@Illamasqua School of Make up: Beyond Black Beauty using Illamasqua Skin Base

Yesterday afternoon I attended the Illamasqua School of Make up : Beyond Black Beauty, hosted by  David Horne, the Director of Product Development and MUA extraordinaire who has over 22 years of experience!

Illamasqua's Director of Product Development, David Horne

The class focused on how to use the Skin Base Foundations to create a flawless finish on black skin.

I blogged about the launch of the Skin Base range way back in September of last year – so I was keen to learn more about the product and how it can be used on those with a darker skin tones.

There are 4 shades in the range that are suitable for black skins:

Skin Base 15 – Olive Tones
Skin Base 16 – Red Tones
Skin Base 17 – Red/Olive Neutral
Skin Base 18 – Deep Neutral (Literally Alek Wek tones!)

Skin Base 17

I learnt that all 4 shades can be used in combination, to achieve a perfect match.

Now, the average gal like you and me, is unlikely to purchase 4 foundations at a time…so the brand MAY be looking at developing a pallet for the consumer market – which is really exciting!!  So watch this space!

Thanks to Twitter (again!) I found out about the event in good time because as soon as it was announced it filled up very, very quickly! There seems to be an insatiable demand for quality information and education about the products to use and the methods to employ to enhance black skin.

I secured my place!!

The masterclass was aimed at the pro MUA (which I am not!!!), and it was encouraging to see professionals from all backgrounds eager to learn about working with dark skins…because nothing is worse than when we, as black women,  approach a beauty counter to test or ask about a foundation and are met with a look of terror from the sales consultant, who has no knowledge of how to work with a darker skin tones.   Their fear and inadequacy make us BOTH feel very uncomfortable.

 As a customer I want to be able to trust those who say they are the experts, and I usually will if you as an MUA/sales consultant  exudes confidence in their craft!

Displays of confidence, expertise and knowledge were certainly in abundance as Horne led the class.

He showcased his skills on the flawless model Jess (who had the most impeccable eyebrows!!) , using a variety of shades from the Skin Base range.  pointed out one of the cardinal sins that is commonly committed by MUAs working with black skin is using products that contains too much white pigment, which results in an ashy finish.

 


The hour and a half session was packed full of technical  information for all of the MUAs present, but what I really commend Horne for was his ability to teach the MUAs how to treat the consumer and how to connect with her and reassure her that she indeed beautiful.  It was clear that this is a man who is consumed by his profession and it is always inspiring to be in an environment of excellence and raw passion.

This coming Thursday (17th May) see the launch of 7 new ‘half’ shades that will join the Skin Base range.  On the company website Horne states that ‘following on from the phenomenal success of Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation globally, Illamasqua have extended the original 18 shade range to reach out to even more diverse tones which takes the total shades to 25.

7 comments for “@Illamasqua School of Make up: Beyond Black Beauty using Illamasqua Skin Base

  1. May 16, 2012 at 7:59 pm

    David is fabulous and I know from experience that he is very keen for MUA’s not to be scared of black skin, so he must be commended for all his efforts. It will be very interesting to try Skin Base, its next on my list. Soon as I finish my current foundation, I’ll gladly be handing over my card 🙂

    • beautypulseLONDON
      May 18, 2012 at 8:36 am

      I too want to try the product, the model at the Masterclass looked amazing!

  2. May 22, 2012 at 11:01 am

    Hey, I really love your blog and ever since you did this post on Illamasqua Skin Base, I’ve become a bit obsessed with Illamasqua lol. I am really interested in trying out this new product, the only problem I think I might have is finding he right shade. I believe I might be a 16 or 17. Also Illamasqua isn’t as common as MAC or NARS so it might be a bit hard to find. But Overall, I,ll try it out, and might even do a review on it. But thank you for the post, I really liked it.

    • beautypulseLONDON
      May 22, 2012 at 1:28 pm

      Hi Clara, thanks for reading! The brand is fabulous and I was told at the masterclass that there would be an opportunity to sample the Skin Base foundations at the Beak Street Boutique (London). Where do you live? There are a few counter dotted across the country now – take a look at their website!

  3. May 22, 2012 at 11:03 am

    BTW do you know what shade the model was wearing?

    • beautypulseLONDON
      May 22, 2012 at 1:31 pm

      She is actually wearing a combination of 5 shades!! 12, 15,16,17 and 18! But I would say that her main colour is shade 17 – this is akin to Mac NW45. Try to find a counter and they will colour match shade for you!

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