Wednesday 24 February 2010

WARMING UP BEFORE MILAN FASHION WEEK

I really hope I will have the chance to work again with Peter Phillips this season...
and while waiting I found this video, I love the make up and the inspiration.
Hope you'll like it too.
enjoy!

Saturday 20 February 2010

MEN FASHION WEEK A/W 2010-2011: ZEGNA

At the E.Zegna show I worked for the first time with Wendy Rowe, a very talented British make up artist.

I found it very easy to get along with her and also  that our way of working is very similar, I guess coming from a British make up school explains why.
The models at Zegna's looked once again groomed but not obviously "made up". So the foundation was very light in texture,  little powder and concealer.
I was very pleased with my work. At the shows we had four guys with dark skintone and as the first one came to me I didn't hesitate and started doing his make up. I ended up doing them all four and being in charge of them on the line up.
Now you probably think that this is perfectly normal, being a make up artist I should be able to work with every skin tones. But it's not like that really...there are people out there that can do amazing work but when it comes to black skin tones they still feel not sure, maybe because they don't have the right colours (in some countries is still quite hard to find them) or simply because throughout their career they didn't have many chances to work with different skin tones.

I was lucky to experiment from the very beginning of my career...At the time I had just finished my course of photographic make up and arranged with a photographer to do a test. I was very excited about my first photo shoot and I remember going to the MAC shop to buy a couple of gorgeous violet eye shadows and a new foundation with some reflecting particles in it. The look was discussed, the clothes ready, the model was booked, everything was done.
The day of the shoot I'm there, punctually waiting for the team when I see the photographer approaching me with a stunning girl who reminded me of ..Halle Berry!! I wanted to cry first and then run away!! We were all so inexperienced (the photographer was a beginner too) that I didn't think to ask if the model was Caucasian or ethnic and he didn't think about telling me!
I pulled it out quite well I must say. I quickly tried to remember what I had on my kit: I only had 2 colours for dark skin, no yellow powder, good selection of lipsticks, and the violet shadows were bright enough. She had great skin, and luckily the shades that I had were fine, everything went very well in the end. phhhhhhewwww!!
After that episode I overcome the fear of working with different tones and living in London, such a multicultural society was helping too.
On this respect I will write a page of do's and dont's and recommended brands for dark skin tones.

But now let's go back to the Zegna show with AN INTERESTING BACKSTAGE VIDEO
and the one of the show:





Enjoy!!

Friday 19 February 2010

MEN FASHION WEEK A/W 2010/11: CANALI

I was the key make up artist for the CANALI show at Milan Fashion Week men, and everything went deliciously smooth!
The backstage area was massive, people were lovely, models not too difficult and the hair key was a dear friend of mine, I couldn't ask for more.

Make up wise it was very simple.Working with the most talented international make up artists has thought me that the less is better.
So with the help of my lovely assistants I prepared the skin with a nice hydrating yet mattifying moisturiser and fixed the beard/stub where it wasn't even.
To follow a very nice and thin layer of face and body by MAC, concealer on imperfections and a tiny bit under the eyes (the guys had to look elegant and groomed but not overdone).
Powder and blotting tissues at the end for touch ups on the line.

The show itself was spectacular! it opened with amazing  sand drawing of  Kseniya Simonova, from which the models themself were coming out.
Here the videos:





For more pictures and details check out this  very interesting blog!

MEN FASHION WEEK A/W 2010/11: MISSONI

The week started with an unusual show..
At Missoni they liked to be a little different..instead of doing the tradional runaway show they went for a "catwalk on the road". Literally the boyz walked from the Missoni showroom, through the Duomo to the Galleria.
It think it was a great idea, a perfect way to start la settimana della moda.




Thursday 11 February 2010

BEHIND THE SCENES - MALES DO WEAR MAKE-UP.

I get asked all the time if male models wear make-up...

I guess it's a legitimate question for people who don't work in the industry....
...and the answer is yes, they do, indeed.
Generally for male models we take care of the skin - so we cover blemishes, dark circles, take away the shiness, by using a foundation or a tinted moisturiser or just concealer, or even just powder. Sometimes the look implies the use of eyeliner or eyeshadow, or even crazy aqua colours, it can vary depending on the type of jobs and what the client wants.
I'm going to publish backstage pictures from a photo shoot I did last autumn, where Fabien was wearing face and eye make up.


 
and pictures of the photoshoot:
 
 

Tuesday 9 February 2010

TRUCCO

We never stop learning...
For years I believed that no matter what a lipgloss is a lipgloss i.e. very different from a lipstick, and  because of it's texture and it's nature it's bound to come off and doesn't last very long.
So I never believed in super long lasting formulas etc etc..until I tried the TRUCCO's one.
Dear make up lovers that TRUCCO lipgloss is amazing!. I used it on a shoot on location where the model where standing on the top of  a hill and I couldn't reach her too often...each time I had a chance I was running to her to retouch her lips..to find out that I didn't need to, the gloss was still there, immaculate, on his deepest cherry colour. And there's a bonus: it smells delicious!
Now...the bad news is that I don't know  where I can find this brand in Italy. . TRUCCO is the make up line of SEBASTIAN HAIR CARE. I've managed to get that gloss a while ago from a collegue in the UK..but I've heard  that sadly the brand has been disontinued.
I will definitely investigate to find out if it's true, in the meantime I'll give you a couple of links wher you can purchase them:
http://www.ballbeauty.com/trucco_divinyls_lip_gloss.htm
http://www.haircareusa.com/sabastian_trucco_index.htm
and last but not least the good old ebay
http://health-beauty.shop.ebay.com/Sebastian-Trucco-/159852/i.html

Enjoy!!!!
xxx