on the internet but only recently have I tried it, and it is amazing. So when the wind is blowing and you’re swaddled in scarves and beanies, at least your eyes will still look like Audrey Hepburn’s (even if the rest of you looks like Freddie Krueger).
Bobbi Brown Eye Palette in Velvet Plum
Fab neutrals that would suit any eye color, and an amazing dense black brown eyeshadow which is a surprisingly difficult color to find in other ranges. Combined with the Illamasqua Cake liner it is a wintry winner.
Chanel Particuliere Nail Polish
Straight from the Paris shows (where she created 50 shades of nude nails for Louis Vuitton) Sophy Robson’s top nail color for the coming season is Chanel Particuliere. Sure to be as coveted as last season’s Jade and the original got-to-have-it nail color, Rouge Noir, I fell in love from the second I saw it. It’s a weird taupe-y mauve color that’s like dead people’s hands, but better. The fashion pack are going to love it! I think the new Chanel shade is chic, effortless and original – just like Chanel really.
Benetint by Benefit
Aaah, a hardy perennial – just rescued from the makeup Vault where it has been languishing for quite a while, this is the perfect outdoor flush for when it gets cold. I do love a wind burned cheek (well a fake one, not a real one!) this time of year, and this bestselling 30 year old tinted liquid made from rose petals is still the original, and still the best.
Last night was the champagne fueled and much anticipated launch of makeup artist 
MakeupMole has been incredibly fortunate to have been granted a rare interview from world-famous perfumer and makeup artist, Serge Lutens. After more than forty years in the beauty business he has some rare insights to offer. I am very grateful to Mr Lutens for taking the time to answer my questions.
Makeup by Kay Montano
Kay Montano was in Madrid last weekend helping Rachel Weisz promote her new movie, Agora, and this is what she used for the premiere.
Oh how it pains me to write a negative review about 
I have to admit to being a bit of a sucker for organic skincare – I like the advantages it has over its chemical counterparts and the general organic ethos of being kind to the planet whilst we’re kind to ourselves (and what’s more beautiful than that?)
I decided at MM HQ that it is time to pay homage to the greatest makeup artists of all time, the ones that have paved the way for makeup artists like myself, particularly in the past when being a makeup artist wasn’t really a job. They were the real innovators. Before the internet and “co-branding opportunities” and “celebrity makeup artists” and products that have been developed using NASA technology, there were amazing makeup artists who transformed women with simple powders and paints and showed what today we take for granted – that beauty can be mentally and physically transformative.