The Makeup Mole

I’m breaking some rules by posting this now, but I just couldn’t wait any longer… Usually I wait at least a month when testing mascara, to make sure that it keeps performing as expected. If it’s a crappy mascara, I check that it’s still flaky/smudgy/giving me tranny lash, and if it’s a good one I like to make sure it’s not a high performer for two weeks and then a dud (which has happened before, you know).

But this guy – well it’s got me so excited I’m only halfway through the testing period and I love it more every day, so I had to tell you all. It’s the new YSL Faux Cils mascara. I’ve used Faux Cils before and liked it as the product is quite slick and allows you to build without clumpiness. But this new dude, well it’s in a league of it’s own! Whatever they’ve been doing at YSL Beaute they just need to continue right on doing it. I love everything about it.

It’s really black, so it falls into the Carbon Black mascara category, but without a hint of blue in it, which can make us fairer types look punched out. It has a lovely big brush but with lots of surface area on it, so you get to every lash. Also, unlike Diorshow (another large brushed mascara), it doesn’t get gelatinous in the tube. Honestly I have bought brand new Diorshow before and the first time out of the wand it looked like I had nuggets (yes, nuggets, it’s the only way to describe it) of road tar on them. I may as well have given my money to a homeless person for all the good it did my lashes – and then at least my karma would be shiny – so I’m no longer a Diorshow shopper.

Best of all? it’s really hard to get clumpy. The result? You get thick AND long lashes, which is super rare in one product. You can go back in and add more at the base without it getting on your lid, it stays all day, no flaking OR smudging, and the smell makes me swoon. It’s like wearing little bursts of French perfume on your lashes. What better way to start your day?

So this is my new weapon in my mascara arsenal. A word of caution though – it is beautifully easy to remove but because it’s a slippy mascara there is a lot of product on those lashes (even if it doesn’t look that way). A nice gentle makeup remover – currently I’m loving Chantecaille’s Camomile Eye Makeup Remover – and LOTS of cotton balls is the way forward. But it’s a small price to pay for dream lashes.

YSL Faux Cils in Noir Radical is available now in the UK, US and Australia.
Visit www.yslbeautyus.com for further info.

Estee Lauder is one of those brands that have really re-invented themselves over the last few years. They used to be a bit granny – that’s where your mum and your grandma (and in some cases, great-grandma!) shopped for their rouge and lipstick, but no longer. The quality of the products is still there (because they have that in spades), but it’s now a nanna-free zone. The advertising is much more glamorous, with spokesmodels like the beautiful Hilary Rhoda and the unbelievable looking Constance Jablonski, and their first Asian model, Liu Wen. And this year they have a new International Makeup artist in the form of one Mr Tom Pecheux, he of the constant flow of Paris Vogue covers, years as Mario Testino’s favourite makeup artist, runway artist regular and makeup artist to Madonna, Nicole Kidman and Kate Moss amongst others. The urbane Frenchman is a perfect addition to the brand, and I love the look of his first collection, Blue Dahlia. He says “Makeup is such a fashion accessory – I’d like to highlight that part of the brand, and also bring a playful touch to the franchise.”

However! I’ve been using Estee Lauder judiciously in my kit for quite awhile as I love the finish of their products – this is still makeup for grown ups, even if it is being ushered into the new millennium. I had my first proper taste of their range at the Swarowski Fashion Rocks show in London a couple of years ago (Estee Lauder sponsored it), and I was actually really blown away by the quality. It was a huge show with a zillion models and celebrities in very full makeup looks, and their products held up amazingly. Ever since then I’ve been a fan.

One of my favourites from Estee Lauder is their eyeshadows which are super finely milled, blend deliciously and used in conjunction with others in the range give a gorgeous finish and are just lovely, flattering colours. I definitely prefer them to their eyeshadow quads from the core range, which are not the same texture as the singles. The colour pay off in the singles seems to be much better, and less powdery – plus the mattes are really matte and the shimmers are just shimmery enough. Shimmer to make you pretty, not look like an escapee from Crazy Town. And the metallics? Well they’re off the charts – love, love love these particularly in the deeper colours like purple and charcoal.

Each shadow feels like pretty little Lucite seashells in your hand, so they definitely give you that feeling you’re using something luxe, although as a makeup artist I do find they get quite heavy when you’re stacking them up and carrying them around (as one does). Word on the street has it that Estee Lauder will be re-launching their single eyeshadows later this year in the form of 48 new Pure Colour eyeshadows with finishes ranging from matte, to satins, luminous and metallic. And if they’re anything as good as the ones I have in my kit I’ll be queuing up to get to them!

I couldn’t resist this 80′s awesomeness – this is a rare Estee Lauder promotional video of supermodel Paulina Porizkova. Quite the contrast to Hilary Rhoda!

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser

I’ve had this post kicking around in my head for a long time, and in the meantime I’ve tried at least four other tinted moisturizers, and not one of them has come close to beating the original and the best – Laura Mercier’s Tinted Moisturiser.

Calling a product The Best Ever is a big statement, but when I do it’s because I feel pretty confident that I’ve tried a lot in that category, and this is the best on the market. There is a reason why this turns up every single year in the Allure and Instyle Best of Beauty Awards!

Tinted Moisturiser was one of Laura Mercier’s first products in her eponymous line, and it’s wonderful for just giving a light touch of something for those who don’t really need full-on foundation. In Foundation Land, a very confusing place most women are obligated to visit at least a few times in their lifetime, a place filled with unhelpful sales assistants trying to take your money – it’s the lightest coverage, the first step on the foundation ladder. It’s for those with good skin naturally, and it’s particularly awesome when it’s hot (as it’s a lighter product and won’t slide off your face so much), and on holidays as you can just whack it on with your fingers and be out the door and off to the beach. Because it is such a light coverage, I like to go a shade darker in Tinted Moisturiser – it gives your skin a sun-kissed glow without being too much.

It has an SPF of 20, comes in  2 formulas (normal and oil-free), plus an Illuminating one for dull, dry skin (great in winter, although not for those with oily skin), and comes in 10 shades, from very pale to pretty dark. I’ve used it myself and I’ve used it at work for upwards of ten years, and no other brand comes close to getting the right creaminess, range of shades and lovely texture that evens your skintone and gives your face a much-needed lift in the morning.

Laura Mercier’s range specializes in products that make your skin look perfect, and of her foundations, this is my favourite. That’s why Laura Mercier’s Tinted Moisturiser is the best one ever.

Kylie wears MyFace Blingtones

Kylie Minogue looked predictably gorgeous at the AmFAR Gala benefit in New York recently. Her makeup artist, Kabuki (a makeup star in his own right who has painted the faces of Lady Gaga, Gwen Stefani and Madonna, amongst others) gave her shimmering sexy eyes with Myface Blingtones, a Makeup Mole favourite!

He blended Blingtones in Black Ice over her lid, Spice-y in the socket, and Diamonds and Pearls to highlight the inner eye corner and under the browbone. So next time you want to twinkle like a little star…

MyFace Cosmetics can be purchased at Boots nationwide and www.myfacecosmetics.com

There is a bonafide revolution going on in makeup halls not just around the country, but around the world – Lipstick is Back.

Relegated to the status of a makeup also ran since, ooh, about 1999, when gloss usurped its position as women’s choice of lip enhancer, lipstick has quietly been easing its way back into our lives.

For me the tide turned on a shoot with David Bailey over a year ago – Kay Montano had these beautiful, creamy lipsticks from Bobbi Brown that she had been using on Nicole Kidman (aptly named ‘Creamy Lipsticks’), and I fell in love all over again with their delicious texture and the fact that they were moisturizing and had a sheen on them, but no stickiness. Gloss had been feeling a little passé for awhile, but this was the first time I had tossed an actual lipstick in my handbag in years.

My gloss bag at work started to shrink, and my lipstick palettes increase. I was using bolder colors at work – bright oranges, corals, fuchsia, red in all its permutations from deep wine to eye-popping cherries and strawberries.

Then came the launch of Chanel’s Rouge Coco lipstick in March this year with its ethereal image of Vanessa Paradis. Chanel’s Global Makeup artist, Peter Phillips, was so vocal in his championing of the forgotten makeup product, that it heralded something of a return. In the last couple of months it feels like every line is bringing lipstick back, and when the master of the fashion zeitgeist, Tom Ford, decides to launch a line of lippies, you know it’s a done deal.

My new-found love of lipstick has led me to try out quite a few lately, and my top winners at the moment are:

YSL Rouge Volupte – love the colours and they are super-creamy

Bobbi Brown – perfect for your natural lip shade but better

Chanel Rouge Coco – they really are as good as the buzz

Estee Lauder – if you’re re-investigating the classics, why not go to the source?

Illamasqua – For mouth-watering statement lip shades

NARS – from nudes to reds, his colour selection is unparalleled

MAC – like a lipstick candy store for grown ups

Lipstick is not just about applying lip colour – it’s an attitude, a feeling, a gift to yourself. It’s time (if you haven’t done so already), to make like a lady, and get yourself a lipstick.

Dutch-born makeup artist Ellis Faas certainly has the eye of a painter, and the soul of an artist. Growing up in the Netherlands with a very artistic family, she first wanted to be a photographer but quickly grew frustrated by the technical side of photography, and more and more drawn to the magic being created on the face on the other side of the camera.

This bloomed quickly into an editorial career that within the space of a few years had her working on all the major magazines around the globe with top photographers like Mario Testino, Patrick Demarchalier, Vincent Peters, Karl Lagerfeld, Paolo Roversi, Terry Richardson and Jean-Baptiste Mondino. Her intuitive and often startling use of colour has made her highly respected in the industry, and the sumptousness of her makeup work was always distinctively hers.

She has now turned her considerable talents to her line of makeup available around the world. The Ellis Faas line is designed to make women’s hectic lives simpler, more streamlined, and yes, more beautiful. The idea is simple – to re-work the basic elements of a woman’s makeup needs into a sleek container that chicly and snuggly fits in your bag, and can be used when needed – and to be gorgeous enough to use in public.

I met Ellis in London late last year when she launched her line at Liberty’s of London, and not only is she a lovely person and a great makeup artist, her line of cosmetics is a practical and elegant solution to the age old problem of the overflowing, disorganized makeup bag. I love the colours of her line which are all based on the human body – the bruisy browns of the creamy eyeshadows are incredible, and the quality of the concealers and foundations are superb. Plus, Ellis Red lipstick really does suit everyone!

Even though they are only a young brand, they’ve already been voted Editor’s Favourites at Allure and Glamour. We are lucky enough to have an interview with the lady herself.

1) What are you working on at the moment?
At this very moment, we are preparing the launch of our new products: five eye highlighters. They are not merely highlighters, because these are liquid, but they dry upon application, and then the Lights give the illusion of having a small metallic sheet on the eyelid. It was quite a challenge to come up with the right texture and the right pigments, but I think you are going to like them!

2) Favourite makeup job ever?
That’s difficult… I tend to have best memories because of the team and what happened on the set. But if I have to choose a great team in combination with makeup that I am really proud of, that would be a beauty shoot for Numéro by Jean-Baptiste Mondino.

3) Top 5 products?
Of our own brand? Our foundation, concealer, mascara, “Creamy Eyes” eye shadow and Ellis Red lipstick.

4) If you could tell women to do one thing differently with their makeup, what would it be?
I don’t believe in giving rules of dos and don’ts, but if there is one thing that women have to keep an eye on is choosing the right shade of foundation. Apart from that, I just hope that people will experiment and will develop their own sense of beauty, without listening what people like me are “advising”.

5) How did you get started in the business?
I have always liked makeup, but initially, I wanted to become a photographer – also because I didn’t even know that makeup could be a profession. Making photos I always used a lot of makeup, and more and more I disliked the technical aspect of photography and but instead was drawn to the intuitive side of doing makeup. Both is creating an image… And actually I never stopped photographing either, but never professionally until we started our own brand for which I take all the pictures.

My international career started after photographer Mario Testino saw my portfolio and asked me to work with him. After that the ball started rolling.

6) How is it different to when you started?
For me personally? That is the travel, and the needed flexibility because you never know when you have to leave for a job.

7) Which work are you most proud of?
My own brand!

8) What made you start your own line?
I made something that I missed in my own daily life. My professional kits were always very neat and organised, but I couldn’t stand my private makeup bag: different sizes, different ways of packaging, brushes and other applicators – and all of that stuffed into a bulging makeup bag. There once was a survey that women take longer to find a product in their bag than actually applying it, and it was exactly like that for me. Many brands try to come up with portable solutions, but then for instance they make palettes of which you only use one colour. So the main thing is that I wanted to come up with a solution that was practical, looked nice and gave women 100% flexibility. And the flexibility is also in the colours that suit all skin tones, and the application of the product is very easy for non-professionals.

9) What do you love doing in your spare time?
Like building my own brand, I also like to “build” things in spare time: so I’m always working on my house, my garden…

10) What are your predictions for the coming season for makeup?
I have no idea, because I never keep track of trends. But of course I hope the whole world will fall for liquid eye highlighters as THE thing to start using. And I know just the brand where they can find that ;).

On Wednesday, June 9th, Ellis will be at Liberty’s of London, answering questions from the audience and there is a chance to meet Ellis personally. I highly recommend a play with her lovely line, as it really is like nothing else on the market. There is a booking fee, but that is redeemable against sales on the night. Please call 020 7734 1234 ext. 2506.

The Ellis Faas line is sold in Liberty’s of London, Mecca Cosmetica in Australia, and Bergdorf Goodman New York. www.ellisfaas.com

The mannequin nail is not going anywhere in London as it’s the perfect complement to bronzed skin and those hot summer nights. Sophy’s Polish Pick for June is what she used on super stylish Paris Vogue Editor-in-Chief, Carine Roitfeld – OPI in Barefoot in Barcelona.

So when you’re not painting the toes of supermodels or the world’s biggest fashion editors, or shooting major campaigns with the world’s coolest photographers, what’s a girl to do? Well if you’re the hottest manicurist in London, AKA Sophy Robson, the Nail Queen, you do nail tutorials on YouTube. Nailheads rejoice! Here’s Sophy’s first video tutorial, the Rainbow Nail. When she does it, it looks easy, although I’m not sure when I try it it’s going to look quite that good…