Makeup Unlimited

When Foundation becomes Skin

2011-08-16T10:05:00.000-07:00

In the quest for the ever perfect finish and colour blend combined, I recently tested, used, and now adore Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation.

Working with many different actors from all origins, I have found it difficult to obtain foundations that are 'alive' with pigment. So many have too much blue - or green for that matter. If you have skin of colour or you work with a variety of skin tones, then you will know that once skin goes darker than olive, it is composed of so many nuances of pigment - which is why darker skin tones are - in my humble opinion - more beautiful.

I recently worked on a show for ABC called Body of Proof and designed a makeup for Ms Sonja Sohn, one of the lead actresses. Sonja is half African American and Chinese with some Native American in there too somewhere.. When I met with her, I knew that the best product for her foundation would be Bobbi Brown as BB has such a diverse range of darker shades. Having used other foundations in the range successfully, I wanted to try SKIN FOUNDATION for Sonja - she has great skin, it just needs evening out a little; so I went and bought her 6.5 Warm Almond (colour not pictured).

What did I LOVE about this product?

That it is so light it goes right into the skin blending effortlessly - BUT it gives fabulous coverage too. Not in the least bit heavy. It is, as the title suggests, as second skin to anyone who chooses to wear it.

What did I also love about this product?

The expression on Sonja's face when she saw herself in it. She loved it so much she asked me to give her all the details so she could have it in her personal kit.

No More 'Dirty' Makeup with Beauty SO Clean

2011-04-11T06:59:00.001-07:00

For the past year or so, this makeup artist has been aware of a product that appeared suddenly on the market called BEAUTY SO CLEAN.. Never really having the time to check it out I was not really aware of it until now........... and I think it should be an essential addition to every makeup kit.

Having just attended New York Imats, the first one of it's kind there, my booth for The London Brush Company was right next door to Beauty So Clean.. I got chatting to a tall blonde forty something gorgeous woman with a fabulous twinkle in her eyes and a disposition to match her beauty.. Turns out it was Nancy Crossley the owner and creator of Beauty SO Clean..... Listening to her story and absorbing very quickly that she has been a celebrity makeup artist for 25 years - top of her game in Canada, working globally for huge companies, she wanted to create a parallel to her career - much as I have with The London Brush Company.

She took inspiration from her mother who as she described 'was a clean freak' and decided that makeup is one of the dirtiest things there is, yet we do little to try to keep it bacteria free. For all of us working regularly in makeup artistry with a multitude of different clients and jobs going on, it very quickly taught me that my efforts with 99% alcohol (that's IPA to the Brits reading this) were simply not enough.

Nancy has designed wipes for lipsticks, spritzers for powders and much more.. NONE of which contain any harmful ingredients such as turpentine - and even the alcohol in the products is a by product of a plant. Fantastic. I have been looking to move away from all the old methods of cleaning my kit as I want to eliminate any possibility of skin reaction and also so that I can rest assured that my kit really is clean.

Nancy.. you have a new fan and client. I love your passion, your integrity and your product. I also love that you are a woman who has self financed her business and put herself out there and on the line knowing that you have a winning range born from your mother's fanaticism (that one did make me smile).

Beauty SO Clean is a MUST HAVE product and if you have not checked it out, then you really should give it a look.

I know it's available at Nigel's Beauty Emporium in LA, at Alcone in New York.. But I also know that Nancy sells retail, so it's not just an industry item.

Take me to BeautySOClean

No More 'Dirty' Makeup with Beauty SO Clean

2011-04-11T06:55:00.000-07:00

For the past year or so, this makeup artist has been aware of a product that appeared suddenly on the market called BEAUTY SO CLEAN.. Never really having the time to check it out I was not really aware of it until now........... and I think it should be an essential addition to every makeup kit.

Having just attended New York Imats, the first one of it's kind there, my booth for The London Brush Company was right next door to Beauty So Clean.. I got chatting to a tall blonde forty something gorgeous woman with a fabulous twinkle in her eyes and a disposition to match her beauty.. Turns out it was Nancy Crossly the owner and creator of Beauty SO Clean..... Listening to her story and absorbing very quickly that she has been a celebrity makeup artist for 25 years - top of her game in Canada, working globally for huge companies, she wanted to create a parallel to her career - much as I have with The London Brush Company.

My New Favourite Foundation

2011-02-10T12:52:00.000-08:00

What a find this is.. Sensai have this new range of Fluid Finish Foundations that are just divine. They are not good, they are actually outstanding.
No oil, but 55% water with a silk base. They go on effortlessly and disappear into the skin, whilst putting an invisible flawless veil over the top.

I love the fact that you still see skin and no silicone residue in the pores - always a bug bear of mine, hate it when foundation clogs pores.....

This foundation is just simply gorgeous. It makes you look like you have flawless skin, evenly coloured and beautifully balanced.

For the optimal results, Sensai also make a Smoothing Water Makeup Base which is designed to boost moisture and work in conjunction with the foundation to make it look even more flawless - and it does.

I recently used it on on of my clients for the Golden Globes, and she couldn't believe the difference close up. She was out till late and it lasted her the entire evening and actually boosted her moisture levels too.

You have to try this duo, I love them and they are too good not to try.

Beautiful Brows

2010-07-25T11:23:00.000-07:00

Years ago when I was starting out in the biz, I joined a new model agency in Manchester in the North west of England where I as living at the time... No, no.. not as a model, as a makeup artist... They were a young agency with a stable full of new bubbling talent and as the first makeup artist to join up, it became my job to bring them up to speed on their grooming - boys and girls alike... I plucked and reshaped over 60 pairs of eyebrows in a two week period as the models started to test and shoot for their portfolios.. So began an obsession with eyebrows that I still have to this day. The models were labelled Sian's Eyebrow Army - still brings a smile to my face.....

Over the years brow pencils have come and gone in various shapes and sizes.. One of my all time favourites was the flat pencil Kanebo did that came with this amazing pencil sharpener that automatically sharpened the flat pencils to the thinnest wedge point giving flat hairline fine lines - quite ingenious and I still have a pencil and a sharpener too!

Recently I have been looking to use the automatic fine eyebrow pencils so that I can draw fine hairs when reshaping and filling in brows. The two that caught my eye have been Tricia Sawyer's Beauty Brow Define and Dior's Diorshow Brow Styler.

Both very similar - they give extra fine brow lines easily and have blending brushes at the other end of the pencil. Both are gorgeous to use as well so they are pretty evenly balanced quality wise - what you expect from Dior, you are given; and if you don't know Tricia's makeup line yet, well, the quality she controls is up there with the best of them.

The main difference is that Dior make one shade to suit all and Tricia makes three.. Taupe for blondes and redheads, medium brown for light/mid brunettes and dark brown for dark brunettes to black...

My preference is Tricia because I like choice and I am not sure that I agree with Dior's ethos that one colour pencil can fit all colour skins and hair tones, although the shade they make is very lovely indeed.... Tricia's also comes with two refills but and at $38 and Dior is a single pencil and retails at $28.

To Recharge your skin, Use Repechage

2010-07-05T12:16:00.000-07:00

One of the stock staples for exfoliation that I was introduced to over 10 years ago is by American skin care specialists Repechage. They have an amazing and affordable range of products used by beauty professionals - Susi Lung in London put me on to this favourite of mine.....

Repechage incorporate natural products into all their skin care. Some of their most effective products are seaweed based where they we the pioneers to incorporate seaweed into their products years ago.

For combination skin and to help with open and blocked pores, my very favourite exfoliator ever is by them. It is called HONEY AND ALMOND SCRUB. It is made of honey,oatmeal and almond meal and is designed to deep cleanse and purify. It is a thick grainy white paste that you smooth onto the skin rubbing in small circular movements up and around the face. Susi used to apply a lot of it and after about three minutes of application, she would leave it to sit for 10 minutes so that the minerals in the product could get to work - and they did. My skin ALWAYS felt like new and people would comment just how good it looked. For the most effective results, twice weekly usage is preferable. I added it to my regimen and do it myself at home in between facials. It retails at around $32 and lasts for ages. Go for it.

Repechage do a variety of other really good products and the other one I want to introduce you to is called RAPIDEX. These little magic wands look like extra large Q-Tips - which they are, but they contain Marine Hydroxy Acids, and Lactic and Citric Acids. They work for added exfoliation and should be a 14 night treatment. They really do work. You will see a brightening and an evening out of hyper pigmented areas such as age spots, and they refine the skin beautifully.. Combined with the scrub - use Rapidex after you have scrubbed, they work gently and effectively and should be applied to the face and neck. They retail at $55 for a two week treatment.

Shedding Makeup Brushes? Don't put up with it.

2010-06-29T22:42:00.000-07:00

I am often asked about the best way to take care of makeup brushes and how to look after them to give them a longer life. The other question that is asked more than any other is 'why do my makeup brushes shed hair'.

As someone who has spent the last three years developing a range of high grade sable makeup brushes, I now know all the answers to these questions - especially the latter.

There are many ways to care for your brushes, starting from something as simple as washing them with baby shampoo, then conditioning them to put nourishment back into the hair - after all, if they are natural hair and not synthetic, then they need moisture back in them in the same way that our hair needs moisture. There are other types of brush cleaners and you will eventually find the one you like. I suggest that you try to test a little of the cleaner if you can. Put a little on your finger tips and rub them together. See how they feel. If you think it leaves an oily residue, then that is not ideal as it stays on the hair and will prevent the brush from blending effectively because the hair is coated in an oil based substance.

My favourite brush cleaner right now is from Nigel's Beauty Emporium in North Hollywood (they will ship globally by the way); it is Monda Studio Brush Cleaner. It cleans the brushes completely without leaving any residue and you can reuse the brush after half an hour without any alcohol based fumes remaining. www.nigelbeauty.com.

Now to the question about why hair falls out of brushes..... The answer is quite simple, it is because either they are old, or they are not good quality.... Most makeup artists know that their brushes are of the utmost importance, because without good tools, we can not do great work - not only the application but the experience our artist has whilst we apply is important. Well made brushes feed both needs. When my brushes were being made, I asked my brush maker the best way to avoid hair loss in brushes and he said that the only way to avoid that was to double glue the hair inside the ferrule and to make the ferrule - the metal bit on a brush - as tight as possible to grip the hair.

Many of the brushes you buy at your local drug store or beauty counter are not made well - and you see it in the price and as a result sooner or later they are going to fall apart.

Some of the nicer over the counter brushes are by Laura Mercier and Bobby Brown, they will not break your budget and can work well. Shu Uemura may well be nice but will cost you an arm and a leg - $135 for an eye shadow brush (ridiculous). You should not need to spend that sort of cash for a brush, although you do get what you pay for, you should not need to spend have a week's groceries on one makeup brush for it to be good!

Finally, as this IS my blog and I should represent myself after representing others so well already on this blog..................... The London Brush Company is a Professional High Grade Sable brush range that got great reviews at The International Makeup Artist Trade Show in LA this past weekend... Take a look at the range at http://londonbrushcompany.com.

Below is the one inch Pure Sable Foundation brush. It is made from High Grade Sable and the reason I know that Shu Uemura are charging too much is because this brush retails for $70 and is just luxurious to the touch! I use it on all my actors and they all comment on how soft it is. Foundation can be blended to nothing and goes on streak free.. Great for compressed powder too..

To Blot or Not to Blot

2010-06-19T18:38:00.000-07:00

Summer is here and with it, unless we are very unlucky, comes heat. From heat comes open pores from which come more sebum or oil. The thing is we don't all want to go around in hot weather - or any sort of hot venue - looking shiny and oily - it is not a great look. Additionally, unless powdered is your style, heavily powdered skin does not really compliment everyone's complexion. Over powdering makes skin look heavy which in turn can make us look older so powdering is only an option to a point.

Of course, there are alternatives and they come in many forms.. For years now one option I have used successfully is Clinique's Pore Minimizer Oil Blotting Sheet to blot excess oil from the faces of my actresses or actors because they do the job beautifully. There are many different types of oil blotting sheets, some have rice powder on them, others are just absorbent paper, but Clinique are without any doubt my favourite. They are completely flexible and smooth, very thin, leave no powdery residue and soak up 100% of the excess oil leaving the skin looking more matt without looking dull. And you know they have done the job because they turn translucent when they have absorbed the oil. Perfect.

They come in a slim lightweight envelope that will slip neatly into your purse or makeup bag and are a must have; I always give them to my clients when I do their personal makeup for an event as they disappear into a tiny clutch purse with ease... And at around $14 they really are not going to break your budget and thus are a wise purchase! Happy Blotting. From this non shiny makeup artist!

Dry Lip is the Best.....

2010-06-18T18:09:00.000-07:00

And now for something completely different! I recently did a commercial for a gaming company where I had to do full post battle gladiatorial makeup.. That means that I completely dirtied these Conan style guys up from head to toe, covered them in scars and blood, both old and fresh and made them look like they had been battling for days in the sun and were battle worn...

I will cover blood in another blog - because although it's not a beauty thing, more and more people out there are getting more adventurous in trying out makeup and makeup effects whether for Halloween, murder weekends or fancy dress parties, so it's good to know what is out there that you can get easily.

For now, I am going to introduce you to a product called, quite simply, DRY LIP......

Dry Lip is a little pot of something gooey that you stipple onto clean lips and as it is drying, the person stretches their lips slowly back and forth until the product is completely dry. When it is, the effect is brilliant.. You look as though you had been in a desert without an moisture for weeks as the skin appears cracked and worn down. It's how your lips look on cold winter days - chapped and brittle, or out in the sun with no lip balm to bring them back to life. It works the complete opposite to lip moisturizer of any sort and is so effective that you really don't ant to kiss those lips......!

Dry Lip is part of a range of effects makeup products developed by a brilliant English makeup artist called David Stoneman. His company is called MAE-KUP and you can buy his products from good makeup stockists. In England the best supplier to go to is called P.A.M, they are my favourite makeup store in the UK and will ship anywhere you need it to go to. In California and the USA the main stockist is NIGEL's who will again ship it anywhere. Costing around £6.50/$8.00 it isn't expensive and will be such fun to use. You can impress all your friends as to how good a character makeup artist you are! Get experimenting.

Mercier.... Thank you Laura.

2010-06-18T01:23:00.000-07:00

One of my makeup kit must haves is made by Laura Mercier. She has a great makeup line, but the one product I return to again and again is her Oil Free Tinted Moisturizer. It is a sheer lightweight delicate foundation that you can build upon and anyone can wear it.. I love it because it gives just enough cover so that you can easily achieve a 'no makeup' look on the skin, or you can build to give more of a base covering.

As it's oil free, it doesn't sit heavily on the skin but just seems to blend in perfectly. I have used it on both men and women and I use it on at least one or two cast members on every job I do. She has put an spf of 20 into the product so you can get a little protection - remember though that spf is designed to be topped up so you will need to pat a sunscreen over it later...

I always apply my foundations with a soft sable makeup brush as it is the most economical way of applying a foundation - sponges absorb too much product and fingers can be a little too much, unless you are making yourself up - and I love the way that this base just blends away so beautifully.

They now make it in two sizes, which is great news as the large size can be too long for some makeup bags, and it comes in ten shades from Porcelain to Mocha. Costing around $42 for the larger tube, it is an affordable and long lasting product that will help you to a flawless and lightweight finish. Merci Mmlle Mercier!

Dior Darling

2010-06-16T21:30:00.000-07:00

I recently had the pleasure to work with the very wonderful Milla Jovovich and apart from the sheer joy of working with such a funny and talented actress, it was a real pleasure to have her extraordinary face to make up. Milla was very open to many suggestions and ideas, but one thing that she did ask me was that I used Dior Mascara.. Ironically enough, Dior is one of the few I had not tried - and I have tried OH soooooo many.. So off I went to look at the Dior range to see the different varieties and colour ranges that they do. They do 8 different types.. from Ultra Curling and Lengthening to Waterproof.... Dior keep the colour range simple, basically brown, black and blue... But there were some dark greys and limited edition colours that were available at that time too.

I settled on DIORSHOW BACKSTAGE - rather apropos all things considered... Well, I just loved it. I chose the Chestnut Brown for Milla as black was not in keeping with the character, makeup wise and also, that particular shade of brown would really help those startling eyes of hers to pop - as if they needed to pop any more!

I really liked this product - the texture was lovely and smooth and the applicator brush generous. It did not drop, flake, smudge or rub even in the heat of LA and shooting in tight sets that were heavily lit. It lasted perfectly all day long and I never needed to retouch it at all.

So, thanks to Milla I now have a new favourite product that I can write about and share. Go and try the DiorShow range of Mascaras, at around $24 they won't break your purse either.

Probably The Best Concealer in the World

2010-06-07T21:12:00.000-07:00

This product HAD to be on my blog as I never do a job without it. I was put onto this concealer by an actress I worked with a few years ago who loved it and asked me to get it to use on her when I did personal makeup on a feature film.. That was back in 2006/7 and I haven't looked back.

When you use Kanebo Sensai Concealer, it really does surprise you as to just how effective it is. At first glance you think that it is far too thin a composition to get rid of deepened shadows under the eyes... But because you can seamlessly build up without it looking as though you have spackled (plastered, for the Brits reading this blog) it on, you can get rid of almost anything except perhaps a black eye - not that I have many actors sitting in my chair with a black eye - unless I gave it to them! It really does just go right into the skin and becomes one with it. Gorgeous!

As with it's predecessor the YSL brush type concealer, Kanebo is a press-action brush that delivers a small amount of concealer to the brush tip ready for you to apply to the skin.. What I prefer about the Kanebo product is that I always found the YSL too thin and too pink.. Kanebo err to the yellows and peaches which are always a more successful way to counter the greens, blues, greys and reds that are typically the colours that you find in dark shadows.

This product is a 10 Star product without a shadow - sorry for the bad pun - of a doubt..... I have used it on all ages - quite literally from the teens to the seventy somethings, both men and women and it works for them all. And another reason I love it is that you do not necessarily need to use a foundation over it - which is wonderful for anyone, especially those over forty who would like effective concealing without adding weight to their under eye. If there was one thing I would wish, it would be that Kanebo would make a greater range of colours to accommodate other skin tones.... But as Kanebo is a Japanese product, I am not sure if that will happen sadly.. Which is a shame because when something is THIS good, everyone should be able to get their hands on it and use it.

Coming later this autumn is a new Kanebo concealer that works along side the brush type concealer.. I shall be interested to try it out and when I do, you will hear about it on this blog.

La Mer, La Mer, La Mer

2010-06-06T12:04:00.000-07:00

This Spring I conducted a little test to see if La Mer was all it was cracked up to be.. Let's face it, the price tag puts it out of reach for many people who would love to try it, and it is one of those products that everyone seems to have an opinion about...

My goal was to see if during a six week period, used daily, I could see changes in the complexion of a 40 year old; I am asked by more of this group of ladies about skin care than any other. The Products I used were The Cleansing Lotion, The Tonic, The Lifting Face Serum, The Lifting Intensifier and The Radiant Infusion.

The Routine:
. Massage Cleanser into face and neck
   remove with a hot aromatherapy face
   cloth...
. Remove any residual Cleanser with The
   Toner using a cotton square....
. Apply Lifting Face Serum by placing a

few drops onto my finger tips and

firmly but gently patting it all over the face. You
do not rub this product in....

. Apply Lifting Intensifier by tapping the product
   on to the areas needing more help such as the
   eye area. Do not rub in....
. Apply Radiant Infusion by putting some drops on the palms of the
   hands and pressing it all over the face and neck....

The Results:
Noticeable change to the complexion.. A higher level of moisture was achieved and generally the face looked tighter and more radiant - yes, I dared to used the 'R' word.. It really did work and the skin felt smooth and hydrated. There was an improvement in the jawline too.. Some of the tone came back, tightening that jawline up - cheaper than a face lift!! Nose to mouth lines appeared to lessen and it did have a de-puffing effect around the under eye area too....Wish I could bathe in it daily! La Mer, L'Amour.........

Sensai and Kanebo

2010-06-05T09:35:00.000-07:00

Would you like to know how to turn your complexion to silk?????? There is a simple answer that is available to us all.... Sensai....... Luxurious, gentle, effective. I have used Kanebo cosmetics for many years and had their original skin care range as part of my kit to deep cleanse, but the new Sensai range surpasses the original in leaps and bounds. I recently used the products on Juno Temple who I look after, and one week after I got her on a daily regimen of after-shooting deep cleansing, toning and moisturizing I saw huge results.. Obviously the skin of a twenty year old responds a little quicker than someone of double figures, but ladies and gentlemen, Sensai works. I was thrilled with the way Juno's complexion changed from a little pimple prone and dry to completely clear and balanced. It actually enabled me to use less foundation and concealer on her because she looked so darn good. Here was the process.. It was a double cleansing of Sensai Cleansing Oil massaged all over her face and neck, removed with a hot aromatherapy face cloth, a repeat process with Sensai Cleansing Milk,(oil was one of the first methods for removing makeup as oil combined so easily with the oils in theatrical makeup) Sensai Softening Lotion (Light) pressed into her skin to begin moisturizing, finishing off with Sensai Silk Soothing Cream always pressed in and not smeared across..... It worked and what's more people noticed the change. I was thrilled. And Yes, I am not exaggerating when I say that her skin literally felt like silk. By the end of the movie, Juno's skin had dramatically changed, did not look any the worse for her clubbing and fun nights out, and also, I got her off the Pro Active, which was drying her out and changed the moisture balance of her skin. Fantastic.

Smudge Proof Eyeliners

2010-06-04T13:29:00.000-07:00

As Summer finally seems to be settling in for the next few months, one of the questions I get asked again and again is 'Do you know of a smudge proof eyeliner'. This affects all of us ladies who love to wear makeup, but in particular, those damsels over a certain age who find a repetitive problem of transfer of eyeliner to the upper eyelid....... For those younger who are out clubbing and don't want their makeup running around their face giving unwanted panda eyes - or for the male Rock Stars floating around the Universe, have no fear there are some great ones out there for all budgets. Here are my three favourites..

As always, we can rely on Mac to provide us with a good product that wont break the bank. Fluidline is fantastic for all the mums who don't want their teenage daughters rifling through their makeup bag mysteriously making favourite products vanish from their possession.... It wont cost you a fortune, you can take your girl to Mac and let her choose which colour she likes. End of Story. Mac have these in six shades and they are colour intensive and smudge proof and cost around $15. Perfect. NEXT.......

One of my favourites for its intensity and smooth application is Bobby Brown's Long Wear Gel Eyeliner. It is what it says it is and has won awards for not lying about its abilities. I do love the Bobby Brown product, which by the way comes in sixteen shades and costs around $21. It goes on smoothly, stays put and comes in two shades of Black and Brown... And as BB cosmetics love doing limited editions of things, every so often another lovely colour will be around for a short period of time. Keep your eyes peeled so to speak.. MOVING ON TO....

Ahhhhh Shiseido... Their Accentuating Cream Eyeliner has been around for ages and is a joy to use. The black is a real blue black and the brown is warm and can be so delicate that you can literally make it as subtle or as defined as you like. What I like about this product is that should you want it to define without having the 'eyeliner' look, then you can apply it and smudge it right down to the base of the lashes and accentuate with ease. You have play time with this product, it is not as fast drying as some of the others; but once it's on, it stays there. The $26 price tag is not that ghastly and I think that it's a great asset to any makeup bag. Love the packaging too.. This one wins the best packaging prize out of the three!

Holistic Effective Skin Care for Mature Skins

2010-06-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

I had the great fortune recently to design the makeup looks for a feature film called Dirty Girl.. It's a fun comedy with a great cast of all ages.. One of the key actresses had more mature skin - let's face it, we can't all be 18 forever - and following my philosophy of prepping the actors' skin to gain optimum results in makeup, I got some Dr Hauschka Products to help her skin look it's best.

Hauschka bio dynamically grow all the herbs that go into their products, reaping fame over a decade ago when Madonna revealed that she loved the products and had regular Dr Hauschka facials. They are a dream by the way, I have had many of their facials too - an hour and a half of pure essential bliss.... Since that time they have gained strength and loyal customers who don't just love the products because they smell good, but because, quite simply, they work.

For my actress, I added their Regenerating Day Cream and Regenerating Serum to her daily makeup routine applying before makeup over the six weeks of shooting. We noticed a reduction of her fine lines around the eye area and generally, her skin looked more radiant.

My other favourite products that they make are:
Quince Moisturizing Day Cream
Rose Moisturizing Day Cream
Facial Toner
Lavender, Rosemary, Spruce and Lemon Aromatherapy Baths

More on these products in another blog.

Go to http://www.drhauschka.com/ to see the full range of goodies...

Cosmetics a la Carte - My Favourite Old Favourite

2010-06-03T15:16:00.000-07:00

When I began makeup 20 years ago, one of the first sets of eyeshadows I bought for my kit were by Cosmetics a la Carte in London. I have used their products over the years and have loved the fact that they customize many of their makeup products... Their foundations are mixed specifically for whoever you need it for and their eyeshadows and lipsticks have a pigment rich formula that is a joy to use..... They are mentioned again and again in press from having the lip gloss that is Kate Moss's current favourite to making the foundation that a certain actress can not live without...

My favourite products that they make have lived in my kit for ever; No!!! not the original ones.... I have replenished again and again as they are always the things to be used up before anything else. I just love their Matte Miracle skin primer. It is the only one I have tried and found to actually disappear into the skin without leaving some weird silicone based residue behind. It absolutely works and can also be mixed with foundations to mattify them too. For makeup artists having to deal with High Definition, it makes your job so much easier.... And yes, it lasts a long time too. I use it to help reduce oily complexions and it works beautifully on men too - perfect for guys because many actors hate having a lot of makeup on for camera and prefer that we place foundation or concealer only where necessary. Well worth the investment and comes in two shades because we are not all white!...

My other favourite or theirs is Rose Dew.. It's a delicate and weightless oil-free gel that is absorbed quickly. It smells divine and every actress I ever use it on LLLOVES it; it is as much the process of application as what you apply that sets them into a zone of comfort and ease and Rose Dew helps that process. I apply it over the face and neck always and sometimes on the top of the hands too for an extra treat. It absorbs into the skin easily and leaves them makeup ready. Check out Cosmetics a la Carte on the web.. they are a small London based makeup company that have been going for 30 years or more. Their products are beautiful and excellent in quality. Find out for yourself!