May Update!

May has seen wedding season in full swing with wedding make up's to do each week. I have been lucky enough to work at some stunning venues this month including Luton Hoo, The Inn at Woburn, Sopwell House, St Michaels Manor, The Dorset Square Hotel and Hanbury Manor. I am also looking forward to doing bridal make-up for my friend Angela's wedding at the end of this month at The Deer Park Country hotel in beautiful Devon.

This month I was part of a small make-up team working at The Fast & Furious premiere at The Empire theatre Leicester Square and Somerset House in London which was crazy busy but lots of fun! I was also lucky enough to fly to Barcelona for a video shoot on the beach, shame it was raining and we flew back the same day!

What with the bank holiday weekends as well this month we have enjoyed some lovely country walks with our doggies Middy and Lucas(see pictures below).

Another big change for me, last month I started using a face serum, this month I had a fringe cut!  The first time I have had a full fringe since I was about sixteen! I keep getting a shock when I look in the mirror but I do prefer it.

I am looking forward to hopefully a sunny, hot June xx

My Eye Make-up remover Favourites.

I have two favourite eye make-up removers that I always go back to.  I use them both in my professional kit for my clients as well as on myself.

Splurge: Lancome Bi-Facil.  

A non-oily, gentle eye make-up remover that even removes waterproof make-up with ease. Suitable for sensitive eyes.

RRP £21.00

Steal: Loreal Eye & Lip Make-up Remover Waterproof. 
This is my personal favourite that I use all the time, a fabulous formulation at such an affordable price. Gentle and non oily this removes even waterproof make-up with ease.  The best non-oily eye make up remover I have used. Suitable for sensitive eyes.  Nb.not to be confused with the gentle eye make-up remover Loreal do!)
RRP £4.99

***Worthy of a mention***

Dermalogica Soothing eye make-up remover

A gentle, soothing gel formulation that is both oil free and alcohol free, removes even stubborn make-up easily.

RRP £21.00

Fast & Furious 6 Premier

Last week I was one of the Hair & Make-up artists at The Fast & Furious 6 Premiere at The Empire Theatre Leicester Square. I was there to create an overall look for the dancers and promotional staff.  The dancers all had a black smokey eye with glitter on top and a nude lip, the staff had a much softer version of this with high ponytails so they all looked uniform.  Products we used on the eyes include MAC Carbon eyeshadow, MAC Engraved eyeliner pencil and MAC Reflects glitter. The after party was at the stunning Somerset House and it looked amazing! It was a long day 12pm-9pm of non stop back to back glamour! So cramped and stressful at points it was like backstage at Fashion week.
See some of my pictures from the event below.

Somerset House setting up for the after party!

Leicester Square Premiere, Dancers

Dancers eye make-up

Action station!

Leicester Square

Hair & Make-up team in action!

Daniel Sandler Make-up Must haves!

Daniel Sandler is a Bristish Pro' Make-up artist who also has his own Professional Make-up collection.

There are definitely some Daniel Sandler products that are a must have in my make-up kit!

Retexturising face primer SPF20 Primer £20.50

*smooths the skin for a flawless, perfect complexion. One of my favourite primers!

Creme watercolour blusher in shade soft pink and soft peach £15.50

*I use these literally all the time they suit most skin tones and types. I absolutely love them they are my go to all time favourite blusher!

Watercolour creme bronzer riviera £15.50

*Great to warm and add definition to the face, a personal favourite in my make-up bag!

Watercolour fluid blusher shades cherub and icing £15.50

*The ultimate long wearing blusher!  Icing in a stunning light pink highlighter that looks great applied high on the cheekbone, brow bone and décolletage for a radiant glow.

Super Nectar and super candy glosses £11.20

*Great staple glosses that suit most, fresh peach and pink perfect for the summer!

Sheer satin eyeshadow in Taupe £10.25

* One of my favourite colours in my kit I use it all the time on models and brides for beautifully naturally made up eyes.

Head over to www.danielsandler.com for some great offers on Daniel Sandler make-up.
Plus to celebrate bank holiday enter :BANKHOLIDAY20 during checkout to save a massive 20% discount.

All about Serum!

Why should you use a serum? You may well ask when you consider the myriad of face creams, eye creams, cleansers and toners we already use on a daily basis. The science bit...A serum is a light fluid which holds a higher concentration of active ingredients than even a heavy moisturiser would do.  Serum penetrates deep into the skin to help reverse the signs of ageing where they begin. Your average moisturiser is barely absorbed into the skin's layers as serum is made up of much smaller molecules.

You should use a serum if you want to improve the clarity and general appearance of your skin and make a difference in the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines and age spots.  Serum is applied before moisturiser after cleansing.  Smooth a large pea sized amount over the face and neck and follow with your moisturiser.
Many brands now do an eye serum as well composed of a lighter formulation for around the delicate eye area and many target the specific improvement of under eye dark circles.

A long term favourite of many and indeed the serum I use myself  is Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair.
£44.00-£58.00 available at Boots the Chemist and Department stores.

April Update

Easter seems a long time ago now as I sit writing this....I definitely had a chocolate filled Easter! My lovely husband brought me a three layer box of my favourite Leonidas chocolate's. We spent the holiday decorating our bedroom in pale duck egg blue shades (see pictures below).

April was a good month mostly due to the weather at last the UK saw some sunshine which was so long overdue.

This month I have been a little obsessed with heated eyelash curlers trying to make the most of my short fair lashes. It has also been a monumental beauty month as at the ripe old age of 33 I decided it was time to start using a face serum! I opted for the long established favourite Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair and I have to say my skin has visibly showed a brighter clarity almost immediately.

It has been a busy month with wedding season in full swing now so lots of brides to beautify as well as bridal trial runs, make up lessons, and photo shoots. I also spent an informative training day at Dermalogica HQ and received lots of fab' Dermalogica goodies for my kit (see training day pic' below).


Thrilled to say I have just been awarded 'Best Make up Artist Hertfordshire' in The Wedding Industry Experts Awards 2013 and I am now ranked top 20 in the world! See my work at www.nikimakeup.co.uk

Focus on lashes

With all the focus on lash treatments such as LVL (lengthen, volume, lift), lash perming and permanent false lash application I thought I would share some less severe and less damaging options.

Mascara...I usually opt for less expensive brands of mascara as it has a very short shelf life once opened (3 months max). Maybelline, Max Factor and Loreal all do very good ones. If you prefer a more luxury brand Lancôme, Dior and Benefit offer great options.

I recommend applying 2-3 coats of mascara. To help separate and lengthen lashes wiggle the brush in a zig zag motion from root to tip. I suggest applying mascara to the bottom lashes first to avoid getting mascara on your eyelids when you look up slightly to do the bottom lashes.

Curling lashes....
I always curl my eyelashes and highly recommend to most women that I meet. If you are using metal or plastic lash curlers use these before you apply mascara to add curl at the root of the lash which in turn opens the eyes. Don't be scared they look more scary than they actually are! Hold the curler open and position close to the lash root then shut and squeeze for approximately 20 seconds. I like to pulse open and shut as I find I achieve a better result, find which method works best for you.

Body shop do very good eyelash curlers as do MAC but if you have the cash to blow on your beauty budget opt for Shu Uemura, a cult favourite.

Another lash curling option is to use a heated eyelash curler, this you press at the root of the lashes and gently lift through to achieve a curl. Heated lash curlers are best used after mascara is applied as the mascara when heated acts as a curling catalyst. I favour the Japonesque heated curler available at John Lewis £12.50.

False lashes...
Apply lashes if you really need extra wow or maybe for a special occasion or night out.
I highly recommend individual lashes or corner lashes for a more natural effect. Corner lashes will be easier to apply as individuals are a bit more tricky applying to yourself. I always recommend DUO adhesive, this is a glue suitable for sensitive skin that really keeps lashes in place without being permanent. Purchase DUO adhesive at MAC cosmetics.
I usually apply a little glue to the back of my hand, pick up the lash with a pair of tweezers, dab into the glue and apply as close to the root of your own lashes as possible for a natural finish.

I hope this has helped you with a few new lash techniques to try.