Bling When You're Winning

Bling When You're Winning..

I know I posted about Kabuki and myface.cosmetics not so long ago, but the legendary make-up artist (and Artistic Director for myface) has been wizarding up so much Kabuki magic of late, that I couldn't help but be inspired.

Not only is he the official make-up artist for Kylie's incredibly well received Aphrodite tour, he also created three "out of this world" looks for Katy Perry's E.T. music video.

The video is directed by one of my favourite image makers of all time, Floria Sigismondi. Floria has been responsible for a host of memorable music imagery, having directed Christina Aguilera's "Fighter" video, The White Stripes' "Blue Orchid" video (starring possibly my favourite supermodel Karen Elson), not to mention shooting the stunning artwork for the divine Siobhan Donaghy's "Ghosts" album. She also directed last year's cult film The Runaways, about legendary female rocker Joan Jett and the eponymous band, starring Kristen Stewart as Joan.

Sadly, the E.T. video features Kanye West, who despite his musical genius, really ought to be issued with a restraining order when it comes making any sort of public commentary, be it at high profile awards ceremonies or on Twitter. The artist formerly known as "nut job" has kept the world's Press (and no doubt his poor PR team) busy with memorable acts of lunacy, such as storming the stage at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards to interrupt Taylor Swift's acceptance speech for the award of Best Female Video, to proclaim:

"Yo Taylor, I'm really happy for you, I'm gonna let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time."

Wow Kanye, how gracious of you..

More recently, on the subject of abortion, he ranted on Twitter:

"An abortion can cost a ballin' n*gga up to 50gs maybe a 100. Gold diggin b*tches be getting pregnant on purpose. STRAPUP my n*ggas!"

Hmm, "getting pregnant on purpose"? Is it just me or is contraception as much the responsibility of the male as it is of the female? And as for his use of the "N" word, for an African American, he seems to be painfully unaware of the slave trade origins of that hideous word. I think he ought to spend some time with US Vogue's Andre Leon Talley, a man so cultured and eloquent, he could start his own finishing school for rappers.

Katy Perry is smart, amusing and has a charming coquettish streak a mile wide, so why collaborate with an unsavoury chap like Kanye? Katy, next time the record label suggests you collaborate again, please say no. On the plus side, in the E.T. video, Kanye is seen floating through space. If we're lucky, Katy left him there (without Twitter access).

Mass-censorship of Kanye aside, let's get back to the glory of Kabuki, and his fabulous looks for the E.T. music video.

Pictured above are Kabuki's sketches for the Alien and Faun looks. A quick Google search online led me to some fabulous tips from Kabuki himself on how to re-create these looks at home (though maybe best saved for Halloween or fancy dress parties).

The Faun Look

"Create graphic eyebrows with a flat angle brush (try the Illamasqua Eye Brow Brush) dipped in dark brown powder (try Illamasqua Powder Eye Shadow in Wolf). Fill in the inner brow and extend the line straight out into a thin spike."

"Use myface mymix foundation in medium 01 (also used for the base), applied with a flat brush to perfect the outline and to mask the real brows (try the Illamasqua Foundation Brush)."

"Fill in the lower inside eye with a soft black pencil (try the myface high def eye pencil in black). Blend into the lashes and taper off into points at the inner corners. Line the upper lash line with black liquid liner (try the Illamasqua Precision Ink in Abyss) and extend the line outward to mimic the line of the new brow."

"Use medium and dark brown powder as a shadow (try myface eyetouch/soulful shade trio in a whole latte love), sculpting the eyelid into the inner brow, and blend the lower line down in a graceful curve, following the bridge of the nose. Use myface r&b rouge blusher in sweet escape to soften the edges and the black liquid liner to sharpen the inner point (try the Illamasqua Precision Ink in Abyss). The lashes are curled (try Shu Uemura eyelash curlers), coated with black mascara (try the myface upload lashes mascara in black), with winged false lashes applied to the top lashes (try the "Nicola" lashes from the Eyelure Girls Aloud lash collection)."

"Create the faun-inspired spots on the forehead and cheekbones with a medium brown concealer, a dry consistency works the best (try the Illamasqua Concealer in CC 320). Start with the larger shapes and work outward to the smaller ones. With a myface high def eye pencil in brown (pictured above), outline the shapes. Use a white pencil (try the Illamasqua Medium Pencil in Elate) to continue the shapes under the outer eyebrow."

If all these written tips leave you confused, why not watch this hilarious You Tube tutorial from AndreasChoice (as posted on Twitter by Katy Perry). I'll post each of her tutorials after every corresponding set of tips from Kabuki:

A shot of a faun-hoofed Katy, hand in hand with her albino alien lover (of the moment male model Shaun Ross) in the closing scene of the video.

These hoof shoes from the late Alexander McQueen's final Darwin show could have been a great accessory choice for the final scene, saving on a lot of CGI expenses (had Lady Gaga's stylist Nicola Formichetti not already used them in her Bad Romance video).

The Alien Look

"Take a bright pink cream foundation (if you can't find one, try a matte lipstick such as Illamasqua's Lipstick in Atomic) and begin to fill in the temples, jaw line, cheekbone to under eye, and in between the inner eyebrow and eye lid. Use a fluffy foundation brush to blend the pink into the white cream (try the Illamasqua Highlighter Brush and white Cream Foundation in CF 100)."

"With a royal blue cream make-up (try the Illamasqua Lipstick in Disciple) define the upper crease of the eyelid and blend outwards and upwards until it wings out the eye in a kind of Egyptian style. Set with powder as you did with the pink (try the pink Illamasqua Powder Eyeshadow in Virus and the blue Illamasqua Powder Eyeshadow in Sadist). Using the same cream, paint a blue border framing the face, making it look like a mask."

"Apply the myface diamonds&pearls blingtone to the upper lid and line the lower water line with white pencil liner (try the Illamasqua Medium Pencil in Elate), extending the line all the way to the edge of the brow. Paint a tapering line of electric blue liquid liner (try mixing the Illamasqua Powder Eyeshadow in Sadist with the Illamasqua Sealing Gel, painting on the with the Illamasqua Angled Eye Liner Brush) under the lower lashes and give it time to dry. Use the myface upload lashes mascara in black on the top and blue mascara on the lower lashes (try the Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Lash Multiplying Volume Mascara in Violet). Apply 3/4 of a false lash to the middle of the lash line (try the Shu Uemura Partial Soft Cross False Eyelashes)."

"Fill in the lips with a dark violet eyeliner pencil and matching lipstick (or just use the Illamasqua Lipstick in Disciple again). Highlight the centre with metallic violet eye shadow, such as the myface blingtone in purple haze)."

Here is the AndreasChoice video tutorial from YouTube:

Loving the Chinese Ming Dynasty style nails.

Why not coordinate the diamonds&pearls blingtone Kabuki used on Katy's eyes for this look with the the corresponding nail colour shade, lil'bling in diamonds&pearls.

Perhaps Lady Deathstrike from X-Men 2 inspired the nail look from the video?

Or maybe they owe their origins to Lo Pan from Big Trouble in Little China?

Katy Perry's stylist for the video Carol Beadle, created the ensembles for the Alien and Tribal looks (the Alien look is pictured above).

She referenced jellyfish and amoebas as inspiration.

The late Alexander McQueen's Darwin collection also paid homage to the beauty of aquatic life.

The Tribal Look

"To create the bold red/orange rectangle around the eyes, I used tape to help mark off straight edges and a broad flat square brush (try the Illamasqua Lipstick in Flare and the Illamasqua Foundation Brush)."

"The eyes are decisively outlined with the myface high def eye pencil in black and black cream eyeliner (try the Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Liner in Black). The inner and outer corners are extended a little and squared off for a digital effect. Large orange Swarovski crystals (try the Sunset Hotfix Rhinestones from amourrocks.com) are used in the centre of the forehead and on the edges of the rectangle around the eyes, like bookends. Lash glue is the best way to apply them (try Duo false eye lash glue). I glued them ahead of time onto a fine orange mesh (try the "Tulor" orange tulle from cheapfabrics.co.uk) and applied it as one piece rather than individually."

"With a flesh coloured pencil (try the Illamasqua Medium Pencil in Hex), lightly sketch a geometric design onto the face. I made stencils ahead of time when I did it on Katy. However, they simply served as a guide; they were all done freehand. Using a light pencil will help cut down on mistakes. Then go over with a navy blue eye pencil (try the Illamasqua Medium Pencil in Please)."

"The lips are nude with a slight lavender tint (try filling in lips with the Illamasqua Medium Pencil in Hex and following with a dot of MAC Lustreglass in Flashmode applied to the centre of lips)."

Here's the AndreasChoice YouTube tutorial for this look:

Here's Madonna sporting a similar look in her "Nothing Really Matters" music video in the late 90's. I call this her Geisha phase, as it is well documented that at the time, she was lobbying to get the lead role in the film adaption of Arthur Golden's best-selling novel Memoirs of a Geisha. The lead role of Sayuri was eventually won by Chinese actress Ziyi Zhang, who was supported by leading Chinese star Gong Li and Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh. The lack of Japanese actresses cast in lead roles created quite a storm, given that the story is set in Japan, focusing on its legendary Geisha heritage.

The second clothing look stylist Carol Beadle created for the E.T. video, again, inspired by jellyfish and amoebas. Loving the Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon pose.

See the resemblance?

A shot of Katy cosying up to hot albino male model du jour Shaun Ross. Albino models are quite the trend of late, as Illamasqua featured a stunning female albino model in the campaign for their Spring/Summer 2011 Toxic Nature make-up collection.

Shaun doing his thing on the cover of Vogue Africa. This shot reminds me of a famous Diana Vreeland quote. Legend has it, that on first meeting Somali supermodel Iman, she remarked "now that's a neck".

myface.cosmetics

mymix foundation in medium 01 - £12.99

high def eye pencil in black - £6.99

high def eye pencil in brown - £6.99

upload lashes mascara in Black - £10.49

eyetouch/soulful shade trio in a whole latte love - £9.99

r&b rouge blusher in sweet escape - £9.99

blingtone in diamonds and pearls - £9.99

blingtone in purple haze - £9.99

lil'bling in diamonds and pearls - £5.99

www.myfacecosmetics.com

www.boots.com

Girls Aloud by Eyelure

Eyelure Girls Aloud Lashes Nicola - £5.36

www.boots.com

Shu Uemura

Eyelash Curlers - £20

Partial Soft Cross False Eyelashes - £15.50

www.shuuemura.co.uk

Estee Lauder

Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Lash Multiplying Volume Mascara in Violet - £22

www.esteelauder.co.uk

Illamasqua

Eye Brow Brush - £18.50

Powder Eye Shadow in Wolf - £15.50

Foundation Brush - £26

Precision Ink in Abyss - £17

Concealer in CC 320 - £13

Medium Pencil in Elate - £13

Lipstick in Atomic - £15.50

Cream Foundation in CF 100 - £21.50

Lipstick in Disciple - £15.50

Powder Eye Shadow in Virus - £15.50

Powder Eye Shadow in Sadist - £15.50

Sealing Gel - £10.50

Angled Eye Liner Brush - £16.50

Lipstick in Flare - £15.50

Medium Pencil in Hex - £13

Medium Pencil in Please - £13

www.illamasqua.com

MAC

Lustreglass in Flashmode - £12.50

www.maccosmetics.co.uk

Laura Mercier

Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Liner in Black - £18.40

www.beautique.com

Amour Rocks

Sunset Hotfix Rhinestones "SS-30" (144 x 6.5mm stones) - £5.25

www.amourrocks.com

Cheap Fabrics

"Tulor" Orange Tulle - £1.99 per metre

www.cheapfabrics.co.uk

The Myface Generation

The Myface Generation..

Myspace revolutionised the way we listened to music and interacted with each other online. Now, the hot new make-up brand Myface Cosmetics is changing the way we approach our make-up. The range is split into three easy-to-shop categories:

Light

Medium

Medium/Dark

Each category comprises of three foundation shades (nine shades in total). Though truly pale and dark skin tones are sadly unaccounted for, the shades they do have, comprehensively cover the various skin tones in between. Each category carries a capsule range of colours, hand-picked by industry experts, to compliment each skin tone, putting an end to the old beauty dilemma of "will this colour suit me?".

Few make-up artists truly achieve "superstar" status in the fashion and beauty industry. Growing up, I was inspired by the likes of Stephane Marais, Francois Nars, Pat McGrath and the late Kevyn Aucoin. Kabuki, the brand's new artistic director, is one of the few artists whose name can be uttered in the same sentence. Though, like contemporaries such as Alex Box, he is undoubtedly a newcomer to the "major league", it's not for lack of talent. Though his star may have taken longer to rise, this in no way means that it shines less brightly than his peers. Like the old adage says; "it's not about the destination, it's the journey", and what a journey he has had.

Part of the original set of New York club kids that set NY nightlife alight in the early 90's; Michael Alig, James St James, Richie Rich, Jenny Talia and Amanda Lepore, based their outrageous attire and antics on legendary performance artist Leigh Bowery's social circle in the 80's (aka The Blitz Kids). Kabuki's talent was first brought to global attention by Pat Field, stylist extraordinaire and wardrobe mistress for Sex And The City. Having known him from the club scene, Pat hired Kabuki to do the stars' make-up for the first two seasons of the show. This opened doors for him. Soon, he was enlisted to do the make-up for the film Party Monster (inspired by his fellow club kids). By this point, the ball was officially rolling. The Photographer Steven Klein saw some work Kabuki created for Italian Vogue, Madonna was soon calling, and the rest as they say, is history.

Every make-up artist of Kabuki's calibre has their trademark signature. Pat McGrath is known for her hands on approach, literally pressing foundation, lipstick and eyeshadow onto models' faces with her fingertips. When I think of Kabuki's work, I think of kaleidoscopic colour, contouring that would give the greatest of Geisha envy, and an "outside-the-box" painterly approach to creativity that pushes the envelope in terms of what we consider to be aesthetically beautiful.

It cannot be denied that his work evokes the traditional Japanese Kabuki theatre make-up his professional name alludes to. Nor can it be ignored that his work echoes that of his 80's predecessor, legendary make-up artist, hair stylist and haute parfumeur Serge Lutens (his work is pictured above). However, for the record, if his work is in fact inspired by either, Kabuki has fused and evolved both styles, creating a unique voice that has its own resonance in a modern market saturated with noise.

Kylie Minogue has been collaborating with Kabuki for some time now. Pictured above, you can see some of his signature work on the cover of her single "2 Hearts".

In a recent cover shoot for OUT magazine, Kabuki used three Myface Blingtone Eye Shadows on Kylie.

He applied Diamonds and Pearls as a highlight to her brow bone, centre of the eyelid and inner corners of the eyes to add radiance and lift the face.

He contoured her eyes with the Blingtone in Sp"ice"y.

He subtly defined Kylie's eyes by softly blending a little of the Blingtone in Black Ice, just beneath the lower lashes.

And it's not just Kylie who has been avidly "downloading" the Myface Blingtone (see what they did there) metallic foil-effect eye shadows. Lily Allen (pictured above) is pretty much a fan of all the colours (result), together with Brit Supermodel Agyness Deyn, Cheryl Cole and Lindsay Lohan (and that's the tip of the iceberg, in reality, the full celebrity fan base reads like the Vanity Fair Oscars party guest list).

To re-create Lily's bronzed eye look, try blending the Blingtone in Morococo all around the eyes, for a smouldering, smokey eye.

Kate Moss is yet another stellar fan of the Myface Blingtones. She often favours a little smudged eyeliner close to her lashes and in the waterline (well she is the quintessential rock chick after all). When combined with a trio of harmonising chocolate shades of eyes shadow, you can easily replicate her gloriously sexy eye make-up at home.

Kate has been blessed with beautiful hazel / green eyes. To make green or hazel eyes pop, a great make-up artist's tip is to smudge a brown eye liner close to the lashes and in the waterline, as the red tones in the brown, emphasise these eye colours beautifully.

The Eyetouch Blingtone Trio in Morococo is one of the most versatile products in the collection, and being neutral, suits all skin tones. Definitely an everyday essential for the stylish girl on the move, who likes her products to do all the work. I suggest using the middle shade on the eye lid, the dark shade as a contour under the eye and into the crease of the lids, and the highlight shade as a soft highlight on the brow bone, inner corners of the eyes, down the bridge of the nose and along the cupid's bow of the lips. I love the versatility of this product. Women have increasingly less time to get ready for work these days, so any multi-functional products are always going to have them reaching for their wallets (especially at these prices).

Flame haired Brit model Olivia Inge (pictured above), professes her love for black mascara. It seems that for all skin tones and eye colours, nothing provides as much instant drama. Think of it like an LBD for your lashes, giving new meaning to "result dressing".

For the best results, curl lashes (I love Shu Uemura and Suqqu eye lash curlers), then work the Myface Upload Mascara in Black in a zig-zag motion from the roots of the lashes, working out towards the tips. This will ensure you get right to the root of the lashes, creating a fuller lash effect, as well as opening the eye for that essential wide eyed Lolita look. Lashes tend to thin as we age, so fuller lashes are one of the quickest ways to cheat a more youthful appearance (who doesn't love a quick beauty fix).

Kay Montano, creative director of Myface Cosmetics, paints the faces of some of the most beautiful women in the world. A favourite for the red carpet, her down-to-earth nature and flair for making women look heavenly, make her the go-to artist for premieres and awards ceremonies.

Hollywood actress Thandie Newton, is in my opinion, one of the most beautiful actresses of her generation. One of Kay's many A-List clients, this is a shot of the look Kay created for Thandie's recent BAFTA appearance. She may not have won an award for her acting that night, but I'm certain that the majority of people in the blogosphere awarded her the award for best dressed and most beautiful (with the sole exception of Julianne Moore (dressed by Tom Ford), who in my eyes is nothing short of divine).

Kay used the Myface Mymix Foundation in Medium/Dark 2 on Thandie to impart a warm, dewy glow to the skin. With a slightly more viscose texture than Chanel's Vitalumiere foundation (without the illuminating mineral pigments), and with more coverage than a Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser, I'd say the Mymix Foundation has the best elements of both. Not only does it make skin look delightfully dewy and youthful, it can be built up to create a medium level of coverage too. All the concealers in the range are colour-matched to each foundation shade, ensuring skin looks flawless. To achieve an immaculate complexion in minutes, blend the foundation over the face with fingers (or a foundation brush if your prefer). Dot the concealer on any areas of discolouration, blue / purple shadows under the eyes, and any redness around the nose and mouth, as well as on blemishes or pigmentation marks. Using the tip of your ring finger, tap the concealer into the foundation, and voila, a flawless airbrushed finish is yours for the flaunting.

To enhance Thandie's beautiful eyes, Kay worked the Myface High Definition Eye Pencil in Black close to the lashes, in the waterline and flicked it out subtly at the edges for a subtle kitten flick. She finished the look with a slick of the Myface Mymix Lipgloss in 136, a sheer berry shade.

Radiant in peach, Hollywood actress Amy Adams also attended the BAFTA's. She rose to fame in the film Enchanted, and looks no less enchanting here.

Kay created Amy's soft and radiant look, using the Myface Mymix Foundation in Fair 1. On Amy's Eyes, Kay used the High Definition Eye Pencil in Brown.

On Amy's lips, Kay used the Myface High Definition Lip Pencil in Nude, following with a slick of the Myface Lipgloss in 136, a sheer berry shade.

I was so pleased to come across this photo of Nicole Kidman from an Omega event last year (she is an ambassador for the brand). I've always been a huge fan of Kidman's naturally red hair, I feel it compliments her porcelain skin so beautifully.

Kay enhanced Nicole's pore-less ivory skin with the Myface Mymix Foundation in Fair 1.

To create Nicole's rosy-cheeked flush, Kay blended the Myface Paradisio Pink Blush across the tops of the apples of her cheeks. The blushes in the range all possess a subtle shimmer (in a similar vein to NARS), which adds radiance and a dewy look to the cheeks, instantly lifting the face.

Kay enhanced Nicole's ice-blue eyes with some subtle shading, using the Myface Eyetouch Soulful Shade Trio in Midnight Hour, a chic combination of pale grey, graphite and black shades.

Supermodel Claudia Schiffer is yet another stellar fan of the products, pictured here at the British Fashion Awards last year. One of the original supermodels, she's doubtless tried the majority of make-up brands. If she's a fan of Myface, they're definitely doing something right.

On Claudia, Kay used the Myface Mymix Foundation in Fair 1.

To enhance Claudia's stunning blue eyes, Kay blended the Myface Eyetouch Soulful Shade Trio in Midnight Hour around her eyes, resulting in a soft but sultry evening look.

Mymix Foundation - £12.99

Mymix Concealer - £7.99

Blusher - £9.99

High Definition Lip Pencil - £6.49

Lip Pop Gloss - £7.99

High Definition Eye Pencil - £6.99

Eyetouch Soulful Shade Trios - £9.99

Eyetouch Blingtone Shade Trios - £14.99

Upload Lashes Mascara - £10.49

Blingtone - £9.99

Myface Cosmetics are available to purchase on the Myface website and at Boots stores:

www.myfacecosmetics.com

www.boots.com

www.kabukimagic.com