Red rebel

To celebrate the launch here of Brown Bros red wine Cienna which breaks all the rules about red wine – it’s served chilled, is sweet not dry, and is low alcohol – Mecca Cosmetica’s Katie demonstrated how to break the rules with make-up…

To celebrate the launch here of Brown Bros red wine Cienna which breaks all the rules about red wine – it’s served chilled, is sweet not dry, and is low alcohol – Mecca Cosmetica’s Katie demonstrated how to break the rules with make-up at the media launch today.

Cienna is a red wine that doesn’t seem to follow the rules of what red wines should do.

Usually, red wines are served at room temperature but Cienna is chilled.

Usually, red wines are high alcohol but Cienna is only 5%.

Usually, red wines are dry and tannin-tasting, but Cienna has a fruity sweetness and a slightly bubbly to boot.

Why is this? It’s to appeal to consumers who don’t usually drink red wine, namely, young women. Here’s one who does: Katherine Brown.

Brown Bros’ Katherine Brown is the great grand-daughter of the original Brown who set up the winery 125 years ago on the Australian NSW border in a chilly area near ski fields. At the winery cellar door they got a lot of feedback from women saying they don’t like red wine as it’s too heavy and has too much tannin, so Cienna was developed five years ago and has become one of their top-selling reds in Australia and is now available in New Zealand retailing at $15.99.

To complement the theme of "breaking all the rules", Katie, Assistant Manager at Mecca Cosmetica and a freelance make-up artist, showed us how to defy the norms in make-up. Katie created two quick make-up looks with a daytime look going into evening.

Defying the norm of using brushes, Katie started by using an Ellis Faas shadow pen, which she blended with fingers.

Next Katie used NARS Multiple dotted on cheeks and blended and then dabbed on lips "to keep it fresh with a little bit of warmth with colour."

"Stila Smudge Stick is waterproof so it won’t run and it’s an easy way to take your make-up into evening" said Katie. "Because it’s waterproof, you can apply it in the very inner wells of eyes."

She created a smoky eye using an Ellis Faas black pencil. "Using the applicator brush in the centre of the eye, take it up to the crease. It looks very scary in the stages but the end result is amazing."

To finish, she applied Smudge Stick under the lower lashes.

"And now, for the theme of rebellion, the ultimate make-up no-no; a bold lip AND eye! I’ll show you how to do both and rock it." Katie applied Stila Giggle lip enamel which is waterproof so it won’t move or transfer to your glass.

"Don’t be afraid to go out on a limb and try new things!"says Katie.

And that includes red wine that’s chilled, low alcohol and sweet to taste…

Megan Robinson, 23 June 2010.