MAC's Woodwinked

One of Mulain's favourite products....MAC's Woodwinked....used on La Pinto and La Campbell below

Woodwinked on Freida Pinto........

Woodwinked on Naomi Campbell

Mulain is always there to pass on info on any good products....so just 'ave to tell you that MU's Natasha and Virginia both swear by eye shadow Woodwinked by MAC....it is absolutely fantastique and an absolute mu-st for your kits - personal or professional - it has a lovely texture, gives a subtle yet positively stunning effect....like a shimmering sea of bronze on the lids....just divine..lifts the eye day or night....very versatile my darlings.....go on-line at http://www.maccosmetics.com/ to find that MAC store near to you!

Caio Mulain x

Rose Water....

Rose water au naturale!

Khadi's Rose Water - just lovely.....

All the fat mu team love using Rose Water on their faces, cost effective and your skin feels just wonderful. Use your favourite cleanser then follow up with Rose Water....we all love the Khadi brand...(available from selected stores in India, we buy from Dhoop in Bandra West, Union Park)......Rose Water is a mu-st for all skin types because what water is to the body, Rose Water is to the skin. It has been used for centuries to purify the skin, and it deeply penetrates to restore the skin’s pH balance and to tighten pores to give your skin the soft petal touch and texture of rose. Now does n't that sound rosy my darlings?

Rose Water has the unique ability to balance sebum production of the skin. If your skin is dry it will moisturize and if oily it will fight excessive oil secretion. Being anti-bacterial it will prevent infections, so you can see we all benefit from it....great news. It is also an excellent after shave spray to restore all the moisture lost through harsh soaps and shaving lotions. Mulain really recommends Rose Water as a mu-st in your daily skin care routine because it clears and improves complexion, prevents aging (awesome non?) and gives your skin the best protection nature has to offer.

If that isn't enough Rose fragrance also calms and soothes the mind and gives you that ultimate feeling of freshness. Why not carry Khadi Rose Water with you so that you spray your face every few hours to keep your skin fresh. Mulain recommends that all make-up artists carry this in their kit, a very useful multi-purpose item to have. It's also a natural cleanser so you can spray your face liberally with it and wipe off with a tissue or cotton to get rid of the grime and dust, basically removing Bombay from your face and keeps you looking and feeling uber fresh.

Do let me know how you get on my dears.....

Mulain x

P.s - Mulain was out partying last night with MU Virginia to the wee hours with the Luck By Chance team and close friends.....Happy Birthday Zoya!....we both had to bathe in Rose Water to recover....a leetle too much air-guitar going on....Ummm......

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

Marilyn's red lipstick!

Mulain was asked yesterday, what colour red did Marilyn Monroe wear on her lips? Well, her favourite lipstick was Ruby Red by Max Factor. But although that has long been discontinued you can get numerous shades of 'Red' from all make-up brands, in fact you are spoilt for choice my dears. Here are a few which Mulain thinks are good.....

Was n't she just loo-ver-ly!

Russian Red by MAC

Jungle Red by Nars

Estee Lauder's Rich Red

Fire by Chanel Rouge

So go and enjoy a Marilyn inspired pout...red is always a winner, never out of style - a true classique my darlings.

Mulain x

Garnier in India

MU Natasha doing on-set touch ups for Chitrangada on the Garnier shoot

Mulain 'opes you have been seeing the new Garnier Ads on TV with Chitrangada Singh. The fat mu team have been getting a lot of compliments for her look, so thank you very much people. MU Natasha worked with Chitrangada for this job and created a lovely, natural beauty look for her. A stunning, glowing and healthy looking skin being the key aim for her. Sounds easy but it's not my friends! It is almost an invisible make-up look, so application and technique is important. A sculpting of the face using light-reflective creams and subtle contouring products to add depth to her face were used. When MU Natasha is back from Hong Kong will get her to write a detailed product list for you so you can recreate at home or for your models.

The fat mu team also worked with the delightful John Abraham for his Garnier Ads.....oh la la - what a lovely canvas to work on eh girls and boys? Mulain did enjoy watching those shoots.

Mulain is having a relaxing day today.....it's Saturday afterall....just contemplating the week that passed...Obama getting the Nobel prize for peace, me buying a new Benefit lip-gloss, Imelda Marcos's shoe collection getting saved in all the Manila chaos!?!....the mind boggles.....do enjoy your weekends my darlings....re-charge, re-lax, re-ad, re-view, re-stock, re-vise, re-linquish, re-develop...you've got the gist right?

Mulain x

What's in your make-up bag?

Mulain today was very nosy and asked to peek into MU Virginia's make-up bag (more like sack!) to see what she carries while she's on the go around town. Want to know? Ok brace yourself ...... I found a 'Charcoal Grey' Max Factor Kohl pencil, 'Some kind-a gorgeous' foundation from Benefit,




Maybelline's 'Great lash - Blackest, black' Mascara, Screenface's 'Barely Blushing' gel, a MAC traveller's eyeshadow kit with 6 cool colours, NYX transparent mascara (to keep brows in place), Flashtronic Lipstick from MAC, a Benefit's 'California Kissin' lip gloss, an Onyx Mineral powder compact, an extra 'rouge' blusher from MAC called 'Dollymix', a small MAC travel brush kit (super cute I must say) and last but not least a Lakme true wear nail colour, 'Fleur D'Amour' which is a natural but statement colour...I like it!

Virginia claims she can go from a day to a night event with her products and tools and amazingly fits it into one cute bag. Her little personal kit was in good nick I 'ave to say, clean, tidy and neat. 10 points my dear....now off to find someone else's to go through...hee hee.

Virginia's tip for you all is keep it simple and neat. Only put in what you use, discard the rest. Maintain it all at least once a week......this will ensure you look good and are hygienic too! And if your mascara is clogged up....buy another one, give yourself the lashes you deserve!

Makes sense na?.....Mulain x

Glamour by Lakme Winter 2009

My darlings.....you know I am only here to help and to encourage you to look and feel fab, whatever the occasion. Mulain and the team are always on the look out for you and to recommend new products, brands, looks etc etc...so I 'ope that your trust is there with me.......Oui, bien sur!

Now we know Lakme is the most established cosmetics brand in India, from Kashmir to Chennai, Mumbai to Madurai, Lucknow to Leh, Pune to Pondicherry. Over the last few years with the help of Hindustan Lever and some lovely models (Yana Gupta, Indrani Dasgupta to name a couple) it has really moved with the times and now offers Indian women a good selection of up-to-date products at an affordable price (great for these hard times!). We at fat mu have always been fans of the Lakme liquid liner (easy to apply, long-lasting, cost effective) and nail polishes too come to think of it. But recently Mulain has been exploring the brand and likes the way it is encouraging women to play around with different looks. At http://www.lakmeindia.com/glamour_lookbook.asp you can go on-line and see a range of different styles and choose which one you like. The look-book section even breaks down a look for you.....from eyes, to face, to cheeks to nails.....guiding you for an ensemble look, also telling you top trends for hair and clothes, making you aware of your whole look. It's very approachable and fun. Do check it out and gear yourself up for the Winter Wedding and Divali Season.

Fat mu are not fans of the Lakme bases though (a little too fair and pink for us)......do watch that my friends....but for eye-liners, lip glosses/sticks, nails they offer fun and fresh colours and textures. So Mulain says go have fun, experiment, get inspired.

News from the MUs.....always busy, Natasha is in Hong Kong giving a seminar on Slumdog and Bollywood make-ups......Virginia is just back from Hyderabad shooting with the Deccan Chargers......Xavier is recovering after shooting back to back for the Taj Calendar and the new Raymonds campaign....phew....a leetle rest then back to work!

Caio for now....Mulain x

The ulitmate muse!

When Mulain thinks about La Marchesa Luisa Casati (1881-1957) he gets goose-bumps all over. I know she is gone from this world, but how she lived for the first three decades of the twentieth century, you would n't believe people. She triumphed as the brightest star in European society, not a mean feat my dears.....she is possibly the most artistically represented woman in history after the Virgin Mary and Cleopatra, the portraits, sculptures and photographs of her would fill a gallery. In her day she, accompanied by her pet boa constrictor, checked into the Ritz Hotel in Paris where it escaped. Her parties and appearances at others became legendary whirling through Parisian, Italian, London nightlife, making an unforgettable impression on all she met. Picasso, Elsa Schiaparelli, Cecil Beaton, Coco Chanel to name but a few, were in awe. And you can see why with nude servants gilded in gold leaf attending her, bizarre wax mannequins sat as guests at her dining table, some of them even rumoured to contain the ashes of past lovers. She wore live snakes as jewellery and was infamous for her evening strolls, naked beneath her furs whilst parading cheetahs on diamond-studded leashes. Everywhere she went, she set trends, inspired genius and astounded even the most jaded members of the international aristocracy. Without question, the Marchesa Casati was the most scandalous woman of her day and Mulain just loo-ves her! Mwah! Oh to have partied with her and just watched!

Born quite plain apparently - she grew to an amazing 6ft, dyed her hair Titian red and wore kohl heavily around her eyes as her trademark. This incredibly, unimaginable creature wanted to be 'a living art work'....and that's how she lived her life. Eat your heart out Paris Hilton, Lady Gaga this woman is irreplacable I think.....amazingly bold, a blazing creative light for many around her....Man Ray, Vivien Leigh, Chanel, Italian Futurists......what a life!

LA based make-up artist Napoleon Perdis has even dedicated his latest make-up range to her La Divine Marchesa.....Mulain has not tried these products as yet just loves the idea of it. Wunderbar! See link below.....
http://www.napoleonperdis.com/products/site/divine-marchesa.cfm

Anyone out there know of a better, more amazing muse? Please let me know....

Mulain x

Purple pout, lavender lips

Rihanna was sporting a lovely grape-inspired glossy pout and a luscious lavender lip look at the recent Paris fashion shows....this girl is setting trends wherever she goes, oh la la. For electric and luscious lilacs with purples that pop, go for MAC’s Lip-Glass: Cremesheen Glass in Ever So Rich or Max Factor’s: Colour and Gloss in Brilliant Berry, Bourjois's new: 3d effet Max lipgloss in Cassis petillant to start you off. Remember, it's a strong look so carry it off with confidence and a brilliant pout or smile.

Enjoy ...Mulain xx

Beautiful....

..... Is a little store located on Ambedkar road in Khar, Mumbai... and a make-up haven for all you girls and boys!

I happened to go there today and was surprised at all the wonderful make-up they stock! They have been around for a long time but I think the choice of the products available there is far, far better than its ever been. So any Benefit.. Laura Mercier.. Make-up for ever...Bobbi Brown... La Mer...Bumble and Bumble... you name it ... it's all now available there! And there's more good news.... don't see a product you like? Ask them to order it in... they take a maximum of 15 days to get it... all depending on which part of the world it's coming in from.

I of course am very excited with this and think it's great to know that we can now get anything we want from tout le monde in our very own backyard!

So stay tuned for up-to-date product info on what's hot and all the current trends from around the world brought to you right here from the fat mu HQ!

Mx

Lady Gaga does it again....

Gaultier Ga-ga

Bride of Frankenstein Gaga

Fright night Gaga

Mulain thought that he likes to change clothes alot but seems he has stiff competition with Lady Gaga. The MTV music awards (the same one that Kanye West was very rude to Mademoiselle Swift - terrible!) saw her in about 5 different outfits....not sure what's going on with the blood on the stage part though.....is it an influence from prom-horror movie Carrie? Not sure about this look Mademoiselle Gaga...but do love the Jean-Paul Gaultier black creation with the Phantom of the Opera mask. Crazy but cool....your one eye showing was done very well I must say, complementing your look, so theatrical and dark....gothic glam for sure.

So it's a cloudy day in Mumbai (not Bombay!!!) - have to be careful what we write, people are watching. Mulain is going to paint the town all the colours of Lady Gaga tonight.....god help this city...definitely going for the dramatic eyes and big lashes as have a bevy of Bollywood beauties to compete with. Mulain is celebrating a few things ce soir......fat mu's 3 year birthday, Rio getting the 2016 Olympics - how exciting.....and.... just because I can dress up if I want to, no excuses needed, let's live it up.

Enjoy your weekends my darlings, I know I will....Mulain x

Go Green!

Rihanna proudly sporting green nails!

New Brit beauty brand showcasing their green polish


One of Barry M's brighter shades.....Ummmm

Mulain's favourite green shade from Nars....dark, dark, dark



Another Barry M colour - mint!




...and the most famous is of course .....Chanel's Jade.

Mulain knows the whole world is going Green, including nail shades, but I am just not keen on green nails. Yes I know it's Chanel who 'ave set the latest trend.....and Chanel is Chanel is Chanel plus it was all over the ramps this year but am just not convinced by it my friends. Selfridges apparently have a huge waiting list for this polish.....for me it just reminds me of my childhood and getting ready for Halloween. Just not into any shade of it....mint, jade, emerald, fluorescent, pastel. However if you do like it but can't wait / can't afford Chanel's Jade no......then there are always the trusty highstreet brands......Barry M, Rimmel, No.7, Revlon....not sure it has hit the Indian shelves yet....am sure MAC Mumbai have some in stock.

Gandhi's birthday today people - so 'appy birthday Gandhi-ji - people are celebrating and remembering all over India and the world, even Obama! That makes Mulain happy.

Mulain x

80s is on!

No escaping it my friends.....80s fashion and hair and make-up is still taking over the ramps worldwide, the mannequins in the shops and the teenagers on our streets....80s hair, shoulder pads, leggings, quiffs, blues, pinks, leggings, ski-pants, batwings, jump suits. So let's embrace it....Mulain had bought a NYC blue trio eyeshadow palette a few months ago and is wearing the blue colours on my eyes...Boy George would be proud! Colour can be hard to wear, but it's really just confidence my dears......wear a nice blue on your lids, a navy eye pencil around the eyes and lots of mascara. You can also add a pink or purple to your eye if you get really adventurous.

All the MUs are busy, busy.....Virginia in and around Juhu, prepping for an ad next week, Natasha and Xavier in the Taj working with Design Temple. Mulain met an artist who is doing a four day performance art skit in New York and Bombay and is going from himself to a Louise Brook's flapper look.....fantantic....so meeting him next week to show him how to do a 20s make-up! Great fun and strangely bizarre.

M x

The Wizard of Flaws!

Mulain has been trying out UK Beauty Brand Soap and Glory's 'Wizard of Flaws' - a light-reflecting concealer that is easy to apply and is lightweight on the skin. Mulain is a slave to Benefit's Highbeam and has been closed minded to trying out new highlighters.....but....actually I did like this product....for a day-time, pick-me-up glow it's good. Great on the cheekbones and brow bones - but not for undereyes as it has too much glitter.....Mulain loves Le Glitter but at really only at night, parties or fancy-dress not necessarily for a 9-5 look. Great packaging, like Benefit...good retail therapy not sure it actually promises the world though....as it says on the box.

Love the name of their lip-plumper - mother pucker! What fun...now I mu-st try that.

Mulain x

It's calendar time 2010!

Natasha is busily prepping for the Taj Calendar shoot 2010! Above is the September 2009 image that MU Natasha did last year - fabulous locations, great creative team - a good time was had by all in the Maldives and Rajasthan. This year she is teaming up with super-talented Adhuna (from B:blunt), super-stylish Arjun Bhasin (GQ's Fashion Editor) and over-seeing it is Design Temple's Divya Thakur...am sure it will be an awesome shoot! Mulain is melting in the Mumbai heat.....watching the MU's prepping, shooting, teaching.....desperately trying to get my hands on that new vibrating Maybelline mascara too. Maybelline are damn good for sure....off on a mission to find it.

Ciao bellas......Mulain x

Carine Roitfeld

Vogue Paris's Editor....fashion A-lister Carine Roitfeld

Mulain was checking out the fashion A-listers from the London and New York shows the other day, who gets the front row seats at all the shows? Who are the big players? Obviously Anna Wintour was there but Mulain feels she gets more attention and is more 'infamous' in her reputation than Editor of Paris Vogue, Carine Roitfeld, who is equal in power and prestige and slightly more approachable to people. Both women are extremely successful and powerful in their positions and have legions beneath them dying to be in their Manolo Blahniks. What Mulain likes about Madame Roitfeld is her trademark sexy, smokey eyes and a sweeping of hair always falling on her face, day or night....sexy. Again my dears....helps being French helps, simple and chic. She keeps it simple and sexy and I think as we get older and more comfortable in our skins we all have our little trademarks in our make-up, clothes, hair.....it shows a coming-of-age I feel, a comfortable acceptance and confidence that you know who you are and that you are proud of it. Mulain thinks Carine Roitfeld exudes this....Bravo madame.....you think she uses Benefit's Bad-Gal liner to achieve her look, it's tres cool.

So Mulain is asking today.....what is your trademark people?

M x

How to steal a million....

Madame Hepburn getting on set checks

While flying back from London to (a melting) Mumbai last night Mulain happened to catch comedy classic 'How To Steal A Million' with the lovely Audrey Hepburn. Super film, shot in my favourite city, Paris, and full of the most amazing hairstyles, costumes and make-ups. Every scene sees Madame Hepburn in an array of 60s delights....shoes, hats, sunglasses, eye-lines, beehives, glittered eyelids, pale coral lips. I was in heaven. Classic film and totally inspiring on how to wear outfits with accessories.....please see the trailer from 1966 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPStHOzjQWU ....it really encompasses the 60s style so well, a tremendous show case.

Mulain recommends Bobbi Brown's Eyeline Gels (in black or sepia), MAC's Fluidlines (in black or dark brown) to achieve those feline eye-lines....also invest in the right brush to get the shape of line correct....full-on lashes are also required for this glamour look....available from good old Boots to MAC to Selfridges.....no excuse for not finding....just practice the application....

So the retro-chic look of eye-lines and lashes is still rocking it seems....perfect for giving you lots of time to get those lines / looks down to a tee. It's all in the flick of the wrist action sweeties....."Chalo" my dears, "Chalo".

Mulain x

Deepika P

Mulain has seen a lot of nude fashion faces in London town this week.....nude is the 'new nude' it seems......fresh, flawless skin never seems to go out of fashion but it's not just London that is showing skin. Mulain has noticed that Bollywood A lister Deepika Padukone likes to always wear a very fresh look.....optimizing her complexion with a flawless finish and giving a natural feel rather than going for a more typical 'filmi' look...ie heavy liner, sharp contouring, pinks on the eyes. Mulain likes her gentle, understated glamour and how she does play with different looks on her eyes....bravo Mademoiselle P.....looking forward to seeing what your next project is and the fat mu team would love to one day 'paint your canvas'.......but we know you like your guru Monsieur Contractor.

Mulain would definitely love to use Benefit's High Beam or Moon Beam on you just to give you a glow and highlight to enhance your look...with possibly a touch more rouge of course.

Mulain

The Dandy is back!

Mulain hopes you have been checking out La Roux....latest kids on the pop block....we at the fat mu hq love the mu-sic...influenced by 80s electro / synth sound....too cool for school....watch out Madame Gaga this duo are hot on your platformed heels. Mulain especially loves singer Ellie's look - hair and make-up....an androgynous dandy. Mulain was observing the return of the dandy....(possibly thanks to Russel Brand?)....on the New York ramps .....great quiffs of hair for lady dandies too....so hope Victoriana is heading our way. How much fun. Do watch this space...

Mulain x

How to age well.....

.....we should really ask Madame Leslie Caron...Mama Mulain is off to London town tonight to see a special screening of 'An American in Paris' and the star of film Leslie Caron will be there in person doing a Q & A, so exciting. La Caron is most remembered for her role as Gigi. She is the most amazing dancer and has remained one of the world's most beautiful women. She also starred in Chocolat with Johnny Depp. Lucky lady, always had lovely leading men. She is elegant and stylish even into her 70s...Mulain thinks it 'elps being French. We should all learn a lesson from her....her make-up is light, simple, well-balanced and compliments her age. She uses lovely lip colours and glosses to enhance her mouth, some rouge in her cheeks (of course) and as always smiling lights up ones face and takes years off.....so please do my darlings.

Mulain sadly missed the London Fashion Week due to a terrible super-bug...Oh la la....just terrible.....not to worry catching up with the latest trends from the ramp and will keep you posted.....did hear the description of a 20s blue-smokey eye look from the Charlotte Tilbury camp....sounds interesting non? Off to investigate.

An 'on the mend' Mulain x