Saturday 30 April 2011

Abbie's Wedding 28th April 2011

You might recognise this bride, I worked with her on the Cliff Barns Shoot which I posted on this blog a few weeks ago.  She was one of the competition winners at Adamo Bridal Boutique who got to wear lots of amazing frocks and be photographed by Craig Williams Photography.  Two weeks after the shoot I received an email from her asking me to do her make-up on her actual wedding day. I was delighted!  She has the most amazing skin and bone structure and making her up is a real joy.



Abbie decided to have smoky eyes on her wedding day, pretty much identical to the ones we did on the shoot, but she wanted to have a more natural lip.  We both agreed that the red statement lip was a little much for her particular wedding day look so we decided on a softer more wearable look.  I didn't need to see Abbie for a trial as we had already done this at the shoot, so all I had to do was book my train ticket and a nanny for the day and that was it.

In terms of the make-up I used, below is a list of the products I used on Abbie.  All of these are part of my professional kit and all products that I know well and love dearly....

Base: Chanel Vitalumiere - mix of 10 and 20
Highlighter: Boots No7 Skin Illuminator - peach
Eyes: Selection of MAC eyeshadows and Pixi Gel Liner - Onyx
Eye Liner: NARS Eyeliner Pencil - black moon
Lashes: False lashes by Eyelure
Mascara: Max Factor False Lash Effect Waterproof - black
Cheeks: MAC Blush - Peachykeen and Rimmel Natural Bronzer
Lips: MAC Lipstick - Spice is Nice + Lustreglass - Love Nectar
Powder: Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder - transparent

Have a look how she looked in the getting ready stage and also with her wonderful dress on.






Beautiful?

Tuesday 26 April 2011

Is 'b.right' The Right Buy?

I was sent five samples from Benefit Cosmetics' new skincare range b.right before the bank holiday weekend and I have spent the last four days using them so that I can tell you what I think. The advertising campaign claims that the range is 'SO RADIANT, You'll need a dimmer switch' so I have put this to the test, will my husband need to wear his Raybans when I have cleansed, toned and moisturised?

I have photographed the samples so you can see the packaging and the containers they come in (please note these are sample sizes, not the size you would get in the shops plus excuse the bad lighting on the pics)




The first thing that struck me when I opened my post was the packaging.  The boxes are designed to look fresh and clean, which makes obvious sense when inside them are moisturisers, cleansers and scrubs.  Over the four days I ditched my usual trusty products and used the b.right range consistently morning and night so that I could really tell you how it worked for me.  I have slightly dry / sensitive skin and as most of the products I was sent were 'For All Skin Types' I was comfortable with trying everything.

I used the FOAMINGLY CLEAN Facial Wash to start with.  It smells lovely and you only need a small amount which quickly works into a good lather when used on damp skin.  I found the cleanser really easy to wash off and my face didn't feel tight and overly cleansed after patting it dry.  As I used it in the morning it wasn't removing make-up but the same night I used it to 'wash off the day' and it removed my make-up beautifully without stinging my eyes! I like.

After the Facial Wash, I went for the TRIPLE PERFORMING Facial Emulsion. As it is oil free it glides onto the skin well and sinks in well too, no slippery film was left after applying it all over my face.  Don't make the mistake I made by applying it too near to the eyes - it has an SPF 15 in it and I must say it did sting, only my eyes though, not my face.  A really lovely moisturiser that didn't feel greasy or too light for my dry skin.

That same night I cleansed with the Facial Wash again then used the REFINED FINISH Facial Polish.  I am a sucker for scrubs and polishes but often they are too harsh and although initially they feel like they have whipped off the dead skin they tend to leave your face dry and sore, but NOT the b.right one. It has a very fine exfoliation within in and it left my skin feeling polished (as it say on the box!) and really soft. I always advise to exfoliate twice a week and it says this on the packaging, so if you follow this rule, your skin will be gleaming. I really like.

After the polish, I added IT'S POTENT Eye Benefit Cream all around my eyes. It feels cold when you apply it which is always lovely for an eye cream and it is absorbed by the skin really nicely.  It says that it fades dark circles, but after one application I couldn't see much difference. However, you need to use something like this for about 2 weeks to see a real change, so I will report back on how it has worked for me, but in the meantime it does feel lovely to use and again, it smells gorgeous.

I ended the process with the TOTAL MOISTURE Facial Cream which I love! This one is for Normal to Dry Skin and the texture of it is creamy but not too thick.  It soaks in really well and leaves a highly mosturised face, ideal as a base for foundation or tinted moisturiser.  After four days of using this cream I think I am converted. It is scented but not too scented, which I like, and a little goes a long way which I really like. 

The two products I want to rush out and get would be the REFINED FINISH Facial Polish and the TOTAL MOISTURE Facial Cream, both I would happily add to my own bathroom cabinet and my pro make-up kit. The others are great too, but if I had to pick it would be the two above. 

Going back to the statement by Benefit 'SO RADIANT, You'll need a dimmer switch' - I think there is some truth in this to be honest. If used regularly and as directed on the box, you will need to ask your friends and family to pop on their sunnies to avoid being dazzled!

Buy the products here from the Benefit UK website prices are on the links too.

Friday 15 April 2011

Cliff Barns Bridal Shoot - March 2011

OK this isn't make-up or beauty advice but I wanted to share a really great photoshoot with you.

Back in March I was lucky enough to work with Craig and Kate from Craig Williams Photography  on a shoot at Cliff Barns in Norfolk. Lauren from Adamo Bridal provided some stunning bridal wear and Cassandra Rizzuto sculpted one of the girls hair into a 6inch quiff and did some really creative work with tiaras. I think she has started a trend on wearing a tiara on the side


A beautiful cake was made by Fancy Nancy Cakes  for the shoot and I was particularly taken with this company not only because the cakes are AMAZING, but because my little girl is called Nancy.


Below are a few more pics for you to look at that I love from the shoot - let me know what you think of the make-up......








This last pic is in May edition of VOGUE, aren't we lucky!!! And this has just been featured on ROCK MY WEDDING have a look here http://www.rockmywedding.co.uk/lets-do-dallas-baby/