Rihanna & Kabuki & Gold Confetti, Oh My!

Rihanna.  The girl is bad.  Bad as in good.  Good as in bad.  She's a force to be reckoned with in the music industry but she's also a fashion icon that millions all around the globe look up to.  I personally adore the talent she bestows on the world even when she disregards her manners to stay true to her fantastically controversial self.

Her new music video for "Where Have You Been" has been released and it's been in heavy rotation on my playlist ever since.  What a visually orgasmic experience.  I mean she only changes looks a half dozen times during the 4 minutes she seduces the camera.  Which brings me to the reason for this post.

Cut to 3:17 of the video...



Did you see all that glorious sparkling gold on her face?  I immediately started googling behind the scenes footage to find out anything and everything I could about her makeup and the vision behind it.

A still from Rihanna's "Where Have You Been" music video
and a photo of legendary makeup artist, Kabuki.
Photo: Courtesy of Def Jam Records/Kabuki

Enter Kabuki, Makeup Artist slash Artistic Director of Myface Cosmetics.  His resume is something any aspiring celebrity makeup artist would drool over.  Interestingly enough for me this wasn't the first time I had heard of him.  I actually discovered who he was when I entered the Live Your Fantasy Halloween Makeup Contest on Myface Cosmetics Facebook page last October (2011).  He was the judge and chose the winner of that contest.  Sidenote: My Corpse Bride was a finalist but did not win. BooHoo. In any case, I was excited to find out that he collaborated with Rihanna on this video.

MTV sat down with Kabuki for a chinwag as they called it and got the proverbial scoop here.

Kabuki behind the scenes touching up Rihanna's makeup.
Photo: Courtesy of Kabuki

A still from Rihanna's "Where Have You Been" music video and a sketch by Kabuki.
Photo: Courtesy of Def Jam Records/Kabuki

A still from Rihanna's "Where Have You Been" music video and a sketch by Kabuki.
Photo: Courtesy of Def Jam Records/Kabuki

A still from Rihanna's "Where Have You Been" music video and a sketch by Kabuki.
Photo: Courtesy of Def Jam Records/Kabuki

I am now unabashedly on a mission to recreate that seductive sparkly gold mask!  And perhaps a few of the other looks.  First stop.  Party supply store to look for silver and gold cross confetti.  Wish me luck as I plan to be sequestered in my cakery until the mission is complete.  When I resurface I will reveal what I created in a follow up post :)

Stay tuuuuned....