MAC Masterclass, stage and screen

Being a new member of The BECTU Union which is:

http://www.bectu.org.uk/home

"BECTU is the independent trade union for those working in broadcasting, film, theatre, entertainment, leisure, interactive media and allied areas"

They provide great information/support/advice for freelancers and salaried creatives alike including guidelines on rates of pay, tax, codes or conducts, plus they give you support with pensions and even make you a will for free!
It costs £120 a year for new members, which you can either pay in full or in monthly installments.
They also have an added extra option for £21 more you will receive public liability insurance which being an MUA and hair stylist is very important should anything go wrong 'fingers crossed!'

Anyway the best thing they do is run a number of masterclasses and tutorials throughout the year, ranging from demonstration of makeup for HD or makeup for stage and screen etc, on Tuesday I went to a class at their studio in Soho to learn about makeup for stage and screen where three models were made up in the style of three film/theatre characters.

The classes are great if you are a makeup artist or any creative at all that wants to constantly learn, it is also a great chance to network and meet fellow creatives!

The three characters made up were two versions of The Sweeney Todd Character Benjamin Barker played by Johnny Depp for the Hollywood film directed by Tim Burton and the Stage version of the character played by Michael Ball.

Johhny Depp

Michael Ball

The third character made up was Kathy Selden from Singing in the rain, the challenge here was that the stage act was going to be filmed which they so often are nowadays therefore the makeup had to translate both on stage and on camera...

During the class note paper was handed out to make notes and so I did just that!

Eye Makeup for superheroes!

Check out Finnish makeup fanatic KARITA BRUN who has been paying tribute to her favourite comic book heroes and villains by creating designed inspired by them on her beautiful eyes!

To follow her amazing blog click on this link, she reviews new products, demo's ideas and takes amazing quality photos of her experimenting with makeup:

http://jangsara.blogspot.co.uk/

Her work is just amazing, she is not trained in anyway nor does she work freelance, she just loves makeup!!

What a GOD!

iLLamasqua Beauty School Drop-in!

On Sunday I dropped in with fellow makeup artist Lara Crudgington to Illamasqua's London Head Quarters on Beak street (just behind Carnaby street) to take advantage of their first of a kind 15 minute tutorials from 'Defined brows' to 'The Perfect Pout'...

Tutorials were held four times over through out the day so you could pop along at any point to see them, they were held all on the shop floor in amongst customers which gave it a great buzz and not only that but THE ALEX BOX, creative director of Illamasqua and MUA Legend walked into store to pick up some bits!

Anyway the tutorials were very well executed and I learnt alot! I was on the look out that day for a lovely foundation and so I picked up a few shades of Illamasqua's best selling foundation 'SKIN BASE'...

Illamasqua say this:

Inspired by the cult Asian market Beauty Balm creams, Skin Base Foundation is a brand new, refined formula unlike anything on the UK market. Easily blendable, it effortlessly creates a perfect complexion, and like the entire Illamasqua foundation range, is undetectable in a professional HD environment. Suitable for all skin types, it smoothes, softens and conditions your skin whilst providing natural, buildable coverage.

I say:

AAAMMMAAZZZINNNGGG!

The foundation really is silky smooth and go on like velvet, you can not feel a thing and you really do feel like it is comforting and conditioning your skin plus it stays on all day long...

Perfect buildable coverage for a night out, or for a bride who wants her makeup to be flawless all day long...

The only thing is that it does not have an SPF and that is all I can think of that it doesn't do, I would say it had a medium coverage so if you had really good young skin then you would simply need to use very little....and at £25.50 it is worth each and every penny...

Below are the three shades which I bought for my kit but they have a shade range of 19 different colours so be sure to go into store and try out your perfect match...

Going from light to dark the shades I purchased which are shown below on my arm are

06, 10, 15

Let me introduce to my best friend 'Mr. Primer'

Dear all,

Do you find your makeup never stays on all day, the wind sweeps it away or that oil build up during the day just makes your makeup almost slide off?

If the answer is yes then read on to find out how to stop this from happening, if no then you are very lucky and I envy you! (also please leave your own personal comments below as to how you get yours to stay put!)

I often get told by clients that makeup always 'slides' off their face and never stays put or true to its colour, some people have skin that can turn makeup very 'blue' on them, the first time I heard this I had no idea what this meant but since then I have discovered what it means and that I too suffer annoyingly from this 'blue makeup syndrome' too!
It basically means that the warmth of your skin can turn eyeshadow/eyeliner/lipstick colours into a colour that has a blue undertone to it, you may apply a pink lipstick or a green eyeshadow but by midday the colour seems to have taken on a bluey hue...unfortunately I am yet to find a cure for this other than to use a decent primer...

A primer is used by makeup artists and now increasingly by the female population at home, in order to:
1) Re-surface the skin by smoothing it out using ingredients such as silica to plump up and fill in any pores or fine lines, plus they contain powders and salicylic acid to soak up excess oil from the skin.
2) they help to create a barrier between skin and foundation which if you suffer from oily skin is very useful as the natural oils from your skin when mixed with your foundation will oxidize the foundation turning it a slightly darker shade
3) they help your makeup to stay put and last longer through out the day, resisting temperature changes and humidity (making them very useful to bridal makeup artists who need the makeup they apply to look perfect through out the whole day)

Primers are widely sold these days and drugstores such as boots and Superdrug sell lots of them, therefore you can have one no matter what budget you are on...
If you are a high street gal and just want to try one out I suggest either:

L'Oreal

STUDIO SECRETS

Smoothing Resurfacing Primer

£14.29

What they say:

A VELVET TOUCH IN RECORD TIME
Inspired by professional make-up, this primer masks wrinkles and uneven textures in the skin, making the complexion incredibly smooth with a velvety touch. Skin feels soft as if resurfaced.

OR:

Boots No7:

Airbrush Away Primer 30ml

They say:

No7 Airbrush Away Primer allows you to flaunt picture-perfect skin this spring. Proven results can be seen in just ten minutes and last for up to eight hours. Apply before foundation for front cover perfection – naturally.

£19.50

And if you want to splurge the top two would be:

Laura Mercier:

£27.00

They say:

Specifically created for oily, sensitive and acne-prone skin types; oil free
Contains high water content and addresses surface dehydration around active blemishes
Oil controlling ingredients ensure long-wear and flawless application
Vitamins A, C, and E act as antioxidants & protect the skin from harmful, aging effects of the environment
Cooling Foundation Primer in the refrigerator is refreshing for the skin and reduces puffiness
Non-comedogenic

OR:

Having worked for Clinique I can guarantee that their Pore Minimizer is fantastic and really smooths out skin surface plus holds foundation all day long

£17.00

They say:

Pore Minimizer Instant Perfector

Instantly refine the look of pores with a natural-looking, long-lasting matte finish. De-shines. Resists sweat and humidity, too. Wear alone, under or over makeup for a flawless look. Invisible coverage.

The only downside to this product is that it is so small and you will go through it quickly!

Anyway I hope this all helps with those of you who struggle to keep your makeup looking flawless all day long, primers really do help, I never go without one and they really do help to hold your makeup in place all day!

And if you struggle specifically with your eye makeup sliding off then their are eyelid primer aswell which are fantastic, I use them alot of brides when there could be tears and the eyes need to stay bright and fresh all day...

Try these two:

Urban Decay Shadow Primer Potion, £12

OR:

STILA

prime pot waterproof eye shadow primer £13.00

http://www.stilacosmetics.com/product_detail.asp?PMID=906

HAPPY PRIMING!

'Getting married?-Need some HELP??'

iF any of you guys reading are getting married or know anyone special due to be married then ask them if they have thought of using a wedding planner to take some of the stress out of it all? Isabella wedding planners Ruth and Marie are so lovely and could be the answer to all your stressful wedding planning prayers!

(Read on for details...)

"If you are getting married this summer why not take advantage of our 'Rescue us' special offer package, for just a one off £500 fee you can have a wedding planner working for you throughout the remainder of your plans and of course be there to fully co-ordinate your wedding day on your behalf.

Pop over to www.isabellaweddings.co.uk and read what other brides have said about us or have a coffee with us soon to chat about your wedding plans.

You deserve to have the day you have dreamed about, why not let a professional (but totally approachable) wedding planner help you during these final weeks.

Valid for June-August wedding dates in 2012 only where available

Remember we also offer planning evenings from just £50 to help get you and your wedding plans back on track at any stage, these evenings include full support and plenty of supplier recommendations and budget advice.

Hire a wedding planner that helps you to save you money, not spend it!

Marie Haverley, co-owner of Isabella Weddings

Be not afraid of the SMOKEY EYE...

Ask yourself, what is the one thing you always steer clear from when doing your makeup...?

The one thing that you never ever do and sometimes wish you had the confidence to do...?

Is it a delicate winged liner...bright lips...wearing foundation...a smokey eye...?

Well I think personally the one that most people are scared of is a smokey eye...but not anymore ladies!

I am going to tell you how to do one and I don't mean a full on scary black goth smokey eye, which can look great but is best kept for makeup artists doing on shoots and catwalks...

The first thing to get your head around is that a smokey eye does not mean lots and lots of dark colours on the eye that are going to make your eyes look heavy, a smokey eye can be done in anything from soft pink up to dark brown and blues for a more dramatic look...

What you will need is at the very least TWO eye colours, preferably they are different shades or strengths of the same colour, for example a beige and a middle brown... see images for some ideas

http://www.narscosmetics.co.uk/color/eyes/duo-eyeshadow.html

The colours don't have to be within the same colour range they just need to be different strengths of colours so you need to have a mixture of lights and dark's...NARS eyeshadow DUO'S are brilliant...they have a glittery pigment to them therefore they are great for nights out as they will add a bit of glamour and help to highlight the eye...however if you are trying to work a smokey eye for a very natural day time look then it may be better for you to go with more matte and neutral colours....

So now you have chosen your colours which you like...which you think suit you etc...and don't forget that you must have at LEAST TWO colours to start but you can have up to four....any more than four and it is unnecessary and can get a bit confusing!

The next thing to think about is LAYERING...creating a smokey eye is not a quick two second flick of colour...it is going to take a couple of minutes because you are going to need to layer the shadows for the right effect...you will always start layering using the LIGHTEST colour out of your chosen colours...building up to the darkest...

The lightest colour is always your BASE...this goes all over the lid from lash line up to and just a bit past your natural crease...some like to take it right up to the brown bone but be careful that the colour is neutral enough for your skin tone as you don't want to look too much like a drag queen!

So those were all little tips and tricks to think about when doing a smokey eye...and this is how to create one step by step...

These are the tools you will need:

Your colour palette

three brushes, a flat tapered brush, a fluffy blending brush and a smaller stiffer shadow brush

plus mascara to finish

you will also need a cream liner or a khol to put along the waterline of the eye to create a more intense look

Step ONE: apply your lightest 'base' colour as a wash all over the lid just past your natural crease using your flat slightly fluffy brush, first on the left of the three brushes shown

Step TWO: Using the second deepest shade in your palette use your fluffy blending brush to apply the colour into the crease which is your natural socket line, this creates a shadow in the eye, creating depth and making the eye look bigger

Step THREE: Now using your flat tapered brush and your lightest colour again take the colour beneath the eye, tracing your lower lash line ...

Step FOUR: Using your darkest colour and your smallest brush apply colour to the outer corners of the eye which will define the eye and pull it outwards making it look bigger ...

To finish: Using a cream pencil or khol, I would advise using a dark brown to avoid a harsh look, line the inner rim of the eye which is the waterline plus trace the upper lash line to create the look of thicker lashes, but do not flick the pencil out into a line...

These are the colour which I used and they are by colour powerhouse INGLOT, I used some very bold aqua blues because that is what's on trend right now but using these exact principles and techniques you can create the look using any colours at all, stick to neutral browns/pinks/greens etc for the day time and then play around a bit more for the evening...

Hope this helps for any of you that struggle with a smokey eye!

They really suit all eye shapes and sizes and you can be as simple or a creative as you like with one!