Body Shop -Lip and Cheek tint

New from The Body Shop comes this lovely new lip and cheek tint that the girls in class have been raving out. A rose coloured gel that goes on the skin to give it a natural looking flush or stain on the lips and adapt to the colour your skin would naturally turn.... so tres naturelle looking... this ones a great buy if you want to look fresh and pretty and like you're naturally born with it.

Not great on very dry( as it can catch and stain/ look patchy) or oily skins( will slide off and not last)...so for all you girls with normal/ combination or reasonably dry skins( not overly)this ones a winner!

Keep in mind you have to work it in reasonably fast as it can dry and look patchy if left.

Alternatives to this are Benetint from Benefit.... a more liquid formula that gives the same effect.

Use one layer or build up on colour with multiple layers depending on effect and intensity required.

Mx

L'amour Fou...

Madly in love and inspired by his muse Marie- Therese- walter, Picasso came up with this wonderful collection which features her in each of his paintings and sculptures that are part of this collection titled ' L'amour fou' ....

Beautiful to look at, with vibrant colours and lovely shapes and strokes , these are works of art to admire and get inspired from...

Enjoy!

Mx

Romantics....

Romance is in the air what with the royal wedding around the corner. Not only is there much hype surrounding it but the fashion, hair and make-up world is also abuzz with it.... and so....as romance is typically what's associated with weddings that's what's in fashion nowadays.

What immediately comes to mind is the women of the pre- raphaelite era... ( see images)...with their beautiful pale skins, blushing cheeks and rosebud lips and flowy hair........

How does that translate into make-up today you say? remember the saying love's first blush? well thats typically it... soft and pretty..... beautiful dewy skin..... neutral tones and pastels on eyes.... slight sheens and shimmer for a pretty effect..... blush on the apples of your cheeks and stains on your lips for that lovely rosebud effect.... lots of mascara... possibly even fake individual lashes for that doe eyed look and match with pretty loosely tied romantic hair, with jewels or flowers to accessorize..... lovely and tres tres feminine!

Mulain lo-oves this look!

Mx

fairy dust....

...... for your eyes comes in the form of beautiful irridescent pigments from Inglot. Called 'Body Sparkles' they are fluffy and almost air like to touch (i kid you not)... these beautiful pigments glide on without creating a mess and stay on for a very pretty look... be it for eyes, face or body.... a day sparkle or a night time disco effect....these ones are a must in your kit!

Tiny little weightless pots available in a beautiful array of shades ... with nos 51 and 71 being our faves!....

Check 'em out girls!

Mx

Sparkle on your eye....

.....with lovely shimmering crayons from Ben Nye.

New to their collection come these four wonderful chubby sticks that glide on smoooothly and blend to smudge proof perfection!

With Hi- intensity colour these are the perfect little things to carry in your handbag for an instant glamour effect. Going from office to party?..... perfect!.....takes no space and weighs nothing!

With colours ranging from black(with silver sparkles), shimmering silver, transluscent white

(again with silver sparkles) and a beautiful gold... these babies are worth checking out.

Available at New Beauty Centre on Khar s.v. road.... get yours while stocks last....

Mx

Men adore mascara.......

...... did you know that? .... and no its not the mascara they're after but the lovely thick long dark eyelashes.... the doe eyed fluttering kind ... that instantly lift, open up and beautify the eyes.....

Don't posess them naturally?..... dont worry... make-up companies have long been aware of this fact and so have come up with mascaras that will help you achieve just that!.... and so... for those of you who feel you may want your lashes to go that extra mile here are the top 5 fat mu picks:

- Givenchy mascara

- Lancome Hypnose

- L'oreal extra volume collagen mascara

- Maybelline colossal volume express

-Max Factor 2000 calorie mascara

Have any you like? please let Mulain know as I am always on the lookout for new and wonderful products.

Mx

Priyanka Chopra's beauty must haves.....

Our very own Priyanka Chopra was featured in the NY times T magazine where she was asked about her beauty regime... Here's a few of the products she talked about.... Mulain was surprised to see that we at fat mu have a lot in common with Ms Chopra and so decided to share it with you and give you our take on it as well.....

Her favourite eye pencil :MAC Teddy , a bronzy brown pencil smudged into a black pencil.....

fat mu also recommend Laura Mercier pencils... they have a lovely one in 'Black Gold' for a similar effect.

MAC fluidline in Blacktrack- great staying power- Does not smudge! A fat mu favourite too.... but Ms Chopra likes to use it on her waterline as it does not move or bleed but we're not sure that can be good for your eyes in the long run as its made to be applied to the external eye area.

Alternatives to this are Bobbi Brown gel eyeliners and Inglot gel eyeliner.

Bobbi Brown concealers: WE LOVE!!! ultra creamy... great coverage and staying power..... double up with their correctors under the concealers for a fresher look.

Nars blusher in 'Orgasm'- Again we like this but in their cream 'multiple stick' version... this and 'Malibu' are our hot faves.

Spice lip pencil by MAC- great on Indian skins and to cover up any discolorations on the lip... looks natural.

Laura Mercier lip stain in 'Mulberry'- you cant go wrong with stains for that hint of pout and colour... with a host of colours to choose from there is something for everyone. Giorgio Armani cosmetics do great ones as well!

So for all of you wether you're a Priyanka fan or not.... this is a good way to go and some fabulous products to try.

Mx

Lady Danger!

MAC's Lady Danger....what va-va-voom!

for brunettes....

for a slightly vintage feel....

for blondes....

Mulain was watching Australian hair ace Cheryl Williams working on location and can't stop admiring her. Amongst all the dust and dirt and sweat and noise of MP...Cheryl looks a complete stylish lady with lipstick always on. And have to say it's not just any old lippie...she wears MAC's Lady Danger every day come hell or high water! It's statement and totally eye catching and for those of you who like Morange by MAC this one is one step further! In the red lipstick family it has a strong orange undertone so it's not for the nervous. It is highly pigmented and bold and matt, as I have seen with my own eyes in 45 degree heat in Orchha (middle of India) it has amazing staying power and does n't dry the lips! I would say this one is definitely for lipstick wearers and not for the nervous. Lovely to see on and instantly puts me in a good mood when I have been seeing Madame Williams....what a lady!

M x

Flocking!

Old style flocking....

Mulain hears you asking "what is flocking?".....Well......Flocking is both a product and a technique. It refers to small fibres being applied to a surface using an electrostatic gun. It is essentially a process of applying material to a surface. Mulain was watching fantastic Make-up Designer Zeljka Stanin showing how to 'flock' stubble onto an artist...amazing technique to give such a realistic stubble look. She told us that it's used by SFX artists mainly and animatronix people to create the fur look...she told us that any fibre can be used to get the 'standing up' effect required, also in prosthetics they use it to recreate capillaries with silicon and gelatin. She showed us her flocking gun, safety goggles (VERY IMPORTANT)... she chopped up the hair required, put in the gun, connected up the gun and off she went. She used Prosaide to get the hair to stick on and within seconds stubble was on...amazing. To all experimental artists SFX or very creative fashion ones...read up about this technique. You have to know all the pluses and minuses for this....and safety (as always) is paramount! You have to know what you are doing!! How to lure Madame Stanin to a workshop in Bombay? Mulain on the case MUs Xavier and Virginia think she is brilliant.... M x

Kathakali make-ups

Most Indians have seen the classical Kathakali performers from Kerala or at least know what they are and what they look like. For those who don't know them, feast your eyes! MU's Virginia and Xavier took some photos on set of these performers....they spend around 2 to 3 hours on make-up getting ready for their characters...notice the shapes and colours used...and the use of the hairlines...we loved seeing them in action...save them in your ref files my friends...for inspiration and fun.

Mulain x

MAC paint pots

We absolutely luurrrvvvvveee MAC's paint pots. Recently the mu's were on a beauty shoot in 45 degrees heat under the hot Indian sun ... not exactly condusive to great looking make-up and staying power. To the rescue came paint pots! not only do they go on easily but they stay... look FABULOUS.... AND don't smudge or smear!...... Truly Lovely!

Easily applied with the fingers for quick easy application... play with shades for whatever look you desire.... clean... sheeny.....smoky..... sultry..... it's all possible! try it!.. use cotton buds after to shape and clean around eye area.

Great on their own or as a good base under eye shadows.

Mx

Style file- Alison Mosshart

Music's coolest lady of the moment Alison Mosshart carries off everything from the girl next door... to rocker chic to next season's uber colouful playful look with ease..... look and get inspired........ watch out for her style and her music.... we mu's love her!

Mx

Genelia D'souza - Marie Claire

Mu Natasha recently did the make-up for Genelia for this month's Marie Claire where the brief was colour blocking. Here's what she used:

Cover look:

- Creme eyeshadow in H6 by Shisheido.. a lovely pruple sheeny creme that was applied all over the lid....... topped with a lovely purple eyeshadow from Ben Nye to set and for more colour concentration, with the focus on the outer corner and crease.

- Coffee eye pencil from MAC smudged into top and bottom lash line, with lots of black mascara on the lashes.

- and finally lips in Morange by MAC.

For a funkier look try using the eye colour as a solid block of colour just on the lid as one even tone.

On the inside...

- even out skin tone on face and eyelids and set with powder

- shade in eye socket area with a medium brown shadow.

- line lashes at the root with MAC fluidline in 'Blacktrack'

-Lots of black mascara

- Sculpt cheekbones using 'blunt' Blush powder by MAC

- Finish of lips with a bright fuschia lip pencil in ' Magenta velours' by Lancome.

Mx

Ben Nye Spirit Gum

Dear all, a little tip straight from MUs Virginia and Xavier in an undisclosed destination in MP. For spirit gum that lasts in the heat, easy to apply, does n't turn white, sticks beards and moustaches down well....try Ben Nye's Matte Adhesive spirit gum. It's available at New Beauty Centre Khar (although currently out of stock!!)...go in and place an order...inexpensive and a good buy to have. In Bombay it's the best option for sure. MUs super busy filming on location, gearing up for Batch 5 of the 8 week pro course...more MU-ettes here we come - fully booked on this one, if you missed the boat this time, there's always September! Caio for now my friends....M x

Animal make-up!

Animal continuity...

MU Virginia is working in the middle of India on a period film with a fantastic Australian make-up and hair crew - what a talented bunch of gals! Dropped in to visit her and one of the artistes was telling me about one of her most unusual jobs...animal make-up and hair! Yes that's right...on the film 'Charlotte's Web' which is the story of a little girl and her relationship with a pig, there are many animal characters in the film and she had to make sure that continuity for all the animals was in place. Eyelashes, adding hair, clipping hair, colouring...what fun! So think about that my darlings and how our skills / techniques have to be adapted to meet the needs of a film / job etc. Exciting and challenging really!

Happy Sunday! M x

Japan!

Know this is a make-up blog but Mulain found this image from the net so haunting that it stopped me in my tracks. We are madly busy right now with the academy and shoots and we are so into our own worlds that sometimes what happens outside does n't sink in. Saw this piccie of a mannequin head so similar to our ones at school and it brought it all rushing at us. The sheer horror of what can happen to our little planet is visible in Japan...so out of our control....so Mulain is pausing today to stop and think and send positive thoughts to Japan and the Universe....fashion week, film shoots, TVCs, school all take a back seat today. It's not all work my friends. We MU-st get that balance right.

And here endeth the lesson!

Talk to the tan!

Mulain has just packed MU Natasha off on a shoot to Goa looking after a certain male celebrity for a few days in the hot, hot sun...she is packed with suncreams / blocks / airbrush / oils / and a product that always helps us out for beach shots..."Talk to the tan" by one of our favourite brands 'Benefit'. This little number is super light on application, gives a good even coverage and best is you can build it up as much as you want from sun-kissed to baked. Lasts in heat and humidity too so perfect for that oppressive Goan heat. Batch 4 are winding up this week....aahh!!! will be so sad to see them go...off into the big bad make-up world!! Character week is on now...think it's Mulain's favourites...so much fun.

M x

The McQueen Magic continues.....

McQueen may be no more but his art, his vision continues to live and inspire us through his talented visionary team behind his brand.

At Paris fashion week for Autumn/Winter 2011-2012 we saw the Mc Queen magic on the runway once again. Fabulous as the collection was, what struck me was the entire concept and in particular the monotone futuristic take on the make-up and the fabulous metal heads( love it!!)... so clever.... and bringing mettalics back as the trend for this winter!

Paled down matte faces where every feature and all definition has been blanked out including the lips, brows and lashes... and all there is , is a hint of mettalic sheen around the eyes and lips in the same tone... a bit of the natural pink of the lips peeping through... and sculpting in the eye sockets and cheekbones......

Fabulous hair... well heads in this case... where metal clips have been arranged all over the heads for a very mettalic futuristic, almost skull cap effect.... and then there's the fabulous nails... not to be missed... black and metal contrasting with the paleness of the skin and faces.... just gorgeous!!!

McQueen you will forever live in our hearts and continue to inspire us! We salute you!!

Mx

Raw!

Mulain was with MU Virginia yesterday shooting for GQ with their delightful team and with uber talented photographer Burman and fab pro model Mia. The piccie above was a ref pic for all of us for look and mood. Sexy, raw glamour at its best. First thing's first lovely model Mia spent a few days 'safe-tanning' outside (love the Indian sun) so came to us with a light base tan. We then covered her in Ben Nye's Bronze tint from top to toe. This gave the effect we wanted a warm tan look ontop of her own skin. No glitter / sheen / shimmer at this point. Next we did something a little different. MU Virginia worked backwards...she loaded on eye definition using Benefit's Bad Gal eye pencil and topped it with MAC's Blacktrack and got an old gunky mascara and coated Mia's lashes top and bottom....this gave the eyes a very worked in / lived in look. Next she took a good ole cotton bud and eye make-up remover and started to breakdown her eye definition fading it away til was invisibly there. Also, creating 'open spaces' on the eye to pop in any colour or texture required. Once faded away, including the mascara...Virginia then added in a pop of Ben Nye's bronzed creme blending it onto the lid. This technique involves thinking unconventionally. Think and work differently with your tools and fingers. It's a dab here and touch there...delicate and fairy like application required...Imagine 'butterfly' kisses :).

Once bronze creme was on....she stood back to watch how the make-up settled...lip balm was applied onto Mia's lips...a little concealer, contouring....then Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream was DABBED onto lids and cheekbones...DAB lightly not a lot when doing this......it involved lots of layering of products. Please note this look was possible as we were shooting in A/C...outside very tricky....:). Eyebrows were brushed up and looked edgy...very sexy looks and model Mia was such a pro all day....:) ... Mulain is a fan...Mia you are now a fat mu MU-se...welcome to our fat mu MU-se hall of fame!

Can't wait to show you all....M x

P.S - special thanks to MUs Xavier and Menaka for all their hard work...it's all team work my friends...never forget that...:)

Back to the art room

We're loving all the news and clippings we're getting to see from the Autumn / Winter 2011-2012 shows from London, New York, Paris and Milan..... From metallics, to the sixties being re- visited again, lip colours from nude to darkest.... most of it seems like its being done over and over again with slight variations.... are we running out of ideas??.....

......the answer to that is not quite.... whilst some designers are showcasing the staples , others like Vivienne Westwood, Lousie Gray and Kinder Aggugini are defying them by taking us back to our childhood and straight to the art room.

Splotches of colours, multi coloured dots and squiggly eyelines are some of the looks we are seeing these designers showcase... We LOVE it!... getting downright creative and having fun doing it.

Vivienne Westwood has teamed up with make-up whiz Alex Box ( what a combo!!!) to create the beautifully mad paint effects on the face , while Louise Gray plays with dots...... colourful dots playfully placed around the face.... and at Kinder Agguggini make-up artist Sharon Dowsett has tried to create the effect of a child doing make-up by drawing in wobbly eyeliner in the socket crease. Look below at images and feel inspired. Bring out those paints, regress to your childhood freedom and start painting!!