Brand Breakdown: NARS

Posted on December 21, 2009 by The Makeup Mole

Oooh, I’m having a NARS moment again! I have had times in the past when I have been OBSESSED with Monsieur Nars’ delightful range of cosmetics, and I do mean obsessed. In fact I like to think I have a commemorative palm tree in Bora Bora (where he has an island, don’t you know) that is mine, bought and paid for, as over the years I seem to have acquired my bodyweight in NARS products.

This year marks the 15^th anniversary of the NARS line, and you may have seen quite a lot of coverage in the glossies lately to commemorate it. Not just that, but as a makeup artist Francois Nars has had something of a return to the fashion spotlight since keying the Marc Jacobs show the last two seasons – yes, he was the maestro behind the full-on 80’s faces we saw last year, and love it or hate it, you can’t deny how influential it has been.

Francois Nars started doing makeup in the early 80’s, and his first big break came when he did Brooke Shields for American Vogue. He worked steadily over the next fifteen years, becoming one of the biggest makeup artists in the world (he was the man who Madonna entrusted with most of her videos and the Steven Meisel Sex book). In 1994 he decided to launch a range of 12 lipsticks which just grew and grew, until it was acquired by Shiseido in 2000. It continues to evolve each season with new colors arriving and only a few leaving – a nice change from so many lines that seem to have a revolving door of Limited Edition products that you can’t get your hands on.

Now, enough background and onto the wonders of the line itself! For me it’s all about the colors – colors you just can’t get anywhere else, and in combinations that you couldn’t even dream up. I love the eyeshadows, the blushes, the lipsticks, the glosses, and the brushes particularly.

I’m also liking the new eyeliner pens as the nib is nice and stiff and so far after some weeks they are still holding strong (some of those pens seem to evaporate like a rabid toddler has been doodling with them – CoverGirl and Shu Uemura, I am talking to YOU!) And after my abysmal review of their old mascara, one of the NARS angels must have been listening as they have two new formulas out and the Larger Than Life Volumizing one not only gives a full, soft fluffy lash, but that sucker is indelible. I mean, bring the waterproof eye makeup remover because it will last all week left to its own devices!

The brushes are so good all of mine have been stolen at the shows over the years, which makes me sad but is a true sign of quality. And with no further ado, and in no particular order, here are my Top 5 favourite NARS products in each category (I had to do five for each, otherwise we’d be here all day).

Eyeshadows

All About Eve
Cordura
Misfit
India Song
Underworld

Blush

Orgasm
Sertao
Penny Lane
Lovejoy
Desire

Lipstick

Belle de Jour
Jungle Red
Heatwave
Roman Holiday
Dolce Vita

Plus! All the Velvet Matte Pencils, any and all of the glosses, and the Multiples in Copacabana and South Beach never leave my side (well, except when I’m in the shower). And now Christmas is nearly upon us, it is with glee and anticipation that I realize the new collection is just round the corner!

Stop Press! Becca EXTRA SMALL Polishing Brush

Posted on December 19, 2009 by The Makeup Mole

Look what I found today – check out this dude. It’s a tiny duofibre brush for blending eyes (and concealer or foundation, if it so tickled your fancy). This is possibly more of a thrill for makeup artists, since we’re like that, getting very excited about new and innovative additions to our brush collections, but believe me when I tell you this is ace.

Duofibre brushes are fairly new to the market, only being around for the last few years, but they are amazing for polishing and blending. Most makeup artists I know carry at least one in their kit (usually MAC 187, which is the larger one and MAC 188 which is smaller) as they are fabulous for buffing foundation, or for sheering out cream blush. This is the first time I’ve seen a duofibre for the eyes, and it’s gone from being something I’ve never heard of, to something I feel I can’t live without.

If you love a blended eyeshadow, this is the new guy in your life.

MakeupMole Christmas Gift Guide

Posted on December 12, 2009 by The Makeup Mole

It’s that time of year again, when it’s time to start thinking about loved ones and what they would like for Christmas. And given that the holiday season MakeupMole Christmas Gift Guide can be stressful, and tiring, and there are lots of parties, isn’t it time to start thinking of a gift guide for yourself? After all, ‘tis the season of tiny little lip glosses, bundled together into one gorgeous package, of miniature elf sized nail polish in a whole rainbow of colors, fabulous brush sets in tiny clutches, in short, makeup that is good enough to eat. So follow my lead – one for you, and one for me, one for you…

Here are my picks for cute as a button present giving (and keeping!)

Illamasqua

The Gold Goddess box contains Liquid metal in ‘Solstice’, Pure Pigment in ‘Furore’, False Lashes 019 and the Medium Pencil in ‘Sophie’ – £3 of the sale of this box will go to the Sophie Lancaster Foundation. The Silver Seductress box contains Liquid metal in ‘Phenomena’ and is complemented with Pure Pigment in ‘Android’, False Lashes in 19 and the Medium Pencil in ‘Sophie’. Again, £3 of the sale of this box will go directly to the Sophie Lancaster Foundation.

NARS 15^th Anniversary Palette ‘Everlasting Love’

NARS is justly famed for his palettes and this little Christmas cracker to commemorate his 15^th year of makeup goodness is no exception. It has eyeshadows in Edie, Nightbreed and Underworld Duo, plus one of my all time favourite nude lipstick colors, Belle de Jour, and lip lacquer in Chelsea Girls. Nice!

Nude

Nude’s adorable little box set of travel sized potions is just what the doctor ordered for party-weary skin – a Cleansing Oil, Miracle Mask and Age Defense Moisturiser to come soothe your over-partied spirit. And your conscience can feel as good as your skin does since it’s not tested on animals and has no sulfates or parabens.

MAC

As always MAC comes into it’s own at Christmas and this year is no exception. The eyeshadow sets are gorgeous – particularly noteworthy is Smoke and Mirrors which has six beautiful smoky eye colors, for those times you need sultry eyes in seconds.

And their mini pigments and gloss sets are back! For budding makeup artists they are a great way to build your collection, and quite frankly for anyone who loves something small and squirrelly (and let’s face it, who doesn’t?) you really can’t go past them.

Bobbi Brown

Loving the Earth Metal Lip and Eye palette from the Chrome Collection, which features six yummy eye shadows and four natural but better lip colors.

Black Plum Mini Travel Brush set – I LOVE Bobbi’s brushes as they are exceptionally good quality, just the right size to do the jobs you want and they last forever. And what have we here… Look at this bad boy! Six travel size brushes in a little bag. Perfect for all of those of you out there (ahem!) who have grimy,

mismatched brushes lying in dust at the bottom of your makeup bag (not mentioning any names… That goes double if you’re blending things with cotton buds.) No more excuses!

Laura Mercier

Mini Lip Glace set contains five little glossy bonbons, all in a row.

Eyeko

Tiny vials of nail varnish in 8 different shades – and at £3 each, you could definitely bundle these into one sweet gift!

Becca

The Showgirl palette is what’s in their stocking this year, with a deep brown shadow, orchid and a stone color that work surprisingly well together, and a rosebud stain with a pink gloss. What you need to look gorgeous this party season.

Secret Weapon: Becca Concealer

Posted on December 10, 2009 by The Makeup Mole

It’s not because I’m an Aussie that I’m partial to this lovely line made by an Australian makeup artist, Rebecca Morrice Williams – no, it takes an awful lot more than that to get a free pass in my kit these days. Space is at a premium, baby! And because of my severe space issues, for a while I took out my selection of Becca concealers. But I quickly found out, I couldn’t live without them. No, really.

The Becca range is designed around the foundations and concealers – they are the DNA of the brand if you like, and the CRAZY idea, that people are different colors – not just 6 shades of Barbie doll beige (not mentioning any names here, but you know which brands you are), or even worse, one shade fits all. Because in this crazy patchwork quilt world we live in, 6 shades of foundation just doesn’t cut the mustard. Which is why Becca has a whopping 31 shades of stick foundation, and 34 of concealer. And, my beauty loving friends, why I can’t live without it. Because it has certain shades you just can’t get anywhere else. I’m talking alabaster white for our fair skinned sisters, and the deeper duskier hues of caramel and walnut for black skins, which often have undertones of green and red (or even yellow if you’re mixed race), that the bigger cosmetics players don’t address. I defy you to try Becca and not meet your match.

Regular Moleage fans probably know that I endlessly bang the drum for cosmetics houses to be in more inclusive of all skintones – reason being I’m a fair skinned blonde, so for me personally I’ll be right Jack, I’ve got a zillion shades in every brand to choose from, but as a makeup artist I get to feel the pain of anyone who doesn’t have whitebread skin. I have to deal with every type of skin and every type of skin tone, and it’s taken me literally YEARS to find the right products.

Which is why Becca is back in my kit and staying there, because not only is the color range second to none, it covers with serious staying powder and can be used equally under the eyes, or on a pimple without cakiness (as you can sheer it out with a brush). And even more genius! It comes in two densities in one compact – one lighter for under the eye, and the heavier one for any skin problems.

Kay Montano also loves it, and uses concealer in Cappucino on Thandie Newton, Sherbert on Nicole Kidman and Praline on Rachel Weisz.

Beauty Breakdown – Nicole Kidman for the premiere of Nine, London

Posted on December 4, 2009 by The Makeup Mole

Nicole Kidman for the premiere of Nine in London Makeup by Kay Montano

It was a big night on the red carpet last night for the world premiere of the new blockbuster musical Nine, starring Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz, Kate Hudson, Sophia Loren and Daniel Day-Lewis. Kay Montano was on hand to get Nicole Kidman ready, making her look gorgeous in perfect red lips.

Here’s what she used:

Base – Chanel Lift Lumiere in 10

Powder – Jurlique Rose powder

Blush – Chanel Tea Rose blush

Eyes – Bobbi Brown eyeshadow in Chocolate

- Chanel Teak eye pencil

- Chanel Ecriture de Chanel in black

- Chanel Inimitable Obscure black mascara

- Screenface knot free individual lashes in medium

Lips – Chanel New York Red lipstick

Current Obsession: Lee Miller

Posted on December 3, 2009 by The Makeup Mole

I shouldn’t really call the amazing photographer and artist Lee Miller a “Current Obsession” as she’s been an obsession of mine for years.

Born in 1907 in New York and unbelievably beautiful, by her teens she was modeling for Vogue for the great photographers of the day like Edward Steichen and Hoynigen-Huene. After tiring of this, she moved to Paris where she became the lover, partner and muse of Surrealist photographer and painter Man Ray. She was also his collaborator on many works and is credited by some as being the creator of his groundbreaking solarisation technique (which is still widely referenced today, most notably by fashion photographers Mert and Marcus.)

After spending the 1930’s as a successful photographer in Paris and New York, she became one of the only female war correspondents, sending back dispatches for British Vogue. This culminated in her being the only female photographer and one of the few photojournalists to document the liberation of the concentration camp Buchenwald. Understandably she never really recovered from this experience, and in her later life (when she became a mother and something of a domestic goddess), her solace became cooking, which she did with the same gusto that she did everything else.

This is a truly inspirational woman who packed more into one life than ten people could, who was never hampered by her gender and lived her life with an astonishing bravery and courage. Her life is a who’s who of the 20^th century, and her biography is a must-read for anyone interested in art, photography or history. Lover of Picasso, collaborator and muse of Cocteau and Man Ray, Vogue writer and model, an incredible photographer, photojournalist and chef, this is a woman who epitomizes Hemingway’s maxim of “Grace under pressure.”

My favourite autobiography on Lee Miller, is Lee Miller by Carolyn Burke, published by Bloomsbury. Her work is very strictly copyrighted, so if you would like to learn more about her art, please go to www.leemiller.co.uk. There is also an exhibition of her work, ‘Lee Miller’s Surrealist Eye’ is at Millesgarden, Sweden from 14^th November- 14^th February, 2010.

Right Now: Benefit Talk to the Tan

Posted on December 1, 2009 by The Makeup Mole

Benefit Tell it to the Tan A while ago, I posted about the new pale trend – skin like milk that looks touched by moonlight. Certainly with the release of the latest film in the Twilight saga, New Moon, whitening skin products are up over 200% (200 % people, that’s not a trend, that’s a tsunami of creamy complexions!), and that looks set to continue.

I applaud this wholeheartedly with skin cancers also on the rise – pale is beautiful. But now, in the depths of winter and with skin the color of an uncooked mackerel, it’s time to buck the trend (something I’ve always liked doing), and go the other way – let’s find a bronzer for winter-struck skin.

And I bring you my new addition to my kit, Benefit’s Talk to the Tan. It is delicious. It’s a self-tanner that washes off at the end of the day, so for those commitment-phobes, it’s perfect. One coat will give you sun-kissed gorgeousness, and you can layer it to go deeper if you must (although please, no Jordan tans!) I’m pretty pale and it boosts my complexion just enough to take me from this side of the undead to passably human. It solves the problem of deep-freeze weather time, where your normal blush looks like you’re auditioning for the circus. And apparently it’s one of those products that combines with your natural chemistry to make it the right shade for you – and it’s certainly working for me. And with its cute sunshine-y packaging (one of the things Benefit is justifiably loved for), it’s making me feel more Acapulco than Alaska.

Now the only question is, is this one going into my personal bag, or into my kit? It’s a tough call but the last model I worked on was the color of unbaked oatmeal, so I think it will be kit-side for now. Maybe I’ll have to channel my inner Bella until I can get to Benefit again – particularly if that pale skin comes complete with an Edward.

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