Madonna's makeup artist comes to town

There's no better time to update an all wrong, so-last-year,
undeniably boring makeup routine. And Gina Brooke, makeup artist to the
ultra reinvent-yourself sovereign Madonna, is stopping by South Coast
Plaza (California) as she makes her way around the world for the pop icon's "Sticky
and Sweet" tour.

Brooke, who doubles as the artistic director
for Japanese-based Shu Uemura, will hold a master class from 10 a.m. to
1 p.m. on Nov. 5 at the Shu Uemura boutique at South Coast Plaza. For
$250 (all redeemable in product) Brooke's students will get
consultations, techniques and makeup tips and get a peek at Madonna's
on-stage look dubbed "Eye Candy." (Reserve a spot in the class by
calling 714-957-0521.)

In the meantime, we asked Brooke five questions.

Q. You've been Madonna's makeup artist since 2002. Has working with her inspired any particular products?

A. Madonna is known for reinventing herself and is always open to new ideas and looks.

In
2004, she had reinvented herself again, preferring a softer, doe-eyed
look, and for that look, I created a custom pair of mink eyelashes.

Then,
in 2006, Madonna was in her disco phase, and that is when I applied
real diamonds to the base of her mink lashes. There was such demand
that Shu Uemura created limited edition diamond and mink lashes, and
sold them for $10,000 a pair.

To accommodate demand from the
rest of the market, Shu Uemura created Dazzling Diamante eyelashes,
inspired by those original diamond lashes, for a more accessible $25 a
pair. That style is still so popular that we've introduced two new
styles, Dazzling Sapphire Diamante and Dazzling Topaz Diamante.

Q. You
have the same philosophy as Mr. Uemura when it comes to makeup. That
is, beautiful makeup starts with beautiful skin. What's the most common
skincare mistake women make?

A. It's important for
every woman to know her skin type, so that they can purchase skincare
that will address their skin's needs. When you use the wrong products
on dry skin, for example, you can actually cause more dryness, and vice
versa, with oily skin.

The second step to beautiful skin is
choosing the correct foundation, and it's imperative to understand your
skin's coloring and texture. The correct skincare and foundation are
the equivalent to priming a wall before you paint — the surface must be
properly prepared before applying the makeup.

Q. What do you think about while creating looks, products for women?

A.
I always keep in mind that with makeup, the possibilities are endless.
Women should be open to taking risks, and going beyond their
conventional, day-to-day routine of makeup and skincare.

Q. Many women are on tight budgets. What do you suggest for updating a look on the cheap?

A.
Experimenting with different colors of lipstick is the quickest,
easiest way to change your look, and in fact, during times of financial
crisis, women spend 30 percent more on lipstick because it's a quick,
inexpensive way to completely change their look and feel better about
themselves.

Q. Do you have any great beauty tips that Madonna or other clients have passed on?

A.
One of my clients taught me to use eye drops on a blemish to diminish
redness. Gisele Bundchen showed me a trick to get the maximum curl from
your eyelashes. After you apply mascara, push your finger against the
lashes, pushing the lashes back. Once the mascara dries, it holds it in
place—it takes the curl to the next level.

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