ILLAMASQUA Flagship store and launch party

The ILLAMASQUA flagship store opened this week on a massive high.

The launch party reunited make-up mavericks of the eighties and introduced them to the current talent.

The new store at 20 Beak Street was packed wall to wall with colour and crazy individuals including Vivienne Westwood, Boy George, Philip Salon, Adam Ant and Steve Strange among others.

It seemed a very fitting tribute to a brand that embraces anything other than the ordinary.



The store itself is a real feast for the eyes decked out in black, accented in white and adorned with smashed mirrors. The neon signs in the windows give a nod to the fact that the store is located in the infamous Soho area of London, and the hand painted mannequins make it clear that you are about to experience something a bit out of the ordinary.

Sectioned off by House of Harlot rubber curtains is a large make-up studio with 10 work stations.

One of the studio's many features is that it has different types of lighting so that students can learn how to work with the correct shades for different conditions.



If you happen to be in London pop into the store for a look around. Located just off Regent Street, the closest tube stations are Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus.

Win, Win, Win

Please prepare for an exciting and creative feast of a competition. Alongside the theatrical launch of the Art of Darkness collection for which Alex Box created 13 characters for a faerie banquet, London Muse Make-up Academy have joined forces with the genius talent that is Illamasqua and fabulous blogger Mizzworthy to offer two people the chance to win the entire Art of Darkness collection (worth £350) and one of London Muse's most popular courses, the Catwalk Trends Bootcamp Course (worth £295)

They want you to create a final 14th character so let your imagination run wild as you work your own personal magic and create something that reflects the intensity and creativity of this unique collection.

There will be two ways to enter the contest - via blog/email on MizzWorthy (http://www.mizzworthy.com/), or by Video by leaving a response to the LONDON MUSE video announcing the competition (http://www.youtube.com/user/TheLondonMuse).

• To enter in the form of a photograph/blog entry simply leave a comment on Mizzworthy's blog (http://www.mizzworthy.com/) with a link to your post, or email her if you would prefer to enter by email or you want to enter but do not have a blog. Your entry must include a description of your character, the inspiration behind it and finally the look you have created. Any additional info such as how you created the look, products used etc can also be included. Please do not photoshop your entries.


• To enter by submitting a video, you must leave a video response to the LONDON MUSE youtube competition video (http://www.youtube.com/user/TheLondonMuse), which must be a maximum of five minutes long. The video can either be presented as a make up tutorial or, as with blog/email entries, you can choose to tell us about your character, how you created it and show us the final look. Again, you can include further information if you would like to.

The contest will run for one month from Thursday 16th September to Midnight (UK time) Sunday 17th October 2010. This is the final deadline, and due to the nature of this contest, cannot be extended.

The photographic entries will be judged by Mizzworthy and Alex Cummins from Illamasqua and the video entries will be judged by Nicci Jackson and Antonia Confalone from London Muse. The finalists will then be sent on to Alex Box who will then make a final decision and select one winner from the blog/email entries and one winner from the video entries.

This is a fantastic competition designed to allow artists to show their ability and enjoy the honor of having it judged by one of the most influential make up artists of today. Please read the terms and conditions carefully regarding the rules, how to apply, confirmation of entry and the deadlines. 

The winners will be announced by Wednesday 27th October. 

Illamasqua - Art of Darkness

Illamasqua's Art of Darkness collection is full of intense, rich, dark, autumnal colours just as the name would suggest.

There is a real buzz about this collection and future collections as Illamasqua have appointed David Horne (previously of Jemma Kidd and MAC) as Director of Product Development. With Alex Box's creativity and David's attention to detail this may mark a new period for the company.



I chatted to David about what the future holds for PD at Illamasqua.



"Illamasqua has always been cultivated with professional quality pigmented make-up product at the core of the brand, and now as the company moves forward with our exciting first UK flagship store and School of Make-Up Art the creative and technical challenges are as ever continuous and vast.



Product efficacy is at the heart of Professional Make-Up Artistry and to the Illamasqua brand, and the process is underway to deliver even more continuous improvements to product being developed as we endeavor to respond to product feedback, listen to our customers, and communicate with our suppliers to push our creative vision and expand their capacity to achieve colour results we strive for.



We are a brand that is responsive, not complacent like other cosmetic industry brands. We have a responsibility to position and offer the unusual.



Never colour cautious.



We acknowledge we have not always got everything 'pigment perfect' in our evolution, not always possible in a business driven by pigments that can become variable. However when we are not able to be satisfied with a product we go back to supplier production and strive further to mutually get the result we initiated.



Our product development direction has quality assurance at the forefront of its agenda and we are assessing our products item by item and shade by shade to respond with an dynamic inspirational range to inspire the artists which make professional make-up art so creative. This is not an overnight process but one, which will position us to offer you exciting kit pieces for your delectation.



Thank you everyone for your continued support, it is that candid product passion which drives us to deliver the results team by team as we move forward and evolve as a brand".

David Horne, Director Product Development & School of Make-Up Art

Do you remember the ILLAMASQUA Nail Polish competition?

That's right guys it seems like an eternity ago but here are the winning nail polishes.

Congratulations to all those who entered, we saw some astoundingly good ideas.

These will be on sale shortly in Selfridges, £13.

Raindrops - Light grey/blue with minute silver flecks

Shrapnel - Iridescent copper. The colour of new 2p coins.

Eclipse - Iridescent deep blue.