Makeup by Kay Montano

Kay’s been in a busy lady, getting not only Thandie Newton ready for the BAFTAS last night but Amy Adams as well. I love me a bit of Amy Adams – Sunshine Cleaning was one of my favourite movies I saw last year, and anyone who can pull off being not only Amelia Earhart, but Amelia Earhart as Ben Stiller’s love interest is a true star in my book! A new mum, she looked radiant on the red carpet in a peach Elie Saab dress.

Here’s what Kay used:

Skin Prep

• Bobbi Brown Enriched Vitamin Face Base

Foundation

• Myface MyMix foundation in F1

Powder

• Jurlique Rose scented powder

Blush

• Chanel Fresque blush

Eyes

• Myface Eye pencil in Brown
• Chanel Tapue Gris eyeshadow duo
• Bobbi Brown Longwear Gel Eyeliner in Black Ink
• Chanel Inimitable mascara

Eyebrows

• Bobbi Brown Taupe eyeshadow to shape eyebrows

Lips

• Myface Lipliner in Nude
• Myface Lip Pop gloss in 136

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.

Kabuki is something of a legend in the fashion industry, having risen so rapidly up through the ranks of top makeup artists to reach the level he is now in just a few short years. He is Ms Kylie Minogue’s makeup artist and is currently travelling with her (having just wrapped Paris Fashion Week!) and within the business he is renowned for being a ‘makeup artist’s makeup artist.’ Born in London and based in New York, Kabuki has worked with some seriously major names, beginning with the first two series of Sex and the City (and if you don’t remember changing your makeup routine to emulate Carrie Bradshaw’s noughties gorgeousness, you must have been living in a yurt in Tibet). Since then he has created memorable looks for Lady Gaga, Gwen Stefani and Madonna, and is still a regular contributor to Italian Vogue as well as US Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Allure and Numero.

His incredible use of colour and theatrical take on fantasy make his work both opulent and unmissable, but he can also create an understated modern beauty look for clients like Gwyneth Paltrow when required. He has recently been appointed the Creative Director of myface.cosmetics (one of MM’s favourite brands!)

I was very lucky to get a moment with him.Here is his interview:

1 – What are you working on at the moment?

I just finished shows for New York and Paris fashion week so first on my list of things to do:  regain sanity. I’m working on my paintings in my upstate New York home while my agent fills in my schedule for the winter.

2 – Favorite makeup job ever?

Michael Jackson. He was lovely to be around and we had some great conversations about the legendary people he knew. Sadly, the Matthew Rolston and Bruce Weber shoots with him turned out to be the final shoots he ever did.

3 – Top 5 Products

1. Myface Blingtones
2. Dior Show Mascara
3. Nars Aqua Gel Hydrator
4. Myface Mymix Foundation
5. MAC #33 Lashes

4 – Best Makeup tip ever

Apply your makeup at a table so you can rest your elbows and have a steady hand. Make sure you have enough light to see properly. If you make mistakes, clear them with pointed Q-tips dipped in a non-oily remover, such as Crealine.  Even if you’re wearing just a little makeup, it looks bad if it’s not cleanly applied. Not the most exciting answer but, honestly, it will improve your result more than anything else I could tell you.

4 – How did you get started in the business?

I wasn’t unknown in the New York City club scene of the 1990’s so I was on designer/stylist Patricia Field ‘s radar. She plucked me out of the crowd to paint Sarah Jessica Parker’s face for a new TV show called SEX AND THE CITY. Then I worked on some movies, including PARTY MONSTER. Then Steven Klein saw that and called me for an Italian Vogue shoot. Then Madonna saw the Italian Vogue shoot and called.  And the ball was officially rolling.

5 – How is it different to when you started?

The longer you’re around, the more relationships you acquire. In the beginning, I think maybe some people were unsure about me for whatever reason: maybe my name sounded odd, maybe some of my over-the-top looks made them nervous. But after they meet me and work with me, they know I’m professional and just there to create a beautiful make-up that fits within their context.

6 – What do you do in your spare time?

Drawing and painting mostly.  I always bring a sketchbook and mechanical pencil with me when I travel, and I travel pretty often.

7 – What are your favorite looks for the coming Autumn/Winter season?

I like the trend towards more bold and glamorous make-up for the coming season that I’ve seen at the shows.  Clean and fresh is nice too, but nothing says “glamour” and “sexy” like a strong makeup look.

www.kabukimagic.com

www.myfacecosmetics.com

Find them on Facebook My Face Cosmetics

Follow them on Twitter @myfacecosmetics

This is my base discovery of the year – it is the perfect product for women who need some coverage, but don’t want to wear a proper foundation. It is the best ‘real life’ foundation I have tried in years.

Regular readers of MM will know that Myface Cosmetics is a bit of a favourite line of mine, since pretty much everything I have tried from the line is excellent. The colour pay-off and shade selection on the coloured products is fantastic, and the price point is drugstore as opposed to department store. Myface is a fantastic range for everyday life, and I also keep quite a few of the products in my kit for editorial work.

Why is this foundation my unsung hero of my makeup bag? It’s like a beefy tinted moisturiser, and now that I have reached an age where my skin needs a bit more help, true tinted moisturisers have been relegated to the weekend. I need more coverage now as my skin seems to get redder and more blotchy as the years roll on. The Myface foundation really mimics skin, providing a glow and covering what needs to be covered without sticking to pores or looking like makeup. I apply my makeup in direct sunlight, so I can really see what’s going on, and it just disappears in, making all my manky red bits go away.

It also comes in 9 shades which pretty comprehensively covers the range of skintones, including tawny Indian and light complected black skins. Unfortunately it doesn’t extend as far on the shade spectrum as I would like, leaving truly dark and pale skins unnacounted for, but it is a more comprehensive shade selection than some of the European prestige lines.

In fact, I would go as far as to say it’s a pretty good substitute for Chanel Vitalumiere! And a third of the price. I’ve been using it now every day on myself for at least six months, and for me it’s perfect. If your skin is very oily I would think it might be a bit greasy or shiny for you, but for drier or more mature skins who need a bit of help without wanting to delve into real foundation territory, this is for you.

A word of warning with the container though – I love its lightweight plastic design and the smooth pebble-y feel of it, but if you’re flying, double-bag it first as it does have a tendency to leak. Not good if it’s in your handbag!

Myface Cosmetics can be bought at Boots chemists in the UK and online at www.myfacecosmetics.co.uk

Kylie wears MyFace Blingtones

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

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

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

Only Thandie Newton could wear yellow this well! Her mustard coloured Louis Vuitton dress was a perfect foil to her beautiful tawny skin, and her long-time makeup artist, Kay Montano, was on hand to embellish her look. Here’s what she used:

Base – Myface Mymix foundation in Med/Dark 2

Powder – Temptu loose powder

Blush – Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Pink Truffle

Eyes

• Chanel Bronze eyeshadow
• Lord & Berry black eyeliner smudged in around lash lines
• Chanel Inimitable Obscure mascara in black

Lips – Nude Lip balm

Makeup by Kay Montano

Nicole Kidman looked radiant in Hong Kong yesterday, appearing at the opening of the new Omega watch store, and later at the charity gala event, “A Night with the Stars”. The gala was in conjunction with Omega in support of UNIFEM, for which she is an ambassador, and her husband, singer Keith Urban was also performing.

Wearing a gorgeous string strap dress by Nina Ricci she looked every inch the movie star. Her makeup artist, Kay Montano, was channeling 1940’s Hollywood film-noir glamour for makeup with a sheer, modern twist. Here’s what Kay used:

Base – a mixture of Chanel Base Lumiere and Myface Mymix foundation in Fair 01
Powder – Jurlique loose powder in t-zone only
Blush – Myface Paradisio Pink blush
Eyes

• Myface Midnight Hour Soulful Shades eyeshadow trio, a mixture of smoky greys and black
• Bobbi Brown Black Ink gel eyeliner
• Chanel Inimitable Obscure mascara in black

Lips – Chanel Rouge Coco in Cambon mixed with Nude lip balm for a modern, soft red lip.

Makeup by Kay Montano - Photographer Lorenzo Agius

How incredible does gorgeous actress Thandie Newton look in these pictures? It’s for the Virgin Shorts film competition which Thandie will soon be judging, and the brief was to recreate the drama of 1920’s silent screen actress Theda Bara.

Celebrity photographer Lorenzo Agius was behind the camera, and top hairdresser Neil Moodie was tending to her locks. As usual Kay Montano rocked it on the makeup front, and Thandie was her usual amazing self – how many movie stars will offer you a seat whilst you’re working? I can tell you now, not many – but there’s a reason why Thandie is one of my favourite stars. Here’s what Kay used to transform her into a Cecil B. DeMille era siren.

Base – Myface Mymix foundation in Med/Dark 01

Concealer – Becca concealer in Cappucino

Powder – Jurlique Translucent powder

Blush – No blush

Eyes

• MyFace Soulful Shades Eyeshadow trio in Midnight Hour (the black shadow) as a base, creating the distinctive shape
• Chanel Eye Gloss quad in black over this, with a bit of Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream on top for extra shine (which is key to this look)
• Eye rimmed with black Guyliner eye khol
• Black Chanel Inimitable Mascara

Lips – Chanel Les Rouge Noirs Hysteria lipstick in a 1920’s bee stung shape

Alexa Davalos by Kay Montano

Makeup by Kay Montano

There’s a new starlet in town and her name is Alexa Davalos. She is Andromeda in the new film Clash of the Titans, and this week in London she’s been lighting up the red carpet in a dress by Ralph Lauren and diamonds by Van Cleef & Arpels.

Makeup artist Kay Montano was inspired by the makeup at the recent YSL show, which was very matte skin with a bright, glossy lip, and a hint of shine on the eyes and the cheeks.  Juxtaposing textures creates a look that’s beautiful, polished and fresh – perfect for the red carpet.

Base – Chanel Pro Lumiere in 20

Concealer – Laura Mercier in Secret Camouflage 3

Powder – Chanel Poudre Libre in Translucent 20

Cheeks – Becca Blossom Crème Cheek and Lip Color

Eyes

• Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream on lids for shine
• Clinique Naturally Glossy Black mascara

Lips

• Chanel lipstick in Enthusiast
• MyFace Lip Pop Gloss in 136

Makeup by Kay Montano

Claudia Schiffer was radiant in a gorgeous Temperley dress on the red carpet last night, where she accompanied her husband, Matthew Vaughan, to the premiere of his new film, Kick-Ass.

Kay used mostly Myface cosmetics last night to create Claudia’s red carpet look. Myface is quite a new range to the market, but I like everything I’ve tried from the range – there are more reviews coming up!

Skincare – Jurlique Soothing Herbal Recovery Gel

Base – Myface Mymix foundation in F2

Powder – Myface Mymatch Powder in Fair

Blush – Myface blush in Paradisio Pink

Eyes

• Myface Black eyeliner smudged into lashlines
• Myface Soulful Shades in Midnight Hour (black, silver and grey)
• Max Factor Lash Extension Effect mascara in black

Lips

• Nude lipbalm
• Myface Lip Pencil in Fair
• Myface Vintage Pink lipstick

Daisy Lowe at a film premiere

Last week the unfailingly gorgeous Daisy Lowe was being shot at London’s Spring Studios for photographer Jacob Sutton, with the best of the upcoming season’s new trends from Vogue’s fashion director, Kate Phelan.

Kay Montano was doing her makeup, a sexy rock n’ roll look that’s perfect for Daisy’s modern It girl style. She used Chanel Vitalumiere foundation in 20 Clair on her skin, Myface black eyeliner and Bobbi Brown Black Ink gel eyeliner for smudgy, sexy eyes, and Nude lipbalm and Chanel Rouge Coco lipstick in Beige Felin to finish off a modern bombshell. Hairdresser James Pecis used Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray to get the perfect rough texture on the hair. And voila! Who knew Spring was around the corner?

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.

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.

Can I be really honest? I had misgivings about this line when I first heard about it – the fact that Charlotte Tilbury, one of the world’s biggest makeup artists known for her high-octane glamour shoots with fashion darlings, photographers Mert and Marcus, was launching a budget – BUDGET I tell you! – makeup line to be sold in Boots, well it just didn’t seem quite right. I am not generally keen on drugstore brands at the best of times because I think life is too short to have inferior pigment, nasty why bother sponge applicators and over-inflated ideas of a product’s abilities due to how gorgeous Kate Moss looks in the advertising (cough cough, RIMMEL), but as they say in the classics there is a time and a place for everything.

So in the interests of fairness I decided I had to give it a try, starting with a pale pink lippie called Vintage Lace. The range itself is quite a clever idea, dissecting the line into Fair, Medium and Dark skin tones, and has been well parlayed into very user-friendly colors. I hated the packaging though, all based around the whiteness and shape of an Ipod (it’s working on the blushes because they are actually shaped like an Ipod. On the lipsticks? Not so much. They are white plastic with clear lids like some nasty Avon tester from the 70’s).

However – the Vintage Lace color is the perfect nude, just a notch down from your own lip color to give you the illusion of supermodel lips, and although the texture is not super creamy (like, say, Estée Lauder), it does have good pigment to it which I like. It’s dense and matte and can either be dabbed on with a finger (my preferred method), or applied with a lipbrush.

It’s not what I expected Ms Tilbury to be putting her name to, but this lipstick has me sufficiently intrigued that I’ll probably try some other things. Tune in for more updates. Below you can find a video of her version of the myface.cosmetics 5 Minute Face.