Kevyn Aucoin at Space NK.

Sometimes, when I get bored or can't sleep, I go to sites like Selfridge's or Space NK and make fantasy wishlists of products I adore. I've often looked at Kevyn Aucoin make-up on various US sites and wished with all my heart it was available over here. Happily, it is now available at Space NK, hurrah!

Aucoin was what you might say, the first celebrity make-up artist. I mean that he was a celeb in his own right and paved the way for other make-up artists such as Bobbi Brown and Laura Mercier to launch their own brands of make-up. He did work with many, many famous women such as Nicole Kidman and Cher but they were just one page in his career.

When he was a child, he became fascinated with make-up and would often do his sister's face and ake a polaroid of each look. Living in the South was hard on him and embarrassed to buy make-up, he'd steal it. Eventually, he took off to New York where he started off working for free until he was 'discovered' by American Vogue and from there he flew. he was head-hunted by Revlon and Shisedo where he was creative director for one of their diffusion brands. He eventually launched his own brand where he had total freedom to create cosmetics and tools that everyone could pick up and use.

He died in 2002, after being diagnosed with a tumour on his pituitary gland in 2001. His books are still available and are well worth buying or borrowing regardless of being a pro or make-up lover.

Lisa Eldridge has more on Aucoin on her blog here.

Out of the entire collection available at Space NK, I really want the Best of... Eyes Kit. It contains, amongst other things, the legendary eyelash curlers. They are the best curlers you could buy, even more than the Shu Uemura curlers. For that alone, I'll happily part with my money.

Kevyn Aucoin's site.