Though Bollywood films are mostly known for their musicals containing catchy song-and-dance numbers, lovely scenery and rich, jewel toned saris in opulent fabrics, it’s the visual images of absurdly good looking exotic beauties that captivate us most.  Think of Aishwarya Rai and Freida Pinto.

I’m happy to report that Cover FX has a hand in making those gorgeous Bollywood actresses look flawless even in hot, humid (+50 degrees Celsius) temperatures!  Bollywood makeup artists have been using Cover FX products over the last few years with amazing results.  Have a look at the images recently sent to me by Bollywood makeup artist Vikram Mittal of Bollywood beauty Shruti Haasan.

What he used:

Vikram used SkinPrep FX all over the face and applied Cover FX cream foundation in M30 then setting with Setting FX Light. Finally he buffed Mineral FX M30 onto the skin, polishing the minerals and resulting in the flawless radiance…gorgeous!

Bollywood films earn over 200 million dollars yearly in North America and often appear in the top ten films of the year in the UK.  In the last decade Bollywood has had a major influence on North America inspiring directors such as Baz Luhrmann of Moulin Rouge fame who indicated that his film was directly inspired by Bollywood musicals and Danny Boyle who earned the Oscar in 2009 for Slum Dog Millionaire, the perfect mix of a great story and respective imagery that provoked unforgettable memories in its audience and a great tribute to the Bollywood influence in the exhilarating finale.

Hooray for Bollywood and for Cover FX!

Award season is upon us and Los Angeles is a-flutter with celebs from all corners of the world coming in to see and be seen.  It’s high season for makeup artists, hair and wardrobe stylists and looking spectacular at all times is the order of the day…  So when celebrity makeup artist  Johny Saade contacted me to say that his client Shingai, lead singer of (very cool) UK indie pop band The Noisettes was attending the Grammys and was in need of  her favourite foundation,  I had to do whatever I could to get it to him!  Keep in mind that I am in Toronto and delivery could take 5 to 10 days which was not an option…

Michael Tally (our LA area manager) to the rescue…  Michael hand delivered Mineral FX B25 to Johny by Friday and  Shingai no doubt looked fab amongst the glitterati for the big night!

Do you ever wonder why models and actors always look like they have perfect skin?  While it may be true that people who earn a living in front of the camera might have above-average good looks, perfectly flawless skin is more often created by their makeup artists than by mother nature.  Curious about what their makeup artist’s secret is??…  Skin Prep FX!

Skin Prep FX is found in many makeup artists kits because it instantly fills in lines and pores creating a smooth canvas for makeup application.  Skin not only looks and feels smoother but a potent vitamin cocktail of anti-oxidants with skin firming and brightening qualities treat your skin at the same time.

Here is what some of our celebrity makeup artists have to say about Skin Prep FX.

Donald Mowat;  Gemini® and Emmy® award winning Hollywood makeup artist

As an anti-aging skin care product alone, or as a primer before makeup, SkinPrep FX is a must for my kit, on set and in the makeup trailer.

Jackie Shawn;  Considered one of Canada’s top 5 makeup artists for print and film, she also introduced Skin Prep FX to Natalie Dormer pictured above with Jonathan Rhys Meyers in ‘The Tudors’.  Jackie had this to say about SkinPrep FX:

I am writing because I just finished keying up hair and makeup for a TVshow “How To Solve A Problem Like Maria?” I had a team of 12 under me. One of the girls on the show had eczema and I told my assistant to use the serum first…..it was brilliant and made the makeup go on easy. Almost all the makeup artists went out and bought the serum. I used it on the ‘Maria” that won and also on the all girl group “Girliscous” who were in for the Much Music awards as well as Melanie C, Sporty Spice.  I went through allot because of the show and because I gave a bottle to Cyndi Lauper..  So could you be so kind and send me nectar (aka SkinPrep FX). I just use that on anyone who has a pulse before I put their makeup on…..

Cover FX also donates a portion of all SkinPrep FX proceeds to the Actor’s Fund of Canada, a financial insurance that is available to assist anyone in the Canadian performing arts sector ( performers, producers, directors, makeup artists etc.) when they are having financial difficulties.

Maybe the new year is a great time for you to see for yourself what all the makeup artists are talking about!

It’s the end of the year, my last post for 2009 and a perfect time to reflect.  I can’t believe how quickly time flys!  2009 was a roller coaster year;  the economic downturn hit most countries, we saw the untimely death of pop icon Michael Jackson,  US President Obama faced a challenging first year in office and the H1N1 flu became a household word.

It’s been an exciting year at Cover FX. We participated in makeup shows across North America and introduced our products to thousands of makeup artists who have now learned the secret to creating flawless skin.  Cover FX is being used globally on film sets (Harry Potter!), television, runway (NY, Paris, London, Milan) and in editorial.  We have won awards from bloggers, beuaty editors and beauty advisors for ‘Best Foundations’…and the best is yet to come so please stay tuned!

I wish you all a peaceful, happy holiday season.  Take some time to rest and enjoy time with your loved ones.  Thanks to all of you for your passion and dedication.  I’m looking forward to an exciting new decade!

Cover FX - Winners!

I’m so happy to report that the entire Cover FX range of products were just selected as the ‘Best of 2009 Editors Faves’ by Fashion Tribes, a high profile e-zine with over one million readers per month.

What impressed the editors most about our foundations was our global colour palette (30+ shades) and selection of textures to suit any skin type.

Here is what Editor at Large Michelyn Camen had to say:

“I love being able to buy a single foundation from Cover-FX. It is one of my favorite beauty lines because it addresses the skin concerns of all women, not just color but skin condition as well.”

If you want to read the rest of the article click here.

Thanks  Michelyn!  We couldn’t have said it better ourselves…

We will happliy accept this award and continue to create flawless looking skin!

Though most people think of fish and chips, the Beatles and Twiggy when you mention it,  London is  a major global city, and one of the world’s largest financial centers.

Central London is home to the headquarters of most of the UK’s top 100 listed companies and more than 100 of Europe’s 500 largest.  London’s influence in politics, finance,  education,  entertainment,  media,  fashion the arts and culture in general contributes to its global position.   In addition to that it has a thriving multi-ethnic population where more than 300 languages are spoken within it’s boundaries.

London was hit hard by the recession in 2009.  Over 145,000 jobs were lost and recovery from this downturn could take more than two years…

My favourite fact about London is that no matter what,  Londoners always pick themselves up and dust themselves off!

Have a  look at the front store windows at Harvey Nichols in London.   The mannequins were shown as broken dolls…. dressed in high fashion and looking fabulous!   Just because the economy is ‘broken’ doesn’t mean you  can’t look great!  This sense of humour and whimsy is typical of their outlook.

Harvey Nichols is a ‘must see’ for those of you planning a visit to London.  Be sure to stop in and say hello to our lovely Cover FX team who you will see as soon as you step in the front door.  Have one of our Cover FX Specialists give you a makeup application so that you will have a flawless face to go with all the great clothes you will want to buy.  Then go out and explore London!

For those of you in Toronto November 21st and 22nd who are looking for the latest news in makeup artistry, I’m thrilled to let you know that the International Makeup Artist Trade Show (IMATS) will be in Toronto for the very first time!  The trade show location is at Heritage Court - 100 Princess Blvd., Direct Energy Centre.

IMATS is world reknowned for presenting makeup products, techniques, demonstrations and seminars all catering to makeup artists and presented by makeup artists.   This amazing trade show happens yearly in Sydney Australia, London England, Vancouver and Los Angeles.

Guest speakers this year include; Twighlight saga New Moon makeup department head Norma Hill-Patton, Oscar nominee Mike Elizalde and reknowned body painting artist John Vargas to name a few…  I will be supporting Naimies, our Cover FX,  LA based pro retailer and I’ll also be doing a seminar Saturday and Sunday on ‘The Art of Correction’.  Please stop by to say hello.

With the sudden surge in all things vampire related (admit it,  we all secretly would like to be bitten by those sexy fictional vampires).

Imagine my delight when I discovered that Cover FX was the foundation of choice of makeup artist, Brigitte A. Myre for Anna Paquin!   See the post bellow from Bella Sugar…

Go Behind the Scenes With True Blood’s Makeup Artist
Fri, 09/11/2009 - 11:00am by BellaSugar

Sophie-Anne may be the vampire queen of True Blood, but Brigitte A. Myre is the queen of vampire makeup. Myre’s talent in makeup artistry earned her an Emmy for her work on Buffy, The Vampire Slayer, and these days she’s leading the makeup team for True Blood. Before Sunday’s season finale airs, read on for behind-the-scenes beauty secrets of the show.

How Sookie’s signature style is changing:
“In the first season, Sookie was a virgin, so we gave her a simple, innocent look,” Myre says. She uses Cover FX foundation to perfect Anna Paquin’s complexion, but doesn’t do much beyond mascara and light lipstick for Sookie’s day-to-day look. ”

And there you have it, directly from the Pro.  Award winning  Cover FX Cream Foundation is a favourite amongst makeup artists because it allows the flexibility of the sheerest application that is buildable.  The result?  Beautiful healthy looking skin that even a vampire loves!

Who or what will you be this Halloween?

Send us your most creative Halloween look (sorry no masks allowed) by uploading a picture of your Halloween face to our Facebook group for your chance to win 1 of 4 of Big Cover Up Kits ($135 value).

Contest closes Oct 31st, 10a.m. EST.

Over 90 people attended the Cover FX red carpet media event to announce the charitable collaboration with The Actors Fund of Canada on September 2ndat the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts - Bluma Appel Theatre in Toronto.

Lee Graff, Cover FX President and Co-creator formally announced that the donation of proceeds from the sale of our top selling priming serum, SkinPrep FX, sold in Canada would go to the Actors’ Fund of Canada and Barry Flatman, President, for The Actors’ Fund of Canada shared background information about the Fund.

Colin Mocherie not only provided a testimonial for the Fund but also made the audience laugh starting his speech by saying “I am not only a member, I am also a client”. Colin told the audience how the Fund helped him on four different occasions while he was struggling in his career.

Finally, award winning Hollywood makeup artist Donald Mowat who orchestrated this initiative addressed the crowd to tell them why he was inspired to approach Cover FX and how important it is to anyone in the performing arts to have The Actors’ Fund of Canada for support when in financial difficulties.

Guests mingled with Canadian celebrities including actors and spokespeople Shirley Douglas, Jackie Richardson, Wendy Crewson, Kristin Booth, Barbara Mamabolo and Louis Negin. Jeanne Beker was on board along with her FT cameraman interviewing the group and Rick Mercer stopped in to show his support for this very worthy cause too.

Guests learned more about the Fund and this great initiative while eating lovely hors d’oeuvres, sipping wine or other cold and hot beverages and tasting the cutest and most delicious cupcakes you have ever seen.

Special thanks to our sponsors who made this all possible; St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, Daniel et Daniel, Creekside Estate Winery, Sugar Baking,. To Ninth + Crux for capturing this event on video and Russ Martin for photographs. Thank you also to members of Nabet 700 and IATSE 873, hair and makeup technicians for graciously donating their time to provide makeup services for our actors and red carpet presenters. We couldn’t have done it without you!

For more information regarding The Actors’ Fund of Canada or to donate visit our Cover FX Actors Fund Facebook Fan Page.