Moisturiser + make-up

If you want to find a good moisturiser that works well under make-up, it's a good idea to ask a make-up artist, since they demand moisturisers that instantly refresh and won't affect the products they put on afterwards. Mel Arter, who's made up Eva Green, Florence Welch and Beth Ditto among others, says: "My absolute must-have is a moisturiser with spa water in it. Lancome Hydra Zen Neurocalm Gel Essence is a great all-rounder for everyone. I used it on the girls at the shows and it really calms their skin. I find a lot of others too heavy. People go on about these really rich creams, but I find all they do is sit on the surface of the skin. I also love Givenchy Hydra Sparkling First Step Luminessence Moisturising Lotion. I always use a water spray too." Two to check out then!

Dazzle Dust animation

This animation of Barry M Dazzle Dust is so sweet and inventive. Check out Because magazine for more not-still still-life shots!

Dazzle Dust is a Barry M classic, and Mel Arter, the make-up artist I've posted about lately, says she's never without them in her kit. She even uses them pressed onto lips in place of lipstick.

Behind-the-scenes with Tavi

A few months ago I told my friend Mel Arter, a make-up artist, that I was thinking about starting a blog. She said 'I just shot Tavi for Pop magazine, you have to see her blog!' That was the first I heard of her, but clearly not the last! "Working with Tavi was strange at first – she’s a 13-year-old, so I was really conscious of her age," Mel told me recently. "She’s quite amazing and knows exactly what she wants, she didn’t want a lot of make-up and rightly so. So it was just about bringing a bit of dewiness to her skin, delicately and subtly." I think that's exactly what she achieved and the pictures are stunning. Coming from 'old media' myself, magazines that is, one of the things I love about the web is that so many different voices and opinions can be shared. It would be pretty hard for anyone, let alone a teenager, to launch a magazine, but there are no barriers to entry on the net. And thanks to that we all get to share Tavi's unique perspective.

Want to be...a make-up artist?

Mel Arter is a super-talented make-up artist - she can make any look instantly cool, edgy yet deceptively simple, like for this eyes story we shot together a while ago. Recently she did the make-up for girl of the year, Style Rookie Tavi, for Pop magazine - more on that later!


These are some shots from her amazing portfolio.






I met up with Mel this week to get her insider info on the industry, trends and her favourite products. First up - how to become a make-up artist:

Do a short course. “Things have changed massively since I trained 13 years ago. Now it’s unrealistic to pay a lot of money for a course – there are good two-week or starter courses where you’ll learn the basics. Really when you do a longer course, you’re paying just to practice - I practised at home by copying looks from magazines. So there’s no need to break the bank on your training."

Become an assistant: "Next, assist a make-up artist. It sounds scary if you don’t know anyone, but the truth is make-up artists are always looking for assistants – and like to train you up from nothing. I look for people with little or no experience! They learn quicker that way. Email the make-up artists agencies and get a list of names. Or there might be someone you really admire – just write to them."

Be passionate about it: "The key thing is to be absolutely passionate and dedicated – forget your social life! You need to be motivated and to set yourself targets every single week – if you don’t you’ll never get on. There’s no structure to this industry – it’s not like you can get a job on reception and work your way up – but that can be a good thing, since you can go in at any level. I just couldn’t help myself – my mum used to bring home Vogue for me and I would rush to my room and copy the looks."

Thanks for that great advice, Mel.