That arty thing I do

When I first started doing my paper art, I got the original idea from my sister. I bought a book from the UK which had some ideas on how to start creating with paper and off I went on a discovery to see what I could come up with. My favourite piece so far was one I did for a friend who wanted to give a picture to her sister for her 25th anniversary which also coincided with the titanic 25 years. So after sifting through heaps of paper and googling what they wore in that era, I ended up with a piece that I loved. Let me know what you think.

What is the best way to apply foundation

Everyone has their own way to apply their foundation. Most people will do what works for them and there's nothing wrong with that. I remember when the foundation brush came out and it was the in thing to use, but to be honest I never liked them. I found that by the time I spread the foundation on with this, I would then grab a sponge to go over it to get rid of any lines that I'd made from the bristles. Why dirty two things! I find that if I'm applying liquid ( which i prefer) to my own face, I will use my fingers then smooth around the jaw and ears with a sponge. If using a grease based foundation like a stick, then I again use a sponge. To get a better coverage you can use more of a blotting method which will get more off the sponge and with a mineral type foundation either a big fluffy brush or again a sponge will also do the trick.

Christmas time is near

As you become a parent you realize that Christmas is all about the kids. Yeah sure it's great to get a gift from your loved ones, but there's nothing more exciting than buying gifts for the kids, knowing when to stop and then watching them get excited opening them on Christmas Day. This Christmas is more exciting than others for my husband and I which I will reveal in a later blog - so excited!
Anyway I hope everyone is as excited about the silly season as I am having their Christmas parties and preparing for their big day.

Why I love being a makeup artist

There is nothing nicer than making someone feel good about themselves. As a makeup artist this is something I get to do everyday. Whether its a natural sun kissed look or a high fashion style, you can be sure that the transformation can be rewarding for my clients as well as myself. I love the people that want to step out of their comfort zone and try something different mostly because they can't achieve it themselves and they were never taught how. This is why I love to share what I know, because everyone deserves to look beautiful such as the lovely Vikki who came and saw me today.
Cheers.

Makeup Tips - wide eyes

Have you got those wide set eyes that seem like they are trying to escape off your face every time you look in the mirror?  Wide set eyes can make a persons face look quite interesting if you know how to make them work for you.
When applying your eyeshadow, cover the entire lid with a neutral colour (this will help make blending easier), then grab one or two shades darker and start from the inside corner of your eye and blend with a big brush to the outer corner always keeping the inside darker.  You can always go darker again but practice makes perfect and be sure that you blend it properly so you don't have harsh lines where your colours meet.  You can wear eyeliner but make sure it finishes at the end of your eye.  If you wing it out further this will only make your eyes appear even wider so keep it compact.  You can get really inventive with your colours by using lots of shimmers and for an even bolder look, try wetting your brush and then dip it in to the shadow (be cautious as this can be quite strong looking, always blot it on the back of your hand first to make sure of the intensity).

That arty thing I don't finish

I like to be creative, I've been drawing since I can remember and trying my hand at any type of art I can think of, some great and some not so. I've made things and sold them, I've taken sewing classes and failed miserably at it, I love special effects makeup but its who you know in this industry not so much what you know. My biggest problem is finishing what I start. I drew a picture on a huge canvas about 4 years ago and to this day am still not finished. I looked at it about 6 months ago and said right, I'm going to complete that and still here it sits leaning against the wall. I think in the new year as we all make our New Years resolutions, I will be a finisher. It beats saying I'm going to lose weight on the 1st January, as if that ever happens haha.

makeup tips - small eyes

As makeup artists we get taught how to put eyeshadow on different types of eye shapes so we can enhance them, but I'm sure for those of you who aren't  makeup artists, you would also like to know how to make your own eyes the star of your face.
Today we look at small close set eyes.  When applying your eyeshadow keep a neutral or soft shade along the crease then get a darker shade to apply on the outer corner.  This will give the effect of opening your eyes up and making them appear further apart.
If you put darker shades all over the lid, it will actually close them up and make them appear much smaller.  If you are going to apply eyeliner, make sure the line is very fine close to your nose and a little thicker to the outer edge.  Put loads of mascara on the outer corner of your lashes.
Hope this helps.