Where ancient beauty secrets meet modern science
These ’60s-inspired gingham-bowed false eyelashes by Vichy are super super cute, if maybe not entirely practical for everyday wear! Try them on when you are in a daring, fun mood or want to channel some Parisian eye-fluttering seductiveness à la Brigitte Bardot. Attention guaranteed!
Almost two centuries after its origins, Guerlain is taking another pioneering step into the future – by going all the way back to 1936. This as the time when the glamour of Art Deco was sweeping through Paris and the legendary cosmetic house complemented the era’s aesthetics by launching Rouge Automatique – the first-ever lipstick without a cap.
Fast forward to the present, when creative director Olivier Échaudemaison spotted a vintage advertisement in the brand’s extensive archives. Inspired by its design, he reinterpreted Rouge Automatique with a new formula and a 21st century twist: The sleek gold chamber now features a slide mechanism that allows the lipstick to rise and lower with a quick up-and-down movement, replacing the original up-and-outwards’ mechanism of the 30s version. A slide-close hinge hides the bullet when it’s not in use, allowing for single-handed application sans any cap to worry about!
The lipstick formula is itself a study in technology: Sensory oils and waxes with different fusion points that gradually liquefy during application, depending on the temperature of the lips, to give a weightless texture which feels like a second skin; non-opaque Cristal Pigments, which make it possible to obtain luminous, clear and pure colours; and a complex of oils and resins that act in perfect harmony to accentuate shine and hold for a glossy, long lasting finish.
Each of the 25 shades is named after a Guerlain fragrance, from the well known Jicky and Champs Elysées to the niche Voilette de Madame and Quand Vient L’été. The result? A perfect blend of design, history and beauty that’s in keeping with the brand’s illustrious heritage of blending old school glamour with innovation and contemporary aesthetics. This is one slender piece of craftsmanship that’s sure to set a lot of hearts racing!
Washed and conditioned, product-free, glossy hair [see Aish, the lines on your 37-year-old neck are immediately less visible], softly smokey eyes with a hint of lilac, flawless foundation and a berryish-nude lipstick… this is one of the days that Aishwarya Rai finally got it right at the Cannes Film Festival. The occasion was a photo call to announce her new film – Madhur Bhandarkar’s Heroine – at the Majestic Beach Pier on Friday, May 13th. She wore a brown Lanvin silk trench dress with black ankle strap heels. Maybe she could have gone for a punchier colour (or at least offset it with brighter heels) as the auburn hues are doing nothing for her complexion but no real complaints. I have noticed that Aish is actually quite fine on day calls – somehow, it’s only the red carpet that brings out the worst in her. Now, lets see what tomorrow brings!
Aish, Aish, Aish… when are you going to learn that a hairdo is an important part of your overall look and the best makeup or dresses in the world cannot compensate for a hastily thrown together beehive. Another suggestion: Yes, you are unbelievably gorgeous; yes, you have worldwide acclaim; and yes, you are slowly (finally!) grasping the art of fine dressing. However, don’t forget that you too are a mere mortal like all of us and at the age of 37, this means unseemly lines on the neck (L’Oreal does make some fab neck creams by the way!), a rounder jaw and the myriad other ills of growing (ugh!) older! Which means that you should be even more careful about your hairstyle – a severe, pulled up ‘do throws all these inevitable evils into sharp focus. A softly layered cut with loose waves sweeping the shoulders would, on the other hand, pull the eye away from your problem areas.
That said, you definitely rocked the Elie Saab Spring 2011 Couture gown and Jimmy Choo Cosma clutch with great aplomb (*sigh of relief*) at the opening ceremony of the 64th Cannes Film Festival. Also smokin’ hot was the eye makeup – graduated gold shadow on the lids, enhanced with deep black liner and lashings of mascara – offset with fuchsia blush and nude lipstick. But then it came to the hair and it seems you simply ran out of time, threw together the unwashed tresses (the crunchy-with-product-look is so several seasons old!) into a semi-bouffant and walked out of the door. Sad!
[The eyeshadow, incidentally, is part of L'Oreal's new L’Or L’Or L’Or make-up collection, which has been specially created for Cannes and shall be available at makeup counters worldwide by next month. It takes inspiration from the warmth and sophistication of gold, while combining different textures and colours to suit a variety of skin tones.]
Ditto Day 2. At the Sleeping Beauty premiere, you looked fab in the navy blue and white Armani Privé Spring 2011 strapless gown that showed off your curves to perfection. And it was splendid to see you finally take some risks with the makeup – the statement navy blue and golden yellow eyes are sure to spark off a beauty trend this season – but once again it started falling apart at the hair, didn’t it? Random ringlets bunched into a poofy bun at the top of your head????? Seriously????? Sigh! Let’s see what tomorrow brings. Please do delight us and change your hair dresser or reserve some more time to get it right! [As an added incentive, re-read the first paragraph about the loss of tone and lines on the neck.]
It’s been four days and there seems to be no decline of interest in the Kate Middleton-turned-Princess Catherine extravaganza – especially where her sleek, romantic, English Rose looks are concerned. It’s incredible that she pulled off such a tough makeup act – walking down the sheer, overwhelming expanse of Westminster Abbey in front of 2,000 über-glam royals, being watched by 16 billion viewers worldwide – is by no means an easy feat, especially when the bride had another top priority: “William must recognise me by the time I get to the altar.”
The result? As we all know, Kate wielded the makeup brushes herself, creating a canvas that perfectly complemented the simple romanticism of her Alexander McQueen wedding gown, while neither fading into obscurity nor making her seem like an unrecognizable, overblown caricature of herself (a mistake that most brides tend to make!).
And, of course, as the world’s most inspiring royals, the newly titled Princess Catherine gave us all hope that we don’t need ultra-celeb makeup artistes to look good… just a practised hand, some prior planning and good quality products (Kate, it is rumoured, stocked up on Bobbi Brown cosmetics and Lancôme mascara a few days before the wedding). Want to achieve the same kind of look? Follow the steps below and who knows, maybe you will come by your own Prince Charming (or the one you already have will sit up take fresh notice all over again!!)?
Skin, skin, skin, skin: Remember, the key to Kate’s signature look has always been her fresh, clear, dewy skin and this is not achieved out of a pot – so invest some time in your complexion with regular exercise to increase circulation and flush out the toxins, drinking plenty of water to hydrate the pores and a strict cleansing regime. Add in a couple of professional facials and you should see an improvement in about four weeks (that’s how much time skin takes to renew itself).
Foundation: It’s called “foundation” for a reason – because it serves as a base on which to apply the rest of your look and not as a cure-all for all ills. Kate well realizes this, sticking to an illuminating base under sheer foundation and a very fine dusting of loose powder to make sure it stays on through the ceremonies.
Cheeks: Like always, Kate’s cheeks looked radiantly rosy (though that could just have been the Prince William effect) enhanced with a soft pink blush crème (its believed that she used Bobbi Brown’s Pot Rouge in Blushed Rose) for a sheer, long lasting finish.
Eyes: Smokey, smokey, smokey with just the right intensity of smudged pencil (remember this look is about pretty sophistication and not in-your-face dramatics) and watertight mascara complemented by her signature bold eyebrows. Bets are that Kate used Bobbi Brown’s Smoldering Eye Palette and Kohl Black Creamy Eye Pencil.
Lips: Top contender on the list of probables is Bobbi Brown’s Lipstick in Soft Rose – the perfect nudish pink in a soft, matte finish that stands out without becoming overwhelming.
Nails: Here’s where even the princess had to turn to the professionals – she opted for a manicure by Marina Sandoval who created a custom-blend for Kate’s nails – blending Bourjois’s Rose Lounge with Essie’s Allure, to create an off-white bridal shade that perfectly offset the sapphire sparkler.
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