Product Reviews Ahoy!

Well as you can imagine, I’ve been filing away a whole heap of reviews for you guys because quite simply when I try something new I always think “I must blog about this!” A little like sharing a piece of great news or gossip with a friend over a cup of tea or coffee ; ) I’ve well and truly missed my little run-downs on all of the cosmetics I’ve got my hands on in recent months so in the next few weeks you can expect to see my thoughts on:

• Boots No. 7 Extreme Lash mascara
• Lush Vanilla Dee-Lite Hand & Body lotion
• Lush Maple Taffy lip balm
• Body Shop Coconut Shimmer Body Butter
• Laura Mercier Silk Creme foundation
• Maybelline Volume Express Falsies mascara

And plenty, plenty more..!

Image from Keep Calm, Stay Positive Blog

Now on Model Mayhem!

This is a little bit of a news to let you all know that I'm now a member of Model Mayhem. This is a great networking site for anyone working in the fashion and beauty industry, not just makeup artists but photographers, hair stylists, models and designers.

So if you're interested in collaborating/working on photo shoots for fashion, editorial and beauty or know of anyone who is, then please feel free to get in touch! I also do makeup for music videos and musicians.

And of course I'm available for brides and other special occasions such as proms in the South East and London area.

You can find me on Model Mayhem at www.modelmayhem.com/amandaoshaughnessy

Boots No. 7's 75th!

While we're still on Boots - I thought I'd move over to their makeup collection No. 7. This month Boots No. 7 makeup celebrates its 75th anniversary of providing women with excellent and affordable makeup and skincare on the British high street.

In celebration of their seven decades, Lisa Eldridge, Creative Director and celebrity makeup artist created seven different looks capturing each decade's beauty trend. The images are gorgeous and Lisa's makeup looks are beautiful, I could sit and gawp at them for hours.

You may have already seen some of them on the web adverts or in-store, but you can find the full collection on Lisa Eldridge's website.

I find them so inspiring, I'll definitely be trying my hand at re-creating some of them, they look so much fun to do.

Happy Birthday No. 7! Keep your eyes peeled for my review of their Dream Lash mascara, coming soon...

Photograph copyright of Ben Hassett, makeup by Lisa Eldridge

NOTD: Topshop Nail Polish in Hopscotch

I fell in love with this colour as soon as I laid eyes on it. Topshop's nail polish in 'Hopscotch' is a lovely pale grey colour. Similar I suppose, to that of the concrete in a playground - hence the name 'Hopscotch'! This nail colour went on beautifully and I was very impressed with the way it comes out on the nails - the colour match to that of the polish in the bottle is perfect so there's no unpleasant surprises.

This colour's very classy and I think it's perfect for all occasions. The nail polish also dries quite fast, so drying time isn't bad at all. I'm now waiting to see how soon it takes to chip! Durability is a big factor for me, and for most people, when it comes to nail varnish. I find I like at least 4 days' solid wear before the varnish begins to chip. Well by the 4th day it did start to, but before then it had remained untainted so I thought it did pretty well considering!

I've been hearing some people complain about the price of the Topshop nail polishes. They retail at £5 a bottle but I think that's fairly reasonable considering the number and diversity of colours on offer. I know Barry M offer great value nail varnishes that really offer good quality, but I find that Barry M's range doesn't offer the nice candy colours that Topshop's does at the moment.

Stay tuned as my next NOTD will also be on another of Topshop's nail varnishes in the very cute yellow colour: 'Bee's Knees'!

New Love/Inspired by...The Noisettes Ever Fallen in Love

I have to share my love for this version of 'Ever Fallen In Love' by the Buzzcocks.

Sure, I hear you, it's not the same as the original - nothing will match the raw emotion in the original track. But I just love, love, love Shingai Shoniwa's raspy vocals combined with what the Noisettes have done with the single. I like the fact that it shows love gone wrong from a different angle instead - maybe a darker, less angrier side - but that of a naughtier side, taken from a girl's perspective, i.e. we've all gone for a bad boy once upon a time!

And I also love the video - the makeup and wardrobe are just a little bit awesome. I've of course mentioned before that Shingai Shoniwa always loves the extreme looks and pulls them off oh, so well! Oh and check out the Doc Martens she models (celebrating the 50th anniversary of the brand) She seems to get through 4 different amazing, gorgeously coloured pairs : ) Whoop!

Enjoy:

Topshop Makeup Launches!

If you haven't already heard, or read the hype in magazines and newspapers the UK over, last Tuesday Topshop's new and very own makeup range launched across the nation! The range has been under development for a long while up at Topshop HQ and the products are reportedly manufactured by those who make Lancome makeup.

The collection currently contains: skin tint, lip polish, lip balms, glazes and glosses, lipsticks, glitter, eye shadows, mascaras, eye liners, crayons and kohls, nail polish, bronzer and blush and more! However the full range is only available in their flagship store Oxford Circus, London and online. Your local Topshop however will be selling the lip balms, a limited number of lip glosses and nail varnishes.

The colour selection of nail varnishes so far is incredible. There are all sorts of gorgeous shades on offer and quite frankly I want practically every single one! There's a gorgeous cream yellow shade called 'Bee's Knees' and a beautiful nude colour called 'Big Smoke', plus a lovely grey shade 'Cloud' similar to that paraded on the catwalks for S/S 2010. They even have their very own mint/jade shade ('Gone Fishing') which has been a popular colour since last Spring/Summer's catwalk season.

The packaging is quite simple and understated but very cute with the branding being black and white spots and stripes. I'm quite fond of it including the logo/font which looks as if it's been hand-written - I guess harking back to the fact that makeup is an art form in itself and is often about painting and drawing upon a canvas!

The prices are also nice and affordable starting at £4 and working up to £10 - great for all pockets I think. Perhaps a bit pricier than the average drug store brand of makeup but more affordable than some counters. The proof now as to whether the prices are worthy or not is in the testing - I'm curious as to what the formulations are like and whether or not they're up to scratch.

The only sad factor is that the launch in all other stores apart from Oxford Circus has been a bit lack-lustre and you'll need to have a good look out for it when you go in or you could be forgiven for missing the tiny stand altogether. However the more you show your support and the more you try, the more of the range local stores will begin to stock so get down to your local Topshop and check out the goodies!

I'll be trying out and reviewing the collection on here in the coming weeks so keep checking back for my thoughts. I'm starting tomorrow with a Nails of the Day (NOTD) showcasing one of my favourite nail polishes from the range...

All of the makeup as I said is also available on www.topshop.com so if you want to check out the full collection but are nowhere near London then log on now. You'll also find their website-exclusive SS10 Trend collection and handy video tutorials on how to create some of the latest and hottest looks!

Image from the Topshop Blog

Product Review - Benefit's Realness of Concealness

To say sorry for the lack of posting would be an understatement. So I'm just gonna get on with giving you guys what you've all been waiting for and what you all come here to see...!

I got hold of Benefit's Realness of Concealness kit a while ago and I must say I'm very impressed. It makes a great addition to my personal and professional kit and I'm always grabbing at least one of the products it offers. This kit is perfect for any of you on a budget, those of you who like to try products in miniature form before committing to the larger versions or those of you who like to have a few back-up pieces in your handbags for that night out/morning after. Benefit describe this product as their:

Portable mini kit containing Benefit's top selling concealers and enhancers. It's your solution for beauty dilemmas on-the-go.

The kit contains small versions of the following Benefit products:

Ooh La Lift - "instant under-eye brightening boost"

Lip Plump Primer - "for full sexy lips"

High Beam - "luminescent complexion highlighter"

Lemon Aid - "colour-correcting eyelid primer"

Boi-ing in Shade 02 - "industrial-strength concealer"

Ooh La Lift - instant brightener for under the eyes?

This is a cute little pearlescent pink highlighter fluid that comes in a bottle much like a lip gloss with the same kind of applicator. There are several tips to using this product in order to get the most out of it:

1. Less is more - don't go crazy with it or it will interfere with the rest of your makeup that goes on top next. This isn't a concealer but a highlighter for under the eyes and you should only need what comes out on the brush to do both eyes.

2. Apply it to the shadowy areas underneath your eyes. Don't go outside of this area or the effect will be undone. What you're trying to achieve is lifting the darker area of skin to make the skin appear lighter and therefore less sunken. I like to apply three dots along each circle and blend in by patting along in an upwards motion.

As I said, it won't conceal the circles so don't expect them to disappear, but the light-reflecting particles in the liquid will lighten the area making you appear less tired. Combined with concealer it works a treat.

I love this eye brightener, but the one thing that prevents me from getting it out everyday is the fact that after a long day it does interfere with the concealer I place on top causing it to crease and fade. 3/5

Lip Plump Primer - fuller, sexy lips?

I love this primer. Just like Ooh La Lift it comes in a lip gloss-style bottle, is of a creamy consistency and a slightly taupe shade. Don't be put off as to how brown it is in colour. It's merely to neutralise the colour of your lips to stop it interfering with the shade of lipstick you'd put on top. It won't affect the colour of your lipstick!

The great thing about lip primer is that it fills in all of the lines and generally, like a face primer, provides a smoother, more refined surface for lipstick to glide onto. As a result your lips will appear a little fuller (please don't expect a surgery-style collagen pout though).

But the effect I love most from this primer is that you get the colour you see on the lipstick bullet and you also get more mileage from your lipstick as primer helps to lock it down (much like eye primer for eyeshadow) 4/5

High Beam - luminescence in a bottle?

This highlighter in it's larger version comes in a bottle you'd be forgiven for thinking is a nail varnish bottle! A highlighting fluid that's slightly pink in tone - Benefit offers Moon Beam which is yellowy in colour for olive and darker skins - this highlights all of the areas of the face that you want to catch the light to give you that fresh, well-rested radiance.

This product it great along the cheek bones, above the brown bones, on the centre of the chin, above the Cupid's Bow and down the centre of the nose. It perks up tired, dehydrated skin - ideal for when you've been naughty and had one too many the night before. I like to use it a lot as it offers that subtle shimmer that gives you that glow as if coming from within! This is by far my favourite product in the whole kit - 5/5

Lemon Aid - colour-correcting eyelid primer?

You'll find this is the creamy yellow base that sits in the palette next to Boi-ing in the box. I really wanted to like this primer and don't get me wrong, I use it when the circumstance is right (e.g. dark, shadowy eyelids that need a bit of a pick-me-up). But if your lids are only mildly red/purply then all this primer does is leave an obvious, unnatural yellow tinge to the eyelid. I'd rather leave my eyelids natural or use a concealer to be honest.

The other unfortunate outcome with this product is that it creases and fades after several hours' wear so you may as well have left your eyelids untouched in the first place. This is therefore not a staple of mine, although I welcome anyone who disagrees to let me know their application tips in the comments box below : ) I give this little number only 2/5

Boi-ing - industrial-strength concealing?

Boi-ing is a cream concealer which as you may have guessed from their product description, is quite pigmented and does well for concealing even the most gruesome of blemishes. However I haven't tried this on my own face as - and this is my only other qualm with the kit - it's not the right shade.

That's right, all kits come with only the 02 shade of Boi-ing so it's not great for anyone with pale skin as 02 is much too dark. A bit of a down-er if you're wanting the sample-size version of this before deciding on the larger version!

I have however tried it on others and it does seem to cover up well. I'd still like to test for longevity though which is something I'm also unsure of having not yet tested it on my own skin. 4/5

Overall...

As a whole, the kit scores 18/25 which isn't too bad. At £23.50 it's really one of those decisions you weigh up on the basis of whether:

• You think it's a wise investment to test all of the products in sample sizes before picking up your favourites in larger sizes
• OR you feel that it's a waste of cash considering factors like Boi-ing may be no use to you or that you'd rather just buy what you need, e.g. highlighter fluid and not have excess products floating around.

I personally feel that this kit is still a worthwhile investment even if you are only going to use it for personal makeup application. It's just a case of being resourceful with the products. If Boi-ing isn't the right shade concealer for you, why not use it to contour your cheekbones and lightly apply it beneath cheekbones and blend in creating a subtle, softly-bronzed look for the summer? If High Beam's not the right shade of highlighter for you why not swap it with a friend for a sample-size of their lipstick, etc? There's always ways round these dilemmas : )

Alice in Wonderland

Some of you may know that this is my all-time favourite childhood story! I love the Disney classic to this day and last year I finally got a copy of it on DVD. I had my reservations when last year I heard Tim Burton was producing his very own take of Lewis Carroll's amazing novel.

Firstly I kept an open mind because it is a favourite story of mine and when you feel that way about a book or film etc. you want to keep it sacred. Second I was a little worried that expectations and hype might make the final outcome feel disappointing and thirdly I was also concerned that maybe Tim would perhaps make it too dark, steering away from the innocence of the tale...

I went to see it yesterday and even though I kept that open mind that I'd reserved for a year, I was bowled over. The CGI is amazing, the costume design is absolutely beautiful and the makeup of course was something I was keeping a very keen eye on too. As you've probably seen from the advertisements and press it's so fun and crazy and perfectly enhances and plays upon all of the characters' personalities! Tim took the story to new levels but meanwhile respected the original tale enough to preserve the feeling, excitement and wonder that Wonderland has to offer.

Needless to say I'll definitely be picking up a copy of the DVD when it finally comes on sale. Talking of more Alice in Wonderland inspiration - I came across another photo shoot along this theme. I love, love, love the shots - everything's gorgeous and I want all of the clothes, ha! Ever the obsessed Alice fan I am, here are the photos for you to all share in the fun...

Photos from fabulousmag.co.uk - you can also find out where to buy the outfit pieces here!

Product Review - Too Faced Shadow Insurance Eye Primer

Hello my lovelies! Well, you may remember me saying a few months ago that I couldn't get my hands on this eye primer for love nor money. So you'll be pleased to hear that this is available individually at Boots stores but as it had sold out in my local Boots I managed to get hold of it in the Eye Shadow Insurance Policy kit at Debenhams. This includes an excellent eye shadow palette but that's for another juicy instalment for another day ; )

This post today will be looking at the eyeshadow primer and whether it's a fine enough match to Urban Decay's legendary Primer Potion that thousands of you all know and love! With that in mind, below is Too Faced's introduction to their Shadow Insurance primer...

Your full-coverage insurance policy against all fading, creasing, melting, blurring, oil-slicked and hard-to-blend eye shadow accidents. Our silicone-based eye shadow primer transforms any eye shadow into a perfectly blendable color-drenched intensified version of itself then locks it down perfectly until you take it off. Our skin soothing formula evens out the skin tone on your lids and smoothes out lines while it secures a barrier between the oils of your skin and your makeup so no shadow catastrophes will ever happen again.

Secures against fading, creasing, melting, blurring, oily lids and hard-to-blend eye shadows?

Yes to all of the above! This primer is just as good as the Urban Decay primer at preventing fading eye shadows, stopping them from hiding in the creases in the eye and combatting the oil in the skin from dissolving the eye makeup. Eye shadows are also equally easy to blend when you apply them over the top of this primer, I am quite used to blending shadows on top of primers now rather than without so I don't know if there's a remarkable difference in the ease of blending. Needless to say however blending is perfect with the primer so a full thumbs up there.

Eyeshadows become perfectly blendable and intensified until you take them off?

Yes! Again with the above for blending but yes, all eye shadows come out remarkably when you use this primer. You'll wonder how you ever managed without it if you've never used an eye primer before. It will make your shadows ten times more intensified and that colour will last all day. When you get back in from a long day at work - check it out in the mirror and it'll be just as great as when you left that morning...

Skin soothing formula evens out skin tone and smoothes out lines?

I'm not sure about 'skin-soothing' - I don't feel any particular soothing sensations when using it, but the product is gentle on the skin and doesn't feel as 'cakey' as its counterpart from Urban Decay sometimes can. But it definitely evens out the skin tone on the eyelids which is an added bonus from using a primer.

I'm also not sure about the smoothing-out of lines as none of the people I've used this on so far have to worry about these! However if you're talking about the tiny creases in the upper eyelid that shadow can creep into, then this primer does a fantastic job of eliminating any shadow from ever disappearing into them!

Overall...

This product is just as amazing as Urban Decay's which came as very little surprise to me because Too Faced Cosmetics is owned by the same people who own Urban Decay! However in my opinion this product trumps Urban Decay's because it comes in an easy-to-use squeezy tube so unlike the Urban Decay Primer Potion:

• Product has nowhere to hide, i.e. in the curves of an awkwardly-shaped bottle meaning no product wastage and fuss-free application
• It's much more hygienic as you can squeeze enough out (literally all you need is a pin-sized amount for both eyelids) onto the hand rather than using an applicator which over time will get germy. This in turn affects the product's quality in the long-run (the bacteria affects the ingredients in the primer causing it to lose its effectiveness)
• And quite simply it's much easier to get the primer from the tube!

If Urban Decay's Primer Potion is the primer of dreams for you, but the bottle has been driving you round the bend I thoroughly recommend this as an alternative. At £11 it also comes in at the same price as Urban Decay - fairly pricey but this will last you easily at least 6 months if not more. The only inconvenience is getting hold of it is difficult because stock levels seems so erratic... Too Faced just need to send stock to their consumer retailers more regularly!

You can buy Shadow Insurance from Boots, Debenhams and online at ASOS.

Fashion & Beauty Shoot

Today I'm very pleased to be sharing with you some images from a shoot I did two weeks ago - an avante garde and a natural look were created. I really enjoyed producing the shoot and making up Rhiannon, who was our very lovely model for the day. I also styled the hair in the avante garde look which was great fun!

I hope you all enjoy the photos as much as I did helping to create them.

Thank you to Owen for the photography and Rhiannon for modelling!

More work is to follow soon from a very exciting editorial shoot that I was involved with last week so stay tuned!

Inspired by... Jonsi

Jonsi Birgisson is an incredible musician from Iceland. If you think the vocals and general sound are familiar when you hear his music then you won't be surprised to hear that he was lead vocalist and song writer from Sigur Ros. Jonsi has now gone solo and his debut album 'Go' will be released on April 5th.

His first single release taken from Go is his track 'Go Do' - this is such a beautiful track with all the amazement and sensational goosebumpy feeling that I got from Sigur Ros' previous work. I think he's incredibly talented and what's more the music video to his debut single is equally as beautiful.

Why do I mention it here? Check out the makeup, (costume and set design to boot!) in the video *here* and you'll see why...

So gorgeous it HAD to be shared!

Ladies who Lilac!

This spring's colour of choice is lilac. It's been making an appearance in the clothing department but now it's going straight onto eyelids this season for a pretty-as-a-picture stare! Here's the low-down on how to achieve the ultimate lavender love...

1. Skin needs to be left dewy

This keeps the look fresh and youthful, soft and as girly as the colour lilac itself. This is a colour of innocence after all, so you're after girl-nextdoor beauty! You want a highlight down the centre of the face to catch the light flatteringly.

2. Lips are ever so slightly glossy

There's no need to worry about what shade of lipstick to wear with this look because it doesn't really need any strong shade as such. Just make sure your lips are well moisturised with a touch of lip balm and add a dash of lip gloss. You can opt for either a clear gloss or reach for a peachy or nude tone that keeps the lips soft and pastel coloured.

3. Cheeks are bronzed

You can get away without blusher on this look but so as to avoid the lilac on the eyes draining the colour from the rest of the face you need to add a hint of colour. Add a bronzing powder to the cheek bones to contour the face. If you want to, add some to the temples and underneath the chin area for a well-sculpted and lifted face.

4. Lilac isn't restricted to the eyes!

Try it on your nails or lips as well for more pastel perfection. The key to this look however is all about making the lilac the centre of attention. Lilac can be quite a powerful colour and too much of it can make the look dated or make you look older than you really are. So if you can work in the lilac in your eyes/lips/nails but avoid it all over then all the better.

So now you have the tips on how to achieve this spring/summer makeup trend, here's a few tools to help you on your way!

For the foundation:

• Pick a moisturising/hydrating formula, rather than a full-on matte version.
  
  
• If you have oily or combination skin and are worried about looking more greasy than goddess with this then use your regular foundation
  
  
• To achieve the dewy, fresh effect you'll need some highlighting fluid/liquid. Benefit's High Beam and MAC's Strobe Cream are both perfect.
  
  
• Then powder with some translucent powder, but avoid going heavy with it - a light application is all that's needed. You don't want to lose the effort you went to when adding the highlighter

For the bronzer:

• I recommend using a matte bronzer as opposed to a shimmery bronzer as otherwise there will be too much shimmer going on making the face look too polished.
  
  
• MAC make a great matte bronzer called Blunt or for a more purse friendly alternative GOSH sell fantastic matte bronzers as well.

For the lovely lilacs:

• As for shades of lilac I really recommend MAC - Crystal, Idol Eyes, Digit and Beautiful Iris are all fab colours perfect for this look.
  
  
• As for lilac lipsticks, MAC's Saint Germain is gorgeous, as is their Pervette.

Inspired by...

I'm really into the new music video by I Blame Coco, I love the styling and Coco herself is very striking! In fact I thought to myself when I first saw the video that she really has a different, edgy look, kinda tomboy-ish - she could be a model... I swear I'd seen her face before.

Ha, little did I know she's modelled for Burberry back in 2008, oh and she's only Sting and Trudy Styler's daughter! Yup, makes sense now! The song's quite catchy, but I'm still not 100% sure about it and the video could be criticised for being achingly hip but I still like it!

And then there's Marina And The Diamonds' music video for 'Hollywood'. I've been hearing waves of whispers about this girl and how her and her band are the next big thing for 2010 but had yet to hear any of their choons. I LOVE her makeup and styling in this video, plus she's absolutely gorgeous. There's lots of pretty things in it that makes any girl want to shout 'Me, me, me!'

The video from I Blame Coco is for their up and coming debut single 'Caesar' (out Feb 2010).

Marina And The Diamonds' 'Hollywood' single is also released next month. Both videos can be checked out below...

This Party Season's Makeup? Full of Sparkle

Just like the fashion trend of sequins that I blogged about the other day and so very much love (in case you didn't get that the first time round) glitter's big in makeup this Christmas too!

So how do you achieve those sparkly peepers without looking too much like a Christmas tree? Here are a few tips and pointers if you want to go glittery while you partay...

1. Keep foundation fresh and lips toned down

Your eyes will obviously be the main spectacle for the evening/event so you want them to do the talking rather than anything else as well. Bright red lips added to the mix for instance will make you look far too overdone so keep lips on the subtle, sultry side. You don't necessarily have to go nude, you could choose a beautiful sheer berry shade that adds a pop of colour but isn't overpowering. Whatever the shade, make sure it's light or sheer.

What with the eyes being very heavily adorned in glitter you also want to keep your foundation, or your canvas looking as fresh and fuss-free as possible. Go as light as possible when applying your base as it will prevent your overall makeup from looking too 'perfected'. If you can get away with tinted moisturiser then go for that, if not try to keep the coverage as minimal as possible.

2. Use a base for the glitter to stick to

It can be a gel, a liquid eyeliner or if you have a safe and natural lip balm, use this on your eyelids to allow the glitter to stick to the areas you want it to stick to without falling over your face. Apply the glitter with your fingers to get maximum control of where and how much you put on. If you use a brush you might get too much fallout and it could go everywhere.

3. Pick one colour to focus on

Popular colours for this season are purples, blues and golds. Choose a colour to compliment your hair or eyes - if you have brown eyes purple will look gorgeous on you. If you have blue eyes then golds will really make them pop! Or simply just experiment and find what takes your fancy. By all means go multi-coloured with your glitter if you like but the really fresh, modern take right now is one shade all over the lids.

4. Do your eye makeup before anything else

This is a messy look so it's best that you apply your eye makeup and work on the glitter first, then apply your foundation, blush, etc. afterwards. This means that if you do get glitter down your face you can wipe it all off without worrying about ruining your base makeup and having to start all over again or reapplying in areas and creating an uneven base.

5. You don't have to go glitter-mad!

If you don't want to put glitter all over your eyelids for fear of it being too much for your features or you're not feeling quite that full-on then keep eyes neutral but simply add a lovely line of glitter eyeliner on your upper lash line. Choose neutral skintone shades and brown eyeshadows for your lids and then why not add a pop of colour with a lovely electric blue glitter eyeliner for example? You can create equally amazing impact even with a smaller amount of sparkle!

Now that you have the how-to here's a run-down on what you'll need for your look to help get you started...

For All-Over Glitter

For full sparkle, you'll need the following:

• Choose a base that will compliment your choice of colour of glitter:
  - Going blue, purple or green? Opt for a smoky base like a grey or black. MAC Carbon, Typographic, Print or their Paint Pot shade in Blackground will all work well. Or try one of the smoky shades in the Sleek makeup palette if you're on a tighter budget.
  - Going gold, yellow or pink? Choose to wear browns beneath the glitter - a lovely wash of a light browns will be just right.
  
  
• MAC's Clear Gloss, safe natural lip balm or even liquid eyeliner in a similar shade to your base will make a great ingredient for your glitter to adhere to.
  
  
• For the glitter MAC make a fantastic selection of colours to choose from and whilst the price of a pot is a little on the expensive side (£15.00 a pot) you'll get heaps that will last you forever. If you really don't think you'll get through that much, try Helen E in selected Debenhams stores or online as these pots are smaller and much more purse-friendly.

Just the Eyeliner, please!

• Pick two or three varying shades of brown to create a defined but natural eye. One highlight shade and one midtone will be perfect. Colours like MAC's Brule, Wedge, Shroom or Benefit's Birthday Suit will do the job nicely.
  
  
• You can find wonderful, long-lasting glitter eyeliners from GOSH and Urban Decay at prices that won't break the bank. My favourites are Urban Decay's Catfight, Stagedive and Metal Head. I can't get enough of these brands' eyeliners as the colour impact is to die for and they really don't budge!

Image from Vogue.co.uk

Smashbox Hits UK Stores

There's so many US brands that I've wanted to be available to us in the UK so we don't have to keep paying international shipping (or even to get my hands on at all if they don't sell internationally!) Usually when they do finally make the leap across the pond, they land in the London flagship department stores though. Well finally Smashbox are well and truly settled in House of Fraser stores across the UK.

Smashbox make great makeup, slightly on the more pricey side but do have some really handy cosmetics like their foundation primer that comes in different undertones depending on what you need to achieve. For instance they sell a green primer that counteracts any red patches in the skin so you achieve an overall even undertone when you apply your foundation.

The selection of their products available in-store is fairly limited compared to that of their London branches, but for those of you who have been long awaiting their arrival and live nowhere near the UK capital you can now finally explore their goodies : ) With any luck, as the counter establishes itself more, House of Fraser will expand the stock available.

You may remember a while back I reported that another US brand i.d. Bare Minerals had come to the UK? Well their counters are even bigger than they were a couple of months ago and seem to be doing fairly well for themselves which hopefully means they're here to stay. I think I also spotted Make-Up Forever or MUFE in House of Fraser in London the other day which means with any luck, they'll hit other UK branches in 2010 - watch this space...!

For those of you who haven't heard of MUFE, they make fantastic liquid mineral foundations and also make superb HD foundations for those of you who like to look good for the camera or who work in the makeup artist industry for film, camera and television.

So if you want your Smashbox fix or even to try them out for the first time, you now need internet shop no more!

Video Shoot: You Heard Nothing Promo Video

You may remember a couple of months ago I mentioned I did the makeup at a casting session for a promotional video to be filmed the following weekend? Well the video was sent out onto the Worldwide Web for all to see last night and I wanted to share it with you all here too.

If you haven't heard of You Heard Nothing, they're a group of DJs and VJs (Visual Jockeys) who hold immensely awesome club nights where you'll hear a mix of indie, electro and rock. Between them, the Surgery productions and Skidoosh, starring the very lovely Alessandra Leonie and makeup by me, this promotional video was born.

It was so much fun making it, coming up with the makeup and seeing it go through the motions in post production. And if you're wondering what the super crazy, rock-your-socks-off track is it's 'Lightsabre Cocksucking Blues' by Fight Like Apes. Their songs are so much fun - their gigs are even crazier - they're a must-see!

So without further ado I present to you You Heard Nothing's first promotional video - enjoy!

You can find You Heard Nothing here.

You can find Fight Like Apes here.

IMATS Tickets Now Available!

A few months ago I posted about IMATS or the International Makeup Artist Trade Show that visits London every January. Well I can now tell you that tickets for the event are available online on the IMATS website!

Tom Savini has been announced as one of two keynote speakers giving seminars at the 2010 event. Not only is Tom an actor, stuntman and director but he's also famous for his Special Effects makeup artistry on horror films such as Day of the Dead and Dawn of the Dead, both of which won Saturn Awards for Best Makeup Effects. He also runs his own Special Effects Makeup and Digital Film courses.

The second keynote speaker will be Bill Corso. His previous accomplishments have been personal makeup artist to Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and transforming Jim Carrey into Scrooge for A Christmas Carol, the Grinch and Clint Eastwood for a scene in Bruce Almighty! More featured speakers are to be announced soon...

In addition to the many seminars and classes being held over the event, there will be a fashion show, signings, a student competition and hundreds of makeup and beauty retailers, colleges and professionals all coming together to celebrate and share in the magic and beauty of makeup artistry and Special Effects makeup. Dermalogica, London College of Fashion, MAC and Cinema Makeup School, to name a few, will all be selling and exhibiting.

To keep an eye on all of the updates, schedules and further info keep checking in on the IMATS site over the next two months - I can't wait to go and see it for myself!

You can buy a day ticket for £33.00 (students get a £5 discount so gain entry at £28.00) or if you'd like to attend the entire weekend's seminars and makeup action then a two day ticket will cost £55.00 (or £48.00 if you're a student). Child discounts are also available, you'll find details on their website.

Backstage at Victoria's Secret

I love lacey underwear. But what do I love more? Lacey underwear plus gorgeous hair and makeup!

Tommy Ton, creator of Jak & Jil's fantastic fashion blog, has captured some amazing moments on camera at Victoria's Secret's fashion event and has posted them for all of us to enjoy. I think that these are some of the best captured backstage photographs for a fashion show I've ever seen - pure love!

Go to jakandjil.com for a peek behind the scenes. If that's not enough, enjoy more of Tommy's backstage photography on the Style.com feature Touched by Angels - seventh heaven hair and makeup!

Image source: Tommy Ton at jakandjil.com

A Day in the Life of Peter Phillips...

Ever wondered what an 'average' day would be like for Global Creative Director of Chanel? Well now you can be the fly on the wall, following the creative makeup and styling adventures of Peter Phillips during the Fashion Weeks of the world's fashion capitals!

Vogue followed Phillips around for 6 whole months on camera documenting his work backstage, his business meetings, and all of the planning and collaborating for this year's shows. The video diary comes in two parts 'Beauty by Chanel - Episode 1' and 'Beauty by Chanel - Episode 2'.

I love these videos as they're a fantastic insight into all of Peter Phillips' creativity and hard work that we eventually see in the final outcome on the catwalk. Being able to catch a glimpse as to how he works and what makes him tick is for me an amazing opportunity!

The videos also fairly represent the chaos behind the scenes when putting together something as huge and carefully crafted as a fashion show - the highs, the madness, the tears, the panic but overall the crazy and amazing rush that seems to buzz around only backstage at a fashion show...

Click on the link below to be taken behind the scenes:

Beauty by Chanel - Episode 1

The makeup magic continues in Episode 2:

Beauty by Chanel - Episode 2

NARS 15x15

You may have heard that Nars turned 15 years old last week. To celebrate 15 years of going strong, Francois Nars launched the 15x15 Project featuring 15 different looks on 15 famous and beautiful faces such as the gorgeous Amber Valetta, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Marc Jacobs. All looks were created for each of the celebrities and photographed by Francois (of course)!

If you have a spare bob or two, the 15x15 Project has been beautifully catalogued together in a gorgeous, glossy book full of full-page photographs taken during the project. You can grab it for $80, but in the comfort of knowing that all proceeds made from the sale of the book will be going to charities that have been chosen by the 15 celebrities featured. Be quick - it's only available for 30 days.

Check out the website, it really shows off the makeup beautifully and is good fun to navigate through!

https://www.15x15project.com/

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NARS!