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.

Arizona Muse

I am so into pink at the moment. Pink eyeshadow, cheeks, and definitely lips. Don’t ask me why – I didn’t get it from the recent show season but perhaps a spot of pink is in the air, as October’s Paris Vogue features this divine pic of Arizona Muse looking, well, Pretty in Pink to say the least.

Maybe because it makes you fresh and amazing, even when you roll out of bed looking half-dead. Maybe because it suits everybody and we associate it with the bloom of youth, and flowers. Or maybe because it’s an excuse to post this video of a film I watched MANY times back in the 80’s, when we all wanted red hair and a pink wardrobe like Molly Ringwald:

So my picks for Best in Show. First let’s be clear, in all my years of makeup I’ve not had a pink moment before. So my pink stocks are low. Dangerously low. Worryingly low. Which I’m in the process of rectifying at the moment, but it’s taking a while. For some reason I’ve always got by without an extensive collection of pink lipsticks – I have a few and I just kind of cook stuff up out of my cream makeup or my pencils. But now I want flirty pinks, 60’s pinks, lady like pinks – hell, even scary nanna pinks can be great if you rock them with the right attitude (and wardrobe). So without further ado, here’s what I have been experimenting with in the pink department:

Chanel Rouge Coco Lipshine in Boy – Boy oh boy is all I can say. This one is going in my kit AND in my handbag as it’s the perfect little nothing mouth – insouciante but done at the same time. That ladylike polish you want from a lipstick when you don’t want to commit to full on colour. Now I know what the fuss about the Chanel Rouge Coco Shines is about. Sheeny, moisturizing, not pearly but gives your mouth a lift. It’s a grey-ish pink as opposed to a full on one, but I happen to love that (so there).

Chantecaille Powder Blush in Laughter. Chantecaille blushes are awesome and I’ve been meaning to blog about them for ages. This one is gorgeous as it has a gold shimmer in it, so the cheek area gets a very subtle iridescence (indisputably flattering). This has been in my personal makeup bag for awhile.

NARS Baby Doll Lip Lacquer – No one understands baby doll pink like NARS – this gloss in a pot has been around for over a decade yet it’s still as fresh and fabulous as when it was launched. Do use if you want your lips to look like sweet, shiny petals.

Chanel Blush in Rose Ecrin – the latest addition to my Chanel wardrobe arsenal, and these make my job hard – as in hard to choose which ones to use. This is the perfect mauvey pink which is surprisingly flattering – and gorgeous for those with blue eyes. It’s quite a sophisticated pink so I think this might be my blush colour for Christmas parties (although I haven’t quite decided yet. I’ve penciled in some time to think about it over the weekend).

Chanel Poudre Tisee in Brompton Road, from the current Knightsbridge collection. Strawberry pink and shimmering pearl powder luminser, mm-hmm, oh no you DIDN’T. Oh yes Chanel did. Kay Montano sent me one from London but it’s too gorgeous to use. I can’t bear to ruin the sweet texture of it and those interlocking C’s. I may have to get drunk to do so. I don’t have to use it to know it’s divine. (Plus now with the magic of the internet I can see swatches from other bloggers and it is heaven in a compact).

Illamasqua Collide Nailpolish – One of the things I love most about Illamasqua is their hot nail colours, and a hot nail is a great look for the summer party season, which is just around the corner. This is an amazing shocking pink.

Bobbi Brown Creamy Lipcolour in Dry Rose – This is one of my favourite lip colours of all time for your lips but better – it looks like nothing special in the tube but when it’s on, well you know about it. I’m a huge fan of Your Lips But Better (wow, I may trademark that) lip colours. Laura Mercier’s Baby Lips is another nice one.

Revlon Mock Snob Top Speed nail colour – my favourite colour of the season! Speaking of crazy nanna colours, this is just the one. It looks like a polish colour from 1963, a shrimp cocktail peachy pink that would look perfect poolside in a Frank Lloyd Wright home overlooking LA. Imagine Betty Draper in Season 4 of Mad Men (her nails, not the brittle vindictive crazy).

NARS Schiap lipstick – the best fuchsia around. Exactly the colour of Schiaparelli’s Shocking Pink – she invented it, don’t you know. I love this lipstick quite matte without gloss and a simple, elegant eye for tout le soirees de Noel.

But I’m still on the look out for more pink divinity – if you guys have any pink favourites, please comment below!

chanel.com

illamasqua.com

revlon.com

bobbibrowncosmetics.com | bobbibrown.com.au

esteelauder.com | esteelauder.com.au

NARS and Chantecaille are available at Mecca Cosmetica in Australia and Space NK in the UK.

Makeup by Kay Montano

Amber Heard is quite the up and coming Hollywood star – I first saw her when she reduced Jeremy Clarkson to a giggling mess on Top Gear. A hot girl! Who loves muscle cars! Then she was in every magazine as the new Guess model, shot as a modern Marilyn Monroe in Bus Stop by the iconic photographer, Ellen Von Unwerth. And THEN I saw her last week at the premiere of her new movie, The Rum Diary, after international celebrity makeup artist Kay Montano had done her makeup and suddenly she’s gone from gorgeous starlet to blockbuster Hollywood star. Even Johnny Depp, her co-star in the new film, remarked at the premiere “I’ve never seen Amber look more beautiful”.

After I saw the pictures of Amber on the red carpet, I had to find out from Kay what she used.

Foundation

• Chanel Perfection Lumiere in 20 Clair
• Chanel Bronze Universal bronzer

Highlighter

• Chanel Lumiere Sculptee Highlighting Powder

Powder

• Chanel Poudre Universal Libre in Clair

Blush

• Chanel Blush Duo Tweed Effect in Tweed Rose

Eyes

• Chanel Ombre d’Illusion in Mirifique smudged softly all around the eye
• Chanel Ecriture de Chanel Liquid Eyeliner on upper and lower lashlines
• Chanel Inimitable Extreme mascara in Noir

Lips

• Chanel Levres Scintillants in Maline

This is an interview that Kay did with Vogue.co.uk about Amber’s look:

What was the general look you were going for with Amber?
She says herself “you can get the girl out of Texas, but you can’t get Texas out of the girl” so with this in mind, and because I’ve worked with her enough to gain her trust, she said, “so long as you let me have some individual false eyelashes and some highlight on my eyes and skin, do what you want”.
To give her a London premiere version of Hollywood ‘by way of Texas’, I went for a ‘dewy-skinned, slightly rock, movie star’ look.

Working with someone as beautiful as Amber must make your job easier?
Indescribably so!

How hands-on was Amber with her make-up look – did she have a clear idea of what she wanted or did you suggest the look?
She has a highly sophisticated understanding of make-up and hair and knows exactly how to articulate it. Because she’s become a regular (we first met on a Teen Vogue shoot with Bruce Weber), she’s got to know and trust my taste so it was a collaboration.

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

Chanel are at it again with another adorbs video, this time for their nail polish (which makes up the bulk of my nail kit as the colours are so divine).

www.chanel.com

Makeup by Florrie White

Alexa Chung is a bit of an MM fave as she’s lovely, cool, has the wardrobe that everybody wants and she’s rather gorgeous as well. Here’s a beautiful shoot she did in Paris recently as a Chanel Cruise exclusive for the Australian edition of Harper’s Bazaar, shot by Angelo Pennetta. Known for her lovely cat eyes and signature flicked eyeliner it was a bit of an exciting day since she agreed to wear a bright lip. I think she looks phenomenal!

I have a breakdown from her regular makeup artist, the wonderful London-based Florrie White who reveals what she used on an impeccable summer day on the lovely Alexa:

Skincare

• Decleor Sun Expert – it was so hot in the magnificent Parisian garden. Alexa did not complain while I hid in the shade guzzling cold water!

Foundation

• None – she has perfect skin and I love her freckles.

Concealer

• Chanel Long Lasting Concealer only under her eyes.

 Powder

• Due to the heat and the clean skin I just used Givenchy’s Mister Matte to control any shine.

Blush

• MAC Cream Blush in Cheery and Cherche

Eyes

• MAC Eye Pencil in Smolder
• Lancome Hypnose Mascara
• Chanel Ilusion d’Ombre Emerveille, Epatant, Illusoire, Mirifique used individually and/or mixed together, blended and changed around throughout the shoot.

Lips

• MAC Pro Lip Mix in Orange

Nails

• Dior Vernis Underground 824

Here’s a gorgeous behind-the-scenes video showing Florrie at work:

Makeup by Kay Montano using Illusions D’Ombres De Chanel Autumn Collection

Kay recently shot the beautiful actress Freida Pinto for the cover of Instyle magazine, and Kay told me this about what she used to enhance her already naturally gorgeous good looks:

“Freida has truly perfect skin, a perfect pout & Bambi eyes – she’s a make-up artist’s dream! I wanted to make the most of her natural beauty by emphasising, not recreating any of her features.

I used the most sparing amount of foundation, leaving most of her face transparent & clear with a minimal amount of translucent powder on her ‘T’ zone only.

I kept her skin dewy looking with L’Oreal Hydrafresh moisturiser and L’Oreal True Match Liquid foundation in C2 Rose Vanilla so that when I added the Chanel Rose Ecrin blush her skin had a genuine looking glow.

I lined Frieda’s upper eyes with Chanel’s eye pencil in Brown & smudged in with my fingertips. Then, using a round, short haired brush, I applied the new Chanel Illusion D’Ombre in Ebloui over the lash line & blended until smoky. This product has the most extraordinary texture, unlike anything I’ve ever seen before but the real beauty of it is how easy it is to use, smoky eyes are made easy at last!

New Chanel eyelash curlers arrived at the studio so I got those out straight away followed by lashings of Chanel Inimitable Obscure Mascara in Black.
Freida’s pout needs no definition so I kept the emphasis on the eyes by using a subtle slick of Chanel’s Glossimer For Lips in Braise.”

Check out the Behind the Scenes video of the Instyle shoot:

Makeup by Kay Montano - Photographer: Miles Aldridge

Claudia Schiffer is back in a big way and sometimes it feels like it’s 1995 all over again! I’m having a moment with the supermodels right now (more on that later) and I am loving seeing those gorgeous glamazons back on billboards, red carpets and magazine covers.

Today we have a very special treat as lovely London-based makeup artist Kay Montano has kindly given me a breakdown of this month’s German Vogue cover that she recently shot with Claudia Schiffer and Miles Aldridge. Complete with this season’s must-have accessory (if the latest Chanel Haute Couture show is anything to go by) a lace net on the eyes, Claudia has the most body-slammin’ red lip I’ve seen in ages. This is courtesy of the immaculate new Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet lipstick coming out later this year (and which already has me salivating).

Here’s what Kay used to get Claudia cover-ready:

Skincare

• Jurlique Soothing Day Care Lotion

Foundation

• MyFace MyMix foundation in F2

 Concealer

• MyFace MyCover concealer in F2

Powder

• Jurlique Rose powder

Blush

• MyFace blush in Holiday

Eyes

• Chanel Prelude quad (new for Autumn/Winter)
• Chanel Sublime de Chanel mascara in Noir

Lips

• Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet Luminous lipcolour in La Fascinante (available in the UK on the 30^th September 2011).

Illusions d’Ombres de Chanel

Where do I even start with the new Autumn/Winter collection? Well should I start with the fact that every major makeup artist that I’ve spoken to in the last month on Twitter or email is in raptures? Kay Montano, Romy Soleimani, Florrie White, Benjamin Puckey – from London to New York they’re all raving about it, using it on shoots and on the red carpet. I’ve been using it on shoots and I’m in love with the colours and the textures.

Let me break it down for you – it’s the best Chanel collection yet. They have these new crème eyehsdaows called Illusion d’Ombre that are like metallic whipped mousses, and it’s a texture I’ve never used before. On the eye they look like foil, giving the most gorgeous metallic sheen. I had (serendipitously) a metallic beauty shoot recently and these gorgeous shadows just came into their own. The colour selection is beautiful as well:

Fantasme – silvery white loveliness
Emerveille – the ultimate peachy shimmer
Illusoire – taupe-plum perfection
Epatant – divine khaki silver (and what Peter Phillips used on the last Ready to Wear Chanel show).
Mirifique – perfect midnight blue black
Ebloui – deep burgundy gorgeousness

Mirifique was used in last week’s Chanel couture show to create the most amazing shiny, mysterious smoky eye (haute couture black lace burglar’s net optional).

The nailpolishes are incredible as well as they are extraordinary metallic duochromes, my favourite of which is Peridot. I used this on the same metallic beauty shoot and it’s like an Egyptian scarab, all gold and green, depending on where the light hits it. These are true stand-out nails! They are easy to apply (although I do like two coats), and I also loved the Quartz shade (not dissimilar to Bacterium from Illamasqua’s Art of Darkness collection). The inky silvery shade Graphite I’m saving for a special evening out next week.

There is a gorgeous new neutrals eyeshadow quad called Prelude, which is difficult to describe in that it’s plum matte black but not TOO purple, and two taupes that are almost khaki-toned, along with a buttery cream colour. It is completely different to all the other Chanel quads I own, so even though it’s perfect for a smoky eye, it’s not the same old greys and deep browns, which is refreshing.

The newest addition to their stable of eyeliners is Khaki Platine, which (as its name suggests), is a pale, shimmering khaki green, and which I know makeup artist Florrie White in London has recently used on Rosie Huntngton-Whiteley for the red carpet.

And last, but by no means least, is the new Rouge Coco lipstick in Etole, which is a beautiful lip shade – the exact colour of your lips (if your lips were perfect, which my lips sadly aren’t). Which is why it’s currently living in my handbag. Makeup artist Mary Greenwell used it on Uma Thurman at Cannes recently. There’s also a new rose blusher called Rose Ecrin which I haven’t tried yet – but given my track record with their blushes, as in the word ADDICTED springs to mind, I know I’ll be checking it out soon.

Just when I think Chanel have reached the apotheosis of makeup heaven there is a new collection, and Peter Phillips has dialed it up a notch again. The Autumn/Winter collection is about as close to makeup nirvana as it’s possible to get.

The Chanel Autumn/Winter 2011 Illusions d’Ombres de Chanel will be on-counter in Australia from the 31st of July.

www.chanel.com

Makeup by Kay Montano

I nearly passed out when I saw this incredible pic of Gwyneth Paltrow for Vanity Fair’s  jewellery calendar, out this week. Gwyneth has always been a very patrician beauty, but here she looks smouldering and just damn sexy in nothing but a pair of tights and some – yes, you guessed it, gorgeous jewellery. Kay Montano was the makeup artist responsible for Gwyneth’s walk on the bombshell side, and in a Makeup Mole exclusive, here’s what she used:

Skincare

• Liz Earle Superskin moisturiser

Foundation

• MyFace MyMix foundation in F2

Concealer

• Clinique Airbrush
• Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage in SC-3

Powder

• Jurlique Rose Powder on T-zone

Blush

• Chanel Rose Temptation blush

Eyes

• MyFace Black Eyeliner
• Chanel Eyeshadow Quad in Prelude (from the upcoming Autumn collection)
• Chanel Inimitable mascara in Noir
• Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner in Black Ink

Lips

• Bobbi Brown Blush lipliner
• Jurlique Love Balm mixed with MyFace Vintage Pink lipstick

Wine lips aren’t just for winter

For ages I’ve been wanting to write a post about wine coloured lipsticks as they’ve been having a moment in my kit the last few months, but recently I’ve been crushing on other colours too – pinks and raspberries and fuchsias.

So I thought – let’s cover them all off in one big sangria drenched lip festival!

Wine Lips

From deep claret to almost black bordeauxs, and into chocolates and blackberries, I love a deep, opulent rich lip.

Favourite lipsticks for this are:

• MAC Lipmixes – to mix up your favourite shade
• Illamasqua Growl and Poison
• NARS Velvet Matte Pencils in Damned and Cruella
• NARS Lipstick in Scarlet Empress
• YSL Rouge Pur Couture in 8
• Estee Lauder Pure Colour in Plum Couture

Pinks and Sangrias

A deep, bold claret lip is not always appropriate, let’s be real. Sometimes one wants a stain, or more of a juicier version. Lighter-bodied lipsticks include:

• MyFace Strawberry Fields and Cherry Bomb
• Chanel Ballet Russes
• Clinique Black Honey (this has iconic status in Lip Lovers’ World)
• MAC Plumful

Fuchsia

This is my current hot colour preference for a statement lip – nothing says you got it goin’ on like a hot fuchsia. My current go-tos are:

• Illamasqua Atomic
• Tom Ford Perfect Pink
• NARS Schiap

If you want to go for a glossy version of the above, a clear gloss would suffice (I’m a MAC lipglass in Clear fan myself) or you could punch up a wine lip with the following glosses:

• MyFace Lip Pop Gloss in Crazy in Love
• Bobbi Brown Rich Colour Lip Gloss in Pink Raspberry
• NARS Hot Wired or Easy Lover for pinks
• NARS Rose Birman for Wine

When wearing a strong lip, you can either dab the lipstick on with your fingers for a casual take on the look, or layer on at least two coats using a good lipbrush (I like the Shu Uemura Lip Brush). If you find you have an unsteady hand, a matching lipliner can be useful for giving a super precise, finished look.

Wow, where do I start with this one? It’s been burning a hole in my kit ever since I got to try it a little while ago – in a word, it’s gorgeous. Chanel’s Creative Director, Peter Phillips, never ceases to amaze me, as he just gets it right, collection after collection. Perfectly what you want to wear when the weather gets warmer, but never clichéd. Check out the new ad below:

First off, the eyesahdow Quad in Lilium. I have blogged about my love for Chanel Eyeshadow quads before and still really, I can’t get enough of them. This one has a deep, hunter green, a citrus-y lime, a pale pink and a gorgeous grey taupe which for all those taupe lovers out there is quite beautiful as it’s shot through with a pink and green duochrome. Lilium’s closest Chanel counterparts would be Garden Party (although the colours on that are much more wintry), and Nymphaea, an oldie but a goodie.

One of the things that people complain about with Chanel quads is their pigment pay-off, which I have to confess is not as strong as other brands on the market (like Illamasqua or MAC), but it is definitely improving. I compared the new Lagons eyeshadow quad (which is DIVINE, by the way), with Bleu Celestes which it is not dissimilar too colour-wise, and the pay-off of Lagons is much better and the colours more vibrant. I love those quads for the colours, and the way they go together, as they’re just unlike anything else and they always have exactly the right amount of shimmer. (Please note I am speaking about the European quads, not the US ones as they are a completely different formulation).

So both Lilum and Lagons have made it into my kit – not that Bleu Celestes has gone anywhere, that’s still a favourite. When will I stop with the Chanel Eyeshadow quads? Someone needs to organize a makeup intervention!

The new bronzer, Soleil Tan de Chanel in Bronze Rose, is a gradated bronzer with a strip of pink at the end that provides a beautiful wash of colour. It’s not the deepest darkest bronzer around, so those with deeper complexions should definitely try before they buy. It also comes in a coral version, Bronze Corail, which also looks beautiful. I am loving the soft tan-pink flush that Bronze Rose gives.

The bright yellow nail polish, Mimosa, I wasn’t sure if I could get into but three coats of this sunshine in a bottle has made my feet feel like – well like this:

(Although not the bit about dancing in a squat, or her makeup, which needs to be locked in a vault labelled “Never to Be Released”, but the song, yes.) Mimosa has just enough pearl in it to lift the yellow and make it wearable since matte yellows can be quite hard to wear.

Probably my favourite of the collection though has to be the Stylo Yeux Waterproof in Rose Platine. It’s a shimmering icy pink-y taupe that isn’t frosty or nasty, but has just the right amount of light reflection to give your gaze that little extra something – the one that says “I am gorgeous” but you can’t tell why. Not “Hi! I have a strip of pearlescent eye highlighter going on! I look like a disco ball!”

Like all Chanel collections this one just makes you feel like you should be on a yacht somewhere, cruising past Cap Ferrat or St Tropez on the way to some fancy party, and quite frankly that’s how you want to feel after dropping serious money at a makeup counter. Well I do, anyway. On this, Chanel ALWAYS delivers.

www.chanel.com
The Chanel Summer Collection is currently on-counter in the UK, and will be available in Australia from the 29th May.

Makeup by Kay Montano

Thandie Newton (this month’s UK Instyle cover girl) looked even more breathtaking than usual at last week’s Met Ball. Seriously, does the woman ever age? Wearing a black lace bespoke Stella Macartney gown she had her makeup done by her long-time makeup artist, Kay Montano. Here’s what Kay used:

Foundation: Olay Touch of Foundation

Powder: Illamasqua Loose Powder in LP235

Blush: MyFace Cosmetics blush in A Her Name is Rio

Eyes

• MyFace EyeTouch Eyeshadow trio in Midnight Hour
• MyFace Hi-Def Pencil in Black
• Chanel Inimitable Obscure mascara in Black
• Chanel Ecriture de Chanel black liner

Lips: MyFace Lip Pop gloss in 136

I found this lovely video on Nowness of Chanel’s Creative Director, Peter Phillips, talking about his career and working for Chanel. If you read MM on a regular basis you know my enduring love for Chanel and for their constant creativity and the incredible luxury and performance of their products, all whilst maintaining and strengthening the extraordinary heritage and the ethos of Madame Coco Chanel.

This post is slightly cheating – really it should be “Best Eyeshadow Ever”, but I just couldn’t pick one brand. I have too many eyeshadows that I like – MAC and Dior and NARS and Illamasqua and Chanel and my old Stila ones and Myface and Laura Mercier – oh, and Bobbi Brown! It would be like Sophie’s Choice but with about 50 kids to choose from. Horrible, and too distressing to contemplate. So instead I decided to cheat and start with Eyeshadow Quads. Chanel win those hands down. I was doing makeup for a private client at the weekend and I got seriously back into them.

I have loads! I have at least nine that come with me on every job. Old ones that have been discontinued for years, and newer ones (like last year’s delicious Kaska Beige), and they all get a regular work-out. The colours are super-flattering and can be mixed beautifully, either from within the quad or with others in the Chanel range – or if you’re feeling crazy, from other brands!

Yes I know, the pigment pay off on other brands can be superior, but the finish is so beautiful! And the colour ranges are gorgeous, and go together so well. And yes they are expensive, but you wouldn’t expect to get a discount Ferrari would you?

One thing I have found though is that I much prefer the US versions of the quads – I just prefer the texture, and the texture is markedly different to their UK/European/Australian versions. But sill I love all of them, no matter where I bought them from. And the packaging, well, there is no substitute for that elegant black lacquer.

The only downside is that they have terrible tendency to encourage you to want more – as in new ones every season, as every new collection is more delectable than the last. Ombres Perlees de Chanel for Spring? Don’t mind if I do!

www.chanel.com

It’s always a cause for rejoicing when Chanel do one of their show videos, and this one has it all. Peter Phillips on makeup! Sam McKnight on hair! A sneak peek at the new products coming out for Autumn/Winter! (And they do look like some very naughty new makeup action). Check it out!

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I’ve posted this breakdown before but I couldn’t resist posting it again, as it was on the cover of the Observer magazine in the UK this weekend. It’s such an extraordinary photo, and an extraordinary makeup – done by none other than Kay Montano! Here’s what she used on the world’s biggest pop star.

Kay Montano on the Hello Kitty Shoot: “Gaga art directs everything! She is a stream of ideas and suggested I paint Japanese cartoon style eyes on her eyelids which added a surreal edge to what would otherwise have been a cutesie look.”

Base: Chanel Vitalumiere in No. 20 Clair

Powder: Chanel Traslucent powder to create the perfect base

Eyes: Make Up For Ever Flash Colors 12 color box of crème makeup to paint exaggerated green Japanese eyes on her eyelids, with MAC Prep+Prime to set

Eyeliner: Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner in Black Ink

Mascara: Chanel Exceptionnel mascara in black

Lashes: 2 sets of MAC eyelashes, one on the browbone to create false top lash

Lips: Chanel Coco Pink lipstick (US exclusive), then silver (Fardel silver powder mixed with water).

Makeup by Kay Montano

I have another Beauty Breakdown treat for all you little makeup munchkins today! For the first time, one of my favourite actresses, Thandie Newton, has allowed a film crew in to catch her preparing for an event. And not only do I have the fabulous footage (seen here exclusively for Beauty and the Dirt), but I have a breakdown as well, courtesy of her long-time makeup artist, Kay Montano.

Thandie looks phenom, as always – seriously I have never, EVER seen her look anything than unbelievable. Here’s what Kay used:

Foundation

• Olay Touch of Foundation

Powder

• Bobbi Brown Sheer Finish Powder in Golden Orange
• Blush – Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Pink Truffle

Eyes

• Chanel Eyeshadow duo in Taupe Gris
• Myface Eye pencil in Black
• Bobbi Brown Long Wear Black Gel Eyeliner in Black Ink
• Chanel Inimitable Mascara in Black

Lips

• MyFace Lip Pop Gloss in 136