The Makeup Mole

I don’t know about you guys, but I for one am Officially. Over. Winter. In my mind it’s done – I’m sick of the scarves and coats and hats and ready for some tropical style—ee warm weather.

So if I can’t have summer in actuality, I’m going to fake it. Which means getting into the color on everyone’s lips and cheeks. Yep, coral. A shade you might be frightened of, quite rightly, because you think “Oh my God, Nana”. But like lots of things (such as clogs and double denim) that are so wrong they’re right again, coral is the lip color for spring.

Why? Because it’s just really gorgeous and flattering, and it’s more interesting than pink and not as full on as red or orange, so you can feel like you’re making a statement and flirting with a trend yet not feeling like an escapee from Disney’s Small World. Coral is pretty, flattering and lady like. Call it the Mad Men effect.

It’s no longer a color for Mrs Slocum. It’s more a modern version of Grace Kelly in To Catch a Thief. (For really, who DOESN’T want to be cuddled up in a convertible with Cary Grant on the Riviera?)  It’s true, it’s a color that had its heyday in the 50’s and 60’s, called something clever like “Shrimp Cocktail”, and everybody’s gran had a tube of the stuff in their bathroom. But now with the improvements in technology and a wider range to cater for all skin tones, it’s possible to find a shade of peach for everyone.

Corals to Covet

Bobbi Brown has a whole Coral collection out this season, called Cabo Corals. I’m loving the Cabo Coral Pot Rouge, which is the yellow-er sister to Calypso Coral Pot Rouge (which has a bluer undertone.) Cabo Coral would be beautiful on anyone, but it’s gorgeous on deeper skin tones, and those with more yellow-ish skin. The Cabo Coral lipstick and the shimmery nectarine Sunset Beach gloss are pretty spesh as well. I even like them all together – call it the Double Coral Face! Bobbi Brown  Lip Crayon in Coral Pink is also on my wishlist – it’s gorge.

Benefit – Coralista blush, which came out last year but is still right on trend for 2010. We do love Benefit’s blushes,( although why they insist on calling them “Face Powders” is beyond me –  I think it’s confusing and misleading.) But call them a blush and they are DIVINE. Coralista  went straight into the Top Ten of Benefit’s prodiucts as soon as it was released, so I’m clearly not the only one with a love of all things peachy.

Illamasqua – Obey lipstick, the perfect 60’s peach lip and Excite powder blush, a vivid apricot, are my top shades in their range.

Paul & Joe Cheek cream in 03 – this gives you that watercolor, lit from within glow.

NARS – Casablanca and Barbarella lipsticks are both classic corals, plus the new Summer 2010 collection which I’m BEYOND excited by, has Love Devotion Lipstick, a sheer guava stain, and Enchanted, a coral cream blush (which J Lo, and  Zoe Saldana  wore to the Oscars.) And let’s face it, full monty coral needs luminous skin, so add a bit of Orgasm Illuminator whilst you’re at it. Oh and you could add NARS lipgloss in Orgasm whilst you were there. You know, if you wanted.

How to Wear It

Even though grannies are cool again (witness the incredible resurgence of grey hair and the lavender rinse that Kelly Osborne has been sporting lately), still there are limits to how Gran can you go? Let’s think about it instead as how Grace can you go?

So I would advise  going coral strongly only on one feature – for instance, if you’re sporting a coral cheek, just do a peachy stain on the lips, and vice versa. There is no need to become a Technicolor Shrimp Cocktail billboard! I love it with a soft, neutral shadow on the eye, something like NARS Cyprus or Estee Lauder Cinnamon single eyeshadow. And natch, neat brows, lovely skin and lots of ladylike lashes (but no clumps please, this is the Riviera).

Serendipitously, I found a video from the new NARS Youtube channel that is the look from the Autumn/Winter 2010 Marc Jacobs show that has, drumroll please, Lilac Eyes and Coral lips together in one look!

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.

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

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

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

So one of the bonuses about doing the shows (apart from major adrenaline surges, not having time to eat, living on caffeine, seeing all your makeup artist and hair mates and working with the most amazing clothes on the planet), is getting to see the new makeup goodies before anyone else. And let me tell you, MAC are not going to disappoint in their upcoming collections.

The one that has me going is the aptly named Art Supplies (be still my beating heart!) They have shiny grease eyeshadow crayons in a jumbo pen – yes, a jumbo pen! – that can be used as an eyeliner or a shadow and the colors are gorge – shiny pewter, deep aubergine, shimmering navy, lovely jade green and of course, the archetypal black. They go on like a dream, have a beautiful sheen to them and aren’t as greasy as a paintstick, so they are easier to handle. Yum, yum, yum, want, want, want!

And the other thing I got excited about is these jumbo lip crayons that are coming out (very, very similar in style to CoverGirl’s Outlast Lip stain markers, but I guess great ideas are ripe for the nicking…) – they give a gorgeous base to a lip and last for ages, so you can chuck them in your handbag and never have a lipstick-less look again! Art Supplies will be out in April 2010.

Here is a link to an excellent makeup blog, www.temptalia.com that has all the details about upcoming collections and is a must for MAC lovers. Ch-ch-ch-eck it out.

Last Thursday was the Hugo Boss Black show which is the biggest show I’ve ever worked on. A total of 35 models (both men and women) walked the extra-long runway in a gigantic museum in Berlin as the snow fell outside.

Kay Montano was the makeup artist and the amazing British hairdresser Sam McKnight and his team worked their magic on the models’ hair. A total of  22 hair and makeup artists worked for 6 hours to get everybody perfect for the show (which ran a little late as Hilary Swank was chatting to reporters outside.)

It was the Scottish designer Graeme Black’s first season designing with Hugo Boss and the resulting collection was absolutely immaculate – androgynous Austrian model Iris Strubegger stole the show in a thigh high pair of suede boots and intricately beaded minidress.

The makeup concept according to Kay was “vintage Catherine Denevue via Kevyn Aucoin heavy natural, with noughties rock eyeliner”. Lips were classic beige courtesy of  NARS Belle de Jour, and it was the first outing for the new Max Factor Lash Extension mascara, which is my new must-have product.

Oooh, I’m having a NARS moment again! I have had times in the past when I have been OBSESSED with Monsieur Nars’ delightful range of cosmetics, and I do mean obsessed. In fact I like to think I have a commemorative palm tree in Bora Bora (where he has an island, don’t you know) that is mine, bought and paid for, as over the years I seem to have acquired my bodyweight in NARS products.

This year marks the 15^th anniversary of the NARS line, and you may have seen quite a lot of coverage in the glossies lately to commemorate it. Not just that, but as a makeup artist Francois Nars has had something of a return to the fashion spotlight since keying the Marc Jacobs show the last two seasons – yes, he was the maestro behind the full-on 80’s faces we saw last year, and love it or hate it, you can’t deny how influential it has been.

Francois Nars started doing makeup in the early 80’s, and his first big break came when he did Brooke Shields for American Vogue. He worked steadily over the next fifteen years, becoming one of the biggest makeup artists in the world (he was the man who Madonna entrusted with most of her videos and the Steven Meisel Sex book). In 1994 he decided to launch a range of 12 lipsticks which just grew and grew, until it was acquired by Shiseido in 2000. It continues to evolve each season with new colors arriving and only a few leaving – a nice change from so many lines that seem to have a revolving door of Limited Edition products that you can’t get your hands on.

Now, enough background and onto the wonders of the line itself! For me it’s all about the colors – colors you just can’t get anywhere else, and in combinations that you couldn’t even dream up. I love the eyeshadows, the blushes, the lipsticks, the glosses, and the brushes particularly.

I’m also liking the new eyeliner pens as the nib is nice and stiff and so far after some weeks they are still holding strong (some of those pens seem to evaporate like a rabid toddler has been doodling with them – CoverGirl and Shu Uemura, I am talking to YOU!) And after my abysmal review of their old mascara, one of the NARS angels must have been listening as they have two new formulas out and the Larger Than Life Volumizing one not only gives a full, soft fluffy lash, but that sucker is indelible. I mean, bring the waterproof eye makeup remover because it will last all week left to its own devices!

The brushes are so good all of mine have been stolen at the shows over the years, which makes me sad but is a true sign of quality. And with no further ado, and in no particular order, here are my Top 5 favourite NARS products in each category (I had to do five for each, otherwise we’d be here all day).

Eyeshadows

• All About Eve
• Cordura
• Misfit
• India Song
• Underworld

Blush

• Orgasm
• Sertao
• Penny Lane
• Lovejoy
• Desire

Lipstick

• Belle de Jour
• Jungle Red
• Heatwave
• Roman Holiday
• Dolce Vita

Plus! All the Velvet Matte Pencils, any and all of the glosses, and the Multiples in Copacabana and South Beach never leave my side (well, except when I’m in the shower). And now Christmas is nearly upon us, it is with glee and anticipation that I realize the new collection is just round the corner!

It’s that time of year again, when it’s time to start thinking about loved ones and what they would like for Christmas. And given that the holiday season can be stressful, and tiring, and there are lots of parties, isn’t it time to start thinking of a gift guide for yourself? After all, ‘tis the season of tiny little lip glosses, bundled together into one gorgeous package, of miniature elf sized nail polish in a whole rainbow of colors, fabulous brush sets in tiny clutches, in short, makeup that is good enough to eat. So follow my lead – one for you, and one for me, one for you…

Here are my picks for cute as a button present giving (and keeping!)

Illamasqua

The Gold Goddess box contains Liquid metal in ‘Solstice’, Pure Pigment in ‘Furore’, False Lashes 019 and the Medium Pencil in ‘Sophie’ – £3 of the sale of this box will go to the Sophie Lancaster Foundation. The Silver Seductress box contains Liquid metal in ‘Phenomena’ and is complemented with Pure Pigment in ‘Android’, False Lashes in 19 and the Medium Pencil in ‘Sophie’. Again, £3 of the sale of this box will go directly to the Sophie Lancaster Foundation.

NARS 15^th Anniversary Palette ‘Everlasting Love’

NARS is justly famed for his palettes and this little Christmas cracker to commemorate his 15^th year of makeup goodness is no exception. It has eyeshadows in Edie, Nightbreed and Underworld Duo, plus one of my all time favourite nude lipstick colors, Belle de Jour, and lip lacquer in Chelsea Girls. Nice!

Nude

Nude’s adorable little box set of travel sized potions is just what the doctor ordered for party-weary skin – a Cleansing Oil, Miracle Mask and Age Defense Moisturiser to come soothe your over-partied spirit. And your conscience can feel as good as your skin does since it’s not tested on animals and has no sulfates or parabens.

MAC

As always MAC comes into it’s own at Christmas and this year is no exception. The eyeshadow sets are gorgeous – particularly noteworthy is Smoke and Mirrors which has six beautiful smoky eye colors, for those times you need sultry eyes in seconds.

And their mini pigments and gloss sets are back! For budding makeup artists they are a great way to build your collection, and quite frankly for anyone who loves something small and squirrelly (and let’s face it, who doesn’t?) you really can’t go past them.

Bobbi Brown

Loving the Earth Metal Lip and Eye palette from the Chrome Collection, which features six yummy eye shadows and four natural but better lip colors.

Black Plum Mini Travel Brush set – I LOVE Bobbi’s brushes as they are exceptionally good quality, just the right size to do the jobs you want and they last forever. And what have we here… Look at this bad boy! Six travel size brushes in a little bag. Perfect for all of those of you out there (ahem!) who have grimy,

mismatched brushes lying in dust at the bottom of your makeup bag (not mentioning any names… That goes double if you’re blending things with cotton buds.) No more excuses!

Laura Mercier

Mini Lip Glace set contains five little glossy bonbons, all in a row.

Eyeko

Tiny vials of nail varnish in 8 different shades – and at £3 each, you could definitely bundle these into one sweet gift!

Becca

The Showgirl palette is what’s in their stocking this year, with a deep brown shadow, orchid and a stone color that work surprisingly well together, and a rosebud stain with a pink gloss. What you need to look gorgeous this party season.

Makeup by Kay Montano

Recently Kay did Cheryl Cole’s makeup for the cover of ELLE magazine, and the look was cool and fashion forward whilst bringing out Cheryl’s natural beauty. Watch the behind-the-scenes video as well to see what went on the day of the shoot, and see Kay talk about the makeup

Base – Chanel Vitalumiere in Shell 30

Powder – Chanel Natural Finish Loose Powder in Clair 20

Blush – Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Pink Truffle

Eyes – Chanel Bleu Celestes quad (the very dark navy in this quad) in a soft ‘halo’ shape around the eye

Chanel Exceptionnel mascara in Smoky Noir

Lips – NARS Belle de Jour lipstick