Meet our new US Brand Ambassador!

For our international fans may we introduce Kim Anderson, our new US Brand Ambassador and how excited we are to have her on board! For all you lucky New Yorkers Kim is going to be the person to know; not only will she be overseeing the day to day running of Illamasqua in Sephora stores and offering brand support, she’ll be planning loads of amazing in store events across New York City. Excited much?

We thought to welcome her to the team and to get to know her we would drop her a line and ask a few important questions to get her settled into her new role. The only downside is that technology is so good we didn’t have a good enough excuse to fly over to New York to see her.

Kim, tell us about your training and background..

I started my makeup artist career around seven and a half years ago with Stila Cosmetics in New York City as a Business Manager, moving on to MAC before my freelance career began to grow. My most recent gig was as a part time instructor at MUD (Makeup Designory) School in New York City teaching Beauty 101 and Portfolio Development. I'm a self taught makeup artist...I decided that I was going to 'just do it'. I've always been enamoured with the art of transformation now I get to share it!

(Hair & Makeup by Kim Anderson, Photography by  Nevin Jethmalani)

We know your role is the US Brand Ambassador but what do you want to bring to the brand?

Well Illamasqua already has a lot! Though I particularly love the message of individuality and empowerment; I think I'd like to spread that around the US with a healthy dose of my own sassy charm.  I say we're makeup artists...because we 'make it up'. Letting women and men know it’s okay to do it your own way is my jam!

We’ve just launched a new Autumn/ Winter 2010 collection, The Art of Darkness, where Alex Box created 13 very individual characters, which is your favourite?

I loooove Queen of the Gypsies! I feel her.

If she’s your favourite character we’re dying to know your favourite Illamasqua piece...

Lipstick and Liquid Metals! Specifically Maneater and Box, which I like to mix with the Liquid Metal Resolute...sick amazing!

With that in mind, have you got an ultimate makeup tip for our beauty lovers?

Own it! Inside and out...from head to toe. Easy peasy.

(Hair & Makeup by Kim Anderson, Photography by Daniel Murtagh)

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves! So what’s happening first in your new role?

Well, September 30^th at Sephora 5th Avenue we’re starting Cast Training and October 1^st is Brand Support...however I'm super excited about the Art of Darkness Event on October 2^nd and 8^th on 5^th Avenue and Times Square respectively.

Kim, it’s been an absolute pleasure meeting you and we wish you the best of luck in your new role at Illamasqua!

Thanks, I'm so excited the welcome has been amazing!

To know more about Kim and her beauty insider knowledge you can check out her blog http://mskimisfierce.onsugar.com/

And don’t forget to go and see Kim and get her expert advice by meeting her in store on 5^th Avenue today and tomorrow! She wants to meet every Illamasqua fan in New York!

More on the Art of Darkness events tomorrow!!

David Longshaw SS11

Me - It's not like as an adult you can have a top with a cat on it. That (the dress above) is a chic, grown up, edgy version...
David - And you must consider what a cat on your tshirt means...
Me - It means I love cats... and maybe I have 50 or so at home.
David - ... and I smell of cat... and dead cat... as I have so many cats I can't find it....
Me - ummmm I think you took it too far.
David - (looks bashful) I always take it too far!

I think David Longshaw's imagination runs away with him, which I don't think is a bad thing at all - after all it is his story's that spring board his collections.

His Spring Summer 2011 does not disappoint - 'Well basically there is a bunch of hoodlums...' these female hoodies decide to go on a day trip to a stately home. But it is closed so they break in. They planned to perform petty crime and vandalism but instead are drawn in by opulent garments. They decide to dress up...This story influences the prints through the collection - the girl with two fags wearing a ruff and feathers and pug dogs. Feathers and subtle frills, prints of dogs and smoking girls all come together in beautiful hues of blue and purple. As well as illustration prints there are interesting 3D textures of feathers and knit by Lily Hibbert.The silhouette was inspired by sportswear - remember what 'hoodlums' usually wear... I really like the relaxed but structured nature of the pieces. I am very drawn in by the colours used.Kirsty Ward, in another collaboration, has designed the jewellery. Hardware with lilac and blue felt folds - again remember the 'bling bling' usually supported by 'hoodlums'...I really like this collection and the story behind it - I hope you do to! David will be exhibiting in Paris with Vauxhall Fashion Scout - if you get the chance to chat to him - do!

To see some lookbook images head to the Vauxhall Fashion Scout Blog.

Best Wishes
Fashion Fantasist xx

Mary Katrantzou SS11

Back to the delights of London Fashion Week... Did I mention I am a novice!?

Well going in and out of the Newgen huts I got to see Mary Katrantzou's collection up close and personal. I think I fell in love a little bit. The colours, the detail, the photographic quality of the prints. For me personally it was perfection!

(This dress is called Serendipity and I think it's my Favorite!)

The inspiration was interiors and each print was made up of different rooms - dining rooms, foyers, sitting rooms, patios - it was lovely to see symmetrical details like flowers and chairs. The prints came first but with the pattern cutting interior objects just lent themselves to the silhouette - lamps, curtain drapes, fringes and pelmets. I really like the whimsy of the lampshade skirts there is something innocent and playful about it. Chandelier necklaces and fringes of beads also added a very literal touch that just made it strangely elegant.As you can probably tell I could probably rave about this collection for ever - if I could have put something on and run away in it I think I would have given it a go... And not just the one thing... Gabby in Desperate Housewives style... (Watch clip to understand the reference!) Unfortunately I didn't go to the show but here are some pictures from Style.com.Speak Soon!
Fashion Fantasist xx

School of Make Up Art: Date Breakdowns

Over the past couple of months we’ve been posting about our new School of Make Up Art and finally the first courses have arrived! Written and taught by Illamasqua’s Director of Product Development and Educator David Horne; each course offers something completely different than ever before and today we’re reminding you of every great course on offer. For further details or to book your place please email school@illamasqua.com or call 0844 984 1700.


Evening Course: £50 (7-9pm) 

Course: The Night Time Diva (Booking Code EV1)

Perfect for finding a new glamorous evening look and heading out into town afterwards, fun bold evening make up.

Course Dates: 

8th October 2010

22nd October 2010

5th November 2010

19th November 2010

3rd December 2010

17th December 2010

7th January 2011

21st January 2011

Course: Drag Star Superhero (Booking Code EV2) 

Explore wild and outrageous make up with extreme shapes and runway scale- big, bold and high drama.

Course Dates: 

12th November 2010

26th November 2010

10th December 2010

14th January 2011



The ‘Art of Self Indulgence’ Party: £75 per person (Group of 6-8 Attendees)

(7-9pm Booking Code EVG1)

Book a private party for you and your friends, perfect for birthdays, hen nights and those infamous Christmas Parties, perfect for hitting the town afterwards. The party includes private shopping, use of the store and school and a goodie bag each!

Various dates are available; please discuss your special event date with our team. Email school@illamasqua.com

1 Day Course: £200 (10am-4pm)

Course: Creative Couture Lash Workshop (Booking Code 1L) 

A day making and crafting customised lashes with legendary 80s Blitz kid Christine Bateman who is also the makeup artist for Boy George.

Course Dates: 

16th October 2010

15th November 2010

18th December 2010

10th January 2011



Course: Experimental Colour Workshop (Booking Code 1E) 

Everything to do with understanding and working with colour confidence, finding your way with working with bold colour cosmetics and high pigment. A ‘no to neutral make up’ zone!

Course Dates: 

22nd October 2010

26th November 2010

6th December 2010

24th January 2011



2 Day Course: £375.00 (10am-4pm)

Course: Building Expertise & Confidence- Perfecting Eye Design (Booking Code 2A) 

Everything to do with eye make up and understanding eye shapes and which designs suit what types of eyes.

Course Dates: 

14-15th October 2010

16-17th November 2010

16-17th December 2010

11-12th January 2011



Course: Building Abstract Creativity- Art & The Alter Ego (Booking Code 2B) 

A great course to sharpen your technical lining skills and abstract creativity- one day on technical and one day on expression with make up.

Course Dates: 

20-21st October 2010

22-23rd November 2010

22-23rd December 2010

17-18th January 2011



Course: Building Creativity- Vintage Glamour (Booking Code 2C) 

A course to understand and recreate the looks of the 1930s - 1950s; truly photographic, truly glamorous!

Course Dates: 

18-19th October 2010

24-25th November 2010

20-21st December 2010

19-20th January 2011



3 Day Course: £575.00 (10am-4pm) 

Course: Building Creativity (Booking Code 3A) 

A more advanced top up course if you have done some make up training to really find your creativity and develop lateral thinking- some make up training experience beneficial.

Course Dates: 

11-13th October 2010

18-20th November 2010

13-15th December 2010

13-15th January 2011

5 Day Course: £1000.00 (10am-4pm) 

Course: Mastering Professional Make-Up (Booking Code 5A) 

Getting started in the world of make up- a full understanding of the job, the career, the principles and how to become a professional make up artist.

Course Dates: 

4-8th October 2010

8-12th November2010

7-11th December 2010

3-7th January 2011

To book or for further inquiries, please email school@illamasqua.com or call 0844 984 1700.

One Hundred

This is my 100th post!!! Gosh!!! I am going to be very selfish and have a blog post dedicated to myself... It was suggested to me that I do 100 posts that have changed me but I still have some posts that I am very excited about yet to go up so I think once my blog has turned one I will celebrate its loveliness!

For now I will share with you some general portfolio pages that I have pulled out... I apologise this will be a very image heavy post... Recently I have got very excited and inspired and have started to design again so hopefully when I have some money I will be able to make some new things to show you. But for the time being please feel free to browse and also you can head over to my website.Apologies again for the amount of scrolling down you may of had to do for this post but I hope some of the images have interested you. These projects are a mixture from my university BA and HND work. Since London Fashion Week I have felt really inspired and have picked up my pencil again and have started designing - I will hopefully start to make some samples soon too. I was inspired in particular by Kirsty Ward's womenswear collection and Georgia Hardinge's use of 3D and 2D... I will leave it there but will hopefully have something to show you in the near future.

Best Wishes
Fashion Fantasist xx

Waiting List Now Open For Nail Varnish Competition Winners!

The hugely exciting Nail Varnish competition winners are limited edition, so we have set up a waiting list online for you to register your interest and get an email as soon as they go live online next week!

Exclusive to Illamasqua.com and Selfridges Trafford, Birmingham Bullring and Oxford Street, London these three colours are expected to be the colours du jour for the upcoming Wintry season!

Click here to register your interest and click here to find out more about our unique competition...

Georgia Hardinge

Back to the wonderful talent I found at London Fashion Week. You can tell I am a novice to the event - probably much too excited about everything that was there. But saying that I do hope you find some of what I have found as interesting as I did!

I came across these designs at Vauxhall Fashion Scout and Somerset House by Georgia Hardinge. What initially drew me in was the beautiful grey digital print. I like to create illusions of folded fabric through my print designs and I originally thought these prints were the same - I was corrected - they are photographs of sculpture, which I can now see but I love how elegant and fluid the lines are.The whole collection has a beautiful mix of 3D and 2D textile applications. Frothy folds and structure with a muted colour palette with an injection if bright yellow. This collection really has everything that I adore.Another aspect of this collection I like is the mixture of opaque and transparent - in particular see through trousers (That outfit is amazing - the sleeves!) I do really love this collection - the mixture of fluidity and structure really works.

Enjoy
Fashion Fantasist xx