Make-up Trend: Flirty Pink Cheeks and Lips

At the Filmfare Awards, Sameera Reddy stood out with her flirty pink cheeks and lips combo. To get her look, apply a black eyeliner to your upper lids only and then coat your lashes, top and bottom, with black mascara. Rim your lower lash line with a champagne gold shadow in your inner corners, stop midway, and line the remaining of your lower lash line with a royal blue shadow. Using two fingers, blend a rosy cream blush on the apples of your cheeks. Finish off with a stain and a rosy lipgloss.

Rec: Stila Yumberry Crush and Pomegranate Crush Lip and Cheek Stain

Make-up Trend: Black Eyeliner and Red Lips

Matte berry-red lips and black eye liner don't need to be overwhelming, like Asin showed us at the Filmfare nominations party. To get her look rim your upper lids, starting in the inner corners and drawing out. Thicken the line toward the outer edges, continue on to the bottom, focusing the liner only in your waterline. Then, using a small pointed brush, dab a tiny amount of champagne-gold powder shadow in the inner corners only. For the lips, dab a tiny bit of foundation on your mouth to keep the red looking as it is in the tube. Then fill your lips with a red liner, to create a base for the lipstick. Apply the lipstick on top and you're all set.

Rec: Clinique Brush-On Cream Liner in True Black; Chanel Rouge Allure Luminous Satin Lip Color in Exotic

Make-up Trend: Icy Pink Lips

For her latest photoshoot Shruti Hassan went the icy route, with her lips of course! To try a frosty shade without the early 90's vibe, skip glosses with chunky silver glitter in them, and instead choose a chubby lip pencil based on the color itself. A girly pink shade with a subtle luminescence looks classy and edgy all at once.

Rec:  NARS Roman Holiday Velvet Matte Lip Pencil

Padma Lakshmi's Everyday Nude Look [Make-up Breakdown]

 

Padma Lakshmi is known for her gorgeous skin and her beautiful almond shaped eyes, that's why it comes as no surprise that she doesn't have any foundation in this picture. For a cover shoot for Allure Magazine, she looked absolutely beautiful with neutral eyes and lips. To get her look, apply a mink-brown eye shadow over your eyelids, darkening it in the creases and fanning it up toward the brow bone. Thinly line your upper and lower lids with charcoal eyeliner and add black mascara to your top lashes. With a large fluffy brush, dust a soft-brown blush on the apples of your cheeks and blend outward. Apply a creamy lipstick with a lip brush to keep the color from looking too dense.

Make-up Trend: Charcoal Smoky Eyes

Liz Hurley may have committed a fashion faux pas with her blouseless saree at the De Beers Love Ball, but her charcoal smoky eyes partly made up for the mistake. To get her look, lightly dust your eyelids with charcoal eye shadow. Trace your top and bottom lash lines with the same shadow, sticking as close to the lash lines as possible. Smudge with a cotton swab. Curl lashes and apply two to three coats of black mascara. To finish the look, apply a light peachy-pink blush on your cheeks and a peachy-nude lipstick on your lips.

Rec: Lorac Drama Baked Matte Satin Eye Shadow

Style Speak Make-up Trends for Spring/Summer 2010

 

(Click on the images to zoom in)

Style Speak Hair Trends of the Month

(Click on the images to zoom in)

Style Speak's February 2010 Beauty Scans [Interview with Make-up Artist Natasha Lakic]

(Click on the images to zoom in)

Style Speak's February 2010 Beauty Scans [Editor Picks of the Month]

 (Click on the images to zoom in)

Make-up Trend: Brown Smoky Eyes

For the Harper's Bazaar India Anniversary issue, Katrina Kaif sports some fierce brown smoky eyes with dewy skin and nude lips. To replicate the look, sweep bronze eye shadow over your lids, apply gray eye shadow around the inner corners of your eyes. Line your upper and lower lash lines with a creamy eye liner, and add mascara. Use a cream peachy-bronze blush and buff a beige highlighter on top. To finish off, apply a creamy nude lipstick.

Rec: Tarte Flower Child Natural Eyeshadow Palette

Make-up Trend: Dark Lips

This spring it's all about dark lipsticks. A darker lip shade will add edge to spring's new pastel trends for clothes. Neha Dhupia is in tune by pairing her bold cranberry lips with a gray Salvatore Ferragamo dress, channeling a vampier vibe for the evening. And if you've already started buying into spring's lighter fabrics and nude hues, then nothing looks more striking than a contrasting dark lip shade. Keep your colors matte and apply with a lipstick brush for a soft and perfect pout.

Rec:  NARS Rouge D'Enfer Lipstick

Make-up Trend: Burgundy-Wine Lips

At the Waves Concert, Freida Pinto showed us that burgundy-wine lips look modern when paired with fresh skin and a touch of blush. Don't go heavy on the eyes with such a bold lip because it can look too harsh. Instead opt for a small stiff brush to apply color in short strokes along the natural lip line, then fill the rest of your mouth. For polished skin, smooth concealer only where needed then dab a berry cream blush on your cheeks.

Rec: Sephora Lush Flush Wine Lip & Cheek Stain

Make-up Trend: Layered Lipstains

At a recent wedding, Diya spiced up her lips with a pink tint. Diya rarely wears bright lips so her make-up artist decided to layer lip tints to create the perfect lip look. Diya's make-up artist decided to do a wash of color on the mouth for more of a stained feel rather than a heavy lip. Also, the same deep pink tint on the was used on her cheeks and lips, then topped with a pink gloss.

Rec: Tarte Amused and Charmed Natural Lip Stains with LipSurgence™ Technology

Make-up Trend: Purple Smoky Eyes

 

Kajol looked stunning at the Berlin International Film Festival, her purple smoky eyes looked captivating and made her eyes pop. To get her simple look, use a black eye pencil to trace your top lash line from the inner corner to the outer. Then, use the same pencil on your lower lash line and smudge both the top and bottom. Apply an eggplant eye shadow over your lid and into your crease, blending the color up and outward. Dust a nude highlighting eye shadow over just your browbone and finish off with two coats of black mascara.

Rec: M.A.C Color 3 Eyeshadow Palette (colors used: Mink Pink; Jungle Moon)

Make-up Trend: Sheer Peachy Cheeks

On the latest issue of Harper's India, model Lisa Haydon looks classy and modern. One key note, 'bronzer isn't the only way to brighten up your face during winter'. A powder blush that's more peach than pink will have a similar effect. And be sure to brush on the apples of your cheeks and the bridge of your nose. When you already have a touch of color in your skin, a salmon shade adds more contrast and light than plain 'ol bronzer.


Rec: NARS Passion Blush

Make-up Trend: Pastel-Blue Shadow

Always wanted to experiment with blue shadow, but felt like it was a little intimidating? Sonam Kapoor rocks blue shadow like no other at the Kala Ghoda Festival. The key to this look is to play with a sapphire shade and keep the shadow on the lid. While using blues, apply a smoky gray to the crease to keep the look slightly smoky. It's less severe, universally flattering, and equally as sophisticated.

Rec: M.A.C Winkle Eye Shadow

Make-up Trend: Matte Red Lips

What's more glamorous than red lipstick and rubies? At Maheep Kapoor's Valentine's Day Showcase, Sohail Khan's wife Seema Khan, showed off both. What's the rule with red lips? If your skin is glowy, opt for a matte red on your mouth; if you want shiny lips, keep your complexion shine-free. And of course—rubies go with anything.

Rec: Sephora The Red 04 Rouge Cream Lipstick

Make-up Trend: Subtle Gold Eye Shadow

Gold may be a regal shade, but as Anusha Dandekar showed off at a Valentine's Day Showcase, it doesn't have to be gaudy and bright. To try a low-key version of the look, rim your top and bottom lashes with dark brown liner, and top it off with a few strokes of sheer gold shadow. Don't cover your entire lid instead, blend it to your crease, it will keep the look sophisticated and restrained.

Rec:  Laura Mercier Gold Dust Eye Color

Make-up Trend: Dark Smoky Eyes

Kajol looked absolutely gorgeous in a red saree and smoldering, smokey eyes at the My Name Is Khan premiere in Abu Dhabi. Make-up artist Mickey Contractor applied M.A.C Blacktrack Fluidline as a base, to get the black to really show up. Next, apply M.A.C Carbon Eye Shadow on your entire lid, blend M.A.C Print Eye Shadow in your crease and blend the shadows well together. To finish off, apply M.A.C Orb Eye Shadow to your brow bone, and make sure to blend the crease and brow bone well. Finish off with M.A.C Blacktrack Fluidline in your waterline and two to three coats of mascara.

Rec: All the products above

Make-up Trend: Youthful, Glowy Skin

Diya Mirza looked sophisticated at Kaifi Azmi's book launch, and her make-up reflected just that vibe. To give your skin a young, glowy appeal, blend on a lightweight foundation. Apply it with a foundation brush to give it a more luminous feeling. A dose of a peachy highlighter on the apples of the cheeks adds a natural flush.

Rec: Laura Mercier Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20

Make-up Trend: Matte Pink Lips

On the latest issue of Verve, Vidya Balan looks ever so gorgeous in all white and matte pink lips. To give the shade a soft romantic touch, choose a matte formulation and apply sparingly with a soft lip brush. When your lips are matte, keep your skin dewy—it keeps the whole look youthful looking.

Rec: Illamasqua Lipstick in Wanton

Make-up Trend: Contoured Eye Shadow

On the latest issue of Maxim India Deepika shows us a sophisticated, sculpted and elegant look that can be entirely modern. Blend a lighter shade up to the crease of your lid, then top it with a darker hue along the brow bone. Use a soft brush—not the wand some shadows come with—for more even coverage. Use your index finger to smudge yellow gold shadow in the inner corners of your eyes for a playful touch of light. Finish off with some eyeliner and mascara and you're all set.

Rec: Yves Saint Laurent OMBRES 5 LUMIÈRES in Tawny

Vimi Joshi's Pro Tips for Winter '10

• Dark and smoky eyes are in.
  
  
• Neon orange and neon magenta lips are fashionable and apply in layers.
  
  
• In order to get to the contours of your skin, always apply a generous amount of moisturizer to soothe and even the skin before applying makeup. This immediately refreshes sallow skin.
  
  
• Dab some lip liner if you don't want heavy coated lipstick.

Tip of the Day by M.A.C Senior Artist Vimi Joshi [9]

M.A.C Senior Artist, Vimi Joshi, recently tweeted that she, "Just re-discovered the M.A.C Rosemary & Thyme Eye Kohl. Its looks great for creating a wonderful smokey eye look."

Verve's Beauty Forecast [January]

Beauty and make-up trends tend to change subtly from season to season. So, every year the color schemes follow a palette similar to the previous one – though usually with a slight noticeable twist. We would normally not change the colors for the foundation and concealers that we use as they depend on our skin tone, but while making up our eyes, lips, hair and nails it’s best to keep in sync with the current trends. Verve asks experts for the latest lowdown for 2010!

Emphasized Eyebrows

At one time the eyebrow was probably one of the most undervalued features of the face but as fashions changed, people began paying more and more attention to it. The 1920s were all about thin and straight brows; arches dominated the 1950s and Brooke Shields’ infamous bushy eyebrows brought us the ‘untamed’ look in the 1980s.
The current trend focuses on accentuating your brows. “Eyebrows are important this season; the emphasis is on thick and dark brows which highlight the expression of your eyes. The trick is to fill in your brows with the appropriate color – black or brown – using a dark pencil, depending on what works best for you. You need to emphasize your eyebrows and make them stand out,” says Meeta Awatramani, training manager, Clarins, India. This look works best for Indians as we are already blessed with nice, shapely eyebrows; it balances the face and is easier to maintain.

Power Eyes

Eye make-up visibly changes every season, particularly from summer to winter. Make-up and hair stylist Vipul Bhagat says, “Bright colors always work well for me. My current favorites are black or silver glitter over the eyelids.” He recommends even shades like blue, green, bronze and yellow. Applying a shade of grey or black to the corners of your eyelids tones down the bright effect.
The long slanted liner is a big rage now. “You need to exaggerate the contour all the way to the temple. If you have a really steady hand then follow the shape of your eyelid with an eye-liner and just pull a bit at the ends. If you are not comfortable using the liner, use a brush and eyeshadow for a similar look,” advises make-up artist, Kapil Ghatge.

Voluptuous Lips

Dark, bold lips in almost neon shades are huge this season. Focusing on just the lips and keeping the rest of your make-up – like eyes and cheeks toned down – really brings out this look. Although deep shades of reds, pinks and oranges are in, remember that these shades are ‘high maintenance’. They need to constantly be touched up, as the colors start wearing off. “Use them in the day only if you are sitting in an air-conditioned environment or when you are going out in the night,” suggests Bhagat.

Voluminous Lashes

An essential part of making a fashion statement, they are now available in different colors and according to the size of your eyes. The most commonly used colors are brown and black, as they are the most natural and easy to pull off. People are even adorning their lashes with crystals and sequins! Artificial eyelashes open out your eyes making them look bigger, bolder and prettier. But they are tricky to wear on your own. If you are unable to put them on, the best option would be to double up on the mascara to enhance your peepers. “Make your lashes long and extremely voluminous in 2010!” says Tashnu Khariwala, brand manager, Shiseido.

Lustrous hair

Straight hair is out! Waves are in. Volume will continue to be a big trend this year. “For people who don’t like to experiment too much with their hair, it is advisable to maintain mid-length locks with soft waves. If you don’t mind a little bit of experimentation, you can try anything from the ’60s-inspired short bobs to the pixie cuts that are back,” urges hair stylist Raika Vaswani. Hair colour seems to have changed quite a bit for the upcoming year. Deep shades of brown, plums, shades of auburn and mahogany along with bright bold red and black undertones, with maybe a lavender hue, would work best for us.

Bright/Dark Nails

We use our hands for everything we do, so maintaining them is important. The nail polish can speak volumes about a woman – if it’s a shade of red you know that the woman wants to look sexy; black indicates daring and a French manicure is a clue that someone is playing it safe and simple. Matte manicures are making a strong comeback for 2010. Gel and acrylic nails have also been around for sometime now and are still in, in a big way – be it digital prints on nails or the regular French manicure. Make-up artist Ritika Karna says, “French-manicured acrylic nails are the most practical as they don’t need to be constantly touched up and look very elegant.” For nail colours the palette is varied, they can be anything from bright orange, yellow, red, pink, cool blues, purples and black which is still trendy.

Make-up Trend: Shiny Nude Lips

While promoting MNIK at a radio show for BBC Network Kajol looked polished and elegant. Her fresh nude lip was a three step process. Make-up artist, Mickey Contractor wanted the lips to be perfect, so he lined them ever so lightly with a warm brown pencil, then topped it off with a creamy peachy nude lipstick. "I finished by highlighting the center of the lips with a few swipes of shimmery gloss,” he said.

Rec: M.A.C Jubilee Lipstick

Katy Perry's Indian Make-up Breakdown [Grammys '10]

Katy Perry's latest trip from India inspired her look at the Grammys, which in my opinion is perfect for a wedding or a perfect desi dinner party.

On to the breakdown, makeup artist Jake Bailey used the bindis Katy Perry brought back from a recent trip to India as inspiration to create a Betty Page, Indian princess look for the singer to rock at the 2010 Grammys. Here’s what was used:

Face

• Make Up For Ever HD Invisible Cover Foundation
  
• Dust Guerlain Les Violettes Matte Touch Powder all over the face to set the foundation
• Highlight the apples of the cheeks with Benefit CORALista Blush
  

Eyes

• Create a smoky eye with CoverGirl Smoky Shadow Blast in Purple Plume and Bronze Fire
• CoverGirl LashBlast Length Mascara in Black
  

Lips

• CoverGirl Outlast Lipstain in Wild Berry Wink
  

Vogue India Beauty Page [February 2010]

(Click on the image to zoom-in)

Mickey Contractor on M.A.C Cosmetics Website

For my readers that have been reading my blog, you probably know that my two most favorite make-up artists are: Mickey Contractor and Vimi Joshi. Their artistry is one that I can only dream of achieving some day.

So, it came to me as a surprise that after many years of being a fan of Mickey's and wondering why the guy's (who brought M.A.C to India) name wasn't on the official website? I finally saw his name on M.A.C Cosmetics. Congratulations Mickey!

MICKEY C: INDIA

Years in Makeup:
1979

On the art of makeup:
You either get it or you don't.

Creative Influence:
Bollywood item girl Helen and Bollywood movies - There's so much color, vibrancy and inspiration.

Most important tool:
My hands

Favorite M.A.C product (consumer)
Blacktrack Fluidline

Favorite M.A.C product (M.A.C PRO)
Reflect Glitters

Favorite feature:
Definitely the eyes

Most admired makeup artists:
Kevin Aucoin

Most respected designers:
Armani

Artist Tips:

Here's a simple quick trick for applying foundation that's a big hit with anyone who likes a light coverage.After generously moisturizing your face, use Select Moisturecover Concealer only on the T-Zone and under eyes and blend outwards to get an even finish. Lightly dust over it with Loose Invisible Powder, so it sets and gives a smooth, well-groomed look. Now you're ready to go and in half the time!