Make-up artist for the stars James Molloy might work with a palette of vibrant colours but he's all for a natural look, writes P.Ramakrishnan.
With a dash of powder, a splash of colour, a swipe of lip gloss that makes the model pout and glisten, a transformation is unfolding before an audience of 800 as James Molloy, regional director of make-up artistry for M.A.C Cosmetics, gets to work.
"I'm all about a lash and an eyebrow - always," he says later backstage, over a cacophony of highly enthused models, make-up artists and M.A.C people hovering around our table.
"Well curled lashes, with the right amount of mascara straight after, with a fuller brow, especially on an Asian face, gives a beautiful frame. We're slowly coming out of that pencil-thin brow, the bald-eye look with an artificial pencil stroke."
The London native is in Hong Kong for the launch of the "M.A.C Me Over!" collection, so we ask for an insider's preview of make-up trends to look out for this autumn-winter.
"I'm seeing a lot of jewel tones, and a slightly burnished copper tone," he says. "Autumn-winter might just be about pop colour. Lips don't have to be stained with red any more; it could be a fuchsia, raspberry or violet."
There are trays of multihued paraphernalia littering make-up boxes, but Molloy says his personal aesthetic is almost bare skin, moist, subtly enhanced lips and groomed brows. "But of course, I also love the rock 'n' roll atmosphere of fashion week and the dramatic looks; the decade-inspired looks - 50s elegance, 60s chic, 70s discotheque - are all great fun to work with."
In the world of fashion, Molloy has worked with big names such as Alexander McQueen, Moschino, Balenciaga, Balmain and Chloe, as well as celebrities like Katherine Jenkins, Dita Von Teese and Poppy Delevigne.
"One of the most intense experiences was backstage at McQueen. This was a few seasons ago, one of the biggest shows in Paris. It was a manic environment. There were 40 girls, and two girls would walk up 15 minutes before the show and, at the time, I felt I was being crucified," he says. "It was a baptism of fire. But I wouldn't change that for anything as I learned so much."
Molloy says that now and in the near future, make-up will essentially be more about skincare. "A bit goes a long way, and you no longer have to really pile it on. Especially in a warm climate like Hong Kong, because of the heat and humidity, people have to be very clever with make-up, so it doesn't just slide off by midday," he says.
"It's about intelligent priming and prepping of the skin. Instead of heavy moisturiser or heavy foundation, it has to be about light layering if you want your skin to look perfect.
"Apply a spot of blush in a sweeping motion, then a layer of sheer powder to lock it in, and then another shot of blush, which makes it look like it's part of the skin rather than sitting on top of it. Get rid of that Amazonian vibe."
Convincing people to change their signature look can be hard. Harder still when you're working with iconic women. "Working with [American burlesque performer] Dita Von Teese was great. She knows make-up inside out and that's a challenge because I had to gain her trust. But she knew what she wanted and she let me into her environment and her world of make-up," Molloy says.
"She did step out of her comfort zone every now and again as we experimented with a futuristic look, but always with the classic vibe she's famous for."
When asked about his stand on how Photoshopped images create false or unrealistic expectations of what beautiful people look like, Molloy replies that today you'd have to be naive not to realise the polished images we see in magazines and ads are touched up.
"I don't agree with too much work, but Photoshop can also create a fantastic story when we're not expecting reality. It's fantasy; in that respect, we use technology as a tool for a storyboard pictorial that can be surreal."
Despite orbiting a world of celebrities and top models, Molloy says it's the idea of transforming a girl who's a little shy and lacking in confidence that he enjoys most.
"I get a great satisfaction from that because you make them feel like a million dollars. That's the greatest reward," he says. "I like to bring out the beauty in girls who don't know that they are beautiful. Perhaps that's why I like the nude look so much; you're enhancing what they already have."
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