Emma Farrell Make-Up Artist

Wedding Dress Designer: Sarah Foy
Photographer: Edel Kelly
Model: Bernadette McLoughlin
Bridal Make-Up: Emma Farrell

Me likey alot!

Sick of carrying a ton of slap around with you, just to maintain the perfect look? Always manage to drop and smash an AWOL  eyeshadow, that jumps kamikaze style out of your bulging handbag? Want to try and reduce the space when travelling but can’t give up your make-up?

Well Bobbi Brown have the answer. They have come up with a nifty idea of making your own personalised palette where you can keep all your beauty must haves in one personalised compact. I always keep an eye out for palettes and have been known to buy a few in my time, but I always end up with shades that I don’t use and this can be a waste too. However with Bobby Brown you choose what goes into it. It’s really slim and you can fit nearly everything you need into it, eyeshadow, blusher, lip gloss and even foundation! There is a melted down version of their foundation sticks. This is a great portable make-up kit.

So I decided to get my own make-up palette and bring you through the steps.  This one would be ideal for a bride on her wedding day, or for a natural beauty look. I did notice that the colour swatches aren’t an exact representation of the actual colour, so just be careful! I have used alot of these shades before so I know what they are actually like.
1.) Choose which Palette you would like:

2.) Then it is on to selecting the eyeshadows. I have kept them very neutral and matt. The reason that we use matt eyeshadows for bridal make-up is because it looks beautifully natural. I have chosen “Bone” this is a great base eyeshadow  and for placing under the eyebrow. I find that this is one of the eyeshadows in my kit that I can never get enough of.

3.) The second eyeshadow to be popped in is Hot Stone. This is a warm brown that I like to place on the lid for a lovely natural, but pretty eye.

4.) The third is Espresso. This is a great defining colour and adds a bit of drama to a look. I use this in the socket and ensure that it is nice and smokey. I also like to use it as an eyeliner for both the top and bottom of the eye. It makes for a nice soft alternative to say a liquid or gel liner.

5.) Just went for a really soft gorgeous blusher called Tawny that gives you a lovely flush of colour. This will suit most undertones.

6.) Lipgloss in Cherry Pink, a  vibrant pink that makes your lips look irresistibly kissable. Gorgeous worn lightly during the day or pile it on for a more intense colour at night.

7.) Lipgloss in Pink Cloud, this is a gorgeous marshmallowy sweet lipgloss, beautiful worn for a day look.

Et Voila! Beautiful Make-Up nicely compacted for your handbag, I am an instant fan and I think you will be too. My only little gripe is that I think you should get a huge discount for buying it all together…it gets a little expensive. Thats all I got this time, but I think the next time I will investigate the foundation and also the quad lipgloss set…four miniature pink glosses that only take up one space in the palette, but thats another days work (and paycheck)!

Laters xx

ARTICLE ABOUT WEDDINGS IN THE RECESSION:

I have been wondering if the downturn has effected the wedding industry or not and how this would affect me as a make-up artist…from my research it would seem that it hasn’t. People are just keen to get value for money now, aware that with the financial crisis there is a real opportunity for a bargain. I think if you offer quality service for good value you will always be kept in business.

A fellow make-up artist in Ireland has this to say in a recent press release:

Co. Clare, Ireland — 05 May. 2009 — Irish Brides-To-Be searching for the perfect choice of makeup artist have had their prayers answered with the launch of ‘Makeup By Gillian’ in County Clare.

Gillian Dunphy, a professional freelance makeup artist specialising in weddings, says that the economic downturn has had little impact on the number of couples deciding to walk down the aisle.

“The demand for Makeup Artists is as strong as ever. However, most brides are looking for more competitive rates without jeopardising how they look on their Big Day. Like every other sector, the wedding industry has had to adapt by offering clients a quality service at a reasonable cost”, stated Ms. Dunphy.

She said that there was a common perception of makeup artists being overly expensive.

“This could not be further from the truth”, stated Ms. Dunphy, “Price being hiked for Brides To Be is an unethical and wrong business practice but is less frequent than it would have been in the past. The vast majority of practicing makeup artists in Ireland are today professionally trained and are cogently aware of the financial burdens placed on couples getting married. Makeup By Gillian, for example, offers special rates to anyone getting married”

She noted that the Internet had played a major role in making the wedding sector more competitive for service providers and customers.

”The Internet has allowed customers to discover these special offers and to compare one service over another. This can only have positive consequences for the sector as it too attempts to devise business strategies in response to the current economic downturn”, Ms Dunphy concluded.

WHILE I WAS HAVING A LOOK AT THE PRESS RELEASES I STUMBLED ACROSS ANOTHER INTERESTING ARTICLE.

I  am always keen on learning more about style and fashion. Now it seems it is made easy for you with styling classes from Style Fish:

Co. Kildare, Ireland — 09 Apr. 2009 — In times when all we seem to be hearing about is DOOM & GLOOM – WWW.STYLEFISH.IE HAS ARRIVED TO BRING A SMILE TO THE FACES OF THE WOMEN OF IRELAND!

Walking in a woman’s shoes nowadays can be tough. With children, husbands, work, mums, friends all to keep happy, but what about you?!
Sophia Loren once said “A woman’s clothes should be like a barbed wire fence, serving their purpose without obstructing the view!” While the clothes we wear will never make us who we are, what we wear & how we feel in our clothes has a huge affect on our self-confidence & that helps make us who we are. Style fish was set up by Julie Cobbe to inspire women to find, develop & have fun with their style & beauty in an inspirational 8 week programme just for women! Making that ‘Stylish’ feeling accessible to women everywhere no matter what your lifestyle or budget! Someone once said ‘Men look at themselves in mirrors, women look for themselves.’ Women see a deeper meaning in themselves and sometimes just sometimes need a little help to see what they know to already be there. Style fish has done the research, asked the questions, road tested the classes & this ladies is what you have asked for! From body shapes to bras, from your colours to your closet, make-up to hair, confidence to calories, clothes swapping to clothes shopping and everything in between its not about buying more clothes its about understanding what suits you & what doesn’t, how to put together the clothes you have & how to get away from the ‘Nothing to wear’ Syndrome!
Each lady will walk away with their very own personalised‘Style fish Fashion Bible’, full body & colour analysis, exclusive Style Fish Membership Card with 12 months of offers, discounts & ‘extras’ all for you. Tailormade for you, Saving you so much money all in an inspirational & fun class setting!
Julie is a qualified Style Coach. She has worked in fashion & weddings in London, has been involved in bringing Ireland’s first ever designer Wedding Dress Sample Sale, Billion Dollar Brides to Ireland, she has appeared on TV3’s ‘Xpose’ & has written for numerous fashion publications on everything from fashion & weddings to life & love.
“You don’t have to spend a huge amount of money on personal shoppers & consultations, it is the financially friendly solution – educating you! It’s simple, its cost effective, its fun & it will give you everything you need to totally transform how you feel about yourself & your style!” Julie
For further Information contact julie@stylefish.ie/ 087 4130336 or check out www.stylefish.ie
Starting Laois; Thur 16th April, Maldron Hotel, Portlaoise/Time; 7.30 – 9.30pm/ Cost €299
Starting Kildare; Tues 28th Apr/ Venue; Osprey Hotel, Naas/ Time; 7.30-9.30pm/ Cost; €299
Starting Dublin; Mon 18th May/ Venue; Louis Fitzgerald Hotel, Naas Road, Dublin/ Time; 7.30pm – 9.30pm/ Cost; €299

AND CONTINUING WITH THE STYLE THEME:

Co. Dublin, Ireland — 06 Feb. 2009

Fee G is an independent Irish Fashion House based in Dublin. Fee G was founded in 2003 by Fiona Heaney and her partner Don Gormley, under the Fee G label.
Graduating from NCAD Dublin, Fiona worked internationally and in Dublin before launching her own collection with it’s distinctive style.
The SS09 collection makes a strong statement by juxtaposing classic silhouettes with bright colour and vibrant pattern.
Luxurious fabrics, silks and linen blends are teamed with quirky unique embellishments and embroideries. Each garment is created with love and is designed to make the wearer feel beautiful and feminine.

The collection is stocked in over 120 boutiques in Ireland and the UK. Images are available at a high resolution for printing.
Contact design@feeg.ie for more information regarding the brand.
www.feeg.ie

Which Bride are you? Just got my usual dose of fashion from Vogue. There was a very entertaining article I thought I would share with you. Apparantly you can tell alot about a woman from the type of wedding dress she chooses. Made for very funny reading…where do they come up with this stuff ??

http://www.vogue.com.au/fashion/articles/vogue_brides/vogue_brides

Now seriously you have to be kidding me…would anyone wear this?

I liked the Collette Dignam Dress…sometimes simplicity is best!

Simply Beautiful

1. Collette Dinnigan knows that simplicity can be just as powerful as metres of meringue-like tulle.
There’s no stopping this bride as she makes it down the aisle in record time.
Wedding march: Unforgettable by Nat King Cole.
Wedding secret: Tricep dips for toned arms.
Wedding fear: Spilling Bollinger on the dress during the Best Man’s lurid speech.

Photograph by Lili Forberg

Good Skin

The best foundation to any bridal make-up is fresh healthy skin. Beauty takes time and preparation. At the very least six months before your big day you should adopt a skin plan to get yourself in order for the big day. A monthly facial from a reputable beauty salon is advisable. However leave at least four weeks before the wedding for the final visit to ensure that you have no post facial breakouts that linger around for the wedding day. If you are on a budget then why not have your own facial routine. This can be done easily using products from your local store. Click here for some recipes. A good facial routine should include cleansing, toning, exfoliation and rehydration. I love nothing more than relaxing in a nice bubble bath with a home made facial and cucumbers on my eyes.

Avoid too much sun as dry flaky skin is a definite no no. If you do want to have that healthy glow, opt rather for a skin friendly fake tan. Make sure that you try the fake tan out at least once before the big day as you don’t want to walk down the aisle looking tangoed. You should get it applied around 24 hours before hand so that you can have a shower and let it fade to a more natural colour, also you don’t want to have any accidental staining of the big white dress! Don’t wax or shave before getting it done, I have had many brides that have done this and ended up with lots of fake tan trapped in their hair follicles. It has been a rather funny situation to be putting more make-up and bronzer on peoples legs than their face!

Hair

There are two types of hair that concern us on our wedding day, there is the type we want to be nice, glossy and styled and then there is the hair that we don’t want to see or feel! For the hair on your head, make sure to condition it well, trim, touch up any roots and grow it to the desired length. Its definitely best to have a hair trial before hand…you don’t want any surprises! Then for the underarms, legs and bikini line, waxing is best. The last thing that you want to be caring about on your wedding day/honeymoon is unwanted hair. Make sure to wax a few months before hand, this will make the hair lighter and also ensure that you don’t have any allergic reactions to the product.

Body

There are many things that we can do to get the dream body for our wedding. A healthy diet and a good exercise regime are the best options. Hire a personal trainer if you find it hard to get motivated or join a group like weight watchers..I have found it easy to lose some of my “extra insulation” with them as you are still allowed the naughty treats. You can also aid this with body treatments in your local spa eg wraps and anti-cellulite treatments. Avoid alcohol and bread a couple of days before, so that you aren’t bloated for the wedding day. Surgery is an extreme measure and not one that we would advise, afterall, your hubby to be is marrying you for YOU just the way you are!

Nails

Your hands and nails will receive tons of attention with guests and photographers alike wanting to have a close inspection. Get a good nailcare routine going well in advance of the big day. Use a hand cream daily and a home weekly manicure will keep them in good nick. Artificial nails can be a great option for nail biters, but they require regular maintenance. I quite like the gel nails that are cured with a UV lamp, they are quite pretty and not as harsh as the old acrylics on your natural nail. I feel a simple french polish is a beautiful option for the day of the wedding.

Foot Care

Be sure to not forget about those tootsies! A pedicure a couple of days before the wedding is a must, especially if you are wearing open toe shoes. You will be on your feet for most of the day, so make sure that your shoes fit comfortably. Try breaking them in, by wearing them around the house a few days leading up to the wedding. Don’t forget your gel insoles!! Also consider bringing a back up pair of soft flat shoes which you can leave in your hotel room for later when you just cant take the heals any longer!

Teeth

Consider teeth whitening if it is something that concerns you. There are plenty of good home kits on the market. Or I have found the new Whitening Mouth Washes to be superb at getting them a couple of shades lighter if that’s all you need. Just ensure that you avoid red wine, coffee and smoking afterwards as teeth that have been bleached are more prone to staining.

Scent

I have been told that you never forget the perfume you wear for your wedding day. It is essential that you get the choice right because that smell will always bring you straight back to your special day…and you want it to be for all the right reasons. Make sure that you have worn it before the day, so that you know it definitely suits you, fragrances change with time on the skin. Don’t go for anything that is too strong or really different from what you usually where. Make it last on the day by using the ancillary products that come in the perfume range, these could be shower gels or body lotions.

NB: Don’t Panic, the main thing is that you pamper yourself and don’t get too worked up before the wedding. It is supposed to be the best day of your life.