Sunday 1 March 2015

Reasons why I'm proud of myself this year so far



..for pushing myself out of my comfort zone of my previous job and completing a Hair and Make-Up course at Greasepaint for Film, TV and Theatre

.. for not letting the unknown and uncertainty of the future scare me as much as it did this time last year

..for pushing myself and being the sole make-up artist on my first photoshoot, even though I was painfully nervous the day before the feeling I got when I completed it and had had fun doing it was well and truly worth it.

..for spending a week living in London, although what may be a somewhat mundane task this was the first time I had spent a significant period in London since leaving university

.. for completing a week at the BBC Wig Store

.. for assisting on a BBC shoot and actually feeling excited for it, a lot of the times I am too nervous to even consider being excited

.. for impressing a future employer

.. expanding my horizons and going to see a play at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford

.. for not being afraid to stick in one place for an extended period of time as it means that skills I will gain will be incredible

..for agreeing to do the hair and make-up for a student film and the fact I am actually feeling really excited about it

..for getting a week's work experience at the world renowned Glyndebourne Opera later this year in the wigs department

.. for not being afraid of what I want to do


It's amazing what you can achieve in only 2 months.

Friday 20 February 2015

Current Favourites #2


NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser ::  you will have seen me express my love for this in a recent post. It is the perfect everyday base for me and I love it.

L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream :: my skin seems to be getting extra dry this year in comparison to past so I have been reaching for this hand cream which I got in my Xmas stocking. It's very thick but sinks in almost immediately leaving your hands moisturised.

MAC 130 Short Duo Fibre Brush ::  I've almost had this brush for a year now and I still love it. Make-up artist Sam Walker recommended it when I was on a course she was teaching at London College of Fashion saying that she could never be without it and I completely understand. Paired with any base it will give it a flawless finish and I also use it to buff in concealer. Of course it has endless uses, blush, skincare etc and if it was not for the price tag I would buy a second one in a heartbeat.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Desperation ::  I've heard alot about these pencils in the past but I could never quite grasp spending £15 on just one eye pencil. I was obviously feeling weak as a couple of weeks ago I was in the Urban Decay store in Covent Garden swatching a number of colours. This one inparticular stood out to me, it's a stone grey but a much softer alternative to black which I rarely wear for I feel it comes across as too harsh on my pale skin. It stays put all day and is so easy to use. I'm already eyeing up which one I would like next...

NARS Blush in Deep Throat ::  I've had this one for a while and seems to be a colour that I always go back to and I can wear all year around. I've really been into rosy cheeks recently and this paired with the Bobbi Brown Sheer Powder Brush creates that look perfectly. They're pricey but if seen as an investment it's unlikely you'll have to purchase a replacement as they last so long. Amazing colour pigment and contrary to others opinions I actually really like the packaging.

MAC Eyeshadow in Patina :: Another product that I've had for a while but I always go back to. If I'm ever stuck in a rut on what eyeshadow colour to wear or need to be out the door quickly most of the time it will be this colour that I'll go for. A gold-toned brown which is subtle enough for everyday.

Monday 16 February 2015

So I've discovered I loved styling hair...


I recently completed a course at Greasepaint Make-Up School, London in Hair & Make-up for TV, Film, Theatre and Airbrushing.  At the start of 2014 I decided that I wanted to pursue a career in make-up and so after working as a hair assistant for the start of the year I started the course in September 2014.   I knew that I would love the make-up side of it but what surprised me the most was how much I loved styling and cutting hair. We spent a month of the course focusing on period hair and make-up, all the way from edwardian cottage loaf hairstyles through the 20's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's. I loved the historical detail in creating these looks and the detail that went into making sure it was exactly of the era.

Even though I had been working in a hair salon prior to the course so was used to handling hair as washing hair was one of the main jobs I was yet to actually style hair until I started the course.  The styles that you can create with hair are endless, it is a form of 3D modelling that I have fallen in love with, so much so that I am going back to Greasepaint to study Hair & Make-Up for Fashion.

Handling hair can be frustrating and impossible sometimes but the feeling when you get it and you have created something that you are proud of is second to none. On my first job since finishing college I was lucky enough to be able to do the hair and make-up for a local theatre production which just reassured me how much I love doing hair.  Those four weeks of the TV & Film course were definitely my favourite and if I could I would relive them in a second.


Friday 13 February 2015

Currently On Trial


After not buying any make-up towards the end of last year I have had a couple of new additions recently that I have been trying out...

Lancome Hypnose Mascara :: I was given this as a Christmas present, which was very exciting as this is actually the first ever high end mascara that I have used (I can't quite force myself to part with £20+ when I know there are just as good offerings on the high street) but this one from Lancome has certainly showed me what I'm missing. It has gotten better with age, which after speaking to a friend of mine is apparently a 'thing' with the Lancome mascaras. It lengthens, volumises and stays in place all day. I do love it but I don't think I'd rush out to buy it again, maybe for another birthday or Christmas present?

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Desperation :: This purchase was on a complete whim. It is a steely matte grey eyeliner which is a great alternative for those who want to wear eyeliner that isn't black. It stays in place all day and I really do understand where all the hype around these eyeliners have come from. I've alreadt got my eye on another colour...

Maybelline The Eraser Concealer in Light :: when I was at make-up school one of my friends used this and I was intrigued as I had always turned a blind eye to it because of the sponge applicator. It looked a very light consistency and after seeing Vivianna Does Makeup talk about it I decided to take the plunge. With only 3 colours available I went for the light which although does suit me once buffed in is slightly too yellow. I wouldn't use this on blemishes because of the unhygenic sponge applicator but it provides a light feeling coverage for undereyes which I am pleased with.

Monday 9 February 2015

Bobbi Brown Cool Eye Palette


I had been coveting the Bobbi Brown Cool Eye Palette ever since it was released before Christmas. So when I opened a black Bobbi Brown on Christmas morning last year it's safe to say I was excited. The shades it includes are unlike any that I already own, which was part of the reason I was so drawn to it. There are 4 matte shades and 2 metallics; one pink and one silver-grey. There are so many ways to use this palette and can easily take you from day to night. One of my favourite ways to wear it has been Pink Quartz all over the lid and then Almond in the crease.

Of course because it is Bobbi Brown the tortoise shell packaging is absolutely beautiful with a decent sized mirror. There is also a travel size dual ended brush of the Eyeshadow brush and Eye liner brush which has made me want to buy the eyeshadow brush for my kit as I love it so much. It is limited edition but it is still available on the Bobbi Brown website.

Friday 6 February 2015

Exploring Soho


I was in London the other week with the sole intention to hand out my CV to any and all stage doors I passed.  Of course Soho is where the majority of Theatres in London are based, you would only have to turn a corner from one and you would see another one. I've grown up loving the atmosphere within the Theatre and musicals alike. It is an aspiration of mine to work within the Wig's and Make-Up department of a West End production.  So with that in mind I travelled to London abundoned with CV's and cover letters and spent the afternoon of a gloriously cold but sunny day wandering around the streets of Soho. It really is one of my favourite parts of London and there is always a street or building that you will have never noticed before.

As the weather was so fortunate I wanted to record the way London looked that day. London is an amazing place day to day, but when it looks like this I fall in love with it a little bit more.







Monday 2 February 2015

NARS Tinted Moisturiser...you were missed


The NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser and I first met a while ago, if I had to hazard a guess I would say it was about mid 2013. It was love at first use as a self confessed light base lover this ticks all boxes that I look for. It has a light feeling but perfecting coverage, SPF 30 and as all NARS bases do a great colour range so as expected I have the lightest shade in the range 'Terre Neuve'.  I actually find that this base gets better with time, about half an hour after you apply this it has settled down and makes your skin look 'radiant' and natural. I still have to use a concealer to cover any blemishes I may have at the time but this is a skin pick-me-up in a tube that I would recommend to anyone.

But then in October last year the worst happened. I was commuting to London and one particularly dreary and bleak morning I had to get an especially early train. I packed my make-up to do it on the train and when I got to my destination in London I noticed that it was not in my make-up bag. I had left it on the train. I didn't immediately replace it as it isn't the cheapest base in the world (£31) and I knew I had other bases to fall back on. Instead I used either the Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation or the Estee Lauder DayWear Tinted Moisturiser but neither quite lived up to the offering from NARS.

The NARS base made it's way back into life on the morning of Christmas Day and I am yet to be seperated from it since. I love it and I'm never letting it out of my sight again.

Wednesday 28 January 2015

A (belated) hello to 2015

So I am aware that we have almost reached the end of January and I am yet to acknowledge the start of a new year but here I am.... hello 2015! Although I am ready to welcome the new year in it also brings about a sense of the unknown (again). This is exactly how I started 2014 so I feel like I am more prepared but that doesn't make it any more daunting. I have come so far in the past year, more than I could have ever imagined to be possible. Although I have few plans set in stone for this year I do have a goal, a dream, something to aspire to and that is what is going to keep me going. I was wandering around Covent Garden, London the other day and quickly popped into a Paperchase there. I picked up these post cards which I am going to put up somewhere visible in my room as a reminder to myself that things will work out. The unknown is only scary if you let it be.