This post is long overdue, but I guess, better late than never!

I attended the Irish fashion Awards 2011 a couple of weeks ago to celebrate the best of Irish Talent in the Fashion Industry. It was a great night, I was greeted with complimentary West Coast Coolers on arrival and there were some nibbles making the rounds too.

Everybody made an effort to look the part and there were beautiful dresses, coifed tresses and lovely lashes and lips on display.

I got the opportunity to speak with Faye at the end of the awards. She is a truly lovely person, really warm and spoke to many people there and patiently posed in countless photographs. I asked her what the key to her success was and she said she thinks that it is because she is passionate about what she does and enjoys it.

Here is some information from her blog on why she came up with the awards:

“Perhaps my eyes are only half open, but in most of my time working between Paris, London and elsewhere, I seem to be only one of a small handful of Irish in fashion. Of course, there is no doubt that there are some amazing Irish involved in fashion abroad. But in my mind there should be so much more. Arts and culture are perhaps our greatest strength as a nation. Being creative is in our culture. For example, disproportionately more of our authors are known the world over as compared to perhaps any other nation. But that too should be the case for Irish designers, stylists, photographers and all those involved in fashion.

Admittedly, as a moderately successful 23 year old model, I can’t do very much, but at the very least I can do a little. These awards are my little contribution to fashion in Ireland, creating another window onto Ireland to share with the world. I feel it’s important to reach back to Ireland and try to connect my peers into the world I’ve stepped into. The many incredible international judges we’ll be announcing over the coming weeks are very much part of this effort. It’s only year one, but hopefully it’s the start of something that will grow in the years to come.”

A big congratulations to Zoe Clark for winning Make-up Artist of the Year! I got to assist her eleven years ago when I was only sixteen! (I know I shouldn’t be giving my age away!)

Some nice shots from a photoshoot that I did recently in D Studios just off Camden Street in Dublin. Was a great team to work with and I hope to have a video of the shoot soon.

Model: Adrienne Murphy
Photographer: Richie Stokes
Stylist: Triona McCarthy
Make-Up: Emma Farrell Make-Up

Did a photoshoot on Friday with a whole host of talented people. There was 4 hours to do about 6 different make-up and hair looks and get them photographed. It was a really fun day, but it got a bit frantic at times!

Here is one shot from the shoot…more photos will follow soon…

Make-Up: Me @ Fashion Make-Up
Photographer: Richie Stokes
Model: Georgie Frances Wilson
Clothes: Lucy’s Lounge

I wrote an article for Beauty Bag recently on Make-Up Secrets that the Pros don’t want you to know. I just thought  would share it here in case you haven’t seen it:

1.) Always start with a good base. It is imperative if you want your Make-Up to last. Primers are great. If you have oily skin make sure that you use a mattifying primer.

2.) Brushes are the key to a great make-up application. If you can’t afford to buy a whole set of brushes, just ensure that you pick up at least a good quality eyeshadow brush. That is the only way that you can achieve the dramatic smokey eye.

3.) White eyeliner on the inner rim of the eye helps to make the eyes look larger and is great if you haven’t had a good night’s sleep.

4.) If you want to get a nice defined eye, but can’t get the hang of tricky liquid eye liner, try and use a pencil eyeliner instead. Roughly draw a line on the eyelid as close to the upper lashline as you can manage. Afterwards you can smudge the line with a brush or finger. Then set this in a matching eyeshadow colour so it lasts all day.

5.) The face isn’t the only thing that needs to be primed before you begin applying your make-up. You can now get primers for your eyeshadow which makes it last and last. Also you can get lip primers, which are especially great for older skin as it helps to prevent lipstick bleeding.

6.) If you find that you are getting oily by the end of the day, get a tissue and pat it on the face to absorb any excess oil. Afterwards use some blotting powder to refresh and mattify your look without making you feel caked in make-up. If you don’t remove the excess oil first you can end up looking very ashen faced.

7.) Contouring is your best friend, you can give your face a beautifully defined look and create bone structure even if you don’t have any.

8.) Always curl your eyelashes, it helps to widen the eyes and make them appear larger. There are great heated eyelash curlers on the market if you can’t figure out the manual ones.

9.) To make your lipstick last all day, you line your lips with your lip liner. Then you fill in the whole lip with the same pencil. After this you apply the first coat of lipstick. Then you use translucent powder to set the colour. Then apply a top coat of lipstick.

10.) Although not technically a make-up product, eyedrops really enhance your make-up look, this makes them bright and clear.

For more advice and professional make-up visit www.emmafarrellmakeup.com

I have recently heard about a brand spanking new website called Nuptales.ie which is a resource when it comes to planning the perfect Irish wedding.

Nuptales.ie provides a free service catering to all your wedding needs. A wedding guidance for everything involved in the big day, from choosing the right supplier for the big day to helpful tips on how to write that all- important speech, Nuptales.ie is with you every step of the way.

I reckon its worth a look anyway!

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

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