Its been a long 6 months at LA College of Creative Arts but I've loved every minute of it. Unfortunately the year is almost over and my class is graduating on 28th August. I've invited family and friends to attend and my boyfriend is featuring in the end of year fashion show as my model to showcase my work, so it is going to be a very special day for everyone.
This week is our last full week of college and the atmosphere is fun with a pinch of anticipation. Today we had guest tutors in to visit us; MAC's senior business manager Lisa Byrne and MAC's staff trainer, Corinne. Corinne showed us a look from MAC's Reb-Elle range which key MAC artists have described as "undone glamour". This look does not require neatness or tidiness and is supposed to reflect the makeup two days after partying constantly so everything is basically melted onto the face beautifully.
Corinne started off by prepping and priming the skin with MAC's new skincare range called Lightful which is a long-term skincare range. She drenches four cotton pads in the range's softening lotion and places them on the models face and lets them rest there for a minute, then removes the pads and uses Lightful's Essence serum to reduce pigmentation and give clarity to the skin. She then uses the range's moisturiser which is a gel based moisturiser that gives a radiant and youthful look to the skin and is perfect for the backstage of a fashion show as it is gel based is not oily. Finally Corinne places MAC's lip conditioner onto the lips and lets that marinate while she continues with the rest of the face. She sprays a hydrating mist to the face to leave the skin dewy and radiant.
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| MAC's Lightful Skincare Range |
Corinne begins with the foundation using Face and Body from MAC. She comments that backstage at the majority of fashion shows, makeup artists only use either Face and Body from MAC or Mineralise Moisture Foundation as they are the only two foundations that make the skin still appear as skin and not like the model is wearing makeup. If in doubt, Corinne advised always to go a shade lighter then your foundation (a tip from the top key artists at fashion weeks around the world).
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| MAC Face and Body |
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| MAC Mineralise Foundation |
She takes a MAC prep and prime highlighter pen and dabs it under the eye of the model, and lets it melt away under the natural heat of her ring finger (the finger with the least amount of pressure). Corinne would usually arrive at a fashion show four hours before it begins to set up and allow time for the team briefing and hair and makeup. The key artist who designed the makeup look will then get their team together and demo the chosen look on a model and show the team the techniques, products and the finished look required of them. Before any of the team can allow their specific model to go out, they have to check with the key makeup artist if the makeup is to the brief. Corinne applies Studio Finish concealer (MAC's concealer with the fullest coverage) under the eye and anywhere it is required on the skin and dabs away the excess.
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| MAC Studio Finish Concealor |
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| MAC Prep and Prime Highlighter |
She then gets Feline pencil, which is the most intense black MAC has to offer in a pencil and paints it all over the lid. Then, taking a blending brush, she blends out the pencil into a soft rectangular shape extending the excess to the sides making sure the model is looking straight head and also making sure it is not a perfectly blended edge. Eye shadows are not normally used backstage on a fashion show as they do not give that intense colour straight away as there is a lot of building up the colour with eyeshadows, therefore a lot of cream shadows and pencils are used instead. Corinne then uses Feline in the waterline and uses a pencil brush to bring the majority of the product to the outer corner of the under-eye giving a rounded rectangular shape to marry with the upper rectangular shape. By using the pencil brush, you are melting the kohl Feline pencil into the under-eye giving a beautiful effect. Using Pearlglide in Black Swan, she paints on the lid of the eye to give a wet and plastic look. using a dry brush Corinne blends the Pearlglide outward.
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| MAC Pearlglide - Black Swan |
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| MAC Feline Pencil |
Corinne continues to use MAC's Pressed Pigment in Black Grape and packs it onto the eyelid as the pigment clings to the kohl eyeliner. The lashes are then curled and the brows are brushed up to reflect the unkempt look that models portray on the catwalk (hello Cara Delevinge!) and the MAC Brow Pencil in Spiked is used in little swipes from underneath along the brow using darker colours where skin is seen through the brow and lighter colours where the brow is fuller and the inner brow the hairs are brushed upward.
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| MAC Brow Pencil in Spiked |
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MAC Pressed Pigment in Black Grape
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Using MAC's Pro Product Sculpting Creams (which are only available in the London store), Corinne highlights the cheekbone withe the lighter colour and contours nice and high, hugging the underside of the cheekbone using a darker shade of the sculpting creams with downward sweeps. She then uses a few dabs of concealer on the lips to take out the natural lip colour and uses MAC's Flase Lash mascara in Extreme Black.
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| MAC Pro Product Sculpting Cream |
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| MAC False Lash in Extreme Black |
I loved the finished look and I think I'm going to be a hardcore Rebel fan from here on in. I love the idea of a makeup look that looks like it has been there for days. So trendy and edgy looking. Later on in the day I was able to replicate the look and I also took photos of the look Corinne completed...... See below.
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| My Version of the Reb-Elle Theme |
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| Corinne's Version of the Reb-Elle Theme |
You can find all the products mentioned
here..
Matt Carolan
