Make up

If your off on holiday this month, it’s important to prepare your skin before your flight, look after it during and rejuvenate afterwards. For the easy way to do all this, follow my 6 simple make up artist tips for beautiful skin and long lasting flawless make up during and after your flight:

1. Use a face mask the day before as air travel sucks moisture out of your skin
2. On the day, use a primer to create a smooth base, this will also help your foundation to stay on longer
3. Buy a light reflecting concealor to disquise dark circles to freshen up your make up base
4. Apply a waterproof Mascara as this is less likely to smudge, especially if you fall asleep
5. Remove lipstick or gloss completely before reapplying, rather than layering on another coat as this can cause flaking
6. Spritz your face with a mist during the flight (from a distance to ensure it doesn’t spoil your make up!) – this will keep your skin hydrated

Follow these tips and you’ll have nothing to declare but healthy skin and perfect make up! Oh and remember to drink plenty of water as this can stop your skin looking pale and ashy.

I few months ago I wrote about MAC’s planned Venomous Villians collection launch in October. The four villians were a close guarded secret that is until now, the four evil characters that inspired the creative make up team are as follows:

1. Cruella De Vil of “101 Dalmations” the wicked woman who stole all the puppies
2. The Evil Queen made famous from “Snow White
3. Dr. Facilier from The Princess and the Frog
4. And of course the collection wouldn’t be complete without” Maleficient from “Sleeping Beauty”

I had a go at guessing who they might be and I guessed two right, Cruella de Vil and Maleficient. I’ve seen pictures of the products and I really like the look of them, each one has a fantastic name. It seems they have catered for every girls needs from ‘Dearly my dear plum blusher’ to ‘Revenge is sweet Lipglass’.

I’ve read a few comments online from girls who think that the packaging is childish, but I think it’s colourful and fun! Let me know what you think. x

Surprise, surprise, I love creating long fluttery eyelashes using eye make up, I think it’s so important to look after your eyelashes as they can really open up the eye and give you a stunning result. Over the years as a make up artist Manchester clients have often asked me for the best formula for killer lashes, it took me a while to discover it but I got there in the end and it’s all down to these 5 easy steps:

1. Avoid using eyelash curlers especially after you have applyed your Mascara as it can cause lashes to break and fall out
2. Use a lash primer to protect your lashes, but avoid ones with fragrances and fumes which can irrate the eyes
3. Apply a non waterproof Mascara, as it is less stubborn to take off
4. Get into the habit of removing your eyemake up each night, to condition and prepare them for the following day
5. Try a Eyelash enhancer, which may strenghten and promote longer lashes. There are many on the market such as RapidLash Serum, which is clinically proven and available in Boots (£39.99)

Follow these steps and I reckon you’ll have some beautiful lashes to complement any look, if you know any other tips or hints, pop them in the comments and share the love!

If like me you use your makeup brushes daily, i’d recommend that you clean them at least once a week. It’s important to wash away the old makeup, natural oils and bacteria. You don’t need to spend a lot of money on fancy cleaners, baby shampoo works brilliantly.

Top Tips For Clean Makeup Brushes

1. Start by filling up a bowl with 4 parts water and 1 part shampoo.
2. Stir to allow the shampoo to dilute in the water
3. Grab each make up brush and place the bristles into the bowl. Gently rub them to ensure the bristles do not come loose. Rinse under cool water until the water runs clean
4. Remember to put the brush back into shape
5. Finally lie them flat on a towel to dry naturally overnight

If you’re in a hurry or using your brushes on someone else, face wipes can be used as a quick method of cleaning. x

Here goes, a fabulous 5 minute make up look thats perfect for the festival season, in just 5 simple steps!

1. Finish apply BareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation £22.00 (8g) for a flawless finish apply with brush using circular motions build up the coverage in areas of skin prone to reddness such as around the nose
2. Tired from the night before, banish dark cirles by dotting a small amount of No7 ‘Instant Radiance Concealor’ (£13.25) in the inside corner of your eye and down. Gentle pat it in with your ring finger.
3. Define your eyes using the new Topshop makeup ‘Kohl in Coal’ (£4) I prefer black however there are various shades to try out, then apply lashings of your favourite Mascara
4. Create a golden sunkissed with a dusting of Estée Lauder ‘Goddess Soft Matte Bronzer’ (£20) onto your forehead, nose and cheekbones.
5. Finally create long lasting lip colour using Maxfactor Lipfinity Colour and Gloss in ‘Gleaming Coral’ (£8.99)

Slap on lots of suncream and see who you can bump into! x

The sun was finally out in Manchester today so here’s some skin care and Make up Artist tips to help you adapt your skincare routine and make up look for Summer!

1. Protect your skin from the effects of the environment by applying a moisturiser/lip balm with a minimum SPF 15
2. Keep your make up base fresh and dewy by switching from a foundation to a tinted moisturiser. Apply it with a foundation brush to acheive an even flawless finish
3. Give your skin some warmth by applying a bronzor to your nose, cheeks and forehead. These are areas of your face that naturally catch the sun
4. Ditch dark eye shadows and keep your eye make up simple with a black pencil eyeliner and waterproof mascara
5. Finally keep a pressed powder in your bag to touch up oily patches on your t-zone

And Remember girls, the key trend for this summer is bold lip shades, there BACK ! x

My love affair with make up started when I was 14, I learnt which shades suited me and what textures and products I liked best. It’s fun to experiment with colour and have the skills to to create different make up looks. So here are some make up tips you can use to help you feel confident when applying make up.

Top 7 Make Up Tips For Teenagers.

1. Apply a sheer coverage foundation with a brush to areas of your face that need colour correction usually around the nose, cheeks and chin. This will give you a bit of coverage and won’t block your pores.
2. Follow with a medicated stick conealor to cover blemishes. Dap the concealor on the spot only with a concealor brush.
3. Set your make up base with a powder that matches your skin tone
4. Avoid heavy eye make up, instead go for creamy eyeshadows in light colours such as silver and blue and follow with one coat of mascara
5. Give your skin some natural colour by smiling in the mirror and applying blusher to the apples of your cheeks
6. Choose a lip gloss similar to the colour of your blusher, ensure you stay within your natural lip line
7. Finally use a clear brow perfector to keep brows in place

Enjoy! x

Sarah Jessica Parker is back as Carrie Bradshaw, the make up looks in the movie are stunning with smokey eyes, perfect almond shaped black eye liner and glossy lips. In real life Sarah Jessica Parkers make up is not quite as glamorous because she hasn’t mastered how to apply it herself.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
She tells People.com, “I am, I confess, very bad at make-up. I don’t wear any in my real life, my personal life. There’s no time for it and I’m not good at it. I don’t want to have to do it to myself — I wouldn’t know where to begin.”

To achieve Carrie Bradshaw’s make up look keep your base dewy with natural and fresh foundation, add a flush of colour to the apples of your cheeks using a cream blusher and finish by using a brow pencil to create beautifully groomed eyebrows! x

MAC Cosmetics are all set to launch a Limited Edition collection influenced by four female Disney villians. It’s a close guarded secret which ones so here are my make up preditions.

Queen of Hears from ‘Alice in Wonderland’ inspired Pink Blusher

Maleficent from ‘Sleeping Beauty’ inspired Smokey Eye Shadows

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cruella De Vil from ‘101 Dalmations’ inspired Brow Pencils

Ursula from ‘The Little Mermaid’ inspired Red Lipstick

To be cont….until September when there revealed! x

If your creating your own wedding make up it’s really important that it stays in place right through from your ceremony to reception. Here are a few techniques you can use to create a long lasting finish.

1. First apply a primer suitable for your skin type or to disguise skin imperfections for instance, a green colour calming base for redness.
2. Next focus on your eye make up to ensure you won’t spoli your make up base. Using an eye base will help to keep your eyeshadow on so it’s worth investing in a good one.
3. Waterproof mascara and eyeliner are a must, use a smudger to hide a harsh line.
4. If your having a spray tan check your shade still matches your skin tone. Applying foundation with a brush helps to achieve even coverage all over and the key product to remember is powder to set your foundation and concealor
5. The best way to ensure your lipstick doesn’t fade after an hour is to use one coat of lipstick, blend with a lipliner, foll0wed by another coat of lipstick.

Practise leading up to the wedding to ensure your stress free on the day & keep cotton buds nearby to tidy up any mistakes.

Have a fanastic time! x