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

This is a photoshoot which was supposed to be entitled broken down mechanics…I did the bodypaint as planned, but ended up getting carried away with some colours afterwards. In the end these photographs ended up looking even better than the planned shoot. This is what I love about creativity, there are no rules and sometimes the best things happen by accident.

Make Up: me
Photography: Edel Kelly
Model: Sarah Tapes

There is one big trend this season that we definitely can’t ignore and that is brows! As a make-up artist, I am constantly harping on to people about the importance of brows and how they help to define and finish off a look.

This season brows are full and barely plucked. They are nude, light, or in some cases blocked out. A nude brow really alters the aesthetic of the face and makes the eyes seem larger and become the main focus of the face.

Another big trend this season is nude and barely there eye colours, we are talking coral pinks, dusty roses, smokey salmon and barely there beige. Think antique over exposed photos, weathered away from years of handling and reminiscing. The look is a much loved, hazy summer holiday.

Giambattista Valli

Chanel

Dior

Like blossoming flowers, there is a wash of colour making it’s way through the beauty industry. Dior had bright oranges and vivid sky blues. Jean Paul Gaultier used the rainbow as a palette, ensuring that there was a brighter alternative to the pale pastels making there way on the runway.

Dior

Jean Paul Gaultier

Lastly I couldn’t talk about Spring/Summer 2010 without mentioning the much raved about Chanel transfers. To be honest, I have seen these for many years in the likes of Claire’s Accessories, so it isn’t really groundbreaking. I won’t be rushing out to get these myself, but I like that a classic brand like Chanel is embracing popular culture and moving with the times.

Chanel Transfers

Awards season has been in full swing for a while now, but today it was time time for good all Oscar to enter the celebration of talent, entertainment and skill. Oh yes the big guy has finally arrived with much a fan fare, splash of colour, swirling dresses, sky rocketing heels and of course beautiful eye candy Make-Up! There are just soooo many gorgeous oscar 2010 make up looks to talk about that I could spend hours droning on about it, however I wont…I will just give you the cream of the crop.

Anna Kendrick

Photo courtesy of Just Jared

I feel like I should always mention that look that is beautiful for its simplicity, I believe that Anna Kendrick’s Make up is just that. She is like a porcelain doll with beautiful flawless pale skin, perfectly shaped eyebrows and a fantastic smile.

Nicole Richie

Very often on the red carpet people play it safe. I love it when someone decides to push the boat out a little. I am loving Nicole’s sixties inspired Make Up Look. The feline shaped eyeliner accentuates her gorgeous hazel eyes.

Image courtesy of Just Jared

Stana Katic

I thought I would mention Stana, because of her twist on the classic hollywood red carpet look. She has gone for the flawless complexion, defined eyes and nude lips, however it looks like she is wearing false eyelashes on the bottom of her lashes. This is definitely a trend that I am seeing more of lately and it is a great way to make your eyes look alot larger.  The whole look is effortless glamour.

Stana Katic

Sandra Bullock

One of my favourite tricks for brightening up my complexion is a bright coloured lipstick. This fuscia coloured lipstick will give a youthful vibrancy to any look.. Sandra teams it with a clearly defined eye and a hint of blusher.

Queen Latifah

A smokey, sultry salmon and black combination make Queen Latifah’s eyes the centre of focus. She has a great ability to connect with the camera and smiles with her eyes in this photo.

Miley Cyrus

She is just absolutely stunning, this shimmery, vibrant look is just gorgeous teamed with her champagne dress. She has strong black liner on and thick black eyelashes which really make her blue eyes pop.

I was loitering around one of my favourite beauty haunts the other day. I was determined that I was just browsing and was going to look but not touch. I happened upon the newly relocated Make Up Store, a Swedish make-up brand that is available exclusively in Arnotts on Henry Street. What caught my attention was the cover of a very interesting Make-up Magazine. I was happily flicking through the store’s magazine which is published by the beauty brand twice a year when I was approached by a counter staff member.

She had very cool make-up on which consisted of stark black elongated eyeliner matched with contrasting silver and white lines. The problem with the Make-Up was that it had started to slide on her face and wasn’t the best advert for the brand. However I will say that she was really friendly and had a very warm approachable aura. She asked me if I needed any help, which I said I didn’t was just flicking through the magazine. She promptly engaged me in chat and offered to give me a free copy of the magazine.

Of course I was delighted, it made me stay on the counter longer and I ended up telling her that I was running a bit low on mascara. In the end she showed me what they had on offer and let me road test one particular mascara. In the end I bought the mascara, which was 31 Euro, not a bad sale when you consider I was determined not to buy anything. Either she is a great sales person or I have the will power of a kid in a candy store (I’m gonna go for option 1!).

The Magazine was the best part of the experience, packed full of amazing high fashion/fantasy images and interviews with people in the industry. It is a great reference book for aspiring/working make-up artists. A great feature of the magazine is that it lists out all the products used and method of application. I have even seen a few things that I would like to try out and I will be heading back to purchase supplies sometime soon. I shall post the images up when I do.

Counter Atmosphere: 8/10
Consultant Friendliness: 10/10
Make-Up Application: 7/10
Product Suitability: 9/10
Pressure to buy: 15%

Touching up Kristyna's Blusher

I did a photoshoot recently for Style Tonic, a fabulous online boutique that had all the best that Irish fashion labels and retailers have to offer. Style Tonic unites Ireland’s top boutiques bringing their exclusive clothing and accessories right to your fingertips. Not only can you shop till you drop, but they also have style advice, photography, competitions and interview from those in the fashion know. Check it out now http://www.styletonic.ie/

Actual shots to follow.

Image courtesy of thesavvyshopper.ie

Frequently when I do Make-Overs I find women are wearing the wrong products for their skin or colouring. Asking them why, has turned up some very interesting answers. One of the biggest issues is that people are too intimidated to approach the cosmetics counters. Even more alarmingly is the fact that some people have gotten advise from the counters, but the wrong advise!

So I have decided to do a series called “Counter Spotlight” where I go into a counter in Dublin or wherever else I might be and give you a review of the service, the advice given and the general atmosphere. That way you will know what counters you can head to and trust.

So my first counter review is for Make-Up Forever in Arnotts on Henry Street.

It was a relatively busy Saturday as was Valentine’s Day the next day. I was browsing having a look at foundation. I wasn’t approached straight away rather left to my own devices, which I like. I turned and asked a girl for some advice on the foundation. She was very friendly and approachable. I thought that her Make-up was lovely, she had a quite a dramatic look with love hearts on the side of her face which was nice touch seeing as it was Valentines.

Image courtesy of Sephora.com

I said that I was currently using the Make-Up Forever HD Foundation, which I loved when I applied it, but after a couple of hours I was left with a greasy film all over my skin. I was promptly invited to sit in a nice furry high chair and she proceeded to try on my colour in Make-Up Forever’s Matt Finish Foundation. She also asked if I would like to try some concealer for under the eyes and my spots. Of course I said yes, not liking being “naked”(of make-up) in public. While she was applying the Make-up I mentioned that I had a voucher. As it turns out, in the Arnotts store you cannot use the Make-Up Forever Voucher. She then asked me if she should continue.

Image courtesy of Sephora.com

Now this I found a bit of a strange question…because why would I want her to stop applying the foundation half way through just because I couldn’t use my voucher in that store. That would mean walking around with half a face of foundation. I was only asking for advice on foundation, I didn’t say I was going to buy something there and then. So this means that she was only applying the foundation because she thought she was going to make a sale. In other words what she was asking me was: “Now that you can’t use your voucher, are you going to pay for this? Will I continue?” I let her continue and afterwards I said that I would like to see how the Make-up lasts.

She was very friendly and understanding, but I definitely felt like I was expected to buy it. I know that alot of people probably would have bought the foundation to save face.

The foundation itself was an exact match for both my needs and my skin tone. She also used the correct concealers for my problem areas. However the application was by no means perfect, it was really way to heavy and was not blended properly. Over some spots I had tons of product that was clearly visible and not blended.

So in summary:

Counter Atmosphere: 8/10
Consultant Friendliness: 9/10
Make-Up Application: 6/10
Product Suitability: 8/10
Pressure to buy: 90%

This is just some of the goodies that I got in MAC at the IMATS recently in London.

MAC Cosmetics