Illamasqua Obsession At All New High

My complete obsession with Illamasqua has officially peaked (though I can see it only getting worse, make that better, it's an amazing brand) It was once again fueled when I received the other half of my payment from the Naked Strangers Launch Night, which you can see more of here too. 

I had to wait a while because the products I were after were out of stock and then they released their gorgeous new brush range but finally I have everything and I'm so happy. 

I received:

            

Lipstick in Diablo and Disciple

Eye Brow Cake in Motto

Pressed Powder in 010

Lip Brush with Cover

Angled Brush 

I adore everything. Diablo is a beautiful colour, though unfortunately it's now been discontinued. It looks amazing used over Medium Pencil in Spell. Disciple I decided to go for on a whim, I was definitely in touch with my alter ego there. But I'm so glad I did because it looks gorgeous on. It's admittedly not an everyday lipstick but I couldn't have created this image without it.

I'm in love with the eyebrow cakes, the colours are so long lasting and there's a good variety. I used to use Gaze but moved on to Motto which is a little less dark on me. I have also recently ordered Peek to try that out now I've lightened my hair up, but more on the most recent haul later....

The powder is absolutely gorgeous, sets my normal makeup perfectly without feeling heavy in any way. Quick sweep of the brush and I'm done, it's going to last me forever. It also worked perfectly for setting my halloween makeup (excuse the fuzziness - this also features both Diablo and Motto)

The brushes are fantastic, the balance between the flexibility and stiffness of the bristles is perfect making them a dream to work with. My eyebrows just glide straight on with minimal effort thanks to the angled liner brush. (I'm yet to try it as an eyeliner brush as I have a favourite that's quite a bit smaller but I will give it a try with my new eye liner cake, but again later for that....) The lip brush is the perfect shape, not too long but still rounded for easy definition.

Illamasqua has just celebrated it's 4th Birthday on the 1st of November and I wish them many more happy years. They're such a fantastic company, filled with brilliantly creative people and their products are amazing. 

Read Founder of Illamasqua, Julian Kynaston's Birthday Message

More on the most recent purchases to follow, look out for Part 2.... ;)

M x

All images from Illamasqua and here

The Monthly Wishlist - October

Just a short one I've managed to sneak in before the end of the month...

The EMJ Company 'Harry' Set Bag

To match my mat and my soon to be replaced brush belt. See here to read about it's sticky demise. I love all the EMJ Comapny stuff and it just keeps getting better. If I had the money to I'd want everything. The pencil/gloss/tool rolls are a brilliant idea and stops the need to rummage around in your little bags to find the lip liner you want etc. Because even when you've organised them into clear bags it can still be tricky fishing the one you want out, even if you can see it. They're evasive little creatures. 

Shop the goodies here

An Illamasqua Store Near Me

Seriously, we need one. I would spend so much time in that place. I can't believe we don't really have one down south, Bristol would be an ideal location. There's so many people that would buy it. Currently to feed my addiction I have to order online (which just isn't as fun) or go to London. I'm not complaining about going to London too much as I love it there but it's at least an hour and a half drive away. 

Find your nearest store or counter

M x

Glossybox - October

So, I finally joined the Glosybox crew and received my first box a couple of days ago. Now, I was a littl worried seeing some of the reviews from the other blogs as it seemed October's box was a little disappointing according to many. Ok,  so I won't lie, having seen some people had Dr. Jart BB Cream or the Derma Clean Start kit I was a little disappointed I didn't but hey, it's my first box.

In my box I had:

Anatomicals - Don't just clean it woman, scrub it body scrub

Yves Rocher France - Instant Anti-Wrinkle Moisturiser Hydra Vegetal

Skinetica - Anti-Blemish

The Organic Pharmacy - Enzyme Peel Mask with Vitamin C and Papaya

Sally Hansen - Complete Salon Manicure (Black Platinum)

I love the body scrub, it smells amazing and it's a decent sized sample. I also like the Skinetica, it's definitely helped get rid of some of my recent stubborn spots and the bottle's going to last quite some time.

The nail varnish is quite a nice colour but seems a little flat, I was expecting a little more sparkle. I'm not quite convinced about using it on it's own either, I tested it and it seemed a little streaky. It was better over a base coat but I haven't had enough time to paint all my nails and test it's wearability. 

The Peel Mask isn't for me, I did try it and I found it left my skin feeling a little filmy and odd. This could be because I didn't have the suggested cloth to remove it with, who knows. But I wasn't quite sure about it. There was a generous amount though, enough to cover my face and neck. 

Now the anti wrinkle moisturiser...I can't say much on its anti wrinkle properties as I'm only 21 but it did moisturise my skin. Reminds me of my normal moisturiser minus the mattifying. Which is Garnier Pure Shine Control if you'd like to know.

Well that's all from me, Let's wait and see what November's box has to bring...

M x

My Recent Obsessions

I have a serious obsession with Face Off. I was devastated to somehow find out I'd managed to miss nearly an entire series, however this seems to of worked out amazingly as I can now watch it with no waiting (yay!) I'm currently watching 'Alice in Zombieland' which is ep. 4 of series 3. 

If you haven't seen any of this series you really, really need to. Like seriously. It's sort of like Next Top Model/Project Runway meets Special Effects Makeup. It's brilliant, even if it's not normally your kind of thing just watch and see the amazing creations these guys come up with.

I've wanted some ProChart face charts for a while now, they're recycled paper and it's textured so it holds onto the makeup well and you can really lay down the colour. Sooo much better than trying on paper and much prettier than using coloured pencils. I'll be posting some examples soon once I've had a chance to experiment.

Buy ProChart Face Charts here

My Glossybox hasn't arrived yet but I'm so excited for when it does! Read more about it here or subscribe for yourself here

M x

The Pictures from my Shoot with Salleh and Josie

Here we have a selection of images from my shoot with Salleh Sparrow and Josie Jayne, as mentioned before here

Gorgeous Black and White

Longing Looks

Killer Jacket and Jumpsuit Combo

(I'm in love with the boots she's wearing)

Josie in 'The Beetlejuice' and some more killer boots

Lush Lips in Colour

Lush Lips in B&W

(This is my favourite image)

M x

My Shoot with Josie Jayne and Salleh Sparrow

Recently I had the fabulous opportunity to work with the gorgeous Josie Jayne and the creative genius that is Salleh Sparrow. 

Meet the lovely Salleh Sparrow (Self Portrait)

And the fabulous Josie Jayne on set

Salleh, who also models, is brilliant both sides of the camera and even works her magic with a little set designing. Meanwhile Josie, who transforms in front of the lens effortlessly, I'm talking laughing and joking to full on smoulder quicker than a flash. It would be a pleasure to work with them again, we had a great time.

Pictures to follow in the next post...

M x

Glossybox

Finally, finally, finally, subscribed to Glossybox. So excited to get my hands on October's soon, reviews on the products to follow...

An Example of an October Box - Breast Cancer Awareness Edition

For those unacquainted with Glossybox, this wonderful company will send you a box of mystery products every month for you to try and experiment with. They tailor them to your needs when you fill in a simple little 8 step survey on your style/skin type etc. 

I can't wait for mine to arrive!

M x

Scott Chalmers Works His Magic at Goodwood

Some more fabulous pictures from The Goodwood Revival by the incredibly talented Scott Chalmers

Sharon Holloway and Maria Costello

I adore this, one of our hair ladies, Narina, and a very dapper gentelman

The Beautiful Isabella L'amour



The fabulous hairdresser Kate, who looked amazing all weekend, this lady can rock a pair of gloves with anything

I love this, in fact one man even tried to buy the phone



Hairdresser Nikki at work, love this lady's style, especially when she was rocking a 50's esque cherry top



My good friend Lidija Purmalis concentrating on eyeliner while wearing a gorgeous hairstyle created by Becky Dent



Dandy Barber, Jason, gives a nice close shave...



Jo-ann Fortune, editor of Vintage Brighton after a trip to our salon



Some of the makeup ladies and the Dandy Barber



A lovely picture of the impromptu swing dancing that Jason and Nicola broke into outside



A pretty picture of Sam Easey, who worked both hair and makeup over the weekend

See more gorgeous images from Scott Chalmers

More to come soon on my experience there...

M x

My Recent Kit Additions

So I finally, finally got my Real Techniques brushes, and they were so worth wait. Flawless bases are now almost effortless with these brushes and they're so soft too. I used them at The Goodwood  Revival and I received so many compliments from both the clients and the other makeup artists! They are truly amazing, Samantha Chapman is a genius. I think everyone should have them. I decided I couldn't wait and bought the entire set but they come in small sets or individually so you can tailor make your order for what you use.

I also got my hands on my 'Harry' brush belt and mat. They're so gorgeous. I didn't get a chance to use my mat at Goodwood as the tables were so small but I did use it on a recent photoshoot and it kept my place so tidy. My brush belt barely left me during the revival weekend and I had many compliments. It's polka dot pattern also fit right in with the vintage feel. I'm so happy with it. There was a small coke disaster on the Sunday which won't come out so after a mini cry each time I look at it *sniff sniff* I think I will have to get another one. Perhaps the bigger one so I can fit my next brush cravings in there too...

Louise Young was kind enough to gift us an Essential Eye Palette for Goodwood too and they are fabulous. I love the colours, they blend so easily. My palette contains (left to right) Ting, Maowi, Pom Pom, Black Bear and Sislet. They're so lovely to use and the clients loved them too. I found using Pom Pom lightly in the crease of the eye really defined it and I've personally used Black Bear for my own smokey eye and look forward to using it again.

I've also recently had the pleasure of using some of the Besame product range, see my previous post to read more on those fabulous products here: The Goodwood Revival 

M x

The Goodwood Revival

I spent this weekend at The Goodwood Revival working for The Vintage Hair Lounge and I had such a fantastic time. The whole team was lovely, those hair girls are troopers! Their chairs were constantly full and the styles they created were amazing, and each one unique too. They were fascinating to watch. 

The Hair Team - Scott Chalmers

Over on the makeup side of things we had slightly quieter afternoons after the morning rush, mainly doing touch ups or people that decided 'hey, you know what, I'm going for it'. We were also selling the absolutely fabulous Besame lipsticks, the best reds I've come across for longevity, which were absolutely perfect vintage colours. The most popular early weekend seller was Red Velvet but Red Hot Red (my personal favourite) quickly became more popular on the Saturday and Sunday. 

Some of us makeup ladies posing in front of the Besame stand

I also had the pleasure of using these lipsticks on my clients and I received so many compliments on the colours and people returning to buy their colour later after seeing how well it lasted. There's a colour for everyone, from bright Monroe red through to deep Merlot. They're full of enriching ingredients and the packaging is stunning, as if the gorgeous gold and red wasn't enough alone but they even come in a little red velvet bag inside their boxes too. 

The gorgeous lipstick packaging

We were also very generously gifted a Brightening Violet Powder, a Crimson Cream Rouge and the 1930s Mascara to use as well. These are equally fantastic, the powder as a slight violet hue which lifts the makeup whilst setting it and you only need a tiny amount. It made everyone's complexion look gorgeous. Whilst the mascara, which also smells amazing, went on beautifully and easily on everyone with my lash fan. I found using just a tiny bit of the rouge before setting gives a soft rosy glow for ladies a like a subtle colour. 

My lovely Besame products

Alongside the hair team was the lovely Dandy Barber, doing traditional wet shaves amongst other things for the chaps, aptly named Chappy Hour. He even had time to give one of our makeup girls one! With the biggest scissors I've seen (and the largest tongue bar!) his style was brilliant and his work so precise he fit right into the vintage style. 

The wonderful Dandy Barber - Scott Chalmers

More to follow soon but we had an amazing time! (Maybe minus the camping and very early starts but more to follow on that soon...)

M x

The Art of Make-up Competition

Hosted by Olympia Beauty, The Art of Make-up Competition is offering some serious prizes, I don't know why anyone wouldn't want to enter.

Prizes include a shoot day and business pack, published work in FACEON Magazine, Airbase kits, vouchers for various places, a stay in a Champneys Spa and a body painting day course with Julia Townend.

The full prize list can be found here: http://www.olympiabeauty.co.uk/artofmakeup/prizes.htm

The theme is Greek Goddess, which is demonstrated with this gorgeous golden beauty on the website and advertisements for the show.

The deadline is the 16th of August so get your entries in people!

Click here to enter: http://www.olympiabeauty.co.uk/artofmakeup/entry.htm

M x

A Sincere Apology For The Lack Of Posting...

I'd like to apologise for the lack of posts, working and learning to drive completely consumed my time. But I'm back and will now be more active (yay) Posts to follow soon.

M x

The Monthly Wishlist - June

Each month I'm going to feature a list of things I need in the World of M. Whether it be products, tools or something massively random.

Here's this months list:

Real Techniques Brushes

These brushes are so gorgeous I need them in my kit right now. The bristles are so soft and having seen them in action they mean business. They look and feel amazing and I can't wait to have these babies in my brush roll.

Illamasqua Skin Base

Illamasqua's most recent big hit. The formula is amazing, balanced perfectly between a foundation and a BB cream to create a light product that gives flawless results. I got to use these on the UWL Fashion Show and I will definitely be investing in some soon for the kit.

EmJ Makeup Mat

This pretty little mat is reversible and gives you a clean surface to place you kit on when you set up. Long gone is the need for tissue when you can just place down this cutie. It's wipe clean and comes in a range of patterns with black on the other side. It even rolls up for easy carrying. 'Harry' is the name for this cute spotty one which is definitely my favourite.

Zuca Pro Artist Case

I am so determined to have one of these bad boys to wheel my kit around in it's unreal, so it's very likely to feature on every wishlist until I eventually get one. I don't think I even need to explain why it's so amazing so I'm gunna leave it there and keep praying!

M x