Blue Mascara - would you dare?

I would and I do! I have to say, I love blue mascara. As I have orangey brown eyes it really works on my colouring. Talking of who it suits, I don't think it suits people with blue or green eyes very much, but this is my opinion, however if you want to wear it and have green or blue eyes, I suggest using navy or using a layer of black mascara first to bring the colour down a bit.

My current favourite is by a brand called 2true.  I have tried their other mascaras and I do not rate them but this one works - it's bluuuuue, it lasts very well and I love the price - £1.99!!! One Ninety Nine! (Superdrug)


Would you dare to wear?

My First TV Appearance

I've been working on the new SkyLiving show 'Bigger Than' over the last few months and tonight was the first episode.  I worked mainly with Mark Summers and Paul L Martin but on a few of the other shows I did the make-up for the contestants (Gaga's and Rihanna's). I loved every minute of this show and it also makes great viewing

Wednesday's @ 9pm on SkyLivingHD

Natural 'Barely There' Bridal Make-up

Lulu contacted me about her wedding day and her brief was BARELY THERE MAKE-UP.  Lulu doesn't really wear any make-up and the idea of looking 'made up' on her wedding day was too much - she really did want the 'no make-up / make-up look'. On her trial we tried various degrees of eyeshadow and depth of colour (although still light shades) but it all came back to the 'peaches and cream' look that was best for her.

Here is a fab pic of her and her husband and a list below of the products I used.

Foundation; Chanel Vitalumiere
Concealer; Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage
Highlighter; Boots No7 Skin Illuminator - peach
Brows; Laura Mercier Brow Pencil - Blonde
Eyeshadow; MAC shadows - number of cream/creamy brown colours
Mascara; Max Factor 200 Calorie black/brown (combed through for natural look)
Cheeks; MAC Peachykeen blusher powder (v lightly applied)
Lips - can't remember - but likely to be a colour v close to Lulu's lip colour
Powder; MAC Prep and Prime Translucent Finishing Powder
Highlight Powder; Laura Mercier Loose Shimmer Powder

The glowy sheen to her skin looks natural and flawless. The KEY to the no make-up look!

What do you think to her skin on the picture above?

x

Have a sniff!

The best candles I have ever, ever sniffed are by an Australian company called Sniff Soy Candles and they truly are unique in that they actually smell exactly like they say they should - a rareity.  I was in Liberty a few weeks ago and did a proper smell test of most of the candles in there, which I have to add ranged from £25 to £75 (for a candle!) anyway, I came away thinking that a lot of them smelt nice but none of them had a scent that would linger and fragrance a room properly.  

I have been very lucky to get my hands on 3 candles all the way from Australia; Rose Bud, Fresh Cut Flowers and French Verbena. See them on the website here 

I can honestly say that they smell adorable, French Verbena is my fave, and they retail at only $29AUD which is about £18. A whiffing sniffing bargain!

Mine are branded too - so I have the only Lucy Baker Make-up Sniff Candles in the world! :)

Thanks to the Sniffettes for sending these over to me to try.

x

My favourite lipbalm EVER EVER EVER

I am a total and utter lip balm addict and can confess that I have bought nearly every single one on the market over the years and I can also confess I have loved.... just about none of them. Too greasy, too expensive, too slippy, too smelly, too this and too that and none have been right - UNTIL NOW.... I am too excited about telling you about this product as it is a great price, a great product and it stays on! hurraaahhhhh.  Plus is is SPF 15, available on the high street, organic, super conditioning and and and....... ok.....here it is

THE BEST LIP BALM IN THE WORLD - according to me

It is from Holland & Barrett and is just £3.25 for a 5.7ml tube. My advice to you is GO OUT AND BUY IT AND THROW ALL YOUR OTHER RUBBISH LIP BALMS AWAY!


The End

A little look at make-up prep on a photoshoot

I did a photoshoot today using a lovely model called Olu. The photographer, Hannah, chose her because she has a truly amazing face that she knew would be just PERFECT for our shoot.  My make-up brief was to focus on the lip, using glitter, heavy glosses and bright colours to accentuate Olu's amazing smile, so of course I 'went for it' whilst keeping the skin natural and glowing and the eyes kinda natural.

The snaps below are just a few of me doing the make-up - the main shoot images will follow very soon. I'll list the products I used at the shoot on my blog when I add the finalised images.

NOW THAT IS GLITTER!!!

And here is Olu in the finished images:-

Base; MAC Face & Body

Michelle Ganz's Wedding Morning

Michelle first contacted me back in November 2010 with an enquiry about having her make-up done for her wedding in August 2011. It seemed such a long time away back in November but a few weeks ago was Michelle and Darren's wedding day and I was honoured to make her and her bridesmaids up for her big day. Her wedding took place at the Runnymede on Thames Hotel in Surrey and the view from her room was a beautiful and busy River Thames with barges and boats cruising along it - just gorgeous!

We had two make-up trials over the months leading up to her wedding day and we really perfected her glam, but bridal look that made her really stand out in her fantastic dress and great hair by Rebecca Wakeman - think red carpet chic mixed with beautiful bride and you can imagine how incredible she looked when we had finished!

I have a selection of photos for you to see (non official ones) so take a look and let me know what you think. I will post some official ones soon when Michelle gives me the nod!

Few hours to go until hair and make-up, so just relaxing (and posing!) 

View from the hotel window; a very British game of croquet by the Thames

Just about the leave for the ceremony

A real red carpet snap!

See what I mean about ultra chic........

Working with Michelle Ganz, now Lee, was an absolute joy from beginning to end.  I enjoyed her relaxed nature immensely and her organisational skills were second to none throughout the whole process and I loved it how she kept me in the loop with decisons she was making.  Michelle's skin is just so beautiful to work with too, she has a great skincare routine and went for regular facials with a trusted beautician for many weeks before her wedding day and this paid off enormously.

Many Happy Returns and Mazel Tov to Michelle and Darren and may you have a brilliant and happy marriage together.

x

Photoshoot for Sam Simmons

Sam Simmons is a Presenter and a Model and a very good one at that - she has masses of energy and a radiant smile and FABBO skin, which you will see in the images below. I have worked with her a few times and was delighted when she asked me to do her make-up for a recent portrait shoot with Philippa from Newland Portraits.

As Sam's skin is sooo great she didn't need much base or concealer and my job as a Make-up Artist was to enhance her natural beauty, not change it. See the pics:

Products I used on the shoot:

Skin: MAC Face and Body - C6 and 7 (mixed)
Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer - SC6 pallette

Brows: Benefit Instant Brow Pencil - Deep

Highlighter: BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector - Topaz

Cheeks: NARS The Multiple - Maui

Eyes: MAC eyeshadows - mix of neutral colours
MAC Pro Lash Mascara - Black

Lips: mixture of lip colours from my existing palette

Powder: Laura Mercier Loose Powder - Translucent

M.A.C Half Lash Curler - do they work?

M.A.C Half Lash Curler

I got my hands on the new M.A.C half lash curlers last week and wanted to report back on what I think of them.  I always assess things from two points of view : one, from a make-up artist perspective and two, for my own usage.  I was with someone in the store and tested them out as I would use them on a shoot or with a bride and I thought they were great.  I have sometimes struggled with using lash curlers on people with deep set eyes and very large eyes, but with the half curlers you can curl sections at a time which is particularly good for large eyes.  I adore them for doing just the outer corner lashes too. 



M.A.C Full Size Lash Curlers v M.A.C Half Lash Curler



This morning I used them on myself.  I am sure you all know that you need to use eyelash curlers without mascara so forgive my very plain un-made face on the pictures that follow.  I have cropped the images so that I don't look too frightening for you!

 My un-curled eyelashes

Outer Lash Curling

Inner Lash Curling



The End Result - Curly or what?!

I must admit my favourite eyelash curlers are the Shu Uemura ones which really curl and not kink the lashes.  These half curlers do kink slightly, but they made me look SO awake it is hard to fault them.  As I write this 7 hours later my lashes are still great -they have softened slightly with the weight of the mascara, which is a good thing. 

This last pic was taken after the curling test, I added mascara to the bottom lashes so you can see the full effect.




My M.A.C'd lashes! (still with no make-up on - bit of gloss that's all)

In answer to the question in my title - YES! THEY DO WORK.

The half lash curlers are available in M.A.C stores throughout the UK and online. 

M.A.C Half Lash Curler 

Price: £11.50

Be Bride Ready

I've been doing a lot of trials for brides recently and throughout our two hour sessions I pass on hints, tips and tricks to brides without really knowing the value of them to other people.  I think the reason for this is that they are second nature to me and things I have learnt for myself over my make-up career.  It wasn't until a client remarked on a mascara tip I fleetingly mentioned whilst preening her eyelashes that I really understood the things I know about make-up and application are things every woman should know!


I want to take you through a few of these tips and try and share with you some of the products, tips and procedures that really work.  Even if you are not a bride, these recommendations are invaluable and things that we all should be doing every day.  I am opening up my industry secrets to you, so get your pens and paper at the ready......


Tip One:


This one isn't product related but it is something I tell all my brides.  Drink boiled water with 2 slices of fresh lemon every morning.  Ideally do this at least one month before your big day to give your skin a chance to become utterly hydrated and gorgeously plump.  The best base for make-up is smooth hydrated skin and although you can give your skin a helping hand from the outside, this has to come from within.


Tip Two:


Look after your eyebrows.  Again, not a product related tip but one that will make you look natural and pretty.  Plucking your eyebrows to death is a thing of the past so my advice to brides is to try and grow your brows at least 3 months before your big day.  We all know that the growing out stage will be a bit ugly and even wild at times, but my goodness is it worth it.  Stop with the home tweezers (unless you have some really low or high stray hairs) and pay for them to be shaped and tinted about 2 weeks before your big day.

Tip Three:


Buy a moisturiser that works! I currently love Oilatum Natural Repair cream.  It sounds like an eczema formulation, but it really isn't.  We think of Oilatum as a harsh thick greasy cream for scaly patches, but this cream is a miraculous nourishing formula that does what it says on the tin - it naturally conditions and moisturises and it will not irritate your skin. It's cheap and it is the best high street moisturiser you can buy.


Tip Four:


Moisturise your body thoroughly on the run up to the wedding.  The last thing you want is dry patches on your elbows and dry looking skin on your wedding day.  Palmer's Cocoa Butter is fab for this but if you don't like the chocolatey smell then opt for your normal body lotion and lather it on morning, noon and night.


Tip Five:


Go and get Shellac fingers and toes.  CND Shellac lasts for 2 weeks which means that you will look neatly groomed well into your honeymoon - Read my blog post on Shellac here http://lucybakermakeup.blogspot.com/2011/06/shiny-shellac-from-cnd-creative-nail.html

Tip Six:


Don't wear make-up on the run up to your wedding. Let your skin breathe and with the help of a home face steam 4 days before you get married (blog post on doing a face steam coming soon) - your skin will look radiant, glowing and youthful.

Follow my tips and BE BRIDE READY!!

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