Attitude magazine

Thursday 8th March

Martina Luisetti, whom used to be a senior artist for Mac Cosmetics (this is how I know her), is now signed to The Book Agency.  Now, this lady is one of the most talented make-up artists I know, some of the work I have seen of hers is just ridiculous!!!  She is such an inspiration to me, someone I've always looked up to.  So I was super chuffed when she asked me if I would like to be put down on her assistant list! It wasn't long before I was asked to assist her on a shoot for Attitude magazine, shot by Bella Howard.  The location was Rivoli Ballrooms in SE4, which suited the story well.  The theme of the shoot was a piss take out of a 'Mr Britain' competition.  We had 10 male models to make up, all various shades of tan, or 'orange', and these were the contestants- 'Mr Newcastle', or 'Mr Birmingham', and so on.  I was instructed to make one of the boys look 'ridiculously orange' bless him, it was a good job he was a good sport and could take the mic out of himself.  Martina had the idea of using sellotape around one of the boys arms to make tan lines with dark concealer, and then removing the tape so it looked like he had t-shirt marks.  She also used the tape and concealer idea to make comedy 'tide marks' on one of the three judges jaw line that we also had to make-up.  As you can imagine we all had a right laugh, whilst being completely professional of course!

LFW, Ashish AW12

Tuesday 21st February, 12pm

Back at Somerset House for Georgina's final show of the season.  And it all went swimmingly well!  I had totally got the hang of the model list, and finding out who was first on the catwalk from the running order.  Generally speaking this is who Georgina liked to do her demo of the look on for the other make-up artists working on the show, and who she would use as her example when talking to all the press.  I also got to make-up a model on this show as extra hands were needed, which I had got my own set bag set up for just in case.  I knew which products I would need from going to the test, so had brought what I could along with me.  I find things run a lot better when I have my own stuff with me and aren't having to share with other people.  And I'm much happier when doing make-up, so I was happy to be doing make-up at the last show.  LFW ended on a massive high, yippee!!!

Teen Vogue

Monday 20th February

Right in the middle of LFW, both Natalie and I were assisting Georgina Graham today for a Teen Vogue shoot, shot by Matt Irwin at Spring Studios.  It was for Jewellery, and we had 6 gorgeous models to make-up.  They were all obviously really young and needed to be kept looking young , so there wasn't any heavy make-up involved.  One girl had the most amazing cats eyes with great brows, so Georgina applied her signature Hollywood Glamour-esque liner, and that was the strongest look really.  Myself and Natalie prepped all the girls skin and applied some of the girls bases, and made sure there bodies looked perfect. This involves getting rid of any red hands, ears, knees, or any scars and bruises etc.  We were also on set to do any touch ups whilst Georgina was making up the other girls.  With the girls being so young they were all really sweet and easy to work with.  We had Nuala @Storm, Vanussa @FM, Juana @Elite, Nur @Viva, Lottie R @Select, and Charlotte @Union.   Georgina's kit, which she had lost whilst in India arrived back in the UK for this shoot, with all her favourite things in so she was a very happy bunny!  Losing your kit right before Fashion Week would be every make-up artist's worst nightmare, bless her!  She was so pleased she even took a picture of all her stuff laid out- (note the beautiful lip palettes that I made up! ;o)) 

  

Ashish Test

Sunday 19th February

Ashish's hair and make-up test was taking place today, and again Georgina had very kindly invited me along.  I was so very fortunate to be able to go along to two tests with her, and very grateful!  To see the whole thought process from the beginning is such an insight!  But can we just talk about the clothes!  OMG, I wanted them all!  And they were so tantalisingly hanging up on rails in the kitchen for us all to gawp at and drool over.  NOT FAIR!  The collection had been named 'Bollywouldn't', and the muse was on a spiritual journey-running the gamut of the grunge movement to the Ganges.  It was Ashish's homage to 'New age, rainbows and Goa', so think tie die knits, long flowing shirts lingering at the back, a hoodie or even a sequined sheath gown.  Acid house smiley faces, ying-yang motifs, oversize buddhas, all accessorised perfectly with rainbow platform boots.  This girl's a bit of a festival fiend, a bit hippy-dippy, and she knows how to have fun!

Once the model had arrived, I set to work giving her a face message using Mac careblend oils.  Georgina is well known for wanting the model to have a message before the make-up.  Mostly because it relaxes the model,  helps drain the toxins, and lets you get to know the models face and bone structure.  Once the models skin was prepped, Georgina set to work creating a luxe look which was inspired by “Talitha Getty meets the Olsen Twins.” She balanced a matte base with cream contours and highlights, and went for warm browns buffed on the eye with a brushed up brow, and a cold, nude lip.  The products used were (all by Mac), Beauty Balm, Studio Sculpt Foundation, Studio Sculpt Concealer, Sculpting Cream in Pure Sculpture and Accentuate, Studio Care Blend Pressed Powder, Eye Shadow (Cork, Corduroy and Embark), Brownette Mascara or Black Mascara on black skin, Brow Pencils, Stone Lip Pencil or Chestnut Lip Pencil for black skin. 

Once the make-up was done it was time for hair.  But it turned out that the model actually had to leave for a job, there had been some mix up at her agency, so her make-up had to be removed and a new model organised.  There was some time then just waiting around for the new girl.  When she finally arrived Georgina had to repeat the make-up, then the hair had to be done which took a while because they were threading some gold thread in to the hair.  But the wait was worth it, the hair and make-up looked amazing, accessorised with gold chains draping from ear to nose!

Basso and Brooke AW12 LFW

Friday 17th February, 3pm

Having had to leave the Felder Felder show early, myself and Kate are hot footing it to the Basso and Brooke show at Goldsmiths Hall, armed with Georgina's kit.  Some of Georgina's team are already there prepping the models skin ready for her arrival.  I get to work setting up her work station, and getting hold of the model list and running order.  There didn't seem to be a model list so I started my own one by going around and asking all the girls there what their names were.  There was much confusion from production whether there was meant to be 15 or 14 models.  I had 14 down, checked all the models off again and still had 14 girls so no-one knew who the 15th girl was.  Eventually she turned up and was found, crisis over!

Georgina had designed a beautiful look, the emphasis being on this gorgeous velvet, matte red rose lip.  The products used were (all by Mac), Cherry lip pencil, Nightmoth lip pencil, Ruby Woo lipstick, Sin Lipstick, Basic Red Pigment, and Burnt Burgundy Pigment.  The rest of the face was kept very simple, just a little Face and Body foundation, concealer where needed and blot powder to take off any shine. 

The models seemed to be in hair forever, there was a mad rush near show time to get the models done.  I was asked to get in and start doing make-up and leave the list, Georgina would try to keep on top of it.  Just trying to find the products though was difficult!  They were being used by other people so I had to try and find them!  It didn't help that there were soooooooooooooooooo many, press, photographers, bloggers etc hanging around, and getting in the way, we could barely move and get to our products.  It was crazy!  Georgina kept having to ask to get them removed from the area!  The most crazy backstage experience ever!  All of a sudden we were in line up and having to finish the models of there!  Not so easy with this lip and with the models being 7 foot tall with their shoes on!  Anyway, as you can see from my model, the look looked beautiful and Georgina excelled as always!

Felder Felder AW12 LFW Show

Friday 17th February

My first show of the season.  This Fashion Week was going to be different for me.  For the past six seasons I have done LFW through Mac Cosmetics, taken my kit with me, set up my own little station, knew where all my products were, and made up the models.  This season however I went about doing it on a freelance basis.  I had assisted Georgina Graham on a few shoots already and she asked me if I would like to be her intern at LFW, so of course I jumped at the chance.  I was told by her first assistant Natalie Piacun that there was no need to bring my own kit, if we needed to we would just share Georgina's.  When we arrived at Sommerset House I was told to obtain the model list and running order from production.  This was what I was going to be in charge of- the dreaded model list.  At any one time when asked by Georgina I was meant to be able to tell her who had arrived, who was in hair, who was in make-up, who had been checked off by Georgina, and who we were waiting on to arrive.  Now this might not seem too difficult to you, but trust me it was!!! There are so many people backstage it is ridiculous, so that in itself makes it difficult to find people when you need to, or to get to someone to grab them quickly if you need to.  At times it is literally nearly impossible to move!  Also, I am famous for never being able to remember any ones name at the best of times, I've normally forgotten someones name 10 seconds after they've told me, then all of a sudden I have to remember 16 girls names who all look the same and know exactly where they are at any given time!  So it was slightly stressful!  If someone new had squeezed in without me realising I'd be in trouble.  If I didn't watch the movement of every girl at all times so I knew what was going on then I'd be in trouble.  But how can you do that!!!???   It got quite confusing at times as you can imagine.  Things seemed relatively calm on the surface however, things were moving along nicely, but time was ticking on and on and we were still missing five girls who were coming after they had done the Maria Grachvogel show which was unfortunately running extremely late!  In the end the Mac crew had to call in extra artists as the time grew closer and closer to show time.  Make-up and hair had to set up stations together ready for the models arrival and when they finally arrived they were literally pounced on and dragged to their seats where hair, make-up and nails all had to be done at the same time in a very small amount of room.  This was when everyone was shouting out they needed this or that product and I was trying to run around (or push through the sea of photographers and god knows who), to find the products which I couldn't find because someone else had them because three people were all using the same kit and oh my goodness!  Then myself and Kate (Georgina's old first assistant and good friend), had to leave this show to make way to the Basso and Brooke show that Georgina was also keying because the times overlapped.  So we missed some of the backstage craziness.  But Georgina said that the show went out only 20 minutes late which was incredible really, and of course the models looked amazing!  Well done George!

Look Magazine

Thursday 16th February

Kolbrun Ran from Frank agency had a beauty shoot for Look magazine.  She had to leave the shoot early and so needed an assistant to stay behind.  The story was pastels, so Kolbrun had four different looks using pastel colours to do.  Purples and lilacs were used quite heavily.  It was a very pretty shoot!