Elizabeth Emanuel ''Art of Being''

Elizabeth Emanuel and her label “ ART of BEING”

Iconic British fashion designer, Elizabeth Emanuel launched today after 10 years being off the catwalk. She showed her dedicated collection based on the little black dress.  Beautiful ready to wear full of textures and various tones of black which can be worn day or dressed up for night. A stunning show with a star studded audience including:

Beverly Knight, Kate Nash, Sonique, Emma Noble, Colin Jackson, Trudie Styler, Amy Smart, Lady Suzanne Olivier, Keira Chaplin, Elizabeth Minnett, Matthew Mellon, Martine McCutcheon, Jo Woods, and Miss J Alexander were amongst the guests

Famous for designing Princess Diana wedding dress, throughout the 1990s Elizabeth designed exclusive dresses for Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Collins, Elizabeth Hurley, Jane Seymour, Jerry Hall, Twiggy, Ivana Trump, Anne Margret, Carolina Herrera, Drew Barrymore, Daryl Hannah, Charlize Theron, Dannii Minogue, Helena Bonham- Carter, countless films, theatrical productions and even re-designed the uniforms for two airlines.

So it was a privilege to be part of her show.

John Gallianos was the inspiration for the make up. Elizabeth told me she wanted her show to be couture make up. A showpiece! So during the test I blocked off the eyebrow and showed her how extreme we could go. High brows recreated like the 1920’s and strong graphic eyeliner. Eyelashes on top and bottom and strong red but matte lips were the key points. To modify the look we changed the eyebrows to a more 1940s style and rather than black we used a dark warm brown.  Once all the girls were made up they looked womanly and doll like which gave sophistication to the way they portrayed themselves.  By placing the blush under the eye and graduating it out wards in two toned pink it gave it a deconstructed feel with an edge.

The lovely Elizabeth rocking the red lipstick!

I had the pleasure of working with Sonique

Rituals Cosmetics sponsored all products.

LONDON FASHION WEEK 2010

So its that time of season where designers are frantically organising their shows and final collections. London has the buzz of whats in store next season, to the looks, models, make up and hair styles, accessories and general press go into a different world for the next few days. For me it is a time where you step out of reality for a little while.  Everything you know and understand is a challenge, because after all the press are looking at you for the ideas of whats in store next!

Prior to the show I had to meet the designers and discuss what has inspired their collection and try to translate their thoughts and ideas into reality. Then we arranged a test to go over what I had in mind in relation to make up with their clothes.  I always get a bit nervous and excited at the same time because I know all the hard work that is to come. It can be so manic and stressful but very job satisfying each season, that sometimes I often wonder how lucky I am to be where I am today. Right in the middle of fashion week.




DAY 1

PROPHETIK spring/summer 2011

Fashion Stylist Rebekah Roy at work

Botticelli's Venus takes centre stage for Prophetik's spring /summer 2011 collection called 'Midnight Garden.  Designed by Jeff Garner, the men's and womenswear label provokes mystery and innocence with beautiful flowing Southern ball gowns trimmed with beaded leather ropes and delicate lace, exquisitely tailored jackets and waistcoats decorated with antique buttons, pin-tucked tea dresses, hooded tunics and long hemmed bloomers.

working backstage

palette: ivory, indigo, oatmeal, lavender, copper, sea foam, raspberry, coral.

Tim from Toni&Guy

Set in Vauxhall Fashion Scout in Free Masons Hall in Covent Garden the early morning call at 8am was maybe a bit too early for a few of us. However we were greeted with the sound of live music which was  got us in the spirit. All ready to go I went straight into my demonstration for the team.

The finished look 

The make up was based on ethereal and mermaids but not quite fantasy. Jeff wanted the eyes to sparkle had suggested that maybe we could have diamond eyelashes. Luckily in the test I had a pair that had crystal beads on them and they worked out quite well. Swarovski had supplied us with crystals too. What I didn't expect was that they didn't sell the particular eyelashes I used so I ended up searching for 2 days and spending 3 nights working out the best way to make them myself. It got easier to make after the 8th pair although my fingers got glued together! my main colour palette was pink and peach with white and pink glitter dust.

Perfeckt gel primers and eyelashes that I made with sponsored crystals from Swarovski

So after a quick run through we had less than 40mins to finish all the models in both make up and hair and getting them dressed for their first outfits. Luckily I had a great team of assistants supplied from AOFM and a few make up artist friends of mine we cracked on quickly together working in pairs to do as much as we could and finish the look. I absolutely love the hair that Tim from Toni and Guy had designed. It was based on medieval and tribal which he allowed his team to have creative flair so each of the model had their own style to suite their hair length and face. Rebekah who kept everything and everyone in running order and in time backstage and for front stage did a great job with her team. The show ran smoothly with an orchestra playing in the background as the models walked down the grass runway.

Fabulous stylist Rebekah Roy, myself with amazing hair by Tim Furressdon

DAY 2

Lako Bukia SS11 Collection

Lako Bukia hit the runway for the first time at Vauxhall Fashion Scout this week at London Fashion Week. The inspiration for the collection was taken from Soviet Union Architecture and the block buildings, which remain in the Soviet Union Countries. The collection color pallet was soft hues of blue, pink and natural tones.

When I first met Lako for her test at Tim at Toni and Guy Salon I was surprised how gentle and quiet she was. She was also laid back and let me demonstrate what I thought would suit her collection. It was a tough call because as a make up artist you want to do make up, but when the pallet is as soft and clean as hers I decided to hold back and keep the look soft in color tones but we gave the look a modern edge by making the eyebrows nice and strong but soft enough that it was still elegant.

Interview by Peak at MO-AM

models backstage preparing

I used a dark shadow under the eyebrow so it unified the look on each model to their shape and kept it natural to their face. Cheeks were highlighted with Benefits High Beam and MAC silver dusk. This gave it a beautiful contour at the same time. Sockets were kept creamy with a soft pink gloss and just a splash of mascara to keep the eyes defined. White MAC pencil was used to make the eyes look bigger and fresher. Lips were soft and nude with a sparkly white shimmer gloss. 

I really enjoyed the show and loved the simple dresses which were made of crepe and organza

Team at work backstage

Lako gives it the go ahead before show

ShowCASE make up

As it is coming up to London Fashion Week - one of my favourite events of the year I often get asked where does my inspiration comes from and how I decide on a look. Here I will look over past events of creative show make up and talk about how I created the looks. Many of the ideas usually branch from a brief given from the client. Then I would go away and create a mood board from various materials and tear sheets from magazines, films, iconic eras, make up brands and materials available.

Rembrant

Picasso

Chagall

I get inspired by art books in particular as they usually have interesting paintings and colours that I get attracted to. My favourite artists would have to be Rembrant for his skill of directional light and use of tones in colours. Picasso for contrasting colour and organised mess as I would call it. Chagall for use of illusions and surreal images.

I still can remember my very first design for a major show which was for L'Oreal. It was my first experience in the design process in a team and working with over 30 artists. It was a success and I learnt that practice makes perfect. Working alongside Kim Gavin famous choreographer for the likes of Take That, Viva La Diva and many major shows and artists and renowned hairdresser Trevor Sorbe. We created different characters to suit the sections of the show which was held in Earls Court. Rock and Punk, Toons and Disco. We used a mixture of materials such as greaspaints, bodypaints, eyelashes and plenty of gold leave.

The above is a presentation for Vidal Sassoon. Based on geisha look with a modern twist. I used colour eyelashes with colourful glitter and shadows. Keeping the skin porcelain was the key for this look rather than the usual powder.

The above show was with Andrew Barton who was director for SAKS. Based on voodoo woman, animals and tribal. This was fun as it was very characteristic and the looks speak for themselves. 

This was at IMATS Alexandra trade show working with AOFM the Academy Of Freelance Make Up. I was demonstrating the use of various mediums such as glitter, greasepaint, customised eyelashes, texture of greasepaint and cream eyeshadows. We were also promoting the launch of Make up is Art book.

The using of creative materials and textures can be often scary to work with but with a lot of practice on myself and models it saves time and mishaps before the show day. Which is why I probably look like I know what I'm doing and make it look easy. Sometimes people forget all about the research that goes on behind the scenes and how much time I spent searching and testing brands and materials to see if they can work together. I'm lucky to still have my eyebrows with the amount of eyebrow wax and testing I do in blocking out eyebrows. You can see samples above what happens when you have no eyebrows - allows you to have more space for reshaping the eye area. Using diamonds and swarovski crystals is one of my favourite looks. 

One of my first London Fashion Week shows with Inbar Spector below. Using glitter gel on eyebrows.

Based on Gothic Couture

Working with Inbar Spector was inspirational and a great experience. I had to deal with many trials to get the right look and even went to her studio late night before the show date to change the idea. It was quite stressful but on the day it all came together and we had great press which led her to go to Paris and sell her collection. 

Having creative freedom with designers is an honour and one that is treasured in my heart as every show and design I do, I feel it is a part of me and my believe on how a make up look should be. Working with teams over weeks in designing for the show and preparing 4 hours before the show that only lasts for 15 mins seems like such a shame sometimes.

Here are sample of my on schedule show with Gavin Douglas  and then Bernard Chandran which was a special moment for me as this was what I aspired to do when I first started designing shows. Being around all the chaos and packed audience and press it was one of my most memorable times. Working along side stylist consultant for Gavin at the time Karen Biggs. She gave me great advice in surviving the fashion industry.

Below: Gavin Douglas

Bernard Chandran

During this time I also got to meet the organisers at Vauxhall Fashion Scout and ended up doing some great designers. Below are examples of some of my designs at the shows at Vauxhall.

Below: Danny Tang                                 Harriets Muse 

 Jasper Garvida

Prophetik

Romeo Pires

William Tempest

My experience with William Tempest has been a learning curve. If you are lucky enough to work with a designer from the start of their career who grows to be one of the most established is a rare and lucky occasion. I have been there from one of his first shows and now he has left London to show in New York which is an amazing step. William always knows what he wants and has a lot of input to how the make up should look which is great. He has grown so quickly over the years and is now one of the big names. It has been a pleasure working with him and I look forward to see what is to come next.

Watch this space as I start work on the next season............

David Gandy Cover Shoot Behind the Scenes

Style Men January 2010 David GandyDavid Gandy for Plaza by Kate Davis 

So working with David was an experience. I jumped at the chance when photographer Kate Davis approached me to collaborate with her to work with David . After seeing him on Dolce & Gabbana advert he was different to what I had expected. Charming down to earth and non diva at all he apologised for not washing his hair on the day of the shoot as he had a long journey. This actually worked in my favour as usually mens hair can be quite tricky to work with.  We wanted to get away from his advertising look of being all groomed and slick hair to a more real and natural kooky look which is what he has. I had so much fun especially when he wore the all in one jump suit, looked like a babygrow and somehow can't imagine it taking off in menswear in their everyday wardrobe!

Test shots before taking pictures on film

Make up products just for him!

To create the look I used a MAC mattifying silicone primer all over which keeps his skin matt and it also showed off his freckles. And concealer to cover under eye and even out the tiredness. He's eyebrows has a natural scar where the hair doesn't grow so the best things was to add a bit of dark eyeshadow to even it out without looking too heavy. With men it can be difficult to decide to keep stubble and facial hair or shave it off as it gives them completely different looks. Clean shaven can look very pretty and young on a guy so on this occasion we wanted him to look manly as possible. 

MAKE UP IS ART Second edition

The Second edition published by Carlton Books

Finally the second edition of the book has been completed and will be out very soon. It has taking a lot of work and effort from all the team involved and was my biggest challenge to date. I am very proud to know that someone out there on the other side of the world could be learning from our experience as working artists in the industry here in London. It is full of extra tips and images with more details and in-dept information about products, techniques and how to achieve various looks. I am very proud to have seen my baby project come to life and it has been amazing journey thanks to the support of AOFM and my friends and colleagues in the industry.

There is a special feature with Britians Got Talent ESCALA whom I've worked with on tour and had an amazing time changing the girls looks for their performances each night on their uk tour supporting Catherine Jenkins. I loved their image and how they made choices together working as a brand.

One of my most enjoyable shoots was for the adornment section and working with crystals and eyelashes and the amazing stylist Rebekah Roy brought lots of luxury accessories to the shoot. It was all about embellishment but influenced with an editorial feel. Shot by Catherine Harbour here is a sneak preview of the image to appear in the book.

Launching in September during LFW watch this space to see how it went.

MAKE UP IS ART

Gain a true insight into the creative world of makeup artistry with sound advice on all the tools, knowledge and techniques you need

Makeup is art. Every face is a blank canvas and every brush stroke creates something magical. Makeup enhances natural beauty but also builds confidence for everyday life. Jana Ririnui, makeup artist and founder of AOFM, and Lan Nguyen, makeup artist and creative director, have come together with a team of other top industry professionals to create a book dedicated to inspire other makeup artists, those wishing to enter this exciting career and anyone who wants to experiment with, and develop, their makeup looks.

It is a glossy, gorgeous makeup manual written by London’s Academy of Freelance Makeup, one of the world’s best training institutes. AOFM tutors work with prestigious clients such as Versace, Armani, Dior and Vogue. It includes basic makeup advice along with step-by-step instructions for a range of truly inventive looks using specialist techniques – from Lady Gaga-inspired creations and retro looks to underwater makeup and body painting. 

We created this book to fill the gap of providing a visual book to inspire. Its more practical with less text and more images to show what you can achieve and being creative but beautiful too. All the images were shot from scratch especially for this project and thanks to our friends and sponsors who helped make it possible. The first edition launched back in 2009 during London Fashion Week with a great party and copies were sold in RD Franks, Soho Book Stores, Charles Fox and a number of other boutique shops. The second edition is out towards the end of the year and will be available worldwide.

Other reviews here from my the fabulous stylist Rebekah Roy whom I have the pleasure to work with quite often during London Fashion Week and various editorials.

Book launch by Rebekah Roy

It is also available to buy AOFM

Beauty Make up Before and After

So here you can see a before and after shot of my make up before retouching. Looking at any image people can forget about the work that goes into creating that perfect image. Especially with beauty. The one fundamental thing now is retouching. I remember when I first started makeup I had always tried to create the perfect make up look in every way down to the last hair as I didn't understand the retouching side. Only from working with magazines and editorials have I learnt this skill and understanding how a finished image should look before going to print. Looking at my make up portfolio a friend of mine once said ' why can I see hairs on her face? Do you not get your work retouched?' And me being proud of what I created and my work I said firmly 'what good would that be as a make up artist that you have to get it retouched?' So I checked out retouching websites and had very mixed feelings as I realised how much people used these tools to hide the imperfections. I was shocked that a make up artist could get away with creating not so perfect looks especially bad skin, wonky lip line and bad eyeliner and blending. I'm not saying it is intentional but if you can't do that properly how can you call yourself a make up artist, is this not the whole point of doing this job? Not to mention retouching hours spent for the photographer. Big spots and lumps are still visible even if you try to cover up with concealer but luckily retouching solves it in a second. I suppose if I was to rely on retouching then I would not push myself to perfection, so in a good way it has kept my skills in shape and always a healthy challenge. With this knowledge I can now manipulate my images to the best they can be.

You can spot instantly the differences between the two images here. The skin being flatter and polished like it's been airbrushed. Lips and eyes are brighter. No matter how perfect I would do it by having that bit more of retouching it actually does looks a lot better. However if you had never seen it retouched then you would accept the first image at face value and with nothing to compare it to, it would be acceptable as a nice image. Which brings me to the point of perfection in beauty. The magazines we see on the shelves are packed with beautiful images that we forget have been airbrushed and it is amazing how many women and men still believe that the model or celebrity looks like that everyday. When really the secret is the team of professionals behind the scenes creating it.