Archive for the ‘Makeup brushes’ Category

Top tip – how to define your cheekbones

Thursday, March 25th, 2010

Applying a pretty coloured blusher to the apple of your cheeks is perfect for a beautiful bridal glow, but when I apply makeup for a bride, I always contour her cheekbones as it looks stunning in wedding photographs. If you look at the above photograph, not only can see the pretty pink blusher on the apple of her cheek, but if you look at the hollow of her cheek you will see the contour that I applied, which makes her cheekbones look more chiseled and more glamorous.

These are my step by step instructions as to how to contour your cheekbones and these are the exact products that I use:

1) Use the correct brush. I use the Daniel Sandler Contour/ Powder Brush (RRP £15, www.danielsandler.com)

2) Use a matte powder to contour your cheekbones – never a shimmery product. I love using the Daniel Sandler Bronzer Duo (£21, www.danielsandler.com). The great thing about this product is that it has two products in the compact, which can be used alone or together. The product is spilt into two sides – one side of the product has a slight shimmer and the other side is matte. This matte side is perfect for contouring with the above brush and you can then also swirl a large brush over both of the colours and use it as a bronzer after!

3) To apply this product to the contour of your cheeks, sweep the brush over the matte side of the bronzer and then tap off the excess. Suck in your cheekbones and along the hollow line (which runs roughly from the outer corner of your mouth upwards and outwards towards your hairline), apply a light coverage of this bronzer. Don’t overdo it with product, you are looking to create a light shadow, rather than a heavy ’stripe’ of product. Should you apply a bit too much, apply some translucent loose powder over the top to soften.

Photography by www.hallmarkphotography.co.uk , makeup by Sarah Brock

Posted in Bronzer, Contour, Makeup, Makeup brushes, Makeup hints and tips | No Comments »

Getting your foundation right – a wedding day essential!

Wednesday, January 13th, 2010

 

Getting your foundation/ base looking perfect on your wedding day is essential. Every bride wants a flawless, glowing complexion on her wedding day. If this looks perfect, then everything else you put on top of your foundation will look better. Even if you do not have the budget to spend a lot on your colour products (ie eyes/ cheeks / lips), I always say to brides that it is worth spending a little more on a good foundation – I really do believe that when it comes to foundations, you do get what you pay for.

Before you start your search for the perfect makeup base – even if you have a large budget for a good quality foundation, it will be a waste of time if you choose the wrong shade and incorrect texture for your skin. We all know that there is nothing worse than a line of foundation on your jaw line which is the wrong colour and trust me, if you do this on your wedding day, it will show up even more against a light coloured wedding gown! Also, wearing a foundation which is too dry for you can make you look older and if you wear a foundation which is too heavy and oily, it will slide off your skin and you will look ‘greasy’ in your wedding photographs.

Whichever foundation you wear, remember to use a light moisturiser first to hydrate the skin and then apply a small amount of primer before you apply your foundation.

So where do you start? As you know, there is a huge variety of foundations on the market. Makeup brands are improving their formulas everyday and offering a bigger choice, which makes our task even more complicated. When choosing a foundation it’s important to know what type of skin you have, since there are specific products for each type of skin. You can find foundations that are fluid/ powder/ compact/ mineral, with a matt effect, brightening, oil free – the list is endless!

If you’ve got dry skin a fluid, nourishing and creamy foundation is ideal, especially if you’re looking for a foundation that covers the skin – but remember that a creamy foundation doesn’t have to be heavy, there are moisturising foundations on the market that are lighter formulations.

For oily skin it’s important to choose an oil-free fluid with a matt finish – if possible, also try to find a formula which is silicone based. Mineral based foundations are fabulous for oily skins as the ingredients are pure and will not encourage blemishes or excess grease on the skin.

For combination skin I still recommend a light, oil free silicone based foundation as you still need to avoid a greasy T-Zone on your oily areas. Go easy on the face powder on your dry areas (ie cheeks and eyes). Some brands do now make foundations for combination skins – which reduce oil where needed and add moisture where you are dry, these might be worth a try but again make sure that the formulations are not thick and heavy.

When you have decided on your budget and the formula you wish to wear, my biggest tip is with reference to choosing the right shade – do not test the colour on your hand or your forearm!!! It has to be on your jawline – test 3 shades and the shade that you cannot see is the right one.

My next tip is after you have chosen your foundation is to invest in a good foundation/ base brush – this will give you a more ‘airbrushed’ finish to your makeup – I wouldn’t apply foundation with anything else.

(Wedding photograph by www.loveasart.com, makeup by Sarah Brock. Photograph of The Daniel Sandler Super Mineral Makeup foundation is kindly supplied by Daniel Sandler, www.danielsandler.com)

Posted in Anti-ageing, Face powder, Foundation, Makeup, Makeup brushes, Makeup hints and tips | No Comments »

BRUSH-OUT: care for your makeup brushes

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009

Not only do I recommend using professional quality brushes to apply your makeup with, I also spend a lot of time explaining to my clients how important it is to look after their brushes.

In the past, I have seen many a client open her makeup bag and not only does it contain her makeup, it also has all of her makeup brushes inside which are dirty and often damaged, from being ‘crammed’ into a tiny makeup bag.

Good quality makeup brushes really are an investment and if you care for them correctly, they should last you for years. It is such a shame to spend good money on brushes and then to not look after them – so here are my top tips:

1) The most important thing is to keep your brushes clean! This is for hygiene reasons – if you do not keep your brushes clean, they are a breading ground for germs and bacteria. Use a brush cleanser such as Paula Dorf BRUSH-OUT , it is a gentle cleansing spray for professional makeup brushes and it is really easy to use – spray the cleanser onto a tissue and gently stroke the brush back and forth until there is no trace of colour left. Not only will this keep your brushes clean, it will help to keep your brushes soft and flexible.

2) Keep your brushes in a pot (as seen on left), rather than in a bag or in a drawer. This means that the air can get to your brushes and the brushes themselves will not get damaged.

Looking after your brushes in this way will make sure that they last you longer and also remember that it is best not to share your brushes with others – if you do, make sure that you clean your brushes after to avoid passing infection from one person to another.

To enquire about Paula Dorf, contact:  SkinBrands  0208 997 8541/ skinbrands.co.uk

 

Posted in Brush Cleanser, Makeup brushes, Paula Dorf | No Comments »

1920’s bridal photo shoot at Combe House

Thursday, November 26th, 2009

This Tuesday, I travelled down to the beautiful Combe House in Gittisham, Honiton in Devon for a bridal photo shoot with my good friend and amazing photographer Rosie Parsons. I have worked on many shoots with Rosie and her style of wedding photography is beautiful. (www.rosieparsons.com)

Our 2 models looked stunning in 1920’s style wedding dresses – Becki Simpson created stunning hairstyles, which complimented the dresses perfectly. Vicky Rowe was the stylist, from www.vintageteasets.co.uk .

When discussing the makeup look for this shoot, Rosie the photographer requested a look which would be able to be re-created by a bride on her wedding day. In the 1920’s brows were plucked to a very thin line, cheeks were painted with doll-like rouge, lots of mascara, the lips were obviously painted and the complexion was flawless.

To make this look wearable for a bride today, I made the complexion flawless and rather than obvious, bright blusher I gave the model more of a pretty bridal glow to her cheeks. I kept the eyeshadow pretty and light (with a little contour using a matte shadow) and I did line the top lashes with a fine line of liquid liner at the root of the lashes and applied false lashes. I defined the brows gently for a modern look. For the lips, I applied lipliner, pressed the lipstick on to the lips and then applied a slightly lighter tone of lipstick to the centre of the lower lip.

Products used: After using Lancome skincare to prepare the skin, to create this look I used Daniel Sandler Cosmetics – here is the list of the Daniel Sandler products that I used:

Re-texturising Face Primer, Catwalk Compact (applied with Base Brush) in shade 1, Hide It Under Eye Concealer shade 3, Camo Cover Concealer shade 2 (applied with concealer brush), Invisible Blotting Powder (applied with contour/powder brush), Mineral Matte Blushers in shades Rose Bud, Hush Pink and Natural Beauty (applied with Blusher Brush), Opal Mineral Eyeshadow (apply using Eyeshadow Brush No.1), Tornado Matte Eyeshadow (apply using Smudger Brush), Eye Delight Loose Eyeshadows in shades Ice and Pink Gold (use eyeshadow Brush 2) Eye Love it in shade Rock Chick (as a liquid eyeliner, apply with Lip Brush). After curling the lashes I used Baby Jet Mascara and applied false eyelashes by Mister Mascara. For lips, I applied the Automatic Longlasting Lipliner in Earth Red, followed by Lipshine SPF 15 in shade Cherub and then the Luxury Lipstick in shade Pucker.

To find out more about the products I used, go to:

Daniel Sandler: www.danielsandler.com

Lancome: www.lancome.co.uk

Mister Mascara: www.beautique.com 

Posted in Blusher, Daniel Sandler, Eye makeup, Eyebrows, Eyelashes, Face powder, Foundation, Get the look, Lancome, Lipstick/ gloss, Makeup, Makeup brushes, Makeup hints and tips, Mister Mascara | No Comments »

Get the look – Ritva Westenius

Monday, November 9th, 2009

Ritva Westenius has been making stunning couture wedding gowns since 1977 and has many celebrity clients – I have visited the Ritva Westenius Boutique in Connaught Street, London and have had the privilege to work alongside Ritva Westenius and her daughter Chenca Williams who is also a very talented dress designer. 

Her designs are absolutely stunning and I was incredibly excited when I opened Brides Magazine and saw the latest advertising campaign, which was shot in LA by photographer Guiliano Bekor.

Not only does it showcase the latest fabulous dress designs, the hair and makeup was amazing and was a breath of fresh air – the elaborate hair design was stunning, but was I was most excited about the dramatic makeup look!

More and more brides are requesting a stronger makeup look on their wedding day – gone are the days when every bride walked down the aisle in the same ‘peachy’ makeup tones! There are some brides who wear more makeup on a daily basis, so the groom is used to seeing them ‘made up’ and for these brides, they would feel ‘naked’ without a stronger makeup look. Then I have brides who do not wear a lot of makeup on a daily basis, but want to achieve the ‘wow’ factor on this special day and ask me to create something dramatic for them.

If you love this makeup design, here are some top tips to re-create it for your wedding day:

Make sure that you select a matte foundation for this look, with at least medium coverage – this look requires the most flawless finish to the skin. Ensure that any imperfections are covered and set your base with loose powder.

Blusher should be subtle – with this much drama on the eyes, along with a strong tone to the lips, stick to a taupe/ nude shade and use only a small amount (think more about subtle contour than lots of blusher).

The eyes are such a key part of this look – and I recommend using matte shadows – use a cream coloured shadow as a base, from the upper lashline to the brow. Apply a dark brown shadow (choose one with an ash tone to it, rather than a warm brown) and apply this to the contour. Using a charcoal grey, apply this to the eyelid and finish with a matte black shadow used as an eyeliner to define the upper and lower lashline and ‘wing’ the shadow out slightly at the outer corner for more drama. It is important to use the correct eyeshadow brushes – this look will require a little more skill than a natural look and using the correct tools will help you.

The lips in this photograph are of a plum tone and complete the look – if the strong eyes and lips are too much for you, then go for a more natural shade on the lips, which will look slightly less dramatic.

Line your lips first (all over the lip area), apply your lipstick with a brush and if you wish, apply a small amount of gloss on top.

 www.ritvawestenius.co.uk  (Images kindly provided by Ritva Westenius)

Posted in Blusher, Concealer, Eye makeup, Face powder, Foundation, Get the look, Lipstick/ gloss, Makeup, Makeup brushes, Makeup hints and tips | No Comments »

The Cosmopolitan Beauty Awards 2009 – Daniel Sandler wins best makeup brushes award

Friday, October 16th, 2009

Congratulations to Daniel Sandler for winning the prestigious Cosmopolitan Beauty Awards 2009 for his fabulous line of makeup brushes! These are the makeup brushes of my choice – not only are they of the highest quality and so, so soft, I love the handbag sized handles which means that they are so easy to travel with. My clients also find that due to the size of the brush, it is easier for them to use, rather than a long handled brush which can be difficult to control.

When I see a client for a bridal makeup lesson, these are the brushes that I recommend – if you are applying your own wedding makeup these brushes are perfect and will help you achieve a professional finish to your makeup.

Remember that having the right makeup is essential, but it is also really important to use the correct tools. If you look after your brushes, they will last you for years. Wash them regularly, keep them stored in a pot on your dressing table and do not keep them in a tiny makeup bag, as this can attract germs and damage your brushes.

I use all of these brushes as they deliver professional results every time, my favourite brushes are the base brush (which gives your foundation a flawless finish), concealer brush and liner/ blemish brush, which are made from Taklon – a new revolutionary synthetic nylon.

To read more about Daniel Sandler and his fabulous products, go to www.danielsandler.com

Posted in Daniel Sandler, Makeup brushes | No Comments »