Soap and Glory Skincare

I absolutely LOVE soap and Glory. I think they're branded in such a clever and extremely appealing way. I have used their body stuff for years - its always a Christmas present that I look forward to getting. I love their packaging and the little bags that the sets come in are perfect. When I have used all of the product, I use them to store my false tan and even as a cute little lunch box for work. They're all waterproof too so you don't have to worry about spillages etc. 

So when I heard about the new make up and skincare range, I was dying to have a go. There are some things in the make up range that I love, and their are some things that I'm really not fussed over - but overall for the price, I don't think you can complain. 

I've got oily skin, as you may know by now from some of my other blog posts, and so i'm quite prone to the odd open pore. I'm usually quite lucky in that they aren't terrible considering how oily my skin is. Lately however, I have noticed them getting larger. So I decided to search out some products to help. I did a search on google and it brought a whole load of products up but I was particularly intrigued by the soap and glory ones. This is partly because I love their lotions and potions so much but partly because of the price. I know my skin is quite prone to breakouts and I didn't want to try anything super expensive just in case I wasted my money - they were also on boots 3 for 2, which was of course, an added bonus. They also had amazing reviews so I ordered some and couldn't wait to try them when they got here. 

I ordered 3 things:

• The Fab Pore Hot Cloth Cleanser
• No Clogs Allowed face mask
• The Fab Pore facial peel

I started with The Fab Pore hot cloth cleanser - I wasn't deterred by the fact that it has orange and lavender oils in because they are natural oils and I use an oil cleanser as a rule anyway. I was however put off by the smell - it was a gorgeous smell but I just thought that it may have been too perfumed for my skin. It comes with a muslin cloth and my skin felt lovely afterwards. I didn't notice an immediate reduction in my pores however, like some of the reviews had said I would. 

I then used The Fab Pore Facial peel, which was more like a scrub than a peel. 

This also smelled amazing and made me skin feel amazing too. Once again, no visible reduction in pores. 

I then went on to use the final product that I bought, The No Clogs Allowed face mask. I had now cleansed and buffed my skin so I thought this would be a gorgeous final step to my routine. Ordinarily, I would use a cleanser everyday but use a face mask and a scrub about 2-3 times a week, sometimes less. It really depends on what my skin is like. 

Again, this felt amazing. It's actually a thermal mask so it feels hot as you apply it to the skin, and the cute little sponge that you get means it's easily removed as well. 

I suppose the real test was the next day when I woke up. Once again, I had no visible reduction in my pores, but my skin wasn't as oily as it usually was when I woke up. For this reason, I used Illamasqua Skin Base foundation, as I wanted a bit of a glow to my skin, which this foundation gives me. Before applying my make up however, I used the cleanser again.

By the end of the night, I had broke out in one of the worst breakouts that I had had in years. I was so disappointed because I absolutely loved the packaging and the feel of these products on my skin. The breakout was in every area of my face - my cheeks, chin, forehead - which makes me think that it must have been the new products  I had used. If I do suffer with any breakouts, it's usually the odd one here and there, not all over my face. I have also used illamasqua skin base hundreds of times before and it has never broken me out like this. 

I do have sensitive, acne prone skin, so maybe this skincare just wasn't for me despite the fact that it is geared towards my skin type. I'm going to ask my cousin, who also has oily skin to try it out and see how she gets on with it, but unfortunately, after just one use of most of it, I've decided it's not for me. :( 

Hair Loss

I don't care how vain it sounds, my hair was my thing. We all have things that we love and hate about ourselves. I'm not particularly in love with my body but I am confident and secure enough to be ok with it. I do my best with what I've got. I love food and I hate the gym so I can deal with a few rolls here and there. But my hair was always the one thing that I liked about myself. My mum is a hairdresser so I have had the luxury of having my hair professionally styled at the drop of a hat but despite this, even when I did my hair myself, it always did what it was told to do and I was always complimented on the colour or style. 

I wouldn't say that my hair was particularly thick, and I wouldn't sit there and think, "wow my hair is lovely", I just kind of took it for granted. It wasn't until I started losing my hair last year that you realise how precious your hair is. When you're having a day when you don't feel great, as long as your hair is done nicely and you have some nice baggy clothes or a nice winter coat to hide behind, everything would be fine. The more I washed my hair the more it fell out and the further into denial I fell. Until it got to the point where I simply could not ignore it anymore. My body was covered in hairs that were deciding to jump ship from my head. I was doing a client's make up one day when I looked down to my brush belt to find it completely covered in hairs. I was devastated, but quite frankly, without sounding cocky, I had it to lose. It got worse though. Having never had to wear extensions before, I now had to wear them all the time. This was more for my own confidence rather than anything else because I now know that so many people have got hair that is similar to mine. But I was used to having a mane and so this is probably why it has hit me so hard. 

Initially I was quite depressed over it because I didn't know if it was going to stop or whether it was just going to keep going until I looked like a female Matt Lucas. In addition to my hair falling out, I was also coming out in bruises all over my body, and was tired pretty much all of the time. I put this down to working 7 days a week but I thought it best to go to the doctors. They carried out all kinds of tests but they all came back saying that there wasn't anything wrong and that I was fit and healthy. Apart from a low b12 and iron count, I was fine.

I started taking vitamin b and iron supplements, which I think has helped a lot but also I have been using an amazing Shampoo called Alpecin Caffeine Shampoo. It has honestly been amazing. I have tried every hair loss shampoo under the sun but none of them really helped - this one has without a doubt. From the first usage, I could see that there was less hairs coming out, and then pretty soon my hair loss returned to the normal few that you lose when you wash your hair anyway. I'm absolutely over the moon. I also use the treatment, which you put in after you have towel dried your hair and it gives you this amazing tingling sensation across your head, which makes me think that good things are happening!

In addition to this, I've been taking Sea Kelp tablets from Holland and Barrett, which have also really helped my hair to grow, I now have little baby hair fluff all over my head. I may not get all my hair back but I'm absolutely over the moon that it's not falling out anymore and it's all thanks to this amazing Shampoo! 

TWO magazine

I know I've already posted about TWO magazine before, but just as a quick reminder to you all, TWO magazine is a FREE make up magazine, created by the amazing Pixiwoo. I was lucky enough to train with Sam and Nic, who have a youtube channel under the name of Pixiwoo and have had over a million hits. Since training with them, I have obtained an English degree and their fame has gone off into the stratosphere. They deserve all the praise that they receive, as they are truly fantastic make up artists and I'm very lucky to be writing for their magazine. 

If you haven't clicked already, go to www.two-magazine.com or you can also download the app on your iPhone or iPad. In the first issue, you will find my work on pages 38&39, a small piece about the Pantone colour institute in New York and how it influences our make up choices, and in the second issue, my piece is about one of the most prominent trends for AW12, a dark lip and a dark eye. You can find that on Pg 70 along with some amazing artwork by my friend Rebecca Adams, a fantastic illustrator who creates some amazing fashion images. 

Of course, it's not only about my work, the magazine contains amazing insight into the make up industry and is perfect for make-up artists (those who are learning, as well as those who have been in the industry for years) and generally just those who want a good fashion read. It's really a fantastic magazine and best of all, it's free. Please  check it out now!

TWO Magazine

Two is a fantastic new online magazine that has been created by Sam and Nic from Pixiwoo. I know very little about it, other than the fact that it is going to be a monthly magazine centred around all things make up! Anything that comes from these two is bound to be fantastic. 

What I do know, is I will be writing some short pieces for the magazine. I've already submitted the first piece, which is available for you all to read on Monday 1st October. It's free and will be the perfect companion for anybody who is interested in make up! 

Charlotte Tilbury

Charlotte Tilbury has been my absolute favourite make-up artist for as far back as I can remember. Two of my favourite vogue covers are ones that she has worked on; the Rosie Huntington Whitely cover where she wore the red D&G blazer and had a beautiful red lip, as well as the most recent adele one, in which Charlotte used the most beautiful Tom Ford products to create Adele's defining look. I am forever youtubing Charlotte to explore her work and see the way in which she describes the looks that she has designed. 

You can imagine my excitement then when my all time favourite youtube make up artist Lisa Eldridge had Charlotte as a guest artist on her channel. She recreates THE most beautiful red lip that was originally done for Kate Moss on the cover on Paris Vogue. If you love make up and want to see a true genius at work, this is the place to see it. I honestly cannot thank Lisa enough for sharing Charlotte's talent with us, and hope there are more artists to come!

View the amazing tutorial here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKsJv0E7hgQ

Illamasqua Cream Foundation

I love the idea of using a cream foundation. Something that melts like butter into the skin, giving a beautiful healthy sheen on the skin whilst looking like there is barely any product. Unfortunately for me, my oily skin has prevented this. I have tried MAC full coverage, which I have to be honest, I really love, but it's not matte and I do have problems with the oil after a few hours. 

I went into Illamasqua in Liverpool the other day, mainly for a browse and a chat with my friends Paddy and Rachel. Pretty soon, as is the way when 3 make up artists get together, the talk turned to products and which ones they loved from the brand. Rachel had mentioned the cream foundation to me previously but I'm used to working with liquid and dismissed the idea. I instead opted for Rich Liquid because, as you all know, I love a bit of coverage! Paddy however insisted that I try the cream and I loved the feel that it had to it - I barely felt like I was wearing anything! So I put my make up artist discount to good use and got both. I am yet to try the rich liquid, reason being, I am IN LOVE with the cream foundation. It literally takes 2 minutes to apply. I apply it in the same way that I would apply studio tech from MAC (I'm not a massive fan of tech either because the smell makes me feel nauseous and it gives me horrible blackheads for some reason). I spritz my face with MAC fix +, which I feel lubricates the skin and helps the foundation to slide on rather than drag across the skin. Then I buff it all over with a real techniques buffing brush. I did it this morning without actually looking - the colour is so perfect for me. Paddy needs a pat on the back for that one because the colour system is more than confusing! 

The finish is quite matte and it really did last all day without a primer. I have yet to try it with a primer but I'm sure it will only make me love it more. It has great coverage but manages to looks sheer and gives my skin a radiance without being oily. Today was my third day wearing it and my forehead went slightly oily but other than that, I got 12 hour wear on what was a long working day. Also I should mention that I used a translucent powder and a powder puff to set it in place. If you are a fan of GossMakeupArtist on youtube, you will see that this is his method, and it works a treat!

I'm going to use it with a primer and try it on a few different skintypes and then report back but so far...it's a big thumbs up from me :-) 

Making it as a Make Up Artist!

We have seen in recent years a great rise in the number of make up wearers. Wearing make up, and a lot of it has become very popular. This is of course thanks to celebs such as Katie Price, Jessie J, as well as the Kardashians, to name but a few. This then led to the rise in youtube tutorials and such like, with people wanting to recreate these looks for themselves. Youtube is where my make up journey started. I have always been interested in make up, and from a young age I always had a make up box that I would play around with and investigate new ways to apply make up. Usually it was stuff that I had robbed from my mum's make up bag. I started watching tutorials on youtube and it was when I watched the very first pixiwoo tutorial that I realised how much I loved make up. It was a Marilyn Monroe tutorial and Sam was about 8 months pregnant on it. From then on, I became obsessed with make up and after completing Sam and Nic's course I saw make up as a career rather than just a passion. This was 4 years ago now and ever since then I have been honing my skills and learning new things every day. I want to take these skills further to eventually be at the top of my game. It may take me 20 years but is something that I am prepared to dedicate my life to. If there is one thing that you can say about me, it's that I love my job! 

Now there are so many people who call themselves 'Make Up Artists' and they make it a lot harder for people who really want to succeed in the industry. I am by no means where I want to be, but over the past 4 years I have worked hard to practice, broaden my artistic skills as well as my people skills, my knowledge about new techniques and products as well as trend awareness. I read books, fashion magazines, watch youtube tutorials and most of all, get stuck in and don't let my fear of something stop me from trying it. I have to work for free a lot of the time to broaden my portfolio but I know that it will all be worth it in the end and I know that this is the career that I want to be in for a long time, and nothing comes without hard work and persistence. We can all be a little bit lazy sometimes and the temptation can be to go where the money is, or to give up because we can't be bothered. Things don't happen overnight so all I can stay is stick with it! 

Another great tip is to decide what kind of make up you want to do and get as much experience as you can, whether it be fashion, film and TV or just a make up artist who provides occasion make up for girls in Liverpool. But whatever it is, don't be put off by the people who are charging less than you and who get all the work. Because if you work hard, it will pay off! I didn't think 4 years ago that I would be where I am today, and I still have a VERY long way to go! Make connections, work hard, smile and most of all BE A NICE PERSON!!!

Products that I'm loving at the moment!

Like all make up artists, I go through phases of loving and hating various products. There are some that I write off and then come back to years later with new knowledge and love, and then there are things that I forget about or get bored of and then pull them out of the drawer 4 years down the line and remember how much I loved them! This post includes some of those things but also includes some new products too!

1) Embryolisse Lait Creme Concentre

Embryolisse is a french skincare brand that makes the most amazing products for a variety of skin types. This is one of its most popular moisturisers and is suitable for all skin types. I was quite dubious when trying this at first but on giving it a go, I can honestly say that it is one of the best moisturisers I have ever used. On drier skins it completely hydrates it and gives it a beautiful radiance. For more oily skins, it helps to keep the skin feeling smooth and supple without being excessively oily. It is beautifully thin, so that it can be used before make up and is a perfect primer for drier skins. I must say though, I used this morning and night whilst on holiday as my skin was slightly drier. I would usually only use it of a night as it is very moisturising and I find that using this twice daily on my oily skin would be too much. I still use my clean and clear moisturiser of a morning and perhaps dot this where I feel any dryness. 

This amazing product was once only available from french pharmacies but you can now get the range from lovemakeup.co.uk. Mine was a gift from a client after a trip to Paris so I have no idea how much it costs. I'm guessing it would be cheaper in Paris so if you are going over, make sure to buy some there!

2) Bioderma Crealine H2O

Another French pharmacy brand, this is an amazing gentle make up remover and cleaner. It feels like water on the skin and completely cuts through all make up, including waterproof. I can honestly say I would be completely lost without this product now. It leaves my skin feeling clean, cool and soothed and doesn't hurt my eyes when removing make up as some removers can do. 

There are some other options in this range that incorporate formulas for an oily skin, but I have found that this one has been perfect on my skin. This one was again a present from a friend and has proved a little more difficult to find than embryolisse. I now get mine from amazon. I will aim to try the oily skin formula and let you know how I get on. I pay £25 for 2 500ml bottles, which I don't think is too expensive considering the quality of the product. Again, this is probably cheaper in France!

3) Illamasqua Obsidian

This is a black eyeshadow that came out with the human fundamentalism collection and is the most pigmented black eyeshadow that I have ever used. I use it with a base, something like MAC blacktrack or smolder pencil and it sits beautifully on top. It is much blacker than MAC Carbon, whose formula seems to have changed in recent years unfortunately, which means it is less pigmented than it used to be. The only bad thing I would say about this is that, being a bit of a neat freak over my kit, it doesn't fit nicely into one of my palettes, which are all MAC. I do intended on investing in some more illamasqua shadows and keeping them all in a Z palette. It blends beautifully, without looking grey and I just love it. I have a feeling that this is one of those products that I will buy again and again. 

4) Illamasqua Skin Base in Au

This is a gorgeous sparkly gold version of illamasqua's most popular foundation. I use it as a bronzer on paler clients and as a beautiful highlighter for darker skins. I got it as a replacement to my chanel bronze universel, when it went MIA last year. Although the products are very different, Au is beautiful as a bronzer and probably has just as many uses as bronze universel. (And is a fraction of the price too, especially for make up artists who use their pro discount!) Whether this will be a product I will purchase again, I have yet to decide, but I have enjoyed using it a lot lately! The only thing I am slightly dubious about is the amount of glitter that this has in it and the fact that this might not go down too well with some people. It looks amazing on the body that's for sure, and carefully applied on the face can look amazing too. I definitely wouldn't use it as a foundation for all over the skin. So many products have shed-loads of glitter in them these days, that I don't really see a problem but it may put some people off. Maybe a try before you buy? 

I think that's all for now! I have been using some amazing brushes lately too, but I will write a separate blog about them as I think that this post would be a much longer and rather boring one if I started rambling on about them too!

The Scouse Brow!

Working as a make up artist in Liverpool, I get to explore a million and one different make up looks, all of which excite me and some of which challenge me. This is one of the things that I love about working in Liverpool, the girls (and some boys) are all very fashion forward, daring and usually willing to try new things. They stay ahead of the trends and aren't afraid to try them out. 

One of the biggest trends of recent years is of course, the 'Scouse Brow'. This style of brow means that you draw the eyebrow in very harshly, usually a lot darker than your natural brow and also a lot thicker. I have also seen a great many that are actually thickest at the very front of the brow, with this part actually being elongated to the point that the two brows almost meet in the middle. I SIMPLY DO NOT UNDERSTAND THIS TREND. Now being a Liverpool girl myself, I understand that we can sometimes take a trend too far, and I'm not averse to giving the brows a little bit of help, in fact, I'm all for it. But I just don't understand how these girls walk out of the door and believe that their brows look nice. More often than not, they completely take over the face, and take away from the rest of the make up, no matter how beautifully this may be applied. The first thing you see is a set of eyebrows. What saddens me the most is when a girl spends her hard earned cash to have her make up professionally applied and then ruins the whole look by drawing in her eyebrows far too harshly! 

Of course, this is just my opinion and if you think that it looks good, and brings you confidence, then go for it. But as Coco Chanel once said, "always take off the last accessory that you put on", and in this case, I would urge it to be your 'Scouse Brow'.

#TOP TIP! When filling in your brow, softly strengthen the brow from underneath first in a colour that matches your brow perfect and then fill in from the arch. Often, you find that when you strengthen your arch, the brow looks finished and little more needs to be done to it! 

My Favourite Foundations for Oily Skin

As many of you know, I have oily skin. It used to be the absolute bane of my existence but over the years I have learnt how to treat it correctly and how to use products that help to control the oil. 

Skincare and looking after your skin is of the utmost importance no matter what skin you have. It will really help in achieving a look that keeps the oil away. I use a variety of products including Vichy Normaderm, which really helps with the oils on my skin but time and time again, I always find myself going back to clean and clear. I use the blackhead removing scrub, the deep action creme wash and occasionally I will use the Double Action moisturizer, which keeps my skin very smooth yet controls the oils and helps to keep breakouts at bay. I think all in all, this costs me no more than £20 every 6-8 weeks. They usually have 3 for 2 offers on in Superdrug as well, which is a bonus.

There are of course other, more high end products that work amazingly well, for example Dr Nick Lowe products, available in boots, are supposed to be really good. I haven't personally used any of these products, as I find that if I change my products about too much, I do break out and so therefore I tend to stick to what I know works. Some people may find that these products would be too harsh on their skin, and this would definitely be true of somebody that has a dry skin. The problem with these drug store brands is that they work based on the assumption that all problem/spotty skin is oily, which is 9 times out of 10 the case. 

Anyway, I always make sure that I remove my make up before bed and cleanse thoroughly in the morning. I use my clinique repairwear laser focus serum both morning and nighttime and pair it with a good moisturizer. (See my post on the serum update). I will ALWAYS use a good primer. My favourites are MAC Face Protect primer, which is amazing at keeping the oils in my skin away, or Laura Mercier Oil Free, which doesn't have quite the same strength but is lovely too. 

My personal favourite foundations for oily skin are:

1. Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation -I couldn't be without this foundation. It has amazing coverage which covers up all of my blemishes on a bad day, and just like it says, it  stays on. It lasts well in heat and humidity and makes my skin look absolutely flawless. I literally only use a pea sized amount of this foundation as too much makes the skin look cakey. It has a setting agent in it which helps it to last and therefore, you have to work really quickly with it, as if you apply more over the top, it can look very ashy. The colours can also be quite difficult to work out so as ever, I would ask the Lauder assistant to help you, even if she just explains how the colours in Lauder work. 
2. MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation - this is amazing. It doesn't have as much coverage as EL double wear but it still offers a good coverage with a beautiful matte finish. I swap and change frequently between the two. 
3. MAC Matchmaster Foundation - A beautiful matte foundation which doesn't offer as much coverage as the two above. I love this on a good skin day when I just need a bit of evening out. It has amazing staying power again and is perfect for those who don't want as much coverage! 

As always I would finish with a concealer and a powder. I tend to use a translucent powder but if I want more coverage, I use EL double wear powder, or MAC fix powder, both of which are amazing, but again can go cakey quite quickly. Just be aware that less is more and it's all about how you prep and look after your skin and you will definitely keep those oils at bay! 

Benefit She Laq

I have been looking for years for something that is waterproof to fill in the large gaps that I have in my eyebrows. I've never found anything that I was completely satisfied with and I settled with a MAC paintpot in quite natural to fill in my brows. I loved the texture and still use it, along with my HD brow pencil to fill in my brows, as both have a warmth that compliments my red hair. But I have now found an AMAZING product that allows me to use my existing products and then just seal my brows with an amazing waterproof layer!

Not only does it seal by brows in place but it has the capacity to turn any make up product into a waterproof one! I have used a drop of it in mascara that I have decanted, and more recently I used a few drops of it in foundation in order to seal that into place too. It does alter the product slightly, mainly where colour is concerned. This doesn't really bother me too much as I just love using it for my eyebrows. I use it straight from the bottle and brush it onto my brows. I then give it a few seconds to set and brush my brows through with a spooly so that they don't look really rigid, as once this sets, it's set! 

It's a must have product for hot summer months, (which you will definitely only get if you are going away on holiday!)

Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus Serum UPDATE

I have been using this serum for about 4 weeks now and I have noticed a massive difference in my skin. It feels nicer, looks more radiant and healthy and most importantly, has diminished a few of my fine lines. I had noticed previously that some wrinkles had started to appear around my eyes and one quite defined one on my forehead. The ones around my eyes have almost completely gone and the one on my forehead, which I was particularly conscious of, has almost disappeared too. I have applied the serum twice a day, combined with one of my favourite moisturisers. This month it has been either Embryolisse Lait Creme Concentrait or MAC Mineralize Charged Water Moisture Gel. I then use the MAC charged water eye cream too. 

The biggest change has come from my mum's use of the product. She hasn't looked after her skin quite as much as she should have done in years gone by and she does have quite a bit of sun damage too. Her skin has completely changed for the better with her use of this product. Like me, she uses it twice a day. The biggest difference has been seen in the skin around her eyes. Before, the skin was quite baggy yet it has completely tightened up over the past month. I cannot wait to see what the results are like as she continues to use the product. 

I'm dying to try the foundation too, although I'm not sure what it will be like, or if it will be as effective as the serum. If any of you have tried it please let me know what you have thought of it. 

Real Techniques brushes

I cannot explain I much I love these brushes. They are perfect!!! They feel amazing, are multi use and they apply the products so beautifully that it makes me wonder why everybody in the world doesn't own them! They really are gorgeous! They're also very affordable considering the high quality. I cannot wait to get my hands on the new ones. The only thing I would say is that I do prefer to use natural hair brushes on my eyes, as I feel that they apply products better but I use all of these brushes on the skin and for lips. They are amazing. Well done to my lovely teacher Sam who has obviously worked so hard to make these brushes really amazing!!!

Lil Star Hairdressing!!

As many of you may have noticed, I'm now teaming up with Lil Star Hairdressing to bring my clients the best in hair and make up! Lil Star is a salon based in Bootle. Started by Kelly over 2 years ago, Yas, Katie and Bekki make up the team. I'm so happy to be joining them! Even though I love travelling around to everybody (which I will still be doing) I need a base so that I can fit more clients in as I'm finding that I'm driving around more than I'm doing make up and my cancellation lists have more people on them than I have appointments. I hope you all understand why I have made the move and I can't wait to get underway with it!

Where is the salon?

The Salon is on Hawthorne Road, L20 2DW and the contact number is 0151-922-2021. We're holding an open day on Sunday 10th June from 2pm-6pm so if you get the chance it would be wonderful to see you there! There's refreshments and goody bags and you will get to meet us all and see us in action. Even if you have a make up or hair query that you want answering or if your fed up with your style at the moment, come and speak to us and see what we can do for you! For both hair and make up we carry out in depth consultations so you will never go away unhappy. Models will be modelling our creations on the day so come along and see what we're about! 

ProChart Advert

I have blogged about ProChart before but I feel that we need a little bit of an update! Vic has amazingly used one of my facecharts to appear on the add for ProChart. I couldn't be happier as I think ProChart is fantastic! Everybody get yourselves one! I'm currently doing some black skin facecharts and will post them when they're done! Thanks Vic, you're a star :)  Here it is:-

HD Brows Update!

I have blogged before about my HD Brows but I thought I would let you know about the new lady who is doing my brows, Rachael Hall. I checked out her website not so long ago, and thought she was fantastic. She is based in Manchester and is a trainer for HD Brows. While Skin Deep introduced me to HD Brows and really improved my shape initially, they weren't giving me the satisfaction that I really wanted., Rachael gave me this in my first appointment with her. Not to mention she completely sold me the pencil, which is amazing. Her expertise is shown by the fact that she has many celebrity clients. If you get a chance, check her out www.rachaelhall.com or @HDbrowsbyRach on twitter. She is a true pro and has given me the brows I have always wanted. I'm waiting for her to come to me again on Saturday and then I will update you with a before and after pic!

Chanel Perfection Lumiere vs MAC Matchmaster

Foundation is one of those things that I am obsessed with. I am forever in search of that amazing foundation, that will change my life. Dramatic I know! Now I have some amazing favourites, yet I am always trying new ones to update my kit and to keep abreast of what kind of products are on the market now. Recently there have been some absolutely gorgeous foundations released and amazingly, a lot of them are matte. In recent years that 'dewy glow' has been so prominent that it was difficult to find a matte foundation that was as technically advanced as some of the dewy ones that were on the market. However this is all about to change as thankfully matte skin is back in fashion! This is like music to my ears as I have to wear a matte foundation because of my oily skin!

Chanel, MAC and Clarins are just some of the cosmetic companies to have released beautiful new matte foundations. This new generation of matte foundation veers away from the heavy coverage that most matte foundations give and are virtually undetectable on the skin. Matte foundation has always tended to be heavier in coverage because of the misconception that people with an oilier skin have things that they want to cover up. In many cases this is true yet its not true for all cases, hence why this new generation of foundation is fantastic.

Chanel has yet again released another beautiful foundation, one set to replace Pro Lumiere in their product range. I'm gutted that Chanel has decided to discontinue Pro Lumiere and I don't think I will ever find a foundation like it, although rumour has it that the new clinique repairwear laser focus is very similar. Perfection Lumiere is a matte, medium coverage foundation that comes in a greater shade range than Chanel usually offer. It is silky smooth on the skin and doesn't look dry or cakey like some matte foundations usually do. Whilst it doesn't set on the skin, it does feel quite sturdy although I was a bit worried about my oils coming through as it didn't feel like it really gave me the completely matte finish that I need. My face was shiny after about 4/5 hours which is nothing that a bit of powder won't fix. It was overall a nice foundation although I found the smell overpowering. In the long term I don't think it will ever be my go-to foundation as it didn't last long enough and isn't "wow" enough for me. 

MAC has released a new foundation called 'Matchmaster' which thankfully, has colours which cross the middle ground between the NWs and the NCs. The idea behind this foundation is that it matches your skin colour through a clear particle that enables your true colour to show through. It does set and it offers a nice coverage, again without feeling heavy or cakey. Overall, I found this to be very similar to the chanel perfection lumiere however, it doesn't have the overly fragranced smell to it. The only qualm is that too much of this and the skin looks chalky - but if you want to build the coverage up then why not go for a foundation such as Studio Fix Fluid, which is one of the more old school matte foundation with tons of coverage (and still my favourite after all of these years). 

If I was choosing between the two, I would have to go for the MAC, not only because I felt that it lasted longer and was less fragranced (and so therefore caused less worries about breakouts) you also get 40ml for £24.50 whereas the chanel is £34 for just 30ml. For a foundation that is practically the same, I would much rather go for the matchmaster.

Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus Serum

I'm a big fan of serums. With having oily skin I prefer their watery texture and the way that they seemingly sink into the skin so quickly allowing make up application straight after it. I've recently purchased this as I have read so many amazing reviews, with a lot of them comparing it to Lauder's Advanced Night Repair. So thought I would give it a go myself. With having oily skin I suffer from open pores and I have some acne scars so I'm hoping that that will all get evened out! I'm also getting on a bit now and I'm noticing some fine lines on my forehead. Hopefully prevention not cure will be found in this little bottle! I'm only on day two and so far I have noticed that my skin feels smoother, yet has also become slightly more oily. I'm taking this as a good thing because this is what my skin does when it's healthy and is nothing that good primer and foundation cannot fix! I will keep you posted. (Also the packaging is annoying because you can't see how much you have used and the pipette makes it all spill over onto the sides).

Viva Glam - Nicki and Ricky!!!

MAC Viva Glam is one of the best good causes around. Every year, MAC releases a new lipstick, lipgloss or in the most recent case, a lip conditioner to raise money for the MAC AIDS fund which has to date raised hundreds of millions of pounds for those affected by HIV and AIDS around the world. Every penny of the sale value (minus the VAT) goes to the fund, which is not only very generous but also extremely helpful to the people who this money is going to. Previous spokespeople include Ru Paul, Elton John, Dita Von Teese, Pamela Anderson, Missy Eliot and Lady Gaga to name but a few. This year, it is the turn of global superstar Nicky Minaj and Pop Star Ricky Martin.

The lipstick is an amazing, very summery bright pink, and Ricky has released a lip conditioner - perfect for all ages, all races and all sexes.

I know that many of you may roll your eyes at this and think "more money being sent to third world countries...what about our country?". While it is easy to think of these third world countries when thinking about HIV and AIDS, we also have to think about our own...HIV and AIDS can affect anyone of any age, anywhere in the world. The AIDS epidemic that started in 1981 in San Francisco killed more people than American Soldiers were killed in the Vietnam war. Here is a poem by Gene Valentine called, "I Still". It was introduced to me by MAC Liverpool's Viva Glam specialist and my beautiful friend Jenna Maloney. It is about a white woman in her 30s, who contracted HIV without knowing. She then met the love of her life and was shortly after diagnosed. He left her and she remained devasted. If you do one good thing today, please make sure you buy a Viva Glam lipstick. There are lots of colours and textures to chose from and your money will be greatly appreciated.

I Still

I still...

miss you even if you don't miss me.

Think of you even if you don't think of me.

Wonder whether you really were my

special friend or just

another man playing pretend?

I won't believe that it was a lie, that all

the love,

passion, lust, tears,

laughter, and joy you gave me were untrue

but where are you

now? I'm still here

waiting, wondering where you've been and

do you still call

yourself my friend?

I still...

question if you really cared when I became sick and if so,

why were we over so quick?

Need you to hold me and tell me how you'll be there 'til

the end.

Long to hear your voice again.

It's been 333 days and 999 pills.

The virus is at bay now,

but like all enemies

I know that it's lurking in the

shadows of my t-cells.

I wonder did this virus touch you

too? And if so what will

you do?

Did the meds make you sick?

Did you take as many pills as

I or was it 999x3?

I wonder did you sleep well or were you in my same hell?

I still....

miss you even if you don't miss me.

Think of you even if you don't think of me.

Want you to be my friend even if you can't make love to

me again.

I still...I still...I still...

My Guide to Bridal Make Up

As we enter 'Wedding Season', a lot of brides will now be debating about how they're going to have their hair and make up. Both are extremely important as, along with your dress, the way you wear your hair and make up is an extension of your style and personality. As well as this, they will be photographed a million times, and those photographs are the ones that will be shown to children, and grandchildren. Whether you decide to do your own make up, or have somebody do it for you, it is important to know what kind of look you want to achieve. Here are some are some tips and tricks from me on how to achieve a flawless bridal make up.

I always stress that the make up be as timeless as possible. Anything that can be defined as current 'trend', should be avoided. Trends such as strong brows, pink cheeks or super long lashes all fall into this category, as they will look very dated in the future. There are some beautiful examples of flawless and timeless make up from the past, such as Grace Kelly, or Princess Margaret, who both wore immaculate make up on their wedding days, but yet, still looks beautiful now.

Of course, if you wear your make up in a certain style, then it would be advisable not to veer from it too much, as you still want to look yourself, but adjustments can be made so that you still have pink cheeks, or so that your lashes are still defined, but still look classic and timeless rather than trendy. A perfect wedding make up is one that you cannot pin down to any decade or era but what that simply enhances the brides natural beauty.

Often, their wedding day is the only time in a girls' life that they will have their make up done. Therefore, it is important to trust the artist that you are hiring for the job. Look at their pictures, website, portfolio, anything that you can get your hands on. Make sure that they are offering a decent service, and come with recommendations. Usually, artists are passed through friends or families. This is also why trials are super important when it comes to your bridal make-up. This is the time when the artist will pick you to pieces - what your style is like, how you usually wear your make-up, what your skincare is like, if you have anything that you want to focus on, how you will wear your hair, shimmer or no shimmer, the list is endless. This is the sign of a good artist though, not just a nosey person! Usually the best artists are those who just charge one price, which includes the trial. They have the experience and the clientele to have the confidence to just charge one price, as they are usually always booked by their clients after their trial. They usually require a deposit at the time of the trial. BEWARE - you should never give a deposit before a trial. You haven't a clue what the artist is going to be like and so therefore shouldn't hand over any money until the trial.

Do not be put off by high prices. A good artist will charge you for their time and expertise, and will often include lashes in the price. An artist will be coming out twice for the trial and the day and will usually hang around until everything is ready to begin - to make sure that any necessary touch ups are made. I always say that you pay for what you get. This is an experience which you may never have again and the right artist can make you look and feel amazing. They often make their service really luxurious by using the best products and brushes. 

That is not to say that you cannot achieve a beautiful make up if you are doing your own. But once again, preparation is important. Have a practice, try out different styles and products to see which ones work best for the look that you are trying to achieve. Lots of professional make up artists offer lessons, in which you learn how to create a stunning look for yourself. These are perfect for brides who are getting married abroad. MAC offers lessons which are also redeemable in product, which is brilliant as you are learning how to use the things that you are buying.

REMEMBER - its not just your wedding day but it is also in essence a photoshoot. The camera usually removes about 20-25% of the make up so it is important to take photographs to see how it looks against the flash. A make up artist will know all the correct products and application techniques to ensure that you have a flawless photographic look on your big day!

Here are some beautiful examples of gorgeous timeless make up, the top one being Ivana Trump sporting beautiful make up on her wedding day, and the last two being from my own portfolio.

Girls being taught make-up at school - which side of the fence do you sit on?

I've recently read an article in The Daily Mail, which has absolutely infuriated me. It was about a school in Leeds that now offers make up lessons to their pupils, aged 14 and upwards. This has obviously caused outrage. To me, this just seems that society has become so delusional and over-obsessed with the 'over-sexualisation' of young girls, that they cannot see the benefits of a young girl trying to improve, or actually learn the beginnings of, personal presentation.

The article says that parents "don't send their daughters to school to learn how to put make up on but to receive a decent education". The Daily Mail has a predominantly conservative bias. Therefore, I find it quite ironic that the conservative party and our prime minister David Cameron, are encouraging education over vocation, and yet, are making it increasingly difficult for our generation to receive and education that goes beyond that of A-level. These subjects, it would therefore appear, are becoming more and more relevant in our classrooms. The classes are being taught outside of school time and with parents' permission, and so therefore are not disrupting their education and are furthermore, keeping the kids off the streets, quelling what is a very prominent and realistic problem in today's society.

Further to what I have mentioned above, it is also true that not every child is academic and so could flourish in a class such as this. It is a well known fact that a child behaves better (and even some adults) when they enjoy the subject that is being taught or discussed. Boys are taught 'woodwork' or football, but yet these lessons do not seem to be seen in the same light, when they too are vocational. Parents, and apparently the government, according to the article, are worried about seeing young girls in an overly-sexualised manner, which is currently being promoted by society. They are so worried that in fact, it is almost as though we are reverting back to the days when women were forbidden to improve or enhance their physical selves for fear of what society would think. Did the fight for equality even happen?

The article goes on to say that make up is something that should be taught in the home, however this is clearly not always possible. Many mothers, including my own do not have the first clue when it comes to skincare and make up, so how exactly is it going to be passed down? To go back to the idea of how much society has 'moved on', many mothers are not always a constant figure in their childrens' lives, or simply don't have the time. More women work longer hours, as well as having jobs in which you cannot wear a lot of make up, so how is the child expected to learn?

"It's far too early" is the cry from some mothers in the article, however it is my belief that this is a completely unrealistic viewpoint. At age 14 a young girl is not only very aware of her appearance, but is also developing a personality that will resemble that which she will develop into adult years. Not only this, but children are now having to make very important decisions and choices at a very young age. I know that at the age of 14, I was already contemplating what I wanted to do when I was older, in terms of what degree I was to study, where I would study it and what subjects and grades I would need in order to achieve it. I was 16 when I picked out my career path that I was expected to follow for the rest of my adult life. To say I've veered from that is an understatement, so why can we not add a bit of variety to school life in order to broaden a young girl's horizons and opportunities?

When this kind of thing isn't taught at home, young girls are getting it exceedingly wrong, with the final look being that of a beheaded oopma loompa, or worse, Groucho Marx, and thus becoming the talk of the adults who are failing to correct them. The schools are hiring professionals, and being a professional make up artist, I know that I would cater to my client. I would never teach young girls how to do their make up like Jordan, but more how to look after their skin by choosing the right skincare products, as well as how to enhance their natural beauty through the correct use and placement of make up. The basics, in other words. What they chose to do with make up once they are adults is completely up to them, but at least they have a foundation to fall back on, or for some, a springboard for self expression, or a very successful career.

What I find completely baffling is that they can make choices about what they want to do for the rest of their lives but not how to present themselves in such an image conscious society. Surely knowing how to present their hair, make up and nails will only benefit them in such a society? For me, it has provided a job and a lifestyle that I adore, and one that is filled with so much opportunity.

Don't get me wrong, I am not discouraging an education in any way. I myself have a good degree from a red-brick university but given the choice, I have chosen to follow my passion of make up. It would be fair to say that being academic at school, I probably wasn't given the choice but was more expected to go to university than take up a career in make-up. Should I have had these lessons made available to me at school, maybe I wouldn't have wasted so much money gaining a degree that I may never use. At least I had the choice though, something I'm sure David Cameron and his coalition government is going to ruin for our younger generations.

Sorry for getting so political girls, this is just a topic that I felt I had to discuss!!

HD Brows

Brows are becoming more of a trend now than they have ever been. Sadly however, this trend has created 'The Scouse Brow', a trend which simply encompasses Liverpool's tendency to make everything bigger. In most ways this is a plus, and in fact is one of the things I love most about this city, however I cannot bear this current trend!

Luckily though, not everybody is a fan of this current trend. Naturally, I am quite fair, and so therefore my brows are too. They are also quite sparse and it had been years since I had had them professionally shaped. It is also incredibly difficult to find somebody during this trend, who you can trust to give you a nice shape and not a 'scouse brow'.

I had heard about HD brows through the grapevine a couple of years ago. Only certain salons offer it and the technicians have to specifically trained. It is a 7 step programme which includes tinting, waxing, threading, trimming  and plucking. The video above shows the founder of HD Brows explaining the treatment and effects.

I get mine done by Liz at Skin Deep Salon in Huyton. She is lovely, and my brows have really started to get a nice shape to them. As my brows were particularly bad (they used to grow in every direction possible plus have a very strange gap in them), she said that it might take a couple of treatments before they started to follow the shape that she was creating. I've had them done 3 times now and I go back every 2-3 months to have them reshaped. I pay £25 but I know that some places are cheaper and some more expensive. I think it is important to find somebody that you trust to do them as well.

Here is a before and after picture of my brows the very first time I had them done.

Since this picture, they are more defined and the shape is a lot more noticeable now. I am really pleased with them and would recommend the service to anyone. If you are looking for somebody in your area, the HD Brows website allows you to type in your post code and find somebody in your area that offers the treatment. It can seem quite expensive but when you consider the time and money that it saves in brow pencil I think it is a worthy investment, plus it completely changes the way your face looks. I cannot recommend it enough!

Crest Whitening Strips

We are such an image conscious society nowadays that you cannot find a beauty salon in the Liverpool area that does not offer botox, fillers, chemical peels and teeth whitening to name but a few. I have myself had my teeth whitened at a beauty salon, which not only didn't work, but according to my dentist, was also very dangerous. In fact, the same salon left my mum with a condition called 'Burning Mouth Syndrome' because they didn't protect her gums during the treatment. However, I simply cannot afford to pay £350 to get my teeth whitened professionally, and if I'm being honest, It's not a treatment that I am in desperate need of. However, I have been recommended the Crest Whitening Strips by a few people now so I thought I would give them a go.

They're fairly cheap; I paid £21 for 28 packs of upper and lower strips. You place the clear, sticky strips onto your teeth and leave it on for 5 minutes. I've done my first packet today and it was really easy. It felt slightly weird to have these plastic strips over my teeth but then they were only on for 5 minutes. I haven't experienced any sensitivity, although some reviews that I have read said that I would so I will let you know if I do once I have been using them for a significant amount of time. I know there are plenty of other alternatives to getting your teeth professionally whitened such as the kits that you can buy from beauty salons, however due to my first bad experience, I think these whitening strips are the best option for me! I'll give it a couple of weeks and then I will let you know if I think that they're making an improvement to the colour of my teeth!

What to do once you have found the perfect foundation!

Now that you have found the perfect foundation, you have to know how to get the best out of it. You can do this in a number of ways, but mainly you have to focus on skincare and application technique. There is only so much that a foundation can do. If your skin isn't prepped underneath then no matter how good the foundation is, or how much it matches your skin, you won't get it completely flawless.

A dry skin must be well moisturised before applying foundation. If it isn't, it's going to drink up the foundation which will cause it to disappear from your skin, or if your skin is really dry and flaky, then the foundation will flake off with it. I usually spend about 5-10 minutes prepping the skin, which usually entails me massaging the moisturiser into the skin until it is completely soaked in and the blood is flowing to the surface, giving a glowing and healthy effect. Once this is done then applying the foundation is easy. Usually, I will only use a primer on a dry skin if it is moisturising primer. I love the Laura Mercier one for dry skin, as it has 3 different kinds, moisturising, regular and oil free. You use less foundation as well because it blends so much more evenly with this primer underneath. Failing that, I will use a moisturiser in place of a primer. I love MAC strobe cream, which I tend to use alone underneath foundation on a dry skin.

For a normal/combination skin, I tend to use something like MAC Studio Moisture Fix as it is a nice thin moisturiser and therefore you can apply make up directly over it. It also has a time release system so will keep your skin moisturised throughout the day. I might also use some MAC fix plus to help keep the skin refreshed and moisturised. I will tend to use a thin layer of primer, such as MAC Prep + Prime Skin or Laura Mercier Foundation Primer. If your skin is more on the oily side then maybe use an oil control moisturiser in place of a normal one, or alternatively a more oil controlling primer such as MAC Face Protect Primer or Laura Mercier Oil Free foundation primer.

If your skin is really oily then use an oil control moisturiser such as MAC Oil Control Lotion, and then an oil control primer, such as the ones mentioned above. Not only will this help your foundation to go on more evenly and flawlessly but it will also help to keep it on and keep it looking beautifully flawless all day!

How to find the Perfect Foundation!

The question that I get asked most often is, "What foundation is right for my skin?". This is a question that can't be answered quickly and easily and in most cases requires you to try the foundation for more than just 5 minutes when buying it. Trying the foundation initially however is VERY important but there are also many other things that you must take into account when buying a foundation. So many people are uneducated in these things and it is for that reason that many people find buying a foundation so difficult.

Here are some of the most important things that you should consider when you are buying a foundation.

• What type of skin you have;

This is one of the most important things to consider when you're buying a foundation. You have to buy a foundation that will sit well on top of YOUR skin. If you have dry skin, you are going to want something that is going to add moisture, luminosity and radiance to the skin. A foundation is meant to enhance the skin and make it look its best. It is for this reason that you should either never use, or only use sparingly, a powder on top of a dry skin. Powder will dry up any moisture on the skin (hence why it mattes a dewy foundation when it is applied on top), and it will only make the skin look flaky and dull. There are powders that work well on a dry skin such as MAC Mineralize skinfinish which does not have a matte finish and is baked with water to prevent it from drying out the skin.

The same kind of things can be said for an oily skin. If you have an oily skin then you are going to want to use a foundation that is going to dry up the oils on your skin, and stop it from looking greasy and shiny. This is the job of a matte foundation, most of which contain Silica, which helps too absorb and disperse oils across the skin. It is a general rule of thumb that most matte foundations tend to have more coverage to them because people with an oily skin will tend to suffer more with spots as the oil blocks sebaceous glands on the face. However this is not always the case, and MAC have brought out Matchmaster, a matte foundation that has a sheer to medium buildable coverage. You will also need a setting powder if you have a very oily skin as this will help to eliminate oils immediately and throughout the day. It is also another rule of thumb that people with an oily skin should not moisturise. However I am not of this school of thought and will be following this post with one about skincare, and how to make the most out of your perfect foundation once you have found it.

If you have a normal skin then you are lucky enough to wear pretty much any foundation that you want, providing that you use the correct skincare, and that the foundation reacts to your skin well. Some foundations can dry out a normal skin, some can make it oily and it is for this reason that you need to be aware of the types of skincare that you are using. The same can be said for combination skin; skincare is very important.

• What you want your skin to look like;

This is an umbrella question really and encompasses the following things; the finish, coverage and colour of your foundation. The finish is whether you want your foundation to be matte, or have a sheen or a dewy glow to it. Generally people with an oily skin will go for a matte, and people with a drier skin will go for a dewy/satinfinish. It is important that you know what you want because the artist will not be able to tailor their service (and your foundation) to your needs. Sometimes the finish doesn't solely rely on the foundation but also on what is added later such as powder and blusher. I have oily skin but I do like a dewy glow to my skin. Therefore I use a matte foundation, it combats my oils and therefore the foundation lasts longer on my skin as the oils aren't pushing it off. I then add shimmery powder blushers and highlighters to achieve a sheen.

The coverage of your foundation is generally one of the things that is the most misunderstood. Coverage involves how much of your skin that you want to cover. Some people have freckles, pimples or other skin imperfections that they wish to cover and so therefore, something with a full coverage is what you would want to go for. Other people chose not to cover up their freckles and so therefore something with a sheer to medium coverage might be more desirable. Other people have amazing skin and so therefore only want the colour or tone evening out. Again, something with a sheer to medium coverage will take care of the colour whilst letting their natural skin show through.

The colour is the final thing and is usually one of the things that is decided through trying various foundations. Once you have got the texture of the foundation right then the colour is the last thing that you worry about. Some people prefer to lighten their skin, some people stay the same colour, and some people go darker. The colour of your foundation not only depends on the colour of your face, but also the colour of your body. Everything needs to look even at the end of the day.

What is the most important aspect of finding a new foundation however is trying it. Try it in the store, as for a sample, take it away and try it at home for a couple of days. Try it with different skin care and see which gives you the best results. Finding the right foundation is the holy grail of make up for most people and so it is so important to know what you are looking for, so as not to be disappointed. Once you understand your skin and you have a good skin care routine then finding the right foundation should be easy!