To Look Good At All Times

The US-based make-up expert Cecilia Muench talks about the various ways to look good, while on a recent visit to Kochi

Photo of Cecilia Muench by Albin Mathew; Jennifer Lopez

By Shevlin Sebastian

Make-up artiste Cecilia Muench had gone to the washroom, during the 'Make-up Show', at Orlando, USA, a couple of years ago. When she returned, her daughter told her, “Somebody from India was inquiring about you. He said he would come back.”

Cecilia was intrigued. She wondered whether the Indian would come back. Thankfully, he did. Salmon Mathew, a Florida-based businessman, is a partner in a make-up company with Mollywood's veteran make-up expert Pattanam Rasheed. 

Salmon invited Cecilia to come to Kerala to give a workshop on make-up. She accepted, but it took two years, before she was able to come to Kochi recently. 

And, as promised, she held a one-day workshop on make-up, organised by the Pattanam Designory, for more than 400 aspiring artistes.

In a surprise, Cecilia says, that she is a fan of Indian make-up. “It has a trademark, which is the liner around the eyes,” she says. “This is known around the world. When you see eyes that are sophisticated and shine a lot, you know they are Indian eyes.”

In Kochi, Cecilia gave lessons on how to do make-up for those who are exposed to 4K technology in TV and cinema. “4K has four times more pixels than high-definition images,” she says. “If you put too much foundation, it shows like plastic skin on the screen. You have to put the make-up in a sheer and natural way, and blend it well.”

Rasheed says that Cecilia's classes were an eye-opener. “We knew only the older techniques,” he says. “But now the students understood how to do make-up in the era of digital photography. Most of the students gained a lot from the interaction. And they were impressed by Cecilia’s sincerity and passion.”    

According to Cecilia, make-up is applied according to the personality and style of the person. “There are seven different styles for women: Dramatic, Creative, Sensual, Natural, Formal, Casual and Classic,” she says.

She gives examples. “Dramatic women use dark lips and dark eyes,” she says. “A natural woman will wear light lipstick and shadow on the eyes. An elegant woman will have dark lips and light eyes.”

However, in public functions, it could be a good idea to know the type of lights that are used. “The lights add to the colour,” she says. “In yellow light, if you put yellow or red lipstick, the lips will have an orange colour. If it is a white light, which is actually bluish in colour, red lipstick will look purple.”

Regarding wedding-up, Cecilia insists that one should respect the personality and style of the bride. “You have to ask her what she wants,” she says. “She is the star, the queen of the day. If she does not want a loud make-up, mute it down. It has to be a make-up that represents her style. She has to feel good. After all, it is the most important day of her life.”

When asked which international celebrity wears the best make-up Cecilia has no hesitation to name Jennifer Lopez, the top-selling singer and actor. “Sometimes, she looks very sophisticated, and at other times she is dramatic,” says Cecilia. “She is a chameleon, and one of the best.”

Asked the trend these days, Cecilia says, “The make-up has to be personalised.Women want to be unique. They want to say, 'This is who I am'.”

Interestingly, make-up plays a vital role when you grow older. “When you age, the skin loses colour,” she says. “Young girls have rosy cheeks, glowing skin and wide eyes. But, because of ageing, the eyes get yellow, and look pale and sad. The skin becomes flaccid and the expression on your face gets harder. It makes you look angry or harsh.”

However, the appropriate lipstick and eye-liner and blush can make all the difference. “Make-up is the best way to fight age,” says Cecilia. 

(The New Indian Express, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram)