Happy New Year!

Hi Everyone! 2010 is finally here and we have some amazing plans for product, distribution and events bubbling at Illamasqua. I will of course keep you all in the loop. We have a very busy few months ahead of us, including an office move - more on that at a later stage!

New Years Eve, to me, is one of those nights where make-up creativity is an absolute staple part of my night. My friends and I normally spend hours choosing a fabulous outfit, killer heels and an extra sparkly make-up look. What is it about Christmas and sparkle!? It just fits!


This was my look for the Big Night. Products I used:

* Rich Liquid Foundation in 140 [dropped 3 foundation shades in 3 months...!]
* Pressed Powder in 005 [for brightening the complexion - this stayed in my bag for the requisite 4am touch up!]
* Powdered Metal in 'Bebhionn' on cheeks, cupids bow and down my arms.

* Illuminator in 'Halcyon' - a lovely pale champagne/ cream for highlighting cheekbones

* Urban Decay Primer Potion
* Cream Eye Shadow in 'Debauch' with Pure Pigment in 'Involve' layered on top for maximum impact.

* Cream Eye Shadow in 'Hunger' to highlight the brow bone - this is one of my favourite products right now
* Medium Pencil in 'Sophie' - lots of this for full on smokey glamour
* Sheer Lipgloss in 'Torture'

Not sure what I was thinking about with the nails... a bit more suited to Halloween than New Years!

The next morning, all I needed was Simple facial wipes to take off my night of excess and upon surfacing I spent about three hours in the bath with Eve Lom's Rescue Mask on - this is my Holy Grail of face products if I am feeling run down - and REN's Moroccan Rose Bath Oil. Divine...

Illamasqua Icons: Greta Garbo

When I think of Greta Garbo, I think beautiful, curved skinny eye brows, perfect cupid bow and one of the most strikingly symmetrical faces of Hollywood's Golden Age.

Garbo was a beautiful actressm, of Nordic origin, who became legendary for her beauty and enigmatic personality. In 1955, she received an Honorary Oscar for "unforgettable screen performances" and has subsequently been ranked as the fifth greatest female star of all time by the Ameican Film Insitute. She was also one of only a handful of actresses to successfully make the transition between silent and "talkies" movies.

Get The Look

Prepping the skin with Matt Primer With SPF 20 is a great start - Garbo loved her skin pale and milky. On top of this, Rich Liquid Foundation, buffed in with a Highlighter Brush would ensure maximum, flawless coverage [and would have made Garbo's skin perfect under the harsh set lights]

Garbo's cheekbones were sharp enough to not need any contouring, but I would suggest Powder Blusher in 'Risk' or 'Mischief' depending on your skin tone, to create the illusion for those of us not so blessed!

The arches look very pencilled, so try Fine Pencil in 'Peace' to lightly trace them in. If you have thick brows, Alex Box taught me a trick of using an old toothbrush, rubbing it in soap, and then slicking your brows back against your skin. Stipple on Rich Liquid Foundation and they just disappear; it's quite extraordinary. You can then line on top of this. Highlight underneath with Powder Eye Shadow in 'Sex' to keep the look matt.

To enhance the depth of her eyes, Garbo has exaggerated her crease line using a cut crease technique - this means minimal blending! I would try a deep slate grey Powder Eye Shadow such as 'Gimp'.

A slick of Eye Liner Cake in 'Mislead' mixed with a drop of Sealing Gel would complete the eye look. Our Eye Liner Cake's were designed with the traditional cakes of the 1920s in mind, so the finish and packaging would be very similar to what Garbo would have used!

Alex Box once told me that actresses in black and white movies used to paint their lips all kind of colours to create different effects of grey within the movie and to add alluring depth to their faces. What a challenge! Garbo would have used a dusky pink for this kind of finish - I love Lipstick in 'Resist' for a beautiful matt result.

Otherwise, we do have a grey Intense Lipgloss for the ultra brave - 'Liaison' is a thick cement grey.

Illamasqua Icons: Edward Scissorhands

This time I have asked Halimah, our Product Development Intern, for her Icon and she was absolutely inspired to come up with Edward Scissorhands! Amazing.

So I asked Halimah, a professional make-up artist in her own right, to advise us on how to get the look [a bit late for Halloween, but ah well!]

"Prep the skin with Rich Liquid Foundation in 100, buffed on with a highlighter brush so it's not too geisha white. Hollow out the eyes and cheeks with Powder Blusher in 'Disobey' and then use Powder Eye Shadow in 'Feint' to enhance the depth of shadow in the collarbones/ cheekbones/ jawline/ temples etc.

If bleaching your eyebrows is going a bit far, use a little extra Rich Liquid Foundation to smooth them down and de-colour them.

For a deeper socket, blend in a generous amount of Powder Eye Shadow in 'Lestat' - a pure black, with a touch of 'Savage' for a multi-tonal look. Powder Eye Shadow in 'Fluke' - a fleshy tone - underneath the eye and around the lash line for a wide-awake, innocent look. Using Medium Pencil in 'Vow' on the waterline will enhance this.

On the lips, line with Medium Pencil in 'Severe' and fill in with Lipstick in 'Diablo' for a gothic berry colour.

Ask An Artist: Foundation Shades Part II

"I've researched online and seen the swatches of RF 215, 205 and 240. 205 looks like the right base of a yellow warm tone although I'm darker that than. Shade 215 looks good but I'm just worried about it being too pink/cool for my skintone (I'm of asian descent). So that's my only worry with this shade. Thanks for your help - Janice."

Halimah, who some of you may know is a freelance artist for Illamasqua, has recently joined the Illamasqua Head Office team, so I now have her infinite product and cosmetic knowledge on tap, yay! I've asked for her help in answering this question...

"Below, I've swatched the foundations on my face. I have swatched both the Rich Liquid Foundation and the Cream Foundation as the colours vary slightly on the skin with the
textures.

I have a light asian skintone. I would recommend that you go with the Rich Foundation in a 215 - there are slight pink tones in this shade, but overall it's a good, warm beige shade suitable for asian skins.

For your reference, from left to right: 210, 240, 215 and 205.

With the Cream Foundations, which are a brilliant texture for everyday or evening due to the
buildable coverage, I would perhaps say the 240 would be a good match. Like you said, you
could always mix it with a slightly lighter shade during the winter months or use it more sparingly - or why not try using it with the Satin Primer for a healthy glow [which we all need in Winter!]

From left to right is 205, 210, 215 and 240.

Rich Foundation Tutorial

This is a great link to the Gossmakeupartist blog - a brilliant demonstration on how to use the Rich Liquid Foundation to get the best out of it.


To summarise:

It can be used neat or mixed with moisturiser/ Primer. As Goss mentions, a little goes a long way so mix about one part Foundation to three parts moisturiser for suitable daytime coverage.

Buffing it in with a brush [our Highlighter Brush is my fave for this] will create a flawless look.

The Foundation will last a very long time, due to the consistency and thickness of the formula meaning you only need to use a little of the product.

Enjoy and thanks Goss!

The Ultimate Foundation Swatch: Part 1 [Rich Liquid Foundation]

Ever since I can remember, I have received at least five emails a week [more like a five day now] from customers asking me if I can match them up to a Foundation shade - either based on another brands colour or by them telling me something along the lines of "I have pale skin, blue eyes and red hair - any suggestions?" Erm...

So to attempt to eradicate this problem I am going to set up Ultimate Foundation Swatches.

Welcome to part 1!

This is the Rich Liquid Foundation swatch, starring Crispian and myself...

100 105 120

RLF 100

This is the palest shade we produce. Make no mistake - this is white. And because it is a Rich Liquid Foundation, it will take even the darkest skins down to white without any natural skin colour coming through - perfect for a pure, theatrical alabaster look.

RLF 105

This has a slightly pink undertone, but is still very pale. Gorgeous for a Marie Antoinette look if you slightly deeper in skin tone, but this has been matched to a great deal of people who are thrilled with the result - I know there are a lot of you who have been searching for high coverage foundations to match your pale skin and this is the lightest 'skin' colour we do!

RLF 120

This has a pink-based foundation and still very light. For an idea of comparison to other brands, I have been told that Gossmakeupartist will be looking in to this in the near future!

125 135 140

RLF 125

This is a yellow based foundation with an ash undertone.

RLF 135

This is another yellow based foundation and the colour that Alex Box used on me at the Alex Box Masterclass, if you want an idea on how it looks on me [I am a 215 from day to day!]

RLF 140

Another yellow based foundation that is one of our best selling colours.

145 205 210 215
RLF 145
This foundation is another of our best selling colours - in terms of skin tone it is the same as RLF 140 - the difference being that it is pink-based. This is the last of the cooler tones of Rich Liquid Foundation.

RLF 205

The first of the warmer foundation shades, this is another best seller - a yellow based beige.

RLF 210

This is similar in skintone to 205 but it is pink based.

RLF 215

This is my colour - a pink based, slightly warmer version of 210.

Me with 215 on [Satin Primer + SPF20 on first, then Rich Liquid Foundation buffed on top]

230 240

RLF 230

This is another warmer shade with a slightly ash undertone.

RLF 240

This is the last in our warmer shades and is a deep, almost apricot type hue that is suitable for olive skin tones [I am doing it no justice!]

320 325
RLF 320

The first in the darker shades, this is suitable for olive/ asian skin tones. It is yellow based, but looks like a lovely tan shade. Thanks again to Crispian!

RLF 325

This is a very popular skin colour for black men and women who are quite red based and is one of our best selling shades.

330 335

RLF 330

This still has a red base, but not as much as the 325. It is actually Crispian's match [if he ever chose to wear foundation...!] although on his arm it looks quite dark.

RLF 335

This is another, darker colour that is very warm with slightly blue undertones.


340 345

RLF 340

This is a more red based, deep brown shade.

RLF 345

This foundation is arguably the darkest we do of the skin shades and has no hint of red or blue undertones.

Below are the foundation, in the order stated above, on a black glossy background:



Coverage

The Rich Liquid Foundation has the highest amount of coverage of any foundation I have ever tried. This makes it perfect for HDTV [it's also called in all the time by press for shoots] as well as being popular with theatre make-up artists.

It can, however, be buffed down to create a less high impact look. I like to apply it after Satin Primer + SPF20 during the day with a Foundation Brush and then buff it in after with the Highlighter Brush for a more natural finish.

If you suffer from redness at all, then it really does wonders at covering it up and means that you can add a pink blusher without feeling overly made up.

I do hope this has helped and I welcome feedback. I will try and do a Cream Foundation and a Light Liquid Foundation next week!

Have a great weekend all.

Illamasqua Icons: Ziggy Stardust

Katie Sangers, Product Development Manager, has chosen David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust as her Illamasqua icon.

A complete innovator in terms of music and style, David Bowie led the alter-ego brigade with Ziggy Stardust - and the Spiders from Mars, of course! Ziggy embodied the musical freedom of the 70s and allowed Bowie to explore his androgynous side.


Get The Look

The character of Ziggy is very theatrical - think bold colours and shapes. For the above look, I would recommend beginning with a base lighter than your natural colour - try Rich Liquid Foundation in '105' for a just off white colour and set for a completely opaque, matt look with Pressed Powder in '010' [a translucent colour]. After this, it's all about painting your blank canvas! Try Powder Blusher in 'Panic' all over the temples and down the cheekbones and let your inner artist emerge! Use Highlighter Brush to blend.

I love how the eyes are almost blended into the blush colour and so just smudge a line of Medium Pencil in 'Sophie' underneath the lower lid.

The lip colour is similar to the cheeks so I would try one of our matt Lipsticks in 'Tramp' for an off-red shade.

Now all you have to do is find some Spiders from Mars et voila!

Foundation Breakdown

Lure: Bring out the face kept hidden. The face of your bolder half. The faces that dares to take on the night...

I receive a lot of emails from international customers interested in our Foundations and asking if I can help them to pick out an accurate colour. I am of the belief that being able to actually try the product on your own face is the best way to judge if the colour is right, texture is suitable and that you like the finish that the product gives you! I hate buying a foundation and then getting home and seeing that it's all wrong...

For those of you who do like to buy foundation of the internet, I've had a chat with Katie, our Product Development Manager and composed a quicklist that will give you an insight into our foundations:

Rich Liquid Foundation

Texture: Extremely rich and thick, suitable for night-time make-up as it creates a fantastic base for colour application.
Performance: Flawless and opaque. Mixes beautifully with Satin Primer for a dewier look. Dries semi-matt.

Skin types: All
Colours:
100 - purest porcelain white
105 - our lightest 'skin' shade
110-145 - best for pale skins
205-240 - best for medium skins
320-335 - best for dark/ black skins
340-355 - blackest black - brilliant for theatrical use as opposed to a real 'skin' shade


Light Liquid Foundation

Texture: Lightweight and airy, with a very fluid consistency.
Performance: Beautifully easy to apply and very cooling. Dries to a dewy, light to medium finish.
Skin types: All
Colours:
100 - purest porcelain white
105 - our lightest 'skin' shade
110-145 - best for pale skins
205-240 - best for medium skins
320-330 - best for dark/ black skins
340-350 - blackest black - brilliant for theatrical use as opposed to a real 'skin' shade
Performance:
Skin types: All, especially combination to dry.


Cream Foundation

Texture: Cream compact that gives a rich, opaque finish but blends beautifully.
Performance: Has a mirror in the compact, so great for on-the-go touchups! Dries to a semi-matt finish with a medium-full coverage and can be used wet or dry.

Skin types: All, especially drier skin types.
Colours:
100 - purest porcelain white
110 - our lightest 'skin' shade
110-145 - best for pale skins
205-240 - best for medium skins
320-330 - best for dark/ black skins
340-350 - blackest black - brilliant for theatrical use as opposed to a real 'skin' shade


Powder Foundation

Texture: Matt finish creamy feel powder.
Performance: Can be used alone or over any of the foundations. Gives a full, matt finish. Also comes with a mirror for touching up on-the-go. To sheer it out a bit, use with a damp sponge or brush and it still dries matt.
Skin types: Especially good for combination to oily skin types.
Colours:
100 - purest porcelain white
105 - our lightest 'skin' shade
110-145 - best for pale skins
205-240 - best for medium skins
320-330 - best for dark/ black skins
340-355 - blackest black - brilliant for theatrical use as opposed to a real 'skin' shade

Thanks to Lucy, our lovely intern and Crispian, our Customer Services Manager for letting me paint their faces whilst they were trying to work! You can see how thrilled they are....!

I hope this helps! I will do similar posts for our Concealers and Powders - leave me a comment if you would like this, or any other similar info on our products.

Illamasqua Icons: Sally Bowles

Part two of our Illamasqua Icon series and this week Kate Massarella, Marketing and Product Director has chosen Liza Minnelli as Sally Bowles in Cabaret.

"It was a close call between Liza Minnelli as Sally Bowles in Cabaret or Edie Sedgwick, but Liza Minnelli won because I just love her!”

Liza Minnelli was born to be a star as the daughter of legendary actress Judy Garland and acclaimed director Vincente Minnelli. Her most successful role was in the Academy Award winning film Cabaret.

Get The Look

With the strong cameras and harsh lighting of the stage, a foundation that really steps up the task, such as Rich Liquid Foundation would be needed to create a flawless canvas on with which to work this strong 40s look. Work a peachy blush such as Powder Blusher in 'Lover' up from the apples of the cheeks to the temples.

The strong eye uses a bluey grey as a base colour and lashings of eyeliner. Cream Eye Shadow in 'Amour' is a beautifully textured blue-grey. Contour heavily with a teal-green around the eye socket [try Powder Eye Shadow in 'Melodrama'] and apply lashing of mascara [Volume Mascara in 'Harness' is an inky black] and a set of false lashes for added impact. I love False Lashes no 15 and False Lashes no 04 for the bottom lashes. Mix a dab of Sealing Gel with Eye Liner Cake in 'Mislead' and generously line both the upper and lower lash lines using a fine brush such as Eye Liner Brush. Create a beauty spot, too!

Use a fine brow pencil to shade in a high arch in the style of Sally Bowles. Fine Pencil in 'Uncanny' is a similar shade to the one in this photograph.
Finish with a bold lip colour – I reckon Sally would have loved Lipstick in 'Scandal'!




“Audiences are the same all over the world, and if you entertain them, they'll respond.” – Liza Minnelli

*Thanks to bubblegarm.blogspot.com for the wonderful image of Lover!*

Box News Flash!

Box News Flash! will aim to update you all with the fabulous fast-paced life of the incomparable Ms Box!

For the past week, Alex has been fretting over the final details of her book with uber-photographer Rankin… but more on that later ;-)

On Wednesday and Thursday of last week, Alex has been working on a photo shoot for a well known fashion glossy with Emmanuelle Seigner and world renowned photographer Dusan Reljin near Waterloo bridge. “It’s great fun – Dusan and James [Rowe, the hairdresser] are larking about with my lipsticks at the moment!” remarks Alex. “Dusan is refusing to take it off!” Check out Alex's camera phone photo below for proof...!

Lipstick in 'Corrupt' was his colour of choice. James Rowe prefers a Medium Pencil in 'Spell' for a bright red lip...
Alex created a flawless base for Emmanuelle using Rich Liquid Foundation and Pressed Powder. To illuminate an otherwise matt base, Alex used Illuminator in 'Halcyon' to attract the light to Emmanuelle’s cheekbones. Illamasqua has a horde of red lip products to suit every skin colour and tone, but Alex’s favourite is a true ‘London bus’ red that is named 'Box' in honour of it’s number one fan! Alex used this colour on Emmanuelle’s lips and created a strong line using Medium Pencil in 'Feisty'.

This week, we have also had Alex in the Office to take a look at our closely-guarded Autumn Winter collection for finalising of product names and to have a photo shoot brainstorm. Which models? What looks? Hair? Clothes? Location? There is so much involved in creating a campaign and Alex works with us at every stage. We will keep you updated on the developments of this exciting collection.

Alex will be flying to Monaco for a shoot with Karl Lagerfeld this week. Let's see if she can get him to slick on a bit of lip colour - I reckon 'Pristine', our jet black Lipstick would be his colour...!