fat mu academy

fat mu final shoot during the 8 week pro course...

Ouch....students working during intro to sfx week...

More Ouch...bullet in the head..

Groups working on their script and character breakdowns....

MU Xavier in a facial application demo.....

Facial practical.....

Station set up for facial practical ...fat mu moustaches....

An artist's working palette....

Final checks during the final photo shoot.....

Artwork in action for final shoot...what concentration....

Final checks....

and more final checks....

Students working with the photographer.......final shoot

Mulain has loved watching the academy progress and watching the students grow......just fantastic! Final 2 days have been winding down, analysing shoots and work and now concentration on business chats and final character make-up assessment....Just posting some MU-ettes in action above....hope you enjoy....M x

Rihanna's new look with Eminem - watch them burn!

Rihanna is smokin'....

The happy couple...Megan Fox also looks lovely in video...natural and sexy...

Love, love, love x 1000000000000000000000000 Eminem's new video featuring Rihanna.....super cool to see him back on top....new look for him, goodbye blonde hello brunette....Mulain likes.....great song plus we have super cool Mademoiselle Rihanna as the icing on the cake....."I love the way you lie".....Well young lady...Mulain loves the way you look in this vid. Red hair, RED nails, charcoal smokey eyes and wow-factor light gloss for the lips....Rihanna can get away with anything I think....want the look....let's go luxury......

EYES - Giorgio Armani's eyeshadow duo Manta Ray...fabulous texture and good colour combinations.

LIPS - Christian Dior's Lip Addict maximising glosses...big, bold and totally out there.

NAIL - Chanel's 'Dragon' red should do the trick here 'Le Vernis'.

So smoke those eyes (you 'll need a good black pencil here, plus mascara and lashes, try a Dior or YSL here)....this is a show-stopper look so go for it I say....watch the them sing their stuff with such passion and you'll get totally inspired to get the look.

Enjoy....

www.youtube.com/watch?=vuelHwf8o7_U

Mulain x

Today it's all about me.....

Mulain's style for FIFA 2010....super non?

My lovely feminine butterflies...so pretty...!

A more exotic look pour moi!

Getting back to my Scottish roots....Och Aye!

Love my totally flamboyant beret...too cool for school

Super slick and 'sick' man...'sick'!

Pure elegance.....Madame Morrison...I am nothing without you!

Bonjour! Today Mulain is celebrating my favourite MU-se's birthday.....Mulain loo-ves this woman so much...so quietly beautiful and talented.....and just see above how she dresses me....I LOVE it.....she is also a God-send to MUs Natasha and Virginia in all ways imaginable. So Madame Nomita Morrison....today is a very special day for you...we love you and think you are awesome and one of a kind.....we are all on our way to celebrate with you so will plant a big kiss or deux on your lovely cheeks soon!

Happy Birthday!

Thank you for all your help with fat mu...Mulain is nothing without you!!

M x

Golding leafing Hi! Blitz shoot with Lara Dutta

Mulain and the MUs have been awaiting the launch of the September issue of Hi! Blitz to see how their Ajanta themed / gold-leafing body art shoot went. See shoot above. It's very different to how we wanted....and unfortunately the magazine ran out of time to do the necessary post to make the images look like Ajanta paintings. So...we are a little heavy-hearted at this end as we have worked towards this shoot for months....so much prep plus the actually day of shoot the make-up, hair and body art took 5 hours!!!! Natasha MU did n't stop to take breath getting the gold leaf and patterns and shapes on, while getting the body airbrushed too! MU Virginia worked side by side creating elaborate hair styles to match each change....and MUs Xavier and Pooja flanked them in creative support....anyway...onwards and upwards...there are more shoots to do...do let us know what you think my friends of this shoot?

And any questions about gold-leafing...ask away!

M x

Toulouse-Lautrec inspiration!

Lautrec inspired us for the Circus / theatrical shoot we did last week...

The MUs creating the Madame look with the camp wrestler in the back...

Shapes to inspire painted on eyebrows

A hair design to give us ideas....

A scene from HBO's 'Carnival'.....to see a modern take on a circus

A bearded lady poster....

More hair inspiration

More hair sketches.....

And back to Lautrec....

Mulain thought it would be of interest to you artists out there to see how the MUs research for their shoots and fashion work...actually any work! As we preach and preach and preach in the academy.....DON'T COPY!.....take inspiration from what has been done before and build on it injecting your own style, ideas and take on the brief. Tres importante. Plus it's much more exciting to create your own magic my darlings.

Virginia MU did a TVC last week and the theme was a 'theatrical, quirky circus troupe'...fabulous brief and a real chance for the MUs to get out there and play with their brushes and paints! Firstly we identified how many characters we had to create and then we worked on the individuality of each one. We had 2 bearded ladies, 1 madame, 1 crazy drummer, 'a head' on a table, 5 bald men, a 'camp' wrestler. Each one got a stamp of individuality with a comical twist but all kept within the same colour palette to hold them together as a group and keep in with the costumes and production design.

Theatrical eyebrows played a key role in all the characters and we painted on some lovely shapes...made them bigger and bolder and gave the 'madame' a mono-brow for an extra quirk. (Does help if your director trusts you and has the vision to back you on your ideas!!) We also threw in a 2010 Lady Gaga touch with everyone....with glitter and lashes. We researched dancers, performers, circus acts, the 'bizarre' and also took huge inspiration from Toulouse-Lautrec one of the great Impressionist artists. His vibrant, buoyant slightly caricature take on the subjects in his paintings helped us hugely....from the colours to the shapes he created and the mood of his paintings. Merci monsieur...and Mulain recommends you all google him and observe.

Key products and tools for this shoot!

A steady hand and no shaking make-up van!!!!!
Paint / art brushes
Grease palette (Kryolan is a good option)
Aqua palette (try Kryolan again)
Selection of whacky lashes (Doris and Bharat, India, Charles Fox, London)
Clown white (Ben Nye)
Eyeshadow palette (Ben Nye)
Blusher palette (Ben Nye)
Aqua glitter pots - utterly fabulous (Ben Nye)
Facial (beards and moustaches) - (theatrical shops or your nearest wig maker / postiche maker)

All in all we had a great time apart from the crazy moving make-up van and can't speak for the bearded ladies though...ummm...may not be speaking to us now...hee hee. Mulain wants to do more shoots like this my friends...SUCH FUN and SO CREATIVE!!!!

Take care and get researching!

M x

The make-up space!

A good, clean, bright working environment is essential to an artiste!

You want good eyelines? Give your artist the right, calm, non-moving place to do it! MU Sara on the Indigo Airlines TVC


The young MUs Nat and Virg in their make-up hq for a film in Gujurat, set up in an old palace - we created a lovely, homely, happy place for the actors to come in and get into character



A nice, calm, relaxing working space to paint, spray, stick, glue...whatever an artist wants to do, Natasha on Slumdog

Desperate times in a make-up van on Luck By Chance.... it was very hot!

Dancing in the make-up during lunch hour to help unwind on Outsourced!

Good mirrors and lights are essential....Natasha during Luck By Chance

MU Xavier trying to paint in theatrical eyelines while also trying to keep himself steady....we are like the Cirque de Soleil of make-up artistes really.....

MUs Natasha and Virginia have both been on shoots last week (Natasha is still on hers) and both complained about the 'moving' make-up vans they had to work with. Mulain chuckles to himself as he is just a mere bystander but watching the artistes trying to work and create difficult eyelines with a steady hand while ADs are coming in and out, slamming doors, models moving around is not easy my darlings...it's like a zoo....really....plus MU Virginia had the van man walking on top of the van too ...icing on the cake...it's like being on a ship in these vans. We also got told in the middle of working....'we have to move the van'....so all of us had to hold onto all the make-up equipment and products and go through 5 mins of being shunted back and forward....one just has to laugh.

So to all you budding make-up artistes out there in India and the world. Good luck! Mulain tip is to insist on a van or space which is for make-up and hair only. Has security, has good lights, is clean, good ventilation. Remember it is not a holding area for actors / models ...it is a professional working area. We at fat mu take our work very seriously and do get upset when we cannot perform properly....cos when it's up on the big screen it's your name on it! So remember your working space should be as you want it!

Put your foot (feet) down my friends and demand what is rightfully yours!

M x

TGI Friday!!!!

The MUs have been working hard all week in the Academy and on shoots so looking forward to Friday night and the weekend!!!!! Woo-hoo.....Lots on still.....Our favourite fat mu MU-se Madame Nomita Morrison is coming to town (fantastique), fat mu students final photo shoot tomorrow (can't wait to see their creations).....waiting to see our Hi-Blitz shoot with Lara Dutta (think it hits the streets tomorrow my friends) and sorting out future shoots and classes. Phew...this city never stops!

Going at this mad pace will kill us all Mulain feels so taking time out this weekend to keep fit and do some walking and yoga. Inspired by MU Virginia's Puma ad (see above) Mulain is going to don his best sporting attire and feel the burn but making sure he has fun too. Tres importante! So my dears if you too are feeling burnt out and frazzled by mad Mumbai, Mulain suggests you do the same.....you will feel a whole lot better I can assure you of that.

Enjoy your Friday nights! Mwah!

M x

Cupid's Bow Lips

Loving Rita Hayworth's Cupids Bows above....

Guideline....


Guideline

Visualise Cupid's actual bow to get the shape you want

Mulain loves the fact that Cupid's Bow Lips are in fashion....Yay! Now all we have to do is get that shape right. Most important, it is vital to imagine the shape you want...see images above to help, then just follow the rules....

1) Lips should be primed and ready for lipstick (light exfoliation with your toothbrush boys and girls)...and balm of course.

2) With a soft, but firm lip pencil outline the bow shape...this is a critical stage of your lip design...make sure it is even both sides and curved.....no sharp points on top anywhere and must match colour of your lipstick...no darker outlines pl-e-ase.

3) When your shape is outlined, with your lipstick or lip brush fill in the shape......pick a nice, rich, luxuriant, matt colour....Chanel is always a good bet my darlings.....

4) Check to see the colour of your lipstick reaches all of your lips, edges too please!

5) Highlight above the top lip with a silvery tone for cool tones...for warmer tones try a more golden one. This accentuates the lips and draws attention to the mouth.

6) Smile and pout and you are ready to rock 'n' roll my friends.

Excited for all of you and this look...enjoy it and make sure your statement lips have a statement smile.

Mulain.....

Bearded ladies!

Mulain is so excited about tomorrow....2 shoots to drop into with MU's Natasha and Virginia.......one a glamour shoot and one full of circus freaks! Love the contrast, totally different challenging briefs involved....expect both MUs will be pooped! Dropping in on MU Virginia first up as want to see her getting her circus 'bearded ladies' ready...what fun.....not sure Indian TV or Film has ever seen a beautiful lady with a full-on beard on.....after doing the look test today Mulain and the creative team admitted that strangely the beards did n't distract from the beauty of the girls.....as seen on Ms. Salma Hayek above....it's tres cool and different. Could we start a trend here? Mulain would love that....Also creating a feminine strong man and other fun characters all with different quirks and features.

Mulain will write all about it when he is done. Up at 5am so early to bird my little chick-a-dees..

Bon nuit x M x