Archive for the ‘Lipstick/ gloss’ Category

Extreme-Plump your lips with Soap & Glory!

Wednesday, December 9th, 2009

Soap & Glory Sexy Mother™ Pucker XL Extreme Plump is a super-sizing, extra-strength collagen clear lip shine with LIPSWELL™ natural plant oil infusion, SUPERFILL™ nanovectors and VISIVOLUME™ immediate effect lip filler.

If you are looking to make your lips look plumper and fuller without surgery or extreme measures, then you will love this product!

If you have never used a lip plumper before and you are wondering how they work, they all work by stimulating the circulation of blood to the lips, which leaves the lip with a slightly swollen/ plumped up look (temporarily)!

I love wearing lip plumpers – a word of warning though, they do tingle! Some of my clients really don’t like the sensation, but I actually like the tingle as I know that it is working. This is the word of warning that appears on the packaging for this product: 

CAUTION: This lipgloss will almost immediately plump, buzz, tingle and zing. (It’s not for the meek of the mouth. New Sexy Mother Pucker tryers should try the Original Strength SMP, before going to extremes.)

I wouldn’t recommend actually applying this gloss just before you walk down the aisle, as you will be kissing others on your wedding day (and their lips will start to tingle too if you kiss them with this product on), but if you want your lips to look fabulously plump on your wedding day, I would recommend applying this first thing in the morning and wash it off just before you apply your makeup, as the effect will last for a few hours and then apply your regular makeup and lipstick.

RRP £10 www.boots.com

 

Posted in Lipstick/ gloss, Makeup, Soap & Glory | No Comments »

Get the look – Charlotte Balbier

Saturday, December 5th, 2009

About Charlotte Balbier: With over 50 years of bridal expertise in the family, Charlotte comes from a bridal fashion house which isn’t afraid to go against the grain. Launched in 2003 the Charlotte Balbier brand has continued to grow and evolve; taking the bridal fashion industry in a brand new direction.

Charlotte’s dresses are adored by brides who are fashion concious and are looking for a dress that is feminine but at the same time a little different. I have seen many of Charlottes dresses and they are absolutely gorgeous and I love her advertising campaigns, which is why I wanted to write a ‘get the look’  piece on this particular campaign.

Shot in Manila, in the Philipines by photographer Frank Hoefsmit, the makeup in this shoot is soft, girly, romantic and very pretty.

This glowing look, using soft shades of taupe and pretty pink is the perfect look for a bride who wants a look to enhance her natural features and not look too ‘made up’ on her wedding day.

A major part of this look is a flawless, natural and dewy complexion – try Chanel Pro Lumiere Professional Finish Makeup SPF 15 (www.boots.com)

The cheeks are dewy and pretty in a soft pink tone – a must have for this look is the Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blusher is shade Cherub (www.danielsandler.com)

For the eyes think light, pretty colours from lid to brow – treat yourself to the Chantecaille Sylvie’s Quattro Palette (www.spacenk.co.uk) which has 3 beautiful and very wearable eyeshadow colours and a pretty blusher (which you could layer on top of the Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blusher for a more intense effect). Use a black mascara to enhance your eyelashes (don’t forget to curl them first)!

To complete the look, try the YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick  in shade Lingerie Pink (www.boots.com) on your lips and apply a clear gloss in the centre of your lip for a pretty, pink glossy finish to the lips.

Visit the Charlotte Balbier website at: www.charlottebalbier.com

(Photos kindly supplied by Charlotte Balbier)

 

Posted in Blusher, Chanel, Chantecaille, Daniel Sandler, Eye makeup, Foundation, Get the look, Lipstick/ gloss, Makeup, Makeup hints and tips, Yves Saint Laurent | No Comments »

1920’s bridal photo shoot at Combe House

Thursday, November 26th, 2009

This Tuesday, I travelled down to the beautiful Combe House in Gittisham, Honiton in Devon for a bridal photo shoot with my good friend and amazing photographer Rosie Parsons. I have worked on many shoots with Rosie and her style of wedding photography is beautiful. (www.rosieparsons.com)

Our 2 models looked stunning in 1920’s style wedding dresses – Becki Simpson created stunning hairstyles, which complimented the dresses perfectly. Vicky Rowe was the stylist, from www.vintageteasets.co.uk .

When discussing the makeup look for this shoot, Rosie the photographer requested a look which would be able to be re-created by a bride on her wedding day. In the 1920’s brows were plucked to a very thin line, cheeks were painted with doll-like rouge, lots of mascara, the lips were obviously painted and the complexion was flawless.

To make this look wearable for a bride today, I made the complexion flawless and rather than obvious, bright blusher I gave the model more of a pretty bridal glow to her cheeks. I kept the eyeshadow pretty and light (with a little contour using a matte shadow) and I did line the top lashes with a fine line of liquid liner at the root of the lashes and applied false lashes. I defined the brows gently for a modern look. For the lips, I applied lipliner, pressed the lipstick on to the lips and then applied a slightly lighter tone of lipstick to the centre of the lower lip.

Products used: After using Lancome skincare to prepare the skin, to create this look I used Daniel Sandler Cosmetics – here is the list of the Daniel Sandler products that I used:

Re-texturising Face Primer, Catwalk Compact (applied with Base Brush) in shade 1, Hide It Under Eye Concealer shade 3, Camo Cover Concealer shade 2 (applied with concealer brush), Invisible Blotting Powder (applied with contour/powder brush), Mineral Matte Blushers in shades Rose Bud, Hush Pink and Natural Beauty (applied with Blusher Brush), Opal Mineral Eyeshadow (apply using Eyeshadow Brush No.1), Tornado Matte Eyeshadow (apply using Smudger Brush), Eye Delight Loose Eyeshadows in shades Ice and Pink Gold (use eyeshadow Brush 2) Eye Love it in shade Rock Chick (as a liquid eyeliner, apply with Lip Brush). After curling the lashes I used Baby Jet Mascara and applied false eyelashes by Mister Mascara. For lips, I applied the Automatic Longlasting Lipliner in Earth Red, followed by Lipshine SPF 15 in shade Cherub and then the Luxury Lipstick in shade Pucker.

To find out more about the products I used, go to:

Daniel Sandler: www.danielsandler.com

Lancome: www.lancome.co.uk

Mister Mascara: www.beautique.com 

Posted in Blusher, Daniel Sandler, Eye makeup, Eyebrows, Eyelashes, Face powder, Foundation, Get the look, Lancome, Lipstick/ gloss, Makeup, Makeup brushes, Makeup hints and tips, Mister Mascara | No Comments »

Beautiful bridesmaids

Thursday, November 19th, 2009

The bride is always the centre of attention on her wedding day (rightly so), but it is also important that your bridesmaids look beautiful too. After choosing the dresses and deciding how they will wear their hair, it is also important that you consider their makeup.

You want the bridesmaids to look pretty and to compliment you in your photographs – if you leave all of the makeup decisions to the bridesmaids, you may have one with black smokey eyes, one with brown colours and one with pink! It can be difficult as sometimes you may have a bridesmaid who wants to stand out and then there will be other bridesmaids who don’t want to wear any makeup at all – this is something I have seen before at several weddings.

How do you ensure that the all of your bridesmaids look fabulous, compliment you perfectly, whilst keeping each bridesmaid happy?

I recommend buying a few key products for your bridesmaids – you could give them the products in a little gift bag on the morning of the wedding, as part of their gift.

Buying foundation is difficult unless you can actually go shopping with the girls, as your bridesmaids will have different skin tones and skin types. So, I would recommend that you ask the girls to apply their own foundation, concealer and powder and to shape their own eyebrows if they usually do this as part of their makeup routine.

Keep the cheek and lip colour the same, a soft pretty pink looks pretty and not too heavy – a lip colour that I have found works well on most skin tones is the Daniel Sandler Line ‘n’ Lacquer in shade Crystal Pink (RRP £16.50) – a clever product which has a lip liner and gloss all in one component, your bridesmaids can apply the lip liner first and then the gloss on top.

For their cheeks, a pretty colour to compliment the lip colour is the Daniel Sandler Watercolour in shade Cherub (RRP £11), this is the product that I use more than any other product on the cheeks for brides/ bridesmaids as it is so pretty.

For eyes, it is best to keep it simple for the bridesmaids -  do not give them anything too complicated! If you would like the bridesmaids to wear pink/ grey tones, buy them the Daniel Sandler Polychromatic Eyeshadow in Rosy Tan (RRP £9) and the Velvet Waterproof eyeliner in shade Grey Velvet (RRP £9) or, for brown tones the Sheer Satin Shadow in Guilded Taupe (RRP £9) is easy to wear, along with the Velvet Waterproof Eyeliner in Brown Velvet (RRP £9). You can then ask them all to use their own black mascara.

You can order these products for your bridesmaids online, go to www.beautique.com

(Wedding photography by www.englishroseweddings.co.uk, makeup by Sarah Brock)

Posted in Beauty gifts, Blusher, Daniel Sandler, Eye makeup, Lipstick/ gloss, Makeup, Makeup hints and tips | No Comments »

Get the look – Ritva Westenius

Monday, November 9th, 2009

Ritva Westenius has been making stunning couture wedding gowns since 1977 and has many celebrity clients – I have visited the Ritva Westenius Boutique in Connaught Street, London and have had the privilege to work alongside Ritva Westenius and her daughter Chenca Williams who is also a very talented dress designer. 

Her designs are absolutely stunning and I was incredibly excited when I opened Brides Magazine and saw the latest advertising campaign, which was shot in LA by photographer Guiliano Bekor.

Not only does it showcase the latest fabulous dress designs, the hair and makeup was amazing and was a breath of fresh air – the elaborate hair design was stunning, but was I was most excited about the dramatic makeup look!

More and more brides are requesting a stronger makeup look on their wedding day – gone are the days when every bride walked down the aisle in the same ‘peachy’ makeup tones! There are some brides who wear more makeup on a daily basis, so the groom is used to seeing them ‘made up’ and for these brides, they would feel ‘naked’ without a stronger makeup look. Then I have brides who do not wear a lot of makeup on a daily basis, but want to achieve the ‘wow’ factor on this special day and ask me to create something dramatic for them.

If you love this makeup design, here are some top tips to re-create it for your wedding day:

Make sure that you select a matte foundation for this look, with at least medium coverage – this look requires the most flawless finish to the skin. Ensure that any imperfections are covered and set your base with loose powder.

Blusher should be subtle – with this much drama on the eyes, along with a strong tone to the lips, stick to a taupe/ nude shade and use only a small amount (think more about subtle contour than lots of blusher).

The eyes are such a key part of this look – and I recommend using matte shadows – use a cream coloured shadow as a base, from the upper lashline to the brow. Apply a dark brown shadow (choose one with an ash tone to it, rather than a warm brown) and apply this to the contour. Using a charcoal grey, apply this to the eyelid and finish with a matte black shadow used as an eyeliner to define the upper and lower lashline and ‘wing’ the shadow out slightly at the outer corner for more drama. It is important to use the correct eyeshadow brushes – this look will require a little more skill than a natural look and using the correct tools will help you.

The lips in this photograph are of a plum tone and complete the look – if the strong eyes and lips are too much for you, then go for a more natural shade on the lips, which will look slightly less dramatic.

Line your lips first (all over the lip area), apply your lipstick with a brush and if you wish, apply a small amount of gloss on top.

 www.ritvawestenius.co.uk  (Images kindly provided by Ritva Westenius)

Posted in Blusher, Concealer, Eye makeup, Face powder, Foundation, Get the look, Lipstick/ gloss, Makeup, Makeup brushes, Makeup hints and tips | No Comments »

How do I achieve a natural looking wedding makeup?

Thursday, November 5th, 2009

Question: I don’t usually wear a lot of makeup, but I understand that I will need to wear more on my wedding day – can you please tell me how to achieve a natural look?

Answer: Keep it simple – after applying a makeup primer apply a sheer silicone based foundation with a base brush for an even coverage. Follow with a light reflecting concealer where needed and a light dusting of loose powder on your t-zone (don’t forget your eyelids, as this creates a ‘base’ for your eyeshadows).

Keep cheeks fresh and dewy with a liquid blush in a pretty rose/ peach tone.

For a natural look, keep the eyes soft with a soft tone of beige/ taupe or light pink on the eyelid. Define your eyes with a small amount of eyeliner in dark brown (if you are wearing a beige/ taupe colour) or charcoal grey (if you are wearing a pink tone). Apply this to the top lashline, as near to the root of the lashes as possible.

Curl your lashes and apply a few coats of black mascara.

To finish the look, apply a pretty lipstick (just one shade darker than your own lip colour) and then apply a small amount of gloss on top.

(Wedding photography by www.yourweddingstory.co.uk, makeup by Sarah Brock)

Posted in Blusher, Eye makeup, Face powder, Foundation, Lipstick/ gloss, Makeup, Makeup Q&A, Makeup hints and tips | No Comments »

For a pretty pout on your wedding day

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

Would you like to improve the condition of your lips for your wedding day?

If the answer is yes, then you are not alone – I am asked this question often by a bride at her makeup rehearsal. Clinique have come up with the perfect solution – a product to improve the condition of your lips with a range of gorgeous shades for you to choose from! If you wear this product every day in the run up to your wedding, you will see an improvement to the condition of your lips.

 About the Vitamin C Lip Smoothie Antioxidant Lip Colour:

Over time lips become vulnerable to lines and wrinkles and can become thinner and drier while also losing a bit of their colour – so it’s important to take extra care of lips’ sensitive skin. This vitamin packed formula is enriched with a cocktail of ingredients that work together to improve the condition of the lips instantly and over time. A highly active form of Vitamin C helps to improve the look and feel of the lips, while other key antioxidants, such as Pomegranate help protect lips against environmental aggressors and defend against future damage.

But, the key antioxidant hero is Açaí Berry.After researching the food industry, the experts at the Clinique Laboratories discovered that this tiny berry used in many nutritious fruit and power drinks packs a big punch. Indigenous to Brazil’s Amazon Rain Forest, Açaí Berry is considered to have one of the highest levels of antioxidants among all fruits. NEW Vitamin C Lip Smoothie Antioxidant Lip Colour is Clinique’s first lip product to incorporate this one-of-a-kind ingredient into its formula. And, together with Vitamin C and Pomegranate – Açaí Berry helps protect against oxidative stress, which causes premature ageing. With continued use, this powerful potion can help reduce the appearance of lip lines caused by ageing, while delivering gorgeous colour.

This colourfully “nutritious” lip item includes a decadent blend of rich butters to help put the smooth in Lip Smoothie. Shea Butter and Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter provide comfort, moisture and soothing benefits, while helping to relieve dry, flaking lips immediately and over time.

I love the ‘Pink Me Up’ shade – this is a fabulous treatment product for the lip area, with the bonus of a pretty colour, for a pretty pout!

Price is £13.50 www.clinique.co.uk

 

Posted in Anti-ageing, Clinique, Lip care, Lipstick/ gloss, Makeup | No Comments »

Top tips for applying your own wedding day makeup

Friday, October 16th, 2009

If you do not have a budget for a bridal makeup artist or you simply enjoy applying your own makeup, here are my top tips for a flawless look on your wedding day:

When deciding on a wedding makeup look, take into account the style of your dress, how you will want to wear your hair and the colour scheme that you have chosen. If you have a fitted glamorous wedding dress, you will be able to wear more of a sophisticated smoky look, if you are wearing a more traditional dress, the English Rose look would be perfect – natural colours on the eyes and pretty soft colours in pink on the cheeks and lips. The perfect wedding lipstick for this look is the new Estee Lauder Pure Colour Gloss stick in Honey Pink, (£16 www.esteelauder.co.uk) 

Book a makeup lesson with a Professional Makeup Artist. Not only will they be able to show you how to apply your makeup perfectly, they will be able to recommend products to you. Daniel Sandler has a team of fabulous makeup artists that will travel to your home visit www.danielsandler.com.

Practise your look several times before your wedding day, so you know what products you are using and the order you need to apply them. Allocate time on your wedding day to apply your makeup. Traditionally hair is done first, then makeup. Allow 45 minutes to an hour, that way you will not have to rush and you can relax and enjoy applying your wedding day makeup. 

Beautiful wedding makeup starts with beautiful skin – as soon as you set the date for your wedding makeup, start a good skincare regime. Cleanse, tone and moisturise twice a day, using top quality products – I have recently discovered an amazing skincare range called NUDE Skincare (go to www.nudeskincare.com) – their products are beautiful. A very important part of your skincare is exfoliation – Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant (www.dermalogica.co.uk) is a product that you can use daily to gently exfoliate your skin and give your skin a gorgeous glow. 

For complexion perfection on your wedding day, layer products to ensure that your makeup looks flawless and lasts all day. Start with a light moisturiser and for an extra glow my top tip is to mix a small amount of Dermalogica Day Bright (www.dermalogica.co.uk) to your moisturiser. Next, apply a silicone based primer. Not only will this help your makeup stay perfect all day long, the silicone will also fill in fine lines and open pores. I recommend the Daniel Sandler Retexturizing Primer (£20, www.danielsandler.com). Follow with a foundation – Daniel Sandler’s Award Winning Super Mineral Makeup (£21 www.danielsandler.com) is beautiful.

 Use a light reflecting under eye concealer to lighten and brighten the eye area. Use Clinique Airbrush Concealer (£15, www.clinique.co.uk). After you have applied it under your eyes, my top tip is to apply a little on the brow bone, down the centre of the nose and around the lip line. Blend carefully – this will add light to these areas on the face, which will look so flattering in your wedding day photos. 

Don’t overdo the face powder! Too much powder will leave the skin looking dry and cakey. The trick is to apply a little loose powder just where you need it. Dip your powder brush in your powder, swirl the brush in the lid, tap off the excess and gently press the powder into the skin. Apply to the t-zone, a small amount under the eyes and don’t forget your eyelids as this will prevent your eyeshadow creasing during the day. La Prairie Translucent loose powder (www.beautique.com) is perfect. 

If you have a round face, a great makeup artist’s trick is to contour the face – using a bronzing powder (Guerlain make beautiful Terracotta bronzing powders), and a small angled brush, apply a small amount under the cheek bone (in the hollow part of the cheek), sweeping out towards the hairline. Then, apply a small amount around the hairline and just underneath the jaw. This will add contour to the face and your photos will look amazing!

Take a touch up kit with you on your wedding day – this should consist of your lipstick and lip gloss, cotton buds and to remove any shine on your t-zone, carry a blotting powder. Daniel Sandler has a very clever Blotting Powder – which gives a shine free, no colour finish and is suitable for all skin types. (£18, www.danielsandler.com) and don’t forget tissues for any wedding day tears!

To ensure that your bridesmaids compliment your look, buy them a matching eyeshadow (a natural colour to apply on the eyelids), blusher and lipstick, so that they all wear the same tones – you can give them these products as a small gift. They can apply their own foundation and mascara. This will make sure that you all look beautiful in your wedding photographs! 

Blusher is essential for a beautiful bridal glow – to apply your blusher correctly, smile and apply a small amount to the apple of the cheeks and blend up and out towards the hairline. I use the award winning Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush,  (£11 www.danielsandler.com)

Don’t forget your brows, they are the frame for your eyes and perfectly groomed brows will look stunning in your wedding photographs. Define them with a powder, which looks much softer than a pencil. Using fine strokes, apply the Shavata Brow Perfector (www.beautique.com) to your brows. It has 3 shades, so you can create your perfect colour. 

For a natural wedding eye makeup look, take 3 natural shades – The Benefit Big Beautiful Eyes Kit, (£21.50 www.benefitcosmetics.co.uk) has all the colours you will need. Apply the lightest colour on your eyelid and brow bone, the medium shade in the contour and the darkest shade as an eyeliner. Using eyeshadow as an eyeliner looks much softer than a pencil and finish with a few coats of black waterproof mascara. Smoky eyes are also an option for your wedding day, my top tip is to use a shimmery smoky grey eyeshadow on the eyelid and a small amount along the bottom lashes (Daniel Sandler Sheer Satin Shadow in Thunder, www.danielsandler.com) and then use a highlighter on the brow bone. Skip the eyeliner and apply black mascara – stunning! 

For kissable lips, the trick is not just what you use on your lips, but what you use around them. I always dab a highlighting product all around the outline of the lips. This makes the lips look plump and helps prevent your lipstick from bleeding. Next apply lipstick, followed by lip plumping gloss, so that if the gloss wears off, you still have colour on your lips.

(Wedding photography by www.rosieparsons.com, makeup by Sarah Brock)

Posted in Benefit, Blusher, Clinique, Concealer, Daniel Sandler, Dermalogica, Estee Lauder, Exfoliator, Eye makeup, Eyebrows, Face powder, Guerlain, La Prairie, Lipstick/ gloss, Makeup, Makeup hints and tips, Shavata | No Comments »