Beauty Tricks and Tutorials

Day-to-day Makeup Tips – How to up your game

38e0e049e731d5d7b1d8ced8d5c260ffI spent some time on the weekend with a friend who wears makeup most days: Foundation, concealer, mascara, a touch of lippy. What she was keen for was to learn how to learn how to take her makeup to the ‘next level’: My friend was keen to mix up her makeup look a little: But she just didn’t know how. This is something I hear a lot: “I want to do something different with my makeup but I have no idea where to start”, or something along those lines! So, armed with my makeup kit, and a kick-butt antipasti platter and some quality vino, we set ourselves up at the kitchen table and got playing.  Here’s a quick roundup of the top makeup tricks that my buddy reckoned will make a big difference in her makeup regime. I hope there’s something in here that’s a game changer for you. (more…)

Bronze Smokey Eye Tutorial

Bronze Smokey EyeA makeup tutorial is well overdue, sorry folks!  They just take so blinking long…!   I did this bronze smokey eye a few months ago for the first time and it’s been getting a good thrashing ever since. So, I figured I would do a tutorial on it so you can all share the love too.  I’ve done this look on a few friends that have brown, green and blue eyes and it looks absolutely fabulous on everyone.  I love this look as it’s relatively quick and straightforward to do, you only need two eyeshadow brushes and the overall combination of MAC’s Bronze Eyeshadow and Maybelline’s Colour Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze is stunning. Of course, you can use any bronze shade eyeshadow, and any taupe/bronze toned eyeshadow in place of the cream Maybelline Colour Tattoo – don’t feel you need to rush out and buy these specific products. Anyhow, this is a look that’s absolutely day appropriate, as well being glam enough for an evening event. Mac Bronze, by the way, is my Number One favourite eyeshadow, it’s stunning just on it’s own or used with other eyeshadows.  (more…)

Setting Spray – Face Hairspray!

Setting spray face hairspray
Exec summary: UD De Slick is awesome. Max Fix + is not a setting spray! And skip the Australis one… [Thumbs down]
I discovered setting spray earlier this year.  I’ve renamed it hairspray for your face.  As you know, I’m a big fan of products that help with increasing the staying power of my makeup… Remember how obsessed I am with eye primer?! Anyhow, I was already impressed with setting spray but it was the reaction of a number of friends and clients who have had makeovers/makeup by me recently that prompted this blog post. Here’s what one friend said:

“I woke up the next morning and my makeup was so perfect, I could have worn it again!”

Now, I will never advocate wearing your makeup to bed (no matter how pissed you get – this is a no no) but, I’m proud that my makeup application and setting spray got such a vigorous road test!  I had done Nicky’s makeup for an event on a Friday nigh and then, as it happened, we had coffee the next afternoon.  As background, Nicky doesn’t usually wear makeup, so when she rocked up to my house sporting a gorgeous smokey eye I got a bit excited thinking, maybe, just maybe, I’d inspired her to start dabbling in makeup! Anyhoo,  when I complimented her on her great handiwork, she cracked up and explained it was my handiwork, she was still sporting last night’s face! She went to bed with it all on, woke up, thought it still looked great, so she kept it on! If this story isn’t the best advert for setting spray, I don’t know what is! (more…)

Rose Gold Eyeshadow Tutorial (easy!)

imageI’ve worn this rose gold eye a bit lately and received quite a few compliments.  It’s an easy and quick look to do (honest!) and looks particularly pretty on brown or blue eyes. Mac’s Cranberry eyeshadow is a stunning colour that freaked me out when I first got it, but it’s surprisingly easy to work with and goes with a variety of other colours. I especially love using it to create ‘rose gold’ looks.   (more…)

Smokey Eye Tutorial (using the Naked 2 Palette)

Naked Palette 24I posted a selfie on Facebook that got the thumbs up, so I here’s a step-by-step tutorial on how to do it!

I used Urban Decay’s Naked 2 Palette which I LOVE.  If you don’t own the Naked 2 Palette, don’t worry, I swatched the eyeshadows, and took closeups of the palette, so you can use similar colours!  On the pics on Facebook I went a little heavier in Steps 5 and 7 (by applying more of the colours Busted and Blackout).

This is a look that I love and have been wearing a lot lately – it’s easy to ramp up for night, or down play for day! (more…)

Eyelid primer – Why it’s worth it

SAMSUNG CSCI’ve banged on about eyelid primer before, but I’m still on that hobby horse. I just really want to share what a massive difference using an eyelid primer makes to creating a beautifully made-up eye. You can be using the best eyeshadow in the world, applied with the best eyeshadow brushes, but if you haven’t used an eyelid primer, well, you might be buggered really. Simple!
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