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."

Make-up Artist: Mickey Contractor, His Beauty Tips & Tricks

Kajol, Rani Mukherjee, Aishwarya Rai, Tabu, Preity Zinta, Sushmita Sen. The most beautiful screen faces have been under Mickey Contractor’s brushes, all for that one stroke here and one touch there.

Director of cosmetic major M.A.C India, Mickey feels that beautiful is “anyone who is herself and has a personal style” and that “clear complexion” is a sure pre-requisite for beauty.

So what role does make-up play in creating those picture-perfect faces? “Lots actually,” he says. “Because you can’t really form a whole base on make-up but you can surely lend yourself a distinct personality, an all-new spark.”

Bare basics
Preity Zinta

Mickey believes that he is most famous for his “no make-up look”, but this, he says, “involves more effort than full make-up”. Here’s the how-to from the make-up artist himself:

• Choose a foundation that is closest to your skin color. He recommends M.A.C Studio Fix Fluid.
  
  
• The eyeshadow should be very neutral, just enough to help contour and bring out the best. He recommends M.A.C Eyeshadow in Bamboo
  
  
• No false eyelashes feature in this natural look.
  
  
• Use lots of mascara and separate your lashes well, leaving no clumps. He recommends M.A.C Zoomlash Mascara
  
  
• Blend the eyeliner well. Very fair skin can use brown liner. He recommends M.A.C Fluidline in Dipdown
  
  
• Keep the lip color natural and pale. He recommends M.A.C Mattene Lipstick in Flattering
  
  
• The blush, a shade of peach or pink (M.A.C Powder Blush in Pinch O' Peach and M.A.C Powder Blush in Fleur Power), should begin from the apple of your cheeks. Work upwards and outwards.

Sultry smokey

Kajol

Aishwarya Rai

Rani Mukherji

This dark-eyes-and-pale-mouth look is always a winner. Be it Kajol’s sexy act amongst the pyramids in Kabhie Khushi Kabhi Gham, Aishwarya Rai in Shabd or Rani Mukherjee’s sultry peepers in Chalte Chalte, the smoky look is always a stunner. Here’s the rocking explanation:

• Prepare your face with the right shade of foundation (M.A.C Studio Fix Fluid).
  
  
• Use darker colors on your eyelids and blend well (M.A.C Eyeshadows in Embark, Cranberry, Sketch, Deep Truth, Humid, Bronze, Black Tied).
  
  
• Line your lower lids with kohl and smudge it with some black eye-shadow (M.A.C Eye Kohl in Smolder, M.A.C Eyeshadow in Carbon).
  
  
• Top off with at least two coats of mascara (M.A.C Plush Lash Mascara).
  
  
• Line your lips with a liner (M.A.C Lip Pencil in Oak) and blend well with a pale shade of lipstick (M.A.C Lipstick in Sandy B), leaving no sharp lines.
  
  
• Finish with lots of gloss. He recommends M.A.C Tinted Lipglass in Oyster Girl
  
  
• Accentuate your cheekbones with a deeper shade of blush. He recommends M.A.C Blushcreme in Pleasureful
  

Old is gold

Jaya Bachchan

Remember Jaya Bachchan as the super-glam Ma of K3G? Here’s Mickey’s advice for the middle-aged divas in the making.

• Choose appropriate skin products and look after your skin regularly. From the M.A.C Skincare line he recommends M.A.C Studio Moisture Cream, which reduces the appearance of fine lines
  
  
• Always remember that less is more.
  
  
• Use make-up not as a cover, but as a highlighter of your beauty.
  
  
• Use minimum foundation as it tends to show up in the creases and folds. For older skin Mickey recommends M.A.C Studio Tech
  
  
• Eyebrows form the frame of the face and at this age, they tend to get sparse. Concentrate on them to get the look right. He recommends M.A.C Brow Finisher
  
  
• Choose colors for the shadows, liners and lipsticks that suit your personality. (M.A.C Eyeshadows in Satin Taupe, Vanilla, Era; M.A.C Lip Pencil in Spice; M.A.C Lipsticks in Taupe, Honeylove, Cherish, Sparks Can Fly)
  
  
• Keep with the make-up trends but always re-work them to complement you.

Perfect points

Aishwarya Rai

“The crux of perfecting your art of make-up lies in the finer details,” stresses Mickey. Here are some expert tips, to make all the difference:

• Choosing the right foundation is half the beauty battle won. There are tons to choose from, M.A.C Studio Mist, M.A.C Select Tint, M.A.C Face and Body, M.A.C Mineralize Satinfinish, M.A.C Select SPF15, M.A.C Studio Fix Fluid (Mickey's personal fave), M.A.C Hyper Real, M.A.C Studio Fix, M.A.C Select Moistureblend, M.A.C Studio Tech, M.A.C Full Coverage, M.A.C Studio Stick. Take your pick accordingly.
  
  
• Use an eyelash curler to open up the eyes, especially if you put kajal inside your eyes (M.A.C Eye Kohl in Smolder).
  
  
• Understanding your source of light is vital.
  
  
• You can use M.A.C Clear Lipglass on your eyelids. Try not to smudge it with liner; stick only to mascara (M.A.C Zoom Lash Mascara).
  
  
• To look dramatic, introduce some color to highlight and some glitter (M.A.C Glitter) wherever you are comfortable.

Make-up Trend: Intense Black Eyeliner

To get a perfectly straight line, paint in sections. Draw three short dashes—one at the inner corner, one in the middle and one in the outer corner—and connect the dashes.

For a sexy cat-eye effect, extend the line slightly on outer corners.

Rec: MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack