Pat McGrath

We all need to put a bit of slap on now and again; whether to hide blemishes or to achieve a glam look for a night out. Wearing make up can go from accentuating your best features to utterly transforming you completely. Applying lipstick, powder and paint is a work of art and a profession that make up artists are highly revered for. I remember seeing a book by the iconic Kevyn Aucoin in the early 1990s and being totally floored by his work. The Art of Make Up, featured top notch celebrities in make up and costumes that made them look like other famous bods. You might remember Kevyn from an episode in Sex and the City where he did Carrie's make up for the fashion show that she was in. While Cindy Crawford was the first supermodel and I think it is safe to say that Kevyn was the first super make up artist. Nowadays we have big guns such as Bobbi Brown, Francois Nars, Laura Mercier, Jemima Kidd, Charlotte Tilbury, Ruby Hammer and Charlie Green who dominate the international cosmetics scene but none of them have made as much of a mark as Pat McGrath.

Ms McGrath has been wielding her mascara wand since the mid 1990s and is simply the best in the business. A feature in the Observer Woman dubbed her the world's most-wanted make up artist and others tout her as the most influential beauty artist in the world. A firm presence backstage at all the premier fashion weeks, the Northampton born McGrath is not afraid to experiment with colours and textures. So do not be surprised when you see her using lipstick on the eyes and cheeks and mixing face creams. She got her break after a stint with i-D magazine by over turning the nation's obsession with grunge and going for full on glam with lots of colour thrown in. A tour with the hotter than hot Soul II Soul soon hailed and after that virtually every other music job going. She eventually moved back into fashion and picked up clients such as Jill Sanders, Hussein Chalayan, John Galliano and became renowned for "latex petals stuck to faces, vinyl lips, bodies drenched in powder paint, and stylized Kabuki physiognomies." Pat divides her time between London and New York (where else?) and like other celeb make-up artists, she plans to launch her own cosmetics brand (what else?) which should hit the high street in 18 months time. �Check out the video above and see how great she is.

Observer Woman Monthly

There was a time when The Observer was seen as a paper for fuddy duddies. However with a funky modern look, the paper that only OAPs used to read is now appealing to the young and trendies. A lot of this has a lot to do with the fantastic supplements that are produced and distributed with the Berliner designed paper. As well as colourful sections on travel, sport, money and business, almost every week there is an Observer magazine. It all started back in 2000 when the much acclaimed Observer Sport Monthly ie OSM was launched. Packed with features and interviews, this was a glossy mag that not only looked good but was also a damm good read. Being the sports buff I am, I loved it. OSM was soon followed by Observer Food Monthly, inevitable considering the nation�s new obsession with food, then we had the Observer Music Monthly and last but not least, the Observer Woman Monthly aka OWM. With a staple diet of sex, relationships, style, shopping, health and beauty, OWM made its debut in January 2006 fighting for attention with the likes of YOU, Stella and Style. I will admit that not every issue has hit the mark for me and some have very much been hit and miss. Although OWM contains hard hitting features it lacks the beauty and appeal of supplements such as YOU and co. However, this month�s issue really outclasses itself. Using the theme of coolness, OWM combines the new up and coming faces of Britannia with some pure heavyweights; there is a four page interview with Pop goddess, Katie Grand, a meaty profile on Mary Portas from Mary Queen of Shops, a revealing profile on Biba founder, Barbara Hulanicki as well as a narrative from Julie Burchill telling is about her coolest moment. This is an issue I will certainly treasure and if you missed it, never mind because you can catch it online.