Life update

Hey guys! The other week I finished my make-up course which now accredits me as a fully qualified hair and make-up artist! (very exciting). It was an intense course but I'm so glad I did it as personally helped me really round of the skills I taught myself. I trained at MINK London which is an amazing make-up school and agency. There was so much variety in what was taught, from African bridal and airbrush make-up to special effects and make up for TV and Film. I honestly don't think there is anything we weren't shown. 

I really thought long before actually committing to the course as I know of a few make-up artists who have made it without any official training. I figured in the end it would only help not hinder to combine my self taught skills with training to show me things I probably would take to longer to find out if I taught myself, some clients also tend to feel more relaxed if you have some kind of qualification. That is not to say being a 'qualified make-up-artist' puts me above a self taught make-up artist as you can only be taught to a certain extent, and it is really down to creativity and initiative to further perfect the skill and create a success of yourself. I'm currently working on that as we speak, always looking for ways to put myself out there and doing little jobs here and there to build up my portfolio. 

I recently worked on set of an indie film doing hair and make-up. The whole thrill of the day confirmed that this is really what I want to do in life, the 5 am start, the constant back and for between locations, rushed off my feet, creative input and endless nose powdering didn't put me off one bit. It was an amazing experience and I cant wait for more.

Here is a recent shot from my portfolio....

Mwah xo

P.s. Photographers.... Holla at me :)

GIMMI BROW

So the newest product to be launched from Benefit Cosmetics line is finally here... and it's amazing!
'Gimmi brow' is a brush on gel that leaves natural looking fibres on the skin and hair for fuller filled out brows. The brush allows for precision and shaping. You can go for a natural look with this product and also for a full on intense brow by building. It lasts all day and keeps your brows in place and is also (Thank God) water resistant. I literally love this stuff. It comes in two shades, light/medium and medium/dark, having used all of Benefits brow products I find this one the easiest and most natural looking. It also works well with 'Browzings'. Don't get it mistaken for 'Speed brow' which is a translucent brow gel purely for setting the brow hairs whereas 'Gimmi brow' also applies colour.

But.. seeing as I'm giving an honest review I feel is should also tell you guys what I found to be the negatives (There are hardly any). If you have quite thick jet black eyebrows this product may not be for you and I would recommend 'Speed brow' instead because 'Gimmi brow' is so pigmented it comes out an ashy colour on jet black as the darkest shade is a dark brown. One other thing that isn't entirely a negative is that the brush holds a lot of the gel on it so it can get messy if you don't realise this. I recommend practising in the mirror a few times to get your desired look or even going to any benefit counter and asking them for a make up lesson in how to apply it once you've bought it. They would be more than happy to help.

Here is a before and after I did on a client.

 

 

Mwah xo

Pow lips!

Okay, so I heard about this Clip Lipnicure stuff through tumblr on Julie begins Blog. Julie Begin is an international makeup artist who is also a key inspiration for a lot of my ideas. I love her boldness and experimental use of colour. Here is some of her work ...

Anyway, back to the lip stuff, so I had to order it to try it out because I was really looking for a lip stain that had a killer pigment considering I have quite dark lips. This stuff is genuinely amazing. I ordered the Guilty pink colour as a safe option not knowing if it would look to bright against my skin. So it came within 2 weeks of me ordering it and along with it I got some cc cream and two interesting paper masks which are actually quite nice (weird but nice). It comes in a cute little lop with an applicator top. The colour is AHHMMAAZZEEE... I was literally so shocked by how bright and well it coloured the lips. It is also non transferable and has a super matte finish so lasts literally over 7-10 hours (roughly timed). Iv'e been wearing it daily and have discovered cute different ways to wear it. by dabbing a small amount in the middle of your lips and blending it out gives a sultry look. If you line your lips with a darker colour and put the lipnicure after it gives a diva-licious pout. and obviously on it own it gives an awesome pop of colour.

Here is is on me... (apologies for the quality...)

This was using the lip liner method :)

Here are all the colours they do

Go grab yourself one :)

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

Makeup Show Live

Wow, so I've been back at Uni two weeks and things have been mad. Uni work, job work, re-Freshers, catching up with people... I've literally had zero time to myself (blogging time).

Tonight I locked myself in my room, incense burning, lights out, hair up and ready to get my blog on. Its been a while!

SO... The Make-up Show Live was amazing! The whole day was packed full with seminars, master classes and performances. I felt so lucky to be a part of it. I met the one and only AJ Crimson! The happiness was so real haha. He is such a sassy man and his makeup is actually amazing. I purchased some of the creme foundation in a colour 7 and colour 5 (he colour matched me!!!) and I wear it all the time, its so light but has an amazing coverage and just feels lovely on your skin. In a range of colours for all skin colours :)

Here is the man himself applying the creme foundation.

Buy yours now http://ajcrimson.myshopify.com/

I went with my bestie Lauren (check out her blog http://vividwinter.wordpress.com)

Getting ready was manic, we ended up waking up later than expected and then had to get to the place in time despite tube closures. Being rushed when your trying to look your best is hard, that's all I'm saying. After lots of panicking, hair doing, make-up applying and plenty of borrowing and swaping we finally got ourselves there on time.

http://vividwinter.wordpress.com

I met some awesome people on the day, and most importantly bought some make-up from new brands. My favourite new find was definitely Flori Roberts Cream to powder foundation. I actually love this stuff. They matched me from my Mac studio fix shade and found the exact match for my skin., I find it a cheaper but just as effective alternative to my stuido fix and seeing as my studio fix has ran out I bought it at a perfect time. 

http://www.floriroberts.com/creamtopowderfoundation.html

AJ Crimson did a really inspiring talk on the day which really gave me that extra push in pursuing this dream, his journey wasn't easy, and in life if you want something bad you put up with the lows to get to where you want to be :) If you didn't come this year make sure you make it to next years event as it really is worth every penny and was is such a fun experience.

mwah xo

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

Top 5! (Current)

Okay so if you ask me my favourite make-up products every month it would be different eveytime as I love to switch it up and try new things. There a few things though that would come up every time but on the whole I always tend to find new things that become my favourite till the next best thing comes along :D

Ill start with Studio Fix from MAC as that is a recurring favourite. Ever since I started using this about 4 years ago, its been a staple in my make-up bag. The thing I love about this particular product is that you have full control over the coverage. MAC on the whole is quite full coverage but because this is essentially a powder foundation, if you apply it with a brush you can create the most subtle coverage or really build it up to its full potential with flawless results every time. I also love it when products have SPF in them because its just extra protection and that never a bad thing! All MAC products have SPF 15 in them! I literally can't fault this product, it never makes me feel to made up either, as its not thick and there are sooo many shades to choose form that everyone can get a perfect match.

THIS! is amazing! I was introduced to this a while back and feel like I really need to share the greatness off this product. Porefessional is a Primer from Benefit, it is the UK's number 1 best selling primer and this is why... Most primers I feel either give your skin a slightly ashy look, or a rubbery feel. I am yet to find a primer that compares with this. As your applying it you can see the visible difference as it reduces the size of pores, and smooths over any lines preparing your face for a layer of foundation or powder, ALTHOUGH you can use this product on its own for daily use as I do, the product applies in a very silky way and doesn't dry out your skin, so for a more evened out complexion without looking made up I use this and that's why I love it! its like a two in one. Amazing primer that also acts like a toner. and I just loove the feel of it on my skin :)

Helen E Blemish concealers are awesome! I find that they are a perfect texture to really brighten up under your eyes without looking cakey and they cover up well without adding too much layering to your face. They are light but effective in other words. I use the darkest shade, but can get away with the medium shade because of how well they blend. When I'm doing a dramatic eye make-up look and really want to highlight my brow bone I tend to use the medium one. The yellowish coloured one is for white skin and works just as well giving a healthy illuminated look. I love this, and the price makes it soo much more appealing at only £10 (pop into a store and you can grab one for £5!)

E.l.f really surprised me with their false lashes. I bought them as an experiment. I wasn't expecting too much from them but was extremely pleasantly surprised. I genuinely have converted to these. I don't buy my falsies from anywhere else now. They have three different types from natural to dramatic and they come with a half lash on top of the full one to add extra definition if need. I couldn't fin a picture of the exact one I have but its basically the same but in black packaging with an extra half piece. The glue is really good as well, it is quick to set and clear, the spine of the lashes are also very flexible so its really to apply and get right into the corners. It also come with tweezers! Love them :)

Urban Decays Naked 2 Palette is just simple amazing. Every time I open it up I feel like a kid in a candy store with the colours. They are most definitely the best pigmented eye shadows I own. A bonus to this is also that it comes with a double sided brush, (I'm not talking like some crappy plastic bush) you get a professional eye-shadow/contouring brush that comes in really handy. My favourite colours are Half baked, Busted, Verve and Blackout. I find those colours combined also create a very sexy smoky eye for a night look (my fave kinda eye make-up). The eye-shadows don't crease and are incredibly long lasting, especially if your using primer underneath. They don't fall all over your face when your applying it either. I'm in love with Urban Decay eye shadows and I just love all the colours, all so feminine and pretty, and also very much worth the price.

So they are my top 5 for now! Ill be doing one of these every few weeks so keep and eye out! I highly recommended all these, I'm sure you wont be disappointed :D

Mwah xo