THANKS to increased access to international suppliers, there aren't too many products Irish travellers overseas are now asked to bring back home. But as almost anyone who has paid a visit to London in the last few years will know, one cosmetics line which has worldwide appeal still isn't for sale in this country. That's why so many of us, responding to the anguished appeal of friends and relatives, have ventured into the ground floor hall of Harvey Nichols in Knightsbridge and fought through the crowds surrounding the MAC counter.
Ever since it first arrived in London in 1992, MAC has enjoyed phenomenal popularity so much so that last year it had to open a separate outlet on the King's Road. Make up Art Cosmetics, to give the line its full title, is the envy of more long established rivals who wish they could achieve similar sales and still be regarded as unimpeachably hip. That's why the Estee Lauder corporation chose to buy 51 per cent of MAC, as well as 100 per cent of its nearest equivalent, Bobbi Brown Professional Cosmetics.
What's so special about MAC? Unlike most other cosmetic businesses today which tend to be anonymous houses with clinical images, this one was begun by a make up artist, Canadian Frank Toskan. It's the direct association with a make up professional that marks apart the newer cosmetic lines; Bobbi Brown comes from the same industry, as does the Japanese Shu Uemura. There's nothing new about that - after all, the late Max Factor began his career as a make up artist in Hollywood. But the latest generation are different because their own work is believed to give a credibility to the product. Customers know that these cosmetics were originally developed for use by models in fashion shows and shoots, giving them a direct link with the cutting edge of the industry. That's why the younger end of the market particularly prefers to buy the latest names in the cosmetic game rather than more long established brands.
As yet, none of the new international lines are on sale in Ireland, although word is that both Bobbi Brown and MAC are on their way. But now there's a home rival because local make up artist Annie Gribbin has decided to anticipate any competition by launching her own range of products, called Face2. Originally from Omagh, Co Tyrone Gribbin is probably one of Ireland's longest established and most highly regarded professionals. She has seen the future and knows that if she doesn't get into the game now, it may soon be too late.
In any case, for the past eight years, she has held the Irish agency for another international range, the French based Make Up For Ever which she sold first from a shop in Dublin's Westbury Mall and more recently from larger premises on Clarendon Street. Yet another range created by a professional (make up artist Danielle Sanz), Make Up For Ever was discovered by Gribbin when she went to Paris after winning an international competition. Until then, she had worked in a bank; "my father was a bank manager and my parents thought it would settle me down." But instead, she studied beauty therapy at night and developed her skills by making up other people for parties. "I discovered I really loved doing it because my mother would never let me put on any make up when I was a teenager - she nearly killed me once when I tweezered my eyebrows."
Returning to Dublin after spending some time in Paris, "I really did think I was going to take the scene by storm but actually I had to bang on a lot of doors." Developing the business has been a slow process but thanks to the current interest in professional make up lines, it would seem that Annie Gribbin's time has now come. Much of her work is for fashion shows and shoots, music videos and television, but she also has a substantial list of private clients. Many women call for appointments to have their make up regime examined and new elements introduced, while others book to be made up for a specific event. "We get a lot of bridal parties because it's just so important to look right for photographs. We can guarantee that everything will survive the pace." In addition, she runs specialised courses for other interested professionals whenever time allows.
NOW Annie Gribbin has her own products to use for these classes. "It's something I always had a niggling to do put together a range that has no duds in it with colour tones that will last." Her Face2 collection has more in common with Bobbi Brown than MAC; like the former, it's based around natural shades rather than high fashion colouring with an emphasis on earth tones. The intention is that customers should be able to buy basic products that will not rapidly date and then, as they choose, add a handful of items from other ranges according to passing trends. "These are essential basic colours that work for everyone right across the spectrum," says Gribbin whose new range starts at £8.50 for an eyeshadow and rises to £18.50 for make up base. "I'm talking about people looking healthier and natural."
Although the full spectrum of make up products is included in Face2, "I haven't delved into skincare yet. I'm not into a hoard of different things for different skintypes; I think all women want something simple and easy to use.
One piece of advice Gribbin would offer to all her clients is the importance of thorough cleansing before any make up is applied. "Cleaning your skin is absolutely essential. I would often spend 10 minutes doing that with someone first."
Wisely describing herself as "a small punter" in the make up industry, Gribbin is hoping to achieve wider distribution of her new range but realises this is an already crowded market. While their impact on the industry may be substantial, sales of ranges by professional make up artists are still small compared to those achieved by the giants of the industry. Even MAC, undoubtedly the most powerful of the new players, has an annual turnover of £60 million while Estee Lauder's turnover last year was rumoured to be in the region of £200 million. Still, who would blame Gribbin if she imagines a day when visitors to Ireland are being asked by their friends back home to buy up stocks of Face2?