Photography makeup chronicles

Fashion photography and editorial work is the most enjoyable experience anyone (including a makeup artist) can get. It’s a fun taken to the ultimate levels of creativity.
We work as a team and it’s an amazing thing to see.
Though all this happens the makeup that we do is really heavy and sometimes can look way beyond real. Unfortunately this trend is still there in India and I am not proud to say that. We are still bound with an invisible chain and somehow don’t come out of it.
Well you would wonder what am I talking about?? Well I’m talking about the foundation and the base.
Lets not blame or involve anybody as its too rude to do that.
Let me talk about how to look good in your own photo shoot. We need photographs everywhere right from passport size to I don’t know what all……but are always unhappy as it doesn’t turn out the way we want it.
The most important reason for this to happen is using an improper makeup technique. The lights used in photography are sometimes very strong and can penetrate through the skin accentuating all the flaws of the face. Here we need to create a good base so that our skin looks flawless and real….
In this post I’d be writing the foundations and the methods which I do to make my models look very good in photos….

Step 1
I do a thorough cleansing to remove the last speck of dirt that could be seen on the face. Then I spray a toner spritz to cool down the face and balance the pH. This helps a lot as the acids on our skin might change the color of the foundation making it look dark.
Then I massage on a nice luxurious moisturiser like the one from Etre Belle cosmetics called Sensi plus day & night cream. It feels good and massaging warms up the skin.
Then I use a foundation primer for extra smoothness…

Step 2
After the primer I spray on MAC fix+ spray for a hydrating effect and for the makeup to glide on really well. The foundations I use are generally liquid and not cream when doing makeup. But since a few photo shoots I have started using products that make a lasting impression. Under a base of liquid foundation I use a 3 in 1 stick foundation instead of a color corrector or complexion enhancer. After dabbing the stick foundation on the face I use a damp sponge or fingers for the product to sink in. I apply the stick foundation as a concealer in the under eye area and it gives me better coverage than a regular concealer without going heavy. Over this I apply a layer or two of a high definition foundation and voila! There you have a flawless skin which does not look heavy or made up.
Then just layer of loose powder to fix up the makeup. If any more fixing in the complexion is needed I use the Mac fix+ spray again and powder it with a dual powder like MAC studio fix.

I found some amazing products in the market that I would like to share.

Liquid foundations: -

Etre Belle Cosmetics Water resistant foundation
Lancôme’s teint idole ultra enduring makeup
Loreal tru match liquid foundation
Shiseido dual foundation
Mac studio fix fluid
Dior Forever Extreme wear makeup

Stick foundations: -

Shiseido stick foundation
Loreal stick foundation
And a new discovery of a stick foundation in a gel base from Chambor which glides like water.

Another most coveted product is Max Factor Miracle Touch Foundation which is an amazing crème to liquid to powder foundation and gives an excellent natural coverage.

When you do this I can guarantee a clear and clean looking skin very good for photography.

Be a Maharani with Lancome

Lancome at last launches an India inspired makeup collection called Maharani Jewels.Wish Maharanis were alive to see it and I'm sure they would have bought it without considering their age.This collection for me is a celebration of beauty....very royal and something that would make girls look like pretty princesses and women like glamorous queens.

This collection comprises of some products that would adorn anybody's makeup table or bag and on applying let live the old gold era...

The products that they have launched are: -

1.Poudre elephant teint bronzed powder: -An amazing powder palette with a subtle golden pink,apricot orange and golden bronze used to give subtle highlights and perk up the complexion. This limited edition bronzed has an elephant embossed in it. In India, elephants denote royalty, inner strength and nobility.Its available at Lancome counters for Rs.2000 INR

2.Le Crayon Khôl Kajal : -This ultra-soft khôl divinely glides across lids, lining them in exquisite deeply pigmented color. Natural jojoba oil and organic beeswax make application smooth and comfortable. For sultry eyes, evocative of a Bengal beauty, India Ink imbues an intense black for a captivating look. For softer, but equally sexy eyes, smoke out the rich brown hue of Amber Night or delicately apply the lustrous color of Smoky Henna.

3.Lotus Beauty in Warm Padma and Brown in Nalini : - which is like a collectors edition of 2 eyeshadow and 2 lip colors

4.Juicy Tubes "byNature" with organic extracts in Blackcurrant,Cherry Almond,Ginger and Orange

Note:-Many thanks to Bjooti for letting me use her pictures.

And lastly heartiest congratulations to Mr.Aaron de Mey for being appointed as the new International Artistic Director of Lancome in place of the legendary Gucci Westman Neville.I'm sure he'll do a wonderful job and give us the same amazing products that Lancome is known for.He would be bringing his expert eye and creativity for the new fall 2008 range and onwards.....

Peach Melba

Hey, I’m back after a very long time as I was busy with my new job as a training manager at a German cosmetic brand, Etre Belle. This time I have splurged excessively on buying high end cosmetics from Dior, Chanel and MAC and my mum is going to really take me to task if I don’t return her money back.

I have thought of some looks that we could do for the coming fall and invite the winter with grace and glamour.

So we have our first look for fall 2008 – Peach Melba

Those days {isn’t it that old} ladies were all donned up peaches and creams all the time and so is mine too. I find peaches and oranges good for all seasons as they perk up and make any complexion glow. Peaches and oranges and apricots are “the” things for Indian women.
So let’s see what we have today to do…

List of Products that we need (not shown in the picture too): -



- Cleanser, Toner and Moisturizer of your choice. I used Epicuren cleanser, Dermalogica Toning spray and Elizabeth Arden Intervene Lotion SPF 15
- Satin Slip Foundation Primer
- Clarins Instant Smooth and Instant Light Complexion Perfector in 01
- MAC Fix + Spray
- Shiseido Dual Balancing Foundation
- MAC New View Powder Limited Edition
- MAC mineralize eyeshadows in Play on Plum and Two to Glow
- Lancôme Color Focus Eye shadow Quad in Fleur De Peau
- MAC Mineralize Blush in Nuance
- MAC Neo Sci-Fi Blush in X-Rocks
- The Body Shop Blush
- Shiseido Accentuating sticks in S2 and S3
- Cover Girl Lash Blast Mascara in Noir
- False lashes from Euro Paris
- Oriflame Lip Spa Therapy Lip Balm
- The Body Shop Gloss in a Pot
- Miscellaneous Brushes which are not shown. The featured ones are the new ones from Nyx cosmetics. The other brushes I’m using would be from Lancôme, Shiseido, MAC and Dior Backstage Makeup.


The list is long but some things from these are optional of course.

We begin with cleansing, toning and day protection as it would give good results and good base for the makeup products to glide on. Then I gentle massage for a minute the complexion perfector from Clarins which hides minor imperfections in the face and brightens it up due to the light reflecting particles. Its very subtle though but makes the skin glow like anything and can be seen through the foundation. My friend from USA, Tina Kolinas sent me an amazing primer called Satin Slip on which foundation glides like a slide. Its amazingly soft textured and fills into the defects in the skin. I apply my primer with a small foundation brush and then use my fingers to let it sink within.

Then I use a dual foundation which is very best for oily/combination skin and it sees to it that it stays for a longer time. The reason I use Shiseido is it has 3 D pigments which reflect light everywhere giving an optical illusion of fresh and flawless skin. I take a pinky size on the palm of my hand and mix and dab to make the foundation ready for application. Then with my diamond footed Body Shop foundation brush I start with the forehead going downwards and outwards. When I’m done and have extra foundation left I dab it with my fingers under eyes to give a more natural finish than a cakey finish given by the concealers. When not using a primer you could use a foundation shade lighter than your skin as it would oxidize and become your skin color but when you are using a primer you create a barrier in between your skin and the foundation so its better to choose a shade nearly matching your skin color and tone. I dab on Shiseido Accentuating Stick S2 over the cheek bones and blend it towards the temples to create a base for blush to last longer. Though in itself this is a cream blush, it never breaks or streaks on oily skins too. On the highlight areas like the heights of the cheeks, bridge of the nose, T- zone, inner corners of the eyes etc I apply Accentuating Stick in S3 to give a very subtle glow to the face just like Jennifer Lopez. I dust the skin a wee bit with MAC mineralize powder to seal the foundation and all the creamy products that I have used on the face. Since I’m not a very “concealer” person, I take a Smashbox Cosmetics blender brush and apply powder under eyes.

For the eyes: - I spray MAC fix +spray as that’s the one that would give me an effect of a primer without being heavy or drying for the eyes. This was a trick told to me by a MAC artist and I really loved it. Then I apply Accentuating Stick S3 with my fingers all over the eyelid and the brow bone to create a base. I prefer this method over MAC paint pots as they tend to go a little heavy always though they have an amazing slip. In the crease I apply the taupe shimmer from the Lancôme Quad to define it, starting from middle of the crease going outwards and inwards trying to draw an inverted banana. It need to blended though as we don’t want harsh lines. Then in the outer corners only for definition I apply the plum- brown color from the mineralize duo and blend inwards. Since I’m not using an pencil liner to draw the shape of the eyes, this look won’t be much about sophistication but about a care free attitude towards life with a touch of glamour. From the Lancôme quad again I apply the shimmery peach color all over the lid. Then with a soft large eyeshadow brush I apply a golden peach highlighter from Two To Glow all over the brow bone. I prefer dusting then dabbing. I try to dust off the excess from the brush to prevent fall outs. Then I curl the lashes and apply mascara and to take it further levels of glamour I use false lashes to enhance the eyes. Since the strip on which the lashes are stuck is transparent I prefer not using eyeliner. On the lower lid I smoke the plum eyeshadow in the outer one-third and then apply a peach colored eyeshadow from the duo Play on Plums to complete the look. I coat the lower lashes with lots and lots of mascara.

For the Cheeks: - I apply the bronzer in all the shadow areas of the face emphasizing some over the temples to get a California like glow even in the winters. Then I apply Nuance blush over the bones to give a nice peachy apricot glow over the skin. I highlight the cheek bones using a shimmery highlight from Body shop blush. This adds glamour to the look

For Lips: - I prepare the lips with a fantastic lip balm first. Keep it for 20 mins to make the lips soft and supple and then add a touch of the Body Shop gloss to keep them subdued in contrast to glamorous eyes.

This is a very interesting look and does suit all women.

Hi All,
A warm hug to all my readers,friends,makeup addicts and all who love me and all whom I love.
I have been really "Out of Blog" for sometime and havent actually found enough time to write in.
Since I have joined as a part time Creative Director and Training Manager for Etre Belle Cosmetics, Germany I'm juggling with many tantalising issues in my life.
Soon I'm making a come back sharing all the photos and all the makeup I bought in these 2 months and I hope we have a wonderful time altogether.
For those who missed me really can write in at neerajnavare@yahoo.com and I'd love to answer back.
CIao