Modern Beauté Icon: Roisin Murphy

Irish born Roisin Murphy singer once part of Moloko but now solo making my favourite dance floor jams. Roisin is a natural risk taker in all senses, she far prefers to be bright interesting and stand out rather than to run with the beige pack fronted by their vanilla leader Olivia Paleremo. 

Roisin has been out of the spotlight for a little while taking time out to have babies in the Irish county side, she is back about to release a new album next year and I am super excited to be seeing more of Roisin in the press lately and am also dying to dance around to her new songs.

Roisin favours strong experimental fashion so her makeup is usually complimented with a defined natural look nothing too crazy and clashing. Her eyes are always lined on the upper lashline with a brown liner which is great if you have blue eyes because it makes them pop without looking too harsh like black can sometimes do. Nars Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner in 'Via Appia' $38.00 available from www.meccacosmetica.com.au is a beautiful burnish-brown it glides on easily and blends out without too much hassle.

Roisin is more inclined to favour a blended rosey-caramel eye rather than a winged liner, much more of a high glam 70's vibe - which I am so into.  The image in the top left is probably the most dramatic I have ever seen Roisin's makeup to achieve the intense build of colour try a dry-to-wet eyeshadow Yves Saint Laurent Pure Chromatics Wet and Dry Eyeshadow Palette in Number 7 $66.30 available from www.feelunique.com has heavenly tones for blondes. Using a few drops of water the shadows can become liners or used on their on can be blended out to create a beautiful wash of colour over your lids.

The only other beauty must for Roisin is a peachy blush, with such a soft ivory skin tone (pale, very pale - its ok so am I) it can make you look a little sallow if you don't pop a bit of blush onto the apples of your cheeks. Peach is the perfect subtle colour for porcelain babes, I adore Illamasqua Blusher in 'Sophie' $30.60 available from Illamasqua counters at Myer and www.asos.com subtle enough to make you look like you may not even be wearing blush, but just enough to give your face some depth.

Roisin is truly a Modern Beauté Icon, she is not afraid to be different and have fun with a look and most importantly she uses humour in her style which is so refreshing. Every time I feel like I am playing it too safe I try and say to myself 'what would Roisin do?'

Please comment with any of your favorite Modern Beauté Icons

xxx Nella

Modern Classics: Essex Girls

The Essex girl stereotype started in the early in the 80's and is now defined by the characters from the reality show The Only Way Is Essex. This aesthetic may not appeal to you and you might be revolted by the amount of makeup and fake eyelashes that these girls like to wear. To me the Essex girls look like they are having a lot of fun and if fake tans and eyeliner makes them feel confident then what does it really matter? Whether you feel naked walking out of the house without your tinted moisturizer or if its 3 sets of lashes its all the same! My love of makeup is an obsession and I am kind of jealous that these girls pile it on when I am worried if i blended in my BB cream and natural eye shadows seamlessly. So what does it take to be an Essex Girl?

Nars Bronzer in Casino $55.00

If you want the Essex look, then go in hard with the bronzer and don't stop. This isn't a contour this is an ALL over application with the biggest brush you've got.

Ardell Lashes in Demi Flare $7.95

It looks like the Essex girls wear about 2 or 3 pairs at once, but if you are a newbie to the fake lash then just try a single set. This is the cherry on top to their signature smokey-eye look.

Mac Lipstick in Hue $36.00

You want to go for anything that will make your lips look bigger. Nude lipstick is a must and like everything else on their faces this isn't subtle, although its called 'nude' this isn't meant to look natural at all.

Urban Decay Naked Palette £32.00

This palette is an A-Z in smokey shimmery colours and it looks like the Essex girls apply all of them AT ONCE. 

St Tropez Mouse Self Tan $58.80

There is a difference between a Jersey Shore tan and an Essex girl tan and its called class! These girls know how to blend a tan like no-one else - it may be a shade of bronze that is not humanly possible to achieve but it is always blended out into hairlines quite well. I am presuming they go for spray tans then top up with a little St. Tropez tanning mouse with a mitt in between sprays.

This post is for my favorite Essex girl of all time Alison Lennard xoxo