Mister make-up

WHEN John Gustafson recommends a new beauty product, it's worth taking notice. The cosmetics expert from BBC2's Looking Good series vigorously tests every new product on the market.Based in a private studio at Fenwick in London, the colourful American with a weakness for garish clothes has a team of men and women who test new items - but not before John has tried them himself.

"I need to know what the texture is like, what it feels like and what it's like to use," says John, who has established himself as the premier independent cosmetics consultant in Britain.

Such is his reputation that Marks & Spencer hired him to help produce a new range of colour cosmetics, Perfect, due out next month.

And Evening Press readers can sample some of this expertise at first hand by attending a beauty event John will be hosting at Fenwick in York next Tuesday. John will be doing two makeovers: a daytime and an evening look, and answering questions from the audience.

Best known for his role as the cosmetics boffin on the fashion and beauty series Looking Good, which is scheduled for a fifth series next year, John also works as a private consultant to clients in London.

His high-flying career is a long way from his days as a piano player, entertaining diners in restaurants back home in Minneapolis.

He fell into the cosmetics world after a day job helping models prepare for the catwalk and photo-shoots led to him doing the odd makeover. Soon he secured a job as a makeup consultant, which brought him to Britain 12 years ago.

His big break came when his employers, cosmetics firm Prescriptives, sponsored a Women's Journal fashion show and John was asked to do the models' makeup.

"I had 18 girls and just three assistants, but we did it. Pretty soon I was doing Jasper Conran and Vivienne Westwood shows and all the collection work," he says.

It was at this point he spotted a gap in the market: a tailor-made beauty service, matching individuals with the cosmetic products that would work for them.

He and his wife Stacy set up their own studio and persuaded cosmetics companies to release their training information to them, then began road testing new products.

So his research best places him to answer that perennial question: are expensive products the best? "I do think you get what you pay for, but you don't have to pay for everything," says John.

"If you have a well-conditioned skin and use a Nivea cleanser and toner and are really happy with that but have a crpy neck and it's something you really dislike, you could go to Boots and buy a standard neck cream for about £12. I'm not saying it's not going to work but you are going to have to use it for a long time before you see results. Or you could buy three creams priced at £10, £15 or £19 pounds, say, and if none of them work then it is a waste of money.

"Or you could spend £69 on Kanebo neck and throat lifting effect throat and bust and you would see results in two weeks. At least that would be money well spent as it was actually doing something."

The good news is once that product has done the trick you can switch to a less expensive cream for 'maintenance'.

Indeed, John says it's wrong to use the same products day in, day out, for years.

"Your skin will change from season to season and during different times of the month," he explains.

However, he also warns against using products you don't need, such as anti-ageing creams if a good moisturiser will suffice.

"Your skin is very intelligent, but lazy," he says. "If you use a product you don't need, you will be doing something with the product that the skin is perfectly able to do itself."

As for working in a woman's world, John relishes it. "I've always had much more in common with women than men. I don't like sports, but do like clothes: it's the whole role reversal thing."

One thing he doesn't savour so much is becoming a well-known face. Recently on a family outing to McDonalds with Stacy and their sons Copper, eight and Rowan, six, they were surrounded by a group of girls asking for autographs. And it can spoil what he loves to do best: snooping around the cosmetic aisle. "It makes it more difficult to go to the beauty section at Boots. People stop me and say 'You're that make-up guy off the TV - what lipstick should I buy?'"

u John Gustafson will be hosting a beauty event at Fenwick, Coppergate, York, on Tuesday, October 3 from 6.30-9pm. The ticket price of £5 is redeemable against purchases on the night and include canaps, champagne and entry into a free prize draw. They are available from Fenwick's cosmetics department.