Model makeup #01

Evelyn so kindly included my blog in her '5 Blogs To Follow' feature earlier this week and in it she mentioned that she hopes I do more makeup artist related posts. I'm not sure whether many people are interested in this but I thought it couldn't hurt to do a 'trial post'. I thought a small behind the scenes type post about photoshoots I work on could be of interest to some of you if I tell you about the look I was going for and the products I used to achieve this. It's something a bit different and a lot more personal in one way, than I have included on my blog before. I try and keep work/blog/life as separate things but inevitably they will overlap at times :-) 
Anyway what I am getting at is feedback is appreciated! Let me know if you do or don't enjoy this post.

Instagram: @emilylaurenbeth

On Thursday I organised a beauty shoot with my photographer pal Lewis. One of the models, Naomi, is who I'm showing you today.
The vision of the shoot was just to experiment with vivid, vibrant colour. It was going to be beauty focused, (so mainly head shots with no attention to clothing or body poses) with a mainly editorial approach.

For one of the looks I decided to go all out. A test shoot is a perfect time to experiment with new ideas or techniques as it is a safe environment to learn. I decided to keep Naomi's skin fresh because she had these amazing freckles all over her face, so I made a tinted moisturiser just to even out any redness she had. I used Illamasqua Sealing Gel on powder eyeshadow 'Fame' to turn it into a liquid paste. Using an angled brush I filled her brows in with solid green colour!
Eyebrows have been 'on trend' in various forms (bushy, filled, feral) for a few years now, then there was the time Chanel hit the runways with amazing embellished brows. Many catwalk trends are unlikely to filter down to 'real people' but the element of the brow being a feature in day to day makeup definitely has. I love eyebrows and knew it was something I wanted to include in this shoot, so why not colour them in?

I created a simple contoured eye using NARS eyeshadow 'Abysinnia' and the Urban Decay Naked Basics palette, with eyeliner flicks using MAC gel liner in 'Blacktrack.' In hindsight I would have made them a bit bolder and thicker. 
At first I kept the lips bare and then for a few more shots I put MAC 'Vegas Volt' lipstick on her. You can see both looks in the instagram images above, let me know which one you think looks best.

I put her hair up in a bun and placed some fake flowers that I found in the studio in, I think it really helps make the photo and ties the overall look in together well. 

So there we are, a little behind the scenes summary of a recent test shoot. I think that Naomi did a great job considering she doesn't model very often, and Lewis did a good job of capturing my vision! Here is a final picture:

Lewis Hughes-Evans photography, Naomi Shalom model.

Thanks for reading,

E.

My Nail Varnish Storage

I have been meaning to blog about my nail varnish storage for moooonths. I recently realised that I manage to leave a trail of nail varnishes behind me. I knew I had a lot but it wasn't until I sat down and counted them all that I had the sickening realisation that I owned just a few short of 100 nail polishes. No girl, needs 100 nail polishes. Not even the nail bars I used to frequent had 100 nail polishes! Always keen for a mini spring clean (my makeup drawers are calling me- they're in one hell of a state) I thought I had better sort through my varnishes as there is no way that I wear all of them or will ever want to wear some of them again.

Above you can see the before, during, and after pictures. I streamlined my collection and put lots aside to go on to new homes, be put in the bin, or to be sent to Give and Makeup. These included the majority of my Barry M, all of my 17 (they chip too quickly), prehistoric MUA, gooey GOSH and Rimmel, plus excess coral varnishes from Nails Inc. (I had 6 corals. All the same. Girl got problems)

The storage:
The shelves are from the Ribba range that you can buy from Ikea for around the £5-£8 mark. I bought these shelves a year ago when I was shopping with my mum and instantly knew they were perfect for nail varnishes. 
I didn't put too much thought into how I would organise the ones that made the cut, I just sorted them by brand. Top shelf, front row I put my Illamasqua beauties, O.P.I, No.7, Nars, Dior, Rococo, Jessica, China Glaze and Orly. Behind the front row I put some odd glitter polishes and unbranded ones, and some nail wraps.
Second shelf I put my Essie's, Models Own, L'oreal Colour Riche, GOSH (including the original Holographic polish which I couldn't bring myself to get rid of), and all of the mini Ciate from my advent calendar. Behind these I popped any spare base and top coats and the one Barry M the made the final line up ('Mushroom' incase you were wondering.)

Already I feel a little more organised and have made it my aim to sort one section out each week. Now my nail stash is sorted I fear it may be time to move onto lip products..I dread to think how many of them I own! Would you be interested in seeing more spring clean/storage posts?

Rebel, Rebel.

MAC 'Rebel' lipstick, £14 for 3.5g. 

Thanks to the gorgeous Catrine over at Unnaked Nails I finally convinced myself that yes, another MAC lipstick was in order. 'Rebel' dropped on my doorstep earlier this week (well the Yodel man handed my box of goodies over, we're firm friends) and I whipped it on straight away. It is a deep blackberry purple shade and is of 'satin' finish. While I always find the MAC satin lipsticks drying (more so than the other finishes) I can overlook that point because I luuurrrve this shade. It's deep, but sophisticated without being too gothic. Though if you are a goth, this could totally work for you too.
As ever, unless you're going on a big night out or have a fancy do to attend, keep the eye makeup minimal. I used NARS 'Abysinia' as a base with MAC's 'Haux' in the crease and added lashings of mascara. See below for the rest of the products I used.

Please excuse the 'MySpace pose' above.

Face:

Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation in 02

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer in 'Fair'

Bobbi Brown Brightening Face Powder in 'Brightening Nudes'

Illamasqua blusher 'Lover'

Eyes & Brows

Benefit 'Stay Don't Stray' eye primer

NARS 'Abyssinia' eyeshadow

MAC 'Haux' eyeshadow

YSL 'Shocking' mascara

Benefit Brow Pencil 'Medium'

Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner 'Sepia Ink'

Lips:

MAC lipliners in 'Brick' and 'Magenta'

MAC 'Rebel'

Would you dare to wear Rebel?

My collection- highlighters & illuminators.

Complexion is key, if your base isn't right then the colour you add with eyeshadows and lip products won't look their best. For a polished, healthy complexion I rely on highlighters and illuminators, and due to my magpie like tendencies with said product I have managed to work up quite a collection....

MAC MSF in 'Soft & Gentle' doesn't need much of an introduction, and I choose to use it most days. It's a warm highlighter that can be dusted all over or built up in certain areas to create a glow. As it is mineral, it can be used wet or dry and this also creates different finishes, you get a huge dome of product and is a definite summer must have for me, but be careful not to build it up to a strong metallic finish- unless you want to look like the Tin Man from Oz.

YSL 'The White Tuxedo Palette' or Palette Blanc Terriblement; This was Limited Edition in the YSL Christmas Collection in 2011. It is perfect for the winter because it is cool toned and more suited to pale complexions, in the case it looks like freshly fallen snow and was almost too pretty to use. Overall it creates a pretty pink pearlescent highlight, however less is certainly more with this one. See more here.

TopShop Highlighter in 'Sunbeam'; To be honest I don't know what I was thinking when I bought this product, I can't see this suiting anybody because it is just so gold. I find it hard to apply this subtley and the finish is just all off. I've only used this a coule of times, I think it'll be cleaned and go into a future MUA kit for the more 'out there', imaginative looks. Not one for you natural Nancy's out there.

NARS Illuminator in 'Super Orgasm'; This is a pretty golden peach colour that is creamy in consistency. It's pretty applied onto the cheeks but due to it's glittery shimmer it is more suitable for night time. This isn't a product I use very much, but I am going to try and use it more.

Benefit 'Watt's Up!' this is a fairly new release from Benefit and is a creamy stick of a champagne gold colour. It's a verstaile colour as it can be used as an eyeshadow aswell. It gives a similar finish to Soft and Gentle, but is in cream form so is best suited for girls who don't set their foundation with powder, as it blends better then.

MAC Cream Colour Base in 'Pearl'- Once upon a time, I love love loved this however it began to feel a bit too greasy on my skin and didn't blend as well. The shade is gorgeous as it suits my skin tone yet adds a warm, subtle glow. This is perfect as an all over highlighter, it's delicate finish means it is perfect stroked down the centre of the nose, above the lips, on the brow bone and of course, on the cheek bone. It's best blended when your foundation is still wet!

TopShop 'Skin Glow'- I've had this one a while and am just using it up. It reminds me of Benefit's Moon Beam which has now been discontinued, but is similar in it's pink, gold pearlescent finish. It's lovely mixed into foundation or as a base before foundation but not a product I would buy again.

MAC Strobe Cream- This perks up the skin and illuminates even through thick foundation. It is a popular product and I can see why, but the smell is pretty dire.

L'Oreal Lumi Magique primer- this is marketed as a primer though doesn't particularly prolong the wear of my makeup. I like to mix this in with foundations that are a bit too dark as it pales it down whilst adding an illuminating glow. 

Benefit 'Girl Meets Pearl'- this is similar to Watt's Up in terms of it's champagne gold colour however it is in liquid form, this is beautiful and very subtle, it adds a warmth but isn't a product I'll purchase full size.

Benefit 'High Brow'; I love this because it instantly lifts the brow bone when gently applied and blended beneath the brow. It works best on fair skin tones as it will look most natural, and can also be applied on the water line to brighten up tired eyes, due to it's pinky tones it's a bit more natural than a stark white eyeliner.

Benefit 'High Beam'; This is an oldie but a goodie. Personally, I think this product is too 'high shine' for use on the cheekbones, so is best used to highlight the brow bone. This is the perfect finishing touch to an evening smokey eye, or used in the day to open up the eye area and add a beautiful sheen. The effects are very obvious so isn't one for those who like a tuned down look, and again this is best suited to fairer skins as it will just look streaky and too white/silver on anyone tanned or with deep skin tones.

I think that powder is my favourite medium to use at the moment so I am looking to expand on my powder highlighter collection- do you have any that you can recommend to me??

Two very sensible NARS purchases!

NARS single eyeshadow in 'Abyssinia' £16.50 for 2.2g

NARS lipstick in 'Bell De Jour' £17.50 for 3.4g

I always get a little overexcited at the NARS counter because it is one of my favourites, but I restrained myself and bought two very wearable, everyday products, and thought I'd share with you my sensible buys!!

Single eyeshadow 'Abyssinia'

'Abyssinia' is a 'delicate pearl sheen' (NARS website) however I'd argue that the pearl finish is very subtle and doesn't 'define' the finish if you like. The formula itself is buttery and blends fabulously. Because of it's cream shade it can be used as a base colour or as a highlight on the brow bone, or even on it's own for a simple day look. I'm pleased I bought this, for such a pale shade it is useable and wearable; does anyone else find that pale shades such as this are often annoyingly chalky with minimum colour pay off? Not with this one, worth the price investment if you get as annoyed at pale chalky shadows as I do!!

Lipstick in 'Belle De Jour'

'Belle De Jour' is a sheer finish lipstick, it leaves a subtle wash of colour on the lips but I've found this is buildable with a couple of coats for a slightly bolder finish. It is a beige colour that has nude and orange hues in it.

The shape of the bullet is perfect, the point is very precise and due to it's translucent finish this could be reapplied easily without a mirror if necessary!

I have found that is does dry out my lips slightly after wearing it, but this may change when the weather gets better as my lips aren't in their best condition at the moment. Obviously it's sheen finish means it isn't hugely long lasting, I'd say it lasts comfortably for a couple of hours maximum.
This lipstick was listed at number 6 on The Independant's list of top 10 lipsticks; the article states "This lipstick is one of those perfect in- between' colours, blending terracotta with taupe to create a modern take on a trendy neutral' (The Independant) - and I totally agree. It is a simple nude, but with a definite edge to it. I'd imagine it could be layered on top of bolder colours to town them down, or to add a sheen to your favourite matte lipstick, but I haven't tried either of these yet.

Both of these are what I call perfect 'interview' colours. They're neutral, inoffensive, light and don't make too much of a statement (obviously dependant on what interview you're going for!) ; )

Both are of high quality (as you'd expect from the price) and packaged in the sleek black NARS packaging that we all know and love. The eyeshadow feels particularly well protected, and even comes complete with miniature mirror inside the compact.

Boxing Day NOTD #NARS

NARS Nail Polish in 'Arabesque', £13.50 for 15ml.

Hello lovely girls! How are all of your food babies? My ever expanding belly is a little uncomfortable to say the least today!

Just a quick NOTD to show you my new NARS nail varnish from my boyfriend to me for christmas yesterday. It's my first NARS Nail Varnish and hopefully not the last!!

 

Anything pink and sparkly appeals to me, and this nail varnish is a sheer gloss with very fine ballet- pink glitter particles. The photos show about three layers of Arabesque on top of a layer of pink polish. As you can see, this week has not been kind to my nails and I bit most of 'em off. New week new start though, my nails will be looking good again in no time!

Did you all have a lovely christmas? I feel so lucky to have had Eve, Day and Boxing off work, it's been so nice to properly relax and enjoy the festive period. I made full christmas dinner yesterday from scratch, and was so proud of myself. Ben told me the roast potatoes were the best he'd ever tasted!!

We had potatoes roasted with fresh thyme and rosemary, honey roasted parsnips, yorkshire puddings (Ben had beef so that's the excuse for those!), sage and onion stuffing, braised red cabbage in balsamic vinegar, and brussel sprouts, peas, carrots and brocolli all baked in a cheese sauce.

Evening nibbles;

Can't wait to see some christmas pressie posts!

As for me, posts I have coming up include; LUSH, Illasmasqua, NARS, YSL, Benefit, Dainty Dolls (Nicola Roberts makeup line), and more. I think I'm also going to do a December favourites post as well this month.

Samples.

NARS Sheer Matte Foundation in 'Fiji' (full price £29.50)

NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base (full price £18)

Illamasqua 'Freak' fragrance (full price £59 for 75ml)

Yves Saint Laurent Shocking Mascara (full price £22)

My boyfriend bought me some christmas presents from NARS and the man on the counter threw in some samples, which made me feel a bit better about not being able to play with my new makeup until Christmas day!! (so frustrating! Boyf has now had to go and hide all my presents at his mums house to stop me finding them!)
He threw in two samples of Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base; "No smudging, no creasing, no caking, no looking back."

Review; The consistency is a thick, creamy texture and is colourless. I've used a few eyelid primers and am very happy with the one I'm currently using, and I've got to say this NARS primer won't be replacing the one in my collection. I found it a little hard to manage, in terms of it's texture, and the length of time it seemed to take to dry (still felt a bit tacky/sticky for a while after application). It seemed to collect in the outer corners of my eyes throughout the day, and end up a bit dry/crusty on the skin. I really think eyelid primers are down to personal preference, but I'm glad I've tried it and it did work, in terms of making eye makeup last longer and aiding the colour pigmentation to both remain and 'pop'
.

2x 4ml sample pots of NARS Sheer Matte Foundation made me very happy as I'd already been looking at the foundations and who wouldn't want free foundation?! It's oil free (bonus) and works on controlling shine throughout the day. It's in the shade 'Fiji' which is one of the light shades; 'Light with yellow undertones'. See full information including shade swatches here.

Review; Although I think the shade may be a touch too yellow- toned for me, I have worn it for two days now and am really happy with it; it's a thin, light liquid that offers medium to high coverage from one layer. It remained quite fresh looking throughout the day, apart from some slight drying areas. The only thing I'll say is it didn't really prevent shine throughout the day, but this can be overlooked as I liked the formula. I'll be buying this full sized, but perhaps trying a couple of the other lighter shades to find my best match.

A few weeks ago Illamasqua sent me this sample of their Freak fragrance. I was proper chuffed when I opened up my box and saw it in there because I've been wanting to try it for aaaaages but hadn't been near a counter to have a spritz, and if you read my blog regularly you'll know I am their biggest fan. I loved the campaign with the purple-octopus-on-girl images for Freak. I also ADORE the bottle, so imaginative and beautiful. The fragrance includes scents of opium flower, Queen of the Night and Frankincense.

Review; I had my suspicions it wouldn't be for me, and it did smell how I kind of expected it to. I am usually a fan of quite heavy scents, but I am instantly drawn to sweet scents (think Prada 'Candy', Marc Jacobs 'Lola') and this smelt just that little bit too masculine for me. The scent definitely does develop through wear, and it is long lasting, both of these factors are a huge plus. I'd recommend it for girls who wear scents like Tom Ford 'Black Orchid', spicy, heavy scents. Just not 'girly' enough for me, I like to smell sweet like cherry pie!

I bought a couple of bits from YSL for christmas presents and thrown in was 'Shocking' mascara. It is one of their newest products and claims to give a false lash effect, available in 6 variants of black including cherry black and and bronze black.

Review; The wand is quite slim which allows more control as it's easier to use and you can get to the root of the lash- I cannot work with big, round brushes so was happy when I saw that the YSL wand was the 'type' I like. Its fibrous rather than plastic which was a nice change to my regular L'Oreal Telescopic and I really love the results. It instantly thickens, extends, volumises and colours lashes a deep black. It is quite a thick formula so a good outcome comes from only one coat. I'd say this product is suited for girls who like big, obvious lashes. If you prefer your lashes soft/subtle then this may not be for you. See for yourself the results;

When the samples run out, I'll be buying this full sized.  I like my lashes full, thick and defined, but for some this might be more of an evening mascara! It doesn't flake or cake throughout the day and comes off easily with makeup remover.

Do you own any of these full sized? Do you love getting samples as much as I do?!!

NARS review #1 Super Orgasm Illuminator

NARS Illuminator in Super Orgasm, £21.50 for 30ml

My memory of buying this a few months ago was when I was in Space NK, and they were short staffed. The lady called over to me because she could see I was looking and asked if she could grab me something, and I remember; "yes please, the NARS Illuminator in Super..," and before I finished we both said "orgasm!" across the shop floor. I'm glad no-one else seemed to hear as we were in the rather well- to- do Henley on Thames, dahling.

 ...Aaaanywho I love NARS as a brand, their New York style sleek packaging and excellent reputation really appeals to me, and people never seem to be disappointed by their products. I intend on increasing my collection. Although I'm not disappointed in this product, it does exactly what you expect and to a high quality, I'm just not sure it really needed to be added to my already vast collection of illuminators and highlighters!

The product is a creamy, thick liquid, a smooth texture and has stunning light reflecting pigments in. It also has some really exciting ingredients in it which I feel makes it stand out in comparison to other illuminators out there; Vitamin B5 (Conditions and protects skin), and Polar Berries (antioxidant properties) are amongst them.

Left flash, Right without.

It is a really feminine, coral shade with really fine gold shimmer particles. I tend to use it on top of/underneath a blusher for extra impact, but on it's own in summer over a tinted moisturiser it gives a really natural glowing look. It's pearly, and due to it's golden shimmer particles it adds warmth to the skin- something important all year round. The shimmer stays all day.

All in all, the product is going to last a long time, so excellent value for money in the long run. I use less than a pea sized amount each time. It's also really versatile; I've mixed it in with foundation which gives a subtle, all over radiance and I've also used it on my lips with a lipgloss on top, as well as using it on my cheeks and cheekbones.

Pictured here on cheeks and lips

I'd really like to try it in the Copacabana shade, but I have a feeling its silver & pink pigmentation may be too similar to Benefit's High Beam, so it might not be a necessary purchase until I eventually run out of that!

Have you used NARS illuminators, or are you tempted to? Which other NARS products would you recommend?