'Art of Darkness' by Illamasqua

Illamasqua never fails to impress.... and so from their Autumn / Winter 2010 collection come these stunning images called 'Art of Darkness'.









To know more about this brand and their products click on the their link....http://www.illamasqua.com/

MUse of the month - Artist (painter and photographer) Marilyn Minter

Scented nails

Hello mes amis.... hope you all had a wonderful Diwali!!! Mulain had a very relaxing time with his friends and was glad for the break i tell you. How pretty did everything look all lit up!!.... Tres tres belle!!!

Now its back to the world of maquillage and a leetle bird has just told me that Revlon is coming out with scented nail polishes!! ooh la la.... nice to have your nails/ hands smelling and looking so good all the time... especially if you are a make-up artist working so close on a person's face.

The good news is that it comes in a wide array of pretty colours as you can see with lovely scents that last.... The bad news is that you won't get it in India for a while.... but... there's hope yet! ... it's already out in the stores in the states and hits the UK markets in march 2011... so if you are travelling, or have friends, bring some back and tell Mulain what you think..... Well done Madame Westman for this genius idea!!

(Btw for those of you who do not know Madame Westman she is global artistic director of Revlon and a fantastic make-up artist... full name Gucci Westman... look her up)

Mx

Bombay art exhibition.....

Sumita Acharya's painting....

Matisse from turn of the 20th century....

MUs Sara and Sunita went down to check out the Hollywood photo exhibition in South Mumbai yesterday....both told Mulain that it was so disappointing...they wanted to see images from 100 years of celebrating Hollywood and it's icons...sadly only about 10 images on display and all from 50s and 60s! As the MUs were in town they decided to see what other exhibitions were on...so they hit the galleries in the Kala Ghoda area. They both came back raving about an artist they had seen called Sumita Acharya (www.sumitaacharya.com) ..... both loved the strong, vibrant colours that the artist had used....came back totally inspired and bursting with ideas.....

Mulain checked out the artist and seems she is heavily influenced by an art movement called Fauvism, which came after Impressionism. Never heard of these art movements my artistes? Get to know your art history! The most famous artist from this group was Henri Matisse....the movement is synomonous with wild brush strokes, a strident use of colour, simplification of subject matter and a certain amount of abstraction - USE IT IN YOUR WORK...start to collect images from different art movements...it's super fun and interesting!

Mulain is in class today with MU Virginia ...then it's a Diwali weekend...so hope you are all gearing up to celebrate this special occasion.

Enjoy my friends....Mulain wishes you all well x

Stress management for make-up artistes!!

Essential attitude for all make-up artistes....

To all make-up artistes and our MU-ettes.....being a make-up artist is not just about making it happen creatively...no, no my friends....that's just the half of it! You have to be able to handle people and situations in any environment...you most be an oasis of calm and 'togetherness' to get the job done and done well. You have to manage time too and some lousy places to do your make-ups. No lights, bad mirrors, rocking make-up vans, dusty studio rooms.....it ain't all glamour my darlings. As our lovely MU-ettes find out in the class room..it's about doing a make-up in a certain amount of time. When you're on a job the clock is ticking.....every second of every minute counts.....you have to be the ultimate multi-tasker....studying faces, while prepping skin while managing a team, while dealing with the photographer, stylist, client, agency, bride, mother of bride.....it's not an easy job and you have to be able to handle the pressure! Feeling sorry for yourself is not an option...you MU-st have a 'can-do' positive attitude. It's essential......face any situation head on...face the fear.....breathe...sip water.....smile.....have a plan and never just knee jerk react to situations....take a few vital seconds to stop and think....use your brain....that's what it's there for na?

Here endeth Mulain's lesson of the day....

Masking tape for make-up artistes!

Le masking tape!

Take whatever size strips you need.....



MU-ettes in action with le tape!

Keeping their lines super straight and defined!

Today Mulain was in Catwalk class at the academy and was watching MU Virginia demo-ing different tips and tricks for creating designs and shapes and lines.....Mulain just loves the simplicity of masking tape to help us artistes out there on our different jobs. Whether you are creating a crazy 60s eyeline in a rocking, shaking make-up van....or while a hairstylist is blowdrying hair and pulling the head at all angles while you still have to work or creating any required super-straight lines....this tape will help you create the look you want and with speed. Just simply cut off the size you need and stick (lightly) onto the skin....go easy on application and easy on removing!!! You are not waxing your model / performer!....Lightly attach, it'll be easy to remove, once stuck on ...paint away...get your design on and then take away leaving fantastic lines and shapes!

Tomorrow is practical assessment for theatrical characters....can't wait to see how the MU-ettes perform! Come on batch 3 you can do it....

Mulain x

Clown make-ups!

fat mu MU-ettes in clown class!

Happy clown.....

Sad clown....

Mulain thought what a coincidence that Monday's make-up class was clown make-ups and he read in the HT that there is a 'Clown Convention' hitting Bombay this week...for 10 days! Clowns from all over the world are heading to the city to offer workshops in 'how to be a clown' and show how many 'different clowns' there are.....great for kids but also but make-up artistes!

Clown class in the MU academy is a great way to introduce the students to creating different shapes on the face, thus creating moods and effects...happy clown, sad clown...also playing with different textures of make-up to achieve the look. Also great practice for working free-hand, getting your symmetry correct and LOOKING IN THE MIRROR!!! Very important.....so a great session to cement that all-rounded touch you need as an artiste.

It's one of Mulain's favourite classes.....M x

Make-up ideas for Halloween!!!

Black Swan lesbian ballet dancer make-up?

Gaga mad....?

Mad Hatter?....

Chilean trapped miner?

Yes Halloween tomorrow and Mulain has already planned his outfit....yes I am going Vampire chic and taking inspiration from the Twilight series am just paling myself down, reddening my lips with a matt stain and putting slight dark shadows around my eyes.....not sure what to do?...have put a couple of images above to give you ideas....characters can be mad, bad, sad, current, larger than life or just go as a pumpkin!

Get your aqua and grease palettes out and get painting....go to town and have fun is what Mulain says....trick or treat? Hope it's a treat everytime!

M x

Ben Nye's New Silver Shimmer Crayon!!

Mulain was super excited at seeing Ben Nye's new products currently out on the market.....the MUs were sent a lovely selection of creme /grease / lip stacks, but it was a superb Silver Shimmer Crayon which really grabbed my little eye...glides on like a dream and stays put!!!! Fantastic for fashion or brides or whatever takes your fancy.....better yet....more colours on their way...all available at New Beauty Centre, Bombay.....get shimmering my friends!

Mulain x

Putting the Art into Nails

Don't just limit colour and creativity to your face take it down to your nails too!

The other day we saw MU-ette Ruxana come in to our studio with a funky green nail colour that had white polka dots on it - certainly eye-grabbing and very cute!

Yesterday for the Make Up For Ever launch we saw MU Sara sporting pink nails with a line of yellow dots down the centre of each nail - again tres chic!

Nail art can be fun and an easy way to express yourself or the mood you're in.... pretty, flirty, goth, funk - whatever you fancy really.... there's enough colours and gliiters on the markets for nails now and so something for every one... every age and personality!

Try it and show Mulain how creative you can get! It's fun!!! ask us.... :)

Mx

MAKE UP FOR EVER opens!!

Earlier this evening I trekked along with my MUs to the opening of the Make Up For Ever store in Malad's In-Orbit Mall in Mumbai. It is their first store in India!!..... not big but stocked with yummy make-up items we MUs were very glad to finally see available here.

Lovely range of bases, powders, colours in eyeshadows, lip palettes and pencils... but what particularly stood out to our creative eyes and minds were the paints!

Gorgeous colours of mini liquid aqua paint bottles and pots of aqua cream paints that glide on with a beautiful texture and almost set immediately and don't smudge!

At first it was like this does n't budge and I can't get it off!!.... but on second thoughts, great for those shoots and shows where you need your make-up to last, look fresh, bold and sweat and crease free... perfect for our climate!... and of course with the right cleanser it's all easy to wipe off.

Also what they seemed to be promoting and raving about were their HD range of make-up, foundations, powders, concealers and blushers (loved the blushers)... see image above - saw a demo which looked good but I guess one has to try and test and see and feel for yourself - as they say the proof is in the pudding!

Personally if you ask me.... HD style make-up can be achieved with regular make-up too ... by regular I mean liquids, creams, even Derma which we normally use....(NOT pansticks and pancake).... and really it's all in the application.... at least that's what we at the fat mu school of make-up believe and always aim to achieve... but definitely worth a try this one.

Go check it out darlings - there is definitely something in there for everyone!

M x

Know your decades....

Now.....Lady G

Noughties neutral glamour....with Scarlett J

90s no-make-up make-up...Natalie I

80s...COLOUR!!! Toyah!

70s ....Farrah.....those legendary flicks..

60s....Vidal and eyelines galore....

50s glam.....love the beauty spot

40s femme fatale.....strong brows, strong lips by Ms. Bacall

30s dolly glam with Jean Harlow

Louise Brooks...loving the 20s bob!

Monday's class in the fat mu academy was looking at the history of make-up and focussing on the last century in particular. We started at 1900 and went right through to 2010.....Lillian Gish to Lady Gaga! Know your Gaga but not your Gish?....get reading my darlings.....you should be able to identify your decades at the bat of an eye......as Madonna said...."Greta Garbo and Monroe, Dietrich and Dimaggio, Marlon Brando, Jimmy Dean...on the cover of a magazine.....Grace Kelly, Harlow, Jean, picture of a beauty queen, Gene Kelly, Fred Astair, Ginger Rogers dance on air....they had style, they had grace...Rita Rayworth gave good face...Lauren, Katherine, Lana too, Bette Davis we love you..."......if you don't know any of the names above start google-ing!!!!

There is much to learn.....eyebrow shapes, lip shapes, eyelines, smoke, glitter, shimmer, gloss! Know your designers, artists, films of the time.....Who invented gloss? Who gave us mascara? When did Disco arrive?...know your stuff my friends...it'll make you a much more exciting and creative artist!

Off to the Make-up Forever launch my darlings.....will let you know how the MUs get on...we are uber excited at having such a great brand in Bombay....

M x

Good ol' Nivea!!

Never underestimate the power of good ol' fashioned cold cream!

Mama Mulain had a severe outburst of redness and dry scaliness on the face caused by a luxury brand she is a loyalist to, and so we recommended she try and repair the damage with some serious emollient and nivea was suggested. Results- much better skin starting the very next day!

Something for all of us to look into..... it's not important to spend loads of cash on skin care thats so heavily marketed to us......sometimes old fashioned works best!

Mx

Ben Nye faves

There's a whole range of make-up we MU's love from Ben Nye..... but if I had to pick 3 things off the top of my head right now it would be....

1) concealer palette - great colours for concealing and especially correction to suit all skin tones.

try and get your hands on one.... they sell out fast!

2) creme blush whee l- 6 shades of yummy colours in one palm sized wheel.... compact.... great textures, colours and very affordable!

3) contour powders - these come in 3 shades, no 1, 2 and 3... to suit all skin tones..... great to have in your pro kit from dark to light.....

Visit their counter at New Beauty Centre and check out their vast and fantastic range. New stock just arrived so grab it while it lasts!!

Mx

Princess Kate!

Mulain knows why this Brit gal is smiling...she's going to be Queen one day....and a Princess soon....aaahhh!

Kate doing contemporary glam....

Kate on the go......

Casual chic Kate.....

Disco Kate....

Party Kate....

Posh Kate....

Huge congratulations to Prince William and Kate Middleton....wedding bells will soon be a-ringing....Mulain will be expecting his invitation in the post soon!!! Easy to be cynical, anti-Royal blah blah...but it really is quite romantic non? This couple have been through thick and thin together and seem tres cool together...we say good luck to you. Mulain wants to know if Kate M is ready for the catapult into superstardom? She is about to become one of the most photographed women in the world....she already is super stylish now she will be elevated to style icon status....EVERYONE will be watching what she wears and copying her style. Seems the girl would look good in a paper bag...she is effortlessly chic, never a hair out of place and her trademark beauty essentials are flawless skin with a polished neutral glamour. MU-ettes in the academy this week have been learning about 'neutral' make-up....well girlies....look this girl up as she really is the quintessential modern neutral glamour girl......that girl was born groomed I think....a natural.....

Mulain x