Karla Powell Nail Art Charts

As you'll know if you read this weeks blog, last weekend the amazing Karla Powell was in the So Coco Rouge salon, teaching lots of make-up artists her Lip Art techniques.

Karla brought along her famous Face Charts, which are available in both A4 and A5 sizes from Crown Brush, and her new Nail Charts, which haven't even been launched yet! 

As I'm not the most artistic girl in the world, I've never really used face charts, but the nail charts really intrigued me! When I'm prepping for each QVC show for OPI Nails, I usually use a blank nail wheel, which allows me to play with the products and see the true shade. However, by the looks of it, these A5 Nail Charts would make carrying my own back catalogue of OPI shades even easier!

Karla says- "My Nail Charts are ideal for experimenting with hard wearing nail varnishes, different types of pens to draw nail art designs. The sheets work well with all wet nail varnish formula's, drying to the nail varnishes true colour. Perfect for swatching nail varnishes too! Each page features a minimal hand outline with short nails , with ample space for notes and the chance to extend the nails into a desired shape." 

Now, I'll be the first to admit, I'm not the best at staying between the lines when 'colouring in' so I was a little worried my nail charts would look like a 5 year old had got their hands on them- but for my 1st and 2nd attempt I'm pretty impressed with myself! 

These charts feature 1 quick coat of polish- please excuse my mini smudge!

The specially designed paper makes painting gloss and textured glitter polishes really simple, and they dry pretty quickly too.

Definitely a must buy for manicurists, and make-up artists prepping for artistic shoots- and certainly one of my favourite buys of the year so far! So next time you tune into one of my QVC shows, remember backstage will be  my little book of OPI nail swatches!

AW14 Beauty Trends

Well what a nuisance to have my busiest time in the salon, and a bad case of writers block over the fashion week period! Especially with this being the Autumn Winter showcase, which are typically always my favourites.

So this season I've been catching the shows online in between clients, and spending my bedtimes on Vogue.com reading show reports. Oh the glamour of fashion...

Well, what should we be wearing on our faces come September according to the fashion giants? To start with....blue. Yes, blue. 

At Temperley make-up artist Lisa Eldridge created blunt, squared ended flicks of eyeliner in bright blue. Keeping skin, lips and brows natural, all focus was on the outer part of the eye, with a soft peachy tone in the inner lash line and tear duct. Then over at Giles Lucia Pieroni created a soft punk look, with pastel blue shadow applied to the lower lash line, and deep grey smokiness on the eyelid. Finally at Michael Van der Ham, Sam Bryant used MAC to create a girlie 60's look with orange lips and a simple wash of dove blue on eyelids. Whatever way you wear it, blue is looking like a top trend for AW14.

Temperley- Image Cosmopolitan

Michael Van der Ham. Image- Cosmopolitan

 I'll be stocking up on Illamasqua eyeshadow in Anja, Illamasqua Eye Colouring Pencil in Debonair, MUA Gel Eyeliner in Blue and Crown All Eyes On You set for a professional finish.

Gucci Image- Cosmopolitan

The make-up genius and my ultimate heroine, Pat McGrath created stunning looks this season, as predicted. Inspired by the 1950s and 1960s the looks she created for Dolce and Gabbana and Gucci are wearable, simple to create, yet effective.

Dolce Image- Cosmopolitan

At Dolce and Gabbana models wore clean flicks of liquid eyeliner teamed with fuller brows, flushed cheeks and a naturally flawless complexion. Then over at Gucci, we jumped forward a decade to a 60s dollesque look. Focusing on longer bottom lashes and fuller, thicker top lashes, teamed with a muted pink/mauve lip. 

As a lover of vintage inspired looks, and liquid liner framed with full lashes, I swear by Eyeko Eye Do Liquid Eyeliner, Eyeko Eye Do Mascara, Liz Martins Lashes and Art Deco Teint Concealer. 

Contouring like Kevyn

Since Kimmy K tweeted that now famous image of her pre blended contour make-up, I'm finding lots of my clients are requesting a heavily contoured look. Yet, what I think is being forgotten, is that us make-up artists have been shading, highlighting and altering face shapes with the magic of make-up long before Kim signed up to Twitter. 

Let's go back 11 years, to when I was approaching my 16th birthday, and truly obsessed with make-up. This is when my dad first introduced me to the man who inpsired me (and thousands of others) to jump feet first into my dream career. Kevyn Aucoin.

If you have never witnessed the true magic of Kevyns work in Making Faces, Face Forward or Art of Make-up, then I suggest you head staright to your local book store, and be prepared to gasp in admiration. 

(Which is exactly how my students reacted on their first peek!)

Kevyn, was an American make-up artist, photographer and author, whose work graced Vogue covers and the faces of countless celebrities before his untimely death in 2002. In 2001, Kevyn launched Kevyn Aucoin Beauty, which is still a favoured brand by professionals and consumers alike.

 But, what Kevyn was really famed for was his amazing contouring techniques, which helped transorm Gwyneth Paltrow into James Dean, and male modesl into female supermodels, such as Linda Evangelista. 

His work was truly beautiful, inspiring and his passion for make-up seeps through the pages of each book.

I can honestly say,  these books changed my life. 

So, how do we contour like Kevyn?! Well, you can clearly see from the image above, where we should be applying our products. Using lighter tones, either matte or with a soft shimmer, helps the areas to appear lifted and more promiment, whilst using darker, matte tones, creates a shadowed, receeded appearance. 

There is lots of products on the market- but some are much better than others in my opnion. (And being a spend-a-holic, I've tried them ALL)

Illamasqua Hollow

You can use either liquid, cream or powder products- or a mixture of both for a stronger look if you wish. When training, a great way to experiment with contour is by using foundation- choosing 2 shades lighter for highlighting and 2 shades darker for shading. 

Tom Ford Shade&Illuminate

My favourite cream products for contoruing are Illamasqua Cream Pigment in Hollow for fairer skin tones and Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate for medium to dark skin tones. I like to apply these using my Crown Dual Fibre Brush, or for a stronger application, Illamasqua Blush Up Brush. For highlighting, I use  17 Skin Wow or MAC Strobe to create an irresdesence glow.

Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder

I also like to apply powder products for a stronger finsih, either over cream alone.

Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder is a favouirte of mine, as the red, grey and brown tones create a natural shadow effect, which is string but easily blendable.  MAC Blot Powder is also a great kit item, which you can use to keep shine at bay, and add soft contours. I have four shades in my kit- Light, Medium, Dark and Deep Dark. I like to apply powder contour with an angled brush, such as  Crown 104. 

For highlighting, I use a mixture of things, all from MAC, such as the now discontiued Beauty Powder, vanilla eyeshadow (matte) and vanilla pigment (high shimmer), using the Highlighter Brush from Illamasqua.

 Why not try a strong smokey eye or bold berry lip with your contoured look this weekend?! I know I will be!

New Beginnings

September is one of my favouirte months- the sun is usually still shining brightly, the leaves start to turn a shade not dis-similar from my hair colour and we can look towards Spring/Summer at Fashion Week. 

September is also known for changes and new beginnings- and this September I will be starting on yet another journey on my winding career path.

As if I wasn't busy enough, this year I will be beginning to teach- back at my old college, in the class that fed my appetite for make-up exactly ten years ago.

Wirral Metropolitan College will always be held close to my heart- as an eager, make-up obsessed 16 year old they encouraged me to follow my dreams and pointed me in the right direction. Since then I have always wanted to do the same for the next generation of artists.

I will be teaching the VTCT Fashion and Photographic classes, which luckily both take place on my day off from the salon- a Monday!

This qualification focus's on practical work, and the students will study current trends and look into the history of make-up and how it effects our make-up design today.
Ideal as a starting block to those thinking of a career in make-up artistry.

Luckily for me, the college have been very supportive, in allowing me to alter the college kits. This year my students will be using my favourite professional products from Art Deco, brushes from Crown and hygiene essentials from Pro Make-up Shop.

If you are studying with me this year, I look forward to meeting you very soon!

Festival Favourites- Make-up

Festival season is once again upon us! From isle of Wight last weekend, to the daddy of all festivals Glastonbury in a matter of days and V, Reading and Leeds finishing our Summer off nicely, UK festivals have become pinnacles of the British Summer.

So whats a girl to do when she wants to maintain that glamorous glow during 4 days of mud, hot sun (or heavy rain depending on the weathers mood!) and un-comfy camping?!

Well, its simple- follow this weeks blog posts for the professional tips to keep you festival fabulous all weekend long!

First up- it's a girls best friend-  make-up.

When my clients ask me if their make-up will last all night, I can honestly say I know it will not only last all night, but that it will still be immaculate when they wake up the next day.

How do I know this? Because I take my time applying make-up in light layers, rather than speedily applying a heavy coverage.  

Now, I'm not suggesting you wear the same make-up all weekend long (Believe me, it has been and can be done if you so wish!) but following the layering tips, will ensure your make up will stay in place from breakfast through to a midnight rave and beyond.

So, how do we layer?

Starting with your base, apply a small amount of concealer to any areas needed.

Next, take a small amount of your foundation (I would HIGHLY recommend Smashbox Studio Skin for longevity) and buff into skin using a dual fibre brush on circular motions. Crown 406 is ideal for this.

Repeat until you have achieved the level of coverage needed. 

For a long lasting bronzed glow and peachy cheek,  using the same dual fibre brush, take a cream bronzer and apply where the sun usually hits- forehead, cheeks, chin and nose. Chanel Bronze Universal is expensive but its my absolute favourite. Next, apply a cream blush, such as Kryolan Lip N Cheek to the apples of the cheek, again using your dual fibre brush. 

(If you hadn't guessed already, this brush comes in rather handy!)

Then lightly powder skin using a translucent powder, I like Rimmel Stay Matte Powder for a budget buy on a fluffy powder brush such as MUA F4. 

Now for the next layer! Taking your powder brush, apply a powder bronzer and blusher over where you have applied your cream. Remember this will add an extra strength of colour, so apply lightly and repeat if and when neccessary. My favourites include- Max factor Bronzing Powder and MAC Blusher.

For eyes, it's the same technique as cheeks! Start by applying a long lasting eye shadow cream using your fingers- Estee Lauder Pure Colour Eyeshadow Paints are available in a wide range of colours and do not budge!

Layer your eye shadows on top, using a flat brush to apply, pressing the colour firmly. MAC Eye Shadows and their 239 Brush are the perfect tools for the job! 

Finish with a flick of No7 Stay Precise Felt Tip Liner and two coats of Stay Perfect Mascara (this mascara is seriously life-proof- perfect for our festival look!)

And for lips?! If you like a natural look, I would suggest lining and filling in lips with a liner, Bourjois Lip Pencils are a great bargain, and finish with a tinted balm like the selection by  Burts Bee's. For a stronger look, why not try my favourite No7 Stay Perfect Lip Stain. 

And voila! Your long lasting festival make-up is complete!

Next up- ultimate festival hair!