Picture this woman. She is beautiful but wild, mesmerising, capricious and free. She is an unchallenged queen. She has an electric personality; exudes a magnetic energy which draws you into her bosom. Hers is a powerful, rhythmic stride that stamps on your consciousness. You can't resist her.

Hide if you will, but she would find you. From Charlotteville to Pigeon Point and from Toco to Cedros, one cannot exist in this country without being touched by her presence… and once she touches you, she draws you in.

She is contagious. These days, her voice dominates our airwaves, echoing in the melody of our songs, in the lilt of our Trinbagonian twang.

If you have visited a soca fete, you would have seen her. She is the rag flung high in celebration. She is the girl at the centre of the crowd who has given way to raw abandon, dancing mindlessly, allowing her body to be swayed just by the music, forgetting to even keep time with the beat.

She is the entertainer who can command crowds, moving thousands of people at whim, causing them to ebb and flow, huge rolling human waves rushing to the stage and back. Visit the mas camps, you are bound to find her there. She is in every feather, every piece of fabric that is created for every masquerader. Have you been to the tents? She is there too. Her essence lies in every lyric composed and song played during this season. Flag bearer or pannist, she is in every panyard and this year, she is in the choirs too.

If you have seen none of these, then you are bound to see her on that final Monday and Tuesday when all festivities for this season would climax with one final show put on stage for the world. Who is she there? She would be the woman preparing to cross the stage, barely restrained by the masculine barrier that would attempt to surround her. She is the masquerader who would dance all the way up to the camera screen, gyrating without care and demonstrating a flexibility that cannot be mimicked in a gymnast's classroom. She knows no reserve, no self consciousness. She is infectious, she is free. She has an essence, a sexuality that has escaped definition. She is neither wife nor mother, nurturer nor caregiver, professional nor homemaker… she is woman, she is Carnival. And she's back.

Carnival is the carefree daughter of the people of Trinidad and Tobago, and she returns to her homeland to celebrate with us before we begin the Lenten season each year. Her visits are never boring. When she arrives at the end of the Christmas season, she draws us away from the structure and regulation of our mundane lives to remind us of the freedom that helps to make up the Trinbagonian consciousness. In return for that welcome reminder, the people of our country roll out the red carpet and host the greatest show on earth in her honour, celebrating with her before the world.

Frown on her if you will, but other countries envy what we have — this special relationship with Carnival.

Several other countries, wishing to emulate our pure joy and wild freedom, have attempted to adopt her, but this Carnival is ours and when she is with us, she is like no other. Our forefathers gave birth to her on our streets, during a period in our history when freedom for many was only a dream. As time rolled on, she was nurtured by those same people who were revelling in their new found freedom. She was infected with unadulterated joy and relief and grew with our nation as it moved from slavery to independence on a constant path of development. As each developmental hurdle was crossed, she was there to keep us grounded and to remind us to be free and open and warm and relaxed… to celebrate and to love. She therefore cannot be dismissed as nothing more than a mindless celebration.

Just like the festivities on June 19 are held annually to celebrate the strides made by this country's labour movement, so too is Carnival a celebration of our many victories as a nation. She is as much a product of our struggle and toil as she is a demonstration of our freedom as a nation, and because of this special past that she shares with our country, Carnival could never be the same with any other country as she is with us. Even today, she continues to infect young and old and to tear down racial, cultural, gender and societal constraints.

Carnival is a celebration of the female independence and of the strides that our own country has made in appreciating the rights of women. In this regard, our women embody her essence. From inception, women have represented the predominant images of Carnival. Today, you can see them revelling in the power they wield over their masculine counterparts plastered across advertisements promoting this show around the world.

Tourists come in droves, attracted by the female beauty but drawn by the wildness and freedom they may not be able to appreciate in their own countries. In its celebration of the female form and the strides women have made in shaping our society, Carnival continues to transcend the stereotypes that small pockets of society continue to ascribe to her image. Carnival is beautiful, but she is not porcelain and the slim and elegant beauty represents just one aspect of Carnival. Carnival is also strength, courage and the different elements of the season cannot be confined to one race, body type or social grouping. In essence, Carnival is free and the only thing that regulates her is her vibe, the music, which can move a reveller to jump, chip, wave, and wine to the ground and back up again with an almost childlike abandon. Carnival's dance is a scream of liberation, a female cry that will always pull the men.

Carnival is many things, but an appreciation for her is also subjective. Whatever position you take on this cultural celebration, whether you choose to join in or sit on the sidelines and observe, we can all agree on one thing — the Queen is back and she is in excellent form this year. The drama for 2012 is about to begin. Revlon Directional Make-up looks for Carnival 2012

Revlon enlisted the help of Tribe costume designer and renowned make-up artist Sandra Hordatt to create three directional looks highlighting make-up trends for Carnival 2012. Fireworks were the theme behind this year's dramatic looks.

Inspired by the bright palette of colours available in Revlon's new Colorstay 16 hour Shadow line and the glitzy new shades in Revlon's Colorburst lip glosses and lip butters, Sandra created three looks, each based around a name from each of the products used: Ignite, Bombshell and Alluring Amber.

Each look was designed to complement the dramatic costumes loaned from the Tribe and Bliss 2012 Carnival Presentations Take Me To…

'Creating the looks using Revlon's Colorstay line ensures that our models' make-up will last through hot sun and sweat.' commented Dianne Mongru, Revlon Trinidad's resident make-up artist, 'Revlon's new Colorstay 16 hour shadow is designed to not crease, fade or smudge so it looks freshly applied all day'.

Alluring Amber

Ana Rosa Banfield in the rich orange costume 'Santorini' from Tribe wears Colorstay Liquid foundation in Toast, Colorstay 16hr powder in Medium Deep. Sandra dusted her cheeks with Colorstay Finishing powder in Sunkiss for a bronzed finish and brushed her lips with Colorburst Lip butter in Tutti Fruitti for a final touch. Ana Rosa's dramatic right eye was created using new Colorstay 16hr shadow in Bombshell, Inspired and Delightful. Sandra used Revlon Matte lipstick in Really Red as a base on the eye to create a fiery effect. Her left eye was given a smokey finish using Colorstay 16hr shadow in Addictive. Eyes were finished with Colorstay Eyeliner Black, false lashes were added and given a coat of Grow Luscious plumping Mascara in Blackest Black; amber crystals were added to her right eye for dramatic effect. Her nails were polished with Revlon Core nail enamel in Alluring Amber.

Ignite

Kristen Chin Cheong in the bold red costume 'Ibiza' from Tribe wears Colorstay liquid foundation in Natural Tan, Colorstay 16hr pressed powder in Medium and Revlon powder blush in Tender Plum.

Sandra used Revlon Beyond Natural Creme shadow in Plum Berry and Colorstay 16hr shadow in Brazen to base the eye before applying a layer of red glitter on the lid. She finished the look using Revlon Colorstay gel liner in Black and Colorstay Liquid Eye Pen in Blackest Black to create the bold lines and finished with red crystals and false lashes coated in Revlon Fabulash mascara Black. Kristen's lips were brushed with Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Candy Apple and Colorburst Lipgloss in Ignite

Bombshell

Cristiane Steel in Bliss's colorful 'Tahiti' costume wears Revlon Colorstay liquid foundation in True Beige. Colorstay 16hr pressed powder in Medium and Colorstay Mineral Finishing Powder in Sunkiss. Sandra used Colorstay 16hr shadow in Bombshell, Seductive, Brazen and Inspired as well as Revlon's crème Matte lipstick in Really Red to create the three-tone effect on Christiane's eyes. Crystals in varying sizes were added for dramatic effect and her eyes were finished with Revlon Colorstay Liquid Liner in Blackest Black and false lashes topped with Revlon Double Twist Mascara in Black. Christiane wore Revlon Colorburst lipgloss in Decadent on her lips.

The shadows on all three models were applied wet to increase the intensity of the colour. For more detailed information on how to achieve these looks visit www.facebook.com/revlon.cosmetics.trinidad