Ruth Funnell talks Photographers for Runway Magazine

By Ruth Funnell - Shu Uemura Make-up Artist Event

I was excited to attend the Spring/Summer 2012 launch for Shu Uemura last week and meet the amazingly talented creative designer Kakuyasu Uchiide, who worked alongside the legendary Mr Uemura himself for more than 20 years.

It was really great to see him at work and understand the philosophy behind the brand and to see his unique approach to colour and application of his makeup on the face.

One product that really stood out and amazed me was the New Face mask which just felt incredible - it is unlike any other product out there.

There are 6 in a pack and they can be used like an intense facial before a night out or when the skin is feeling fatiqued and needs brightening and lifting.

They can be left on for as long as you like,but 20 mins minimum is ideal. 

They don't need to be washed off, you leave the product on so that it sinks in and just make sure to add a moisturiser on top to seal all the goodies in! 

Just be careful not to open the door to anyone whilst wearing it ;-) !

By Ruth Funnell : YSL Make-up Artists Event - Product Lowdown

YSL is always a favourite of mine to attend, to see new products. Everything they do is so beautifully packaged and feels luxe and decadent and you just want to put them straight into your makeup bag or clutch, and go out for the night !

The new product that is very exciting, is their range of all in one High Gloss Lipstains. They come in an amazing choice of 19 colours and so there is something for everyone, from fab reds, fushias like No1 which is a deep classic YSL purple fushia  through to soft beiges and pinks. You apply them by building up the intensity and gloss you require by layering with the sponge applicator.

The staying power is incredible -you need to remove them with their Top Secret Eye Makeup remover as the stain does not budge for many hours.

The other products that are new this season are the Pure Chromatics Eyeshadow palettes [6 different colour sets] -beautiful deep tones with metallic shot through them -everything you would expect from YSL in terms of texture and jewel tones.

The colours are so rich and gorgeous that they are shouting out  to be used on an editorial shoot straight away!..... :-)

By Ruth Funnell - GIORGIO ARMANI Make-up Artist Event

I was lucky enough to be able to attend the Giorgio Armani Beauty Drinks Reception event last night and see their beautiful range.

Their spring/summer palettes were bang on trend with blues and greys and beautiful sheer lip colours.

There is a particularly lovely navy colour which is very wearable and is on the right side of the blue spectrum to look 'new ' and not too retro as sometimes blue eyeshadow can be! 

They make a great change from greys and blacks and look fresh, lighter and somehow 'right ' for now. 

These colours finished with a few coats of their best selling hero product, Eyes to Kill Mascara is about all you need to complete a new spring/summer eye.

As seems to be the trademark of Armani cosmetics, the beautiful textures of their Luminous Silk Foundations seem to 'glide' on the skin and feel extremely soft and luxurious and so very wearable with one of the largest collections of bases in every conceivable skin match -there are 15 to choose from to get that accurate skin colour match for every season.

I really rate their Fluid Sheer highlighter which is so fine and doesn't leave any hint of 'sparkle' on the skin [as some brands can] -just a dewy glow which can be used alone or mixed with a base.

One other gorgeous product I need to mention  is the little Blushing Fabric Tubes in 3 colours that seem to seamlessly melt into the skin leaving a sheer blush and feel like velvet-again perfect for summer and is a firm makeup bag favourite with me now !

By Ruth Funnell - Violetta

I was working down in Rye last week and luckily managed to find time to visit beauty editor, Karena Callen's gorgeous new boutique Violetta. 

It is definitely worth making a special visit to Rye to see her little haven of beautiful pefumes and carefully chosen skin products.

Karena has chosen products that she loves and believes works, and knows each one thoroughly and will happily speak about the virtues of any one of them.

I particularily love the Serge Luten's perfume range ( in particular the addictive spicy scent of  Five o'clock au gingembre).

Karena has chosen Paul & Joe's gorgeous makeup range, which not only has totally wearable colours but also is packaged in extra cute retro styling. 

I very luckily have been trying her exclusive Frankincense Night Serum, which not only smells wonderful, but my skin definitely feels softer and less dehydrated from the winter weather.

If you aren't lucky enough to get down for a weekend - how about a day trip to the gorgeous town and book in for a facial through her shop, using chosen products specifically tailored to you.


Now thats a perfect Valentine present.........

Sarah Clarke & Ruth Funnell Red Magazine January - Black Dresses

Sarah Clark styled this beautiful story shot by Bruno Barbazan for Red Magazine January 2012 and Ruth Funnell worked on the make-up.

Sarah said:

“I was asked to shoot a Black Dresses story for the January issue. I wanted to shoot a good selection of styles of dresses, not just 'little black dresses', so I basically just called in dresses that I really liked!! I wanted the feel of the pictures to be quite laid-back and relaxed and a little 'undone', so I didn't want the hair or makeup to feel too party-ish I love all these dresses, but my faves are the Nina Ricci, the Alexander Rich, and the Moschino. All very different, but all gorgeous in their own right. Another amazing team. A really fun two days.
”

Ruth said of the shoot:

“On the lovely story with Bruno Barbazan and styled by Sarah Clark, we wanted to leave the gorgeous clothes and our beautiful model Zuzana, to speak for themselves and keep the makeup sheer and modern in an understated way.

This was achieved by careful shading using sheer and complimentary taupe shades that appear to 'melt into the skin'.

Firstly I used Dior's new Skinflash Primer [available in the stores from 16th Jan] in ‘Sheer Glow’. It both smoothes and perfects the skin with light reflective particles and glides on like a dream with the innovative 'foundation like' brush applicator. 

After the prep, I used Dior Nude glow -a silky light base, as Zuzana  only needed the minimal amount of cover and then used Dior Skin Crystal Nude Matt Skin Perfector to blot any shiny areas.  

Eyes were enhanced gently with the classic colours of Dior 5 Couleurs in  ‘Amber Design’ [the staple palette all girls should have in their makeup bag!] and followed by a couple of light coats of Diorshow black mascara.

Cheeks were sculptured using Dior Skin Bronze in Honey Tan-great for giving shade and glow without too much obvious colour.

I finished with Rouge Dior Lipstick in ‘Beige Angelique’, which was the perfect beige colour to give the natural look without being pink in any way.

All these are great very wearable colours to ask for in your Christmas stocking ;-) !”

See the full story here.

Movember Grooming Tips Part 2

Ruth Funnell suggests using 'Clinique Anti Fatigue Eye Gel' for men which was launched in August. It's apparently good for tired, dark under eye circles and bags due to late nights and tiredness...  Maybe from all those sleepless nights spent deliberating over what style to wear your moustache for Movember! A 'Ron Burgundy' or 'Clark Gable'?
  

 





www.movember.comThe Clinique eye gel comes as an easy roller-ball applicator that cools and soothes the area and can be used twice a day and won the GQ Grooming awards for 2012.

With all this attention to the face, it's good to be groomed all over. Everybody finds men with neat, clean fingernails far more attractive. Andrea Fulerton gives some tips on keeping your nails as groomed as your moustache!

• Always leave a small amount of white length and keep the shape the same as the cuticles. 

• If you need a good stain remover at the end of the day mix some handwash with bicarbonate of soda.

• Prevention is better than cure - scrape your nails over soap or Vaseline before a 'dirty job' (such as gardening or tinkering with the car or work) this is also a good preparation to remove dirt with a nail brush. The best time to do this is after a bath or a shower.

Read the first installment of the grooming tips for Men here.

Ruth Funnell - Glamour May 2011 Geri Halliwell

Ruth worked on this shoot with Geri Halliwell published in Glamour last month with Sarah Clark styling and Chris Craymer behind the camera.

The story was inspired by Bert Stern's Famour Last Sitting pictures of Marilyn Monroe'. To achieve this the lighting was slightly washed out and back lit, giving Geri a sexy playfulness like the original pics of Marilyn-which fitted the bikinis perfectly.






 The story showcases the bikinis Geri has designed for Next with a retro 50's / 60's feel to some of them, so Ruth wanted to give Geri's makeup a slightly more modern take of those iconic Monroe photos, but to give them a nod in that direction.

Ruth used a beautiful pale coral colour on Geri's toes- Essie 'Tart Deco' (also Ruth's personal current favourite at the moment).









Ruth said that Geri's skin is naturally glowy with freckles so she used Laura Mercier tinted 
moisturiser as a base. She then lined her eyes with Chanel black eyeliner and used Bobbi Brown pale white eyeshadow on lids followed by lashings of Givenchy mascara, and some M.A.C eyelashes for extra depth and length.

Ruth then used Bobbi Brown Calypso Coral pot and applied lightly and kept retro mat on lips and the apples of the cheeks, finished off with a touch of Guerlain Bronzer.

Ruth then used Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse available from Space NK (R.R.P. £33) for a lovely golden sheen on the body.

I would like to say a very special thank you to Cult Beauty for their help with this post.

Make-up by Ruth Funnell Glamour UK - Hit List with photographer David Oldham

Ruth Funnell worked on this 'Hit List' story with the photographer David Oldham for the February edition of Glamour (UK). Karen Preston styled the story and Alessandro Rebecchi did the hair.

The team created 12 strong looks tied in with the Spring/Summer 2011 catwalk shows and an extra one for the opening page of the Fashion Section.

Ruth used bold colours on the to highlight the use of bright block colours in Spring/Summer clothing.

To achieve this look, Ruth suggests trying out unexpected colours on eyes such as yellows, silver, orange and bright pinks and blues in either blocks of colour extending out in a “paint box way or more slicks of bright eyeliner for the less adventurous”!

She adds, “Mac have some fab brights that can be intensified using their special eye primer underneath.”

Do keep the emphasis on lips or eyes.

 

Ruth says, “Lips should be kept matt and fuchsia pink is great on most skin colours and orange is great for more olive toned skin. Sisley do a beautiful bright Orange L30- which is totally wearable” and Ruth loves and Dior and Chanel for strong purples or red toned lipsticks.

Remember to keep skin light but glowing maybe using a tinted 

moisturiser for an added boost such as Laura Mercier.

Ruth thinks you should keep your nails nude if doing block lips or eyes or it can be overkill OR just have bright nails - some of the beautiful greens, lemons and blues look fresh for next season. Ruth likes the fab Rococco nail range, which she describes as “a sweet shop of colours to choose from!”

Use nails to accent your look as you would a bag or bright shoes.

Make-up by Ruth Funnell - Glamour February 2011 DENIM Story

Ruth Funnell worked on this Denim story for Glamour with Chris Craymer who she's worked with many times over the years on many great projects including his Romance Book for which Mulberry did a launch last year. 

 

 The Story, styled by Emer Dewer with the model Marina Dociatti at Select shows all the different Denim looks for this season.

Ruth and Charlotte Cave, who did the hair on this shoot, created a different hair and make-up style to create a different look for each shot, such as the relaxed look for the 'Boyfriend jean' (with a touch of Chanel Rouge Allure lipstick) or tied in from a runway show from this season such as Isabelle Marant for the skinny jeans look.

A Tweak is As Good as a Rest - Beauty Tips for the New Year

The old adage says that a change is as good as a rest and articles and adverts everywhere encourage us in January to fully detox and find for the New Year a ‘New You’. After all the fun, expense and pressure of Christmas this might be a good idea but can be confusing and even stressful to have another thing to think about! The artists at Emma Davies point out slight tweaks you can make here and there to your beauty regime or one or two good investments for your make-up bag which are all that are needed to make all the difference.

Use your gifts: if you’ve received toiletries for Christmas, use them! Toiletries do have a shelf life so use them while they’re at their best. If they are not what you would usually like or use check with a friend and swap

Get a Glow: massage your face for a minute or two every morning and evening before cleansing. Not only will this help loosen grime and make-up but will improve circulation, decrease puffiness and refine your jawline.

Moisturise: a mistake that many of us make with our moisturiser is to only apply it once in the morning and once at night. Try a couple of applications instead – (before and after you clean your teeth for example) to get more benefit, especially when facing the colder weather.

Ruth Funnell suggests using a serum such as Chanel Sublimage Serum to give an extra boost to your moisturiser whilst skin may be dehydrated from the drastic changes in temperature. She also recommends a good face mask such as Sisley Radiant Glow Red Clay mask to help ‘slough away dead cells so the cream can work more efficiently’.

Exfoliate: not just your face! Having beautiful skin all over your body is the perfect way to feel good about yourself.

Don't forget your hands: Ruth recommends indulging in a good hand cream like Sisley's award winning Sisleya.

Start thinking about summer: start preparing your feet for the summer by smothering them in Vaseline or any moisturiser and wearing cotton socks over night. Not only will these help your feet become baby soft but will keep your feet warm during the coldest months of the year. Start using Andrea Fulerton’s Nail Boutique Cute-Icles Love Oil now (and on your hands) so they’re ready for the summer!

 

After the ravages of the cold winds, snow and drying effects of central heating, Ayo Laguda suggests using a hair treatment such as Michael Van Clarke’s 3 more inches. The treatment can even be left on overnight and/or for a cosy evening in.

Clean your gear: wash out your make-up bag (pop it in the washing machine) or even throw it out and use the new one you got for Christmas! Wipe over your make-up containers and wash your brushes. Be ruthless and throw out old products, the smell is often a give away; especially with mascaras, and also sometimes the fact that you can’t read what the product actually is anymore!

Ayo points out not to forget your hairbrushes… Using a comb, clean the old hair from the brushes and put all of them (including the combs) in a basin of hot water (and a spot of shampoo). Use a nail brush to make them good as new.

The space in your make-up bag  will make room for a couple of perfect pick me ups.

Maria Comparetto's product of the moment is  Liz Earle's Sheer Gold Shimmer  to softly illuminate skin for a pick me up during the darker months.

Eli Wakamatsu suggests making the most of the shiny and bold colours available right now. Keeping the rest of the face simple... the  purchase of one strong colour on the lips and/or nails such as Dior's Black Lame Lip Gloss or Top Shop's Lip gloss in Sheer Purple (both seen here) can be the perfect tweak for a new look for the new year.

Happy New Year!