Before/After: Dusky Sizzling Sicilian Goddess

Finally time to do a post about what I have been up to in Sicily. 9 days, 6 different shoots, 3 models. Sizzling hot temperatures, early starts, inspiring locations and a most incredible and inspiring team to work with resulted in some pretty amazing transformations. 

I love working with hairstylist maestro Marco Testa who just gets me and together we created some pretty amazing transformations. Why are we so good together? He understands where I am coming from and when that happens, hairstyling and makeup goes into another level. I also had the new A/W 2012 collection from YSL to play with. Dusky khakis, bronzes and 3 new skin illuminators instantly made me think of hot, almost sweaty skin, all aglow. Have a look at the products.

I wanted our model to look like a courtesan in a hot sweaty bordello, skin aflushed and shimmery, awaiting her next victim! What can I say? It must have been the Sicilian sun, Baroque interiors and dramatic landscape! Let me introduce you to Luma.

Face Prep: Decléor Aroma Cleanse Cleansing Water, Decléor Life Radiance Double Radiance Cream, Shu Uemura Brightening UV Under Base Mousse, Decléor Nourishing Lip Balm.

Luma is Brazilian, as you can see her lineage of African, German and Japanese bloods have resulted in a rather spectacular face! When I saw her, I knew I wanted to change her pale skin to a duskier tone and use the YSL A/W collection to intensify her features and create a slightly different race. I didn't want any one feature to jump out, just a well blended, sculpted heady mix of sensuality and power! It was pretty easy, even without makeup Luma is pretty perfect and I loved how into character she got when we explained it to her. Natural she is funny, slightly geeky and so easy to be with but as soon as the look was done, she transformed into this tanned, smouldering creature of loveliness and danger! And hair magician Marco understood that perfectly and suggested a head full of long dark extensions, ironed out straight and then slightly greased up to create a bit of "dirtiness". Just perfect! 

Here is Luma straight after makeup before lips were done.

Face: YSL Le Teint Touché Eclat, YSL Teint Parfait in Tan Glow, YSL Touché Eclat, YSL Dare To Glow in No 1, 2 & 3.

Eyes: YSL Pure Chromatics Palette No 9 & 10, YSL False Lash Effect Cream Eyeliner in Bronze Black, YSL Volume Effet Faux Cils Shocking Mascara in Deep Black,  YSL Dare To Glow in No 3.

Eyebrows: YSL Dare To Glow in No 1, YSL Long-Lasting Waterproof Eye Pencil in Luminescent Gold.

Cheeks: YSL Teit Parfait in Tan Glow, YSL Cream Blush in Passion Red.

Lips: YSL Dare To Glow in No 1, YSL Le Teint Touché Eclat, YSL Rouge Pur Couture Golden Lustre in Golden Nude.

And as I hoped when I designed this look, when Luma got hotter at the location, her skin shone, glowed and sheened to create a burnished finish! I avoided powder to avoid any kind of muddiness of the complexion. Here's a shot of Luma posing on set. The picture on the left is natural lighting taken with my camera and the one on the right is when I pumped up the contrast slightly to accentuate the duskiness. I still get goosebumps when I look at the results!

What do you think? Sizzling? Goddess-like? I love this look so much and really had fun creating it. If there ever was a better example of smouldering sexiness, I think Luma pretty much takes the title, don't you?

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