Tuesday Tip! Double-Duty Beauty!

If you are pulling in the purse strings or just partial to a beauty trick I hope my favourite 'double-duty' beauty tips can help you!



BB cream, this is great to apply to legs to banish any imperfections.

Bronzing powder, my favourite trick is to use bronzing powder as an eyeshadow or to blend through the eye socket to add definition.

Concealer, if you are out of foundation you can always use a small amount of concealer mixed with moisturiser to give you a base.  This can also be used lightly over the lips as a primer before applying colour.

Creme Blush, will easily double up as a great lip colour simply pat lightly onto the lips for a subtle colour.

Eyebrow Pencil, this can double up as an eyeliner. Warm the tip of the pencil in your palm before application to soften, this will stop it dragging the skin as eyebrow pencils will be harder than eyeliner pencils.

Lipbalm, can tame flyaways, smooth brows, hydrate dry skin patches, highlight skin and moisturise cuticles.

Lipstick, apply a dot to each cheek and blend out well with your finger tips for a complimentary flush of colour to your lipstick of choice.

Mascara, paint onto a separate eyeliner brush to apply as eyeliner.

Mini shampoos, use left over travel size shampoos or hotel freebies to wash your makeup brushes.

Toothbrush, use this to exfoliate lips gently, brush gently through lashes to separate and brush through brow colour to take out excess for a natural look.

I would love to know your double duty beauty tricks, comment below!

FRIDAY FAVE! CHANEL Le Vernis Longwear Nail Colour

CHANEL Le Vernis Longwear Nail Colour is my all time favourite brand of nail polish not only does it last incredibly well with high shine the packaging, colours and shade names please me immensely too!  Just knowing that you are wearing Chanel on your nails makes you feel good!

There is a great range of vibrant colours.  My favourite shades are 'Ballerina' for a natural look, 'Rouge Noir' a classic colour that needs no futher explanation and my favourite go to shade 'Arancio vibrante'! The range also includes a base coat, top coat, a gel top coat plus a nail polish remover at £15.00.







RRP. £22.00 13ml www.chanel.com

TUESDAY TIP FOR BRIDES! Have 2 Bridal Emergency kits!

It is a great idea to have a couple of bridal emergency kit's on your wedding day to help with anything unexpected, which trust me will likely happen!  I have worked at hundreds of weddings now and these thing's in my recommended emergency kit lists below I have seen get requested time and time again.  Often they have been forgotten about entirely amongst all of the more important pre-wedding things to do.  I am sure I must get asked for a pair of nail scissors at every wedding I am working at!


Image via www.wedmagazine.co.uk

The first emergency kit is to have with you on the wedding morning whilst all of the fun bridal preparations are taking place with rest of your bridal party.

Kit One
Mints
Tweezers
Nail scissors
Nail polish remover
Nail polish clear or a nude shade
Nail file
Small deodorant
Plasters
Travel toothpaste & spare toothbrush
Anti-histamine tablets
Bottled water & snacks
Tampons/Sanitary towels
Needle & thread/small sewing kit
Anti-bac wipes or gel
Universal phone charger
Handcream

The second emergency kit is take along with you on the wedding day for use throughout the day.    Simply add the contents to a small bag and give it to a bridesmaid or mum to keep safe for you.

Kit Two
Tissues
Hair grips
Small hairspray
Powder compact with mirror
Lip colour
Cotton buds
Safety pins and pins
Perfume
Paracetamol

The motto is 'be prepared', for example there will always be a hungry bridesmaid even if you won't be!

Happy wedding planning,

Niki x

Friday Fave! Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Bronzer

Finally Charlotte Tilbury launches the Airbrush Bronzer... oh this has been so long overdue for me I have been waiting for this product since the beauty range launched!  I have moaned to my mum, my friends, my clients and even messaged Charlotte herself on Instagram some years ago now asking for a bronzing powder.
I am overjoyed that finally it is here and I have it! Don't get me wrong, Filmstar Bronze & Glow is great in fact the bronzer is the best shade of bronzer around as far as I am concerned but I am constantly left with half used highlighters, and with no bronzer refills for this item it works out expensive and wasteful... I must have about eight in my drawer now all half used! At last I can just buy and apply the new bronzing powder and the best bit...it is REFILLABLE (refills launch in the summer)!!



At 16g it is a fairly large compact of bronzing powder suitable for face and body to give a matte natural sun-kissed glow.  The packaging itself is as always beautiful, it is literally a joy to behold!
The colour is great, I absolutely love it... definitely my new favourite bronzer!



Available in four shades for all skin tones fair, medium, tan and deep.  I purchased medium as this will be perfect for most of my clients (fair to medium skin tones), but for now it is firmly in my makeup bag and there it may remain!

Fast facts!

Smoothing and pore-blurring as it is Hyaluronic infused.

Fine-as-air finely milled pigments to blur the appearance of pores and smooth.

Silky mica treated with amino acids to impart a silky smooth, long-lasting feel on the skin.

Micro-fine perfecting powders deliver an invisibly thin, silky filter on the skin to add depth of colour and coverage.


RRP £39.00 www.charlottetilbury.com

May Update! Warning contains a lot of Dog photos!

A little late with my May Update as the days all merge together lately.

I have been doing a lot of painting and drawing during May to keep myself motivated and busy. Also taking lots of lovely dog walks in the marvellous spring sunshine we have been so lucky to enjoy.

I have also been looking at my current hygiene practices in preparation for when I return to work which have always been high priority for me but now will have to be increased even more where possible. I have taken Barbicide Hygiene training and Barbicide Covid-19 hygiene training, purchased lots of disposables, hand sanitiser, cleaner and disinfectant to use regularly in-between clients.  All clients will be made aware of how makeup and/or hair bookings will be taking place going forward via both direct email and social media.  I am planning a separate blog post on this as well.

I have become a founding member of The Association of British Wedding Businesses.  It is positive that the bridal industry now has an overall body and more importantly a voice.

 





I had lots of fun picking wild flowers which inspired me to do some hairstyling on my dolly head and accessorise the styles with flowers.











My little munchkins!  I warned you there would be dog photos! They are loving having us at home all the time... it is going to be shock for them when we have to go back to work.







Someone had a lockdown birthday! He is actually smiling here!



Desperately in need of a long overdue haircut...



Waiting in the car and got a little bored so I made us into a cartoon!



Before & after Haircuts!





My lovely Mum sent us a lockdown cake! It was yummy! https://www.fionacairns.com



Art stuff keeping me sane on Instagram @nikicreates























All Makeup enquiries to nikimakeup@aol.com
www.nikimakeup.co.uk

Super Supplier Saturday! The Salon Collection: Maltings - Nails by Eva

My next Super Saturday Wedding Supplier is Eva Ntontou, Salon Manager at The salon Collection Nail & Hair Salon at The Maltings, St Albans, Hertfordshire.
Eva was a Nail Artist of the year finalist in Specialist Nail Art 2019 and has established a huge presence in the industry with online bloggers and influencers now following new work from the salon.  
I am lucky enough to have found a great nail artist in Eva! I always visit for my nails as she really listens and understands exactly what I would like and loving nail art like I do, I do like to give her a challenge!
The salon itself in the heart of St Albans is a lovely relaxing environment to be pampered and Eva is always super friendly, reliable and professional.

Eva Ntontou Q & A:





What advice would you give to Brides currently looking for a Nail salon/Manicurist?

Wedding means a lot for all women as it is a fresh new beginning of their life. You must consider every detail carefully to make each and every moment of this ceremony is memorable. It's very important to find a nail salon/manicurist to fulfill your expectations, who can carry out quality treatments and make you feel confident, for the big day. 



How far in advance should a Bride book her wedding nails with you?

A bride should book her wedding nail appointment a few months in advance. She should also book some pre-wedding nail appointments starting at least 6-8 weeks before the big day. That will give her enough time to make decisions about the final colour and nail design. 



What is your top tip for Brides?

My top tip for brides is: Make sure you do a trial for your wedding nails with plenty of time to make changes and find the right look. This will ensure that you feel confident with the look you will be wearing in advance, avoiding any last-minute stress.

Why do you love working with Brides?

It's such an honor to be asked to be a part of someone's very special day. Doing the bride's wedding nails can be very stress.  Doing the bride's wedding nails can be very stressful, but as I've done a lot of wedding parties in the past, it's always such a beautiful feeling to witness the joy of a woman getting pampered before the big day, while having friends and family around her. 

What is your style?

-My moto is "There are no rules". I like playing with colours and nail designs. I like anything from a simple plain colour to nail art and bling. 



Why should a Bride choose you?

I feel very confident of doing someone's wedding nails. I've also have the experience to advice proper the bride for colours and give some nail art ideas, getting inspiration from her personal style and making her big day feel extra special.



See more of the salon and Eva's work below:

https://www.thesaloncollection.co.uk/nails/

https://www.instagram.com/tscthemaltings/

https://www.instagram.com/nails_by_eva/

TUESDAY TIP: My Top Ten Summer Beauty Feel Good Tips!

Summer is just around the corner which means it is time to consider your beauty regime a little more closely.  Here are my personal favourite products that serve me well throughout the summer months and my tips on why I use them.

1.  Protect your hair from the suns ray's, especially if your hair is highlighted or colour treated.  Spray a heat protection spray through wet hair and comb evenly through and dry as normal.  I love L'Oreal Elnett Satin Heat Styling spray.

2.  Don't forget to hydrate and add moisture to your hair as the sun can make it extra dry.  Condition your hair with a leave-in conditioner, this can be a nice enjoyable pamper for yourself as well!  Or if you are super busy leave it to do it's thing whilst you are busy getting on with something else. I LOVE OLAPLEX NO.6 Bond Smoother, a tiny bit goes a long way and has such a dramatic effect on the health and appearance of your hair.  When I say "love" this is by no means an exaggeration!

3.  Don't forget to protect your lips, as these can also burn as well as becoming dry, sore and cracked.
I use Palmers Cocoa Butter SPF 15 lip balm daily thought the summer even under lip colour.

4.  If you have moles, birthmarks, scars... anything you want to focus more attention on protecting, it may even be your ears which are often forgotten! Opt for a small stick or tube in a high SPF50 sunblock to apply specifically to these areas.  I like Piz Buin Mountain Sun cream 50+

5.  Wear SPF on your face and body, a minimum SPF 30 and ideally SPF 50 to protect against skin damage and aging.   I have used Nivea Sun Pocket-Size Protect & Moisture sun lotion for years now as it so small and handy to keep with me in my bag, my professional make-up kit and even in the car so I am never caught out!  La Roche-Posay Anthelios is another recent favourite of mine as it is SPF 50 for sensitive skin, it is a lovely light fliud and non greasy.... just lovely to apply on the face.

6.  If you want to warm up your skin tone a little, on pasty pins for example, just add a little liquid bronzing fluid to your favourite moisturiser and apply to the body for an instant sun-kissed appearance.  I love NARS Laguna Liquid Bronzer.

7.  Bronzer instantly makes you feel better! Use creme, powder or gel whichever you prefer to warm up your skin a little. I like Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel Creme Bronzing make-up base for a natural sun kissed glow.

8.  Use a Tinted moisturiser, BB cream or Bronzing Tint to keep your make-up base light whilst giving your face that summer glow.  I love Charlotte Tilbury Healthy Glow, a small amount goes a long way and makes you feel healthy and happy instantly (no joke!).

9.  Carry a translucent blotting powder compact with you to keep your make-up set though-out the day and blot any shine away.  My favourite is MAC Blot powder in shade Medium Dark.

10.  Summer make-up is a must so finally always add a bright pop of lip colour to finish your look and make you feel great. My favourite is a Tom Ford Lip colour in shade Twist of Fate the perfect coral shade for me!

What are your summer faves? Do share with me I would love to know!

Niki x



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