I’m you tubing!!

Yes you read the title right… I’m youtubung!! I know a mass of you have already seen it and to all of you that have thank you soooooo much. The response was incredible. I had so many messages, calls, texts, views and shares and it was so touching. You guys rock!!

So in response to that here’s a written list of all the products and brushes used.

Signature smokey eye

MAC Prolongwear concelear in NW15
MAC Proenza Schouler limited blusher (through brows)
Illamasqua brow gel in brown
Sleek brow setting gel
MAC 208 brush

Morphe brushes Jaclyn Hill palette warm shade
MAC 224 brush
MAC Soba on MAC 217 brush
Rimmel black crayon blended out with MAC 239
MAC Carbon on same brush
MAC Antiqued on 218 brush
(Always use any clean fluffy brush in between when blending)
Collection 2000 liquid blacks liner from the fountain brush it comes with
Eyelure texture lashes in 201
Rimmel mascara in black

L’oreal infallible foundation in 102 vanilla
Real techniques buffing brush
MAC prep and prime highlighting pen in light boost
Collection lasting perfection in shade 2
MAC 133 brush to blend
Chanel soleil de tan in 62 terre spice
MAC 134 brush
MAC limited edition Cinderella mystery princess powder
Bourjois love struck blusher
MAC 129 SH
MAC Studio fix foundation powder in NW20 on MAC 116

MAC Boldly bare pencil
Revlon creme sheen in Creme brûlée

BenNye banana powder on MAC 116

And that’s it…… Ha ha please don’t blame me when you’re shopping list for make up becomes larger than that for food!!

I am in the middle of planning a new video… But it’s too nice outside to be inside filming 😏 so be patient dear ones! Here the link to the original for those that haven’t seen it.

TTFN. x

IMG_9330.JPG

Skin glorious skin…

The one question I am asked all the time “what do I use on my skin?”

And to be honest this is great to hear because make up will only go so far. Make up is an easy quick fix to cover acne, blemish breakouts and dull skin but unless someone has a regular and healthy skin care routine it’s all for nothing. I’ve had a few situations at the moment where people have been asking about products for their skin, especially young girls and with prom season looming… There’s no better time to give you some handy hints.

First of all lets get technical… Skin naturally produces oil, it doesn’t produce water. Hence why we are urged to drink lots of water and use lotions and potions on our skin. When a skin has an excess of oil 9 times out of 10 it’s due to skin being dehydrated. In our climate of cold weather and central heating it’s no surprise! So ask yourself these questions..

1. Do I have an oily t zone or do I shine all over?
2. Does my skin feel tight without moisturiser ?

If a skin has blemishes and shines were made to think we have an oily skin… If we have flaky, sore skin we have dry skin. What if we have a blemish proned, shiny, dry skin? What if we have both? Well apparently that’s combination… a word I thoroughly hate. A combination skin is basically a dehydrated skin and is so common. Because we can not naturally produce water in the skin it goes in to overdrive. Producing excess oil to comfort the skin which causes excess oil and blemish breakouts. Skin can change so quickly especially for a women… Time of the month am I right?? So no matter whether your skin is oily or dry it is always a good idea to keep up its hydration and balance.

1. Cleaning….

Clean skin is where it all starts. If you’re skin is not clear from the daily dirt and oil that settles on the surface nothing else will make an impact. Make sure you use a cleanser that works with your skin type. There are loads of cream cleansers out there that come with cloths which make a massive difference. The exfoliating cloth gives an extra deep cleanse, opening and unclogging pores. Using water to cleanse the skin can actually have a dehydrating effect so make sure you use a cleanser that will replace this hydration. A lot of spot prone cleaners (I won’t name names but you know who you are) work by drying out excess oil causing break outs on the skin. In the long run these strip the skin leaving it totally dehydrated and dry. It’s a vicious circle, drier skin, more oil, more blemishes…. Making sense now?
Now you know I all rave about the Liz Earle hot cloth cleanser and I think for the price it’s value for money. However there are so many out there. Let’s budget….

5. Chanel Sublimage Comfort cleanser £69
4. Elemis pro-collagen cleansing balm £39.50
3. Clarinet pure melt cleansing gel £20
2. Liz Earle Hot cloth cleanser £15.50
1. Peaches and clean wash off deep puryfing cleanser £8

No these don’t go in range of most expensive is better but it just shows what a range of cleanser there are no matter what your budget!

Balancing…

There are a lot of items out there that can help balance the ph in your skin, oil levels and dryness. Masks, toners, exfoliations night oils LOADS!! Puts knowing what you need. If you have oily (and I mean oily not dehydrated 😉) these little beauties are rescue remedies…

5. Chanel tonique for oily skin £27
4. Origins spot remover £15
3. Lush Magnaminty face mask/exfoliator £9.75
2. Good things deep clean blackhead exfoliator £4.99
1. Bowl of hot water, tea tree oil, towel… See where I’m going?? £0

And for those dry skin saviours…

5. Chanel sublimage masque £145
4. Elements pro collagen marine cream £99
3. Clarins Blue Orchid oil £33
2. Garnier moisturise match for dry skin £4.99
1. Good things manuka honey scrub £4.99

Illamasqua helping me out with ma Work face…

Hello!! Welcome to 2015… it’s not really saying Happy New Year so no complaining please!! I am currently sitting under a duvet looking a bit like death warmed up.. having a bad day…. in the middle of winter!! I do have warm brownie so that’s a silver lining. So, my face is in no fit state to model make up and you will just have to make do with some recycled selfies!! However there is a reason to this, over the festive period I popped my Illamasqua cherry and bought a few delicious bits and pieces.

This week was a busy one, right back into wedding season with 3 wedding trials.

Work face numero uno… “Lips and Lashes”

work face 1

Illamsqua brow precision gel

Illamasqua vintage mettalic cream eyeshadow

MAC eyeshadows Emabark

Courdoroy&Carbon

Illamasqua gel liner

Ardell Demi Whispies

Illamasqua Matte Veil

Illamasqua Skin base 2

MAC Prolongwear concelear NW15

MAC Studio Fix Powder NW15

IIlamasqua Blush duo in shade Ambition

Illamasqua creme shimmer in Gleam

MAC Currant&Cranberry lipliners

Work face Numero dos…

work face 2

Illamasqua Precision brow gel

MAC embark (through tail)

Urban decay Naked 2 palette

Foxy, Respect, Snake bite&Blackout

MAC Texture&Embark

MAC Feline Pencil&Barry M Liquid liner

Bourjois Healthy Balance Foundation shade 01

Chanel Bronze universelle

Illamasqua creme shimmer in Gleam

Sleek Contouring Kit in shade light

MAC Warm Soul

Chanel Lipgloss in 141

Work face numero tres…

work face 3

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in soft brown

Anastasia Beverly Hills Chocolate Pomade

Chanel Grenate waterproof liner blended

Make up Revolution Colour Chaos Palette

Needed to&Me three

MAC Texture

Barry M liquid liner

Ardell Demi Whispies

Illamasqua Matte Veil

MAC BB creme compact in light

MAC Prolongwear concealer in NW15

Illamasqua Blush duo Katie&Ambition

MAC Cremesheen glass in Pagoda

2015/01/img_6648.jpg
The few bits and bobs that I purchased were a limited edition eyes and brows set. The brow gel is a gorgeous lightweight formula that gives easy blending through the brows. Illamasqua cream eye shadow in Vintage Metallic, packed full of sparkle and a soft mid tone brown. Great for eye shadow base! The liner was a little disappointing as I wanted it to be a little more pigmented… however! Silver lining,it would be great for people that don’t want to strong a liner and could be easily blended and buffed out. Illamasqua Blush Duo in shades Katie and Ambition. “Katie” is an ice pink matte shade that gives a beautiful flush of cold pink cheeks! “Ambition” is a rich rose shade with a shimmer of gold flecks through it for a healthy glow. I was also a lucky chicken an recieved a few samples of Matte veil, Hydra Veil and the legend which is Skinbase. I visited the Carnaby St boutique and have to say recieved the best ever service!! Top marks for Illamasqua!!

I have a few more Blogs up my sleeve… So hold on… bear with me! This year is shaping up to be the biggest one yet for StephM.Artistry so if there are blog gaps please forgive.. But as always thanks for reading and I can’t wait to keep you guys looped in my busy crazy year ahead!!

Ciao for now! x

On the 9th day of Christmas Day…

“On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me”…

IMG_6056.JPG

A massive box full of Chanel No.5!!

I know I said it’s not Christmas without a little Chanel but it’s not definitely Christmas without a little No.5! As one of the worlds top selling fragrances and an absolute Christmas icon there is a massive range of No.5 goodies.

There’s the usual body lotions and bath gels but for that extra special touch their No.5 loose powder at £50 is a winner. The loose powder maintains the classic notes of N°5 but the puff allows a light and silky application over the body after bathing. Or the hair mist! In a slinky bottle this little gem is highly underestimated. The pores in our hair actually retain more scent than the ones in out body making the hair mist an amazing alternative to carry around than those expensive glass classic bottles. Or…. If you’re just looking for a stocking filler the No.5 soap at £22 makes the most beautiful wee gift.

But what really makes this special is the wrapping…. A gorgeous Chanel box under the tree (whether they admit it or not) is every girls ideal Christmas!!

On the 6th day of Christmas…

“On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me”…

IMG_0867.JPG

The limited edition Chanel “Camelia de Plumes” Christmas highlighter!!

After working for Chanel for 5 years I really am biased. To me, it isn’t christmas without a bit of Chanel. The collection this year boasts a gorgeous 5 eyeshadow palette, 2 lipsticks, a nail polish, eyeliner, blusher and cream shadow all limited edition. But for me the highlighter from this collection steals the show!! Engraved with a signature Chanel Camelia, the highlighter gives a wonderful frosted shine to the skin. And unlike some limited edition highlighters it really does pack a punch!

I always get excited about the Christmas Chanel highlighter as it’s always a show stopper piece. But unfortunately after writing this, it seams like you crazy Christmas shoppers have cleared the counters of this gem! So I’m afraid you might be on a bit of a treasure hunt if you want this treasure under your tree!

Birthday blog!

Hello!! Finding excuses like sitting in the back garden and sunbathing on this glorious day to actually sit down and write a blog! Other excuses include some of the glorious bits and bobs I got for my birthday!

IMG_4193.JPG

Starting with the lush Lush (see what I did there 😉) products I got! I’ve always been a massive fan of Lush, just walking past the shop makes my mouth water. But their philosophy of all natural is all best has me a bit skeptical. However, I got the Enchanted eye cream and Imperialus face cream and so far so good. The moisturiser has a familiar smell that I can’t put my finger on and a gorgeous light texture. It leaves my skin feeling very supple and plump! (Which may not sound like a good thing but take it from me skin that feels like paper is not good!) my skin generally looks brighter and more even in tone and it doesn’t leave me shiny. Down side is for nighttime I want something richer and the pot leaks…. Which makes travelling with it in an overnight bag interesting! The eye cream I can’t say I’ve seen a massive difference… But in saying that I’ve only used it for over a week and the texture and smell are pleasant. The size of it is also massive value for money! It would be a great eye cream for those looking to start using something to maintain good skin around the eye area. I saved the best product for last though…. The mask of magnaminty… This product is just gorgeous! Everything from the smell and sensation on the skin (due to it’s high amount of peppermint.) to how it hardens and scrubs off leaving that amazing fresh, clean feel to the disgustingly awesome green colour! This little pot of awesome can also be used on back breakouts!

IMG_4188.PNG

No birthday would be complete without some Jo Malone 😊 as you know there is nothing I don’t like from that heavenly place and they proved me right again! Mum and dad bought me a gorgeous new (for me) scent English Pear and Fresia. For me I would have just walked past this one and oh my god I would be wrong to. The fresia doesn’t leave it intensly floral and the pear almost warms it up. I love warm scents; Pomegranate Noir, Coco (noir) etc and this little lovely has joined their ranks. Make sure to check out Jo Malone this Thursday for the launch of their new fragrance, body lotion and candle which I am extremely excited about! “Wood Sage and Sea Salt” might not sound like much but it’s spicy scent had me sniffing myself all day. The candle especially has heightened sage notes for that fragrant burn and had me imagining of warm Italian kitchens with a hunky italian man cooking me pasta… Yes I got all that from a candle. Just delicious.

IMG_4194.PNG

Another exciting little beauty product I was lucky to have been presented with was the highly coveted Christian Louboutin nail lacquer!! This sensational new cosmetics has had every girl swooning because now everyone can have a little bit of the Louboutin magic. The 8 inch stem is in honour of the highest ever heal “The ballerina ultima” Mr. louboutin created. Two coats of this intense red is meant to give the effect of the 20 layers that is given to every shoe. However if my boyfriend (and this goes to all boys) thinks that buying this counts as buying me “Louboutins” he’s sorely mistaken.

IMG_4195.JPG

So lucky me eh!? But a last little bit of info for all my favourite Lancôme ladies out there, I was recently enticed with their (as always) amazing gift with purchase. And as much as I am a product magpie I really cannot see past genifique. For me it’s like miracle serum. Even just having used it for the last 3 days I see the difference in the radiance in my skin. I’ve always said anti ageing starts with skins radiance and this is like the fountain of youth for skin. I was also suuuuper pleased to find a sample size of hypnose mascara which again I always try and find cheaper alternatives, (and end up finding the will to live as I loath mascara) I really should stop as it was like saying hello to an old friend using it this morning. Lancome’s gift with purchases are always really good and worth stocking up on old favourites for! And I can highly recommend the lovely ladies at boots Bon Accord to help you out with finding new favourites.

I had such a lovely birthday, (I know people always say that but I really did) I spent it with some of my favourite people, drank loooooads of champagne and laughed so hard my stomach hurt the next day. And these gifts I was lucky enough to receive we’re just a few of many. I really am such a lucky spoilt girl. ☺️.

As always please leave me comments on the Facebook page ( https://www.facebook.com/pages/StephMArtistry/175542622557392 ) for anything you’d like to see or ask me. Make sure to follow @stephmartistry for peaks into the life of an mua and have a wonderful week whatever you are doing! I have a special birthday celebration coming up Friday night so I might do my next blog on my make up for that occasion?? What do you think??

Until next time, ciao. x

The “Drugstore” Creeper…

When I go shopping I literally can not pass up the opportunity to go make up shopping. Seriously. Boots, MAC, super drug, John Lewis. My mum and sister will tell you a quick shopping trip is not quick when I’m there. So the last shopping trip I went on was no exception… Call me the “drugstore” creeper…

20140804-163154-59514993.jpg

On my last little venture into Boots I actually picked up a few wee gems which you shall all thank me for as they were bargains! (And seeing as I am constantly giving you new bits and bobs to try every penny counts!) I am a massive fan of base products. When I was younger I had quite a bad spotty completion and since then have been obsessed with foundation, concelear, powder you name it. So this always tends to be what I pick up. So when I saw Revlon had a “2 foundations for £12” deal they had me (hey, if it’s good enough for Emma Stone!?). I picked up two different foundations;

1. Colour stay (which in all honesty I haven’t tried yet because, drum roll please…. It’s too light for me!!)
2. Photoready. Now this foundation I absolutely have fallen in love with! It’s packed full of light reflectors giving skin an airbrush finish bouncing light in any light leaving skin with a radiant glow. It’s texture gives it away as a “drugstore” product, however I didn’t feel it was watery like others can be I just found that it needed a brush rather than fingers and needed a bit more (than the one pump a premium cosmetic will give you) to give a fuller coverage. It wore really well and didn’t leave me super shiny which is common with me and foundations. All in all for £6 it was a massive find, has been in my make up bag ever since and if you follow me on Instagram (@stephmartistry) it’s been the foundation I’ve been wearing in most of my make up pictures. I went for shade 003 Shell but I think there are 6 shades to choose from the lightest, refreshingly, being pale and not a sickly yellow or pink colour!

20140804-163355-59635612.jpg

Next on my bargain hunt was bourjois. I’m partial to a bit of bourjois, being from the same house as Chanel I find there products very similar… You just don’t get the same luxury. (Try and tell yourself you’re a bargain hunter when your holding a gorgeous Chanel packaging…. Yup we all love a bit of luxury.) These two bottles of loveliness are their new range of skin bases, Happy Light for matte or radiant Light, depending on your preference. The Radiant one is quite straight forward, a beautiful texture that leaves the skin feeling like silk and slightly wet for those that like a dewy glow (perfect for drier skins if you find foundation can stick in dry patches). The Matte has just an equally beautiful texture but certainly doesn’t leave the skin wet! The more you apply this into the skin the more the product starts to stiffen and meet resistance! Such a strange sensation! I found this held my foundation very well, I purposely didn’t powder (yes it was very hard for me… I’m okay now 😊) and I got through a whole wedding morning without feeling like I needed to powder. However using it on clients, It really has to be worked into the skin before anything else is applied on top or it will start to roll. I also picked up a cute wee blusher “love struck rose” which I was desperate for as I have so many pink blushers and wanted something warmer for summer. This blusher makes me smile every time I apply it. Bourjois blushers are scented with rose which is just my absolute favourite. Bourjois was also sporting a brilliant offer of 3 for 2 so these items cost me roughy £7 each.

20140804-163459-59699521.jpg

And last but certainly not least because I think this is my best find….

20140804-163610-59770176.jpg

I mean minus the gorgeous packaging but is that a bobbi brown shimmer brick or what!? This is from cosmetics brand Seventeen and cost just £5. There were two shades Gold Bronze and Pink Bronze I went pink as when I swatched them in store the Gold was very yellow… So be warned. It does have chunkier flecks of shimmer but over all it gives a lovely highlight and I’m a big fan of a highlighter. I used it on the tops of my cheeks, Cupid’s bow and the excess over my chin and bridge of the nose. I have also been taking the lightest shade on a small eyeshadow brush and highlighting my inner eye corner. Very versatile product and a great dupe for Bobbi Brown Shimmer bricks (although again you can’t beat a bit of luxury and their colour choices are much better).

I love doing a “drugstore” raid, picking up a few bargain bits and pieces always let’s me try what’s out there and you never know what little gems you can find! Not all of us can afford a premium make up bag but we should never let this stop us from feeling premium when we get dolled up!

As always I hope you find this useful and as always please tell me if you but anything I post! I love knowing how you feel about products as they always work different! Until next time my lovely people 💜

Ciao. x

Holiday make up bags and blues…

Hello all! Once again I’ve been lacking on this bit… I had planned to write a few on holiday next to the pool 😊 but that didn’t happen!

I’m always apologising for not keeping up with blogs and before I get stuck into the real blog, I thought I’d give you an insight to “behind the scenes” of my profession. Regular things I have to do on a daily basis. People see the pretty pictures of the aftermath of my job but not everything leading up to it.

So for example I came home last week to a mountain of emails, all of which have to be replied to… And then when they reply, I reply again and so on and so forth, you get the picture. All of these inquiries are usually replied to with a brochure depending on what aspect of my job they have inquired about. Then if all goes well and things are booked, deposits need to be invoiced and all information has to be noted and trials booked. So one email conversation with a potential bride can take a whole day. Try doing the likes of 5 at the same time! When I’m working I’m not exactly the tidiest (ask my mum) so my kit constantly needs cleaned, especially my brushes which are cleaned with instant spray inbetween clients but are bathed with a gentle shampoo after each working day. (This is mostly for hygiene but I also find the instant spray doesn’t clean as well and the brushes become greasy and clogged.) I have between 50-70 brushes… 😳. I also don’t always take everything with me (I have boxes and boxes of make up under my bed… I don’t think brides would appreciate prosthetic skin and fake blood) so my kits have to be swapped around, making sure I have the adequate tools for the job at hand. I update my social media every day. So this takes time to plan some of the things I want to put up and share with you guys, planning blogs, doing my make up, new items I have purchased etc. I have all my paperwork to keep up with. Invoices, expenses. Constantly keeping up to date with my online portfolio and website. Ordering all my “bits”….. You wouldn’t believe how many cotton bud, wipes and lashes I go through! After every trial I also face chart everything and this can take a really long time to do a whole wedding party if it’s 6 people. I also do a lot of recon.. like watching other artists on YouTube, I find this teaches me new techniques. Gives me things to try and keeps me fresh at my job. I like to constantly keep my mind interested. Finding images that inspire me that I can work on for my next shoot.

Even a simple selfie can take up a bit of time…. And on top of all of this I can sometimes do anything between 5 (rare) and 15 (more likely) make ups in a weekend, all the travel involved and I won’t even go into how long it takes me to do my make up… All these things I do in a week… But I wouldn’t change my job for the world. My professional Facebook page has just hit 900 likes and it’s moments like these that put all of this at the back of my mind. However… It does make me appreciate a holiday!

So.. I just got back from Ibiza! I did nothing but lie next to the pool, eat, drink, read and soak up the sun. It was bliss.. I actually locked my phone in the safe and didn’t even look at it! And I know it will be all of your turn soon so I thought you might like a few pointers and see what was in my holiday make up bag!?

I have a few holy grail make up items I take with me on holiday. One of them being the Estée Lauder day wear sheer tint. This little lovely is great for poolside, I’ve spoken about it before but it gives you a gorgeous hint of colour without being too heavy to sit in the sun by the pool. I could never be without my bronze universal on holiday. I take a lot of cream products with me as I find powder products can be really obvious in bright sunlight and appear cakey. I always take vitalumiere with me on holiday. I love the healthy shine it gives my skin (however if it’s humid I prefer double wear/double wear light… That little babies don’t budge). And a new little gem that has planted itself in my kit is the Daniel Sandler watercolour blush. I recently discovered these and there was no doubt in my mind this little gem was coming on holiday with me. I took shade “chic” a gorgeous rose gold bronze colour, perfect for that healthy bronzed look. And did I mention it’s waterproof?? And of course my Ben Nye banana powder and trusty MAC mini fix spray to set it all in place! Heat smudged make up be gone!

20140630-130842-47322052.jpg

20140630-130938-47378057.jpg

When I’m on holiday, I don’t tend to wear much make up on my eyes. I always have a few sets of lashes and ALWAYS my eye lash curlers as I don’t like masacara at the best of times, but eye make up is always on the minimum. However this year I had just got my hands on the new Sharon Osborne collection for MAC and I couldn’t resist.. I do have another blog coming on this so more info on that later.

I do ALWAYS have new bright lipsticks… For me that’s a staple to any holiday make up bag! My wee favourites that came with me this year were Dynamo lip liner by Mac, Chanel Rouge Allure Matte in number 46 (I promise I didn’t just buy it for the number… It was fate!) and YSL rouge volupté shine in number 12.

20140630-131039-47439226.jpg

It really is difficult trying to keep make up on in the sun, if you want things to stay on ideally you would go for matte but personally thick textures just do not go down well in the sun so here are my tips for any one else out there that’s mad like me and has a full face the whole holiday!

1. Wear light layers to buildup a full make up rather than one thick layer.

2. When you have a tan try not wearing foundation but lighter sheer tints, BB creams and cream bronzers.

3. A good concealer… But that’s a top tip for any make up!!

4. Cream not powder. (Loose powder doesn’t count 😊)

5. Wear bright warm colours, the sun will compliment them!

6. Use a fix spray! Use a generous amount of powder, allow to soak in to the skin for a good couple of minutes and then a good couple of sprays of your fixing spray. Urban decay “all nighter” spray also comes highly recommended.

I know I’ve just come home but I’m so jealous if you’re going away! (112 days until Malaysia!!!!) Wherever you go be safe and have fun!

Ciao for now.

Strike a pose…

Hello hello!!

I had a lovely customer tell me today that they read my blog all the time… So I thought I better write a new one!

To save you some pennies I thought I would tell you more about what I’d been up to rather than what I’ve been buying. I recently had the pleasure of working on such a fun shoot with such a great team. On the camera we had the ace Daniel MacAvoy, working the camera we had the gorgeous Iona MacGowan and giving us the props of the day was the amazingly talented Lorna Kenny from Sakura florist. A florist you say…..

20140520-194358.jpg

CHECKS THE UBER AWESOME HEADPIECES!!

I had such fun with this. The theme of the shoot was spring. And when I think spring I think fresh, pink, flowers all things bright and beautiful. For the shoot we had 2 make up changes.

20140520-194818.jpg

For this look I wanted really dewy skin. So to get that real shine I actually used a very fine layer of bepanthan (yup) on the high points of the face, brows, cheeks and bridge of the nose. I then used Chanel vitalumiere in shade 10 and 30 building up the lighter colour to dark from the centre of the face and outwards. When I think of fresh skin I think freckles… And I hate to tell you freckle haters out there that freckles are in!! But unfortunately Iona didn’t have many natural ones so theeeeeeeese are drawn on!! I used Soap and Glory Archery and MAC eyeshadow Wedge and went freckle daft! Obviously if you try and create a look like this… I wouldn’t recommend using bepanthan. But getting fresh skin isn’t difficult. Tips are using all cream products as powders can be clawing on the skin. MAC mineralise highlighters are great though if you prefer a powder. And I love a spray of Urban Decay All nighter spray for that fix and dewy finish.

20140520-200300.jpg

And here’s a sneak peak at the edited version of Look number two. I was so influenced by the colours of the headpiece. I wanted a really strong contour and the skin to look like cream. For this I used YSL le teint touché éclat and MAC. Studio fix to get a really flawless finish. I used sleek contour kit and Sleek fire palette on the cheeks.

And no shoot is complete with a bit of “behind the scenes”…

20140520-200622.jpg

Fantastic shot from Daniel! Such a great team and such a great shoot… The images are great but you’ll just have to wait a little longer for the rest of them!

As always thanks for reading, I heard a little story from a bride this weekend that let’s me know the word of StephM.Artistry is spreading and I really am so overwhelmed by it all. I love what I do and that knowing it’s not just all in my head is very satisfying!! Ha!! So thank you.

TTFN… Ta ta for now! x

Let’s colour!!!

Hello all! Skirting out on my blogging duties again I’m afraid! But I suppose it just means that each time I do it means a much bigger, fatter blog as an apology!

And today’s is no exception! We’ve gone through the soft pastels of spring and now summer’s trend has explosions of colour all over your face!! The market is absolutely full of new and bright products from the top to toe, so whether you like your colour a little more understated on your nails or bold on your eyes and lips there’s something out there for everyone!

If you do like something a little more on the delicate side, try painting your nails with a bright jazzy colour. Painting your nails can be such an expressive way of having a bit of colour or even clashing with what you are wearing without it being as obvious. And good old Barry M is here to help! They’ve taken out a new range of “gelly” nail polishes. Designed to give you a gel polish high shine finish and colour. And with a massive 27 shades you’ll be spoiled for choice! Personal favourites are number 18 a hot orange and 15 a deep teale!

20140508-115854.jpg

And if you’re felling a bit bolder here’s a recent discovery of mine…

20140508-115949.jpg

Daniel Sandler’s watercolour blushers. I purchased a couple in more wearable colours (Chic and Mayfair) and they are just gorgeous. Really pigmented and easily buffed into the skin they give the cheeks a radiant glow rather than some powdery blushers. These bright beauties “Acid” and “Trip” look radioactive but are actually a little bit more delicate in and on the flesh.

Most summer collections will usually have the odd pink and turquoise and I find are so samie! This years collections have certainly gone a little bit more radio active too. 2 of my favourite on counter collections have to be YSL les blues lumiere and Chanel Reflets d’ete de Chanel. (Biased I know!)

These collections have just blown me away between the eye palette from YSL which is packed full of cool, rich blues and hot oranges (which by the way are just the most amazing clashing colour combination.. Promise! You won’t look like an Irn-Bru can!)

20140508-121019.jpg

And Chanel’s nail and lip combination…. There moto for the collection is “mix.match.mismatch” and I can see why! Those with slight OCD would want to match…

Sweet lilac and Hello… It does as it says on the tin! a sugary lilac combination.
Tutti fruitti and Sexy… A jazzy coral .
Pink tonic and Happy… A vibrant hot pink.
Mirabella amd sunny… A blood red orange.

Or those of you who like to mix it up…

20140508-121500.jpg

Or if you’re like me and can’t choose… I be wearing it ALL!!!

And last, brightest but certainly not least you have the holy explosion of radioactive colour which is the urban decay electric palette!!

20140508-121745.jpg

This palette has taken the market and every MUA by storm! It’s chock full of 10 vibrant velvety shades that have massive pay off! My Instagram feed is full of make up enthusiast using this palette and I don’t think I’ve seen the same combination twice.

One of my favourite beauty bloggers did a tutorial actually using this palette and a few other things on this blog which I have linked as it’s useful to see. Colour is so hot (pardon the pun) right now and it’s so worth playing around and finding what you are comfortable with. I have always said there are no rights and wrongs when it comes to make up as it should be fun. However there are how to’s and not to’s so that’s why watching tutorials can keep you in check when it comes to colour. More coco cabana than coco the clown!

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Sls_8FLq4iU

So have a watch of the tutorial… Sorry it’s not my own… We have workmen in at the moment so it’s not the most ideal background noise! But the gorgeous Sam from Pixiwoo will take more than good care of you. However I did dable in the colour department as it’s not usually my thing… And I must say I could be converted! As always thanks for reading! Happy spending. Always let me know if you do purchase anything I’ve mentioned, I love knowing its useful!

20140508-123053.jpg

Ciao for now! x