The inspiration for the look at Herve Leger by Max Azria was the girls from the Bond movies.  The make-up artist wanted to highlight beautiful skin with honed bones.  The focus of the look? A wet eye, which they achieved with MAC gold Pigment.  The eye was outlined with MAC Technakohl Eyeliner in Photogravure to give it an additional punch along with a nice coat of MAC Plushlash.  To give additional focus to the eyes, the artist used a "chalky" lip.  Beyond a simple nude, it was a pale, pale matte pink that had the effect of erasing the lips from the model's face.  

The result was a simple, sophisticated look that is pretty and wearable for those with warmer skin tones.  If you've got blue undertones, you can still achieve the look, but I would recommend a little more color on the lips to avoid looking frostbitten.

I talked to M.A.C.'s phenomenal key make-up artist Gucci Westman to get her inspiration on the look for the Miss Sixty show last Sunday. She was working for a mixture of 80s bohemian female figures like Chrissy Hynde and Joan Jett. She stopped before getting too specific with the look to avoid making it look overdone with the clothes.

The focal point of the look was definitely the eyes, and to make them pop, a blue/black Fluidline was used on the eyes, with a little smudge of blue in the corners. And to top it off, lots of mascara on the top and bottom. With the drama all on the eyes, the lips stayed natural with sheer colors.

Continue reading NY Fashion Week: Blue Injection at Miss Sixty.

This Sunday I talked to M.A.C. Artist Victor Gordon at Tunnel, where Jonathan Saunders was showing his collection in New York for the first time. He created a simple make-up look with skin as the star, showcased by a minimalistic hairstyle from Guido Palau, Creative Consultant for Redken. Many designers and artists that I talked to this season told me that their inspiration was a strong woman, a powerful woman, and this is just one of many looks on that theme that I saw this year. Want to know how to achieve it? There's more after the jump.

Continue reading NY Fashion Week: Skin Is the Focus at Jonathan Saunders.

M∙A∙C and NET-A-PORTER.COM add magic to your Fall with this bewitching combo: the M∙A∙C for McQueen collection plus the Alexander McQueen patent leather, suede-lined, mini box-clutch with crystal-jeweled skull clasp. The approximate total retail value is $1,137.00, with the sweepstakes ending December 8th.

Prize Details: Limited edition shades in Lipsticks, Lipglass, Eyeshadow, Paint Pot, Kohl Power, Eye Brows, and Mineralize Skin Finish. Also includes the Alexander McQueen patent leather clutch provided by NET-A-PORTER.

Go to www.maccosmetics.com/mcqueen to enter!

Just as you're trying to decide on your costume for the Halloween party, M·A·C Artists have some unique and imaginative looks for you to consider. BOO!

"Halloween weaves its web of ghoulish deceit. Scary beasts and dandy demons, wicked, wild, fantastical and all illusion."

These are only a few of the looks; see the entire group of M·A·C Artist's inspirations with shade and application information here."

According to September's issue of Glamour, glimmery shadow takes a surprising twist for fall - "One of the prettiest eye looks from the fall shows: a wash of gold for day. No worries, you won't seem discotesque; the shades are sheer."
Photo: Mark Leibowitz

 

Melissa Says: I'm pretty used to using shadow with a touch of shimmer during the day, but usually it's a wash of highlight over jewel-toned shadows, and the effect is more from silver than gold. This, however, is a really wearable daytime look, if you keep it toned down with subtly-lined eyes and a touch of peach-hued blush. I just happened to have what turned out to be a perfect subtle gold to use from the set of M•A•C Paint Pots I recently reviewed, Rubenesque, which, when applied with my fingertip, gave just a touch of pretty gold sheen.

 

It's day one of fashion week, and M A C has issued their fist daily trend report! Here are some of the highlights:

• For Josh Goot's spring collection, makeup artist Phillip Chansel went for a nude look, even on the lips. The cheeks got a bit of contour and highlight, but the main highlights were on the nape of the neck.
• The nude look continued at the Grey Ant show with Make-up artists Tiffany Johnston. She went for a "plastic skin" look with a foundation that lies between matte and dewy. Then, in a turn from the natural look, she went for heavy false lashes with blacked out or blue eyes.
• At the Band of Outsiders show, artist Romy Soleimani broke out the navy eyeliner for their nautically-themed show. She continued the trend of full foundation with lightly contoured cheeks.

Read the full trend report here.

M.A.C.'s always got a wide array of new products at any given moment. They're constantly innovating, and adding new shades and packaging as well. This season it's no different! As a fan of M.A.C. personally, I'm pleased to share with you some of the new products that stand out to me from M.A.C.'s new lines.
-Melissa

The Line: UNTAMED

"This fall, the feather in your cap: the soft pinks, restless plums, downy beiges and wild-spirited plumage of this unique colour collection. In life, love, style and spirit: Untameable."

Standout Products:

Take Wing and Well-Plumed Eyes shadow quads, $35.00 each

The Line: The Long-Anticipated VIVA GLAM VI

"Rockin' out with support from its four new spokespeople, M·A·C VIVA GLAM VI Lipstick and Lipglass! As always, every cent of VIVA GLAM VI goes to the M·A·C AIDS Fund to support people living with HIV/AIDS."

Products:

VIVA GLAM VI Lipstick, $14.00
"VIVA GLAM VI, the newest member of the VIVA GLAM family, is a warm terracotta-plum with pearl finish. Wear it alone or finish it off with a coordinating coat of VIVA GLAM VI Lipglass."

VIVA GLAM VI Tinted Lipglass, $14.00
"A soft neutral pink, in Lipglass's hi-shine gloss finish. The first VG shade to be translated into a Lipglass! VIVA GLAM VI, the second Lipglass in the VIVA GLAM family, is a subtle warm terracotta-peach with white pearl and ultra high-shine finish. Wear it alone or over its namesake Lipstick."

The Line: ROCKOCCO

"Gloriously gilded: a modern rock baroque-cracy. A glorious display of reds and fuchsias embellished by delicate gold and pink pigments. Imperial in its mood, rocking in its majesty: a masterpiece of pigments, attitude and art."

Standout Products:

Lipstick in three new shades (Gel, Overdone and Rockocco), $14.00

Fluidline in sumptuous Fall shades (Brassy, Rich Ground, Macroviolet and Ostentationus), $14.00
"Ultra-smooth, Fluidline’s gel formula provides the precision of a liquid liner with a silkier, softer finish. Goes on “foolproof” with a brush in an easy dip-and-stroke action. Long-wearing. Smudge-proof."

The Line: TECHNACOLOUR

"Eyes go vibrantly "technacolour," as new long-wear propelling liner, Technakohl, and Velvet Eye Shadow's vibrant gem-tone colours match or contrast to line and shade your eyes! Limited edition."

Standout Products:

Technakohl Liner in nine standout shades, $14.50
"A new mechanical pencil-style liner. In formula, soft and creamy, with an intense, rich, colour deposit. Blends on application: dries quickly to a long-wear, non-smudge finish. Versatile. An easy way to line the top and lower lash line of the eye. When applied at a 90 degree angle, provides a thin precision line. For thicker application, apply at a flat angle."

Technacolour Eye Shadow, $13.50
"Highly-pigmented powder. Applies evenly, blends well."

Run, Don't Walk...
I am a ha-UGE fan of M·A·C products, and I'm thrilled to tell you that their holiday collection is availabe starting today. Rich, lush colors and fab, pretty packaging - are you as excited as I am? Go to maccosmetics.com to browse and shop or go HERE to find a store that sells M·A·C products near you. Happy Shopping!
Your DeLush Diva,
Melissa