A Short Hiatus

Dear Readers,
I am going to be overseas, it is going to be hard to come online and update my blog. So I'm taking a temporary leave of absence. I will try updating my blog weekly, but I can't promise. If you have any make-up related questions. Feel free to leave a comment in this post. I will try to answer them as soon as possible but I can't promise a quick response. I will regularly start posting next month. I'll miss you guys. Have a wonderful Christmas and an even more fabulous New Year. See you in 2008.

Make-up Artist Cory Walia's Day/Night Look

Cory Walia to unravels some of his secrets. Cory Walia gives Katrina Kaif a day look, and model Indrani Dasgupta a shimmering look for the evening. He took us through the process

Katrina's Day Look

Cory Walia gives Katrina a perfect pout

Blend a suitable shade of M.A.C Select Moistureblend over your skin in upward strokes on the face and neck. Conceal any dark circles or blemishes under the eyes with M.A.C Select Moisturecover to create beautiful flawless skin. For definition, apply blush (M.A.C Powder Blush in Fleurry) on the cheeks. If you want a very soft look, use a pink (M.A.C Powder Blush in Coygirl) or peach blush (M.A.C Powder Blush in Pinch O' Peach). If you have a slightly darker complexion, go for a soft brown blush (M.A.C Powder Blush in Strada). M.A.C Studio Fix is also very handy in humid weather.

Outline the lower eyelid with soft pink (M.A.C Eye Shadow in Swish) or soft brown eye shadow (M.A.C Eye Shadow in Era). On the top lid, apply a light pink mineralize eye shadow (M.A.C Mineralize Eye Shadow Duo in Engaging) for a subtle sparkle. You can then highlight your browbone with the gold side of the same eye shadow duo.

Try a generous coat of pink (M.A.C Tinted Lipglass in Lust) or light brown lip gloss (M.A.C Tinted Lipglass in Revealing) for a glossy pout.

Indrani's Evening Look

Indrani sports a gorgeous plum toned look

Blend a pearlescent liquid foundation (M.A.C Hyper Real) over your skin in upward strokes on the face and neck. You can then conceal any dark circles under the eyes with a concealer (M.A.C Studio Lights in Smoothspice). Highlight the cheekbones with a plum shaded blush (M.A.C Powder Blush in Breezy).
For the eyes, evenly apply M.A.C Mineralize Eye Shadow Duo in Earthly Riches (plum side) on the upper eyelid. For a more defined look, smudge the corners with the gray side, and finish by drawing a thin line with M.A.C Kohl Power Eye Pencil in Black Karat. Sweep a coat of thick lash mascara (M.A.C Plush Lash Mascara) for a more dramatic look. For the lips, apply M.A.C Prep + Prime Lip, then accentuate with M.A.C Lustreglass in Decorative.

Make-Up Trend: Under-Eye Highlighter/Concealer

Seems weird to highlight something you often want to hide. Adding shimmer under your eye reflects light in a way that makes puffy skin vanish. Sweep a luminizing concealer across the under eye area from lash line to the lower rim of the under eye area.

Using a product that's a brush-like pen (like Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat) allows you to apply with precision.

Rec: Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Concealer Pen

Kareena Kapoor's Make-Up Breakdown

Face

• M.A.C Prep + Prime Skin
  
• M.A.C Studio Fix Fluid
  
• M.A.C Studio Finish SPF 35
• M.A.C Pressed Powder
• M.A.C Blush in Peaches (Soft peach)
  

Eyes

• M.A.C Prep + Prime Eye
• M.A.C Eyeshadow in Naked Lunch (Minimal pink with shimmer) on inner eye lids
• M.A.C Eyeshadow in Samoa Silk (Peachy beige) on outter lids
  
• M.A.C Fluidline in Blacktrack (Intense black) on waterline
  
• M.A.C Plush Lash Mascara on top and lower lashes
  

Lips

• M.A.C Prep + Prime Lip
• M.A.C Viva Glam 6 (Soft plum-pink with pearl)
  

Make-up Trend: Pastel Blue Eye Shadow

Aishwarya Rai

Don't fear frosty blue eye shadow, flaunt it! Apply a sheer wash of a pale, light-catching hue around your lashlines like Aishwarya, then sweep what's left on the brush over lids.

Curl lashes and apply individual lash clusters on the outter corners to make your eyes pop.

Rec: Chanel Ombre Essentielle in Lagoon

Make-up Artists Cory and Aniruddha Talk About Body Make-up

Amrita Rao

Primers, powders, and shine are no longer just for the face. They are traveling southward to add that much-needed sparkle to your skin. After all, what’s a perfectly made-up face without a body to match? Enter: Body make-up for that smooth and satiny feeling all over.

Make-up expert Cory Walia explains that there are two kinds of body make-up. The first and the most essential is make-up that involves bringing all the exposed areas of the body to one tone. The second involves highlighting and contouring.

Tone trick
Make-up expert Aniruddha Chakladar says, “On most occasions, it is tough to apply make-up to all the exposed areas to match the face. The best option is to create a new skin tone altogether. So bring down the face tone, while lifting the body tone.”

Dabbing make-up all over, is impossible. Here, it is important to choose the same tone as the face to coordinate texture and shade.
“Before you begin application, smooth over some moisturizer (M.A.C Oil Control Lotion). Dot foundation and then blend with M.A.C 185 Body Buffer Brush,” says Aniruddha. It is also advisable to choose a pan-stick foundation (M.A.C Studio Stick Foundation) rather than messy liquid foundations. “Dust some M.A.C Select Moistureblend to finish,” adds Aniruddha.
If the arms are considerably darker than the face and you are hard-pressed for time to indulge in all-over body make-up, then Cory has a trick: “Apply base and colors on your face as you would have normally, but leave a natural tone on the edges around the face.”
While a face requires minute application, the body demands generosity. “Birthmarks and scars need heavier foundation (M.A.C Full Coverage),” says Aniruddha.
The same goes for a bare back in less-than-perfect condition. It may be tough to slap make-up on a zone that you can hardly reach, but imagine a back that is five shades darker than your face!

Play up
Body make-up is also about playing up your assets with a subtle touch. Aniruddha says that it is necessary to apply a primer (M.A.C Prep + Prime Face Protect SPF50) on the body before the shimmer and shine. Moisturize your body (M.A.C Oil Control Lotion) if the skin is even-toned or else dab some foundation (M.A.C Face And Body Foundation) to make it even.
Brush some M.A.C Iridescent Loose Powder in Silver Dusk/Golden Bronze (depending on your clothes), just brush some on the collarbones, shoulders, center of the arms and cleavage.

Body make-up can help highlight the cleavage beautifully. “Highlight the center of the cleavage in a shimmering hue (M.A.C Beauty Loose Powder in Dancing Light or Drizzlegold) and shade the edges of your bust with a darker color or a bronzer (M.A.C Iridescent Loose Powder in Golden Bronze). This gives the perfect depth,” explains Aniruddha.

“An overall sexy glow is easy to attain with a shimmer lotion. Just add some shimmer powder to your daily moisturizer (M.A.C Oil Control Lotion) and create your own shiny lotion (M.A.C Strobe Cream),” says Cory.

Amisha Patel

Here’s another style advice from Cory: If your outfit is dotted with Swarovski crystals and silver work, then use silver shimmer. A gold or bronze shimmer is for traditional zardosi and aari work. Also co-ordinate the shimmer shade with the jewelery tones.

“But be very careful with glitter. A dash on the shoulders is more than enough,” adds Cory.

Make-up Artist Prabir De's Take on Lipstick

You might be the proud owner of a pretty pout, but to flaunt it you would still need to add a dash of the right color. Lipstick has always been the most important component of a woman's train case and the most loved make-up to embellish her face.
But enhancing lip appeal is not as simple as it seems. To choose the right tone to suit the complexion, an occasion, or an outfit has never been an easy task. And even if you get the color right, the final effect depends on the application and synchronization with the rest of your make-up.
“While applying the basic color is quite easy, to lend a nice shape to the lips needs the right expertise. You have to keep in mind the face structure and of course the shape of the lips,” says make-up artist Prabir De. Lips should be lined, using a brush, with the same lipstick that your are wearing. Those who prefer to use lip liner should cover it up with lipstick, he recommends. “The prominent lip liner look is horrid,” he stresses.

De paints Deepika Padukone’s lips with the hottest colors of the moment.

Red and gold magic

Fashion trends come and go, but the classic red never falls out of favor when it comes to make-up. There’s no alternative to bright red lips if you are headed for a really dressy party at night. While you can flaunt a matte or even glossy scarlet with Western wear, you can touch it up with a golden hue if you are going ethnic. For this you have to first apply a lip primer (M.A.C Prep + Prime Lip) over the lips and then apply the gold lip gloss (M.A.C Lustreglass in Instant Gold) on the middle area of both the upper and lower lips. Since the look of the lips will be very heavy, the rest of the make-up has to be subdued. Very thin liner (M.A.C Fluidline in Blacktrack) above and below the eyes with eye shadow in shades like off-white (M.A.C Eye shadow in Lightshade), cream (M.A.C Eye shadow in Mylar) or silver (M.A.C Eye shadow in Electra) will do. You can go for gold eye shadow (M.A.C Eye shadow in Goldmine) with Eastern wear.

Lipstick Recs: M.A.C Mattene Lipstick in Classic Dame, M.A.C Lipsticks in Lady Danger, Lady Bug, Chili, Dubonnet, Russian Red, MAC Red, Ruby Woo, Fresh Moroccan, New York Apple Queen's Sin and M.A.C Stylistics Lipstick in Stylistic

Pink pout

“Color me pink” could be the motto of the moment and the trend is visible in everything from make-up to clothes and accessories. For a fresh look on all occasions, paint your lips in pink. There are various shades to choose from, make your selection depending on your skin tone. If you have a fair complexion, you can go for anything between baby pink and shocking pink while for dark tones a mauve hue is recommended. Deepika has an in-between complexion, so she can carry off any pink. Smoky eyes look best with pink lips. Get a smudged look with heavy kohl (M.A.C Eye Kohl in Smolder) and combine black (M.A.C Eye Shadow in Black Tied) and silver (M.A.C Eye Shadow in Electra) for the shadow. In fact, a lot of color combinations for the eyes look good with pink lipstick and you can try combining silver with blue (M.A.C Eye Shadows in Electra and Flashtrack), green (M.A.C Eye Shadow in Swimming) or pink (M.A.C Eye Shadow in Sushi Flower). Pink blended with blue or green would also look nice (M.A.C Eye Shadows in Parrot and Swimming). The blush has to complement the lips and so, apply baby pink blush (M.A.C Powder Blush in Coygirl) and highlight it with silver (M.A.C Iridescent Loose Powder in Silver Dusk).

Lipstick recs: M.A.C Lipsticks in Impassioned, Chic, Bombshell, Pink Nouveau, Girl About Town

Nice and nude

Nude lipstick, the ones that lend a no-lipstick effect, are a rage right now. This look can be achieved quite easily, you just have to choose a shade that complements your skin color. The options available are — nude pink, nude peach and nude brown. The lipstick has to be topped up with a gloss to match. Since the lips will be pale, give the eyes a dramatic look. You can do smoky eyes with eye shadow combinations like dark green and silver (M.A.C Eye Shadows in Humid and Electra), yellow and gold (M.A.C Eye Shadows in Chrome Yellow and Goldmine) , orange and black (M.A.C Eye Shadows in Orange and Black Tied), black and silver (M.A.C Eye Shadows in Black Tied and Electra) etc. The blush can be coral-peach (M.A.C Powder Blush in Pinch Me) or pink (M.A.C Powder Blush in Petalpoint) and applied to accentuate the bone-structure of the cheeks.

Lipstick recs: M.A.C Lipsticks in Gel, Siss, Freckletone, Fresh Brew, Honeyflower, Underplay, Cherish, Jubilee, Sandy B, Blankety, Hug Me, Hue

Shilpa Shetty's Beauty Secrets

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturizer is her ultimate indulgence

I spend too much on
Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Moisturizer. I love it. They gave me some on a flight and as soon as I landed I went and bought some more.

Baby oil and coconut oil makes my skin soft and supple

My beauty regime is
Simple. I never use soap on my face, and I always make sure I take my make-up off at night. I use a concoction of Johnson's Baby Oil and Parachute Coconut Oil in equal parts – it’s the best thing for my skin.

Using beetroots on your cheeks? That's a first

My best beauty bargain is
Beetroot! If you want a natural flush, boil some beetroot in the microwave and rub a bit on your cheeks over your moisturizer. It always comes out the right color.

Shilpa is always seen with pink-nude lips

My beauty addiction is
Collecting lipsticks. I’m quite a freak about them. I have the same pink shade in every make, but I can’t stop buying them. I especially love Estée Lauder lipsticks.

Her fragrance, S2 is her baby

My fragrance reminds me of
Happy times. All the notes in S2 are favorites of mine. At its heart it contains jasmine, which reminds me of home, and when I smell it, it instantly takes me back to India. It’s very special to me.

My worst beauty disaster was
wearing bright blue contact lenses and red lipstick. At the same time. I have no idea why I did it – I must have been about 21 and colored lenses had just come in big time. It was a complete disaster.

Interview with Make-up Artist: Kumar Iyer

How does make-up help define a woman's personality?
One can easily identify whether a woman is an extrovert or an introvert based on the makeup she uses. Extroverts, usually experiment with bold statements, strong eye makeup or red lips. Introverts usually go for muted colors unless they are encouraged or coaxed to try a bold look, some women wouldn't even try

How would you define true beauty?
True beauty comes from the heart and sparkles in the eyes when you smile. We all are truly beautiful, yes we must smile more often

What is a quick way to change a day look to a special occasion or nighttime face?
Carry kohl at all times, a touch of kohl gets your dreary day eyes wake up to the evening. Also a lip palette with day and night colours, eg. a range of colors including nude lip colors in the day to a touch of glam reds for the evening

What advice can you offer women on how to best choose the right colors for their face?
Buy makeup in the day, apply your foundation and step outside in the day light to check. The glamorous makeup store lighting often foxes our sense of true color. Never try going too pale or too dark. Have make-up experts match your foundation for you.

What is the most important make-up tip we all should consider?
'Less is more', especially foundation.

What is the best way for a woman to improve her overall beauty?
'Inner beauty' radiates externally on your face. A healthy lifestyle which includes exercise and a wholesome diet. We all have to deal with stress by healthy changes in lifestyle, pampering our body with spa rituals, our face with good correct makeup and your heart with good deeds and spirituality or prayers.

What are the current trends in make-up today?
Bollywood trends rule Pakistan/India and wherever Pakistanis/Indians live. Pink is the hot color of the moment.

What advice do you have to make-up artists just starting out?
The Taj Mahal was not built in a day. Experimenting is important but not without prior trial or at an important occasion. Patience, situation handling and a charming attitude helps.

How much art is actually involved in make-up application?
We are dealing with a canvas which actually talks, feels, has likes dislikes and is human. One also has to achieve a look that has to be appreciated by your canvas. In all, it as a form of art, unfortunately it's temporary and is wiped off when the day is over

What are some beauty essentials for women on the go?
A vanity kit with a cleanser, an atomizer either Evian or M.A.C Fix +, cotton and ear buds and Vaseline. Kohl, mascara, your favorite lipstick, compact and yes the bigger your kit the bigger the confusion of choices to be made. Keep it small and simple

What's the worst thing a woman can do to her face?
Wear foundation lighter than her actual color, hoping it would make her fair

What do you think are best/worst trends in the beauty industry right now?
Shine shine and more shine. When overdone looks like grease especially in the tropics. Best trend would be airbrushing, and now we have an entire spectrum of brands to do so.

What make-up magazines/websites do you read regularly?
Whatever catches my attention, the usual Vogue, Elle etc...

I would like to thank Mr. Iyer for this wonderful interview. Ladies if you would like to ask Mr. Iyer any questions, leave me a comment with your name, and question.

Katrina Kaif's Make-up Breakdown

Face

• MAC Prep + Prime Skin
  
• MAC Studio Finish SPF 35
  
• MAC Mineralize Satinfinish
  
• MAC Pressed Powder
• MAC Blush in Melba (Soft coral-peach) dusted lightly brushed on apples of cheeks, extending to the hairline
  

Eyes

• MAC Prep + Prime Eye
• MAC Eyeshadow in Ricepaper (Soft peachy gold with shimmer) on inner eye lids
• MAC Eyeshadow in Soft Brown (Soft peachy-brown) on outter eye lids and one-third of outter crease
  
• MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack (Intense black) on top lid
• MAC Plush Lash Mascara on top and lower lashes
  

Lips

• MAC Prep + Prime Lip
• MAC Tinted Lipglass in White Magic (Soft baby nude pink with pearl)
  

M.A.C Make-up Artist's Wedding Make-up Breakdown

Face
Prep the skin with M.A.C Prep + Prime Skin. Apply M.A.C Studio Fix Fluid, for an even, matte, and flawless coverage. Conceal all skin imperfections, under eye circles with M.A.C Studio Finish Concealer. Next, apply Blot/Pressed Powder to set your foundation and reduce shine build-up on your special day. For gorgeous cheeks, sweep M.A.C Powder Blush in Sincere from the hairline to under the cheekbone with M.A.C 116 Blush Brush for a soft natural contour. Apply M.A.C Powder Blush in Springsheen on the cheeks and highlight the cheekbone with M.A.C Iridescent Powder/Pressed in Belightful.

Eyes
Using the M.A.C 213 Fluff Brush, apply a soft layer of M.A.C Eyeshadow in Coquette all over lid and concentrating in the crease. Highlight brow bone with M.A.C Eye Shadow in Brule . Deepen the outer corner of your eye by applying M.A.C Eyeshadow in Sketch with the M.A.C 266 Small Angle Brush to the top and bottom lash line. Line the whole eye with M.A.C Eye Kohl in Smolder and smudge for the sultry look. Blend M.A.C Eyeshadow in Satin Taupe over the outer third of your top lid. Apply M.A.C Lash in 4. Trim if necessary. Coat lashes with M.A.C Fibre Rich Mascara in All Black and set brows with M.A.C Brow Set in Clear.

Lips
Apply M.A.C Prep + Prime Lip to avoid bleeding, and then apply M.A.C Lipstick in Russian Red, and blot for soft red lips.

Katrina Kaif's Make-up Breakdown by: Prabir De

Step 1
Cleanse (M.A.C Green Gel Cleanser) and moisturize (M.A.C Studio Moisture Fix) your face, and apply a light layer of foundation (M.A.C Mineralize Satinfinish), ensuring the base is around the same tone as your skin. Dab a light powder (M.A.C Mineralize Skinfinish Natural) all over your face and neck.

Step 2
When it comes to the eyes, be extra careful to bring out the best. The season's look is striking pastel shades that have a faint glimmer or shine. Apply an adequate amount of dark mauve (M.A.C Eyeshadow in Shale) and silver eye shadow (M.A.C Eyeshadow in Electra) over the upper eyelids. Outline the eyes with a kohl pencil (M.A.C Eye Kohl in Smolder) to provide increased depth. Use gold eye shadow (M.A.C Eyeshadow in Gorgeous Gold) around the corners and give a final effect with an off-white highlighter (M.A.C Eyeshadow in Phloof!). Mascara (M.A.C Mascara in Plush Lash) is a must and be sure to use ample amounts of it.

Step 3
Use a light mauve lipstick or a shade of purple (M.A.C Lipstick in Rebel) that suits your complexion. Finish it off with sheer lavender gloss (M.A.C Lustreglass in Flashmode) to give it a sensuous touch.

Step 4
Apply a beige tone blush (M.A.C Powder Blush in Honour) on the apples of the cheeks.

Bronzey Gold Make-up Breakdown by Aniruddha C

A golden glow for the face can be used on all skin tones. “Gold make-up is just perfect for the winter season. But remember when going for the gold look, don’t combine brighter hues; the effect should be monochromatic,” says make-up artist Aniruddha Chakladar.

For Aishwarya Rai, who has a light complexion, Aniruddha has used a foundation that is one shade darker (M.A.C Face and Body Foundation in C5) than her skin tone and followed it up with M.A.C Blot Powder/Pressed in Medium Dark. For a darker person, however, the foundation must be of their skin tone.

Aishwarya’s eye make-up has been done with a mix of shades of gold (M.A.C Pigment in Golden Lemon) all over the lid, and bronze (M.A.C Eyeshadow in Bronze) in the crease, along with shades of burgundy (M.A.C Eyeshadow in Sketch and Trax) for the outer corners. The eyes have been lined with kohl (M.A.C Eye Kohl in Powersurge) and moderate mascara (M.A.C Pro Lash in Charcoal Brown) has been used on the lashes.

Next, he applied a bronze shimmer wash (M.A.C Refined Golden Powder) to contour the face, slightly diluted with M.A.C Mixing Medium. “The diluted powder shimmer can only be used with a waterproof foundation. If your foundation is not waterproof, dust some pressed shimmer powder on your face with blush,” advises Aniruddha. Then he applied M.A.C Powder Blush in Raizin on the apples of the cheeks.

The cheekbones have been highlighted with a M.A.C Mineralize Skinfinish in New Vegas. M.A.C Lipstick in Freckletone with M.A.C Tinted Lipglass in Oh Baby finish off this gold bronzey look.

Holiday Make-up Trend: Cat Eyes

Add allure for special occasions with a subtle cat eye. Start with a natural matte shadow M.A.C Eyeshadow in Tete-A-Tint over the entire lid. Apply M.A.C Fluidline in Blacktrack which you extend past the outer corner, extending from the natural line of the eye. Apply a rosy beige blush (M.A.C Powder Blush in Strada).

Wedding Make-up Breakdown by: Shalini Vasisht

Face
First, Shalini prepped the skin by cleansing (M.A.C Green Gel Cleanser), toning (M.A.C Charged Water/Renewal Defense) and moisturizing (M.A.C Oil Control Lotion) it using products best suited for her skin type. She then used a face primer (M.A.C Prep + Prime Skin) all over the model's face and neck, to increase makeup wear ability. Shalini then applied an eye primer (M.A.C Prep + Prime Eye) on the eyelids, which helps keep the eye shadow in place. Next, she starts by dabbing a concealer (M.A.C Studio Finish Concealer) a shade lighter than the skin tone, covering dark circles, blemishes and any patches on the face and neck. Then she evens out the skin tone with a light weight foundation (M.A.C Face and Body Foundation); this gave the skin a translucent and sheer feel. She set the foundation with a translucent powder (M.A.C Select/Sheer Loose Powder) and applied an iridescent powder (M.A.C Iridescent/Loose Powder in Silver Dusk) over the cheek bones and the temple to give a luminous glow to the face. With a large rounded brush (M.A.C 150 Large Powder Brush), she contoured the jaw line and the hollow of the cheeks with a bronzing powder (M.A.C Bronzing Powder in Golden). She used a color darker than the bride’s natural skin tone. She then applied a rosy blush (M.A.C Powder Blush in Ambering Rose) on the apples of the cheek, creating a natural glow.

Eyes
She dabbed some powder (M.A.C Select Sheer/Pressed Powder) under the eyes before applying the eye makeup so that any loose shadow which falls can be easily brushed off. For this look, she used a pearly shadow (M.A.C Eyeshadow in Rite Of Spring) under the brow and over the eye lids for a highlighting affect. She also used a wash of charcoal gray (M.A.C Eyeshadow in Scene) blended in with a fleshy pink (M.A.C Eyeshadow in Pink Venus) over the eyelids, to give it a brighter hue. To accentuate the eye, she applied a thin line of black gel based liner (M.A.C Fluidline in Blacktrack) over the upper lid, and to balance the lower lid, she smudged it with a matching kohl pencil (M.A.C Eye Kohl in Smolder). She then groomed the eyebrows by filling them in with the same color as the bride’s hair, keeping the strokes feather-like. She used a compressed eye shadow in dark brown (M.A.C Brow Shader in Soft Charcoal/Maple) and fixed any stray hairs with a brush on gel (M.A.C Brow Set in Show-off) in an outward and upward direction. She layered the lashes with a coat of lash primer (M.A.C Prep + Prime Lash) and then two coats of mascara (M.A.C Plush Lash Mascara).

Lips
To complete the look, she applied a nude tone lip liner (M.A.C Cremestick Liner in Honey B.) and then filled it in with a peach/coral lip stain (M.A.C Pro Longwear Lustre in Luv-4-Ever).

Beauty Talk With Katrina Kaif

• My biggest beauty fix is exercise — swimming, jogging, and lifting weights — this gives my face and body a boost of blood circulation, that way my skin feels healthier.
  
  
  
  Some of Katrina's beauty indulgences are Anne Semonin's Oil and Shahnaz's Herbal Clinic
  
• 
  
  I kick start my day with three to four glasses of water. I am addicted to Anne Semonin's Balancing Apricot Kernel Oil.
  
  
• My favorite beauty spot is The Shahnaz Husain Herbal Clinic.
  
  
  
  Katrina loves YSL's Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils in black, brown, blue, violet, burgundy, and green. She exclaims, "I have every color they've made."
  
• I like to play up my eyes with different colored mascaras by Yves Saint Laurent.
  
  
  
  She keeps her skin healthy with products by Mene & Moy and Lancôme
  
• A beauty rule that I follow is to always cleanse my face of all make-up, however tired I may be. I use a facial cleanser by Mene & Moy which has 4% glycolic acid and Lancôme's Galatée Confort Cleansing Milk to get rid of all facial impurities.
  
  
  
  She swears by Kérastase and Anne Semonin for her hair and face
  
• My quick fix before a party is flat ironing or loose curling my hair. I use Kérastase Bain Volumactive Shampoo which leaves my hair soft and manageable. So styling my hair becomes easy.
  
  
• To deal with a beauty emergency I rely on a mineral mud mask by Anne Semonin. It calms my skin and gets rid of any surprise zits.
  
  
  
  Katrina loves using products by M.A.C and Laura Mercier to make her look pretty
  
• My look for the coming season is traditional with more emphasis on my eyes with different colored M.A.C Technakohl Liners, (my favorties include: Graphblack, Brownborder, Purple Dash, Auto-de-blu, and Jadeway) and keeping my cheeks and lips neutral with Laura Mercier Bronzing Powder and M.A.C Tinted Lipglass in Underage.
  
  
  
  To keep her skin and lips refreshed the entire night she loves Clarins and Smith's Rosebud
  
• My bedside table essentials include Clarins Gentle Night Cream, and Smith's Rosebud Salve to keep my skin and lips hydrated and moisturized
  

Mickey Contractor Talks Make-Up

Mickey Contractor, the make up man to stars including the lovely Aishwarya Rai, sets about busting some long cherished make up myths.

"What looks best on a woman is always in," he said. "Trends will come and go. Like for instance the bright red/pink lips and cat eye liner of the Seventies is back with a bang. There are three or four trends, which keep rotating. You have the minimalist, the liner-based look and the color centric look. These are shuffled back and forth. You need to pick up what you like and what suits you. Yellow is very hot now."

From here

....to here

Mickey, who has worked in movies from Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya to Salaam E Ishq says: "Bollywood has the tendency to go overboard. That is because we wear embellished clothes, and culturally we take great care of our hair. In the process the face tends to get ignored. We need to highlight the face with make up. You must also remember that it is for the big screen and one needs to accentuate features or they will not be seen."

Preity Zinta

Mickey feels one should not be overawed by make up. "Makeup need not be the whole nine yards. It could be just a bindi and kohl."

Mickey says: "Fluidlines come in a great range of colors, be adventurous."

While kohl qualifies as makeup, Mickey says people are getting more adventurous about color. "I tell them instead of M.A.C Fluidline in Blacktrack, why not try M.A.C Fluidline in Blue Peep? And believe me it is these little things that gives a whole new look."

The makeup artist, who counts screen siren Helen as his inspiration says: "Bollywood is huge reference point. I have brides coming up to me saying they want to look like Kajol or Rani. It helps me as I know what they have in mind."

Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai's Wedding

And talking of brides, what did he do for Ash on her wedding day? "Ash is a personal friend and I dressed her as a friend."

While Ash is a personal friend, Mickey says he has no favorite celebrity clientèle. "I have enjoyed working with everyone. It is very difficult to work in close proximity with someone you do not like."

"The relationship between makeup artist and star is a very intimate one. Bonds build over the years. Imagine, you are thrown together for fifty days on an outdoor, it is the closest one gets to having a confidant, a friend. It is a two-way thing. Even I let off steam."

Mickey's brushes and Fluidline are a staple in his train case

Ask Mickey what he cannot step out without and he says: "My set of M.A.C Brushes. I do not allow anyone to touch them. The one product that is always in my train case is M.A.C Fluidline. It works wonders."

Mickey obviously loves working in Bollywood. "I was fated to be here. I do share my opinion with the directors. With Karan Johar I can tell him what I feel about whether a scene would work or not."

Sushmita Sen

Mickey works according to the personality of the client. "A little bit of groundwork always helps. For someone like Sushmita Sen, I know she has this huge diva personality and I work with that."

Mickey has been associated with M.A.C for the past two years and will work on "customizing foreign trends to suit our needs. I am also involved in master classes where we share knowledge and information."

All fans of fluffy, furry creatures can take heart when Mickey, who loves animals and has a Labrador and parakeet says: "M.A.C products are not tested on animals."

Mickey, whose upcoming projects include Goldie Behl's Drona and Harry Baweja's Love Story 2050, has one bit of advice to give out: "Always do what suits you."

Holiday Make-up Trends: Shiny Glossy Lips

To get glossy lips that endure a party like Sonam's, apply a lip stain (M.A.C Pro Longwear Lustre in Fully Charged) and let it set for a minute, then apply the double-ended top coat. You can reapply it after eating and drinking with out a mirror. To enhance small lips, line them just outside the natural line with a neutral pencil (M.A.C Lipglass Pencil in Rosebound).

Mickey Contractor's Make-up Tips

Mickey Contractor with Shilpa Shetty

Mickey, who has given actresses like Shilpa Shetty (above) and Preity Zinta in Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (below) a fresh and stunning new look, spells out common mistakes we tend to make while applying makeup.

Preity Zinta

More is less
When it comes to makeup, many women just wear too much of it. They don't know when to stop, especially the ones who don't know how to wear makeup. You can easily learn how to apply makeup by looking up magazines, books etc if you are the artistic type. One good way to learn how to apply makeup is to visit M.A.C. They have trained makeup artists, who show you how to use the right makeup.

Using the correct foundation
Secondly, some women don't use the right color of foundation. Finding the perfect shade for you is a must. Women also tend to copy other women as well, and then end up looking the same. That's why I tell the actresses I work with that they must create a style of their own, which will make them an icon.

Shape Your Eyebrows
Some women don't look after their eyebrows. The shape of eyebrows changes one's face; it frames your face. Eyebrows must be neatly done AT ALL times. If you have sparse eyebrows, make sure you fill them in with M.A.C Brow Finisher.

Rainy Day Makeup Tips
On rainy days, for women who cannot avoid foundation, use M.A.C Face and Body Foundation, which is water-proof and provides long-lasting, natural coverage for face and/or body. Waterproof eye makeup like M.A.C Powerpoint Eye Pencils and M.A.C Splashproof Lash Mascara are a good investment. M.A.C Tinted Lipglasses are your safest bet for rainy days.

Holiday Make-up Trend: Dramatic Eyes

Line the eyes with a black kohl pencil (M.A.C Eye Kohl in Smolder). Start the line small at the inner corner and lift it away from the lash line as you reach the outer corner. Brush a mixture of silver pigment (M.A.C Pro Pigment in Silver) and pale blue shadow (M.A.C Eyeshadow in Moon's Reflection) on the upper inner eyelid and followed that with a deep purple shadow (M.A.C Eyeshadow in Purple Haze) from the outer corner, swept in. Add lavender (M.A.C Pigment in Mauvement) to the center of the lid and blended all the shadow shades together to create a silver smoky eye." Finish with mascara: three coats of black (M.A.C Plush Lash Mascara) and then one coat of violet (Lancôme Fatale Mascara in Violet) on the lower lashes.

Wedding Trend Make-up Breakdown: Vintage-Glam Bride

This breakdown is done by make-up artist: Reshma Sambtani

Skin
The face is cleaned with a cucumber-based cleanser (M.A.C Green Gel Cleanser). Reshma then applies a light-weight moisturizer (M.A.C Studio Moisture Fix). She then applies M.A.C Prep + Prime Skin for an even application of the make-up.

For the foundation, she uses a blend of M.A.C Studio Fix Fluid and M.A.C Mineralize Satinfinish for an even matte/dewy look. M.A.C Studio Finish concealer takes care of dark circles and skin blemishes. This is topped with M.A.C Select/Sheer Loose Powder. M.A.C Fix + is sprayed and dabbed with tissue paper. “This settles the make-up,” explains Reshma. The nose, forehead and cheeks are touched up with M.A.C Mineralize Skinfinish in New Vegas.

Cheeks
Reshma contours the cheeks with M.A.C Sculpting Powder in Shadester to give the perfect sculpted-cheek illusion. M.A.C Powder Blush in Pinch Me is applied on the cheekbones.

The effect: A lot of sheen and certain compliments for a stunning bridal glow!

Eyes
Reshma accentuates Katrina's eyes with shades that complement her ensemble. M.A.C Prep + Prime Eye ensures that the make-up does not bleed, fade or crease. M.A.C Pigment in Tan is applied all over the eyelid and blended at the outer ends. Next is M.A.C Pigment in Your Ladyship on the browbone. M.A.C Pigment in Pink Bronze is applied on half the eyelid beginning from the outer edge. To add drama, the outer edges are touched with M.A.C Pigment in Dark Soul. We apply M.A.C Pigment in Golden Lemon in her lower lashline. A thin line of M.A.C Fluidline in Blacktrack is applied on top lid and inner rims of eyes and finally, 4-5 coats of M.A.C Splashproof Mascara make the eyes stand out. No false lashes please, stresses Reshma. “There are emotional moments that follow, and false lashes will only lead to disaster.”

Lips
The eyes are the focus. So the lips have been kept simple, they are lined with M.A.C Lipglass Pencil in Pink Edge. M.A.C Slimshine Lipstick in Pink d'Lush is applied all over the lips, to give them a sheer pink-coral tint.