In September I was booked by UK based jewellery startup Salt & Pepper to do makeup for their social media and website images ahead of their launch in November. I was thrilled with the brief as this is one of my favourite/signature looks.
Photographer Glenn achieved so many stunning shots. Here's just a few: In August I visited Olympic Games gold medal winner Laura Collett at her farm in Gloucestershire to do her hair and makeup on behalf of Mach Management for this Country Life Frontispiece shoot which featured in their publication 1st September 2021.
Laura was such a pleasure to work with; and yes, she let me hold her medal! As house makeup artist for SCAHILL, I work with them to design all the makeup looks we want to create for their campaigns. We always want the skin to emulate the finest silk (after all, that's what the brand is built around!), and on this shoot we decided to keep the whole look pared back and as fresh as possible, to really let the clothes do the talking, and to represent the fresh new era we have all been looking forward to. On this shoot I was assisted by Cece
Hair: Juta Zorubiene Photography: William Ferchichi Location: Kinetic Studios Image from my recent shoot with SCAHILL fashion for the launch of their latest blouse; Elaine.
I fell in love with it so much I had to get one for myself! Last week I was working with Alexander Hotels again; this time to do the promotional shots for the launch of their Bombay Sapphire Gin Afternoon Tea - such a great idea bringing a whole new meaning to G&T! Makeup, Styling and modelling all by me. This month I had the pleasure of working with Alexander Hotels to do the promotional images for the launch of their Nyetimber Pool Days at Great Fosters near Windsor. I could just get back in that pool right now! Makeup, styling and modelling all by me. The weather may be rubbish now but there’s sunny days on the horizon, so in preparation let’s talk sunless tanning:
My go to product is Avon Skin So Soft Enhance & Glow Body Lotion. I personally find gradual tanning the best way to get an even streak free finish and this stuff ticks all the boxes for me; not only does it achieve the exact same tone as my natural tan, it has spf15 and leaves a shimmer finish on the skin Here I’d used it three consecutive days ready for a photo shoot where I was model and stylist as well as makeup artist at Great Fosters Hotel near Windsor to promote the launch of their Nyetimber Pool Days. We could all do with saving money where we can at the moment so I thought I would share one of my favourite multitasking (and super cheap) products: Organic Coconut Oil.
Apart from its amazing health benefits there’s so many beauty uses. As well as cooking with it, I keep a pot in the bathroom and use it as a body moisturiser, make up (including waterproof) remover, cuticle oil, and hair mask. You can pick some up from most supermarkets in the food aisles. I get this one from Aldi which is just £1.55 for 300ml. I don’t think there’s many other products out there where you can get so much for so little! Last month I worked on this shoot with SCAHILL fashion for the launch of their very first blouse; Francesca. Hair: Juta Zorubiene Makeup: Me Photography: Ed Taylor We all love a mini break to see us through the long wait for a summer holiday, but what to pack when you’re travelling abroad and only have your cabin bag allowance to fit everything into? When packing for a recent trip to Venice I was caught in this dilemma; not only did I need to pack light despite needing winter layer clothing, but the restriction on ‘liquids’ (I use the term loosely as I still struggle with how some items such as mascara and lip balm are classed as a liquid?!) meant I had to be very selective. I figured I can’t be the only one that has this problem so I thought I’d share some tips via the selection I chose as a solution (and how I used them) to keep things to a minimum whilst still having products with which I could achieve both daytime and evening looks. Moisturiser & Primer
I took my new favourite product featured in a previous blog post which I was then able to use as moisturiser and primer as well as using it as my night cream. Foundation This one was easy as I always decant my foundation into a sample bottle - one of these will hold enough to last you even when you’re away for a full week! Eyeshadow, Blush, Bronzer & Highlighter My Bobbi Brown Simmer Brick Compact in Bronze was the space saving saviour ‘do it all’ product for me; with this I was able to utilise the product’s various different sections individually or combined for the different areas of my face. Liner Because the shades of the Bobbi Brown shimmer brick are relatively subtle, pencils were my way of enhancing my eyes in different ways for day and night. - For daytime I used a black liner on the top lid. - For evening I used a smudged effect on the lower lash line as well as my cheat to enhance the depth of the shadow: before applying the shadow I applied (softly) a brown liner to the outer area of my lid in a > shape (where I would normally apply my darker eyeshadow shade), then blended it out with a blending brush before applying my shadow. Et voila, smoky eye now achieved! 😊 Lips The easiest way to change your look is by wearing different lip colours; I took lip pencils in a pinky nude and a red as well as a pink lipstick. - Lip pencil all over the lip gives the same effect as a matt liquid lipstick (just make sure the pencil is a nice soft one so it's not too dry) and gives you lasting power, so you don't have to worry about topping it up and can concentrate on all that sightseeing. - Personally, I like a less matt finish, so I like to line my lips then blend the pencil inwards (into an ombre effect) and then apply my lipstick. You get the benefit of the staying power plus you can switch up/down the shade of your lipstick depending on which liner you’ve used and how liberally you apply your lipstick. I couldn’t go without my trusty brow mascara and my favourite Estee Lauder mascara (no tips there unless you have tester sizes - although I never seem to get on with those in mascara), but as you can see, these items used minimal space and still left me with plenty of liquid allowance for perfume, and all the boring essentials such as deodorant and toothpaste. Cheers to the next mini break! It’s that time of year when our skin starts to look wintered out - dull due to lack of sunshine, and dry due to the mix of cold weather and the heating. For me the yellow-green undertone of my olive skin starts to come through (not my best look) so when I want my skin to look more perky I turn to my Tan-Luxe Illuminating Self Tan Drops. I’m not a fake tanner of the body (too much effort and room for mishap), but at this time of year when it’s literally just my face and hands on show it’s the perfect solution. It comes in a bottle with a pipette and you just mix drops of it with your usual moisturiser in varying amounts depending on the strength of the effect you want.
Historically when I’ve tried fake tans they’ve made me go an unnatural shade for my skin tone and seem to block my pores/follicles, but this product works with your own skin tone to create a glow that is unique to you, plus it has Raspberry Seed Oil, Vitamin E, and Aloe Vera to leave your skin hydrated, nourished and luminous. I also use this product in the summer as I try to keep my face out of the sun which means it’s usually paler than my body, so I use it to balance me out. You can find this product at online beauty retailers including Space NK, Feelunique, and Beauty Bay. It's true that with some products you really do get what you pay for, and you shouldn't scrimp on these if you want them to perform for you (i.e. foundation), but with other products I find that you can get just as a good a result and lasting power with some of the cheaper alternatives available (i.e. liner). I don't need the extra SPF protection of my usual Estee Lauder DayWear Sheer Tint Release moisturiser at this time of year (my foundation has SPF - I would never go without any protection), and given it's £43 for 50ml I thought it was worth trying a cheaper alternative to illuminate and moisturise my skin. At £2.29 for 50ml I figured Aldi's Lacura Beautifying Balm was worth a gamble, and I have to say I've been really impressed with the results. Bingo! Ignore the bit on the box about tightening (I didn't either expect or notice any), but put this on right before your foundation and not only does it keep your skin moisturised, it also works like a fabulous primer (not something I expected, or normally bother with in honesty) - my foundation which I already like the finish of has an even better finish! I have oily skin so need to ensure I don't shine, but I like my skin to have an illuminated finish to keep it looking as youthful as possible; this leaves it diffused and radiant, and the effect stays all day.
I think you'll have figured by now this product is a dupe of the Clarins Beauty Flash Balm, and in line with that product this one can also be used as a mask. It's safe to say this will now be my 'go to' winter daytime moisturiser. Unfortunately at the time of writing this the product is out of stock online but it's worth checking back, and if you have a store near you I would hot foot it there and snap some up.
In July 2017 I worked with Full Aspect Productions doing hair and make up for a video shoot to create St John Ambulance's Taken Too Soon TV advert
Here is the finished product
You can read more about it here Most of my clients will know that I don’t buy into the whole primer trend (unless it’s to change the finish on your skin i.e. dewy/mattifying). Good quality products that are well applied should last the day anyway, and that’s why I rigorously test all my products on myself before using them on clients.
That said, even some of the best eye shadows applied in the best way can crease on the lid after several hours wear; especially if like me you have oily skin and exercise a lot. So, after reading some positive reviews about the NYX Eye Shadow Base I thought I would give it a try (in Skin Tone). I don’t know what to say other than this stuff just doesn’t work...in fact I would go so far as to say it actually makes shadows that wouldn’t normally crease, crease! I tried a few different application techniques and got the same results every time – which quite frankly is rather embarrassing, so have given up on it and it is now in Room 101 (aka the bin)! Latest promotional images for TV presenter and Author Jackie Kabler.
Photography: Rebecca Northway Hair and make up: DONNA BANFIELD make up artist click on images to enlarge Hair and make up done by myself for Daily Mail Inspire Story: Prue Leith 'why I'm getting married at 76' See the full article here click on thumbnails below to enlarge A large percentage of my bookings are for weddings so when I’m testing a new mascara I really put it through its paces. I need to know that not only will it last all day whatever the weather, but that it will survive the potential tears and a night on the dance floor too! Arbonne describe this as a high-performance lengthening mascara that helps create the look of ultra-dramatic lashes with major longitude. Clinically tested and formulated to be water-resistant and long wearing. This mascara certainly does have a lengthening effect and the wand is good at grabbing all the lashes, but it isn’t particularly thickening (I needed about 3 coats to get my desired thickness). Worn normally the mascara lasted all day with no smudging or flaking. I’m not sure about ‘ultra dramatic’, but I’d say this mascara pretty much does what it says on the tin. Now, time to put it to the test...exercise! I did a few 7k bicycle rides in ‘normal’ weather conditions and it survived completely unscathed. Running wasn’t so successful; the first couple of times the mascara smudged and flaked on my lower lid, so I tried again with mascara just on the top lashes. This was obviously better but still resulted in some smudging and flaking, so I’m not certain it’d last through tears. I used this mascara for 3 months to properly see the testing through and one thing I did notice when I switched back to my usual mascara is that my lashes seemed to have grown longer! I’m not sure if this was a coincidence but if not, it’s a major selling point they are missing out on. The big question; would I buy/recommend this mascara? This mascara isn’t cheap, but if you prefer a lengthening mascara and are thinking of/already using a serum to help your lashes grow then I would definitely recommend giving this a go. Personally though, I’m going to stick with my favourite Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme. Bore off cold weather! Let’s think about Spring...
For Spring 2015 the dominant trend on the catwalks was red lips in varying tones and styles; from the ‘smudged on’ matte berry stained effects seen at Missoni, Topshop Unique and Dolce & Gabbana to the more precise and satin finish looks at Zac Posen and Burberry Prorsum. All of these looks were complimented with natural earthy tones on the eyes and luminous skin. My favourite? The Burberry Prorsum lipstick which is, of course one from their own range: Burberry Lip Cover in Ruby. Which one will you be wearing? Brow MascaraMany of you will know that I have been an advocate of brow mascara for defining brows for a good few years now, and always favoured MAC’s Brow Set over other brand’s products which I have tried…until now!
I rarely use ‘high street’ make up products but decided to try out L’Oreal Paris’ Brow Artist Plumper, and after guinea pigging it on myself - which I always do at length before using products on clients, I can confirm it is now my ‘go to’ brow mascara for brunettes (I haven’t trialled the ‘blonde’ shade as yet). Why? I believe a brow mascara should work for you in much the same way a lash mascara would; providing colour, thickness and holding the hair in shape/place. A lot of other products simply provide a tint but lack on the thickening and hold side, whereas this product ticks all the boxes, plus it comes in a larger size and cheaper price than the high end products it competes successfully against. Thank you L’Oreal! You can view a lovely montage from my bride Emma's wedding on the photographer's blog.
Make up done by myself for the bride, bridesmaids and mother of the bride. Hair by Kimberly Mills The lovely British weather has meant our Autumn wardrobes are coming out early, so, to keep you up to date, here’s my take on the key trends for the new season’s make up: The Autumn/Winter 2014/15 catwalks had a real mishmash of looks, but realistically, we are only going to be interested in the wearable ones and won’t be bleaching/wearing feathers on our eyebrows to recreate those seen at Alexander McQueen! As I see it, it’s all going to be about the Ls…Liner and Lashes. Worn together, or separately, these are two main looks that you may want to start honing your skills at. There’s a plethora of ways to wear these looks; so to whet your appetite and for some inspiration here’s some of my favourites from the shows. it's all about the L's My bride Juliette's wedding at Cowley Manor featured on page 85 in the June 2014 issue of Cotswold Style magazine. Photography by Cotswold Weddings You can see the make up done by myself for Kate and Tracey's new website video Introducing Style Coaching here:
The key catwalk looks for Spring/Summer 2014 shown here came from Marc Jacobs, Carolina Herrera and Dsquared2, however, the ‘au naturel’ fresh faced looks featuring liner or orange lips were seen everywhere....and they are tricky ones to get right!
If you want to recreate these looks on yourself don’t try to mirror them exactly as you see them; to get the most flattering finish liner needs be applied in a way to compliment your own eye shape, and orange lipstick is a tricky one to get right - take your time to find the right shade to suit you. Get in touch with your feminine side... ...it's all gone girlie with the Meteorites Blossom Collection from Guerlain, the French Ballerine Collection from Lancome, the Over Rose Collection from Givenchy, the YSL Spring Collection and the Trianon Collection from Dior.
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