Makeup artist - My Kit favourites!

Here's a few of my favourite makeup picks from my professional kit.



YSL Touche Eclat (a kit staple)



Kiko 3D Instant lip plumping gloss



Bobbi Brown lip pencil in Ballet Pink (a great shade that suits so many)



MAC eyeshadows in Bark, Carbon, Arena, Era, Cork, Woodwinked and Omega (staple long wearing shades)




Daniel Sandler Eyeshadows in Rosy Tan (a pretty and flattering colour)



MAC lipsticks in Angel and Brave (great wearable colours that I use a lot on Brides in particular)




Nars Blusher in Orgasm (a great colour that suits so many)



Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow compact (kit staple)




Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour cream (THE best non sticky lipgloss and is a great multi-use product)



MAC Blot powder (excellent at blotting shine all day without caking)

I would love to know what your favourite makeup products are?

Beauty Advent: December 13th!

Festive Make-up look December 13th

Navy blue smoky eyes with nude lips and cheeks.

MAC shadows in Contrast, Carbon and electric eel.
Lipgloss Daniel Sandler shade Charming.

A Great Gatsby inspired wedding!

Back in April this year I had the great pleasure of doing a twenties inspired glamorous make-up look for Jaydean's wedding at Notley Abbey.

The make-up I used to create Jaydean's wedding day look is listed below:

Base: Estee Lauder Double wear foundation in shades Desert and Ivory Beige.

Eyes: MAC Shadows in shades Mulch, omega, cork, brun, and nylon. MAC Splashproof black mascara, Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner shade black, Lancome black liquid eyeliner and Benefit eyebright pencil. Ardell individual eyelashes were also applied with Duo adhesive.

Cheeks and Glow: Daniel Sandler watercolour creme rouge blusher in shade soft peach, Bobbi Brown Bronze Shimmer Brick and Kiko Bronzing powder shade 103.

Lips:YSL Rouge Pur couture Vernis a Levres lipcolour shade 32


Below are some images from the bridal preparations through to the finished look.

"We would like to say a huge thank you to the very talented NIkiMakeUp! Being in the bridal hair styling industry I had the pick of the best and I knew exactly who I wanted on my big day! Niki is consistent, professional and so precise!. We took inspiration from the 1920's and had a lot of fun with the theme. I wanted to of course feel like me but still make a statement and have a polished look that would stand out in images and last all day & night! I was worried I'd be kissing off my pillar box red lippy onto the groom & guests but Niki recommended the new YSL range which sets so does not kiss off! I didn't need to retouch much in the evening;) The look worked by day and by night! Niki also applied beautiful make up for my bridesmaids who also went for a contrasting red lip but a deeper red tone. My mum also looked stunning and as a family of 'make up wearer's' she had her work cut out! We are so pleased with our images and its thanks to Niki and her magic make up wand! Its always a pleasure working alongside Niki and we were blessed to have her be apart of our day! Thank You much Love Jaydean & James Lenaghan xxx Notley Abbey 25/04/2014"

Venue www.notleyabbey.co.uk
Make-up services at www.nikimakeup.co.uk
Hair styling at www.vickilordbridalhair.co.uk
Photography at www.bekiyoung.co.uk

My top five make-up products for June!

1) Lola lip brush available at M&S. 

I have been on the hunt for the perfect lip brush for what feels like forever! All of the premium brands I have tried the brush hairs splay out after some use making for rather annoying application of lip colour. I tested out the Lola lip brush, a great price at £10.00 last year and six months later I am so impressed no splayed hairs at all and I have just brought another!

2) Daniel Sandler Rosy Tan Eyeshadow.

This colour is a beautiful shade of pink that if I am honest I have found very hard to find anything similar to.  A staple in my kit and used on so many of my clients this is a firm summer favourite of mine. Looks great worn alone or with browns, greys or purples for stronger and smokier eyes.

3) MAC Shale Eyeshadow.

I have always loved this shade it looks particularly good on mature eyes! A mauve shade that's great for achieving smokey eye looks aswell as softer daytime eyes. Incidentally this is the perfect partner to Daniel Sandler Rosy Tan-wear this on eyelids and 'shale' through the sockets for a defined eye.

4) Estée Lauder Double Wear foundation.

I am loving this foundation at the moment! It stays all day and achieves beautiful flawless coverage.

This is a new favourite of mine and is ideal for those that like a perfect full coverage foundation.  The light version is less heavy and equally as fabulous.

5) Loreal Paris Glam Shine Gloss Brilliance 6hr.

These glosses are just great! An excellent colour range I have most in my kit now and one shade 'Fresh Tangerine 405' has remained in my make up bag so you know it must be good! Affordable and long wearing what more could a girl want.

Happy Shopping!

April Make-up's

Here are just some of the beauties I have had the pleasure of meeting this past month.

Makeup thanks to #MAC, #Daniel Sandler, #Estée Lauder, #UrbanDecay, #Chanel, #BobbiBrown

Hair thanks to #Bumble&Bumble #Vo5 #JohnFrieda

All enquiries via www.nikimakeup.co.uk.

A recent Bride Naomi

On the 22nd June I had the pleasure of doing Naomi's wedding make-up at the stunning Luton Hoo Hotel & Spa in Bedfordshire.  I am the recommended make-up artist at Luton Hoo (www.lutonhoo.co.uk) so I am lucky enough to work there frequently and it is always truly a pleasure.

Naomi was definitely one of the happiest, most relaxed brides I have ever worked with, which can absolutely be seen by her fabulous smile in her wedding photographs.  I also did make-up for Naomi's bridesmaids, mother, nan and added a touch of sparkle and gloss for the gorgeous flower girl ...so make up for quite a few generations which was lovely.

Make-up brands used on the day to achieve a flawless and long lasting finish include Bobbi Brown, Daniel Sandler, MAC and Lancome.  Hair was beautifully styled by Deborah Dowgiel at  http://www.brideswithstyle.co.uk/

See some of Naomi's stunning pictures from her big day below captured by the wonderful husband and wife team at www.masonphotography.co.uk

Here is Naomi's comment:
"Niki did my make-up for my wedding June 2013 at The Luton Hoo, she also did 6 of my bridal party, they ranged from my flower girl to my grandmothers, they all were very delighted with the results especially as they had not had a trial. My make-up looked fantastic and flawless and it lasted all day. Niki was very calm and efficient and I would highly recommend her. I will definitely use Niki’s services for any future events. Thank you so much Niki!"

www.nikimakeup.co.uk

For all UK bridal enquiries please see www.nikimakeup.co.uk

For all Spain bridal enquiries please see www.marbellamakeup.com

Beauty Advent

A little Christmas fun!  My Pro' beauty and make up tips, a new tip every day until Christmas Eve. Enjoy!

Dec 12th

Invest in a set of good quality brushes they do most of the work for you and will last you years!
The eight brushes shown here are my essential recommended brushes you will need to create most make up looks.
1 Dome shaped soft brush to apply bronzing powder/powder blusher.
2 Base brush(synthetic hair) to apply foundation, to blend foundation or used to apply crème blusher.
3 Blending brush to blend eye shadow colours together.
4 Eye shadow brush to apply colours onto the eyelid.
5 Angled eye shadow brush to apply deeper colours into the eye socket to create definition.
6 Angled brush to apply powder through the brows for a natural defined brow.
7 Angled brush no.2 to apply gel, liquid or crème eyeliner
8 Synthetic hair brush to apply concealer as this will be easier to clean than a real hair brush.

My preferred brushes are by www.maccosmetics.com

I also highly recommend to buy brushes from the following:
www.bobbibrown.co.uk
www.danielsandler.com
www.realtechniques.com

My wedding make up.

I recently got married in sunny Spain, I thought I would share with you the skincare and make up brands I chose to wear on my wedding day.

My skincare regime included moisturising my face with Creme de la mer oil free moisturising lotion, a light lotion that I have favoured for many years now. I used the Creme de la mer eye balm in conjunction with this after I was converted many years ago after it miraculously rid my Eczema.

Before applying make up I applied Clarins beauty flash balm to instantly achieve glowing skin and make my make up last throughout the heat and a lot of dancing!

My foundation of choice was MAC Face and Body in shade C2, this feels very light and natural to wear especially in a hot climate and ultimately lasts the duration. Concealer was MAC Studio finish in shades NC20 and NC30 mixed together, a concealer I have used myself and in my kit for many, many years!  Under my eyes I used a little YSl touche eclat, to finish I set my base using MAC Blot powder in shade medium dark.

For my eyebrows I used Bobbi Brown shadow in shade Blonde brushed softly through my brows to define the shape and clear brow gel from NO.7 to set.  To achieve soft, bronzed smokey eyes I used Urban Decay primer potion in shade Eden as a base to even the skin tone on my eyelid and to ensure my eye make up would last. I next applied Benefit cream shadow in shade Birthday suit on the lower lid blended towards the crease with an urban decay powder eye colour on top. This colour was from an urban decay palette I have actually had for a while and never used but loved the colour when seeking the perfect champagne shade, which I can tell you even for a make up artist was incredibly hard! I spent many hours at make up counters testing colours to find the colour I really wanted. In the eye socket I blended two Nars shades from the Isolde duo and Mulch from MAC.  To define around the lash line I used MAC shadow in Bark and blended with MAC cork shadow to soften.  I finished with MAC Nylon shadow to highlight my brow bone.
I used Bobbi Brown Black gel eye liner to define my eyes which I applied under the eyelid as well as on top, I also applied a Lancome Kohl pencil into the rim of my eye as it was an evening wedding I felt this was acceptable.  I finished with a few coats of Lancome Defincils waterproof black mascara and a few clusters of Ardell individual lashes to make my lashes a little longer and fluttery at the outer corner of my eyes.

I used Dior Bronze compact powder bronzer in shade Honey tan to give a enhanced glow to my skin as well as Daniel Sandler watercolour creme bronzer in shade Riviera to subtly contour my cheekbones and nose.  For blusher I opted for Benefit Cha Cha tint as I knew this would last and is a great feel good summer colour.  I used YSL limited edition golden touch highlighter for the face to highlight my cheekbones, cupid bow and inner corners of my eyes.

I used a MAC lip pencil in shade subculture to define my lip shape and filled in with a brand new lipstick Rouge d'Armani sheers by Georgio Armani in shade 302, a beautiful sheer red. I used a Clarins colour quench lip balm on top which was a mini free sample and did not have a name on the tube but was a beautiful subtle peach tone.

All brushes used were by MAC, Bobbi Brown and real Techniques.

Photograph supplied by David Toms
http://www.davidtoms-weddings.com/



















For bridal make up services in Souhern Spain please see www.marbellamakeup.com
and for services in the UK www.nikimakeup.co.uk

MY TIPS FOR UNDER EYE DARK CIRCLES

The basics...

• Six to eight good hours sleep


• Hydrate with plenty of water throughout the day


• A healthy diet including fruit and vegetables and excersise at least three times a week


• A daily routine of moisturing the eye area night and morning. Pat eye products gently around the orbital bone not too close to the eye using your ring finger.

The make up...

• Apply a tiny amount of peach toned colour corrector onto the dark area under the eye using a make up brush, preferably made from synthetic hair. Pat with fingertip to blend into the skin evenly.


• Apply a little undereye liteweight concealer, again using a make up brush. Once again, use a fingertip to pat and blend the concealer. Remember, less is more you only need a little amount of product on the brush.


• Apply a highlighting pen directly to the shadowed area, a tiny amount is necessary. Pat with fingertip to blend and smooth into the skin for a natural finish.


• Set with a little, light dusing of powder using a small brush. Tap excess powder off the brush before application.


• Neutralise the colour on your eyelids using a good eyebase before applying any eyeshadow. Set with a Cream or bone coloured matte shadow to achieve the perfect blank canvas before applying colours.


• Use a liquid/cream/powder highlighter under the browbone and at the inner and outer corner of the eyes dabbed lightly with a finger or a brush to really brighten the eyes.


• Apply an off white pencil inside the rim of the lower eyelid to awaken the eyes.


• Apply a lighter eyeshadow on the lid and a deeper shade in the eye socket and outer corner, this will also help to open the eyes .


• Complete eye make up with mascara and eyeliner to define the eyes.

Niki Loves...

• Bobbi Brown's peach corrector and Georgio Armani's master corrector


• Laura Mercier's under eye secret concealer


• YSL Touche eclat highlighting pen


• MAC #217 or #224 brushes


• Laura Mercier Invisible loose setting powder


• MAC Eyepaint shade: Untitled


• Highlighters include Daniel sandler watercolour 'Icing', MAC cream colour base 'Pearl' and Benefit 'highbeam'


• Benefit eyebright pencil


• MAC and Bobbi Brown eyeshadows


• Maybelline and Max factor mascaras