Founded in 2010, Murrell’s line of naturally-biased lipsticks has grown to include over twenty shades from naturals to brights, and sells across the globe.

Here, Murrell exclusively shares the global colour preferences for three of her key territories.

• Top shade in Australia: Coral Dawn, a tangerine orange shade that’s been dubbed ‘the new red’. “Coral Dawn is the number one seller in Australia as Australians tend to love a statement colour which is fun, bright and summery,” says Murrell. “It looks fabulous on tanned skin.”

• Top shade in China: Poppy Passion, a passionate pink with hints of red. “This number one seller in China surprised me,” admits Murrell. “Chinese women seem to have fallen in love with its vivacious fresh pop of colour which looks amazing on porcelain skin tones. It is also becoming quickly a best seller in all markets as well.”

• Top shade in New Zealand: Violet Mousse, a natural shade with a subtle depth of colour. “Violet Mousse is the number one seller in New Zealand as it is a failsafe colour that enhances kiwi woman’s effortless natural beauty,” says Murrell. “It doesn’t scream ‘look at me’!”

• Newest shade: Sugar Rush, a bright candy pink.

This year’s Marr Factory kicked off at Auckland’s Golden Dawn last night, with a showing of Karen Walker’s spring/summer 2014 collection. MiNDFOOD went backstage to get the lowdown on the hair and make-up created.

HAIR
“The Karen Walker girl is really natural and not to done,” says Jason Chong Li, part of the Stephen Marr team who created the hair for the show led by Tommy Stayton. “We’ve done a low ponytail that almost looks like the girls have done it themselves, but we folded half of it under. For those with naturally wavy texture, we put the hair straight into the ponytail, but for the girls with straight hair we sprayed some of O&M’s Surf Bomb in first and blow dried it before putting it up.”
Key product: Original&Mineral Surf Bomb

MAKE-UP
“We referenced the make-up for Karen’s New York show, and created a streamlined graphic liner to look almost triangular,” says Kiekie Stanners, national artist for M.A.C Cosmetics New Zealand. “The skin was kept relaxed with a nice matte canvas and soft peachy cheeks, and we pressed the lipstick in to look like a tint.”
Key M.A.C products: Black Track liner, So Chaud lipstick, Extended Play Lash mascara

All photography by Olivia Hemus