I'm a Barbie Girl ...In a Barbie World....

... let that be your song today for Halloween! I know it's mine.... ;-)... so if scary Halloween ain't your thing... go for pretty... a la Barbie!

We have all grown up loving Barbie...(... and Ken in my case...) and she now seems to be taking the world by storm...!....truly a Barbie world....!
From the day MAC cosmetics launched their Barbie range.... The 'Doll' is now celebrating her 50th (most glamourous 50 yr old I know...!. ) by launching her very own cosmetics range soon to be hitting stores - so watch out all you Barbie lovers- you're in for a treat! In the meanwhile... launched currently as a bit of a teaser are her 'dolly lashes' available at New Look in London. So if you happen to be prancing around the vicinity or know anyone who is... make sure you get your hands on a pair. Its a great look for Halloween... or any costume party... or just if you're 'in the mood'....coupled with that fantastic dolly make up and of course a magnifique wig! et voila!! Blonde... brunette or red.... that's your choice.... but remember we can't be barbie without the hair ....!


So take a look below for images of Barbie - the real one and MAC's made to look like Barbie girls (bear in mind they have been photoshop'ed') and of the kind of make-up you will need.... just remember lots of bright pinks and shimmers and sheens and gloss are vital to achieving this look! If you need anymore 'elp remember Mulain is at hand!


So happy Halloween mes amis.... and happy dressing up!


Mx

Halloween make-up!

Don't 'ave piggy blood?....Try la ketchup!

Pick a look and get creative!

MAC look - dotty madness!

MAC spider brows.....spooky

Lovely textured MAC

So it's Halloween tomorrow and 'ave you got your pumpkins and trick or treat bags ready? Mulain is off to a party tomorrow night and has his outfit all lined up, so organised non?....Thought you might need some 'elp in what to do and where to pick up some make-up ideas. MAC of course are always there to support us in our work.......they have the most wonderful coloured grease-sticks in blues, greens, yellows, reds etc....great for creating any look and perfect for tomorrow - do go and check them out....great fun!

Take your pick from witch make-up, ghost make-up, demonic make-up, vampire make-up, the Adams family, the Munsters, Frankenstein, Freddy K, Carrie...so much choice my darlings and what fun to research your looks. Don't want to spend a fortune? Get an aqua palette and a set of brushes from any art or craft shop or joke shop even and get painting.....

Or how about getting some lash glue......some sequins and creating your own shapes and masks, get sticking!....Or what about glamour noir, black lips, eyes and nails....so you have colours and textures and looks galore.....the world is at your fingertips...enjoy!

MUs Virginia and Natasha are off to Blue Frog in Mumbai, it's a wrap on their L'Oreal ad so all are celebrating....off to get ready with them.....Caio...x

Mulain x

Giorgio Armani Make-up...

Totally digressing from the Sheer Fluid but Mulain just loo-ves these two Armani mouths....just ravishing non?

Mwah Monsieur A.....

Mulain loves the Sheer Fluid...

Golden Bronze.....

Golden Sand.....

Mulain and the MU's were shooting for L'Oreal yesterday and the aim was to make all 8 models glow as much as possible. To help us on our way with this we added a wonderful little touch to our Screenface liquid bases we were using. A drop (or 3) of Giorgio Armani's Fluid Sheer was added to create that extra va-va voom.....it dresses skin in an illuminating veil of radiance.....just loo-ver-ly! Armani is always recommended as one of the best bases to buy....have heard that from many a make-up artist. So we know we are in safe hands with this brand...pure luxury.

The Sheer Fluid is a unique, translucent formula and is available in a range of versatile hues including makeup base shades, correcting shades, and radiance boosting shades. Blend your favourite Fluid Sheer with foundation to add radiance, polish and sculpting definition to your complexion. Or use it alone as a makeup base, it's your choice and best of all it suits all skin types ....Hooray!

For Indian skins Mulain picked up 'Golden Sand' and 'Golden Bronze'.......they perfect, sculpt and illuminate the skin ...what more could a make-up artist ask for in a bottle my friends?.....Plus its versatile shade range doubles as an eye shadow base, a blush or bronzer
sheer, also has a lightweight texture. Apply with the blender brush to wear alone or as I recommend mix it with your foundation for a boost of radiance and colour. Use on top of foundation for added highlighting and contouring. 'InStyle' voted it 2009 Best Beauty Buy....such a worthwhile investment I can't tell you.

Mulain x

The perfect concealor....

.... does such a thing exist? Non ... but I have found a few that come very close...

For years I never wore concealor... but now signs of age are slowly creeping in and I am left with no choice...! C'est la vie eh...?.... and so accepting that fact I set out looking for a concealor to suit my skin and tone. What I often found were ones that were too light that ended up looking gray and chalky like white rings around the eyes (a common mistake a lot of women make).. or ones that were too drying which then made it look like like I had more lines than I actually did (what was the point of that...?!) and so I stuck to my good ol' derma palette and mixed my own colours for a long time till I got fed up and the hunt for the right concealor started again!

.. and this time I was successful..... I have found 3 really good tried and tested concealors - ranging from light to heavy, normal to moisturising and light to dark tones - so basically to suit one and all...

MAC Studio Finish- great for light to heavy coverage of dark circles, blemishes and spots. Suits all skin types.

MAC Select Moisture Cover- great for light to medium coverage... creamy moisturising formula that is great under the eyes for that fresh - I've just had 10 hours sleep' look- and especially good for very dry skins - my current favourite! and what's even better...... they're readily available in Mumbai! Just visit your local MAC shop in Juhu or South Mumbai.

BECCA - this one comes with two consistency's - one light /one heavier-all depending on the amount of coverage needed. Highly pigmented you can layer it on without looking caked up. Great for anything that needs covering up and suits all skin types and tones.

All of the above look tres natural- provided you find the right shade and remember to check in daylight not those ghastly bright lights they seem to have in all the stores these days.... and I would suggest a yellow toned concealor for most to achieve a natural, closest to your skin tone look.

In the meantime if you've found one that works for you ... please let Mulain know.... merci.... hope this 'elps.... Mx

Eight hour cream

Elizabeth Ardens's trusted 'Eight hour cream' is a staple in most make up artists kit.... it's great for dry/sore skin, chapped lips and works great as a gloss too if you need that extra moisturising element. I carry it everywhere with me on and off set... one of the things I would certainly be stranded on a desert island with...!

To keep in with the current trends they have packaged it differently and come up with a limited edition pot a la the 80's!.... product is exactly the same..... so if you don't have one and are thinking of getting one .. then go with this one and stay cool....!

Mx

Chandni Chowk to China!

Fabulous photo exhibit at The Habitat Centre, Delhi...photo by Tarun Chhabra...do go and see if you get the chance

Mulain found a friend in Delhi - MMUUUUUU!

The MUs in the Metro....

.....well not quite China...but Mulain and the MUs Natasha and Virginia hit Delhi at the weekend. Visiting Chandni Chowk on the Metro, finding the biggests bulls in the world - EVER - and attending the opening of Adil Writer's pottery and painting exhibition - inspired by Alice in Wonderland and The White Rabbit....lovely creative and fun experience was had by all. If you are in Delhi it's open all week at The Habitat Centre....well worth the visit.....do pop in and say you know the MUs. We also discovered a lovely photographer Tarun Chhabra who is also showing his work....fabulous stuff my darlings...Mulain so tempted to buy.

Back to Bombay with a bump today....shooting tomorrow at lovely air-conditioned Yash Raj Studios....good to escape the heat my friends non?

Bye for now - off to pack tomorrow and 'ave an early night....Mulain x

Ladies... finally here is a brand which focuses only on ze lips...! So for all you lipstick loving girls out there.. 'Lipstick Queen' is the one for you! Made by a lady who absolutely loves lipsticks... you can be sure of a good product.

Mulain recently visited their counter at Space NK in the UK and was very impressed with the wide array of colours and textures in lipsticks and glosses. My favourite one though I have to say was the 'medieval'... because although it looks very red ( frightening at first) it adds just the right amount of (moisturising and long lasting) stain on the mouth for any skin tone for that lovely rosebud mouth effect... just like the natural look of the medieval times... (hence the name..)

To read more about it you can visit their site http://www.lipstickqueen.com/

Can also double up as a glossy cheek stain for a natural flush (tried and tested... ) great for day or night for that fresh-i'm just a natural beauty - no make up look...... so try and get your hands on one.... this one's a winner!

Mx

Freida Pinto and L'Oreal

Our lovely Freida's new L'Oreal ad for their new killer mascara is out...how proud we are of her....what a lovely canvas her face is....MU's Natasha and Virginia were only discussing yesterday just how beautiful she really is.....her face is just exquisite with or without make-up...like a scuplture from the gods! We were wondering though....does this mascara really give you lashes like these or are there fake lashes involved too?...Mulain thinks a little bit of false lash help here...with photoshop too? Do we trust these ad campaigns anymore....what do you think my darlings?

Mulain wants to know...and if you have n't seen our blog post from yesterday..please do...it's an eye-opener...literally!

Mulain x

Dove self-esteem campaign....

Please just see and watch......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U

Thought provoking non?

Mulain x

Statement lips...

Blue lips at Paul Smith for 2010.....

Mulain enjoyed watched the Paul Smith show for 2010.....the statement lips of blue, pink and orange were great fun,bold and different....not sure that a blue lipstick is easy to wear...but it's your choice my friends.....MAC of course will help you on your way offering a blue lip option....a daring, bold colour.

Of course you don't have to wear this colour alone....layering it with another colour will add a new dimension to your lip world....blue with your pinks...blue with your reds......have a go and try it out...get creative. For those who want just a gentle hint there is always Benefit's California Kissin' Blue Gloss.....very nice, worn alone or over a colour.

Seems Blue is the buzz word in Bollywood too - opening Diwali weekend saw the movie Blue with Akshaye Kumar and the loo-verly Lara Dutta....don't think she'll be sporting blue lippie in this one though my friends...

The MUs are heading off to Delhi for a fun-packed creative weekend and then shooting next week in Mumbai....

Happy Thursday my friends and do drop me a note to say hi....

Mulain x

Make-up in Mumbai...

Mulain did a quick trip into Phoenix mills Lifestyle's store today to see what the High Street beauty brands are selling...I looked at Lakme, Revlon, Chambor, Maybelline, Max Factor and L'Oreal...I asked each beauty consultant to show me what was new in each brand....Here's what I was told.......

L'Oreal

The girl attending to me was helpful and nicely enthusiastic (without attacking) and was keen to demonstrate the new 'True Match Mineral Make-up'...it sounded nice and natural, gentle to the skin and environment but one touch with the brush and Mulain's hand recoiled. The brush hair was as bristly as a hogs....definitely not for me and I would n't think for you my friends...was quite shocked by that one. Can't imagine putting it on my face...was n't in the mood to try anything else after that so went straight to ......

Beware the brush my friends!

Lakme

Again asked the young girl to show me something new...she was very keen to show me the 9-5 lip range...this promises to be a high performance, colour-fix formula that has been developed in Italy; I found this lipstick creamy and quite comfortable to wear plus the sales girl told me it 'survives the day'....let's see....I really liked the three colours below and I find generally that Lakme is very cost effective.

Jewel Pink


Caramel


Satin Ruby

Maybelline

'Maybe it's Maybelline' was next and usually I think they are for the younger generation....I think their products are better for skin that isn't aged, lined, and is generally bump free.....I was shown the Maybelline Mineral Dream Matt Moose (try asking for that after a couple of Cosmos...!?)....now in my opinion this is great for someone who does n't require full coverage but just a light, quick fix. The consistency is light but if you have open-pores, lines etc this product will just sit happily and not very prettily in them, also staying power is questionable. However, if you're a teen or early 20 something with clear, smooth skin it may be great to use...cute packaging and easy to apply it will just glide on and does n't break the bank! Was also shown some new lip balm smoothies, with a tint of colour and flavour.....found these quite sticky and not very comfy for my lips....ummm...jury out on those....

Max Factor

One of Mulains favourites....yes Monsieur Factor's pioneering brand...with make-up guru Pat Mcgrath driving the creative steering wheel...superb. On this counter I asked me to show me their best selling product...and we have.....Lipfinity! Apparently there is one Lipfinity product sold every 9 seconds across our global vill-age! Wow....I like this lipstick, good range of colours, it's a dependable brand and again is totally affordable with staying power galore! Mulain loves Illuminating Fuschia, Brilliant Berry, Glowing Sepia. A good purchase and great for the wedding season!




Revlon

Onto Revlon where make-up artist Gucci Westman designs the products and creatively directs. The 'new' products I was shown were the new 'Beyond Natural' range...seems everyone is jumping on the natural / green band-wagon.....the lip cream seemed easy to wear and a lovely colour to suit all tones....nice clean and non-fussy packaging, an easy product to have in your bag and on the go. I was also shown the blush/bronzer...again simple, discreet box....a nice 'easy to use' product, subtle on application...offers a very natural look...a hint of bronze, a glow for the skin. If it's drama you want this is not for you, subtle rather then startling.





Bourjois

Good old Bourjois...again been around so long you know they'll always have something for you that's new and fun for all ages....so I was shown the new Mineral Matte Mousse Foundation (what tongue-twisters my friends).....very nice pot and packaging....I almost wanted to buy it on the spot...but again I think the mousses are for those lucky and rare people who have skin as smooth as glass! No lumps and bumps, or holes and pits....so for young girls it's fun to try. Mulain recommends buying a foundation brush to apply this one...you 'll get a smoother application. She also showed me the clubhopping range of eye-pencils which I love, great colour range, easy and fun to use, good staying power and to-tally hip!




Chambor

....... was last but by no means least! They were the only brand (apart from Bourjois) who had some really eye-popping colours, so if you're after an 80s inspired look start here.....the young lady so enthusiastically and proudly showed me the new green nail polishes that were just in.....I was impressed by her knowledge of what's new with make-up...I had only just written about green polishes non? I bought two nail polishes Maniac Purple and Electric Metal (a green petrol glitter ensemble)....very cool colours. Application is not amazingly smooth but for Rs 245 it's not a bad deal....also bought the trusty and possibly best eye pencil around...the Chambor Black Kajal, with smudger for a little bit of sultry glamour...

Phew....quite tired with all this chit-chat round the counters....home-time my dears...until tomorrow! MU Natasha will be back from 'The Green Isle'....jet-lagged for sure...then we all heading to Delhi for the weekend for a fantastic pottery and ceramic show. Can't wait...

Mulain x

Pond's perfect matte

Mulain has found a little gem in a tube. Pond's is an established skincare brand dating from 1846....now run by Unilever....so we know it's dependable as it's been around so long (ask your grandmothers) and has the big backing now to push it forward and promote it. I have always used Pond's on and off for years...it's a brand I feel comfortable with. Pond's has been launching lot's of new skincare in the Indian market, mainly for age-ing and fairness..so Mulain has not been keen on that side of things. However I picked up this oil control cleansing foam partly for it's name....Perfect Matt....in hot weather it's sounds very appealing I mu-st say.....Put a pea sized dab in your palm, mix with water and the most luxurious lather appears......massage your face and neck, rinse with luke-warm water et voila your skin feels fantastic! Really refreshed, balanced and free from city-life pollutants. It really felt cleansed. It has anti-oil Bio5 which controls the production of excess sebum, therefore really helping those of us prone to that oily t-zone, and general oily breakouts. Would love to know what you think about it?....Loved using it after this Diwali weekend...so much smoke and fumes and dirt my friends non? Oh la la....drinking pints of water today to try and cleanse the system.....

Mulain also loves this product as it's a wonderful 60Rs ....light on your purse..great on your skin....a win-win situation all round my darlings.

Mulain x

Best of blush....

Good morning people....OK, let's be blunt, it's Monday morning and we need some Rouge in the cheeks....wherever you are in the world.....in cool Canada, melting Mumbai, freezing 'Frisco or hot Hong Kong...there is a blush out there for you. Mulain has picked some fabulous little pots of coloured blush powders for you...(see below)...from some of my favourite brands....high street to the more luxurious....there are some great buys out there. So go on and treat yourself....you know Rouge is the way to go!

Trusty Bourjois never lets you down, affordable with a great colour range - Mulain recommends Rose de Jaspe...quite exquisite

Lovely Shu Uemura's glow-on blushers in fantastic colours - matt and pearlized...this is Light Pink but do check out the Orange...it's fab-U-lous....

I have always been a fan of Barry M...again good high street buy with some bright, bold, statement colours...totally cool for the 80s inspired make-ups still being worn.... this one is Apricot


Bobbi Brown...what a pink, called Peony, you 'ave created here...Mulain just loo-ves anything you do....fat mu salute you!


fat mu fave Benefit gives us Coralista blush....lovely.....sexy packaging too, easy colour to wear for all skin tones.....

A mineral option for you from 'maybe it's Maybelline'...in Topaz Rose...tres pretty!

Had to squeeze another Benefit number in....it's inspired by the 'turned on' look...it's called 'Thrrrob'....what more can Mulain say.......now Mulain is blushing....naturally!!! Oh la la....

So hope you are off to shop and check out the above....of course there are hundreds of blushers on the market....Mulain has just picked up the ones he likes at the mu-ment.

Mulain x

P.s - Mulain is loving the new mood inspired products from cowshed...http://www.cowshedonline.com/....pick your mood.....moody cow, lazy cow, knackered cow, horny cow....hilarious non? After my Diwali party I am definitely in the knackered cow zone.....

Obama's Diwali!

Mrs. Bachchan having a Diwali moment.....

"Happy Diwali" my darlings, best wishes to all and happiness across the globe - wonderful celebration of light and good conquering bad. What Joie-de-vivre! Obama has sent his Diwali message too (please see below).....so tonight wherever you are celebrating...let there be LOVE and LIGHT!

What better way to celebrate Diwali by lighting up one's own face. Make yourself part of the celebrations...make sure you are shining, glowing, beaming.....Mulain thinks there is one product above all others today which won't let you down...one of my ultimate beauty mu-st haves...that's right...Benefit's Highbeam.....

You just cannot go wrong with this little bottle of glowing wonderfulness....dab some on your cheekbones, brow bones, bridge of your nose, collar-bones....watch yourself light-up while others can only admire in awe! Mulain will be swimming in a bath of it tonight...but then I am never one for half measures my friends.

Also recommended is Benefit's Bathina body sheen.....with the lovely, comfy puff inside, spread this delightful cream all over your body...arms, legs....whatever flesh is on display and together with the highbeam you may be likened to a Disco-ball.....you will WOW!

So my dears...Mulain is off to get ready for his 'Ethnic' themed Diwali party ce soir....planning my outfit and my designer Bindi.....celebrations are fully-on!

A shining Mulain x