Makeup artist Mai Quynh for mark consistently creates some of my very favorite celeb red carpet looks, many of which I’ve featured here on Makeup Minute in the past few months. So, I found myself wanting to know a little more about her!  Read on for an exclusive MM Q&A:

MM: How did you get your start as a makeup artist?
MQ: After high school, I decided to go to makeup school. Once I finished makeup school, I got a job working at MAC and stayed there for about 3 years. On my days off, I worked as an assistant …read more

NARS created some really beautiful looks last week at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Spring 2010 in New York, including one of my perennial show favorites Thakoon. (and it’s worth mentioning that I’m in good company…he’s also a Michelle Obama favorite!)
Lead artist Diane Kendal created a look that focused on luminous skin and contoured cheeks.

The inspiration for Thakoon Spring 2010 came from the idea of “samurai-meets-surfer.” The collection consisted of so many sharp edges and aqua-blues that Thakoon wanted the girls to look like warriors so that they could really wear and carry the strong clothing. With such bright colors, the goal …read more

Professional brand Temptu was backstage at a handful of New York Fashion Week shows this season. For Max Azria’s collection at the Tent at Bryant Park, makeup artist Lisa Butler led the Temptu Pro Team in creating the elegant and minimalist face of the Spring 2010 show.

For Spring 2010, the designer introduced a clean and sleek collection comprised of neutral, solid colors with post-modern touches. Lisa Butler’s approach to the makeup was to create a soft, subdued, and fresh look to complement the collection’s uncomplicated sophistication, “We wanted the girls to look as fresh and natural as possible,” said …read more

Backstage at this week’s 3.1 phillip lim New York Fashion Week show, lead makeup artist Lisa Butler for NARS Cosmetics created a look that focused on luminous skin and soft eyes.
The theme behind the collection was collage, with inspiration springing from the late works of Picasso and the Cubism period. The pieces look different from every angle leaving a sense of mystery to them, while remaining timeless. The same idea was applied to the makeup. An abundance of different textures- matte, sheer, shimmer and shine- were portrayed differently as the model moved around. The clothes, like the makeup, were meant …read more

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week is trucking along here in New York, though I’m back to desk duty at my day job!  The weekend was a flurry of backstage and show appointments, though, so never fear, I still have several New York Fashion Week posts to share.  Next up: Erin Fetherston, who’s always a fave of mine!

Image via Coutorture.com
The face of Erin Fetherston for Spring 2010 focused clearly on the eyes and was created by makeup artist Lucia Pica for MAC. I was lucky enough to be backstage at Milk Studios during the test (which is when the first model’s look is …read more

So, we’ve already talked nails with Deborah Lippman, but the Lela Rose Spring 2010 makeup look was just as lovely. Created by Sarah Lucero for Stila/Beauty.com, the theme of the morning was watercolors and overall, the makeup, hair and nails evoked a beachy, Malibu-feeling.

Backstage, models’ complexions were evened out with Stila’s Sheer Color Moisturizer SPF 15, while Pomegranate Crush Lip Stain was used as blush.  On the eyes, Camelia Convertible Color, the Fandango duo shadow and the Cobalt Smudge Pot left a gorgeous wash of color.
The finishing touches were Camelia Convertible Color on the lips and a few coats of …read more

The lovely Amy Adams attended the premiere of her new flick, Julie & Julia, last night and Cover Girl makeup artist Molly Stern created her red carpet look. She says:
“It always seems that inspiration ends up coming from the dress. Last night Amy wore a gorgeous full length Carolina Herrera gown with a charcoal and white pattern speckled with gold beading. So I borrowed from that exquisite color palette. We went for a steel and copper smoky lid, gorgeous full lashes, a peachy cheek and a golden amber lip.”
Face
I first started by prepping her skin with a refreshing spray of …read more

For the Tokyo premiere of G.I. Joe (this movie is a mystery to me, where’s all the promotion?!), gorgeous Brit Sienna Miller wore a Gucci suit.
Her hair was pulled into a chic, modern chignon ponytail and makeup artist Kate Lee for Chanel took inspiration from model/rock star wife Jerry Hall and the images of legendary photographer Helmut Newton to create the face. Kate says:
I began by gently smoking out the eye with a mid grey matte shadow. Inside the eye I used Chanel Intense Eye Pencil in Graphite to add intensity, and the silvery grey reflects the light. I wanted to balance the look without conflicting …read more

New York City makeup artist Raychel Wade is the new Colour Ambassador for ultra luxe beauty brand La Prairie and will be making appearances at select stores nationwide to spill her secrets on colour and give women her insider picks on makeup bag must haves.
Raychel’s particular expertise is in sizing up women’s “makeup personalities” based on their lifestyles, then helping them edit their makeup bags to streamline keepers and fill in the holes of anything that’s missing. From CEOs to recent college grads, brides to baby boomers, Raychel’s worked her makeup magic on them all. In fact,  I had a …read more

I had a nice little chat a few nights ago with Francesca Roman,  resident makeup artist at Butterfly Studio Salon, a really beautiful space in New York’s Flatiron district.
In addition to the applications and lessons she does at Butterfly, Francesca’s done a ton of editorial work and was even Mariah Carey’s makeup artist for a time, so she really knows what she’s talking about. Among the many words of makeup wisdom, she mentioned that most women don’t apply mascara correctly and gave me a great tip that I wanted to pass on to Makeup Minute readers.
When applying mascara, start at the …read more