Look Good...Feel Better

As a makeup artist, helping people feel good about themselves is all part of the job. Brides, birthday girls, hen parties…they all want to look extra-gorgeous for that special occasion. But there’s another side to the makeup industry that fascinates me – camouflage makeup for people who have been scarred through illness or an accident.

When you look at the same face in the mirror everyday of your life, it’s easy to become ungrateful of what’s staring back at you. The same cheekbones, lips, eyes, nose…some people go as far as to alter their features with plastic surgery.

But what if your face was altered through illness or an accident? How would you feel staring into your reflection? Your self-confidence would hit rock bottom. You’d want your old face back.

The charity ‘Look Good…Feel Better’ is tackling the issue head-on. This fantastic initiative teaches beauty techniques to cancer patients so that they can manage the appearance-related side effects of cancer treatment.

Fighting cancer is a gruelling battle, and the added emotional trauma of scarring is enough to drag anybody’s self-image to the ground. When you’re feeling down about yourself, you don’t exactly have the energy to fight. 

‘Look Good…Feel Better’ provides individual, group and self-help makeup sessions that offer support and inspire self-confidence. It’s amazing how much stronger you are when you feel good about yourself.

Makeup professionals work with cancer patients on skin care, nail care and show them how to deal with hair loss using wigs, scarves, hats, hairpieces and other accessories.  It’s these small things that make the difference. And for those who are unable to attend sessions, self-help materials are provided so that patients can master the techniques at home.

This is such a worthwhile cause, and it’s something I would love to become involved in. It’s amazing what a dab of concealer can do, both aesthetically and emotionally.

To find out more about ‘Look Good…Feel Better’, visit their website. It’s a truly inspiring read:

http://lookgoodfeelbetter.org/

But it’s not just cancer patients who can benefit from good camouflage techniques – makeup can conceal all types of scarring and skin problems, from burns to acute acne. Veil Cosmetic Camouflage make incredibly effective products. Take a look at their website to read about people’s experiences:

http://www.veilcovercream.com/

In the meantime I’ll be attending relevant training courses in order to get involved in this side of the makeup industry. I love mainstream makeup, but it would be fantastic to apply my skills to a cause that really changes lives in a lasting, significant way.

Practice makes perfect...

I’m going to let you behind the scenes. Or, to put it another way, tell you how us makeup artists always seem to produce such gorgeous photo shoots.

One phrase comes to mind – practice makes perfect. And if you’re a perfectionist like me, it’s probably one of your favourite mottos.

I’m due to work on a drop-dead gorgeous, fully styled photo shoot. Not only do I want the results to be jaw-dropping, but I also want to be prepared. And how do I get on top of the game? By carrying out my very own test shoot…

So, I sorted out a fantastic studio; convinced my photographer brother, Paul O’Rourke, to shoot; and bribed my good friend, Eleanor McCaughey, to model. I’m a fan of involving friends for test shoots, because I feel more comfortable and can focus on just getting it right.

And the look I was going for? Perfect porcelain. I ditched the bronzers and went for Makeup Forever’s Mat Velvet + Matifying Foundation. This wonder product conceals blemishes, evens out complexion, and leaves a flawless mat finish. If this isn’t already in your makeup bag, I strongly suggest it should be!

Just look at the china doll effect it creates…

I also used MAC’s Blackground Paint Pot as a base on Eleanor’s eyes to make sure the colour retained its impact. I find certain colours can fade in photographs, but this stuff always holds its strength and is a favourite amongst us makeup artists.

You can see how powerful this product is. It’ll definitely feature in the final shoot; you just can’t beat it for depth of colour.

As this wasn’t a styled test shoot, Eleanor’s clothes don’t exactly match the very long fake eyelashes I’ve used.  It’s amazing how exaggerated they look without the right outfit! But if you can imagine them partnered with big hair and some fabulous frocks, they’ll look amazing.

The test shoot did its job by highlighting one thing I’ll change on the big day - the lipstick colour. Here I’ve used Hue by MAC, which is too pale, dull, and boring for the look I’m going for. Plus, it doesn’t do justice to Eleanor’s totally gorgeous, full lips. But I do love this line of lipstick, so I’ll just choose it in a different shade next time. Something a little more eye-catching and vibrant.

I will also contour the face more as this didn’t translate well in the photos, and spend more time cleaning up the fall out under the eyes. The whole finish just needs a little more polishing, which due to limited time got neglected.

I’m now prepared and ready for the real thing, and know exactly what products and tones to use to achieve the look I’ve envisioned. Professional photo shoots are complex processes, so it’s important to help them run smoothly. Add to the chaos, and you’ll find a very grumpy photographer indeed!

And now for the object of Eleanor’s bribe – a mention of her website, which features her fantastic paintings and portraits: http://eleanormccaughey.com/home.html. It’s well worth a look. This girl can paint!

Top Tips for a Beautiful Beachy Look

Right everyone, let’s try to ignore the current weather situation and imagine ourselves chilling out on the beach with friends, splashing in the waves, and looking fantastic…

There’s an art to perfecting the natural, sun-kissed look. Who wants to wear heavy makeup when you’re hanging out in the sun? Not only will you feel uncomfortable, you’ll look out of place too.

So, I’ve put together some great tips to follow for a fabulous beachy look. If you stick to my rules, you’re destined to look absolutely gorgeous while you’re lounging on the sand…

Base

If you want your makeup to look and stay fantastic, then getting the base layer right is a real must. Here are a few steps to help you…

·       Start with sunscreen to protect your skin. Don’t scrimp on the amount you use, and give it about 20 minutes for it to soak in before you brave the rays.

·       On the beach a natural look is best, so use a tinted moisturiser instead of a foundation. Heavy foundations and concealers will smudge straight away and make you look streaky.

·        Also, cream-based products won’t last in the sun. They’re quite sticky and can attract sand – the sandpaper look is not sexy!

 A good tinted moisturiser is Laura Mercier, which also has SPF 20.

·       Hanging out on the beach and splashing in the waves is more hard going on your makeup than your usual day-to-day activities, so use a small amount of translucent powder to help keep the base in place and keep the shine down.

Makeup Forever do a good HD translucent Powder.

Eyes

For summertime frolicking, you don’t want overly made-up eyes. Keep it natural by following these tips…

·       For a beachy, simple look, apply a wash of gold, peach or bronze toned shadow with a highlighter on the brow bone. This will make your eyes look really summery without being over the top.

·       Eyebrows should be kept natural and soft – the heavy look I’ve talked about in past posts should be left for the posh parties! Use a clear brow gel to create shape that will last the day.

·         CAUTION! The beach is the enemy of mascara! If there’s one tip you must get right, it’s this one – use a good waterproof mascara because panda eyes will never be in fashion.

L'Oreal Paris Double Extension Waterproof Mascara is a favourite of mine.

 Bronzer

I’m pretty sure you’ll agree that when it comes to looking positively glowing on the beach, it’s all about the bronzer.

·       So that you don’t look like you’ve fallen asleep under the sunbed, your bronzer should be no more than two shades darker than your natural skin tone.

·       Peach and pink toned bronzers work well for fair skin (or to put it another way – for those of use prone to burning!)

·       For more olive toned skin try copper bronzers, and for dark skin tones a dark bronzer is the way to go.

·       It’s easy to apply bronzer incorrectly. Place the bronzer in circular motions on the parts of your face that get the sun - your temples, the tops of your cheek bones, a little on the brow bone, and on the bridge of your nose.

 And which product do I recommend? It has to be Bobbi Brown Bronzer in Golden Light. This fabulous product also comes in Medium, Natural, Dark, and Deep shades.

 Lips

 If you get your base, eyes, and bronzer right, you don’t really need to do much with your lips.

·       A heavy colour is definitely not necessary for the chilled-out beachy look, so stay away from your pillar-box reds. And don’t bother with lip liner!

·       You want your lips to look natural, conditioned, and sun blushed, so try a protective lip balm like MAC’s Hey Sailor SPF 20. A great alternative to lipstick, it comes in three sexy shades – Sea Mist, Au Rosé, and Abalone.

So, they’re my tips for achieving the sexy, sun-kissed look. It’s always a good idea to make sure you’ve got a good supply of face wipes, just in case you decide to go for a dip and want to apply fresh makeup afterwards.

Now all we need to do is cross our fingers and toes for some sunshine!

* Photoshoot photographer is Adrian Heffernan http://www.facebook.com/pages/Adrian-Heffernan-Photography/265070127232, with clothes by Edith Szogradi from Achillea Marini http://achilleamarini.com/new/

The Rise of the Pretty Boys

I ended my last post with an interesting revelation – that Eylure now make false eyelashes for men. I thought it would be fun to do a little research into male cosmetics, and see how far the macho grooming scene has come…

We all know that when it comes to making a Hollywood blockbuster, both actors and actresses are sent to makeup. This is nothing new – the theatre has been slapping stage makeup on men for centuries. But what are our Hollywood heartthrobs up to when the camera's switched off?

You may be shouting at your screen that male makeup is nothing new – we’ve all heard of Boy George, Adam Ant, and David Bowie after all.

Adam Ant shunning the 'natural' look

But I’m not talking about performance makeup, I’m talking about the sort of makeup you don’t even realise is there. The makeup we ladies have been slyly applying for years…

Guyliner, manscara, foundation, bronzers...they’re out there in their truck loads, and they’re gaining massive popularity with celebrities and ordinary folk alike.

Guyliner

Manscara

Foundation specifically made for men's skin

There are even websites dedicated to supplying our chaps with beautifying products. In fact, Men’s Makeup UK features a ‘man palette’, with tones such as chiffon, walnut, and clove…

What’s your fella’s skin tone?!

And then there’s the ‘Men Pen’ – apparently a must-have for male actors and models, this wonder wand is a cosmetic concealer stick specifically designed for men.

The 'Men Pen'...bigger than women's concealer!

So, who’s guilty of hogging the bathroom mirror? We all know Russell Brand, Alex Zane, and The Killers’ front man Brandon Flowers are partial to a touch of eyeliner - it’s almost part of their theatrical personality.

Russel Brand looking carefully dishevelled

Brandon Flowers

Pretty boy Alex Zane

But it’s these famous faces that are more surprising…

Daniel Radcliffe

Zack Efron

Baby face Justin Beiber

Where are the blemishes, pimples, and dry skin? Underneath piles of foundation, that's where.

It’s clear this is a trend that is on the rise, and from a makeup artist’s point of view I find it fascinating. Applying makeup to male skin is bound to require different techniques, which I’m always keen to explore. But when it comes to stumbling across manscara in my guy’s wash bag, I’m not so sure…

Lustrous Lashes - why faking it can sometimes work!

False eyelashes are a real hit or miss. Done well, and they can look fantastic, but get it wrong and it’s the first thing people are going to notice about you…

Long, lustrous lashes are a desirable look, and are widely believed to be an important part of femininity and glamour. But unfortunately not all of us possess them, and this is where going fake comes into play.

But when did the technique of applying false eyelashes first come about? It was American film director, D.W. Griffith, who set the trend while making his 1916 epic ‘Intolerance’. Griffith wanted actress Seena Owen’s lashes to touch her cheeks, and commissioned a wigmaker to weave human hair through fine gauze to create the dreamy, lengthy lashes he envisioned.

Seena Owen

 However, up until the beginning of the 21^st century, false eyelashes have been a turbulent fashion simply because the products on offer were poorly made, and frustratingly temporary (finding a fake eyelash floating in your wine half way through the night is NOT ideal!)

But with development in material production, the false eyelashes available nowadays are infinitely more enduring and authentic. And to go one step further, in 2006 Japan introduced a lash-by-lash technique whereby each individual lash gets its own extension, creating an incredibly natural and alluring effect.

There’s a major hurdle to get over when it comes to fake eyelashes, and that is what people associate them with. I used to think they were only for glamour models like Jordan, but as my experience as a makeup artist has grown, I have come to appreciate how well they set a look off if they’re used in the correct way.

For example, Cheryl Cole gets it right a lot of the time, demonstrating exactly what Griffith was after when he wanted his actress’ lashes to brush her cheeks.

Cheryl Cole batting her lustrous lashes

But it’s about creating a balance. If someone’s lashes are so long that it’s the first thing you notice about them, then it can be a bit too obvious. The only exception to this rule is the Japanese trend of wearing very long fake eyelashes on the bottom lashes, which creates a doll-like look and makes for a powerful photoshoot.

Marina and The Diamonds pulling off the look beautifully

But for all of you who want to nail the look for a night out on the town, here are a few tips:  

1.       Go for Ardell or Eylure, and if you’re really pushing the boat out then shu uemura are fabulous.

2.       Measure the lash against the length of your eye and cut it (from the outside) if necessary to fit your eyes.

3.       Curling the lashes before applying can help to get the fit right.

4.       Apply mascara to your lashes.

5.       Use white lash glue that dries clear and apply to the band of the fake lash.

6.       Let the glue dry for approximately 15 seconds (until tacky) before applying.

7.       Apply the fake lash as close to your natural lash line as possible.

8.       Go over the top band of the lashes with black eyeliner to help blend in the line and make it look more natural.

 And to finish off, I’d like to share some rather amusing and surprising news with you all - Eylure are making fake lashes for men! Whatever next…

Eyebrows – From Bare to Bold!

When you buy a beautiful painting, you want to make sure you get the frame just right. Get it wrong and the work of art is lost. What’s this got to do with makeup? Everything. When it comes to makeup, the work of art is your face, the ‘frame’ your eyebrows.

You should never underestimate the authority of the eyebrows over the complete look of your makeup; their colour, thickness and shape hold the key to pulling everything together to achieve a succinct, powerful look.

Up until quite recently, the eyebrow trend has been the manicured, thin, almost surprised look. Think Kylie Minogue, Pamela Anderson, Mariah Carey, Julia Roberts, and the lady who kicked it all off: Greta Garbo…

Greta Garbo with her iconic brows

Julia Roberts

Kylie sporting the 'surprised' look

But it looks like we’ve turned a corner, so you can put your tweezers aside: now it’s all about thick, dark, dramatic brows. Hard-edged and heavily defined, this look is taking hold and if you pick up any celebrity magazine you’ll see it everywhere. Keira Knightly is just one example, demonstrating just how striking the style can be.

Keira Knightly

But despite its recent appearance on our catwalks, the heavy arch isn’t actually a completely new style. Rather, it’s re-emerged from the days of Joan Crawford, Elizabeth Taylor, and Audrey Hepburn.  These stunning actresses sported what was dubbed the ‘Diva Arch’ – a powerful, captivating, and almost handsome look.

Elizabeth Taylor

Audrey Hepburn

Makeup artist Charlotte Tillbury uses the heavy arch on her models, and describes eyebrows as the ‘pillars of the face’, which I think hits the nail on the head. Similarly, fellow makeup artist Diane Kendal uses thick, angular brows to give an edge to a more natural look; if you’re going for soft, subtle shades everywhere else, she says, strong eyebrows will inject that much needed oomph.

But there’s definitely a limit to how far you can go with this. As much as we all love Frida Kahlo, there’s a reason why her unibrow, ‘caterpillar’ look never fully caught on…

Frida Kahlo

Makeup trends are fascinating, and if you look back through history you’ll discover some pretty extreme fashions. Take Queen Elizabeth, who inspired women to not only get rid of their eyebrows altogether, but also pluck their hairlines to accentuate their foreheads. I’m pretty sure this is a fashion that won’t resurface…

All I can say is that I absolutely love the current look, and hope that it sticks around for a while. It’s striking and powerful, authoritative and beautiful. When creating the strong arch, it’s important to follow the natural line of the brow, using a good quality brow pencil and brush to get a good thickness. My favourite it Lingering by MAC; it does exactly what it says on the tin, and the quality of finish is amazing.

And when it comes to choosing colours, if you have dark hair then go for one shade lighter, and if you have light hair, go for one shade darker. Once you’ve found the best shape and thickness for your face, stick to it; eyebrows are a really important factor in your makeup regime.

So take a look at the gorgeous Audrey Hepburn and have a go at recreating her iconic arches. It’ll transform your look…

Bring On The Drama

Okay you lot, it’s time to leave our makeup modesty at the door and reach for the pillar box reds and emerald greens...

You should all know by now that I love the natural look, but there’s definitely a time and a place for getting more dramatic and creative with your makeup…a night out with the girls being one of them!

Now, before I get going with this, I want to lay down the law when it comes to applying heavier, bolder makeup: Don’t ignore your skin tone!

Getting creative with your makeup does NOT give you free reign of the colour spectrum.  And it certainly does not mean you’re allowed to get tangoed (you must remember those adverts?!) If you have beautiful porcelain skin, keep it that way; looking like you’ve just fallen asleep under the sunbed is never nice…

Equally, if you have darker skin, don’t make a grab for the china white foundation. This may all sound obvious, but you’d be surprised what people THINK they can get away with.

However, if you really can't leave the tanned look totally behind then get yourself a bronzer to bring colour to your face; it’s a much more natural way to fake the baked look.

So, now we all know to keep clear of our no-go colours, let’s admire the celebrities and celebrity makeup artists that are known for being more daring with their look. I’m going to start at the bottom of the extreme makeup spectrum, and work up to the King of the bold, striking look (I will not reveal his name yet!)

Let’s start with the lovely - and outrageous! - Kim Kardashian. This lady does dramatic without using bold colours, but still manages to look fiercely vibrant all the same. It’s all down to her strong eyebrows, heavy lashes, and monochrome skin tone.

Check out the vibrancy of those lips!

In particular, her makeup for her five minute wedding was fabulous. And which celebrity makeup artist do we have to thank? The master of flawless skin and sculpted features, Mario Dedivanovic.

The key to the success of Kim’s look is the highlighting and contouring that Mario uses. He tends to use highlights under her eyes going in a slight ‘V’ shape towards the nose, as well as along the centre of the face from the forehead to the chin.

Mario Dedivanovic

I love him for his skill in creating what can only be described as a magazine, airbrushed look; the celebrities he works on have consistently flawless skin tones, and appear more manikin than human! But he manages to pull this off in a natural way, matching the foundations and highlighters he uses perfectly to his models’ natural colour tones.

However, there’s one makeup artist out there who makes Mario Dedivanovic look positively conservative: the 2011 winner of the Professional National Makeup Artist Awards, Lan Nguyen (being a Dubliner myself, I can’t help but point out she’s from my own stomping ground).

Lan Nguyen

Now, apart from anything else, this talented makeup artist should get a round of applause simply for being a woman; it’s surprising how few women makeup artists there are in the world of fame!

Lan’s sharp, avant-garde style and creative use of texture and tone sets her apart from the crowd, and paints a picture of a seriously talented and cutting-edge artist. She has an impressive list of clients, including the Sugababes, Caprice, Liberty X, and Hayley Hasselhoff, all of whom strike bold colours and exaggerated, sculpted features.

Take a peek at her impressive portfolio here:

http://my-management.co.uk/make-up/lan-nguyen/portfolio/

And now for the don of drama and the pinnacle of my hotlist: celebrity makeup artist Andrew Gallimore. When it comes to pushing the boundaries of colour, texture, and style, this man takes gold.

Andrew Gallimore

He has described his work as akin to hanging a canvas in a gallery, and I certainly wouldn’t disagree. All makeup artists ARE artists, but Gallimore takes this to an all new level. His notorious American Lips is a testament to this, and shows off just how talented he is with his use of texture and vibrancy.

The now notorious American Lips

Gallimore also created the same effect for Jessie J, turning her lips into a piece of art work…

Stunning!

But despite his untraditional and controversial techniques and style, he is passionate about maintaining the original beauty of his models. As I have mentioned before, it’s important not to create a mask when applying makeup, and Gallimore upholds this idea beautifully.

Before I sign off, let’s take a look at some of Gallimore’s more outrageous clients, all of whom tick every box in the crazy makeup checklist: Beth Ditto, Marilyn Manson, Dita Von Tesse.

Beth Ditto

Makeup works wonders!

Dita Von Tesse

Need I say more?! See you next time…