My Make Up Artist Lip Palette

Top row L-R: MAC Blankety, Pink Plaid & Rebel,. Illamasqua Immodest, Flare and Apocalips..
Bottom row L-R: Illamasqua Drench & Russian Red,  Vegas Volt. Illamasqua Wanton, Plunge, Corrupt and MAC Up The Amp

I finally got my act together and made my lip palette. On most jobs, a lip palette is ideal because it saves both space and weight in an already heavy kit bag. I would only use lipstick straight from the bullet for a 'special occasion' such as for a bride on her wedding day or if I was to ever work on a high profile client (though that is a long way down the road.)

I've seen this process done in many ways, some use a whole lipstick, others a slither. Some melt the lipstick and pour into the box, others cut and smush. I made that word up by the way, but I'm totally sure you all know what I mean. 
I decided that I didn't want to sacrifice a whole lipstick to a Muji pill box. Instead, I cleaned all of my lipsticks and used a third to a half of the product, leaving some remaining in its packaging. Why did I choose to do this? Firstly, because I wanted some lipsticks left over, you never know if the Muji box will become damaged or god forbid, lost. If I had used 12 whole lipsticks and then something bad happened then I'd be waving goodbye to £150+ worth of makeup. Secondly, (as mentioned above) some clients would prefer to see an MUA working from a lipstick bullet rather than a messy palette of smushed up colours. (There's that word again.)

I also decided not to melt my lipsticks. I can't help but feel it is a massive faff for no reason at all, plus I am sure that melting and drying lipsticks will alter their original texture. I want my mattes to stay matte, and anything with glitter in I want to stay evenly distributed.

For this palette I only used a combination of MAC and Illamasqua lipsticks, because they are good quality and high in pigmentation, and not so expensive that it felt a sin to cut them up.

The process is straightforward but fiddly at times. I cleansed each lipstick and used a sharp knife to slice off the desired amount, then smoothing it into its section in the pill box. I later pressed down on each segment to secure it in place. Not as neat looking as those who have melted, but it'll do the job and that's what matters. 

I have used this a few times now and so far it delivers well. It is such a good way of keeping an amount of lipsticks succinct and it also makes it easy to mix different shades on the back of my hand!

Thanks for reading,

E.

Midweek Post: What have I been up to?

I have been a bit absent from blogging recently for a few different reasons. Firstly I have been working three jobs which has obviously been taking up a lot of time, then the days off I have had I have wanted to spend with friends or Ben, or on the sofa watching films! Secondly, I've lost a bit of 'mojo'- I'm using lots of products but I am having a bit of trouble forming an opinion on most of them, so I don't want to blog about them as that would be pointless, so I think I might include more makeup looks into the blog as I like to do them. Thirdly, I have been really busy aside from working, but it's those bits I'll include below :-)

I popped down to London a couple of weeks ago to be a practice model on a makeup course held by celebrity makeup artist Louise Constad. She was teaching a one day shortcourse to a lady who is a hairdresser at the BBC and wanted to branch out into makeup too. I'm booked in to attend Louise's 'Mastering Makeup' Course in March and she invited me down to meet her and to be a practice model. I really enjoyed myself, she has a crazy mini poodle who was so small! In the morning we had coffee and went through different magazines like Harpers and Vogue and talked through different makeup looks and trends. Couldn't help but notice an abundance of bleached brows! In the afternoon they did a natural makeup look on me, which included perfecting foundation and concealer, how to contour, different ways to do brows and a natural lip. Then they created a more dramatic look on me with graphic liner and Lady Danger lipstick from MAC (which I much preferred to the natural look ;-) ) My skin was so sore by the end of the day because my makeup had been off and on and off and on and being removed with makeup wipes each time which don't really agree with my skin. I had a great couple of days but they were so exhausting, really excited to do the week long course with Louise, March can't come soon enough!

Last Sunday I drove to Birmingham after work to see an old friend. On Monday morning we headed into Birmingham to do a bit of vintage shopping, we started in Digbeth and looked around the emporiums there. There was so many awful christmas jumpers I had to resist taking photos of all of them! She also took me to a sack sale where everything is a pound, and if you fill up a sack you get the lot for a tenner. I only picked up a couple of bits but I'm really pleased with them and you can't go wrong for £1 each! Later in the day we went to the German Christmas Markets which was absolutley huge, stalls included foodie ones with gingerbread, chocolates, candied nuts, deep fried cheese, waffles, pancakes, pretzels, reindeer burgers! Alongside mulled  cider and wine stalls, and Baileys hot chocolate. Shame I was driving home that night becaue I could have easily got pretty tipsy and spent the day tasting the alcoholic delights! There was crafty stalls too with German woodwork etc as well as local businesses that had hired pitches. Finished off the day in the Art Museum at the Pre-Raphaelite exhibition. I don't go to many exhibitions any more, but I should make more effort as I did a degree in Art History! I loved seeing Alma-Tadema's 'The Bath' in real life.


Right, I won't bore you with anymore, just thought I'd include the highlights from the last couple of weeks! Have you been to any christmas markets this year?