This bad boy has been floating around in my brush roll for awhile, but it was only this weekend that I realized how genius it really is. It’s superseded all my other concealer brushes. Laura Mercier? Out the door. Make Up Forever? Too unwieldy. MAC? Relegated.

Why have I fallen in love with it in such a big way? It’s the perfect size for applying undereye concealer as it is just the right size to fit in that hollow under the eye where those dark shadows breed and play. It’s made of nylon, which as a synthetic is just right for moving concealer to where you want it to go, and not smearing it everywhere.

Cosmetica is a genius Australian brush line available from the chemist – the chemist I tell you! – and it has a full range of brushes, I think 23 in all. These brushes I could comfortably take and do the European shows with, the shapes are so good and the line so comprehensive. Most are natural hair although some are synthetic, and the best part is the price – at least half what you’d pay at MAC, three quarters less than you’d pay for other prestige lines such as NARS, Laura Mercier or Shu Uemura. So especially for people looking to build a decent set of makeup brushes without forking out thousands, these are the perfect way to do that. (I’m always amazed by the number of private clients who will show me Vogue and say why can’t I do that? When I ask about their brushes and they show me 5 fingers and a manky cotton bud, I can tell them right now, It’s Not Gonna Happen. Not until you get some decent brushes!)

And these are decent, they are more than decent. The other thing I love about them is they have brushes that are hard to find everywhere else. The spooly brush to comb through brows? Even MAC goes out of stock on this, and do you know how much the Cosmetica one is? $3. That’s less than a latte.

They do the equivalent of MAC’s duofibre blending 188 brush, for $17.95, which you’d need to have been living with a swami in the wilds of Tibet to not know is the best blending brush ever. AND (this is the big one) they do an eye blending brush (called Rounded Blending Brush) that is almost the same as the MAC 217. But less than half the price.

I’m sorry for my overseas readers as you can’t get this range online, but if you ask nicely in your best Australian accent, a friend in Oz may send them to you. To help you with your Aussie accent, here’s a video of Kath and Kim – if you don’t speak like that, we can’t understand you.

Available at Priceline, Big W and selected chemists in Australia.

After lots and LOTS of relaxation, and wine, and food, and lounging by the pool with novels so trashy I would be downright mortified if I lost my Kindle, and more relaxation, it’s back to normality.

Which is good because I have a new mascara that I’ve fallen in love with! I’m quite a tough mascara tester and have been through a LOT over the years, but the new Revlon mascara, Grow Luscious, has rapidly taken pride of place in my kit.

It’s my favourite type of mascara – it’s soft and pliable and strokes on like a dream, creating full, fluffy lashes. It can be layered without clumping and I’m yet to do a makeup where it goes into Stick Lash (where your lashes all coagulate into nasty little points so instead of lush fringe, you have three sticks, ugh). It doesn’t flake or smear, and the brush is nice and big – not as big as DiorShow, which in my opinion for a lot of makeups is too big, but it’s a generous size with good soft bristles that coat every lash.

Now the other amazing thing about Grow Luscious is supposedly it makes your lashes grow longer! For anyone who has lashes that could do with some extra growth (er-derr, like pretty much every woman on the planet) this is the mascara for you.

Unfortunately I can’t test this on myself as I have developed an allergy to my cats so mascara is off the menu for me at the moment – which is awesome, I can’t tell you how thrilled I am about it. But thank goodness I can still use mascara at work as I would start hyperventilating if it was out of my life completely.

Now the next mascara I can’t wait to get my sticky paws on is the Revlon Grow Luscious Plumping mascara – all that lovely lash growth PLUS fat fluffy lashes, I think I may already be in love with it.

revlon.com

 And because I’m a sucker for Revlon commercials – it must be all those years of Cindy Crawford and Brooke Shields telling me that they’re the most beautiful women in the world (and they aren’t wrong) – here’s the lovely Jessica Alba for Grow Luscious:

Happy New Year Everyone! I hope you all had a lovely and relaxing festive season and start to 2012. It has been harder than anticipated to prise myself away from the pool (or the beach, just to mix it up a bit). The lure of sunshine, sand, swimming and that feeling at the end of the day when you know you’ve had just enough sun has proven too difficult to resist. However the beauty of relaxing is it makes the mind unwind, and of late my thoughts have been turning to getting back to work. Yesterday my kit got a total overhaul and I was able to think about upcoming jobs. There’s also some new products that I am itching to get a lot more use out of in the next couple of months – Here’s a rundown of the products I can’t wait to get back into:

Bobbi Brown Beach Bronze Cream Eyeshadow

I do love Bobbi’s cream eyeshadows, they are some of the best on the market. This has to be my Numero Uno favourite one. It’s a gorgeous gilded bronze-y colour which is magnifique on its own, or thrown into the mix with other browns and coppers for the ultimate, summer-y smoky eye.

Clinique Black Honey Almost Lipstick

I have had this in my kit FOREVER, and it used to be one of my favourite lipsticks back in the day (let’s just say that TLC’s Creep was featuring heavily on my mixed tapes when I used to use this particular number). But it is the strangest thing – it’s a deep wine colour that really does look good on every skin tone! Now due to its iconic status, Clinique have expanded the Black Honey range to include a new Black Honey powder blush. And I think it’s time for Black Honey to come out and play again. (Maybe not the mid-90’s RnB, but you never know).

Tom Ford Illuminating Face Powder

This is a fantastic pressed face powder for those with oilier skin (such as my good self). It is heavy enough to blot down what it needs to take down but without dulling the skin. I’m actually using it in place of foundation most days, as without powder my forehead looks like it’s been laminated (such a good look!) It also has a yellow tone to it, which I”ve always liked to carry in my kit, and I’ve found it’s like a better version of T Le Clerc’s powder in Banane. T Le Clerc might be needing to find a new place to live this month.

Blistex Lip Balm Ultra Protection SPF 30+

This high protection sunscreen lip balm really comes into its own on beach shoots when it’s 30 degrees and keeping the model from frying like a lobster (and her makeup looking pristine) is of paramount importance. This is my favourite lip balm with sunscreen that I’ve found recently, and I’m hoping I’ll get to use it on a few more beach shoots before the end of the season.

Estee Lauder Verite Calming Fluid

This is my current go-to moisturiser as it’s a very light fluid that hydrates the skin beautifully, leaves a gorgeous sheen on the skin and is the perfect base for sunscreen – which is just mandatory at this time of the year. This is from Estee Lauder’s fantastic Verite range for skins with rosacea and a tendency to redness (such as mine), so it helps subtly correct your skintone at a skin care level before you even get to foundation.

Chanel Blazing Gold Single Eyeshadow and Liquid Liner in Or

I’m totally keeping these for a beauty story as I’m really feeling gold at the moment (and shimmery stuff in general). The liner is an opulent liquid gold liner which is perfect for adding a festive sparkle to the inner eye corners or for a more dramatic statement liner, and the gold shadow is a pressed powder eyeshadow and just right for layering over cream gold eyeshadow for statement eyes. Apres-beach or après-ski, tres sexy!

NARS Joyous Red lipstick

This colour didn’t actually grab me when I first tried it, but it’s been growing on me over the holidays. It’s a bright red with an amber tone to it – normally a colour that I don’t gravitate towards (depending on your skin tone) as it can be difficult to wear. But there’s an oddness to this colour that has been haunting me, and I’m desperate to do some editorial that I can bust it out on. One of the things that I love about NARS colours is they do all the standard “beauty” colours – great reds, beiges, peaches etc – but also incredible shades that are outside the mainstream and just not like anything else. Bravo NARS for consistently pushing the beauty boundaries and including so many lovely different types of colours in your range.

Ooooh now I’m all excited and raring to get back to work and get deep back into the makeup mines. There’s more than just gold to discover!

PS I’m on holidays again next week, but just for a week (such a lady of leisure!) So MM will be back on the 24^th of January.

I’m going to tell you a secret – it’s probably not that exciting unless you’re a proper makeup head, but if you’re on my blog then chances are good you might be – I love a good brown eyeshadow. So much so that I have to have regular meetings with myself and get quite stern in order to cull the tidal wave of brown shadows that seems to wash up into my kit on a regular basis. I sit there, surrounded by eyeshadows and argue with myself. The conversation goes something like this:

“Really? Really Christabel? Another mid-toned brown eyeshadow with sparkle? Do you need it?” To which I reply (in my head of course, not out loud because that’s what crazy people do. Isn’t it?) “But that one is so good as a liner when you layer it with a pencil. I’ll get rid of the others.” Sure enough though, when sparkly brown eyeshadow 2, 3 and 4 roll around, what do I get but more justifications:

“This one is perfect on green eyes as it has the right amount of red”.
“I layer this one for editorial looks”.
“This is good for a quick smoky eye when I don’t have time”
“That one’s in a palette that I like so I can’t get rid of it” And so on and so forth through shades of tan and camel, mid tone and dark, shiny and matte etc etc.

And yet, with all those brown eyeshadows (in the dozens, I’m ashamed to say, although I have my reasons to love all of them) I have a new one that I can’t get rid of either. It’s MyFace EyeTouch Trio eyeshadow in Whole Latte Love. It has a neutral matte cream colour (always handy in your makeup kit), and a great nutmeg-y colour which is perfect as a base shade, and then the piece de resistance which is a shimmering brown/plum taupe. It’s delicious on all eye colours although I’m yet to bust it out on a very dark skin tone. However it’s been in pretty heavy rotation in my makeup bag lately on private clients and beauty shoots.

This little gem has not had to justify my love. And just as an excuse to slide in a bit of vintage Madonna, here’s the clip for … well you know what it is.

myfacecosmetics.com

I haven’t posted about mascara for ages, and I’ll tell you why – I can’t wear it anymore. There, I said it. From being a mascara wearer all my life (or from where life really begins, when makeup-wearing does, at say, fourteen), I have gone to a nude-eyed egg face. I comfort myself with pictures of Tilda Swinton’s bare-eyed alien beauty and tell myself it’s something along those lines, but I don’t know if it is. To compensate, I wear lots of gorgeous blush and have whole-heartedly embraced a red lip when I go out. As Gwyneth Paltrow famously said, “Every woman needs a kick-ass red lipstick”.

Why no more mazzy in the House of Mole? My eyes have rebelled, and they hurt when I wear it. No more contacts, no more eye makeup for me. Which was sad for awhile but now I find it strangely liberating. And of course I still get to layer it on at work, so that does compensate. As a consequence I’ve not been inspired to blog about mascara or much eye makeup lately, but I was cleaning my kit yesterday and thought it was high time I told you about my latest staple mascara – Sublime de Chanel.

This is the one I reach for when you just want perfect lashes. Not major false fringes or uber natural, but perfectly lifted, curled, and darkened. Classy lashes. Left Bank lashes. The types of lashes one might take to the Spanish Steps in Rome, or the Guggenheim in New York. Every girl needs a mascara for those days don’t they? This one delivers as it has dense, inky pigment which doesn’t flake or smear – no crumbling under hot lights or one too many cocktails! So it’s perfect for real life, it just does what you want it to do. And even though I can’t test it on myself anymore, I’ve used it often enough on jobs to keep on pulling it out, time after time. J’Adore.

chanel.com

Tom Ford blew me away when he first came onto the scene at Gucci in the early 1990’s with his uber-luxe interpretations of the 70’s. It was the 70’s through a lens where everyone looked like they were partying it up at Studio 54, and his clothes and the images that accompanied them quickly became iconic.

When I heard he had moved into cosmetics with his collaboration with Estee Lauder a few years ago, I died a little bit and yes I will confess to quite a bit of feverish eBay buying to get my paws on parts of that collection. So when he created his beautiful lipstick line in 2010, the progression from clothes to makeup felt complete. But it wasn’t…yet. Now he has a full line of Tom Ford cosmetics that has just been released in London, and true to form, it is perfection in every sense of the word. The initial images featuring Lara Stone and utilising the not inconsiderable beauty talents of renowned English makeup artist, Charlotte Tilbury were tasters of what’s to come, and having tried the Shade and Illuminate contouring palette, I WILL be making room for more of his products in my kit.

The contour palette is available in two shades, a lighter version and a darker one (important as not everyone is one colour! One person’s shadow is another’s dirty GT racing stripe). I have it in Intensity 1, which is perfect for quite fair complexions. I used it on two shoots last week and fell more in love with it every time. It’s just a great, great colour, as it’s quite tan with a little bit of red in it, so it looks like a shadow but a glamorous shadow, if that makes sense. (Only Tom Ford could make shadows glamorous). If contour colours get too grey they can look muddy and dirty, but this one walks the right side of warm brown to create perfect, sculpted hollows just where you want them. It’s a very light cream so that it’s buildable, and has an almost transparent quality to it, but enough heft to give you cheekbones Scavullo would have loved. It works equally well with a brush or fingers, and blends gorgeously.

The pan size is huge so unless you’re doing serious Mount Rushmore work on your face every day it should last you ages, and it also has a clear white highlighter in the palette, so you can make those cheekbones pop. I love the highlighter too as it’s the same transparent cream and it has a gold effect to it as opposed to a pink pearl base which a lot of highlighters have. The whole effect is shimmery, amber-y gorgeousness. I also love that the packaging is so light – I know lots of bloggers have been finding this annoying as the price tag is high, and presumably they expect expensive makeup to feel like a block of obsidian. Thank you Mr Ford for not making it so! As a makeup artist, I actually have to take out luxe but heavy items (cough, Burberry, cough) as weight is an issue when you take a suitcase full of products with you to work every day.

It’s not cheap. But it’s about the same price point of other premium brands such as Chanel, Dior, Burberry, YSL etc. When you are buying a little slice of heaven you can expect to pay for it, but for me the quality is just so good I will be skimping on other things (like food, utilities, new shoes) to pay for it. This is a range worth getting in hock for, and I rarely say that! (Oh alright, when the new Chanel collection comes in I generally do, but who needs shoes or food when you can have new season designer makeup gorgeousness?)

I literally cannot wait to try the rest of the collection. Kay Montano was emailing me about it from London when she had a private viewing of it at the Dorchester (as you do, obvs) as it was just so amazing. Kay has tried pretty much every product on the planet and has an encyclopaedic knowledge of beauty, so for her to say that is a pretty big call.

tomford.com
Tom Ford Beauty is available now at Selfridges in London, and will be exclusively available at David Jones Sydney and Melbourne from November 13th, 2011.

Helmut Newtown 1977

If you fancy a little bit of this in your life - You need a bit of Revlon Fire.

At the moment I am loving high octane glamour – full on, no holds barred, take it to the edge over the top Alexis Carrington style glamour. The type of woman who oozes diamonds and confidence in equal measure. I love red lips, expensive hair, and a blood-red nail, as epitomized in Helmut Newton’s classic photographs. And I’ve found the nail polish his models would be sporting (if he were still alive, which sadly he is not. Luckily we have his incredible work archives to remember him by).

The polish is Revlon Top Speed in Fire. It’s the perfect glamorous red as it’s just on the orange side of a pure red. It is decadent, luxurious and gives a nod to the late 70’s, early 80’s which I’m all about at the moment.

I used Revlon’s Top Speed nail polishes years ago and I’d totally forgotten how good they are. They dry fast which is great at work as no one wants to sit around waiting for nails to dry when there are pictures to take, and I now use it personally as well as I always seem to be doing my nails whilst I’m running out the door/on a call/packing my kit – the curse of the multi-tasking modern life I suppose.

revlon.com

I never blog about my brushes, (not because I don’t love them, because I do – the same way I love macaroons, vintage Brooke Shields and moon bears, which is to say A LOT) but because blogging about them is like blogging about my own arms – they are so much a part of me that it almost seems silly to talk about them.

However when I come across something new that I haven’t seen before, I feel honour bound to tell you all. This is my new dude in my extensive brush collection – it’s Benefit’s Powder Shadow brush from their new range of brushes. This brush is noteworthy as it’s great for laying down shadow. Sounds boring, I hear you ask? Well a good lay down brush is surprisingly hard to find these days, as you want one that is dense and soft, where the bristles aren’t too long (as then it blends instead of laying down product). MAC do a few, Laura Mercier does a good one and I have a bunch left over from makeup college, but of late I have been very short of a good lay down brush. The Benefit brush is very soft as they’re made of real hair, yet the bristles are just the right length to do the job, and as a double extra added bonus, it’s slanted, so if you wish to buff in a liner it’s perfect for that. It’s also quite genius as a crease brush too, so it can do double-duty in your makeup bag.

The new line of Benefit brushes is reasonably priced (which is nice as brushes can be very expensive), and I’m quite keen to try some more of them on for size. Because, as with vintage Brooke Shields, so it is with makeup brushes – you can never have enough.

Here’s Brooke in Louis Malle’s 1978 classic, Pretty Baby so you can see what I mean – the Benefit Powder Eyeshadow brush you’ll have to get on your own.

www.benefitcosmetics.com

I have been naughty everyone, and slack – in fact, a bad beauty blogger. Whilst I was off swanning around Fiji, relaxing by the pool and reading trashy true crime novels, I’ve let you all down massively. I haven’t told you about a little gem that I found recently which immediately found it’s way in to my kit, and that is only available for less than two more weeks!

I saw that on my Twitter feed that the new BECCA collection is out very, very soon and I felt chastened – here’s me all relaxed and happy whilst my poor readers are missing out on finding out about one of the nicest brown shadow eyeshadow palettes I have seen in ages. I was planning to do a post on Best Brown Eyeshadows, and I started… but I couldn’t choose. There were just SO MANY of them. Earthy taupes and decadent chocolates, rich plum browns and coppery biscuit tans, minky, milky browns that make your eyes pop, and shimmery taupe-y browns that make you sigh. Where does one start on a post like that? So I didn’t, embalmed in my post-holiday glow. And so Lost Weekend would have stayed the Lost Weekend.

Inspired by the earthy colours of the Australian bush, you can see how gorgeous it looks here in the campaign images. The brown is the stand-out colour for me as it’s a rich caramel but more on the grey side, not too yellow so it’s beautiful blended through the crease or as a soft liner. There is also a lovely pink-y flesh tone that is gorgeous as a base colour, and a similar pink that has a hint of shimmer through it that pulls the two other colours together in perfect harmony. They are the best neutrals I’ve seen in ages, so for a natural look for every day, this is my go-to palette.

Get the Lost Weekend…before it’s gone for good.

www.beccacosmetics.com

I’m back from my lovely tropical holiday and I am ready to rumble! I went makeup-free for a week, swam in the sea every day and did nothing but read books on my Kindle and lie in the sun, so after a week completely beauty-free, I’m itching to get back into my kit and get back to work! Here’s what’s new on my radar.

Becca Eye Tint

I’m a big fan of BECCA Cosmetics, and have been since they started, over a decade ago now. I love their ethos of beauty being based on beautiful skin, which when the company began was quite revolutionary. Hence all their formulas are lightweight and sheer, but still with more than enough pigmentation to do the job at hand (witness their heavy duty concealers that provide undetectable coverage, and the Shimmering Skin Perfectors that look like gorgeous skin, not sparkly face highlighter – both firm MM faves!)

My latest addition to my kit? BECCA’s Eye Tint in Baroque, a perfect flesh colour beige, like the colour you wish your eyelids were (if one was partial to such daydreams, and if you’re anything like me I know you’ve had that thought!) The Eye Tints are tiny little squeeze tubes of colour which are beautiful either on their own, or layered together, or as a base for powder shadow to give the powder shadow a boost and staying power.

Right now I am loving a gorgeous, effortless face that looks like you’re wearing nothing at all but that Mother Nature likes you very, very much. I’m pairing the BECCA Baroque Eye Tint with curled lashes, Chanel Bronze Universel, the sheerest whisper of foundation and concealer, and a slick of Lucas’ Paw Paw Ointment on the lips. Maybe I never really left the beach?

www.beccacosmetics.com

Lately I’ve been getting into lashes. Not a single shoot I’ve been on recently has been lash–free. Whether it’s Ellen Von Unwerth show girl lashes (courtesy of Shu Uemura), or flirty demi-lashes to elongate a smoky eye (thank you Ardell), I’ve been pulling out my lash bag time and time again. And it made me start thinking – I’ve never posted about lashes before. Time to start!

I have a few brands I like to look at when I buy false lashes, and Lord knows I seem to do that on a regular basis. You never know when you might need some Swarowski trimmed lashes, some Viktor and Rolf bottle-green marabou numbers or my latest acquisition, neon green handpainted and woven ones from the latest, incredible Shu Uemura collection called Ethnacolor Scope. You’d be amazed how often the opportunity presents itself!

Over the years I have been collecting lashes from all over the world and thankfully they’re now a lot easier to find than they used to be. Before you’d have to go to theatrical shops like Screenface or Charles Fox in London, Paris Berlin in Paris or ACMUSE in Sydney to find interesting lashes. Don’t get me wrong! These theatrical shops still are a veritable treasure trove for false lash fiends and should not be neglected in the quest for the perfect lash. But now you can also get great lashes at your local drugstore or chemist, and at every price point which is important when you’re experimenting.

Shu Uemura have a fabulous service called the Tokyo Lash Bar where you can choose a set of lashes and they will fit them for you, and explain how to do it which is a wonderful way to get started.

Choosing a pair of lashes can be daunting at first as they all look the same, but different – and understanding how they will make your eyes look at first can seem an impossible task. This is why I recommend trying a few cheaper options from the chemist until you find a style that you like. Generally the thicker and denser the lash, the more “fake” it will look. Wispy, feathery lashes tend to look more like a lush set of real lashes, so it depends what your makeup style is. Strip or half lashes are great for a night out, and for undetectable day time lush lashes, cluster lashes are my favourite (I like Ardell and MAC cluster lashes). As always, Pixiwoos and Lisa Eldridge on YouTube are a good place to look on the web if you’re curious to see a few pairs in actions first. Pixiwoos in particular use lashes A LOT.

A good eyelash glue is a must – my favourite (which I’ve posted about before) is Duo Lash Adhesive, available from theatrical shops or MAC. Another good option for those who are allergic to latex is Illamasqua’s non-latex glue, which has a free mini-bottle of glue with every pair of lashes.

Brands to try:

Drugstore – Ardell are the world leaders in lashes. Pamela Anderson has been wearing them (since birth probably), and if anyone knows a good fake lash it’s Pammy Anderson! Speaking to her makeup artist awhile ago she told me Pam doesn’t go anywhere without at least two full sets – that’s a lot of lash action.

High-End – Lots to choose from. MAC do a lovely selection of false lashes, and I have yet to meet one of their lashes that I don’t like. Illamasqua also do beautiful lashes and some very interesting, dramatic styles you can’t find anywhere else. Their Creative Director Alex Box is a Lash Queen, and many’s the time I’ve helped her create a bespoke lash out of her special bag of tricks!

Shu Uemura make the most phenomenal and spectacular fantasy lashes with a special collection every year. This year I love their Tutu Laceflare lashes, but they also do beautiful more basic lashes as well. They aren’t cheap but with lashes this gorgeous who needs new clothes? In fact if your lashes look amazeballs, you don’t need any other adornment at all. Just a wink and a smile.

So this really is the wonder eraser for the under eyes. Of all the concealers I’ve tried, this one covers with just one dab, so it’s perfect for those early mornings when your undereye circles look like they just want to go back to bed and curl up for a few more hours sleep. (A bit like their owner). But! Before you go racing off to invest, there are two drawbacks that you need to know about.

It only comes in three shades, so it’s nor for everyone. My skintone is literally the colour of Barbie (as in, melted plastic pink), so it’s perfect for me and this lives both in my kit and in my personal makeup bag, since it’s just so quick and easy. But you really need to be able to try it on to ascertain whether its amazingness is going to work on your skintone.

Also be careful not to overdo it – it’s a very creamy (yet covering) formula, but if you just blob it on, it can get a little bit goopy. Also it does need to be set with a loose powder to prevent creasing later on.

Having said that, if it IS a good colour on your skintone, it’s phenomenal as an everyday concealer. The little pot will last you a lifetime of early morning starts and undereye blitzing, and a little dab really will do ya. This truly is Erase Paste.

www.benefitcosmetics.com

I have dinosaur paws at the moment, with hands that feel as rough as a stone mason’s. Not the best look when you use your hands for your living! Enter some serious hand hydration by way of Jurlique Rose Hand Cream. It has Safflower Seed Oil and Macadamia Oil too soothe even the most wizened claws, and it smells like a rose garden (not a rock garden).

I love Jurlique skincare – it’s an Aussie wonder brand that grows all its own plants on farms in the Adelaide Hills in South Australia, and the quality of everything I have tried from them is just beautiful. I am also using their Love Balm lip balm a lot at the moment, as it’s very hydrating with Olive Oil, Soybean Oil and yet not too shiny (so it’s also great on shoots, especially if you’re doing male grooming! Lucky I have two).

I decided yesterday whilst looking at my super dry hands, thanks to too much handwashing (OCD anyone?) that I’m just not spending enough time pampering. So if your paws are feeling more Stone Age than Betty Rubble’s, get your mitts on this.

Estee Lauder is really a brand that I’ve been avidly watching the last year or so. They have been re-inventing themselves from a luxury heritage company that was getting a bit dated to a brand for a much younger, fresher, cooler consumer, whilst still keeping the history and refinement of the brand’s legacy.

It started with the appointment of Tom Pecheux, their new International Creative Director and master-mind of their last few collections, which have, without exception, been absolutely gorgeous. His latest one Wild Violets, is no exception.

The other addition to the line is the eagerly awaited Pure Colour lipstick, part of their Pure Colour line that has re-formatted single eyeshadows, nailpolish and gloss. These lipsticks are beautiful. Hydrating, comfortable with a lightweight feel yet great pigment pay-off, they are what girls now want to toss in their handbags. It’s exactly the type of lippie you can wear every day. Even in the deeper colours (my favourite is the deep wine-red Plum Couture), it glides on like there’s nothing there, provides amazing colour and best of all, your lips look shiny and supple, and stay that way.

I’ve long been a fan of Estee Lauder lipsticks – Vanilla Truffle hello! So gooooood for a nude lip, and the Crystal lipsticks which are like tasty little bonbons that you just want to eat, and now Pure Colour is here I feel like it’s an Estee Lauder festival at my house.

I’ve just had a big decanting session for my kit (something I do every season to take advantage of all the gorgeous new colours out there), and although cutting up high end lipsticks makes you feel like a murderer, I now have a brand, spanking new selection of mouthwatering new lip shades. Time to get lippy!

www.esteelauder.co.uk

So I can now die a happy lady. The ONE thing that used to disturb me about my kit was my nasty bottle of chemist dry soap – I have bought it in Paris, and London and the US, and no matter what brands I tried, it just never looked chic. Because when you have all your lovely bottles and tubes of La Mer and Kiehl’s and Chanel laid out, it was always jarring to have a tacky little bottle of Aqium or Purell stuck in the middle. It screamed “Here I am! I’m a hand sanitizer!” Not the first thing I want to jump out at a client when they look at my work table.

But now my prayers have been answered – and at the risk of my blog turning into an Aesop infomercial, it’s the good people at Aesop who have answered them. It’s an alcohol based hand wash to cleanse and refresh hands – so it’s the Chanel of Aqium basically. And best of all – it comes in their classic brown bottles, but, wait for it, IT’S PLASTIC. So there’s no carting glass around (which, whilst chic would also be heavy, and let’s face it, potentially dangerous). And it’s only 50ml, so it’s perfect for planes, or throwing into your handbag for a little on the spot refresher wherever you are. Clean hands without water! And I don’t know about you guys, but I get increasingly germ phobic as I get older. It all started on the Paris Metro when I saw a guy scratch his nose – except he had no nose, it had been eaten away by some devastating disease. Poor man – but then he wrapped that itchy finger back around the Metro pole and I nearly passed out at the thought of what detritus he was leaving everywhere. So at the risk of sounding all Howard Hughes, hand sanitizer is my friend.

This one smells gorgeous, and has Mandarin Rind and Rosemary Leaf in it, plus unlike its nasty chemist counterparts, it contains moisturizing agents to ensure skin is left clean but not dehydrated.

So now my kit looks classy AND clean. Delish.

www.aesop.net.au

Ladies, it’s time to start planning Spring makeup. Enough with the heavy coats and the tights and the legs that are so dry they look like Victoria Beckham’s new alligator purses, enough, ENOUGH!

It’s time to start thinking about the season ahead, the one where you will be warm and you can wear clothes that make you feel like sunshine. To that end, today’s recommendation about what you will be needing, is a new lipstick. Not just any old lipstick though, and I’m sorry to do this to you at the beginning of the year when you’ve probably got your credits cards, quite literally, on ice, in the refrigerator, but I’m sorry, there’s nothing I can do. This lipstick has me in its thrall, and it ain’t cheap.

Namely True Coral, by Tom Ford. I have blogged about these incredible lipsticks before when they launched, but it’s time to rhapsodise again. This lippie will spoil you for other lipsticks. It is rich, opulent and delicious. Its formulation is just so beautiful that it practically applies itself – one coat and you’re done. It gives you lips like Elizabeth Taylor sipping a mai tai in Acapulco in a caftan – gorgeous and 60’s in the best possible way (are you proud of me? I didn’t mention Mad Men once yet. And I won’t – except to say oh my God are you watching Season 4?? It’s unbelievable).

I love everything about this lipstick – the packaging is original, classic, elegant yet still cool, much like Mr Ford himself. It’s for grown up women, and I can guarantee this lipstick will be going nowhere near a festival this year. As for the colour? It’s a true, perfect Technicolour coral, one of the many colours that will be huge once Spring kicks in with a vengeance. It makes me dream of sunshine and palm trees, cat’s eye glasses and tans, cocktails and swimming pools. Oh and alright then, Don Draper. But don’t hold it against me.

Tom Ford Private Blend lipsticks are available from Harrods and Selfridges in London, and David Jones in Australia.

But this is a lipstick that could change all that. I’m ready to bust out some colour and head to Acapulco way…

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a fun and festive holiday season and are returning to every day life bright eyed and bushy tailed (as opposed to hungover and broke, which is the other, less attractive option).

I’m going to kick off the year by declaring a new love, although it’s one that’s been around for awhile. And alright, I’ve been crushing on it for a bit as well, most of last year in fact, but still! Let’s put it in the New Year, New Love category.

It’s Lancôme. My interest in this brand goes from strength to strength. I used to just like their skincare – their Bi-Facil Eye Makeup remover has been in my kit for years as it removes even the toughest eye makeup with one gentle swipe, and I love their Hydra-Zen moisturisers. I had a few makeup bits of theirs floating around, but nothing major. By the time I got to Lancôme I felt I had really built my kit and there wasn’t much room for anything else. In the last couple of years though it feels like it has really become more interesting as a brand – the formulations are the same high quality they have always been, but with Aaron de May now as Global Creative Director it feels like it’s breaking new ground and this grand dame of French cosmetics is loosening up a little, getting a younger, fresher image.

So just before Christmas I found myself SQUEEZING in a new Strasse eyeshadow (and I do mean squeezing – that kit is TIGHT). The colour? Dazzling Steel, which you would expect to be a rich pewter but is actually an unusual khaki grey colour. Why is it getting crushed into my kit? It’s sparkly, and I’m still loving metallic makeup – it’s not just for the holidays you know!

I like the way the shine catches the light but still looks elegant, not like some 15 year old let out of a school disco. This is sparkle for grown ups, and whilst it’s lovely as a liner I’m looking forward to letting this sparklepuss out of the bag and rocking it with a smoky eye combo for some true sexy evening allure. And Lancôme? I have a feeling we ain’t heard nothing yet.

How can you have a Christmas Gift Set in your kit, I hear you scoff? Well that’s easy my friends, because the beautiful coffret box that the Aesop Gertrude Street set comes in is just the most perfect size to take my decanted foundations, and is now the basis of how I organize my makeup when I’m on a job.

I should be telling you about the delicious contents of the aforementioned box which have made me love Aesop products even more – the Fabulous Face cleanser which is gently cleansing my dehydrated face, waking me up every day with its scent of bergamot and rosemary. You wouldn’t think an olive oil cleanser could feel this yummy, but it does, and it doesn’t cause breakouts either (which some oil cleansers are prone to do).

This particular gift set comes with five beautiful full size products nestled within – the cleanser, the Tea Tree Leaf Facial scrub which when mixed with the cleanser is a wonderful exfoliant, the Primrose Facial Cleansing Masque that’s an amazing treat when your skin feels congested and comes with French clay (fancy) and Vitamin E, the B & Tea Balancing Toner which I’ve blogged about before as it gives you that lovely super clean feeling (nice when it’s hot!). Last but by no means least, the Mandarin Facial Hydrating Cream, which is happily nestled on my bedside table, my current standby night cream. All the products have been specifically selected for a warm climate, so it was a welcome addition to my skincare arsenal.

But can I talk about the box again for a minute? This is what has me sold on this set – all my decanted foundations are stacked, perfectly aligned within its sleek black walls, and it zips up at the top so it can just be lifted out of my bag for instant access at work. It’s ace. Like everything from Aesop it is practical, beautiful and luxurious – in a word, classy. And now I can now carry Aesop with me wherever my makeup takes me.

For Christmas this year Aesop have six different sets named after the streets where their shops are internationally, all with a different selection of products to suit every skin and every budget. And I think you’ll know you’ve been very good this year if you find Aesop in your stocking.

The Aesop Christmas sets are on-counter now. For more information, visit www.aesop.net.au

The new product on everyone’s lips seems to be Lanolips, and there is a good reason why – it’s really ace.

Lanolips is the brainchild of Aussie PR maven Kirsten Carriol who grew up around lanolin, with a father who was a doctor and espoused it as a wonder ointment and had grandparents with a sheep farm, so lanolin was always part of her consciousness. Contemplating a long haul flight back from Paris (and all its hydration issues) a few years ago, she decided to utilise lanolin in an effective and portable way. And now it’s stashed in a zillion handbags.

At first I was a bit wary of it to be honest as I’ve had some not so great experiences with lanolin in the past (Ella Bache and my teenage skin, I’m talking to YOU), but when I did some research into Lanolips I discovered:

• It’s 100% pure lanolin moisturiser, which has been refined to Ultra Medical Grade status
• It is one of the only substances hygienic enough to apply to a fresh wound and its medicinal use dates back to 700BC when the ancient Greeks used it as a skin reparative
• Holds up to 200% of its own moisture
• Able to imitate the function of human skin lipids
• Made from lanolin sourced from Australian and New Zealand wool
• Lanolin is a natural by-product of the wool industry, extracted from the fleece once the sheep are shorn and is no more cruel than drinking milk or using beeswax.

So being a general lip product ho I decided to try it – and it has lead me to cheat on my Lucas’ Paw Paw Ointment (as you might recall from the beginning of my blog, we were married, but being an incorrigible lip product flirt I have been dallying with other products lately, including Homeoplasmine again). And now, with all my reservations about lanolin put to rest it has been Lanolips turn!

Whilst I haven’t tried it MacGyver style on all the other things it’s supposed to work on – sunburn, nappy rash (haven’t had them for awhile), rough cuticles, smoothing wild brows (definitely have those but I’ve been too lazy to try Lanolips on them), like all good lipbalms I’ll be putting it through its paces in the coming months.

Lanolips comes in four colours, plus clear, and I keep Apple in my handbag as it is pretty much the ultimate “your lips but better” colour. A word of warning though – it’s quite pigmented so checking it in a mirror is advised as if you don’t rub it in properly you end up looking like a hot mess with streaks of red glossy balm all over your lips! Once rubbed in though it’s a juicy, natural lip, and great for blondes who do need a little bit of something to stop them looking like an egg.

I also keep it in my kit in Clear for those moments when you just need maximum lip hydration – those emergency lip softening times. If you’re looking for a new lip romance – this just might be it.

Lanolips is available from www.victoriahealth.com and in Boots chemists across the UK from November.

www.lanolips.com

I think I mentioned before what a skincare orgy it is at the moment at MM HQ. From being distinctly unimpressed about most skincare and sticking to my faves, I have discovered some absolute gems lately – Aesop as you all know, and also Biotherm’s Aquasource moisturizer, new to my kit.

I actually worked on the commercial for this in London, with Kay Montano doing makeup on the unbelievably gorgeous Biotherm spokesmodel, Russian Sasha Pivarova. Statuesque, gorgeous and glamorous in towering boots, Sasha was everything you’d like your supermodel to be. At lunch I discovered she was lovely as well – very down to earth and nice, an unexpected bonus. Two things I will tell you – she loves her coffee, and yes, her eyes really are that blue!

When I got a chance to try the new Aquasource moisturizer I was slightly trepidatious as often moisturizers that have offered a high water content actually leave your skin feeling drier than it started, as the water evaporates and seems to take more water from the skin. But new technology has radically improved these and Aquasource not only feels like water on the skin (which is lovely and refreshing in summer), but my skin really retained the moisture and in the morning it still felt hydrated, and not like a dried up old walnut. And happily, no breakouts which I can sometimes get when I switch skincare. In addition, it’s such a nice base for makeup that I’ve slipped some in my kit (sorry Kiehl’s, for the first time in nearly a decade, you’ve been relegated!)

Here is the lovely Sasha P in one of her European Biotherm campaigns (I love it when she talks about kung-fu! So awesome with her Russian accent.)

www.biotherm.co.uk

The new brand on my radar? Aesop. I can’t believe that I hadn’t discovered them before, given that they are Australian, quirky, utilize the best of the natural world with modern science (I wish more of life could be like that), AND their packaging comes complete with quotes from Serge Gainsbourg, Miles Davis, Winston Churchill and Carl Jung. What’s not to love?

Regular readers of MM know that I don’t often blog about skincare – not because I don’t like it but for me it has to be high performance, worth the price and make the skin look amazing, letting me focus on what I love most – makeup. It’s a pretty big call for most skincare, therefore it doesn’t make it into my kit and I keep on with my good old trusted and true Kiehl’s and Crealine. However of late this is changing, and I’ve found a few new things I like – which goes to show there’s always something new and fabulous around the corner!

So back to Aesop. I have been using the Perfect Facial Moisturiser, the Fabulous Facial Oil, and the B & Tea Balancing toner, and I love them all. The Perfect Facial Moisturiser isn’t greasy, which I like, and has Vitamin C in a base of hydrating oils including jojoba, rosehip and shea butter. It’s the perfect base for makeup so I use it in the morning.

The B & Tea toner is quite a departure for me as I haven’t used toners for years since a product who shall remain nameless was left on a cotton ball when I was fourteen and stripped my antique dresser BONE WHITE, which made me rather wonder what on God’s good green earth it was doing to my sensitive teenage skin. So it was with some trepidation I gave it a go, and found it to be refreshingly pore cleansing without being painful. I don’t use this one every day, just when I feel like I need it if my skin gets a bit congested (when I *ahem* haven’t been following my skincare regime as assiduously as I should). It is alcohol free, with Provitamin B5 and antioxidant Green Tea, and Sodium Gluconate to assist with cell turnover.

And the Fabulous Facial Oil? Well this guy is also wonderful as a base for makeup as it moisturizes the skin’s surface without being too greasy. It contains juniper berry, ylang ylang and jasmine petals to hydrate and detoxify patchy skin, but leaving the skin matte. It’s a favourite of one of my favourite makeup artists, Lucia Pieroni, so I couldn’t resist giving it a whirl. I also love their distinctive brown glass apothecary style packaging – it looks so chic in your bathroom!

Aesop was launched in Melbourne in 1987 by Dennis Paphitis, with the idea of using plant based ingredients with effective man-made ones. As wellness and the interest in natural products combined with anti-aging science has grown, Aesop has shown itself to be a brand with both intellect and personality. The company’s reference points are life itself – “how we should be living, eating, exercising and caring for ourselves” says Dennis. An unusually broad remit for a skincare brand but one you can see in their newsletters and marketing where they focus on films, music, the arts and wonderful quotes.

They have recently opened their second store in Paris at Rue St Honoré, in addition to the many stores they have all over the world, from Switzerland to London and Hong Kong. Indeed, arguably the world’s coolest shop, Colette, (and my favourite Parisian department store, Bon Marche!) stocks their products.

For more information visit www.aesop.net.au

PS Have just given Aesop an A+ for including a recommendation on their website for The Magnificent Ambersons, Orson Welles darkly genius movie about an American family, and one of my favourite movies of all time. Love LOVE this brand! Brains and beauty, my favourite.

PPS Because I can’t resist the opportunity to talk about Orson, other great Orson Welles movies are obviously the cinematic classic Citizen Kane but also The Third Man, a fabulous mystery set in post-war Vienna.

]]> http://www.makeupmole.com/aesop/feed/ 11 http://www.makeupmole.com/yves-saint-laurent-faux-cils-mascara-noir-radical/ http://www.makeupmole.com/yves-saint-laurent-faux-cils-mascara-noir-radical/#comments Tue, 29 Jun 2010 04:31:37 +0000 The Makeup Mole http://www.makeupmole.com/?p=1157 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 [...]

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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.

]]> http://www.makeupmole.com/yves-saint-laurent-faux-cils-mascara-noir-radical/feed/ 2 http://www.makeupmole.com/estee-lauder-single-eyeshadows/ http://www.makeupmole.com/estee-lauder-single-eyeshadows/#comments Fri, 25 Jun 2010 01:26:38 +0000 The Makeup Mole http://www.makeupmole.com/?p=1155 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 [...]

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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!

]]> http://www.makeupmole.com/estee-lauder-single-eyeshadows/feed/ 2 http://www.makeupmole.com/in-my-kit-benefit-sugarbomb/ http://www.makeupmole.com/in-my-kit-benefit-sugarbomb/#comments Sun, 28 Mar 2010 18:38:08 +0000 The Makeup Mole http://www.makeupmole.com/?p=983 This is an instant sugar-rush of perfect rose toned powder to give you just the right healthy flush, and I’m loving it this time of year as it’s the perfect transition into warmer summer makeup. This is the latest in Benefit’s line of blushers (although they will call them face powders, but blusher it is). [...]

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This is an instant sugar-rush of perfect rose toned powder to give you just the right healthy flush, and I’m loving it this time of year as it’s the perfect transition into warmer summer makeup.

This is the latest in Benefit’s line of blushers (although they will call them face powders, but blusher it is). Following on from last year’s massively successful Coralista, this I one of those products that might look a little confusing at the counter but you love when you get home.

It has four shades that you swipe together, and the colors themselves look even a bit confusing to a makeup artist, but put all together they give a very slightly shimmered rosy glow to the skin. And it’s not too vibrant for even pasty, winter-white skin (what? Who, me?) The four colors are rose pink (with shimmer), a brighter strawberry pink (with less shimmer), an apricot heading towards mustard AND a cool toned mauve. Sounds hideous right? But swiped together it’s gorgeous and it’s a timely reminder that often it’s the strange colors that can be the most flattering. Because it has the four colors together it will work on a variety of skin tones as well – also a winner. I don’t know what makeup genius came up with this little cheek candy confection, but boy is it working!

]]> http://www.makeupmole.com/in-my-kit-benefit-sugarbomb/feed/ 0 http://www.makeupmole.com/in-my-kit-le-metier-de-beaute-anamorphic-mascara/ http://www.makeupmole.com/in-my-kit-le-metier-de-beaute-anamorphic-mascara/#comments Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:42:31 +0000 The Makeup Mole http://www.makeupmole.com/?p=946 Colored mascara is generally a pretty tricky proposition. The idea is that by wearing color on your lashes, it will make your eye color pop – which is great in theory except for the fact that most colored mascaras make you look like an escapee from Fame or like you are completely stark raving mad [...]

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Colored mascara is generally a pretty tricky proposition. The idea is that by wearing color on your lashes, it will make your eye color pop – which is great in theory except for the fact that most colored mascaras make you look like an escapee from Fame or like you are completely stark raving mad (or fourteen years old – remembering my teens, that might be synonymous, but anyhoo…)

I love the Le Metier mascara because it’s a beautiful mascara that doesn’t smudge or flake, and you can really build it. It’s not a bonkers mega lash mascara (like Lancome Hypnose or Diorshow), but it has a super fine, full brush that Just. Won’t. Clump. No stripper lashes here! The brush is just the right size to get into the base of the lash and wiggle it around to get extra pigmentation (which is where you want it), and it allows you to take it out to the tip of the lash without weighing it down. Even with multiple coats there is no scary Tammy Faye Baker lash going on.

It reminds me quite a bit of Shu Uemura Basic mascara, which is another great, simple, buildable mascara. But the le Metier is COLORED! I have Aubergine (a blackened plum perfect for green or brown eyes) and Midnight, (a deep navy/black which is a winner on blue eyes). What I love about it is the color is so subtle that it enhances your eye color, without shouting to the world – HEY! I’M WEARING COLORED MASCARA! CHECK IT OUT Y’ALL! ON MY LASHES IT’S 1985! So you don’t have to have 80’s flashbacks (thank goodness, God knows there are enough of those around already, peach lace bodysuits and high waisted acid wash denim anyone?) Like the Chanel Exceptionnel range of slightly colored mascara, this is colored mascara for grown ups. J’adore.

]]> http://www.makeupmole.com/in-my-kit-le-metier-de-beaute-anamorphic-mascara/feed/ 2 http://www.makeupmole.com/in-my-kit-nars-easy-lover-gloss/ http://www.makeupmole.com/in-my-kit-nars-easy-lover-gloss/#comments Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:58:40 +0000 The Makeup Mole http://www.makeupmole.com/?p=894 “Oh she’s an Easy Lover, she’ll get a hold on you, believe it, she’s like no other, and before you know it you’ll be on your knees…” Just because it’s Monday, and it’s rainy, and what’s cheering me up is this super-shiny hot pink gloss from NARS that makes me think of ice creams and [...]

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“Oh she’s an Easy Lover, she’ll get a hold on you, believe it, she’s like no other, and before you know it you’ll be on your knees…”

Just because it’s Monday, and it’s rainy, and what’s cheering me up is this super-shiny hot pink gloss from NARS that makes me think of ice creams and roller skates and sunshine. And its name (we all know how much I love the names of NARS cosmetics – if makeup isn’t fun then good Christ, what is it? It sure ain’t neurosurgery), well it’s another classic from our friend in Bora Bora. (Did I mention Monsieur Nars has a south Pacific island? Well he does. A whole island to himself. That’s a lot of eyeshadow!)

Plus it’s a top excuse to post one of the best songs to come out of the 80’s – for your viewing pleasure, I give you Phil Collins’ Easy Lover. Worth watching just for the scary 80’s hairdresser halfway through and the power-mullet of the roadie, plus Phil Collins giving it some true rock-star style from the decade that taste forgot – in golfwear. In a helicopter. Awesome. And it’s a rocking tune to go with a rocking gloss. And did I mention that it’s raining, and it’s Monday? Enjoy.

]]> http://www.makeupmole.com/in-my-kit-nars-easy-lover-gloss/feed/ 3 http://www.makeupmole.com/in-my-kit-myface-blingtone/ http://www.makeupmole.com/in-my-kit-myface-blingtone/#comments Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:05:13 +0000 The Makeup Mole http://www.makeupmole.com/?p=871 This week I was taken through the whole Myface range of makeup, and the more I’m trying from this brand, the more I’m liking it. I’ll be posting about other Myface products in the coming weeks, but on Friday shooting London It girl Yasmin Mills (who is already naturally so gorgeous), I used lip gloss [...]

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myface.cosmetics- blingtone

This week I was taken through the whole Myface range of makeup, and the more I’m trying from this brand, the more I’m liking it. I’ll be posting about other Myface products in the coming weeks, but on Friday shooting London It girl Yasmin Mills (who is already naturally so gorgeous), I used lip gloss in Lip Pop and a touch of the cult product Blingtones on the eye to give her gaze a hint of shimmer, and honestly, this product has to be tried to be believed.

It’s crushed pearls – yes, real crushed pearls, in an oil base, and it is a totally new technology for eyeshadow – Kay and I have never seen anything like it. What it means is that with one finger swipe of product you can create sparkling, glistening lids instantly. When it’s on, it looks so shiny it appears wet. “Oooh!” I hear makeup artists around the world squeal. How we love a bit of wet look shine (I know, there’s a tacky joke in there somewhere, but this is a makeup blog people, keep it clean). To get this effect, until now we relied on either using shimmer shadows or pigments with a wet brush, or adding Vaseline or eye gloss once the powder shadow was on, but with Blingtones you just swipe it on with a finger, for instant, glamour eyes. And the effect can be just a touch of pixie dust or full on metallic foil. It comes in a range of colors – silver, gold, deep purple, amazing teal blue, bright blue, white and beige copper.

Can you tell I’m smitten? I have a feeling I’ll be using these bad boys all the time. They are perfect to throw in your handbag or your desk drawer if you’re going out that night to punch up your look, and they don’t need a brush – they actually go on better when applied with your fingers.

The only thing I would say is that the pearl particles are so fine it does drop under the eye somewhat, so I would recommend doing the eyes first, before your foundation, then using some sticky tape around your finger to pick up any fall out, before proceeding with the rest of the makeup. (This is also a great trick if your smoky eyes start out more panda than pretty!)

And the best part? It’s available at Boots – yes, Boots the chemist. I so rarely get excited about anything I buy at the chemist (unless they’re in Paris, or the US has some ace stuff also), that to find a range at drugstore prices that has anything I want is already an achievement in itself.

You can check out the full range at www.myfacecosmetics.com

Until the 25th of February Myface cosmetics is offering a free concealer with every Myface foundation, available throughout the UK at Boots Chemists.

]]> http://www.makeupmole.com/in-my-kit-myface-blingtone/feed/ 3 http://www.makeupmole.com/in-my-kit-bobbi-brown-extreme-party-mascara/ http://www.makeupmole.com/in-my-kit-bobbi-brown-extreme-party-mascara/#comments Thu, 07 Jan 2010 17:17:44 +0000 The Makeup Mole http://www.makeupmole.com/?p=818 Kicking off the New Year in lash-tastic style, this is my latest favourite mascara. I have to be honest and say mascara is the one product I am reeeeally disloyal to. I’m talking a total mascara ho – I generally have one that I’m using when I want to be sure that I don’t look [...]

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Kicking off the New Year in lash-tastic style, this is my latest favourite mascara. I have to be honest and say mascara is the one product I am reeeeally disloyal to. I’m talking a total mascara ho – I generally have one that I’m using when I want to be sure that I don’t look like a stripper left in the rain (black raccoon eyes at work, not so much), and a whole slew of wannabes waiting in the wings that I’m testing. I like to test them for at least a month as some of those dudes outperform at the beginning and then turn dry and gunky, others may not dazzle the first time out of the tube but on the 2^nd and 3^rd try (once the formula has settled a bit), they can be fab. So, bottom line is, you never know, and the there’s always a mascara somewhere out in the world you haven’t tried.

So, explanation over and the newest addition to my mascara family (after an exorbitant TWO MONTH testing period), is Bobbi Brown’s Extreme Party mascara. I wasn’t expecting much to be honest because although Bobbi is known for lots of great makeup products, generally mascara isn’t one of them – but I was really pleasantly surprised. It reminds me a bit of DiorShow without the silly jumbo brush thing going on. I know lots of people love the oversized Dior brush, but if your eyes tend more to the baked bean size (ahem) than grapefruit, I find it’s a little unwieldy. The BB Extreme Party brush gets in and kind of feathers the lashes as the brush grips at the root, and doesn’t deposit too much product at the end, so your lashes look longer, thicker, blacker and …well, just really nice actually. And it’s pretty buildable – more coats looks nice and it doesn’t flake throughout the day.

So even if in the sad month of January you don’t have any Extreme Parties to go to (I know for me it’s more like Extreme Tracksuit at the moment), still this mascara will do your new year lashes a power of good.

]]> http://www.makeupmole.com/in-my-kit-bobbi-brown-extreme-party-mascara/feed/ 4 http://www.makeupmole.com/nars-frisky-summer-gloss/ http://www.makeupmole.com/nars-frisky-summer-gloss/#comments Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:13:36 +0000 The Makeup Mole http://www.makeupmole.com/?p=726 This is a rescue gloss, sort of like a rescue dog only pinker, not as fluffy and definitely shiner (odds are on for who is cuter though). Rescue products in my home are the ones that are dug out from the back of the Vault, which is sort of like a resting place/retirement home for [...]

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This is a rescue gloss, sort of like a rescue dog only pinker, not as fluffy and definitely shiner (odds are on for who is cuter though). Rescue products in my home are the ones that are dug out from the back of the Vault, which is sort of like a resting place/retirement home for products that have had their day in my kit. And since I’m feeling gloss again after an 18 month hiatus where I only had about three tubes for those clients or jobs who desperately wanted a shiny mouth, I was quite excited to go and have a rummage.

And look what I found! NARS Frisky Summer is a juicy, soft raspberry that adds good shine and just the right pretty shade of pigment to your mouth, and right now I think it’s a nice addition to all the beige lips that have been coming down the runway. Because not everyone looks good with their lips gone, and everybody looks prettier in pink. Me likey, me likey!

PS: How can you not love a color called “Frisky Summer”?

]]> http://www.makeupmole.com/nars-frisky-summer-gloss/feed/ 0 http://www.makeupmole.com/zuca-bag/ http://www.makeupmole.com/zuca-bag/#comments Tue, 15 Sep 2009 09:28:34 +0000 The Makeup Mole http://www.makeupmole.com/?p=587 Anyone who’s been following my Twitter feeds this past week or so, knows that I’m crazy about my new Züca bag, and today I’m going to tell you why. Carting a suitcase full of makeup all over town goes with the territory of being a makeup artist, especially in London where you need to be [...]

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Anyone who’s been following my Twitter feeds this past week or so, knows that I’m crazy about my new Züca bag, and today I’m going to tell you why.

Carting a suitcase full of makeup all over town goes with the territory of being a makeup artist, especially in London where you need to be prepared for pretty much anything. But when it weighs about two thirds of what you do it can get a bit out of control, and eventually the inevitable happened and my overburdened body gave out and I ended up at the doctor’s. Months later after my ligament injury I am finally recovering, but I’ve had to seriously re-assess my work life. Enter Züca.

Designed by an engineer for a daughter with a back problem (due to carting around too many school books – I’ve been there, too!), it’s a simple idea – a bag with a seat.

A seat I tell you! So no matter where the studio, the location, the train, whether I’m waiting outside a Winnebago whilst the star is getting dressed, or in a field all day watching the shot on location, I can sit down if I want to. Already I’m sold!

It also has special square mesh bags that maximize the space available. Because they’re flat and zip open, you can stack them in the bag, put them out on your work surface and away you go. I separate different areas with smaller bags inside, and it makes unpacking and re-packing super easy.

Then there’s the wheels that you can push up and DOWN stairs, since it pushes forward as well as it rolls backward, and I no longer have to heave the whole darn thing up when I reach a flight of stairs (and anyone who’s worked anywhere in East London knows just how many steps there can sometimes be!)

It’s not a huge bag, but now I’ve decanted everything, it doesn’t need to be. And really I’d rather be a bit more organized with a LOT less stuff, and still have a body that can do makeup for years to come.

For more information on Züca bags, check out www.zuca.com

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