Napoleon Perdis

I've just returned from a quick trip to Sydney where I clocked up many backstage hours at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Australia. My team and I worked with 15 designers -- including Toni Maticevski, Christopher Esber, Ellery, and Ginger and Smart -- on the makeup direction for their spring/summer 2012...

One of the many things I love about working with makeup is its transformative power; its ability to completely change a face -- or body in some cases -- whether the results are glamorous or grotesque. Whilst makeup is most often used to accentuate a woman's natural beauty or make...

Tanned skin has spent more time on the fashion merry-go-round than many trends; it's been in, out, and in again for hundreds of years. However, the past few months have seen sweeping changes in tan-ittudes, all the way from The White House to the red carpet.

As skin cancer rates...

Whether you're happily committed or single and ready to mingle, your Valentine's Day makeup requires some careful thought. While I generally consider daring makeup statements a "do" on most days, they can instantly become a "don't" come February 14. Take the big lash trend of late; while exaggerated lashes have...

I've been living the desert dream lately, channeling my alter ego of a 'desert rat' in Palm Springs where I am lucky enough to have a home. That soul-stirring expanse of sky and day-long stretches of winter sun topped off by the cool mountain air in the evenings really helps...

My family and I just got back from chasing the sun across the Mediterranean. There is something oh-so-intoxicating about a European summer and a picture-perfect outlook. Transitioning back into everyday life post-vacation can leave anyone feeling a little flat. Combat Seasonal Affective Disorder by preserving that holiday glow. Who says...

Photo courtesy of the Annenburg Foundation © 2002 Felicia Webb. Backstage at Paul Smith.

What exactly is beauty? It's impossible to define in any succinct way; beauty means different things to different people, cultures and eras. My friend and editor-in-chief of Vogue...

It's been quite a week with the CFDA Awards and MTV Movie Awards -- both are always a style showdown of the bold, the (very) beautiful, and the best dressed. But it is also proof that the young Hollywood leading ladies in attendance, like Blake Lively...

I just got back from Rosemount Australian Fashion Week in Sydney where I directed the looks for 17 shows from go to whoa. Maybe I'm biased, but Aussies have always had a strong presence in the fashionverse and this season confirmed it with the presence of international media and high-profile...

Breaking news: The future Queen of England is insisting on doing her own wedding makeup.

According to recent reports, Kate Middleton has been taking top-secret instruction from a professional makeup artist so that she can do her own wedding-day makeup. For once, I'm speechless. [For a few seconds...

As a makeup artist, a striking lip or a bold brow look will always catch my eye. The best spots for beauty trendspotting? Los Angeles and New York City -- without a doubt. With a home in both cities, I'm always interested to spot different beauty statements and how they...

I've always been entranced by beauty through the ages -- my vast collection of coffee table books of beauty ads stand as proof. Beauty trends and application tricks have been in existence long before industry icons like Helena Rubinstein or Max Factor. Kohl-rimmed eyes, anyone? Or the ox-blood lipstick that...

Another fashion week season has come and gone. 10 fashion shows in total, so that comes to about 660 makeup brushes, 99 pairs of false lashes and 224 models. As always, I enjoyed all of them and, the last run of shows that I directed makeup for were Venexiana, Elise...

It's only the third day into fashion week for the fall/winter 2011 season and, well, it's been quite a whirlwind as I'm the makeup artist for a total of ten shows. The looks vary from minimal to dramatic, and I -- while assisted by my incredibly talented team of makeup...

This post is dedicated to Enedine Vigil, my former personal assistant who was shot and killed by her fiancé on Tuesday, January 4th at her home in Hollywood. She was a beautiful person -- inside and out. Enedine was truly an inspiration to me as a makeup artist...

New Year's Eve is almost upon us and the pressure to think of a life-changing resolution can be a bit of a buzz kill. But it doesn't have to be. Resolutions should be a fun way to kick off 2011. My resolutions for the New Year are to send out...

The holidays are typically a time for sledding, bundling up, and steaming cups of hot chocolate. But in my native Australia, the sun-dappled summer season between November and February is devoted to outdoor pursuits like catching a wave, picnics in the park, and servings of ice-cold granitas. Of course living...

The modern-day woman is a marvel: She's juggling a full-time job, raising a family and squeezing in a workout session. My wife, Soula Marie is my ultimate muse and before she takes off for a jog in Runyon Canyon, she applies a smidge of makeup. For her, it's not just...

The week before Halloween divides the nation: There are those who have had their costume squared away for weeks and those who launch into a last-minute scramble to create ghoulish glamour. My four daughters all fit into the first camp and, naturally, my makeup skills are enlisted before trick or...

From New York to Sydney, Los Angeles to Kuala Lumpur -- no matter where I travel these days, I see women that are tickled pink. I just got back from a conference in Malaysia, and I was struck by how many local women were sporting bright pink pouts. Diana Vreeland...