Hannah Marshall - Get The Look

I promised a Hannah Marshall SS2010 Get The Look a while ago so here it is. I just spotted Alex walking down Old Compton Street in Soho and it reminded me!

Hannah and Alex discussed the look prior to the show and agreed on a "very sexy, very desirable look. Something that was both soft and strong at the same time. I wanted to use minimal products and focus on the technique," Alex told me. "I wanted a real masculine, strong graphic from the front and yet when the model is on profile, it looks soft and ultra feminine." I have tried to source a profile shot, yet no such luck!

Face

Alex used Matt Primer to create a very matt, one dimensional base. This was then built upon using Cream Foundation to create a very real, but quite full coverage.

The strength of the look is based on the contouring. Alex told me she was going for a "slick goth" look. She used Powder Blusher in 'Rumour' to contour the temples, sides of the nose, cheeks and under the jawline and emphasised the hollowness of the cheek with Powder Blusher in 'Spite'.


Eyes

As previously mentioned, Alex wanted to use minimal products, so using an Eye Brow Cake mixed with Sealing Gel to create a strong line across the brows, she blended the colours down, mixing with a slate grey [try Powder Eye Shadow in 'Incubus'] concentrating the colour at the point where the side of the nose joins the eyebrow and fading down across the browbone and eye lid until there is minimal colour on the eye socket. Build up the concentration at the outer corner of the eye again. A touch of Pure Pigment in 'Furore', a nude champagne shimmer, on the centre of the eye lid added a touch of depth and photographed beautifully. This look used no mascara.

Lips

Alex painted over the lips with the Cream Foundation to tone down the colour of the lips and keep the focus on the brows and the cheek bones.

Box News Flash!

Carrying on from Friday 18th September, when Alex created the magnificent "glitter bomb explosion!" Ancient Egypt meets Blade Runner looks for the House of Blue Eyes SS 2010 show, London Fashion Week roared ahead with plenty of Alex's work on display.

On Saturday 19th September, Hannah Marshall presented her first SS 2010 collection at Somerset House. The show consisted of LBD's in a variety of architectural forms, from sculpted shoulders to pointed hips and jagged spines. The edgy, yet very wearable, collection was adored by Alex, who describes the make-up look as, "very sexy, very desirable with a strong graphic. Hannah and I work very closely on make-up looks as she is so clued up on make-up and creating a statement through make-up. I wanted the overall look to be very strong and masculine from the front, yet soft and feminine from the side." Cue frantic googling of Hannah Marshall to try and find a profile catwalk image from the show! I couldn't find one, so you'll have to take Alex's word from it! This is a very unusual look, I say to Alex. She laughs, "I call it slith - the slick goth!"

If you don't know much about Hannah Marshall, you will soon - she has designed outfits for the likes of Florence and the Machine and counts Erin O Connor as a close friend. Erin even suprised the fashionistas on the front row by closing the show. Alex, of course, did her make-up.

I personally love the make-up from this show and I have a step-by-step from Alex on how to recreate it, so I shall put a post up about that later this week!

Alex also worked with Malcolm Pate on a film called 'Encryption' for Hannah Marshall that ran during the show. "It was filmed where I live - it was such a great location, really industrial and fitted the mood perfectly."

Alex also worked on shows for Wintle ["a menwear show with a very strong, Leonardo di Caprio style brow"] and Carolyn Massey ["such fun - the feel was sunburnt, festival boys so I used a lot of reddish bronzer on the face and neck!]


So, other than fashion week, what else has Alex been up to? "I've had a lot of time talking to journalists about my book. Not just fashion and beauty press, but art and culture press too as the book is as much about art and photography as it is about beauty." Sounds tiring. "It is! I also have Homes Etc coming over to my flat soon to run a piece on my decorative style." I'll keep an eye out for that one!

What is on the agenda for this week? "Well, today I have a meeting with Katie to discuss product development and then I am heading over for a Gareth Pugh test shoot." Further probing gives me no details - all artists are sworn to secrecy on their looks with designers until after the show.
As it is Paris Fashion Week next, Alex is set to be very busy, so I ask her how she takes time out. "When I'm in Paris, I always take time to go around the vintage shops. And there is a great bar in the Louvre hotel, which is where anyone whose anyone is after the shows!"

Alex sets off for Paris tomorrow for a test at Anne Valerie Hash in the morning and again with Gareth Pugh in the evening. Wednesday is the show day for both Anne and Gareth and on Thursday I have the test for Veronique Leroy followed by the show on Friday. "I'm then jumping on the Eurostar from Paris to London and early Saturday I will be on a train to the Masterclass is Selfridges Trafford which I am really looking forward to. In the evening I will be back to London and then back on the Eurostar." Phew! "Doesn't stop there - Sunday is the test for Leonard and Monday is the Leonard show. Tuesday is the test for Collette Dinnigan and Wednesday is the show. After that I shall be coming home and chilling out!"

Pink Lips!

London Fashion Week heralded the return of the statement Pink Lip. It has been almost impossible to open a magazine and not see plumped up, barbie like lips and if your alter ego is a Barbie doll-esque type, this is the swatch post for you!

Antonio Berardi, House of Holland and Marc Jacobs [at New York Fashion Week] all created beautiful looks with dazzling pink lips.

I absolutely love a pink lip - depending on the shade and your outfit it can be cute, girly, tongue-in-cheek, sophisticated but always, always confidence boosting.

I had a flick through our Intense Lipglosses this morning and thought I would put together a swatch post that demonstrates to you the depth and range we have of pink lips.

So here we go ...

Petulant

I have to start with Petulant, because it is without a doubt my favourite Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss of the moment [I say that because I am so fickle with lipglosses!] The intensity of the pink is very unexpected judging by the lipgloss case - it's definitely a case of trying it on the back of the hand and then picking your jaw off the floor. The photos below are NOT doing it justice - I really suggest getting to a counter and trying this gloss out for the sheer wow factor!

Below is without flash.

Below is my face of the day with Petulant Intense Lipgloss - this picture has made me realise I need to do some serious eye brow grooming! I am also wearing Powder Eye Shadow in 'Geisha' and Medium Pencil in 'Please' [a really lovely navy pencil that I can't get enough of right now] and a touch of Illuminator in 'Fondle' on my cheeks to perk up my desperately-in-need-of-a-facial complexion!



Frenzy

A great, hot pink that is fuschia - the photo below is not doing it justice as it really is hot hot hot! I think it looks great on all skin tones, but I think blondes with blue eyes who do not wear a lot on their eyes or cheeks would absolutely adore the 'pop' that this pink would give them.

Above is without flash, below is with flash


Indulge

Indulge is our most vibrant pink - very cool and very bubblegum. Again, photos not seeming to do much justice - very frustrating! Extremely pigmented [as ever!] this pure neon pink cannot help but get you noticed!

Above is without flash, below is with flash.



Perform

Perform is a very warm red/pink that is as hot as Petulant but reddier. This colour works extremely well on olive and black skin tones and makes a gorgeous glossy flush on the cheeks, too.



Mistress

Mistress is a gorgeous coral toned lipgloss, with a touch of pink. It is universally flattering, as corals tend to be, and I love it for it's blendability - if used quite sheer [or mixed with Sheer Lipgloss in 'Brilliant'] it becomes pinkier, whereas used generously it builds up into an almost neon orange/coral.

Above is without flash, below is with flash



Femme

A lovely warm gloss with an even mixture of pink, orange and red tones. I love this because it is a softer way to wear red on your lips if you are not 100% confident to wear red.

I personally think this is a colour that would look amazing on black and olive skin tones due to the warmth of the shade.

Above is without flash, below with flash.