Surrounded by piles and piles of foundation tubes, brushes, sponges and gangly-legged models, senior MAC make-up artist Michele Magnani looks completely at home and relaxed despite the fact that we are in the midst of the chaos that is the backstage of a Milan Fashion Week show.

Indeed, as the models mill around waiting to be dressed and make-up artists chase down their beautiful quarries for a final touch up, Magnani’s expert eyes take everything in.

Showing off the finished look.

I caught up with him during both Damir Doma’s as well as Fausto Puglisi’s shows and got his take on the two very different looks that he collaborated with the designers of each house to help create, as well as what goes into crafting the beautiful, polished looks that MAC has long been renowned for.

“I have had a very long collaboration with Doma and I find that the best thing about it is that I’ve been part of the change that I’ve seen the brand undergo over the years. If I had to think about the first season that we worked together, what we did then is completely conceptually different from what we do now.

“Doma is renowned for its minimalism. Yet, while in the past it focused on the underground scene, now there has been a shift to a more wholesome and natural look thanks to the collaboration with Lotto.”

Of course, a shift in concept obviously means a shift in models and make-up. “This collection is interesting because the designer has cast models as well as rappers, deejays and other people from all walks of life. This was done because he wanted to celebrate individuality.

Make-up pulls together the entire look and adds depth

“When it came to the make-up, we used two different palettes; the boys are wearing next to nothing which is why we used our weightless foundation on them. The colours we used on the girls are peaches, greys and pinks to form dusk colours and we drew a black line right on their eyes. The posy cream blush that we used on their cheeks and noses gave them the really healthy looking effect we were after and further gave the impression of a natural look.”

When it comes to make-up, Magnani states that Doma’s aesthetic has changed over the years. “When we worked together the first time, we went for thatmorning-after-a-night-of-clubbing look; however, the concept has since evolved.”

Prepping the models for the show.

“The first time that I did eye make-up for them I had used an ochre to depict that orange, yellowy tiredness you get around your eyes after a night of clubbing, whereas this time we focused on using a lot more brightness. In addition to this, in the first show that I had worked on we used one black dot on the eyelids. The time after we used two; this time we drew an entire line. While for the first collection we worked with orange and yellows, this timeI used a lot of strobe techniques to create a dewy look.”

While the main focus of Doma’s aesthetic was minimalist, the same cannot be said for Magnani’s work for Fausto Puglisi. “My job remains so exciting and interesting because I’m constantly experimenting with different looks and shaking things up. What I also do is make sketches and lists of all the MAC products I will need for each show I work on.

Fausto Puglisi’s look is all about opulent Miami style so we went with a natural, sun-kissed look. We used biscuit coloured make-up which is both harmonic and minimal and barely any powder. We adapt colours according to the colour charts we are given before the actual show.”

So how important is it to be prepared? “Make-up pulls together the entire look and adds depth to it which means that if you have make-up and hair that doesn’t match with the looks in the show, you let the designer and the show down. Puglisi is hailed by many as the new Gianni Versace. His clothes are very bold and he constantly plays with opulence and colour. He doesn’t just use jewels in his accessories and shoes, but even on the clothes themselves.

“The look we created for him has to fit in with his Roman history inspired pieces and his geometric prints which always incorporate a medley of different colours.”

Ever enthusiastic, Magnani is always bursting with new ideas. “I’m open to experimentation and change. I don’t ever like to just focus on one genre or one kind of look. I always look forward. I think that is the secret to make-up... but also to life.”