Face charts!

Bonjour...another sunny day in hot, hot, hot Mumbai......poor MUs Natasha, Xavier and Sara are braving the heat for a TVC...shot outside....quite horrid and exceptionally hard work to keep the models looking fresh and fabulous and not melty and manky. Well done team....Mulain thinks you are doing a grand job but is choosing to spend the day with MU Virginia in an airconditioned class room (much more civilised non?). Today the MUettes in the academy are designing their first make-up! It will be a creative and funfilled afternoon for sure. Students will be putting their ideas and creations onto face charts and then executing them onto live models......Mulain can't tell you what a good practice this is and a good habit to start for all budding artistes....start drawing, sketching, playing with colours and putting everything down onto paper...face charts. This will help you communicate your ideas clearly in a visual way and also help you when you are directing a team etc.

Mulain has put up a few from MAC, Stila, Charlotte Tilbury, L'Oreal to give you an idea. Hope this helps you in your work my friends.

Off to school.....mu-st n't be late....moi Mulain x

The Power of the Make-up Artist!

Le maquillage!

Ok.....ranting today my darlings....make-up artistes the world over have to constantly fight to gain recognition, respect, understanding.....people think doing make-up is 'easy', 'non-intelligent' and it sits low-down in the pecking order of jobs......Mulain gets so cross!!!!! Such ignorance...really.....make-up is a huge, vast industry from special effects, to beauty, professional to non-professional. It is one of the few industries that not only survived the recession but made profits. To be a good make-up artist takes technical know-how, patience, endurance, talent, lots and lots of training (which never ends in your lifetime..you always keep learning) and it's an ultimate multi-tasking job, dealing with people while doing your job...and sometimes under huge pressure. Mulain says don't knock it til you try it......here are some make-up giants for you....inspirational figures....

Madame Estee Lauder at work....

This 'make-up artist' became the only woman on Time magazine's 1998 list of the 20 most influential business geniuses of the 20th century! Make-up a no-brainer....I don't think so!... Estée Lauder Companies, Inc. is one of the world's leading manufacturers and marketers of skin care, costmetics, perfume and hair care products. They own Bobbi Brown, Aveda, Clinque, Bumble and Bumble, La Mer, Jo Malone, MAC, Donna Karan, Origins and more! All started from a make-up artist's dream.......thank you Madame Lauder!

In the world of special effects make-up, Dick Smith has pioneered, created and lain the path for sfx in an extraordinary way....starting his career in 1962 he has worked solidly in films like 'The Exorcist', 'The Godfather' and in 1983's 'Amadeus' he creates the most life-like 'age' make-up ever done. Check out Salieri below, the old and young look....just superb and he won one of us many Oscars for this make-up. Where would sfx make-up artists / actors / directors be without him?......Do check out his site http://www.dicksmithmake-up.com/...... He also is kind, generous and open with his information and incredible knowledge....an icon for sure......thank you Monsieur Page!

Older Salieri

Young Salieri

Max Factor was Maximilian Faktorowicz (1877–August 30, 1938 a Polish-Jewish cosmetician and 'make-up artist' who became the artist of the Hollywood Sirens from Harlow to Hepburn, Crawford to Colbert, Garbo to Garson. He made make-up accessible to everyday women, through his work on the stars in their films and through creating products that could be sold to the masses. Max Factor pioneered the high-street make-up brands, Max Factor started make-up trends, Max Factor dreamt up fabulous products....La Lip Gloss! Another giant - thank you Monsieur Factor.

There are many make-up artists out there in today's world also pushing the boundaries, creating great products and education centres, creating magic on screen, designing cosmetics and setting trends.....think Rick Baker, Bobbi Brown (she is even starting her own make-up course for University level), Pat Mcgrath, Gucci Westman, Trish McEvoy, Laura Mercier, Jenny Shircore (Natasha's mentor).....there are hundreds, thousands more.....fat mu! :).......

So whenever you hear someone 'dissing' our wonderful world, get your facts and figures out there and tell them how wrong they are. Very wrong. The power of make-up is totally misunderstood on all levels.....we are artists, who through our medium of make-up create characters...on screen, on stage, on tv, on ramps and never forget the real woman....she has many sides to her character we which can be brought out....it is a fantastic art!

Ranting always makes one feel better.....thank you for listening and have a wild Saturday night!

Mulain x

Laura Mercier and the Flawless Face

Madame Laura Mercier

Laura Mercier is a one-off! A trained artist who then went into make-up, working in Paris with the creme de la creme and then moved to New York in the 80s where she went from strength to strength cementing her name and reputation in the beauty / make-up business (Madonna LOVES you......Mulain salutes you). MU Virginia worked with her in London in 2002 and remembers how passionate she was about the 'flawless face'. She encouraged the idea of individual beauty, skincare being the main ingredient to achieve any look. All the team were told to spend a good time talking to the clients, working on creating a smooth canvas before starting on the creative part...la maquillage. Then what was quite wonderful was that she encouraged each artist to study the client's face and only use what was required....not sell, sell, sell and put all the products on the face at one time like other big beauty companies...who shall not be named. Here is what Laura M says about the Flawless Face.....

"Before applying any colour, I always prepare the skin first. I create a fresh canvas with a flawless finish. Making your skin look perfect is the first and most important thing you can do to achieve a truly great look. The key is to enhance your natural beauty - whether you use all products together one day, or just a little Secret Camouflage and Setting Powder when you are on the go." - Laura Mercier

Mulain suggests you take a look at Laura's 4 simple steps to a flawless finish......http://www.lauramercier.com/flawlessface_whatis.php....get to know the brand and the products.

Mulain 'as to say his favourite tinted moisturizer is Laura Merciers.....it's great because it comes in Porcelain, Nude, Sand, Fawn, Almond, Tan, Walnut.....it has a spf 20 coverage, stays the day and is true to it's colour....you can wear instead of foundation...it really is loo-ver-ly my darlings, a treat for your make-up bag.

Mulain also thinks the Platinum Metallic Eye Creme is just stunning....on all skin tones....it is beautiful....easy to apply and the look is so eye-catching.....great also for make-up artistes to have in their kit as you can use it as a high-lighter too...a leetle gem for sure!

So if you've never tried Laura Mercier, do go and see how delightful her products are. She is a make-up artist for the real woman.....classic, understatedly stylish and sophisticated......not unlike myself!

Voting day today in Bombay, the city is shut this morning to encourage people to vote.....Mulain is off to the office to meet MU Virginia and discuss La Macquillage.......meeting MU Natasha tomorrow morning for a meeting in town then we are off to have a lovely lunch with Natasha's mentor and general make-up goddess / guru Madame Jenny Shircore. Mulain can't wait....she is the ultimate muse......

Mulain x

Make-up Artistes!

Honestly my friends...we have never 'ad it so good.....just look at the latest MAC colour craft campaign....so inspiring and so much fun! Grab your brushes, use your tools, start designing, drawing, sketching some fantastic make-up looks! Let your creative juices flow.....check out http://www.maccosmetics.com/ to see all the collection available and marvel at the talented artistes at work. Mulain also loves Urban Decays 24/7 colour / waterproof pencils - great to work with, super-duper colours plus smooth on the eyes and long-lasting...www.urbandecay.com

Mulain now has the urge to paint.....a bientot people....it's time to get creative!

Mulain x