Skin Savers - Masks

Todays post is about my two skincare items that I now couldn't live without especially in the winter months.

My first skin saver is the Ren Glycolatic Radiance Renewal Mask which is available from Marks & Spencer and SpaceNK both online and instore at both retailers. It retails for £32 which is more on the pricey side of things but it does wonders for my skin. It has a slight citrus scent to it this is due to all the fruit acids in it and although it does slightly tingle on my dry skin it does get rid of it and keep it in check if I use it weekly. It isn't like a traditional scrub as it unlike polishing the dead skin cells off your face the natural fruit acids dissolve the top dead skin cell layer off. The Superdrug Naturally Radiant Renewal Face Mask could be a potential dupe and I will be trying it once I've finished this Ren one. I also love recommending this to bridal clients who have dry skin as they don't have to scrub and can just leave this on for 10mins the night before their wedding before washing it off.

(REN on the left and the Superdrug mask on the right)

 

 

The second mask I love and use in conjunction with the REN one is the Superdrug Vitamin E Moisture Mask which is £2.59 for 75ml or is currently on offer for 2 for £3.50. This mask is meant to be a dupe for the Origins Drink Up mask which retails for £23. It looks white when it comes out the tube but once you smooth it out over your skin it is almost invisible and I leave it on for as long as possible before patting it off with a towel/tissue/kitchen roll. When used with the Ren mask it adds moisture and plumps up my skin adding a glow to it.

 

These two together when used on my dry skin bring it back to normality especially after a outdoor weekend be that walking in the countryside or going to a theme park.

 

Hope you enjoyed this and maybe think about purchasing these products especially if you are a bride to be, it will really help out your makeup artist (if you are having one) to create a smooth canvas for them to work on.

 

Natalie

 

XOXO

My Cassie Lomas Makeup Academy Experience

I'm Sorry guys this will be a very wordy post!

But as I have mentioned previously last week I attended the Cassie Lomas Makeup Academy in Manchester to do the Bridal & Special Occasion makeup course which lasted 5 days. The course cost £850, which works out at £170 a day or £34 an hour.

I really want to take makeup artistry seriously and pursue it as a full time career, I had looked at courses in London at AOFM and other schools but getting the time off from my regular job working in office admin/accounts is difficult and the cost of hotels in London put me off. When someone recommended that I take a look at Cassie Lomas in Manchester, I knew it would probably be a better option for me as the courses are broken down into smaller segments (so I could get the time off work easier) and that I could stay at my partners house which is about 25 miles away and commute in everyday.

I booked myself onto the Bridal & Special Occasion makeup course as it's only a 5 day course and taught what I taught the sector of the makeup industry I am most focused on. We got an email the day before starting the course with items we would need, luckily I already had all these in my kit that I have built up over the last 9 months, but some of the girls had to rush out the afternoon before and buy these essential items.

The drive took me about 90 minutes each day, which saw me waking up at 6:30am everyday for the week, it was a easy drive and I parked in the Grand NCP car park in the city centre and because I would arrive before 9am I would get the early bird rate of £4.10 a day for 12 hours of parking. From the Grand it was only a short walk to the studio on Newton Street. We were also told to bring whatever kit we had but we also had access to the kit at the academy.

The first day we started at 10am although me along with most of the 12 girls arrived at 9:30 and started to get to know each other, at 10am we moved into the teaching room where Dani was our mentor for the day. The first thing we covered was sanitation, good working practices and what to do if a client has a skin, mouth or eye infection. She then did a demo on Jayde one of the girls on the course on natural but defined makeup and then added a flick at the end of the day.

The second day we had Rich who taught us how to do perfect eyebrows with retro flicked eyes and red lips and we actually got to practice on each other, I did my practice on the lovely Annemarie, who never liked wqinged eyeliner on herself until I did it on the Tuesday.

The Wednesday saw us focus on Smokey eyes and colour theory, we had Thembi for the Wednesday and the Thursday. We learnt that a smokey eye can mean different things to different people so it's best to build it up slowly and to do it in layers to make sure it lasts. I got the gorgeous Poppy on the course to be my model for this look and chose the main lid colour with a hint of olive green in that compliments her warm brown eyes.

The Thursday we had Thembi again but we focused on mature skin makeup application, I feel a lot more confident applying skincare and makeup on a more mature lady. It is mainly about using good skincare to really tighten, plump and add hydration back into the skin. Mature skin also needs more cream/liquid textures with usually a lighter base with spot concealing any problem areas. You can use shimmer but it has to be strategically placed to create youth.

Friday was our free practice day to get all the skills we had learnt perfected with the help of Dani again from the first day. I did a no makeup, makeup look on one of the younger girls that had come in to model for us and a smokey eye on Adele who was one of the older girls on the course using eye shadows with a hint of purple in them to bring out her hazel eyes.

Do I think I benefitted from the course fully no, because I already knew most of the theory though lots of research and joining the right makeup artist Facebook groups. I would recommend it for a complete beginner who knows they want to do bridal makeup but doesn't know anything about applying it on others. I did enjoy the one to one time with the artists who pushed me to improve on the skills I already have to make sure I do the best job on my clients as possible.

What is next for me? I am going to advertise my ass off, do as many trade for picture shoots as I can and training wise I am going to look at going to the House of Glamdolls in London and also having one to one tutoring from artists who are successful in the industry and who's work I admire when I can afford it.

Many thanks for reading this long post.

Natalie

XOXO

Charlotte Tilbury Haul

Sorry I've not posted in over a week but it has been because I have been at the Cassie Lomas Makeup Academy in Manchester doing a course, whilst I was in Manchester I decided to pick up some items for my kit from the Charlotte Tilbury Line as I had purchased a lip liner in Pink Venus and a Matte lip stick from her line in Amazing Grace about a month before and had fallen in love with them.

I went to Selfridges on Wednesday after an amazing meal at Reds in Manchester which does proper American BBQ with my friend Dom, I was looking to purchase a few more luxurious products for my bridal clients and as a reminder of my time spent on the course. I headed straight back to the Charlotte Tilbury counter which has recently been expanded in the city centre Manchester store, I chose this brand because Thembi one of our tutors on the course had used the Colour Chameleon sticks on one of the girls on my course and had mentioned that they are really long lasting and quick to put down as a base on the eyelid and because sadly you can't get pro discount on her products unlike MAC, which I will be adding to my kit once I get my discount card or IMATS in July.

A lovely girl called Vicki helped me out and I picked up the following; the Colour Chameleon in Champagne Diamonds (£19), a Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk (£16), a K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipstick in Penelope Pink (£23), a Colour Coded Eye shadow Palette in Golden Goddess (£38) and the Goddess Skin Clay Mask (£45).

 

 

I have yet to try the Colour Chameleon, the mask and the Eye Shadow palette on myself or on clients apart from swatching them on my hands. I used the Pillow Talk lip cheat and the Penelope Pink Lipstick on a model at Cassie Lomas and it looks lovely for a bridal look. The swatch of the Colour Chameleon really is budge proof on my hand and the eye shadows are really buttery smooth and blend like a dream but can still be built up for a natural but defined eye which again is perfect for bridal.

 

 

 

I can't wait to use these products on clients with the mask being added to my skincare bag to provide a luxurious start to their bridal makeup application.

 

I hope you enjoyed reading,

 

many thanks,

 

Natalie

 

xoxo

 

Five for Firday- Kit Wishlist 4 Makeup Forever

 



This week I am going to do another brand focused wish list of 5 products from Makeup Forever.

Makeup Forever is a Parisian cosmetics line that was created for makeup artists by Dany Sanz in 1984, it has since become now for it HD foundation and powder along with it's waterproof Aqua range. Currently it is still quite hard to get hold of in the UK only being sold at Guru Makeup Emporium and Precious About Makeup, however this is all about to change as Debenhams is rumoured to be stocking a selected range from this spring.

The products I would like to try from MUFE (Makeup Forever) are:

The newly reformulated eye shadows that come in 210 colours and 5 finishes (matte, metallic, iridescent, diamond and satin). They are bigger than a MAC eye shadow which I believe are a inch across whereas the MUFE shadow is 1.5 inches across and the formula is meant to be amazing. The are £12.50 from here or £13.50 for a refill pan available here and in a compact for £18.50 here. Is it bad that if I could I would have them all?

 

The Aqua Lip pencils that are waterproof and transfer resistant when they have set, they are also saliva resistant and come in a variety of shades from purple to orange to red and the perfect nude. They are available here from Precious About Makeup for £13.50. For bridal these would be perfect because you want long lasting products that go from morning to late into the evening if not beyond.

 

 



 

 

 

The next product I would like to add to my bridal kit from Makeup Forever are the Aqua Eyes pencil which are a similar formula to the Urban Decay 24/7 liners and cheaper too. They come in classic colours as well as the brighter ones that can be used to add a pop of colour. They are available here for £13.95. They are also really good for bridal makeup as they are waterproof which is good for when a few tears start flowing and they will last a long time without smudging until you decide to take it off.

 

 

 

The next products I would like to add to my kit from Makeup Forever are the HD cream blushes, these would be perfect for my kit because cream blush looks amazing on more mature or dry skin and when layered under a powder blush you create a blush that looks more radiant and natural but that last a long time too, again perfect for bridal makeup. The pro pans are available here for £15.50 and the compact with a mirror is available here for £21.95. 

 

 

 

The last product by them I would like to add to my kit are the Aqua Creams which can be used as a waterproof eye shadow, eye liner, cream blush or lip colour. They can be found here for £18.25 or they also come in a chubbier stick for £16.95 here.



 

I want to add products to my bridal makeup kit that are versatile and long wearing so my clients don't have to worry about the look lasting. I also want to assure my clients that I use the best products I can that have been tested to UK cosmetic standards, that aren't cheap imports from China and that all my brushes and products are kept sanitary.

 

Thanks for reading,

 

Natalie

 

xoxo

Five for Friday: KIt Wish list 3 - Skincare



This week's five for Friday is based on skincare items I want to add to my kit.

Skincare and good skin prep is essential to amazing looking makeup and helping it last longer. There will be some cult classics and some newer products to the market in this post.

I'm going to start with the cult classics and the first one is Embryolisse Lait Crème Concentrate which can be used as a moisturiser, primer and makeup remover. It is available from multiple places including Guru Makeup Emporium for £19.95 for 75ml here or £12.95 for 30ml here, it is also available from Boots here.

 

The next cult item on my list that I want to add to my skincare portion of my kit is the Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream, it can be used to help cracked, dry, sore lips, elbows, knees basically anywhere on the body where you need to reduce irritation and make dry areas look smooth, some models use it on their eyelashes and eyebrows to tame them. It is available from Boots here for £26.

 

The next two skincare items are by Charlotte Tilbury, first is her Magic Cream which is pricy at £70 for 50ml but I've tried it and now want it in my kit to give my clients a luxurious mini facial massage with this cream that does what it says, it gives your skin a perfect base for makeup application for all skin types. It is available from the Charlotte Tilbury Website here or from Selfridges online here or in selected Selfridges stores in England.

The next product from Charlotte Tilbury I want to add to my kit is the Goddess Clay Mask, which I would use first to start the skincare prep, it is designed to tighten pores, clear imperfections but still leave you skin glowing and moisturised. It is £45 for a 75ml tube. It is available from the Charlotte Tilbury website here or from Selfridges here.

 

 

 

 

The final product for this week for skincare is the Mint Julips lip scrub from Lush, I want to add it to my kit for clients with dry flaky lips so lipstick application is better, I already have a potent lip balm in my kit but sometimes it isn't enough to get perfect lips for lipstick application especially if I use a matte lipstick on them. This is a bargain at only £5.50 and Lush don't test on animals either, it is available here online or at your local Lush store.

 



 

Thank you for reading this week's five for Friday, I hope to see you here next week and I'm sorry I didn't do one last week, if you've got any product suggestions that you think I should add to my kit just email me at nataliebolandmua@hotmail.com.

 

 



 

 



Review: RCMA VK#11 Foundation/Cocealer Palette

RCMA stands for the Research Council of Makeup Artists, it was formed in 1963 and the president and director of the council Vincent J-R Kehoe developed this line of products.

The product I am reviewing from them today is the RCMA 18 Color Process Foundation VK#11 palette, it is available from love makeup in the UK here for £55.

 

It has 18 foundation colours from porcelain which was used for the young queen in Star Wars to Shinto 8 which is the darkest in this palette, it also contains some colours that are designed for olive skin tones, these can also all be mixed to get a perfect match for your client.

 

Another good thing about this foundation/concealer is that it contains nearly 50% pigment whereas your standard foundation from boots or your local department store will roughly contain between 18-23% and then even theatrical brands only in the 35-40% pigment range. This means you have to use less to get the coverage you need.

I use this product as a concealer, foundation and even down to a tinted moisturiser on clients depending on the coverage they need, most of the time I start it out as a tinted moisturiser mixed with my Kiehls Ultra Facial cream applying that to the skin with a dry kabuki style brush or a beauty blender sprayed with Urban Decay's all nighter setting spray and this is usually enough to cover most imperfections and even out the skin tones. The if they have problem areas then I will use it pure on a fluffy synthetic brush to really buff it into the skin where it is needed, allowing the skin to look like skin but perfected.

It is also suitable for people with really sensitive skin or those who are vegan as it is made with castor seed oil, carnauba wax, candililla waxes as its base so it means it contains no animal extracts, perfumes, mineral or lanolin oils.

 It will also need less touch-ups throughout the day that traditional makeup too because of the higher percentage of pigment in the product which means their is less temperature sensitive materials (in this case the waxes listed above) than other makeup brands.

Here in this  below picture I have used Shinto 8 and used it straight so 50% pigment, then added the same amount of moisturiser to create a 25% pigment base, then used double the amount of moisturiser to the  amount of foundation to create a 12.5% pigment base.

  
I love this foundation for clients as it means I can adjust the coverage as I need without needing to carry lots of bottles of foundation around which would weigh my kit down and I can match just about everybody that sits down in front of me and match the foundation intensity where they need to create a natural looking face but everything that they want covering is covered without having to carry around loads of different products.

If you are starting out in makeup artistry especially bridal/beauty/print makeup I would highly recommended you adding this to your kit, as it allows so much flexibility and is affordable at the same time.

many thanks for reading,

Natalie

xx

Five for Friday - Kit Wish list 2

This week my five products on my kit wish list are all to do with airbrushing, with the products mainly coming from Temptu.

I want to buy from Temptu as most of the artists I've talked to online and in person have recommended their products especially the S/B and Dura ranges.

I want to start buying the S/B range of airbrush products for my kit first, S/B stands for Silicone Based which is perfect for bridal makeup artistry because it is a long lasting formula withstanding tears and sweat but still provides a natural, soft focus, dewy and youthful finish that is suitable for all skin types. Temptu state that their silicone based airbrush formula is the best in the market and I've heard the same from many independent artists from around the globe.

To start airbrushing I will need a compressor and gun, again I have been researching different companies and IWATA have been the one that people have liked the best, as they have been making them for many uses not just for the cosmetic industry for years. They also come with a 5 year warranty which makes you feel at ease.

I would want the IWATA Silver jet compressor which is available here for £119.99 because it is suitable for mobile or occasional use up to around 4 times a day. It isn't that expensive for a airbrush but if I realised I was airbrushing more then I would upgrade to a higher performance airbrush.

I would also need and airbrush and one of the ones that is recommended to go with this machine is the IWATS revolution BR which is available here for £99.99. It is suitable for makeup application which is what I need, I would get a 2nd and maybe a third, one as a backup and one for if I started to use the Temptu Dura range which is alcohol based, so for each formulation I would have a different brush to reduce the risk of them clogging up.







 







 

 

The main purpose of airbrushing is to create a flawless base so therefore the first piece of makeup I would need for my airbrush kit would be foundations and I would choose the Temptu S/B range, you can get a starter pack of 12 1/4 fluid ounce bottles of the foundation from here for £61.25 and then as you start to run out buy the full 1 fluid once bottles here for £21.05, this not only makes sure you only buy the full sized bottles of the colours you use most often but the 1/4 fluid oz. would be refilled to keep your kit compact.



 

 

I would then also get the 8 piece blush and highlight starter pack here for £42.11, or the single full size bottles of blush are available here and the highlighters are here both retailing at £21.05 to give a fresh dewy look and a natural blush for brides.

 

The finally for my last product in my 5 that I would need is the adjusters to correct and change colours if I had a client who's skin tone didn't match any of my premixed foundations or to create a new blush colour. These are available here for £38.28 and the full sized bottles are available here for £21.05. 



 

www.impet2us.co.uk/ is the cheapest place in the UK without a pro discount to get Temptu makeup from, I will hopefully be buying a airbrush system at IMATS in July, hopefully with a discount as all this without any discount would come to £361.62!

 

Thank you for reading this weeks Five for Friday.

 

Natalie

 

xx