MINK Make-up artist of the year

Soooo I entered the This is MINK's Make-up artist of the year competition the other week. It was an amazing experience, and I'm so glad I did it as I went away having learnt something which for me if the best thing you can take away from any experience in life. Unfortunately I didn't win :( but I came runner up so for me that was still pretty huge. The theme of the look we had an hour to create was Colour Blocking and Solid Neons. Because of where I live I never actually got a chance to practice on my beautiful model until the day but I had a clear idea of what I planned to do as Iv'e worked on her before and I had tried everything on myself as well just to be as prepared as I could with the circumstances.

I started off making mood boards and collecting tear sheets to help me visualise the look I was creating. The trials that I did on my face were all pretty 'safe' and had 'no depth' in other people opinions so it was my primary aim to create depth and more of an interesting look. I really switched up the look and went crazy with colour to follow advice I had been given and so I really felt a sense of personal achievement with my final look compared to what I had started off with, It was slightly a jab when one of my comments from the judges was that it was a bit too safe but at least it was something I know I'm still in the process of working on. I think my downfall in my execution is that I was focusing too much of flawless rather than wacky which is evidently what they wanted from us. Another down point is that I ran out of time and didn't have time to apply false lashes, which is another suggestion one of the judges recommended to improve the look.

Nevertheless I really enjoyed the experience and here is my finished look. As is only human, the more I look at it, the more I pick at it so now it's looks like a Picasso painting in my eyes #SelfCritisism

Mwah xo

Illamasqua highlighter brush of life!

Hey Guuyyyss!

So I may have found the best make-up brush ever! I was having my make-up done at Illamasqua in Oxford Streets Selfridges and the beautiful woman doing my make-up was using what looked like a mini blush brush to apply my foundation. I thought it was odd but didn't really comment as she clearly knew what she was doing. When she showed me the mirror I was genuinely amazed... not so much at the foundation but at the finish. I personally remember thinking the colour wasn't a perfect match for me but the brush had literally given an airbrushed finish. The finish was as if it had been applied with an airbrush machine, it was as if she had buffed the product into my skin rather than layer it on top. I asked the lady about the brush and she said it was theyr most popular brush because it does absolutely everything. I actually went away with a sample of the foundation to try it out and every time I haven't managed to get it looking as good so went back to the Illamasqua in Meadowhall in Sheffield and was enquiring about a concealer which she also put on with the same brush and same results, loose powder, blusher, highlighter, eye-shadow ALL WITH THIS BRUSH!

I literally cant explain how perfect it was for each individual use it was put to. Iv'e now been able to use the brush to apply a full make-up look on someone and can honestly say it blows almost half the brushes I already own out the water. (I say most because there are things you obviously can't do with a fluffy brush, e.g. eye liner). I love love love this brush and recommend every make-up artist owns at least 4-5 of these gems. In terms of practicality I wouldn't recommend only using this brush or you'll have a worn out brush pretty soon from all the cleaning in-between colours. I would definitely say I prefer to use this brush to a flat foundation brush and the size of it make it easer and more precise than a medium sized stippling brush. The brush is made from synthetic fibres which will mean they don't soak up any of the product and usually last longer without shedding.

..It was love at first stroke, best believe I will be saturating my kit with these brushes!

Thanks for reading

Mwah xo

Stay beautiful!

Just some of my thoughts expressed through poetry :)

Beauty starts from within.

It grows in entangled vines 

and wraps itself around the soul; adorning the piece with its beauty.

It grows leaves which find their way through the pores of the skin and miraculously rip through the imperfections and insecurities.

The beautiful marks it leaves, scar the skin with unchangeable battle wounds; wounds that a warrior would be proud to bare.

The beauty in beautiful is the perfection of the imperfections.

The more we try to hide the wounds we acquire whilst our inner beauty is finding its way to the surface; the quicker the leaves die and leave us empty.

Love yourself and allow the growth within you.

Don't go looking for beauty as beauty is already finding it's way to you from within...

Stay beautiful x

Mwah xo

Mixology!

Okay so this post is all about how to mix products to make even more amazing products. Sometimes meaning you don't have to get a different product all together. There are some make up products I see and I'm just like... really? I could make that by mixing something I already have so here it goes...

Radiant foundation?

It's not everyday matte make up. Especially in this lovely weather, radiance is also a very sexy look to go for and this is how to achieve it without going out and buying a 'radiant foundation'.

Your fave foundation


        +

Your highlighter

















This works so well and really gives your foundation a radiant glow. I recommend liquid highlighters as they blend easier with the foundation. Just a pea sized amount mixed into however much foundation you would usually use and Voila! :)


Metallic lipstick?

Metallics are sooo in this season! From clothes and shoes, to make up. Precious metals are the way forwards. So here is the magic formula

A moisturising lipstick


+

A shimmery eyeshadow








I'm sure we all have both of these in our make up bags. I highly recommend benefits Creaseless eye-shadow as the colours are so gorgeous and metallic and super long lasting which would hold your lipstick longer as well. Using a lip brush (or your fingers) blend the two and apply for a glam pout!


So these two are the ones I use/love the most. Hope you guys try it out and love it!
Until next time :)

Mwah xo

It's been a loooong time.

Hey! so I apologise for being away for sooo long and never actually getting round to posting my Halloween pictures (ill post them after this blog post) . I let thing get waayy on top of me and I went into shut down mode but Uni and work all in check now I have time to blog agin! Wooo :)
It actually warmed my heart when someone came upto me and asked why I'd stopped blogging, I assumed no one would notice my absence but I now realise that I cant really think that sooo I'm back :)
Okay catch up...

So I'm even more obsessed with skincare than ever! Because its winter and the cold is sooo harsh on your skin its really important to keep on top of your skincare game. For moisture I highly reccomend the Vitamin E range from Body shop, they have face wash, cleanser, toner, serums and so much more. The serum and the Intense moisture cream are my absolute faves! Bobby brown extra repair moisturiser (which is also a primer OMG!) is my absolute saviour! Perfect for dry skin sufferers who don't want a primer that will dry out your skin, yes its expensive but it does last and does its job perfectly. You get what you paid for.

Around your eyes is such a delicate area so make sure you take extra care of that area. Bobby brown hydrating eye cream is perfect for combating dryness, dark circles, puffiness and any other eye related issue you might want to eliminate. Its not harsh at all therefore no stinging which is what I find with a lot of eye creams. Love it.

Lips! So I've recently become obsessed with lipstick and a key thing to having popping lips is to have well conditioned soft plump lips. Your lips can get dry easily especially with harsh weather. And believe it or not I have found a cure that actually beats good old Vaseline, YSL Top secrets plumping lip balm is the answer! The smoothing lip balm instantly fills in any cracks in your lips whilst restoring plumpness and moisture. It has a lovely feel on your lips and a tiny amount goes a long way. It works as a lip primer as it slightly evens out your lip colour as well, I love this stuff. Don't get me wrong I will always swear by Vaseline but when it comes to intense lip treatment you can use when you feel your lips getting very dry or even for everyday use this is the product.

Last but not least cold weather obviously causes dryness which causes flakiness which means you have to really get rid of the dead skin to keep your skin fresh, you have to make sure you use a face scrub that is gentle on your skin and wont leave it even more dried out than before. Benefit Refined Finish Facial polish is the perfect face scrub. The grains are all perfectly formed with no sharp edges so its gentle on your skin, the ingredients are hypo allergenic so your very unlikely to break out and it leaves your skin feeling fresh and healthy. Make sure whenever you scrub your face to lather your face in moisturiser afterwards because after any type of face scrub you need to restore moisture levels considering your taking away dead skin.

Really hope this helps

Mwah xo

AJ Crimson BB+D cream

I recently ordered the AJ Crimson bb + d cream for only $10!!! (plus shipping costs which still only came to £18). AJ crimson make-up is company in the US that do make-up for all skin types. I've heard a lot about it and from the reviews felt it was really time I ordered some for myself. I actually am in love! Its always been impossible to find a bb cream for darker skin tones so when I heard about this i felt it was a requirement for me to buy, use and review! Honestly... I love it! its super light weight (as a bb cream should be) but has a really nice coverage. Easy application and blends very well. The only thing I found slightly annoying is that because I had to colour match myself over the computer screen I did end up getting a shade very sightly darker than I would normally go for. The blending qualities means I can still work it and it looks fine but WHEN I order my next one I'll probably go for a shade lighter. Other than that I have no complaints, good price, good name, good quality.

Here is how it looks one me (excuse the posing)

And here is where you can order yourself one! (Hurry its a limited time only sale!)
Click here to buy the bb+d cream!

P.s I will be meeting the man himself at The Make-up Show Live on October 6th in London. Excited is an understatement! :D

Mwah xo

25 things you probably didnt know about me

Okay so I see quite a few bloggers with '25 things about me..' etc. and  always feel its a nice touch as it helps readers get to know the person behind the blog so I decided to do one :D

1. I giggle after almost everything I say
2. I have a serious fear of saliva..
3. I have size 8 feet
4. I have a huge girl crush of Ciara
5. I'm a Geordie lass (Arguably a Mackem) but no longer have the accent :(
6. I'm 5 foot 6, average kinda height
7. I looove to cook
8. My favourite hobby is probably shopping...
9.  I feel lonely very easily
10. I have a little cry to myself every time I walk past MAC <3
11. 'Lets stay together' is one of my favourite TV shows
12. I get slightly obsessed with investigating crimes that fascinate me
13. I love to write and make short stories
14. I love to draw even though I'm hopeless at drawing
15. Making films is kinda my thing
16. My dream in life is to become a successful freelance make-up artist worldwide :D
17. I live in dream land
18. I'm very impatient
19. My favourite film is Silence of the Lambs
20. My favourite movie is White Chicks and Mean Girls
21. I am absolutely infatuated with Tigers
22. 2 Chainz is my idol....
23. I enjoy buying people presents... like way too much
24. I fall asleep anywhere, its quite a problem actually
25. Im a selfie queen...

Make-up show live!

Guyyss! this is so exctiting. The Makeup show live is on October 6th at the Hilton Metropole in London. Buy your tickets and come down, the day will be amazing, with seminars from top make-up artists, workshops and goodies! Its also a great opportunity for networking. Ill be helping out so will be taking lots of pics for the blog for those who cant make it, I can guarantee you wont be disappointed, ticket information is here... --->  http://makeupshowlive.com/tickets/ (student tickets available)

P.s. AJ cromson will be at the event! Words cant explain my excitement, if you havn't heard of him check him out on YouTube. He is like a makeup God! http://www.youtube.com/user/askajcrimson

Mwah xo

One dimensional face!

So during a phone conversation with my girl Lauren (http://vividwinter.wordpress.com/ - check out her blog its amaazzee!) the phrase 'One dimensional face' popped up. After lots of confusion and giggling we decided that the term is actually very real in some cases.

Okay so the definition below wasn't extracted from Oxford dictionary but I feel like it should be in there. Don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with people who like simple make-up and don't layer up! The issue I have is when people who intend to make there faces up only use one dimensional make-up, i.e a layer of foundation... and that is all. Make up is supposed to accentuate what you already have so by masking your face with foundation and leaving it at that you are really not doing your make-up or your face any justice. The key thing to remember is that foundation is just an element of make-up  not make-up itself. Even just applying blusher will create a dimension, by highlighting your cheeks your are bringing out your cheekbones and creating angles in your face. Eye-shadow application can create another dimension by contouring the crease and making your eyes pop. My favourite way of creating dimensions to your face is by contouring. contouring is simple and looks natural (if done correctly), but makes such a difference to you make-up  I believe contouring is what differentiates a plain natural look to an edgy natural look. Contouring the eyes, the cheeks and the nose will really sculpt your face and you can control how dark you want your contour colour to be or how bright you want the highlighter to be dependent on how made up you want to look. I feel like contouring should be in everybody's life as it is simple, emphasises and flatters. If darker contouring really isn't for you or you don't feel comfortable appyling it, try doing the reverse and really highlight areas you want to stand out, i.e your brow bone, the apple of your cheeks and just under your nose. This will not change anything about your face but will affect the way light hits your face giving a structured and flattering glow to your face. Hope this helps guys. Keep contouring <3 

On·e Dimens·ional Fa·ce  

/One dymenshional fayce/

Exclamation When make-up is worn in a one dimensional form. i.e. no contouring, blusher or bronzer, no angles are created in most cases giving a flat and non flattering look. 'But your face... its so 'One dimensional!'

Synonyms flat, simple Mwah xo

Natural Vs Made up

 So i got bored and made up half my face. Creativity meets boredom i guess lol. I started off doing my eye then thought id just do exactly half my face and compare the difference. I was glad to see the difference wasn't crazy dramatic as this is a look i could do for the day and was very simple. Firstly i used the prep and prime balm that i mentioned in my previous post as a primer on my eyes to really bring out the colour of the shadow. I used this eye shadow palette to create a smoky effect using the dark green as the crease colour, the black at the outer corners, the pale pink in the corner and the light green under my eyes. I then lined under my eye with a green eyeliner from Helen E lined my waterline with the elf kohl pencil.

 I used Mac studio finish concealer under my eyes and on my brow bone, which i then highlighted with bronzer (Helen E - Diva). I used a tiny amount of no 7 liquid foundation around the rest or my face. I used a dark powder lightly under my cheekbones and a lighter powder under my eyes to set the concealer. i then dusted Mac studio fix all around my face and added a brush of Mac's raisin blush under my cheekbones and around the sides of my face. A thick application of eyeliner and lashings of mascara and the look was complete!

Underneath i have shown where i have highlighted (Orange lines) and where i have contoured (Blue lines).

Hope this helps

Mwah xo

Progress

Just a little update on my portfolio building, its actually going really well! I've cornered most of my friends to try different looks, some have tuned out well and others... well lets call them abstract LOL! I love doing it, i feel so comfortable and at the moment I'm trying lots of different styles and looks to really see what my limits are and what i need to improve on. I'm applying for lot of opportunities that i see to just widen my experience and hopefully one of these days ill hear back! :D I will be doing a video in the near future showing my makeup routine for anyone who wants to actually see me doing makeup. When i get a better camera that will be up. Now that I've done a lot of looks of my friends I'm trying to see if any photographers are interested in working with me for me to create a look and they capture it in their own way so we both have work for our portfolios, I've heard this is a really good way to start out so ill let you guys know how that goes.

OMG... I spent a large amount of money on items to build my kit today, I splurged on Urban decay, Elf and my beloved ebay of course, I got a few essentials and more brushes. I know its a risk but I feel that to gain any success in life you have to take risks, and to get to where I aim to be I am willing to take risks as I have faith in my talent. Never give up on your dreams.