coutorture --

So Cherry Clichéd

coutorture — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 08:19:32 -0700

Beauty copy can be a tangle of clichés as writers struggle to find fresh descriptions for minute changes. We almost wish the copy editors would give in and admit it! So when the ne plus ultra of beauty clichés, the cherry, came out in force this Fall the overbearing metaphor seemed almost charming. Its as if everyone agreed to say, eh, why force it? Everyone loves a deep cherry red lip so let's not struggle to call it anything but. Its the beauty copy equivalent of calling a spade a spade. And that refreshing honesty about the limits of descriptors somehow makes us that much covetous. Why strive to over market when we all know that we love it we suppose.

And clearly our community feels the same way as MAC's Cult of Cherries and Laura Mercier's Cherries Noir are getting rave reviews. Beauty 411 loves Cherries Noir for what we might call a sister cliché 40s Hollywood glamor. 15 Minute Beauty Fanatic goes right for the kisser with MAC's Cult of Cherry with a cherry lips entry. Temptalia too goes for cherryliscious lips. Makeup and Beauty Blog continues the trend Mercier's Cherries Noir cherry lips. And because it can't just be about the biggies, So Loverly found a Silken Naturals Cherry Crush lipgloss.

Vie Couture, M.I.S.S Crew, and Nessasary Makeup round up the coverage with general reviews.

Five Fall Makeup Trends

coutorture — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 11:21:14 -0700

Keeping up with the trends, especially when it comes to beauty, can have a frustrating keeping up with the Jones vibe. If you think fashion has a fast product turn around then beauty will make your mind reel. One of our favorites, MAC, releases impressive conceptual collections at a pace that rarely allows us a breath. We just finished getting used to Neo Sci Fi and now we are on to Cult of Cherry. Ccoming up with a complete set of perfect fall trends can feel, no pun intended, fruitless.

Thankfully, we had makeup artist Junko Kioka to keep us on the straight and narrow during our Five Fall Trends photo editorial. This fall clean matte skin, matte lips, daring to be bare, and if you are very bold, extreme lips and eyes makes a nice top five list. Isn't it nice when the professionals are there to keep you focused?

To achieve the matte skin look, Junko used Make Up Forever for foundation and cover up but unless you plan to actually be in a photo shoot we suggest Clinique Stay True Oil Free Formula. We are also suckers for Clinique Moisture Sheer Tint if you prefer less coverage, just be sure to use some pressed powder to achieve a matte finish.

The red lips on the shoot came courtesy of NARS Semi Matte Lipstick in Red Lizard. In order to get a super matte look with your lips take a tissue to a fresh coat and blot your lips. Then use loose powder over the tissue to seal it.

And if you crave the sultry footballer look Junko used Smashbox Jet Set Water Proof eyeliner. She also used this color pot to do our black lips as well. Though we would suggest if you want to go crazy with this trend to just find a nice cheap Wet and Wild alternative.

The Makeup Show NYC 2008

coutorture — Tue, 20 May 2008 11:52:08 -0700

Editors, buyers, and the rest of the fashion flock have fashion weeks to look forward to for new designs, networking, and freebies. And as much as we make a big fuss about beauty during fashion week it is really only there to complement the fashions. The real action for the beauty crew comes at tradeshows. Yesterday, Coutorture took time time to visit the Makeup Show New York to get a handle on just what happens at a beauty tradeshow.

The Makeup Show New York is a much more intimate industry experience than the overwhelming International Beauty Show. The entire point of the Makeup Show is to bring together the best of the industry. They boast that they have:

The biggest brands. Top industry exhibitors. Speakers from every area of makeup artistry. New product introductions. Special Pro-only offers. Seminars, forums and hands-on workshops. The best networking opportunity in the business.

And we walked by many booths from the biggies like Lancome and P&G Beauty to MAC, Smashbox, Stila and Makeup Forever. But it wasn't just about the brands and the products, The Makeup show is heavily focused on education with classes on everything from perfecting makeup for on-camera work to airbrushing.Not to mention the keynotes speeches!

We enjoyed quite a few takes on more creative makeup application from facepaint and select body parts (we won't say which ones) to full body applications. They had even figured out semi-permanent makeup for tattoos.

We played with products and marveled at just how covered in pigment our hands were by the end of the day. Some products, like a Mascara Shield seemed a little strange and others like a powder Vitamin C that turns to liquid on application called Awake Vital Express completely wowed us.

We went completely gaga over Crown Brush's Private Label display. One of the better kept secret in beauty is that many brands use the same factories, packagers and suppliers for their products and formulas while merely changing the marketing. For us this ended up being quite a treat as we snagged brush after brush at under wholesale. And yes we did get a little too excited about the pink handled brush options.

Please take a look through our gallery of images!

Beauty: Quick Change Artist

coutorture — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 08:53:24 -0700

We loved the versatility displayed by Kyla, the lovely Canadienne featured in our recent La Belle Dame sans Merci shoot. So much, in fact, that it inspired our makeup look for the shoot. We aimed for simple makeup that could be quickly and easily modified to play up Kyla's natural features. These are, indeed, useful tricks for those of us who like to party hop but are too lazy or pressed for time to switch up our staid beauty routines. Here are the evolutions of a basic makeup look, one that started with opaque gloss and sheer foundation, and finished with a smokier eye and deeper lip color. We like to think this manner of application is more realistic than the zero-to-sixty makeup routines used on other professional photo shoots. The truth is, a little goes a long way--even in the pictures.

The basics: Since Spring looks should be relatively unfussy, we skipped the foundation. In lieu of the dreaded cake face, we aimed for a fresh, radiant complexion, which we achieved by highlighting Kyla's bone structure. We swept MAC Strobe Liquid across her cheeks (fingers work best for this) and on the browbone, and added just a dab on the inner corners of the eyes and above the bow of her lips. The easy to blend potion glided on like silk and left just a subtle, creamy shimmer. The best part? It took all of two seconds.

For eyes, we used Tarte's Rest Assured Brightening Cream, in shimmery gold liquid form, on the eyelids, blending up to the browbone. We had to blend quickly so it wouldn't leave uneven color across the lid, but the beautiful sheen it left behind was worth the mad scramble. Instead of a heavily made up fringe, we opted for delicate lashes using Maybelline's Lash Discovery Mascara, which deposited just the right amount on each and every little lash.

On lips, we tried the ultra subtle MAC Strobe tinted lip conditioner stick in Current, which, besides being friendly to fair complexions, also comes equipped with moisturizing ingredients and SPF 15. We topped it off with a quick swipe of Kiehl's Lip Gloss in Earth Day, a shimmery brown that punched up the color a bit but without being too opaque.

The evolution: With our basic look down pat, we tweaked and toyed with it to create two versions of a more dramatic look. The first involved a smokier eye, which we created with Borghese Satin Shadow Milano Trio in Il Bacio Grey. We used the medium shade as an allover color and smudged the darkest shade into both the upper and lower lash lines with the tip of a sponge eyeshadow applicator. It's a fantastic tool because it doesn't create a harsh line, as a pencil or eyeliner brush might. We used the same dark shade on the outer half of the lid, blending it up from the lashline into the crease.

To up the drama factor even more, we switched Kyla's lip color to MAC Lip Glass in 4N, a sophisticated, burnished bronze with a red undertone. The result: flim noir gorgeous in under 60 seconds.

Heatherette Teams Up With MAC Cosmetics

coutorture — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 07:43:30 -0700

Richie Rich and Traver Rains, the dynamic duo behind Heatherette must be Geminis. Their latest collaboration with MAC plays off the duality within all of us. Heatherette’s public persona as glittery 24 hour party people may cause more conservative fashionistas to shy away, however, this makeup suits almost everyone's needs. Designed for the good girl by day and the bad girl by night, the collaboration brings a collection of highly covetable limited edition products which are quite versatile. Although a majority of the colors are surprisingly wearable, there's always those little ostentatious Heatherette surprises like a “look at me” pink blush with holographic silver packaging.

Richie and Traver were contributing forces in the creation of this collection. “The boys gathered everything from fabric swatches to paper pieces of colours to particles of glitter” said Jennifer Balbier, Senior Vice President of Product Development. Their creativity sparked the MAC team to debut two brand new products in the collection. The Dual-Edge Eye Pencil, featuring one end of highly pigmented color and the other glitter, and two eyeshadow trios, are both a first for MAC.

The eyeshadow trios make it easy for a gal with little eye makeup experience as they function as a self explanatory kit to a smokey eye. Trio 1 features Mood Ring (Mint Green), Cloud Burst (Black with green pearl), and Hoppin’ (pastel peach). Trio 2 coordinates Baby Petals (Pastel Pink), V.I.P. (Yellow Pink) and Cassette (Eggplant). The Dual-Edge Eye Pencils in Black Funk/Pop Blue, Phone Me/Text Me, Nighthawk/Front Row, and FAB Orchid/Dash Lily sweetly play up the Good Girl/Bad Girl theme. To drive the point home, MAC created two exclusive lash sets titled She’s Good & She’s Bad, both in a high shine patent finish.

The color selection found in the quartet of lipglasses and lipsticks shows the careful planning that went into the collaboration. Lipsticks in Lollipop Loving (glaze), Fleshpot (satin), Hollywood Nights (satin) and Melrose Mood (amplified) perfectly coordinate with the lipglasses in Sock Hop (cream), Bonus Beat (frost), Starlet Kiss (frost) and Style Minx (frost). When used together, a lipglass and lipstick can create an intense glossy lip (are you ready for some late night fun?), but when used without, the lipglass is perfect for the sheer good girl who's 'ready for bed'.

No collection geared toward the ultimate makeup lover could be complete without beauty powders. Alpha Girl, described as pink with gold nuances, is a darling peachy-pink. Smooth Harmony, described as a medium golden bronze, may initially appear intimidating, but with a light hand it’s adaptable to even the fairest skinned.

Makeup lovers, good girls and bad girls alike, will covet pieces from this collection. Just like Heatherette’s initial collaboration, a namesake limited edition lipstick, this collection will live on long after the products have sold out. Heatherette for MAC is available in MAC retail locations as well as maccosmetics.com now.

Speaking of the original Heatherette lipstick, we dug up a Heatherette promo video featuring Amanda Lepore completely covered in the lip color, directed by David Lachapelle (nsfw).

Bill Blass A/W 08 Video and Interview With MAC Team

coutorture — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 07:00:31 -0800

Yesterday, we talked with the MAC team about the rock n' roll inspired makeup for Bill Blass. The truth is, you never know how the makeup will turn out on the runway. No matter how beautiful it looks backstage, when the models get hit with bright, white lights and a million flashbulbs, it can be a disaster. Funnily enough, the makeup for Bill Blass wasn't our favorite close-up but looked spectacular on the runway.

The show, it turns out, was not of the rock n' roll variety. The look of Peter Som's collection for Bill Blass was rather ladylike with a nod to film noir (and all those powerful mischievous women). The plum, cobalt, and aqua palette, set against black was striking and high waisted belting kept everything tucked in where it counts. We suppose the reason for the rock n' roll makeup was mostly the need for intensity. The makeup served to mature the collection, and encouraged its dark side, rather than its pretty one.

Backstage With MAC At Bill Blass

coutorture — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 11:13:25 -0800

We just finished up a little backstage time with the MAC team. The look for the Bill Blass A/W 08 show conjures that ever-popular 'rock chick' vibe. Naturally, that means a lot of liner and mascara (fake eyelashes to be exact) a deep plum eye and orange-leaning blush high on the cheekbone. As with most strong eye-looks, the MAC team is keeping it simple with basic nude lipstick. Everyone, including the models, seem a bit tired on the second to last day of fashion week. Thankfully, we have Peter Som for Bill Blass to look forward to, expect an edge that just might get you through the next two days.

Behnaz Sarafpour A/W 08 Runway Show

coutorture — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 10:52:11 -0800

Pop colors are abundant these days. We all know that. You start with the neutrals and then pick a few complimentary brights to serve as lining, piping, and the like. The Behnaz Sarafpour A/W 08 collection was the perfect example. Deep plums and acid green's jumped off garments while the blacks served to classify the bright color. Two amazing flapper-like dresses turned up solid, showing off Sarafpour's knowledge of texture (the dresses moved like sea anemones) and confidence in the two hues that only appear in glimpses elsewhere.

MAC And The Karen Walker A/W 08 Look

coutorture — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 08:06:59 -0800

If you're a Karen Walker fan, you're probably keen on the makeup for this season's A/W 08 runway show. We spoke with the MAC team about the quintessential Walker look, where sweet pinks and nude coverage embody that cool downtown vibe. After all, Walker girls aren't really the sort to cake on the face lacquer, nor fuss with touch-ups. If you seek guidance, check out our video from backstage where MAC walks us through the look.

MAC Pulling Out All The Stops

coutorture — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 16:58:52 -0800

We've been keeping our eye on the MAC teams this week and this afternoon, backstage at Behnaz Sarafpour, we were most impressed. Drawing from a palate that included flashes of acid green and deep plum, MAC sprayed these girls with a new product they're soon launching, which brightens even the most tired eyes. For the rest of the face, MAC keep it neutral with a matte cheek and glossed lips. Video of this technique and of tonight's show to you shortly.

Backstage With Mac: Preen A/W 08

coutorture — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 07:26:00 -0800

Yesterday, we stopped by the Preen show, backstage, to talk with the Mac team. Last year, makeup was inspired by Lauren Hutton, and this year, Kim Bassinger (in L.A. Confidential) and Kurt Cobain. For the Kurt there were smudgy shadows in shades of brown, and for the Kim, red stained lips that 'look like you've been kissing and making out for hours'.