Wednesday 30 October 2019

October Update!

October has been a lot calmer after the busy summer season!!

Autumn brings with it wedding show season I have exhibited at https://www.lutonhoo.co.uk and https://stmichaelsmanor.com/marry/ as I am a recommended Makeup Artist at these venues.





Amy had her October wedding at https://www.tewinbury.co.uk where I am also lucky to be recommended.  I styled Amy's Hair & Makeup on her wedding day as well as her bridesmaid's hair who all opted for soft textured bun styles.







Kara came over to the UK from the USA for her traditional English wedding at https://www.lutonhoo.co.uk

I only met her a few days before the wedding day for a makeup trial along with Jaydean who styled her hair https://www.hairbyjaydean.com





On the wedding day we changed from the grey-toned smokey eye shades used at the trial to warmer bronze-gold tones.



Kara's Beautiful Mother



Gorgeous Bridesmaids







Special Occasion Hair & Makeup at https://www.lutonhoo.co.uk





On the last Saturday in October I arrived at stunning https://www.ashridgehouse.org.uk/weddings/ at 7am to do eleven make-ups!! It was a busy morning so I didn't grab many photos but this was just one of the glamorous ladies i had the pleasure of meeting.



Wedding dates for 2020 are now limited.  Check availability and reserve your date now via http://www.nikimakeup.co.uk

Tuesday 8 October 2019

For the Bride that lusts after "stand out eyes"!

Are you considering doing your own wedding makeup?

Maybe you are on a tight budget or getting married abroad.  To give you an expert helping hand here is my guide to achieving "stand out eyes" on your wedding day.

A special thank you to Laura Charles at https://reviva-weddings.com for inspiring this blog post!

Makeup by Me www.nikimakeup.co.uk
Photo @mira_malovana





















Makeup by me www.nikimakeup.co.uk
Photo www.sungblue.co.uk
1. Prime
I always use a primer on the eyelids to keep eyeshadow in place.  I prefer a primer in a flesh tone shade this will even the skin tone before you apply eyeshadow so you get much better colour payoff.

I like MAC Pro Longwear Paint pots, I mostly use 'Soft Ochre'.

2.  Shade 
As a good guide apply three colours to help open and define the eyes.  First apply a light base colour all over the lid up to the brow.  Next add a mid-tone shade such as a light pink, peach, gold or light brown to the lower lid.  Finally a touch of a darker shadow such as a brown at the corner of the eyes and into the outer eye socket.  Blend all the colours together well! Choose timeless, classic shades such as browns, greys and plums but nothing too bright or shimmery.

I personally love MAC Eyeshadows.

Base shades I use include Blanc Type, Shroom, Brule and Ricepaper.

Great Mid-tones are Amber lights, Woodwinked, Grain, Girlie, Era & Wedge.

Darker shades to go for are Cork, Charcoal Brown, Embark, Swiss Chocolate, Mulch, Print, Greystone, Shale & Trax

Urban Decay Naked 2 & 3 Palettes are also very good options.

3. To define your eyes apply Eyeliner to the top lash line and slightly to the bottom lash line as well. Opt for long-wear, waterproof and smudge-proof in the title when choosing an eyeliner. Black, Brown, Grey or Plum are all good options depending on the choice of eye shadow you have used.
Liquid, gel and pencil are all great!  Simply choose whichever you find easiest to use and like the effect of.

Makeup by me www.nikimakeup.co.uk
Photo www.weddingsbynicolaandglen.com

4. To brighten the eyes I use a pencil in the lower waterline to emphasise the natural highlight.  I like Charlotte Tilbury 'Eye cheat' or Benefit 'Eye Bright'.
I use a shadow like 'Nylon' or 'Ricepaper' to add highlight under the arch of the brow and to the inner and outer corner of the eye.  You could use a liquid highlighter as an alternative like Charlotte Tilbury 'Flawless Filter' or Benefit 'Highbeam'.

5. Curl lashes using metal Eyelash curlers.  Pulse them for a better curl. My top tip is to go back at the end of makeup when the mascara is dry and curl again for big impact!

6. Apply two to three coats of BLACK mascara. Again, go for waterproof or smudge-proof. I would only use dark brown if you are really fair or a red head.

7. For additional eye definition in photographs and to add a little drama to the eyes apply false lashes.  Individual or cluster will look more natural and feel more comfortable. A full set is a better choice if you are used to wearing lashes or want super glam' eyes.  I always use Ardell lashes, the individuals are knot-free and look very natural and the Ardell  'Demi whispies' are my favourite full set of lashes. https://falseeyelashes.co.uk/collections/ardell

8. Brushes
These are the key to perfect eye makeup and will do a lot of the work for you!
You will need a base brush, blender, mid-tone brush, socket brush and angled brush.

Makeup by me www.nikimakeup.co.uk
Photo www.gkstudios.co.uk

I highly recommend the following MAC Brushes.

MAC Medium Angled shading brush 275S
MAC Tapered blending brush 224S
MAC Large Shader brush 239S
MAC Pencil Brush 219S
MAC Small Angled Brush 266S

Makeup by me www.nikimakeup.co.uk
Photo www.BeckyKerrphotography.co.uk



Finally some beautiful eye makeup inspiration from Pinterest for you!















If you have any questions do get in touch I would be happy to help!
www.nikimakeup.co.uk
Instagram @nikimakeup

Tuesday 1 October 2019

September Update!

What a whirlwind Fabulous month September has been!

Argh... I turned 40 but hey 30 is the new 40 and you are as young as you feel and I feel pretty great right now : )

I had such a fabulous time celebrating my birthday and thank you to those friends and family that celebrated with me and for the lovely cards and gifts I received.





Celebrations at https://www.quaglinos-restaurant.co.uk

Dinner, Drinks and Dancing A Great time! I highly recommend for a celebration.



My Fabulous Lips Birthday Cake made my day : )

Special thanks to www.annes-cakes.co.uk





Lipstick Champagne thanks to my hubby!



LuLu Guinness Lips Luggage tags thanks to Mum!
https://www.luluguinness.com



Sara Pope Lips Print thanks to mum-in-law and brother-in-law!
https://sarapopeart.com




There is a definite theme here people know me so well!

A tourist in Tuscany on my birthday!



We stayed at a lovely Agriturismo near Chianti

http://www.campiglioni.it/eng/#!/homepage



Obligatory tuscan vine shot : )





Montepulciano





Sienna







The best ice cream in the world ever! If you visit St Gimignano you MUST try the ice-cream here.



Straight back from Birthday celebrations and into weddings.

Hair and Makeup via www.nikimakeup.co.uk






Bridal Make-up











I also worked at a wedding in Spain this month at The Hacienda Del Álamo near Malaga.

Thanks to https://optimumweddings.com/about-optimum-weddings/

https://www.haciendadelalamo.es



Makeup for Beautiful Bride Jolanda





Mother of the Bride Make-up




Bridesmaids





Then a bit of Spanish sun in my forever happy place : )









Niki's Negroni's made with love : )



Bridal makeup for lovely Sophie on the 28th September who married at http://www.notleyfarm.co.uk



Trials ahead of upcoming weddings!





I finished the month with wedding show season beginning I exhibited at Brocket Hall
https://brocket-hall.co.uk and Tewin Bury Farm https://www.tewinbury.co.uk where I am lucky enough to be recommended. Both are beautiful wedding venues but very different.





I also had a fun branding shoot last week with lovely Daisy at  https://www.daisybake.com and fabulous photographer https://www.ajburrowsphotography.co.uk



Booking 2020/2021 Weddings contact me via nikimakeup@aol.com to enquire!