Woo-hoo! Celebrate good times, come on dah dah dah dah dah dah – OK so Kool & the Gang is not quite the same when you write it down, but you get the gist. Mega London makeup artist, Kay Montano is doing more fabulous how-to videos for Because London. This one is a homage to Debbie Harry and a time when glamour met punk met disco met – well let’s just say some rules were meant to be broken!

Makeup by Kay Montano

This was a shoot that originally ran in Spanish Vanity Fair, and it popped up again on the cover of last weekend’s Observer magazine in London (together with an interview with Rachel about being the new Mrs Bond. I can’t imagine that it’s that difficult, can you?)

I thought Rachel looked incredible in these pictures so I asked Kay for a breakdown. Here’s what she used:

Foundation

• MyFace MyMix foundation in F2

Powder

• Jurlique Rose Powder on the T-zone

Blush

• Chanel Rose Temptation blush

Eyes

• MAC Satin Taupe eyeshadow
• Bobbi Brown Black Gel Eyeliner
• Chanel Inimitable Obscure mascara in Noir

Lips

• MAC Hue lipstick

Regular MM readers will know that I’m not generally a drugstore girl. I’m not a big cosmetics bargain hunter as I’ve tried a lot of the cheaper lines and found the pigmentation quality insufficient for my makeup work, and thus most cheaper makeup has no place in my kit, or my makeup bag.

The two exceptions to this rule are MyFace cosmetics, and Revlon. I do love a bit of Revlon (always have, ever since I used to fantastise about being one of the most Unforgettable Women in the World when becoming a woman was far in the future). I think the products are great quality, well priced, and practically and elegantly packaged. I love the work of their Creative Director, Gucci Westman, who has been working hard to make the brand more glamorous and more practical for modern women (her Multi-Use palettes are a work of genius). I also love that they were one of the first companies that banned animal testing, so they get serious kudos for that as well in my book, and I’m a fan of their new animal-friendly and beautiful Revlon faces, Olivia Wilde and Emma Stone.

So I was pretty excited when I got the chance a couple of years ago to work on the Revlon Age Defy TV commercial in London, assisting Kay Montano, who has made something of a specialty in working with the original supermodels. Not only is it an iconic makeup brand, but it starred none other than the original Aussie supermodel, Elle Macpherson. This was a woman who I used to plaster my school books with, who epitomizes outdoor Australian beauty, the ultimate girl next door (if you happen to live next door to Glamazonia).

It turns out, Elle is lovely. We swapped holiday plans with children – her, skiing in Aspen, me, bike riding with my son in Wandsworth Park. Both Australian, both working mums, we had A LOT in common, let me tell you. And if I look that good at 48, I’ll be one happy woman.

Shot by Jake Nava (of Beyonce’s Single Ladies video fame), and Kay’s makeup as immaculate as ever it was a blissful, easy day of shooting on a country estate outside London. One of those days that just doesn’t feel like work.

So when in the makeup trailer Elle told me that the Age Defy foundation was one of her favourite Revlon products and one she uses herself, I had to check it out. The makeup trailer is where you get the real deal, the behind the scenes action and the type of gossip – well let’s just say it STAYS in the makeup trailer. No PR teams, no camera crews, and no reason to say it if it ain’t true. To get a genuine celeb endorsement of a product is rarer than you think.

Age Defy is a very creamy, moisturizing foundation with a dewy finish – a little bit like an MM fave, Chanel Vitalumiere. I like to apply it with my fingers and go lightly, just where needed as I find that a heavy application can look like too much on the skin. With a light application it gives great coverage and the extra moisture that dry or older skin needs. It’s not oil-free, so if you have oily skin this wouldn’t be one for you, and I do like to give it a loose powder afterwards. It has a decent range of shades (although to be honest if you have a very deep skin tone, you won’t meet your match here. Try MAC, Illamasqua or Becca instead).

Age Defy has been developed for more ‘mature’ skins – and when you reach that age bracket, you will know about it. You want a foundation that is going to slip on the skin, and have a slight luminosity to disguise those incipient wrinkles (let’s call a spade a spade, it’s not an “expression line, it’s a wrinkle) and any discolorations that are another one of those joys of aging. I’ve tried it and liked it, and I think that if your budget is more Superdrug than Harvey Nichols, it’s a fantastic foundation in that price point. Elle MacPherson loves it and if it makes me look anything like her – Unforgettable indeed.

www.revlon.com

Here’s a Behind-the-Scenes of the Age Defy commercial I worked on with Kay:

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).

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

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

Kay Montano shows us how to channel your inner Elizabeth Taylor for a bombshell 50′s look that could be from a Fellini film. Viva La Dolce Vita!

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 Director – Kay Montano

Vogue’s Beauty Blog called this show look “strange beauty”. Kay told me she aimed for a “polished and perfected look with a subtle edge.”

Foundation: MyFace Mymix foundation

Powder: MAC Prep and Prime powder

Eyes: Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner in Black Ink. No mascara “as it gives a certain oddness which is interesting”, Kay  said.

Lips: MAC Prince Noir lipstick applied to the innermost centre of the lips and smudged outward with a finger, creating a black cherry stain which was both sensual and innocent.

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