The Set Of Nadine Lustre's Makeup Shoot Will Amaze You
An interior designer gives us the behind-the-scenes details on how she created the set design for the actress
Production design is an oft-misunderstood field. Many think you put up a plywood backdrop, and you've got a set. What many do not know is that production design for film, print, or TV commercials is quite a gruelling job, with challenging settings to create (or replicate), often done off-site or in difficult locations, and in an incredibly short period of time.
Such was the case of the production design job that was presented to interior designer (and one of Real Living's 25 Creatives To Watch in 2016) Mara Manalo (above). It was a job she couldn't turn down, because the client in question was actress Nadine Lustre, and the ad was for her new makeup line called Lustrous.
Mara has had her own share of celeb design jobs, as she has created sets for Nico Bolzico, and even whipped up an entire working kitchen set in one week for Erwan Heussaff's TLC cooking show Food Fix.
READ: This Young Designer Does Restos, Videos, Photo Shoots, and More
Nadine's collab with popular Australian beauty brand BYS is a line of affordable, shimmery, Pinay-skin-friendly makeup, which includes eyeshadow palettes, eyeliners, and lip stains. Mara relates that the design brief (which apparently, the actress requested herself!) needed two concepts for the photo shoot by Mark Nicdao: "First was 'bare and sunkissed at a white beach,' second was 'Modern Frida Kahlo,'" the designer says. "When we finalized the deck and I found out na 'Frida Kahlo' ako na ang nag-suggest na mag-add ng rugs, chair, etc."
In the final photo of the "Modern Frida Kahlo" set, Nadine is styled in the iconic Mexican artist's hairstyle and exotic dress. The mottled gold and green backdrop echoes the gold and green shades of her eye makeup.
Mara used skimcoat plus latex and spray paint for the highly textured, abstract-painting-like wall. "Galing din ng mga pintor," the designer shares. "Ako na mismo ang gumawa nung texture with skimcoat, but more of sila ang nakaisip kung paano ma-achieve na close sa reference ang colors."Â
The beach set (above) was much easier, but it wasn't without its challenges as well. The designer admits a secret props trick on the caption of her Instagram post: "1-day prep for @lustrousph [sun emoticon] When Nadine herself forms the PD deck, you make it happen. Even if it includes turning your bamboo fence into a raft."
Lustrous will be available in stores on April 15.
