THE golden rule of catwalk make-up is more is more – that is what I am learning as I work backstage at London Fashion Week with the mac team.

Forget subtle layers of foundation with a touch of blush – go full-on with layers of colour.

I have formed part of the team at the Jean-Pierre Braganza show and we are following a look created by mac director of make-up artistry Terry Barber.

With red and gold eyeshadow, bright cherry lips and perfectly arched brows, the face is sculpted, strongly shaded and carefully contoured.

Terry has spent more than half an hour showing us all how to create it with bold cream colour, a complete dusting of powder and then a second layer of colour, this time using powder shadows.

The effect, Terry points out, is “dramatic, but airbrushed. It is all very blended and lifted”.

Events like London Fashion Week provide make-up artists with the opportunity to be imaginative and to create effects which few of us would consider painting on before heading out for an evening.

But, just like the fashions on the catwalk, many of these looks will be softened, adapted and watered down until they hit the shops.

And many of the key rules to these looks are ones we can just as easily apply at home.

Mac senior make-up artist Pablo Rodriguez tells me success depends on getting the basics right.

“First you need to make sure that every bit of make-up is off. You need a completely clean face to start,” he says. “And then you condition the skin. You apply moisturiser, eye cream, lip conditioner, all to ensure the skin is looking fresh.

“Then you apply primer and foundation. Here for shows we use a lot of foundation but you don’t need to use so much. You can use concealer if you have to.”