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...

Francesco's Personal Appearance at BT2, Dublin 27th-29th August

Francesco Lo Cascio is a ten year veteran of the beauty industry. He began his studies at the London College of Fashion, where he studied make-up artisty. On completion of his formal training, he lent his crative skills and expertise to such various projects as the MTV Music Awards, the Academy Award nominated film Billy Elliot and as a freelance make-up artist with a client stable including Christy Turlington, Eva Herzigova, Destiny's Child, Kate Moss, Isabella Blow and the Sugababes.

Francesco's artistic talents also extends to the world of fashion, where he was worked behind the scenes at Fendi, Alexander McQueen, Alessandro Dell'Acqua and MaxMara.
Francesco has also contributed his talents to creating beauty looks for editorial features in publications such as Vogue Italia, Marie Claire (Italy), Vogue Bambini, You Magazine and Vogue Espana.

As an artist, Francesco acts as a liaison between the high fashion and consumer
worlds. His immense talent and experience enables him to understand and
exemplify all that makes Illamasqua truly unique, and his technique and
understanding of this brand trademark style make him an integral part of the team. I grabbed a quick word with him to find out a little more about him...

So Francesco, what is your favourite Illamasqua product, and why?

I love the Cream Foundation, as you can use it day or night because of the variable coverage. I buff it into the skin using the amazing Highlighter Brush.

Sealing Gel, used with the Eyebrow Brush with any coloured Powder Eye Shadow creates a great coloured mascara. Stroke the brush through the lashes to seperate and colour.

Who are your inspirations in the world of beauty/ fashion/ popular culture?



It would have to be Sophia Loren, Madonna, Gwen Stefani and Linda Evangelista. I have been very influenced by artists that I have had the pleasure of working with; Alex Box, Pat McGrath, Topolino... they are true artists.

What is your top tip?

I use the Medium Pencil in 'Sophie' thickly across the lash line. I then take some Pure Pigment in 'Fervent' and smudge all over the eye lid with the Eye Shadow Brush to create a smoky, elegant sparkling eye.

I also love to mix the Medium Pencils with Pure Pigments on the back of the hand prior to application - this creates so many new colours!

What would you say is your personal style?

I am a very minimalist make-up artist - I like to use as few products as possible to create a lot of different looks. I like products that are versatile and I love to use vibrant colours.

I have had many inquiries as how to best use the Illuminators. Can you give our readers some advice?

Yes - you can mix the Satin Primer with the Illuminator in 'Halcyon' to create dewy, glowing skin. On it's own, I would recommend smoothing the Illuminator down the cheekbones, nose and across the T zone to pick up and reflect light without making you look 'greasy'. I also especially recommend 'Fondle' [the peachy pink colour with gold particles] for black skin. It's the best!

Francesco will be making a personal appearance at the Illamasqua counter at BT2, Grafton Street in Dublin from the 27th - 29th August. To book, call +353 1 (0) 6056666 and ask for the Illamasqua counter.

Swatches: Illuminators

I have had several requests of the past couple of weeks to do a swatch post for Illuminators, so here it is!

Illuminate your darker side with this intense colour that highlights and enhances wherever it’s applied. Goes on wet but dries quickly, leaving a high-shine reflective finish that lasts all night. Use it on cheeks, under brows, or on any other part of your body where you want to draw attention.

Fondle



I adore this colour; it's a bright peachy pink with gold flecks in it. Very pretty on most skin types and especially in sunny weather as the gold flecks reflect the light stunningly. What I like about this one the most is that you can sheer it down a lot so that the gold mixes with the pink to an almost unnoticable degree - great if you are wanting a subtle look with just a hint of sheer pink shimmer. However, if you want bold and sassy colour, it builds up incredibly well because it dries so quickly. It looks fab on eyes and lips as well for an unexpected sparkle.

Glimmer


Glimmer is half way between a gold and a bronze, in my view. I love to mix this with my Cream Foundation on the back of my hand before buffing in with the Highlighter Brush [which I have been using on a daily basis since February following Alex Box's advice, and it hasn't shed on me once...] if I have been using St Tropez [the new range is fragrance free, has anyone tried it? Magic!] and want a touch of colour on my face. It isn't glittery shimmer; it's very finely milled shimmer particles, which I much prefer myself.

Odyssey


Definitely the best Illuminator in terms of highlighting - this is a rich pearlescent white that seems to work well on all skin tones. Dab onto the centre of the eye lid to make the eye 'pop'or under the brow, down the centre of the nose, across the cheekbones, temples, cupids bow... you name it, it'll work beautifully there!

Halcyon


An ivory/ champagne coloured shimmer - almost like a liquid Pure Pigment 'Furore'. I love this slicked over eyes for a wet look, glossy eye. Like 'Furore' it picks up light beautifully and is universally flattering. [second from right]

Poised


This baby pink looks lovely pressed into the apples of cheeks or on lips for a cute splash of colour. I personally like to use it on the eye lids and then blend Powder Eye Shadow in 'Fatal' into the outer corner of the eye and along the socket for texture contrast.


* Thanks to Kraseybeauty for swatches*

Illamasqua Loves Diamonds [And Marina of course!]

As I reported last week, Marina and the Diamonds played a set at the Sanderson Predicts event at the exclusive Sanderson hotel in London.

My friend and I headed down after work to catch the set and met Halimah, who had created the look for Marina that night. After a cocktail or two in the Long Bar [order the 'Sweet Thing' - at £11 it's not cheap but its a delicious concoction of crushed strawberries, vanilla vodka and apple juice - yum] we grabbed a spot near the make-shift stage in the garden area ready for Marina to make her appearance.

And what an appearance it was. I was unfamiliar with her music before the set, but I cannot stop downloading her tunes now - I am especially loving 'I Am Not A Robot'. Watch the video here - it was shot by Rankin and is a really edgy video.

Marina appeared wearing a tight fitting American Apparel dress [with a fabulous Pollock-style art print that I adored] and spun through her tracks such as 'Seventeen', and 'Mowgli's Road' before finishing with a storming cover of Gwen Stefani's 'What you waiting for' and the next single 'I am not a Robot'. The rain was beating down on the roof of the garden, but this just added to the atmosphere as Marina unleashed her sultry, yet unexpected, astonishing voice upon a mix of industry types, skinny-jeaned cool kids and the Long Bar regulars.

After the set I had a quick chat with her and she loved the make-up that Halimah did for her. She was really friendly and down to earth and was looking forward to staying in the Presedential Suite that night!

I spoke to Halimah about the look she created: "Marina wanted something that was going to be high impact, with a smoky eye and big, fluttering lashes [I used False Eye Lashes 16]. I prepped her skin with Satin Primer + SPF20 to give a dewy glow with Cream Foundation in 215 on top and Cream Blusher in 'Promise' to enhance her fresh faced appeal and a touch of Cream Blusher in 'Lies' for a subtle highlight.

I used Cream Eye Shadow in 'Delight' for a pinky nude base and layered on Pure Pigment in Marvel for a yellow gold shimmer with Liquid Metal in Solstice for a bright, impactful look. I then shaded into the crease and along the lashline with Powder Eye Shadow in 'Never' - a gorgeous navy blue. I followed this with the lashes and then applied Eye Liner Cake in Mislead along the lash line and flicking it out at the ends for a cat-like look.

I used the Eye Brow Cake 'Thunder' to create a dramatic brow to mirror the smoky eye idea and finished with a dusting of Pure Pigment in Furore under the brows, in the corner of the inner eye and along her arms for some champagne coloured shimmer. Her lips were finished with a touch of Cream Blusher in 'Promise' and topped off with Sheer Lipgloss in 'Soul' for a shimmering, pinky nude compliment to the strong eye look."

Sanderson [and Illamasqua!] predicts big things for this girl and with her album launch in January 2010 she is definitely one to watch. She also has a blog! marinaandthediamonds.com. Follow this link to see her thoughts on Illamasqua!

A Swatch Request!

I got an email yesterday from an American customer who was having problems differentiating between certain colours on the website, so I took the liberty of swatching them all below! I've put in a couple of product descriptions too, that I hope help...

Illuminator

Below is 'Halcyon' on the left and 'Odyssey' on the right - Halcyon is a pale gold, beautiful on warm skin tones and Odyssey is a pale silver suitable for cooler skintones. Beautiful swiped over collabones too for a hint of glimmer. I have been asked the difference between our Liquid Metals and Illuminators and the answer is that Illuminators were created for more subtle highlighting and colour. Liquid Metals are more intense and creamier in consistency.

Pure Pigment

On the left is 'Furore' and on the right is 'Tingle'. Yesterday we recieved our first complete sales data from all our counters and the top selling product in Cardiff was Pure Pigment in 'Furore'. This shade is a gorgeous champagne colour that I believe is one of the most versatile and universally flattering colours we have in the entire collection. LOVE! 'Tingle' is a pale cream/ white colour with a silver undertone. Looks lovely on cool skin tones.

... and some swatches below [with Shimmer Cream in 'Eternal' on left...]


Lip Products

On the top row we have 'Obey', one of my favourite Lipsticks that have in our extensive collection - it's a nude/ pink colour that interestingly seems to look nuder on some people and pinker on others! Again, it looks good on all skin tones. 'Maneater' is our second best-selling red Lipstick [after Box, of course!] and is a very blue red. 'Nubile' is one of our shimmer based Lipsticks and is a lovely baby pink with tiny silver flecks.

Below this, we have a line of glosses! 'Rouse' is a baby pink Sheer Lipgloss that looks fabulous on top of reds and nudes to 'pink them up' a bit. 'Fierce' is exactly that; a very intense purple Intense Lipgloss that completely wipes out your natural lip colour, so if you are wary of wearing purple gloss because it starts to go a bit pinky as it fades, no need to worry with this one! It looks especially gorgeous on fair skin with dark hair, in my opinion. Lastly we have 'Embroil' - a difficult colour to pull off as it is a greyish nude. However, it still has a fan club judging by internet sales!


Below are two more Intense lipglosses - 'Absorb' is a slightly warmer shade than 'Lucid' but they are both glossy nudes that completely take away any of your normal lip colour and replace it with a real nude hue.

Below those are two Powder Blushers - 'Nymph' is a bright bluey pink and 'Hussy' is a warmer slightly apricot pink. These are both intense but don't come out this bright if you use them with caution! They are also ultra blendable and easy to build up for exactly the right amount of intensity for your look.

Last, but not least, are the requested Nail Varnish swatches - obviously these look different on a black background, but I thought it made quite an interesting swatch. On the far left is Baptiste, which was our best selling colour in the Winter months. It's a glow-from-within type Nail Varnish. If you want to see some great and telling reviews of this product on an actual nail click here.

In the middle is 'Phallic', which is similar to 'Baptiste' in that it has a variety of colourful shimmers in and is a wonderful deep blue - the more coats you add the darker it gets but it never loses that wonderful shimmer. Click here for a review on this product. 'Collide' is on the right and dries to quite a matt finish. It's completely neon in colour and has a wonderful consistency. There are many swatches of this product on the internet, but click here for one of my favourites.

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...!