Make Up Director Alex Box | Report by Celine Bopp

Supremely chic, as the girls walked round the fluorescent light filled room, it had a sporty feel to the collection. The girls’ foundation was kept super minimal using a little MAC Studio Sculpt, and then the fun began! Using MAC Lip Mix in Yellow we blended a tiny bit on areas such as the creases of the arms and back of knees to give a bruise like feel. Then using a special effects’ product that was melted down in hot water, we created oblong shapes on parts of the body.  Each girl had an individual look, so some had shapes on their face and some on their legs and arms. Once it set on their skin we dusted MAC pigment in Reflects Teal, a pearly white, which was barely visible until they hit the fluorescent lights on the catwalk, giving flashes of light. Gorgeous girls, perfectly suited to Tait’s wonderful collection.

Makeup Director Sam Bryant | Sponsored by MAC | Report by Celine Bopp

One of the high points of London Fashion Week is always Richard Nicholl’s exquisite show, and this year was no exception. Here’s what Sam’s team leader Celine Bopp had to say:

“The girls at Richard, oh my word…sensational. Gorgeous lunar skinned highlighted girls, and the inspiration for Richard’s collection was from a unfinished film in the 1960s called L’Enfer. Think groovy chic, babydoll silhouettes, a simply amazing collection.

Sam created the look for the girls coming up with a 60’s feel, by taking a 60’s liner and adding a conceptual twist.

The girls had dreamy lunar skin, absolutely gorgeously highlighted, and a dewy, minimal base was created using MAC Face and Body foundation, just to cover any imperfections and give it a sheer feel. A slight contour was used on some of the girls if they needed it using a foundation shade darker than their skin tone. The lashes were curled and MAC Shell Cream Colour Base was used to highlight the girls on the cheekbones, bridge of nose, cupid’s bow, and every body part that wasn’t covered by clothes. The conceptual liner was made out of a matte black tape, cut out in exact oblong shapes and put in a titled placement on the outer corner of the eye. In the line up Sam added an extra highlight on each girl, using white iridescent powder.”

Makeup Director Sam Bryant - Report by Celine Bopp

London Fashion Week had its most exciting season in ages with amazing shows, both for the clothes and the hair and makeup looks. London is traditionally where the fash pack cut loose with their creativity and go for looks that are less ‘safe’ (as you usually get in New York, or even Paris and Milan). This season was no exception with lots of 90’s grunge references, big brows, outrageous back combed hair, dip dyed nails and even stick on eyeliner! The MM LFW backstage correspondent is again fabulous London makeup artist Celine Bopp who was on a number of teams this season, including Sam Bryant, Kay Montano, Florrie White and Alex Box, and we’re lucky enough to have the first of her backstage reports here:

John Rocha Look – Shadowy Androgyny

“Taking a cue from last season’s look Sam created a grungy shadowy androgen look, keeping the skin light and pale with shaded eyes and sculpted cheeks.

Using MAC Pro Sculpting Cream in Sand Brown we shaded inner, outer, socket line and under the eye.  We followed with a grey shadow, MAC Typographic to intensify, layering up the colours gave the look an edge, something interesting, grading the shades.

Using MAC Sand Brown Pro Sculpting Cream to sculpt the cheeks when needed, and followed by MAC Shadowy Sculpting powder to intensify the cheek.

The luminizer was MAC Shell Cream Colour Base dusted over the lips and cheek bones.”

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:

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.

Report by Celine Bopp | Makeup Director – Alex Box | Sponsor – MAC

As Alex’s assistant, Celine Bopp, so rightly says “The girls at Gareth Pugh… well, well, well! Another extravaganza from the Box.” Alex describes the look of the show as “religious iconography”.

Celine says “The girls and boys in the show this season were sensational, along with those clothes and the colour that Pugh sneaked into his collection this year was fab – black, gold and blue… beautiful.”

Foundation: The models’ base was kept minimal using MAC Studio Sculpt foundation to match the girls’ skin tone, and the cheeks were left relatively sheer and fresh so to see the natural skin flesh tone.

Eyes: The eye pads were stuck underneath the models’ eye, with either a gold or a blue winged out shape, using ‘secret material’.

Face Gloss: MAC Lipglass in Clear, and Gloss Brilliance was placed on the cheekbones and cupid’s bow.

The boys didn’t wear the mystery winged out shape under their eyes but they had amazing highlights and textures on their skin which looked gorgeous. We used MAC Studio Sculpt foundation, MAC Lipglass, Strobe Cream, and a few different MAC Reflecting Pigments to get the effect that Alex wanted.

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 – Alex Box | Report by Celine Bopp | Sponsored by MAC

Skin: The girls were given flawless skin, using MAC Studio Sculpt foundation and Prep + Prime primer.

Highlights: MAC Vanilla Pigment was used to highlight the face and mouth.

Contour: MAC Pro Longwear Eyeshadow in Beige was used to contour and define the cheekbone.

Eyes: A sheer wash of colour could be seen across the girls’ eyelids in cream eyeshadow in Blasé and powder eyeshadow in Lady Grey.

Eyebrows: A lovely natural but brushed upwards look was given to the girls’ eyebrows

Lips: Beautiful dark lips were the focal point for the Anne Valerie models, dark plum winey lips using MAC Portside Cremeliner to line the lips, and Prince Noir Lipstick. (This is turning out to be a serious season favourite, showing up on quite a few shows).
 

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.

Report by Celine Bopp | Makeup Director Sam Bryant

Sponsored by MAC

The girls at Richard had very defined eyebrows, with a ‘finished and sporty’ glow, dewy and alive, but always cool.

Skin

The skin was perfected and kept cool toned using MAC Studio Sculpt foundation.

Eyebrows

Squared off and elongated using MAC Eyebrow Pencils in Fling, Lingering, Spiked and Stud (depending on the model’s colouring).

Contouring

Using three tones on the cheeks, MAC Cream Colour Base in Sand Brown to create the cheek bone, Cheek Matt low on the cheeks, with a touch of Ginger Cream Blush in the middle, all beautifully blended together. Divine.

Highlights

Beautiful highlights were placed on the cheekbones, bridge of nose, inner eyes, Cupid’s bow and chin using Vaseline and MAC Silver Dusk powder

Lips

Just buffed off with cotton bud and left au naturel.

Report by Celine Bopp | Makeup Director Sam Bryant

Sponsored by MAC

The theme of this show was a dancer, just come out of dance class, fresh faced and innocent. Beautiful.

Skin

MAC Face & Body foundation for a very sheer base, and only if the model needed it. Super fresh skin.

Eyebrows

Brushed up using MAC Eyebrow Gel

Eye

A tiny line blended into the socket line of MAC Evil eye shadow, barely there, just enough to see as she blinks her eye.

Cheek

A flushed cheek, using a mixture of MAC Lilicent and So Sweet So Easy cream blushes to make it look like she’d been working out.

Lip

The natural colour of the lips was brought out by mixing either MAC Lip pencils in either Beet, Dervish or Spice, with a little Vaseline, and then blotted to take out any glossiness.

Simply Divine!

Celine Bopp doing makeup at the John Rocha show

Report by Celine Bopp | Makeup Director – Sam Bryant

Inspiration

This season the John Rocha girls were just on their way to Glastonbury to work on the circus, a bit grungy fresh, with a conceptual lip. Feral eyebrows.

Skin

Fresh skin was the look, using MAC Face and Body foundation a fraction paler than their skin tone, so that the skin felt real on the girls.

Becca Shimmering Skin Pefector was used for highlighting nose, chin, cheeks and a wash over the eyelid.

Cheek

A fleshy coloured cream colour (MAC Uncommon Blush Crème) was placed just at the low front part of the cheek, just a suggestion, not heavy.

Eyebrows

Real hair was finely chopped and added into the girls brows to make them big and ‘feral’!

Lip

MAC Vino Pencil  was used to create the strong v-shaped lip, top lip sharp with a softened lower lip, giving it a grungy but not too grungy feel.

MAC Silver pigment and MAC Mixing Medium was used to acccentuate the cupids bow.

Finally a light dusting of Ben Nye Translucent powder, not too heavy, just to take off the shine.

Makeup Mole @LFW

Well not actually me in person if you haven’t guessed, but the Mole has her spies everywhere! This time around my superspy superstar backstage makeup artist is Celine Bopp, one of my oldest and dearest London makeup friends. Celine was first assistant to major makeup artist Sam Bryant for over three years, where she worked constantly with photographers like Tim Walker and celebs like Natalie Portman. She has also assisted Alex Box and Kay Montano on a regular basis for a number of years, and is a fabulous makeup artist in her own right, now working independently on jobs like Hugo Boss and McQ by Alexander McQueen.

For London Fashion Week this year she was on Sam Bryant and Alex Box’s team – here she shares with us the look at Betty Jackson (one of my favourite shows to work on. Great girls, great clothes and great makeup – what more could a girl ask?)

BETTY JACKSON
Makeup Director Sam Bryant
Sponsored by MAC

Inspiration
Think Patti Smith grunge, smokes a lot of fags and doesn’t pluck her eyebrows. Tobacco stained girls with a touch of Violet from the Incredibles. Amazing.

Foundation
Pale skin using MAC Studio Sculpt foundation

Brows
Thick elongated brows with MAC Eyebrow Pencils in Fling, Lingering, Stud and Spiked (an MM favourite!)

Eyes
Tobacco eye – Like a nicotine wash over the whole lid, slightly squared off at the brow, buffing in MAC Pro Sculpting Cream in Malaysia

Cheeks
MAC Pro Sculpting Cream in Malaysia was used as the lighter colour, and Pro Sculpting Cream in Sand Brown was used at the back of cheekbone to create the contoured intensity

Lips
Lip are nude by paling them down with MAC Lip Erase in Dim

Accents and Highlights
MAC Polished Ivory Paint Stick was used to create this, no shimmer!

Powder
Finished with a light dusting of Powder with either MAC Shimmering White or Translucent

www.maccosmetics.com

I have to confess to not being a fan of Valentine’s Day generally – well not the sickly sweet chocolates and teddy bears version (unless you’re five, when it’s therefore age-appropriate and OK). Otherwise, really the flying cupids draped in red velvet and the love hearts on everything are just twee and make me feel vaguely ill.

Come on, we’re all grown ups, right? So in the spirit of Valentine’s Day in the raciest sense of the word, I bring you an Agent Provocateur video I worked on a couple of years ago, with the unbelievable Rosie Huntington-Whiteley playing the woman scorned. Fabulous director Greg Williams wrote and directed it, Kay Montano was on makeup, and Johnnie Sapong (one of my favourite hairdressers) was on hair. The set was closed (you’ll see why when you watch it!) and the AP underwear – well it speaks for itself.

Here’s my beauty recipe for a dangerous Valentine’s day – the kind you’re really looking forward to…

For a touchable body I’m loving Liz Earle’s delicious new Energising Body Lotion with Damask Rose Flower Water and Sweet Orange Oil (this is as sweet as this recipe gets).

For a sultry gaze, mix up MAC Smolder and Coffee eye khols and add a little bit of grease like Vaseline or Elizabeth Arden’s 8 Hour Cream. Not loads but enough to give it that just-been rumpled look. Add lots of Lancome Hypnose mascara for some serious bedroom eyes.

Cheeks should be softly blushed – I like a good cream blush. Becca make a fab selection of cream blushes that look amazing on – particular faves are Geranium, Turkish Rose, Wild Orchid and Amaryllis.

To gild your body I like Illamasqua’s Ether Powdered Metal, which provides a golden glow for fair skins whilst Powdered Metal in Thalia is beautiful on darker skins.

Nails also must be Illamasqua this Valentine’s as they have the best polishes around – I’ll be using Throb, a deep blood red, or Load, which is well, a gorgeous creamy, milky colour.

No Valentine’s day would be complete without a kiss! Dab on Myface Gigabyte Lipstick in Strawberry Fields or Cherry Bomb, and add a touch of their Lip Pop gloss in 136 for lips that would give Rosie a run for her money.

Let Rosie be your Valentine… or else!

www.lizearle.com | www.maccosmetics.com | www.lancome.co.uk | www.beccacosmetics.com | www.illamasqua.com | www.myfacecosmetics.com

I’m sorry to devastate you all, but I heard a rumour swirling around on Twitter yesterday, and checked it on the website today – and it’s true! MAC’s amazing Blushcremes are no more.

Devastation is not the word! What shall I do without them? I have almost all of them and was planning to breeze into MAC at some point for the last couple I don’t own, only to find out they’ve gone to the great Makeup Box in the Sky. Oh Ladyblush, Pleasureful and Posey, what shall I do without you? Not to mention Cheery, Cherche and Laid Back. My clients’ cheeks will never be the same. If you have them I suggest you guard them jealously (because if I find out their location, I could well be coming over to do a midnight raid on your makeup stash. You have been warned).

Because this is the site with no shame, and because I haven’t had any cheesily fabulous 80’s music on here for awhile, here’s some Spandau Ballet to ease you into this season’s hottest trend for holiday parties – Gold.

Now that I’ve blown your mind with some feathered hair and ostentatious guitar chord playing (check around the 1.23 mark if you’re into that sort of thing), it’s time to get down to business, how to shimmer like a star this Christmas.

The best way to wear golds is generally on the eyes – although this season there are some ace gold nailpolishes around too (but more on them later).

Gold suits every eye colour and in fact every skintone, and metallics in general are huge this season.

My fave way to wear gold on the eyes is to layer a cream with a powder, and for full-on Midas eyes you can’t really go past Illamasqua’s Solstice Liquid Metal with Pure Pigment in Marvel. This is what Alex Box used to create the Golden Goddess look for the Myer show in Sydney this year, and I can attest to its – well, golden-ness. I love these because the gold isn’t too yellow and fake looking, and they have a burnished quality when they catch the light (golds that are too fake and yellow looking make me feel, quite frankly, ill. So cheap and nasty!)

If you fancy something a little less full-on, Laura Mercier does a lovely gold metallic crème eyeshadow in, aptly enough, Gold, and Chanel do a beautiful gold powder eyeshadow. It’s also, funnily enough, called Gold.

There are a few tricks to making metallics work. Firstly you need to apply your shadow, then line your eyes right at the base of the top lashes with a black liquid liner or gel eyeliner. This defines the eye and makes it much more party-worthy. Black or brown pencil liner on the inner rims is optional, depending on whether you really want to get your sexy on. I like MAC’s Boot Black liquid and Bobbi Brown’s Black Ink gel liner for this purpose. You can either just do a wash of gold on the lids, or you can use a nice matte brown shadow to wash into the crease to give some good depth and definition (I’m currently loving NARS Bengali as a great all round chocolate brown eyeshadow). Two coats of your favourite mascara (my current fave mazzie is L’Oreal’s Volume Million Lashes mascara for a party lash), and false lashes are optional but always a winner for parties. MAC and Shu Uemura are great for expensive ones, Ardell if you’re saving your pennies.

You can keep the rest of the face simple by using the minimum of foundation and powder, some bronzer and keep the lip a delicious nude. I love YSL Rouge Pur in 132 a gorgeous golden pinky beige. Golden-beige gloss on top, something like Chanel’s Beige Guitare.

Nails

Nails are also a key place to go for gold. Myface L’il Bling is an amazing new range of metallic polish, and their gold polish is particularly lovely (it’s called Gilt-y). For the ultimate gold nail though you should check out Nail Rock. Nail Rock are individual nail wraps in different patterns, including metallics, that you heat up with a hair dryer onto the nail. They do take a bit of getting used to, but for a true Midas touch, you can’t go past these. They are the creation of London manicurist Zoe Pocock and they last up to 7 days on nails and 8 weeks on the toes, plus they are inexpensive (£6.50 per set), so there’s no excuse for not going for gold. (Feathered hair and ostentatious guitar playing are optional).

www.illamasqua.com
www.chanel.com
www.narscosmetics.com
www.lauramercier.com
www.maccosmetics.com
www.yslbeautyus.com
www.myfacecosmetics.co.uk

Nail Rock are available from www.asos.com or Topshop, and Sportsgirl in Australia.

Let’s talk about eyebrows for a moment. This is one of those products that is so mind-bogglingly simple and effective that you think everyone must know about it, but I’m always amazed when I do private clients and they have never even heard of it.

Brow Gel is a tube like a mascara wand and tube that has a clear gel inside it, and when you run it through your brows it invisibly grooms them, gives them an oh so subtle sheen, and most importantly, holds them in place. Why is that so exciting I hear you ask? Well if you have to ask that, you apparently don’t need it. Some brows need it more than others. For those with sweet, tame little arches that look the same year in and year out and never need plucking, tending, pencilling or re-arranging, you can just stop reading now. I know there are a few of you lucky people out there. I am however, not one of them.

From having gigantor brows in the 80’s that needed a hedge trimmer to tame them, through to the 90’s when my brows all but disappeared when I plucked them all away (curse your elfin beauty in those CK Calvin Klein ads Kate Moss, it’s all your fault!), and now to the noughties when my brows have valiantly struggled to grow back but in sexy patches, I am one of those people who need brow help. Lots of it. Of the grooming and pencilling kind, every day, or else I look like a mad woman.

So brow gel is always in my kit, both personally, and professionally – and the one I love the most? MAC. They also do fancy coloured ones which I have, but to be brutally honest I don’t really use. Clear looks good on every brow colour, holds it in place and a tube will last you forever. So no more mad woman brows. The hedge trimmer is optional.

www.maccosmetics.com

MAC have just released their Christmas collections which are, quite frankly, always worth waiting for. This year is no exception with A Tartan Tale, packed to the brim with tiny, bite-size makeup goodies that make you want to go on a spending spree to end all spending sprees.

What I like about the MAC Christmas sets (apart from the super cute packaging) is for a makeup artist, they are a great (excuse?) chance to stock up on miniatures for your kit. The glitter, pigment and gloss sets are all a fab way to expand your kit, because, let’s face it, how often do you use that acid yellow glitter pigment? Maybe a couple of times a year. Does that mean you shouldn’t have it in stock? Hell no! What kit isn’t complete without a whole range of bonkers glitters and pigments, and MAC at Christmas is the perfect place and time to stock up. Plus as it is Christmas it’s a great chance to put the hard word on your nearest and dearest and explain the dire consequences of you going YET ANOTHER YEAR without your acid yellow glitter pigment. A scary thought, I know.

Their brush sets are also a great way for aspiring (and working!) makeup artists to expand their brush collections – and we all know you can never have too many brushes, don’t we? MAC’s brushes are very comprehensive, great quality and reasonably priced, so now’s the time to get your kilt on and check out A Tartan Tale.

www.maccosmetics.com

This week has been the start of the global fashion circus that rolls around the world from New York, then to London, then Milan and onto Paris before all the fashion crew get a 6 month rest, until it all starts up again.

I’ve been diligently keeping an eye on the trends coming out of New York, and right from the word go it’s been a surprising season beauty-wise, as it’s all about colour. New York is known for the usually “tasteful” (read “tame”) makeup and hair that struts down its runways. It is generally the most conservative of all the Fashion Weeks, but this week has been a showstopper in more ways than one. Rust red eyes, 70’s disco full makeup, fluoro pink lips, gold-grey lips and gold lashes, it’s all happening! And thank god, there has barely been a beige face in sight.

As always MAC are the go-to brand for the shows, (although NARS and Shiseido are making a few incursions onto the runways, which is nice to see). Here are some of my top picks so far from the shows – these are the looks that will be inspiring you in the season to come. Get ready to crack out the fun stuff ladies, it’s a makeup-fest!

Click on the pictures to download the Mac Face Charts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bobbi Brown – perfect for your natural lip shade but better

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

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

Illamasqua – For mouth-watering statement lip shades

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

MAC – like a lipstick candy store for grown ups

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

I loved this show – incredible clothes (what we have come to expect from Alber Elbaz), and I found the aesthetic to be really interesting. This season the Lanvin team were playing with the idea that everybody is starting to look the same, which I think we can all attest to – the incredible rise in plastic surgery creating a veritable army of clone-like female “beauty”. By giving the models the same hair and a robotic black eye, Elbaz eloquently makes the point that fashion should also be about diversity. It might be beautiful, but surely we don’t want everyone to look the same? Nice to see a really interesting ethos behind a show. Hats off to Elbaz, Guido on hair and the redoubtable Pat McGrath on makeup (who, quite frankly, does it again).

For those viewers at home who would like to take this look for a spin, I would recommend:

• Bobbi Brown Black Ink Gel Eyeliner plus MAC Smolder pencil and MAC Carbon shadow to create the black structure to the eye
• MAC Pro glitter in Gold and Reflects Antique Gold for golden shine on the lid
• Benefit Hoola bronzer for contour under the cheekbones (no blush)
• Estee Lauder Vanilla Truffle lipstick for an expensive beige mouth, and Estee Lauder Clear Gloss for shine

Spring isn’t quite officially here, but as far as I’m concerned, its time to look ahead and think about bare legs, short skirts (yessssss! say all the men in London), and most importantly, re-think your makeup bag for the coming season. I call it a bonafide trend as of today, because I saw three ladies on the Tube in one morning wearing varying shades of violet on their eyes. So my top trend? It’s Lilac Eyes.

It’s been awhile since we’ve had (interesting, cough) true beauty trends – for a few seasons it’s been the same old stuff recycled again and again – natural makeup, perfect skin, smoky eyes, red lips – and much as I love those classics, aren’t we all just a little bit keen for something different?

I know I am, which is why I sat up just a little bit straighter when the genius makeup maestro Pat McGrath sent a bevy of beauties down the runway for Dior with gasp! lavender eyelids. Gorgeous, glowing, proper washes of Easter egg purple – it’s part of a bigger seasonal trend for pastels that I predict will be huge this season, as we all search for color to lift us out of (let’s be honest), 2009’s deep funk. The ubiquitous Ms McGrath even did pastel eyebrows yesterday for Balenciaga. Whilst I don’t see us necessarily sporting a pastel brow to herald in the warmer months, a pastel lid we can do. To the paintbox, ladies!

Lilacs I love

NARS Jolie Poupee duo – vibrant lavender and deep jewel toned purple. This is where NARS really comes into its own as a range – they have one of the most rockin’ colour selections anywhere. Colours you didn’t know existed let alone thought that you needed – that is until you headed down to your makeup counter.

NARS D. Gorgeous single eyeshadow  – a shimmery pale lilac. Worth wearing for the name alone!

Bobbi Brown Lavender and Lilac eyshadows, with Bobbi Brown cream shadow in Orchid. Yeeeeeeeaaaah. That’s what I’m talking about.

Becca Lapis Eyetint with Ametrine – this creates a more subtle, shiny wash of color that is so, so gorgeous on. Lapis is apparently a Limited Edition color so if you want it, you’ll have to be quick.

Estee Lauder single eyeshadow in Lilac – beautiful, does what it says in the box, shimmering lavender to make your eyes glow.

How to wear it

Although lavender looks gorgeous on every eye color, pastels can be a little hard to wear if not done correctly. The application part is easy – simply wash your chosen color from the lashline to the crease, with a brush or your finger in the case of a cream.

But in order to make it work, you need a very thin black liner along the lashes – like dental floss! Oh so thin. Liquid or gel eyeliner is more defined than a pencil. And lashes, lots and lots of lashes. You’re going to need a Bad Boy mascara, one that gives you lashes for days – not clumpy, not trampy, but ultra flirty and lots of ‘em. Go nuts. I am currently liking Lancome Hypnose mascara for this uber-sexy effect.

Without eyeliner and mascara you will look like an egg – but not of the Easter variety. Just an albino one. If you feel a bit naked under the eyes you can always softly smudge a nice chocolate pencil. MAC Coffee pencil is a good one.

Go easy on the foundation – heavy, mask-like base will quickly take this into Grannyland (and nobody really wants to go there). Myface foundation is lovely for light, everyday wear that still gives sufficient coverage. And no weird fake tans please – pastels and fake tan will make you look like the bonkers neighbour in There’s Something about Mary, and the Mole is never EVER going to tell you to look like that!

Blush is a must, a soft pink would be good, but nothing too cutesy. I like a pink with a little bit of gold shimmer in it – my latest fave for most skintones is Chantecaille powder blush in Laughter.

Although Ms McGrath went for the full magilla at Dior with a bright red lip, I would possibly choose something a little more understated if you’re just going out for groceries. I like a soft pink lip with a bit of brown (again to keep it out of the kindergarten, and make it pretty without looking like you should be sporting an Easter bonnet). Becca Sheer Tint lip colour in Gisella, Myface Vintage Pink lipstick, and the old classic Estee Lauder Crystal Baby lipstick are all good options. You may not have a Spring in your step yet, but at least it can be Spring on your eyes.

I know that everyone is still feeling dozy and sedated after lots of food (well, I certainly am), but as the year starts to get going again, let me tell you to run, not walk to your latest MAC counter for the new Warm and Cozy collection. It’s their best collection in a while, with some old favourites (2N and 3N lipgloss, welcome back!) and new Tinted Lip Conditioners, hooray!

I managed to brave the crowds at Westfield to enjoy the lusciousness of the new Tinted Lip Conditioner in Close for Comfort. I love the TLCs both for personal use and for work because they are sheer, they provide just a hint of color and they moisturize. But lo and behold! What else did I find but Close for Comfort also is gorgeous as a sheeny blush. It is sheer but if you go over it a few times it’s a soft peach-y brown with a gorgeous shine to it. Yet one more reason to go get you some MAC. (After all, a sheeny cheek goes a long way to stop people looking at your ass – I know I don’t want anyone looking at mine until at least mid-February, when some of those Christmas desserts have worn off).

Makeup by Kay Montano

Base – Chanel Vitalumiere in 30

Chanel Bronze Universal used around the edges of the face, subtly across the nose and chin in the same way the sun warms the skin

Blush – Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Pale Pink

Powder – Jurlique powder on T-zone

Eyes – Chanel eye liner in Teak on lash line around eyes and blended with a brush

- MyFace Blingtone single eyeshadow in Black Ice on lid

- Bobbi Brown Black gel eyeliner

Mascara – Chanel Black Exceptionnel mascara

Eyelure individual false lashes on outer corners

Lips – Bobbi Brown Blush lip liner, with MAC Lip Erase in Pale and Chanel Rouge Allure Laque in Ming 76.

Our final report of the week comes from Richard Nicholl’s show – predictably another standout show from the Aussie designer.

The makeup from Sam Bryant’s team was either a wash or purple or a wash of orange on the eyes. These were created using a mixture of textures – creams, shimmer powders, and pigment mixed with MAC Mixing Medium.

The show was sponsored by MAC.

Purple and Orange Eyes

Base – MAC Studio Sculpt foundation, with MAC Pearl Cream Color Base as a highlight

Eyes – Purple

Apply a  color wash of purple crème all over eyelid, from lash line to browbone

Mix MAC Fuchsia pigment with MAC Makeup mixer and apply to outer corners for intensity

MAC Swish Frost eyeshadow

Eyes – Orange

MAC Dusty Coral Paint Stick washed all over eye

MAC Basic Red Paint Stick blended and washed into the Dusty Coral

Blush – Powder blush blended right into the temples and hairline (the product used was a Mineralize duo that’s not yet available)

Lips – Dab crème colors over lips with fingertip and blend

Niamh Kavanagh was on Miranda Joyce’s team yesterday, for TopShop Unique, where the inspiration for the show was none other than Pamela Anderson, who is rapidly gaining a living icon status.

Hair was by the ever- amazing hair wiz Paul Hanlon and featured totally disheveled ponytails gripped with neon-pink bows.

Sponsored by MAC

Neon Pink Pumped up Lips

Base – MAC Studio Sculpt foundation, really minimal, only where needed

Lips – MAC Magenta Madness pigment, with Pink Shock Cream Color Base

The breakdowns continue! Niamh Kavanagh was on Charlotte Tilbury’s team yesterday afternoon for the Jenny Packham show, where the reference was grunge muse, Courtney Love.

This season MAC seem to have dialed down their ubiquitous presence at the shows, however even without sponsorship it seems no catwalk look is complete without a healthy dose of MAC. It leaves the playing field wide open for other companies – like NARS, Lancome and Illamasqua to sponsor shows, as the PR that follows is great for brand exposure.

Courtney Love Beautiful Grunge look – Charlotte Tilbury

Base – Very pale, using MyFace Fair foundation and MyFace Pressed Powder in Fair (which Niamh tells me is amazing!) all over face, down neck and onto arms for a Seattle moon-glow.

Eyes – Elizabeth Arden Smoky Eyes Powder Pencil in Smoky Black along the upper lash line, with no blending, and no winging at the outer corners.

MyFace Black mascara on top lashes, and slightly on lower lashes

MAC Clear Gloss all over top lid, up to the browbone, with a bit of the Elizabeth Arden Smoky Eyes Smoky Black liner mixed in with it, to create a shiny grey wash.

Lips – MAC Brick lip liner all over entire lip, then a mixture of MAC Ruby Woo lipstick and MAC Black Lipmix was dabbed on top of this to create a burgundy stain.

The look for John Rocha was very antique dolls – Sam Bryant’s team on makeup, and Sam Hillerby on hair.

Base – MAC Face and Body in C1, to make the girls slightly paler than their natural color

Eyes – Illamasqua palette in Solstice over the entire lid up to the brow.

MAC Gold pigment dusted over lid and into the crease to really add definition, and also up into the brows, onto the temples and over the cheekbones.

Then to make the shape more Egyptian, MAC Mixing Medium was added to the Gold pigment and worked into the inner and outer eye corners to make a more unusual eye shape.

Cheeks – Ben Nye Orange and Pink cream blushes, mixed together applied in an upside down triangle shape to cheeks, then blended well

Lips – The same Ben Nye cheek colors were used on the lips.

I’m re-posting this makeup breakdown Kay Montano did for Lady Gaga’s Hello Kitty shoot a few weeks ago, as the pictures have now been released. Shot by celebrated photographers Marcus Klinko and Indrani to celebrate the 35^th anniversary of the Hello Kitty line, you really have to see these anime eyes to believe it!

Base – Chanel Vitalumiere in No. 20 Clair

Powder – Chanel Translucent powder to create the perfect bas

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 powder to set

Eyeliner – Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner in Black Ink

Mascara – Chanel Exceptionnel mascara in black

Lashes – 2 sets of MAC eyelashes, 1 on the browbone to create false top lash

Lips – Chanel Coco Pink lipstick (US exclusive).

Chanel Vendetta nail polish
Superstar manicurist Sophy Robson put me on to this one, and it is indeed a winner. Deep, shimmering sparkles in a purple black base are making me dream of cold winter nights. Chanel does it again!

Bobbi Brown cream eyeshadow in Galaxy
Just this side of gunmetal, it’s lovely on it’s own tucked at the lash line with a black pencil, or as a base for winter’s opulent shades of grey – the new take on the smoky eye.

Revlon brushes
What a revelation these are! Perfect sizes, great for blending and super soft bristles. Usually I’m not a drugstore makeup girl, but these brushes leave some of their much pricier counterparts in the shade. The foundation brush is excellent, as are the blush and powder brushes.

MAC lipstick in Underworld
Proper old skool 90’s red brown, the color of the season. Just this side of brick red – so wrong, it’s right!

Chantecaille Flower Infused Cleansing Milk
Gentle, aromatic, flower infused and a perfect transition for your skin into the cooler months.