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

Coco before Chanel

Mulain is encouraging all you film make-up artists to go see the delectable Mademoiselle Audrey Tautou in Coco avant Chanel.....What a story! What costumes! And of course what beautiful Hair and Make-up Designs. For anyone loving retro / period films this is really a treat and such a fascinating story....The glamour and sheer grit of Madame Coco Chanel. What a beauty powerhouse Chanel is.......Mulain loves the new Rouge Allure....what a fabulous red!.. and as we all know red lipstick is a real style statement that never goes out of fashion...! Check out their other great new products for tout le visage....www.chanel.com...and go see the film....pure escapism and fun!

Mulain x

Pause for thought

www.flowthefilm.com

Zeenat Aman

One of Mulain's favourites....Madame Zeenat Aman!


Mulain thinks so much focus is given to Hollywood heroines of the past and present....but Bollywood gets easily forgotten and we all know Indian women are absolutely beautiful and win beauty competitions the world over. So today we are looking at one of the most beautiful faces ever to grace the screen......West or East.....what an 'It' girl of her time.....Oozing sex appeal and beauty and charisma...Zeenat Aman. What a woman!

Influenced by the current trend in 70s / 80s colours and glosses here is how to create your own Zeenat Aman face.....and best of all......it does n't have to be expensive my darlings......I have chosen brands that are accessible to you and easy on the purse. This Recession is not over yet it seems, contrary to popular belief.

This is look is about colour and texture no hard lines....soft, shimmery and sexy.




Bourjois's little powder blushers are great to use and come in many colours - try pink, coral or orange for the cheeks - these also have a light shimmer to them adding instant glamour in a loo-ver-ly subtle way. Don't be afraid to be bold with your it's all part of the look.


Bourjois also do super-duper little trio eyeshadows in differents shades....personally for this look I would go for the pale blue for that total retro feel.....go on...don't be shy! Max Factor Kohl pencils are great to define this look - remember no hard lines....softly draw under your lower lashes and on your upper lashes, blending carefully at the outer corners...NO HARD LINES! Comes in black but I recommend charcoal grey or navy blue to look like Ms. Aman. For extra definition, you can use a black liquid liner on the top lashes - stay close to the lash line and keep the line slim and trim NO thick unflattering lines should be seen....Mulain says practice, practice, practice.

Max Factor do a great liquid liner as do Maybelline.....keep your eyes peeled!



Complete your eyes with lovely, feminine lashes - as always Maybelline come to the rescue with their uber-fab pink and green mascara....easy to apply, lasts the day and opens up with eyes, thus completing your look.



Lips for this look should be about colour and gloss - again Mulain recommends Orange or Coral shades for this - Bourjois do 70s Disco glam colours accompanied by a light gloss.....this is a look where your have emphasis on the eyes, cheeks and lips - a creative harmony needs to be achieved - make sure it's all soft and applied with a light touch!

Bon Chance my friends and hope your Saturday night is as fabulous as Ms Zeenat Aman herself.


Mwah from Mulain x

Soap & Glory!

Mulain is to-tally tripping out on the brand Soap and Glory.....http://www.soapandglorycosmetics.com/index.html......exploring the facial scrub and deep intensive moisturiser as we speak......people are raving about it and it so fits in with the vintage looks and themes that are around London town....vintage is so IN! Mon dieu. 40s Lips, 50s eye-lines, 60s lashes, 70s shimmers, 80s colours......it is just too cool for school.....

Could this be the new Benefit?

Enjoy your Friday nights my friends....wherever you are in our little global village.


Mulain x

So simple.....

...but so easy to forget! Are your make-up pencils sharp enough? How do you expect to get the look you want, perfect that eye-line if you have a blunt tool. This is a little nudge for you to remember....sharpen, sharpen, sharpen. Not too pointed or else injuries can 'appen! You need to keep the point firm but workable. Mulain suggests a double-size one for your kit / bag to give you choice (as above).....all the big beauty houses sell them so no excuses for not finding one! ....Mulain loves the Benefit one so he can fit his lovely 'Bad Gal' pencil in the larger slot. Perfect.

May seem Mulain is nagging...it's just because he cares....Mwah!

Doll face

Yesterday I went to see Public Enemies with Monsieur Depp... and apart from thinking what a good movie it was and how arresting Monsieur Depp, Monsieur Bale and Madame Cotillard were... I also could not help but notice how pretty all the women looked in the film.. particularly Madame Cotillard... !

The film is set in the 1930's and the look at that time was just oh so feminine and delicate and pretty .. something we could definitely adapt in todays world and move away for a bit from the dark dark eyes into something softer, prettier, more romantique.. just more dolly like you know... and so I am going to suggest to you just how to do that...

The look reads strong blusher and lipstick. Lovely rosy cheeks and red lipstick are the hot favourites...( ..apply with care so as not to end up looking clownish...)... thin beautifully shaped brows (not the typical arched look all our beauty salons are famous for)... lovely soft grays or browns or even a soft gunmental on your lids in a creme or powder form...dark eyeliner on the top lashes only just very close to the lash line to accentuate it and of course mascara... et voila...tres jolie...! oh.. and don't forget to powder your nose...!

Try this to make an impression the next time you step out ladies ...and let me know how much success you have with it...

Mx

White Mascara!

Are you fed up with mascaras and think you've heard it all? Thickening, extending, long-lasting, black, extra black, fake lashes, lash extensions...think you've tried everything? Well Mulain is asking you, are you brave enough for 'White Mascara'!? Enter, Vincent Longo's Vibrant Eye Waterproof Mascara in Bianco. This beauty wonder won't clump and embodies the most electric color you've ever seen—white! Top tip is if you're going to dare to wear the white lashes, use a complementing eye shadow like pastel pink or yellow. Could this be a temporary fad?

Mulain is off to investigate.......x

Nollywood!

Mulain was reading about the Nigerian film industry and how it is growing as an industry and hot on the trails of Hollywood and Bollywood. It has huge African stars, lots of drama and pizazz and wild story lines.....not unlike our Indian films. I was also told recently that the Phillipines has a huge movie biz centred in Manila the capital....is this Mollywood? The power of movies eh? So far I think we all know Hollywood, Bollywood, Collywood, Tollywood, Lollywood, Nollywood.....must be others non? Mulain's favourite is Dollywood!!! Dolly Parton's theme park in the US...it's too much fun....if you love kitsch and lots of fresh air and old-fashioned fun this is the place for you. Who knows maybe one day she'll start making films there too.

So for budding film make-up artists worldwide - check out your local film industry as there is bound to be lots of fun and experiences to be 'ad - it's not just Hollywood out there.

Mulain x

Trendspotting

So our mu Natasha went on air yesterday on NDTV's 'Get Creative' show to give a few quick and easy tips for teens.. keeping in mind the latest trends, we went to trawl the shops before hand to see which brands were most suited to this.... key things we were looking out for were the young, fun and playful colours of the season... and of course...the budget (tres importante non..)... here's what we found...

Lakme - Cheap and not so cheerful for teens... they are trying for sure have to give them that... have some nice new glosses.. Aquashine lip colour... there's a lovely bright red for all you young girls bold enough to carry off that look...

They also have a nice body shimmer(once you finish your struggle with the packaging to actually make it come thru ..) small enough to fit in your purse and great to add a little sparkle for those nights out clubbing....

Great black liquid eyeliner... this one is cheap AND cheerful... if black liquid liner is your thing... or if it's a retro look you're after...

Chambor - A pleasant surprise! Great eye pencils... have some fun colours with a bit of sparkle in them which you can use over your entire eyelid for an impact , as an eyeline flick or just to add a dash of colour by lining your lower lashes. They also have some really nice eyeshadow trios.. the gold family is particularly lovely.. and some fun electric liquid eyeliners in electric blue and turquiose ( not unlike the MAC ones, only much cheaper...)...then there's the lovely creamy gloss cremes.. but they are more lipsticky ( is that a word...?..you get the idea non...) hence more opaque so great for older teens and girls in their early 20's.

Bourjois- Pas mal...! Again some nice long lasting eye and lip colours and some nice shimmery powder blushers and eye pigments... but nothing too wow.....!

Maybelline - WOW! have to say they've got it just right... teenagers this is your brand...! fun bright eye pencils and eye shimmer pigments.... great mascaras.. coloured or black, lovely lip tints and glosses, gorgeous mousses-in blushers,shimmers, bronzers,eye colours (not yet available in India) and foundations (that you just want to scoop and lick...) and all at super affordable prices...! Top marks for products, pricing and packaging...!!

L'oreal- Comme ci Comme ca.... A wee bit more expensive , they have some nice sparkly glosses-'Glam Shine' and sheer lipsticks but a bit old for you young teens.... better for you 20 somethings and older... but they do have some really nice mascaras which are great for everyone and actually really affordable. Overall thought....a tad bit disappointing on the teen front... expected more...

Revlon- Nice! great Colourstay pencils that actually stay on ... lovely creme highlighters that come in 3 shades.. bronze included...( great for bronzing or just mixing with moisturiser and applying all over the body for that lovely sheeny glow....) really cute gloss disks ( more shine than colour tho...) and sweetly packaged pretty little powder blusher squares in pink and bronze... they also have some fantastic little eyeshadow palletes with 4 different shades.. some with 4 of the same colour family or 4 different shades that complement each other... their nude and brown ones are particularly lovely with a hint of shimmer in them...

They are probably also the best ones to go to for powder compacts in darker tones...( although not dark enough...) .. as all the other brands don't have a dark one...period! ( a bit disappointing that ... not to mention worrying in a country like India ...mmmm... the fairness witch strikes again...!) so if you dont want to end up looking oddly white or gray hit their stores or go to MAC....

MAC- You can't go wrong !... they have something for everyone in every possible colour, product and texture... heavier on the pocket but worth it we think.

So hope this helps you young gals ...and boys ( why not)...and if you have any more questions.. Mulain is at your service....

Hope you've had a bon weekend... now get out your make up or go pick some up and like the NDTV show- ' Get Creative'!

Mulain x

Disco is back!

.......actually it never goes away...not for Mulain anyway! People all over London and the global fashionistas are dusting off their disco balls, spangly tops and embracing that 70s phenomenon that swept the world....of course there is a lovely, eclectic mix going on - punk / rock thrown in with some poppy gloss and disco shimmer.....Mulain was telling you about his admiration for the US's Lady Gaga - well....the UK 'as the up-and-coming musical and style icon called Little Boots! This talented one makes music at home, performs it on YouTube and MySpace...she is a super-duper blend of spacey disco with hints of electro pop.....think Kylie meets Blondie. What Mulain loves about Little Boots and Lady Gaga is that they are really talented...they play instruments and write their own tunes. Plus they are tres adventurous with their looks....do check out their make-ups........Great fun!

Who said Disco was dead.....Shame on you!

Mulain.....x

Getting Lippy in London....

Mulain made a quick dash for London-town this week - meeting friends, checking out products and enjoying the buzz in general......whizzed into Selfridges today to discover the new Prescriptive's 'custom-made' lipgloss....was completely taken in by the display of fabulous pop-tastique colours. A creative cocktail of blues, yellows, corals, pinks, berries....loo-ver-ly! Pick a selection of any that take your fancy et voila! the lipgloss is yours - created and made 'by and for' you.....you feel so special.....check it out....http://www.prescriptives.com/custom_blend_lipgloss/custom_blend_lipgloss_highspeed.tmpl

Mulain skipped out onto Oxford Street only to bump into our Slumdog chum Simon Beaufoy....lovely to chat and catch post Oscars. Then Mulain hit Patisserie Valerie only to spot Akshay Kumar passing by - how small the world is my friends....one little global village.

Don't worry, working on my carbon footprint - Mulain is as green as he can be.

Mulain a Londres....x

Lady Gaga!

Mulain is going ga-ga over Lady Gaga - just loving her eclectic pop style - she is likened to Freddie Mercury, hence the name....with a bit of Madonna, MJ (RIP) with some Pop and Disco thrown in. Great music and great fun with her looks - she is really whacky and creative in her get-ups. She has played the piano since she was 4 and can really belt out her songs......Mulain approves and loo-ves what she does with her hair and make-up.....anyone else going Ga-ga?

Mulain x

Fairness overrated...!

So I turned on the telly the other day and was shocked when I saw 2 commercials (frequently repeated) ...both promoting fairness creams.... and BOTH ending with a marriage proposal .... (all of course after the girl becomes all 'fair and lovely' after using their products..and no they are not adverts for fair and lovely but another popular brand which I won't name)...

I am sure many of you have seen these advertisements and I hope are as concerned as I am about the message it is sending out in society....

Does it mean if you are not fair skinned, or have a few dark spots or some pigmentation on your face (very common with Indian skins) you are not worthy of marriage...? Or is marriage only for the fair and pretty ones...? Or is it that men in this society are essentially superficial and only marry women for their looks?.. Is that what it's all come down to... I don't know ... I know times are changing ... but this? It's rubbish non?....I am confused and a bit angry .. especially thinking about the kind of pressure this puts on the young girls out there and the consequences of that pressure on these girls who according to the advertisers are not fortunate enough to be born fair ... and hence not good enough.... why is white better than dark...? and who are these people who sit at their desks and come up with these ideas and actually think they are good....?! Mon dieu.... we live in India, we are indians and we are blessed with beautiful, dusky complexions... why can't we just learn to embrace it and start looking deeper.. beyond colour ..(would solve a lot of problems trust me...)

The West aspires to look like us - via tanning and we in the East like them - fair.... yes we know the grass is always greener on the other side... but just for this once - can't it be greener and stay green on our side.....?

A ranting Mulain x

Max Factor.....

Female farm worker from Yemen!

once said....' A woman who doesn't wear lipstick feels undressed in public. Unless she works on a farm' (see snap above)......Is that pressure for all you females or what? Mulain is sure that Monsieur Factor would have moved with the times and 'approved' of the world of lip decoration and lip choice in 2009 - gloss, balm, Vaseline, 8-hour cream, lipstick, lipsheers...crazy colours, divine flavours. Quite wonderful! But Mulain is concerned .....seems that the fairer sex is still always being told what to wear, what to do and how to behave......and by who? Men? The power-bodies who sit behind their desks and rule our lives and set trends, fashions, and all our social rules and ettiquettes?.....Are you girlies as free as you think you are? Ummm Mulain is not so sure....

I just want what is best for you all my darlings.....be free, feel free, think free and enjoy lipstick....if YOU want to....

Mwah Mulain x

Technicolour!

Without getting too technical my friends (afterall it's a weekend and the mind should be at rest) Mulain is just celebrating his love of the golden age of Hollywood and the joy of 'Technicolour'. Technicolour is the trademark for a series of colour film processes pioneered by Technicolour Motion Picture Corporation. Technicolour was the second major colour film process, and the most widely used colour motion picture process in Hollywood from 1922 to 1952. Technicolour became known and celebrated for its hyper-realistic, saturated levels of colour, and was used commonly for filming musicals like The Wizard Of Oz, Singing in the Rain, The Sound Of Music, period film like Joan Of Arc and animated films such as Snow White And The Seven Dwarves and Fantasia.

Being a huge fan of Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals I am going to sit down and enjoy an afternoon matinee of South Pacific and admire the wow-factor of Technicolour.......for all you film buffs and students of cinema you should know about this process and realise how different it is to the high-definition world of today. Zut alor....how times change!

From a 'Bali Hi-ing' Mulain.....

BP Portrait Award 2009

Jamchandra Je by Edward Sutcliffe

Photograph or painting....? What do you think...? Even on close inspection I would say it's a photograph.. but no mes cheries it is a painting...!... cCan you believe it...? I certainly can't .. it is quite literally an 'unbelievable' piece of work.

On display now at the National Portrait Gallery in London.... this piece of art is one of many more amazing works that are part of the Bp Portrait award 2009.

If any of you are in London .. please go and see this exhibition.. what a treat it will be... Mulain wishes he could be there. The exhibition will run till the 20th of September and admission is free.. so no excuses.

For those of you like moi who cannot make it to London .. you can see the exhibition online ..

http://www.npg.org.uk/bp-portrait-award-20091/the-exhibition.php

Enjoy mes cheries...

Mx

Mister Eyebrow!

We all dream of perfectly even and oh-so-natural eyebrows and Givenchy has developed the first transparent eyebrow-fixing pencil that's totally natural. Mister Eyebrow Fixing Pencil is listed on the UK Time's 'mu-st have' make-up products for this year people and it's easy to see why! Whether you are Mulain or Susan Boyle, your brows mu-st be tamed and this little wonder does the trick!

The tech side my friends....it is enriched with emollient, shea, and aloe, eyebrows are immediately and evenl smoothed. Achieve the right movement with only your finger thanks to selected polymers, which reinforce adhesion. A perfectly transparent shade for ultra-natural and subtl glossy eyebrows.

Voila - eyebrows are fixed in place come rain or shine - perfect for framing the eyes - so important for any look my friends!

Mulain x

Brush up...

.... on your brushes....!.... they are the tools of the trade my dears and so today I am going to tell you about a few of them that will help make your life a lot easier in zee world of maquillage and also give your look the finesse of a true professionnelle!

So no more excuses on badly applied make up... as you've probably 'eard the saying ...' a bad carpenter always blames his tools...' ... and we dont want to be one of those now do we...? So look closely at the ones I have selected below and pick the ones that suit you...

Foundation brush: For smooth and flawless application. Can be used with liquid and cream foundations.

Duo-fibre brush: This one's multi purpose. These brushes are great for an overall light buffing of the face after foundation for that glowing polished look... for a soft light dusting of powder or pigment... Perfect for bronzing.... and.. the smaller versions of these can be used to apply cream blushers for a lovely soft finish.

Concealor brush : Yes.. you can apply concealor with your fingertips.. but its good to have this brush to get into all the little nooks and cranny's ... plus its great for spotting concealor onto blemishes and spots.


Powder brush: A must have unless you prefer to press down with a puff. Powder is needed to set the make up so it stays on looking fresh and lovely all day long and of course to get rid of any excess oil and shine. No point having a beautifully made up face only to end up looking like and oil slick non ....

Blush brush:If you love powder blushers this is one for you.... slightly angled to sweep your blusher perfectly on to your cheekbones. Can be used to apply blusher just on the apples of your cheeks too and for contouring (sculpting) those cheekbones...( and jaw line if necessary...)

Eye smudger brush : Whether its smoky eyes you're after, adding a little definition into the contours of your eyes or simply just to blend your eyeliner... this is the brush for you.

Eyeshadow brush: Shadows can be applied easily with fingers too , but wether its a wash of colour or something more intense an eyeshadow brush can give you just the right amount of control and colour needed to achieve your look.

Eyeliner / Eyebrow brush: Dual use... great for eyelining wet or dry and for filling in the brows.

Lip brush: Dont you just hate it when your favourite lipstick is over only to realise that the beauty company has discontinued it...well don't throw away the 'empty' lipstick as there's still plenty left inside and this is one other time the lip brush comes in handy....(other than the obvious first reason which is for precise application).... scoop out the leftovers and put it in a pot and use the lip brush to continue applying as always till you find another perfect match to your old one... you'll be surprised at what a long way it'll go!

Insider tip - I personally also love using lip brushes for applying cake or gel eyeliner .. gives a great sweep and a lot of control- no wobbly lines....!... try it...!

Note: Most brushes are available at all cosmetic counters, for a wider selection try MAC (slightly expensive but worth it), Bharat and Doris and Vega ( cheaper and not bad...)

Mini brush sets are also available from MAC, Vega, Bobbi Brown and Laura Mercier to name a few.

Hope this helps...!

Mx

Scent of a woman....

.... or merely packaging....!?......it does'nt matter as long as its not Chanel no 5 you're after...

Harajuku lovers- the fragrances by uber stylish rocker Gwen Stefani are inspired by the street style of the Harajuku district in Tokyo. An ode almost to cuteness-something synonymous with modern japanese women...

The Harajuku lovers come in the form of 5 gorgeous dolls each with a different style and fragrance. From a mix of floral and fruity scents some with underlying notes of musk, vanilla and amber... the fragrance comes in both a liquid and a solid form.....

...and if its not just the cute dolls you're after you're probably best going for the liquid fragrances as they last longer.

For a little fun check out their website:

http://www.hlfragrance.com/

Mx