Drumroll please for an amazing, HOT new makeup brand!

I’ve been keeping this brand under wraps for a while now, because I really wanted to put it to the test on something spectacular. So many different elements need to come together and work to make an awesome image – photographer, model, styling, makeup and hair, mood and a little bit of luck! I was finally in a situation where all these essentials were fused together seamlessly and so I decided it was time to bring out the big guns!

Christopher Drummond. POW! Airbrush in a powder. It takes just five grains (ok maybe ten!) to do the whole face. I’m being hyperbolic because I want to emphasise how magical this product is. Christopher Drummond has created a line of exquisite, organic, natural, cruelty-free cosmetics that are so refined and specialised that they do half the work for you. He has a particularly excellent mineral foundation and corrective powder range for darker skins.

One thing that really impresses me about his brand is that everything is so meticulously researched. Every ingredient is analysed in depth on his blog, which I would highly recommend you check out (click here). You can also click this link to see a comprehensive list of the ingredients in each of his products. Prominent ingredients include loads of essential oils and açai oil – the most powerful antioxidant that exists in nature. You can also read up on his blog about what is in more traditional mineral makeup and why it is bad for you (titanium dioxide, zinc oxide and bismuth oxychloride).

So I tested out the Veludo Velvet Foundation, Concealer, Finale Finishing Powder and the fantastic Saude Pele radiance booster on my gorgeous model Karen. Just out of interest I applied the foundation to one side of her face first and took a step back – there were gasps from people in the room. Half of her face looked photoshopped, and I had used such a tiny amount of product that it hardly coloured the brush. I excitedly buffed the rest of her face, concealed where necessary, powdered in a neutral tone and very sparingly dusted some Saude Pele on her forehead, cheekbones, nose and chin. After 10 minutes maximum, she was transformed into a photographer’s post-production dream. Everyone unanimously agreed that she looked flawless and radiant and that my magical little sample pots contained miracle-powder (you can buy all the face products in tester sizes, which is really handy for travelling and since you use so little, they last for ages).

I have to make specific mention of the Christopher Drummond Concealer because it is without a doubt the most effective concealer I have ever used. It is packed with nutritious ingredients that feed your skin and is super-gentle. The texture of the concealer is deliciously creamy and the result is full cover of dark circles, discolouration, spots and blemishes with hardly any effort.

I built up the rest of the look using Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics iron oxide and lip tar and Barry M pigments. I secured the headpiece with s tiny bit of eyelash glue and applied some killer nails. After rubbing generous amounts of cocoa butter to her upper-body I blended some Christopher Drummond Veludo velvet Foundation on her décolleté to even out the skin tone.

My original idea was to create an inverse version of a photo created to advertise jewellery by Majo Fruithof (I’ve included the picture below) and executed by the incredible makeup artist Kabuki (www.kabukimagic.com). Karen was the most disciplined model I’ve ever worked with, able to change poses as fast as required or stay as still as a praying mantis for ages. The best image (below) was actually a very long exposure and she just did not move at all! And because there was some time left at the end I whipped of the headpiece, did some adjusting, painted her head orangy-gold and we managed to get some fabulous Grace Jones inspired shots too!

Our photographer and provider of awesome studio, grub, drinks and laughs was Paul Baichoo, assisted by the ever-wonderful Karolina Maria Renor. Lighting and giggles were provided by Mr Ankit Love who did some killer moves to get those lights just right (quite challenging with all the reflective materials on the headpiece).

Here are the results:

The original inspiration:

Makeup by Kabuki for

Majo Fruithof

You can buy Christopher Drummond at Just Beauty Direct