Friday Fave! Milani Baked Blush shade 05 Luminoso

This isn't America's iconic No.1 baked blush for no reason. It is in many a make-up artist's kit and celebrity makeup bag.

This blush is slow-baked on terracotta tile, begining life as a cream dough mixture infused with multi-dimensional shimmers and colours that swirl together and dry down into a beautiful silky-smooth powder that provides a natural enhancing colour and glow. Skin immediately looks youthful, radiant and healthy on application. 

I love the Buildable colour!  It is easy to apply and blends effortlessly.

'05 Luminoso' is my favourite shade a gorgeous warm peach that suits so many of my clients and is in my personal make up bag too.  A firm "Friday Fave!"

I also love shade '01 Dolce pink' if you prefer a pink toned blush!

Lasts up to 12 hours and is newly infused with antioxidants.

Available in 8 shades.

RRP: £14.00

Vegan, Cruelty free, made in Italy. 

Shop here:

https://go.shopmy.us/p-94102975

FRIDAY FAVE! Victoria Beckham Satin Kajal Liner

I love the Victoria Beckham Eye Kajal pencils, shade Cinnamon in particular is my go to shade as it is not too dark it has just enough depth to enhance eyes.

These liners are waterproof, long lasting and extremely soft to apply making them glide on easily and blend seamlessly. 

Cinnamon is a warm shimmer brown shade, which I wear myself daily. My other favourite shades are  Black, Sequin Green and Cocoa.

I must admit when I first tried them I wasn't a fan.  I found them too soft to apply but with practice I have got use to them now and love them, a definite "Friday fave"!  Plus 25,000 five stars reviews  to date agree!

If you order online you can also opt for a complimentary pencil sharpener.  The sharpener itself is the best I have ever used and I've tried a lot in my twenty year career! The design also makes it very easy to keep clean compared to all other ones that I use.

Pro Tip!

Use the smudger end of the pencil to smoke the colour around the lash line and blend the edges of the liner that you have applied to soften any harsh lines. Make sure you apply the lid to the pencil on the correct end as it comes to keep the pencil air tight.

Available in 22 shades.

RRP £32.00

https://victoriabeckhambeauty.com/en-gb/products/satin-kajal-liner

FRIDAY FAVE! Seamless Skin Enhancing Tint

Seamless Skin Enhancing Tint

As a natural makeup expert I am always trying and testing the latest bases to achieve a natural, beautiful complexion on my clients. Lisa Eldridge’s seamless skin enhancing tint certainly ticks the boxes! A firm "Friday Fave!"

The Details…

This is a beautiful natural base that is buildable, perfect for achieving a fresh radiant complexion.

It hydrates, nourishes and plumps the skin as it is made up of 78% skin care ingredients.

The comfortable light, crease-proof formula means it blends seamlessly even around the eye area too!

Available in 20 shades. There are some incredible pale shades too for those ladies that struggle!

I absolutely love the clean, white, simple packaging inspired by Lisa’s love of the Artist Barbara Hepworth.

Those that know me will know I have long adored MAC Face & Body radiance foundation but this is definitely a great similar alternative.  I also find I can achieve more coverage with this so it’s a great new addition to my pro’ kit.

Plus points!

Contains no parabens, alcohol, fragrance, essential oils, mineral oils, talc, microplastics, PFAS or gluten!

Vegan and cruelty free.

My Pro Tip!

Shake before applying in very thin layers (Lisa recommends 2 drops on the back of your hand to begin).  Blend each layer well using a brush until you reach your desired coverage. Apply more or less in different areas of the face where you may need more/ less coverage.

Definitely a firm Favourite in my pro' kit!

£37.00 Available in 20 shades from www.lisaeldridge.com

MARCH UPDATE!

March has been a lovely month after the longest winter ever I am out of hibernation finally and spring is  in the air!

I have been really enjoying working in my garden studio which I have had a few years now but it really feels like home at the moment! A safe and friendly space to relax, be present and most importantly for me be creative.  The little monkey aka @rufustheredtoypoodle (check out his Instagram if you are interested!) can't wait to sneak in to the studio in-between clients.

I can honestly say I have met and worked with the most lovely clients of all ages in recent weeks as you can see from the beautiful faces below I snapped on my iPhone. 

It has been a busy month of make-up group workshops, 1:1 Make-up Lessons, Bridal trials and Branding shoots.  

See my website https://www.nikimakeup.co.uk if you are interested in any of these services for pricing and more details.

In other news I finally did after years of wanting to... a beginners photography course with the fabulous Stephanie Belton https://www.stephaniebelton.com  and I am really enjoying practicing what I have learned.

I was working Mother's day weekend so I treated my wonderful Mum to a mid week Mother's day treat at https://thehandandflowers.co.uk.  It was fabulous we both really enjoyed the food and atmosphere.

... and obviously crazy days with my side kick Rufus who is certainly keeping me on my toes! My fourth poodle and definitely a little quirky this one to say the least!!

Fresh haircut & me practicing my photography skills on my muse!

Thank you for reading and wishing you a very Happy Easter! X

FRIDAY FAVE! Westman Atelier Face Trace Contour stick

I love how seamlessly and easily the Face Trace stick blends, the buildable colour and the natural finish.

Available in three shades Biscuit, Truffle and Ganache.  I use the lightest shade Biscuit on a lot of my clients for subtle contouring, sculpting and defining features to perfection.

Easy application - simply trace your features with the stick under the cheekbones, jawline, sides of the nose and hairline. Blend out with a brush to soften the colour for a natural finish.

The creamy formula is hydrating and nourishing (Vit C & E) and the shades suit all skin tones. It also contains Kaolin clay to absorb excess oils.

I love the sleek packaging too!

RRP. £44.00

DECEMBER UPDATE!

Wow how fast did December go! I was actually quiet with bookings in October and most of November but boy did it go crazy form the end of November! I have been kept so busy which I wasn't totally prepared for (a lot of last minute bookings!).  It was definitely my busiest December on record this year which is great and it makes me so happy doing what I love, so thank you so much to every single client old and new who booked me for their glam!

It has however meant that a lot of Christmas stuff was very last minute this year not like me at all but somewhat fun doing it late when it definitely feels more Christmasy! I hadn't planned on icing my Christmas cake a few days before Christmas but hey ho!  I also hadn't planned on sitting here crazily trying to get all my admin done the day before Christmas Eve I am usually on Christmas break by now with everything organised ready to start a fresh in January.  Hopefully I can finish everything today eek! including a food shop tonight and making a Christmas crunch chocolate pudding this evening! Christmas mode starts tomorrow...Christmas Eve!

Back in November when quieter I designed and printed some Christmas bauble cards which I really enjoyed doing so will definitely do more next year and also up my painting and drawing time.

I had two lovely weddings this month one on the weekend of the storm at  https://www.offleyplace.com where I am a recommend supplier.  I usually love working in the wonderful Roseview bridal prep suite but it was a very blustery and cold bridal prep' situation that day... but all went well which is the main thing, I was having visions of power cuts and all sorts... phew!

My last wedding of 2024 was on Saturday 21st and what a stunning bride she was, with the ceremony at the beautiful St Albans Cathedral and reception at https://stmichaelsmanor.com which is one of my favourite local venues where I am also a recommended suppler.

It has also been lovely starting to meet some of my 2025 Brides for their pre-wedding trials ahead of Spring weddings.

 

There was a definite part-up part-down theme with Christmas Party hair this year, always popular and definitely one of my favourites to style!

I also had a client with Hollywood style Breakfast at Tiffany's Hairstyling and makeup which was so fun to do!

It has been lovely spending extra time with my puppy getting him all excited for his first Christmas and he  graduated puppy school training at the weekend so he is a very happy Chappy! We also discovered since it's got colder that he loves the fire he has definitely found his favourite spot.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year and thank you so much for reading my blog!

Niki (and Rufus!) 

Xx