Monday's Make-up Muse - Tori Amos

From the To Venus and Back sleeve - toriamos.com

Tori Amos has to be one of the biggest female influences on my life in terms of her music and the way she looks. I can still remember hearing To Venus and Back in my friends kitchen, buying it the next day and looking at the sleeve and thinking she just looked so amazing - it was the first time I tried to do my make-up to look like someone else rather than just messing about on how I wanted my face to look.

Since there I've seen her play live as often as possible and even though sometimes she wears something I wouldn't personally choose she has a fantastic and unique sense of style that I love. Though not known for her make-up particularly, she often looks pretty fresh-faced and it's much more her fashion that is dramatic, it's the look she had in the late '90s when that album came out that I loved (dark red hair, red lip, grungy black liner) and I can still see in my everyday make-up. So, as this is my blog and she's my make-up muse, that's the look I'm going to aim for in my recommendations below which are going to be pretty basic because it's pretty hard to see what she's actually wearing due to the purple tinge on all the pictures. I've looked at a lot of her live recordings from the time and thing I can safely say there was quite a lot of taupe going on... it's the '90s after all.

from galleryhip.com

Eye Shadows - the whole Tori late '90s eye look is a bit grungy - insert heart eyed emoji - satiny, smudgy, almost glossy. A light goldeny base like Make Up For Ever's Aqua Cream in 13 (Fuschia Pink apparently but mine is very pale) with a shimmery taupe over the top - my absolute favourite is Satin Taupe eye shadow by MAC.

Eye Liner - defined and smudgy. If you want ultimate definition then a liquid liner close to the lash line - Make Up For Ever's Ink Liner is my choice. Smoulder eye kohl by MAC smudged over the top with a little bit of black shadow on a Laura Mercier Smokey Liner Brush.

Skin - luminous and, in the album photos, contoured. If I want to have really dewy skin then I use Pixi Flawless Beauty Primer and Dior Star Fluid foundation if you want to skip the primer then NARS Sheer Glow. For the contour the ideal is Soleil Tan de Chanel but if you want something more high street priced then I've been really impressed by the NYX contour stick which is going to be available soon. You want to use creams here to keep the finish as luminous as possible. If you have the  House of Glam Dolls Glam Base Wheel that would be great here too - and a better option for darker skin tones.

Lips - often either red or a sort of brown. Usually glossy. To go ultimate '90s then we'll have to go with brown... well, browny nude and this will depend on your skin tone. I like NYX glosses (Tiramisu or Creme Brulee look good choices for this) , Charlotte Tilbury and MAC lipstick and lip liners.

Q Cover 1998

To Venus and Back cover - from toriamos.com

Monday's Make-up Muse - Pink

Still from the 'True Love' video

As with Gwen Stefani, Pink's make-up I have loved since she first appeared on my radar in 2000. She has one of those faces that takes make-up well and a smokey eye looks fantastic on her. Her make-up style is similar to mine - more dramatic eyes with a nude lip so she's one person who a lot of the time I'll see her make-up for something and try and recreate it on myself. If you are on Instagram then follow Kathy Jeung (@kathyjeung) who often does Pink's make-up - her work is beautiful.

Whether she is wearing a smudgy, grungy liner with a slight smoke at the outer corner or being completely out there and creative as in the video for 'Try', Pink is not afraid to try out new things with make-up and can carry anything off - partly down to having awesome hair. It's really hard to find good make-up photos of her because quite often it's too far away (red carpet pics are often useless for seeing actual make-up) or she's pulling a face. The best place to see her make-up in action is in her videos which I suggest you go and do and get inspired.

Pink Make-up Must Haves

Eyes - always cat shaped and usually smoked at the edges. For high street then the Sleek Make-up I-Divine Palette in Storm is good though you may need to use a primer underneath I really like Nudestix Magnetic Eye Pencil in Angel with Liz Earle Signature Eye Colour in Bronze. I particularly like it lighter on the inner corners with bronzes and golds on the outer edge. My liner of choice at the moment is the Make Up For Ever Ink Liner or Inglot Gel Liner in 77. If you'd rather use a pencil then Smoulder from MAC is always a winner. For the mascara you will want something as black as possible Bobbi Brown's Smokey Eye Mascara would be great here or Benefit's Roller Lash.

Skin - Dewy and sculpted with minimal blush. MAC Face and Body would be a great foundation to go for or Dior Star Fluid and my favourite cream for sculpting is Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel or the House of Glam Dolls Glam Base Wheel. For concealer I really like Collection Lasting Perfection and Sleek Make-up Luminous Powder is good for keeping a bit of glow.

Lips - Usually nude though occasionally red. Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk or Pink Venus or MAC Lip Pencil in Whirl for the nudes and Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Crazy in Love is my go-to favourite for red tones. For nude lipsticks, well it's very personal, I like Chanel Rouge Coco in Teheran and Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipstick in Bitch Perfect.

Monday's Make-up Muse - Jane Russell

from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

God I love Jane Russell. Everything about her. I'm even willing to overlook some of her beliefs that I don't necessarily agree with (she was a pro-life born-again Christian) because in a way they kind of emphasise her awesomeness. A great actress who spent her career living in the shadow of her more famous assets she was always the right side of tasteful and classy whilst having enough nous and sass to do what she needed to do to forge a successful career in the 1950s. The best example of this is the secret binning of the famous bra Howard Hughes had made for her to wear during the filming of The Outlaw and instead yanking her bra straps up for a little elevation. She knew what needed to be done, but she was going to do it her way.

with Marilyn Monroe

She was also not a classic 1950s movie star. At 5'7" she was taller than most of her contemporaries and never compromising on being a beautiful brunette (with occasional forays into red). As Dorthory Shaw she is the reason that Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is one of my favourite films - the outfits, the sass, the make-up. I love Marilyn too of course, but I feel I'm more Dorothy than Lorelei - and she's an unusually feisty lady to see in films of that time.

The fabulous thing about Jane Russell's beautiful brunette colouring is she could carry off a strong red lip, minimal eye make-up and her defined brows held the whole look together and was a style she carried through to old age. Her whole look is the classic pin-up, which is what she was for many US soldiers during the Second World War

Jane Russell Make-up Must Haves

Brows - Always defined, I suspect her of having pretty good, strong brows naturally but for those of you who need to cheat it then Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow is fantastic as are the Brow Whizz pencils.

©Luke Ford

Eyes - usually a nude shadow with a black liner flick. She actually had quite hooded lids so a classic feline liner is perfect for her eye shape - if you like to use a gel then I love Inglot AMC Eyeliner Gel.  To create a cats eye effect then corner lashes will elongate any eye - I love the Betty False Strip Lashes from The Vintage Cosmetics Company. The Tanya Burr Everyday Flutter lashes and the Ardell Accent Lashes (301) would also work.

Skin - not too heavy, with a natural finish but pretty perfect. I think Dior Star Fluid Foundation would be great for this. She has some light, cream contouring so either use a foundation in a slightly darker shade than your usual or try out the House of Glam Dolls Glam Base Wheel. Slight blush on the cheeks - I'd go for MAC powder blush in Harmony or Gingerly, but again, you need to suit your skin tone.

Lips - Jane Russell was able to carry off blue and orange reds but you'll know best what suits you. For more orange shades then NARS Satin Lip pencil in Timanfaya or Topshop's Lipstick in Headrush. For bluer reds, her more usual shade, then Estee Lauder Pure Colour Envy in Envious or Chanel Rouge Allure in Pirate is a classic. My favourite liners that work with most reds are MAC lip liner in Redd and Half-Red.

Monday's Make-up Muse - Kate Moss

Who more appropriate to choose straight after London Fashion Week than arguably fashions most famous female model of all time. I'm not an out and out Kate Moss obsessive but every now and then she'll do something and it does make me stop and think 'Wow' - the Olympic Opening Ceremony was one of these times. I remember being told that Kate Moss is one of the few people that has a symmetrical face (Cate Blanchett does as well) and that's partly what makes her so attractive.

from The Daily Express

Yes doing what she does means she has access to the knowledge of the worlds greatest make-up artists and it's hard to really call her a make-up muse as it's these artists that create her looks and it's not surprising that she looks great 99% of the time but what I love is that when you see her out and about not modelling she usually has the same luminous skin, tanned cheek bones but slightly grungy look which is my favourite kind of make-up and one I think of as classically British. She can pull off the I-slept-in-my-make-up look to perfection whilst not actually looking like she's wearing a ton of it and team it with a red-lip without looking overdone.

Yes she can carry off every look and we're not all blessed with her face and bone structure but when often when I see her I am reminded that it's great not look completely made-up and perfect at all times. You can go along way with healthy looking skin, smudgy kohl liner and accentuated cheekbones. Here's how...

Eye Shadows - if you are blessed with a good colour, no greasy lid then you may be able to skip this step altogether and just go straight to the liner. If not then using either a cream or shadow one tone darker than your skin tone will give a defined natural look. MAC paint pots are great for this as are Laura Mercier Eye Basics eye primers - you want something with little or no shimmer.

Eye Liners - a great smudgy kohl that I always have at least two of in my kit and in my personal collection is Smoulder by MAC. I basically just think everyone should own this so I'm leaving it at that!

Skin - you want your skin to look healthy (yes I know that Kate is a notorious smoker amongst other things but her skin always looks pretty good) so well moisturised with a light luminous foundation over the top. Obviously this is completely skin dependent, if you need more coverage then you should go for it but keep it as light as you can. I think Chanel Vita Lumier Aqua or the Estee Lauder EE Cream (if you can get it in your shade!) are good for this as is MAC Face and Body. For a more high street price then a good BB cream would be good here - I'm struggling to think of one that would give this kind of finish though I've heard some great things about he Dr Jart ones.

Blush/Bronzer - Kate usually has more of bronzed cheek than a blush. Charlotte Tilbury's Filmstar Bronze and Glow is perfect if you want high-end. For high street Collections Shimmer Shade in Way to Glow is just enough shimmer and bronze.

Lips - occasionally red, quite often a perfect nude and in fact Charlotte Tilbury has created a Lipstick based on the perfect Kate beige, K.I.S.S.I.N.G in Nude Kate and can be matched with her Lip Cheat in Iconic Nude. This colour is perfect for more grungy make-up giving peachy definition without needing hours spent in front of a mirror.

from Hello Magazine

Monday's Make-up Muse - Grace Kelly

This is a bit cheaty because it's not just her make-up that makes Grace Kelly such a muse not only for make-up artists but actresses, stylists, writers and designers - she is the whole package. Elegant, stylish, chic and classically beautiful. That being said I think she often gets over-looked in favour of others, such as Marilyn Monroe (who I will feature as a Monday's Make-up Muse) and Audrey Hepburn (who won't). But if you break down the different parts of her face (always a cruel thing to do I know) there is nothing that 'wow' about her, though she does have fantastic bone structure, but put it all together and the outcome is striking and elegant. She is also consistently described by those who knew and worked with her as 'the nicest lady' they'd ever met and I think this 'niceness' shines through. Beauty is not only skin deep and here that really shows - she has incredible poise.
 

picture from Blue Velvet Vintage

She always manages to look well put together and chic, very rarely do you see a picture of her wearing something terrible (there's one of her and Princess Diana at the Opera... not a great dress there). Even her jewelry is well-chosen and 'just-right'. Her hair is always perfectly coiffed, usually in a side parting with beautifully done curls, and her make-up is nearly always the same, muted red lip, discrete liner and a little blush on porcelain skin. Sadly for those of us wanting to look like her she is famous for being a 'natural' beauty - wearing, and needing, little make-up but for those of us who aren't so lucky there are some tips below...

Eye shadows - usually very pale but sometimes blue-enhancing taupe's or browns a cream format would give the subtle look associated with Grace Kelly. Kiko Long Lasting Eye Shadow stick in 07 Golden Beige would be a great one to use and the slight gold tint would suit blue eyes. MAC's Paint Pot in Painterly (a bare nude) or Bare Study (soft beige with gold pearl) are also great choices. A light wash of Charlotte Tilbury's Colour Chameleon in Champagne Diamonds would be great for blue eyes.

Eye Liners - A gel liner would be best for this if you can - my favourite is Inglot's AMC Gel Liner in 77 Black with a MAC 266 angled brush. If you find it easier to use a pen liner then Collection 24hr Felt Tip liner is great and long lasting or Eyeko Skinny Liquid Liner is another lovely option.

Skin - getting skin like Grace Kelly is slightly harder to achieve. She never looks like she has that full-on coverage but then I don't think she necessarily needed it. If you don't then MAC's Face and Body gives a beautiful sheer finish (but is very buildable if you need a bit more) as does the Estee Lauder EE Cream, though it comes in a limited colour range. If you need more coverage nothing makes me feel more film star than Dior's Star Fluid Foundation as long as you skin is nicely moisturised and you blend it in well.

Blush - you want a barely there healthy look so a cream is ideal here. You'll need to find something to match your skin but Kiko's Velvet Touch Creamy Blush Sticks are gorgeous and will have a lovely subtle range of colours. Or you can use this as an excuse to invest in the famous The Multiple from NARS.

Lips - again this depends a lot on your skin tone. It would be very easy to Grace Kelly to go for the more trashy reds but she tones it down a little and looks classic. YSL's Rouge Volupte Rouge in Danger and MAC's Ladybug are good choices. For a more high street price Rimmel lipsticks are fantastic and Alarm will work for most skin tones. For a sheer coverage I love Burts Bees Tinted Lip Balm, Rose is a good Grace Kelly colour to go for.

My favourite outfit from my favourite Grace Kelly film Rear Window

Monday's Make-up Muse - Gwen Stefani

Ok so a new feature I've been thinking of for a while. How many times do you see a picture of someone or watch TV and think 'next time I do my make-up I'm going to try and do that'? Well I do it all the time and for so many different kinds of women purely depending on my mood. So I thought I'd have a look at each of my 'make-up muses' and pick out the bits of their look, style and make-up that I love. Now this may seem done to death but this is my blog and these are my make-up muses so some of them may be unexpected and Audrey Hepburn will not feature. It will be the first Monday of the month and you can search for them by clicking 'Muse' in the tag cloud in the right sidebar.

Thought I'd start this off with Gwen Stefani because, apart from the classic icons she has been one of my make-up muses since school and is still doing it! Whenever I see a picture of her even if I don't particularly love the outfit it is guaranteed that there will be a fab item of jewelry or a new lip colour that I covet. She is a modern version of the classic 50s icon - the blonde hair, the red lips and nails, even her eyebrows but she is so up-to-date it hurts.

I suppose with Gwen we should start at the top with the hair. When I fist went blonde a billion years ago it was party because I wanted to look like all the fantastically cool 80s metal bands that I loved (yes they were men, what?) and then along came No Doubt and Tragic Kingdom and she looked so cool and I wanted her hair. How the hell does she maintain it? How? I need her hairdressers number. I'm having to have a break from dying mine because it was so damaged and she never even has a root visible. There's a secret I know there is... I need to find it out.
 
Her make-up (what I think of as being classic Gwen Stefani though she actually changes it up quite a lot) usually involves a flick of varying degrees of drama, a red lip, and flawless skin with not a whole lot of blusher and bronzer going on... just enough. She always hits the right note of made-up but not overdone, again a real classic look that's hard to do. What makes the eyes work is the use of pale shadows and slight contour to make the shape perfect and the ideal backing for the black liner and lashes. Even when she goes for more dramatic eye make-up and a nuder look she still seems to ooze classic style.

What I always feel when looking at Gwen Stefani is that if there were no stylists and make-up artists in the world she would probably look pretty similar to what we see. If you remove the bindi in the Don't Speak video you'll see she's already got her signature make-up look going on. Love, love, love her.

Gwen Stefani Make-up Must Haves:

Eye Shadows - neutral tones and slightly darker matte shades for contouring are the best backing for a classic looking flick liner. For neutrals try Brulee or Blanc by MAC and for the darker shades Wedge and Omega are great. Or you can get a palette with similar colours in - Sleek Make-up I-Divine Palettes in Au Naturel or Oh So Special are my picks. My top pick is the Essential Eye Palette by Louise Young.

Eye Liner - choose a gel liner like my favourite 77 from Inglot or Blacktrack from MAC with either an angled brush (266 from MAC is my preference) or a Real Techniques Fine Liner brush or a pen liner if you find that easier. I prefer the ones from Eyeko or Collection. 

Lips - the most important thing is to get a red that suits your skin tone. My favourite red pencil is Redd from MAC but in terms of an actual lipstick there are so many out there to choose from. MAC Ruby Woo is a bestselling favourite but my go-to MAC colour is All Fired Up which is more flattering, as is Lady Danger. YSL, Chanel (Pirate for my preference) and Charlotte Tilbury (I love Lost Cherry) are also worth checking out. For more affordable brands Barry M's Lip Paint in 121 would work and my most recommended red lipstick is the mighty Revlon Fire & Ice.

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