Illamasqua Loves... Lucy Gibson Make-up Artist

One of the things that I love about working at Illamasqua is hearing about all the shoots and shows that our artists have worked on. One of the hardest working freelancers I have met is Lucy Gibson. I frequently receive texts from her about who she is working with and where they are working - for instance, recently she has worked on diverse shoots such as the come-back video of Bananarama, Agent Provocateur's latest shoot and a SHOWStudio shoot with Nick Knight amongst many, many others.

So, I thought I would showcase some of Lucy's work right here for you all to see. I took inspiration from the berry lip girl today - I have layered on Medium Pencil in 'Severe' to match my new burgundy coat [I say new; my pregnant friend gave it to me... she can't fit in it anymore, what a shame!] - and Lucy has given me a breakdown of the look below...

"The berry lip girl is wearing Satin Primer (which I use for almost all shoots!) and a little light foundation, with a touch of Cream Blusher in 'Dixie' low on the apples of the cheek for a tomboyish, wind-kissed look. To open the eyes I added Medium Pencil in 'Vow' on the waterline and clear mascara to Alison's fantastic lashes. The lips that go so well with the model's gorgeous fair complexion were made up of a base of Lipstick in 'Poison' finished with a slick of Intense Lipgloss in my favourite shade; 'Repulse'."

"This was a shot from work I regularly do with Nevs model agency and the fantastic photographer Lee Mofo, who's recent clients include Firetrap, FrostFrench and 28twelve. We hold shoot days for the agency at my warehouse studio and often shoot up to 8 girls a day, so it's important to create strong, camera ready looks with minimal time and product. Illamasqua's huge colour pay-off and great range of shades makes my job a lot easier, and needless to say my male flatmates never complain about having a house full of gorgeous models!"

"The dark, smoky eye was created for a Shoreditch clothing label called Blank, shot in the City with the fantastic Odi Caspi. Despite dodging heavy downpours of rain and having to adopt a somewhat guerilla approach to shooting to avoid the hoardes of rather unfriendly security guards, we managed to get some fantastic shots on the day!"

"Our stunning model Ashley had incredible blue eyes with a great fierce stare that I wanted to accentuate, so taking inspiration from the runways of Versace, I created a very dramatic smoky eye. I used Medium Pencil in 'Sophie' as an eyeshadow - drawing it onto the entire lid, waterline and below the eye, then using my fantastic Illamasqua Blending Brush I, II and the Eyeshadow Brush to disperse and blend the colour into a dramatic wing around the eye. I set this with Powder Eye Shadow 'Incubus' then added Powder Eye Shadow in 'Truth' to the brow bone right up to the eyebrow which was filled in with Illamasqua Powder Eyeshadow in 'Boomerang'. To finish I added lashings of Illamasqua Volume Mascara and a touch of Sheer Lipgloss in 'Brilliant' to the inner corners of the eye to give a tarry, rock chick look." [Note: Tarry! Awesome word for the look I think *mentally adds to dictionary*...]

"The skin was created using Satin Primer again, with Cream Foundation buffed into the skin using Blending Brush II (I love using this brush with foundation, it really gets into all the "nooks and crannies" giving the fantastic coverage of our foundation, but with the texture and feel of natural skin). I contoured the cheeks with a darker shade of Cream Foundation (this will differ from person to person, ask one of Illamasqua's fabulous on counter artists to match your skin tone!) before finishing the look with another of my favourite products, Lipstick in 'Submit', pressed into moisturised lips with the finger tip."

On an all day shoot like this, it's important to use longwearing products, especially in the rain, and luckily with Illamasqua's range I don't have to compromise my creativity for durability :)"

Ask An Artist: Black And White Shades

My daughter and I are freestyle dancers. I usually use black and white face paints on the eyes but would like to use an eyeshadow. Could you recommend any black and white colours that are dramatic on the eyes that will stay on and give a strong bold colour.Thanks a million - Sinead

*above - Lucy from Selfridges Trafford works the dark smoky eye look by using a similar technique to the one that Jay has outlined *

I asked James from Selfridges Birmingham to answer this question...

"Use Concealer 350 as a base all over the lid - I love using this for any smoky/ dark eye look; the staying power is incredible and of course the high levels of pigment give you a great base for any powder shadow to grab on to. I love to apply this with Illamasqua Eyeshadow Brush and use a pressing action to apply the concealer to the lid.

Next, take your choice of Powder Eye Shadow - I love 'Machine' for dark, sparkly drama - but you could use 'Lestat' if you prefer a more matt finish. Alternatively, Pure Pigment in 'Android' would look amazing if you want more of a sparkly effect.

Use the same Eyeshadow Brush to press the colour on top of the Concealer.

If you do want to create a more "winged" effect, you can use the tape method as shown in the Golden Goddess video, or you can use the edge of any Illamasqua compact as a stencil.

Use Blending Brush I to soften the colour into the crease of the eye.

Next, take Pure Pigment in 'Tingle' and press onto the brow bone. I would also add a dot of this onto the centre of the lid, this will stop the eye looking too heavy and add dimension to the look.


Line the waterline with either Medium Pencil in 'Elate' for a more wide eyed look or use the Sophie pencil for a dark, intense liner.

Line bottom lashes with the Sophie pencil and smudge over with your choice of black eyeshadow [as detailed above]

For intensity and a feminine flutter, apply False Eye Lashes - I love number 21."

Illamasqua Icons: Greta Garbo

When I think of Greta Garbo, I think beautiful, curved skinny eye brows, perfect cupid bow and one of the most strikingly symmetrical faces of Hollywood's Golden Age.

Garbo was a beautiful actressm, of Nordic origin, who became legendary for her beauty and enigmatic personality. In 1955, she received an Honorary Oscar for "unforgettable screen performances" and has subsequently been ranked as the fifth greatest female star of all time by the Ameican Film Insitute. She was also one of only a handful of actresses to successfully make the transition between silent and "talkies" movies.

Get The Look

Prepping the skin with Matt Primer With SPF 20 is a great start - Garbo loved her skin pale and milky. On top of this, Rich Liquid Foundation, buffed in with a Highlighter Brush would ensure maximum, flawless coverage [and would have made Garbo's skin perfect under the harsh set lights]

Garbo's cheekbones were sharp enough to not need any contouring, but I would suggest Powder Blusher in 'Risk' or 'Mischief' depending on your skin tone, to create the illusion for those of us not so blessed!

The arches look very pencilled, so try Fine Pencil in 'Peace' to lightly trace them in. If you have thick brows, Alex Box taught me a trick of using an old toothbrush, rubbing it in soap, and then slicking your brows back against your skin. Stipple on Rich Liquid Foundation and they just disappear; it's quite extraordinary. You can then line on top of this. Highlight underneath with Powder Eye Shadow in 'Sex' to keep the look matt.

To enhance the depth of her eyes, Garbo has exaggerated her crease line using a cut crease technique - this means minimal blending! I would try a deep slate grey Powder Eye Shadow such as 'Gimp'.

A slick of Eye Liner Cake in 'Mislead' mixed with a drop of Sealing Gel would complete the eye look. Our Eye Liner Cake's were designed with the traditional cakes of the 1920s in mind, so the finish and packaging would be very similar to what Garbo would have used!

Alex Box once told me that actresses in black and white movies used to paint their lips all kind of colours to create different effects of grey within the movie and to add alluring depth to their faces. What a challenge! Garbo would have used a dusky pink for this kind of finish - I love Lipstick in 'Resist' for a beautiful matt result.

Otherwise, we do have a grey Intense Lipgloss for the ultra brave - 'Liaison' is a thick cement grey.

Illamasqua Icons: Edward Scissorhands

This time I have asked Halimah, our Product Development Intern, for her Icon and she was absolutely inspired to come up with Edward Scissorhands! Amazing.

So I asked Halimah, a professional make-up artist in her own right, to advise us on how to get the look [a bit late for Halloween, but ah well!]

"Prep the skin with Rich Liquid Foundation in 100, buffed on with a highlighter brush so it's not too geisha white. Hollow out the eyes and cheeks with Powder Blusher in 'Disobey' and then use Powder Eye Shadow in 'Feint' to enhance the depth of shadow in the collarbones/ cheekbones/ jawline/ temples etc.

If bleaching your eyebrows is going a bit far, use a little extra Rich Liquid Foundation to smooth them down and de-colour them.

For a deeper socket, blend in a generous amount of Powder Eye Shadow in 'Lestat' - a pure black, with a touch of 'Savage' for a multi-tonal look. Powder Eye Shadow in 'Fluke' - a fleshy tone - underneath the eye and around the lash line for a wide-awake, innocent look. Using Medium Pencil in 'Vow' on the waterline will enhance this.

On the lips, line with Medium Pencil in 'Severe' and fill in with Lipstick in 'Diablo' for a gothic berry colour.

A Note From our Brand Director

From Kate Massarella, Brand Director of Illamasqua:

About a month ago, Wayne Goss bought to our attention a payoff issue with a small number of our Powder Eye Shadows. I am pleased to say that we feel we have got to the bottom of this after a period of detailed testing and analysis. The issue was one of over-pressing on a small batch of the shadows, i.e. the powder was too heavily pressed, which damaged the payoff despite the product still being of great quality and as highly pigmented as all of our shadows. We now have a new system in place that we are confident will avoid pressing issues going forward. I hope this answers all concerns on this issue and want to thank those of you who bought this to our attention.

Halloween Looks From Illamasqua!

I hope everyone had a great Halloween! I almost forgot about it as we had been concentrating on the first anniversary of Illamasqua, so I loved it when some of the pictures from Propaganda's [our creative partner] Halloween party started to sift through to my inbox!

I am loving what our Account Manager Natalie did - an evil ladybug! Inspired choice, Nats!


I gave the normally platinum blonde bombshell a call to find out what she used...

"Well, the lashes are from a fancy dress shop," she tells me, "but everything else is Illamasqua! I used the Cream Foundation in 100 and topped it off with Loose Powder in 100 for a semi-matte glow. I used Powder Eye Shadow in 'Forgiveness' on the cheeks to sculpt the look and defined my eyes and eye brows with Eye Liner Cake in 'Mislead'. I love mixing this product with the Sealing Gel for maximum longevity."

What about those high impact lips? "I lined them with Medium Pencil in 'Spell' and painted over the top with Intense Lipgloss 'Besotted' for a juicy red lip!

Natalie also spread the art to her fingertips, using Nail Varnish in 'Ruthless' for a rich red base and blobbing on Nail Varnish in 'Boosh' for the ladybug effect.

Here is Natalie with Jo, Julian Kynaston's PA. Jo is rocking the new Birthday Lashes in 'Decadence' as well as plenty of Dystopia! On her lips is the shocking pink Lipstick in 'Avenge' and she has Powder Eye Shadow in 'Matter' smudged around her eyes for a sexy smoky eye.

Hannah Marshall - Get The Look

I promised a Hannah Marshall SS2010 Get The Look a while ago so here it is. I just spotted Alex walking down Old Compton Street in Soho and it reminded me!

Hannah and Alex discussed the look prior to the show and agreed on a "very sexy, very desirable look. Something that was both soft and strong at the same time. I wanted to use minimal products and focus on the technique," Alex told me. "I wanted a real masculine, strong graphic from the front and yet when the model is on profile, it looks soft and ultra feminine." I have tried to source a profile shot, yet no such luck!

Face

Alex used Matt Primer to create a very matt, one dimensional base. This was then built upon using Cream Foundation to create a very real, but quite full coverage.

The strength of the look is based on the contouring. Alex told me she was going for a "slick goth" look. She used Powder Blusher in 'Rumour' to contour the temples, sides of the nose, cheeks and under the jawline and emphasised the hollowness of the cheek with Powder Blusher in 'Spite'.


Eyes

As previously mentioned, Alex wanted to use minimal products, so using an Eye Brow Cake mixed with Sealing Gel to create a strong line across the brows, she blended the colours down, mixing with a slate grey [try Powder Eye Shadow in 'Incubus'] concentrating the colour at the point where the side of the nose joins the eyebrow and fading down across the browbone and eye lid until there is minimal colour on the eye socket. Build up the concentration at the outer corner of the eye again. A touch of Pure Pigment in 'Furore', a nude champagne shimmer, on the centre of the eye lid added a touch of depth and photographed beautifully. This look used no mascara.

Lips

Alex painted over the lips with the Cream Foundation to tone down the colour of the lips and keep the focus on the brows and the cheek bones.

Solstice V Phenomena

This September in London has been really strange - I think we have had better weather over the past fortnight than any in July or August, overall! It's been sunny and warm and yet there is still that lingering sense of Summer and anticipation of Autumn.

That's all well and good, but where does it leave you when it comes to choosing your make-up for the day?! Confused, that's where. Normally, I am cracking open the burgundies and the smoky chocolate eye shadows, the red lipstick [my staple for September as it's my birthday month and red lippy always makes me feel sophisticated and grown-up!] and the darker-than-summer Eye Brow Cake at this time of the year; but I have been completely thrown. I'm still wearing my Bronzing Duo and Outcast/ Predator combo for a Summer look.


And of course, I am still piling on the Liquid Metal in 'Solstice', even though the latest Liquid Metal in 'Phenomena' is the latest beauty editor crush. Below is without flash and below that is with flash, swatched on my very dry [ah, so winter IS coming then...!] hand...




I have been experimenting with looks using this product, but it just doesn't seem the time to move in to silver territory just yet. That said, I swatch and I love!

As it's Friday, I'm doing my usual fashion refresh courtesy of the fabulous net-a-porter.com and have discovered this gorgeous Proenza Schouler jacquard cap-sleeved dress. The stunning rose-gold detail would be perfectly complimented by a slick of 'Solstice' across the lids and with a nude lip [perhaps Intense Lipgloss in 'Absorb'?].

On the other hand, there is this mesmerising Alexander Wang [who can do no wrong, in my opinion!] LBD number that would look so rock'n'roll with a smudge of Liquid Metal in 'Phenomena'....


Alexander Wang spider lace dress £720
Proenza Schouler jacquard cap-sleeved dress £1,510

Dystopia Look On Counter

So, you've placed your first order of Dystopia and now you have them sitting in front of you at your vanity unit.

So. What to do?! Well, one of the beauties of this collection is the versatility that it provides - an array of looks from robotic, smokey and stylistic, romantic, soft and shimmery through to full on, glitz and glam.

Our lovely artists on counter are here to give you inspiration for your new products and Krystle at Selfridges Trafford has sent in some photos of her work - Leanne from the Newcastle counter was her model!

So what products did she use?

Eyes

Concealer in 350 as a base with Pure Pigment layed on top. This was then followed by Pure Pigment in 'Lust' on the inner third of the eye for a romantic effect. Pure Pigment in 'Furore' kept the shimmer levels on full and was lightly dusted under the brow and across the cheekbones. Powder Eye Shadows in 'Virus', 'Maybe?' and 'Sex' were also used to add a multi dimensional look and to mix up the textures. Eye Liner Cake in 'Mislead' was mixed with Sealing Gel and a bold eye line created both under and on top of the lash lines.

Cheeks

Cheeks were sculpted using Powder Blush in 'Primal' and a subtle flush added with Powder Blusher in 'Unrequited'.

Lips

The lips were shaded in using Medium Pencil in 'Titivate' - a bright fushcia pink and coloured in using Intense Lipgloss in 'Petulant' mixed with Intense Lipgloss in 'Galactic' - my new favourite combo - for a vivid 80s twist.

Nails

Krystle's nails are a mix of Nail Varnish 'Obsess' [as the base colour] Velocity, Boosh and Glory - don't they look fantastic?!

Anyway, hope this has given you some ideas and I will keep posting new looks from the collection!

House Of Blue Eyes - Get The Look

The androgynous/ futuristic/ Cleopatra/ Babylon/ Blade Runner-esque make-up was a work of art in itself. Alex Box tells me how she created the look...


Face

Smooth, glowing, glistening skin was the way forward. "As there was so much gold on the eyes, I needed to complement this with sparkling skin." Says Alex, "I mixed a small amount of Powdered Metal in 'Bebhionn' with Cream Foundation for the paler girls and Powdered Metal in 'Thalia' with Cream Foundation for the olive/ darker skins."

The face was heavily contoured with the Powdered Metals - 'Thalia' was used for a golden highlight whilst 'Erzule' was buffed in to cheekbones for an 80s, sculpted look. "These are the most versatile products" explains Alex, "They can be used on the body, face, cheeks... mixed with lipgloss creating a wonderful sparkling lip colour."

Eyes

The eyes were liberally painted with Liquid Metal in 'Solstice'. "We used a template by cutting some tape to mask the areas we didn't want to cover and then painted over this template. We then piled on the Liquid Metal in 'Solstice' with a foundation brush to create a smooth, even base of colour with which to contour on top."

Contouring was done with the Powdered Metals and a mix of Powder Eye Shadow in 'Lestat', 'Wolf' and 'Fallen' to create depth. Illuminator in 'Halcyon' was used to highlight under the brows and down the bridge of the nose and on the cupid's bow to catch the light.

Alex's trademark brow completed the look. "Mix a drop of Sealing Gel into Eyebrow Cake in 'Vehement' and stroke over the natural line of the brows using the Eyebrow Brush. Then go back over it and take the colour above and beyond the natual brow for a real Cleopatra look." Explains Alex, "balance this with the strong eye. We used False Lashes in number 15 on top for the spidery effect, and number 13s below to create a very open, framed eye."

Lips

To soften the effect of the strong eye, the lips were painted with a mixture of clear gloss [try Sheer Lipgloss in 'Brilliant'] and Cream Foundation. Some of the models had extravagant head gear on, and these guys had Liquid Metal in Solstice painted on for a pure molten mouth.

Ask An Artist: Porcelain Doll

The Porcelain Doll look is an iconic image now. We have had several questions as to how to recreate this look at home and so I asked Jon from Selfridges Trafford for his expert advice...

Jon: Start by applying Satin Primer all over the skin with the Foundation Brush to get a smooth, even and glowing finish. Then apply Cream Foundation in 100 or 110, depending on your skin tone and how porcelain you want to go! I find that using the Highlighter Brush to buff this product in gives the most flawless finish. Stipple the foundation over the brows to fade them out to fully replicate this look - the focus is on the lashes, not the brows. [nb: Alex Box likes to use soap and a toothbrush to press the eye shadow hairs against the skin to help them merge away!]

For the cheeks, apply Powder Blusher in 'Chased' under the cheekbones to faintly sculpt and work it up towards the temples, blending in to the hairline.

For the eyes, apply Powder Eye Shadow in 'Vision' all over the lid, then take the Powder Eye Shadow in 'Forgiveness' and apply all over the mobile lid and along the lower lash line. Apply Powder Eye Shadow in 'Wicked' to the inner and outer corners of the eye and along the lower lash line. Line the inner rims with Medium Pencil in 'Hex' for a natural colour that will make the whites of the eyes 'pop' - essential when using red and purple toned eye colours that can make eyes look a little bloodshot.

Take the False Eye Lashes '10' and apply several sets along the lower lash line for added impact. Heavily coat the top lashes with Volume Mascara in 'Harness'.

For the lips, line with Medium Pencil in 'Severe' and apply Sheer Lipgloss in 'Brilliant' for a glossy finish.



To book a lesson with Jon, call the Selfridges Trafford counter on 0161 629 1187

Introducing: Powder Eye Shadow in Machine

The latest product from Dystopia that I am going to show you is a new Powder Eye Shadow - with a twist.


This product is a black Powder Eye Shadow with glitter in it - so technically this is a brand, spanking new texture from Illamasqua! 'Machine' has a very buildable base, meaning it can look dark grey when first applied or layered up for a true, intense black. The glitter means the colour catches the light beautifully - glitter does not have to mean an overdose of shimmer. I think it looks a lot more impactful because of the matt texture of the Eye Shadow.


I have paired it here with the new Liquid Metal in 'Phenomena'. I love to mix up textures and begun with a dewy base of Light Liquid Foundation topped off with a touch of Press Powder [this camera is so good that it tends to make my face look like an oil slick!] and pressed in a little Cream Blusher in 'Seduce'.


For the eyes, I used a base of Cream Eye Shadow in 'Amorous', a lovely grey/ aubergine that acts well as a base for heavy eye colour. I then smudged 'Phenomena' into the inner corner and across half of the lid and then built up 'Machine' around the outer corner and through the socket. These products blended really easily together and I really liked the finish look.

I went to the gym this morning and left my make-up kit at home [not really a problem when you work at Illamasqua, but annoying all the same!] and have been mascara-less all day. I think this look actually looks great without mascara as it keeps the focus on the texture of the shadows with no long black lashes in the way!

Dystopia will be available for pre order from the 3rd September at www.illamasqua.com

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.

Leena's Shoot With Pure Essence

Our artists are such a talented bunch; Leena from Selfridges Trafford created these gorgeous looks for Pure Essence Hair Salon in Manchester - she used Powdered Metals on the cheeks, Powder Eye Shadow on the lids and False Eye Lashes 17 on both the top and bottom lashes.

Leena - will you please be my personal make-up artist?!

To book a lesson with Leena at Selfridges Trafford, call 0161 629 1187.

An Audience With... Anja Huwe

Anja Huwe is one third of the Illamasqua Art Team and both an iconic musician and hugely talented contemporary artist.

Born in Germany, Anja was the lead singer and front-woman of German band Xmal Deutschland and significantly influenced the avant-garde days of the European New Wave Culture.

Anja now lives between Hamburg and New York, although her artistic work takes her all over the world. She describes her art as an explorations into the sound of different colours, rhythms and harmonies.

I grabbed a quick minute with her and put forward some questions I had been wanting to ask her...

Alex: Colour has become a huge part of your life of late - both through your work at Illamasqua and in your paintings - can you explain to us how you 'listen' to colour?

Anja: While I am working on a painting, my inner eye 'shows' me music, sounds and rhythms. This is called Synaethesia – a neuronal cross-linking of the senses. A certain arrangement of colours and, in my case, dots [for many viewers a very abstract way of expression] is the ultimate 'sound'; the essence of music that I discovered by accident.

Alex: Wow. So do you think that Illamasqua can ever extend it's brand message through channels other than make-up?

Anja: Sure – from music to fashion and art exhibitions; all is possible!

Alex: Out of all the Illamasqua products you could have named after yourself, you chose a pale blue Powder Eye Shadow. Can you explain your choice?

Anja: My choice of calling an eye shadow 'Anja' is simply based on the fact that many people are fascinated by the colour of my eyes. Light blue is Anja – Anja is light blue.

Alex: We have already discussed the meaning of Illamasqua on this blog - what does the word Illamasqua mean to you?

Anja: Myths and masks!

Illamasqua Icons: Karen O

Lucy, our Product Development intern, has chosen Karen O as her beauty icon.

We are all massive fans of the Yeah Yeah Yeah's at Head Office [we frequently have the amazing 'It's Blitz!' playing through the speakers] and their lead singer, Karen O, has become a style revelation with her unusual half polish, half korean looks and unmistakable voice.

With her dark, tom boy hair cut and pale skin she can pull of a variety of make-up looks but tends to rock her trademark red lip.

To recreate a Karen O look, prep your skin with Matt Primer + SPF20 to help even out skintone and lightly mattify oilier areas. This will also allow your foundation to sit on top more evenly and achieve that flawless finish that Karen O has. For a nod to the 80s, apply a contour colour [Illamasqua has a great selection of contour specific Powder Blushers for all skin tones] such as 'Mischief' Powder Blusher just under the cheekbone to define and sculpt.

This is a very matt look, so dust some Loose Powder in '010' for a translucent finish to the skin. Add a little more to the lips to help lip products 'grab' on. Line lips with Medium Pencil in 'Spell', a gorgeous, rich pillar box red and fill in with Intense Lipgloss in 'Besotted' for a rich, edgy red that is both intense in colour and juicy in finish.

Line all around the eyes with Fine Pencil in 'Classic' which is a lovely dove grey and then smudge with Illamasqua Eye Liner Brush to break up the line and give it a Rock N Roll edge. The look is very matt, so try Powder Eye Shadow in 'Incubus' all over the lid and contour under the lashes and in the crease of the eye socket with Powder Eye Shadow in 'Lestat', a very buildable matt black.

Three coats of Volumising Mascara in 'Harness' will give you dark, fluttering lashes and apply a touch of Sealing Gel with your Eye Liner Brush around the lash lines to give the colour ultimate staying power. Add some False Eye Lashes in '17' if you want maximum impact.

Sephora Q&A

As promised, here is a Q&A about the Sephora launch, based on questions that I have received through this blog, facebook, Youtube and from the general information line. I've drafted in Kate, Katie and Jennifer [our International Account Director] to help with answering all your queries...

Will Illamasqua be available on Sephora.com?

Jennifer: Yes! All 200+ products that will be available in store will also be available to purchase online through Sephora.com and through their telephone service.

Will Illamasqua be available in my local Sephora?

Alex: We will let you know nearer the time - at the moment we have confirmed several cities including San Francisco, Hawaii, Las Vegas, Hollywood and Atlanta.

Which Nail Varnishes will Sephora be stocking?

Katie: Almost all! We know how much you are all loving the Nail Varnishes, so it was a big priority of ours to stock as many of these fabulous colours as possible - twenty four in total, including the legendary Phallic, revered Baptiste and kooky cool Milf!

I'm hearing reports that Illamasqua will be launching at 5 Times Square on the 30th July yet I'm also hearing it's the 31st - I want to come to the launch!

Jennifer: Our products will be available to buy in 5 Times Square from the 30th July - but this a Thursday and everybody knows that launch parties are always better on Friday nights and so that is the 'official' launch date! Don't forget, it's the Sephora Flagship launch too, so there will be plenty going on. If you can get down, do! I will be there with a couple of the London artists so come and say hi!

Will you be coming to Canada anytime soon?

Kate: The plan was always to roll out to the USA and then consider the rest of the world. As it stands, there are no plans to bring Illamasqua to Canada, but then things have been happening so quickly that you could never rule it out!

Will Sephora.com be shipping to Canada?

Alex: This is a decision for Sephora and not Illamasqua. We ship to Canada on our online shop at www.illamasqua.com/store however it is best to contact Sephora directly about where they will be shipping too, sorry.

What will the prices be like?

Jennifer: The prices will be similar to the UK - approximately $20 a Powder Eye Shadow, $24 for a Pure Pigment and $19 for a Sheer or Intense Lipgloss.

Will you be stocking the more daring colours of the Illamasqua range, for example Repulse, Torrid or Gender Intense Lipgloss?

Katie: As much as we would have liked to, we couldn't stock the entire range. After weeks of umm-ing and ahh-ing, we came up with a SKU list that we feel reflects the brands ethos and values as unique, individual and daring but also inkeeping with the philosophy of Sephora.

Will the Sirens collection be available?

Alex: Only in New York, as by the time the rest of our roll out begins, it will be time for our Autumn Winter collection! We will be incorporating some of the Sirens collection into our core range, though, so you will all be able to try out Liquid Metal in Solstice and Enrapture [as if you haven't already!] as well as one of the Bronzing Duos and the Nail Varnishes in Lament [my favourite!] and Muse.

Cabaret On Counter!

On Tuesday 7th July, the Illamasqua counter at Fenwick Newcastle welcomed a very special guest - Samantha Barks, who is playing Sally Bowles in the theatre tour of 'Cabaret' - currently showing at the Theatre Royal in Newcastle from 6th-11th July.

Samantha Barks shot to fame when coming third in the BBC TV Show 'I'd Do Anything' last year.

I spoke to Ursula, one of our brilliant Fenwick Newcastle artists, who created the signature Sally Bowles look on Samantha before her show began. "Samantha has a naturally gorgeous face that is strong enough to take a lot of make-up."

What products did she use? "Samantha has a peaches and cream complexion, so I used Cream Foundation in 215 and Loose Powder 135 to pale her skin tone down. I used Powder Blusher in 'Tweak'.

After using Eye Brow Cake in 'Thunder' on her brows [great for dark brunettes, see the Whatstyleistonickel video below for an idea of consistency and colour], I concentrated on vivid blues and greens to capture the essence of Sally Bowles. I used Powder Eye Shadows in 'Fiasco' a light greeny teal, 'Stalk' a darker teal, 'Anja', a creamy baby blue and the black 'Lestat' to create depth."
"Samantha wanted dark, dramatic lashes, so we went for False Lashes no 17 on top and no 14 on the bottom."




"On the lips I used Lipstick in 'Maneater' for a true, pillar box red. I topped this off with Intense Lipgloss in 'Fume' so a bright, lacquered finish."

"I also created a similar look on one of the supporting cast members! Samantha had a great time and loved her look. Chronicle magazine came down to interview her on the counter and this should be out sometime this week

*Thanks to Karen for the image of Lestat!*