Luke Woodford Abandoned Fashion Series

So, I have just applied to be a makeup assistant in Belgium - YES BELGIUM!! - working with the amazing Karla Powell, I am so excited but I know a lot of people will be applying so I won't get my hopes up, my imagination runs away with me sometimes. After I sent the email to Karla Powell I started looking through images that have been created so far in the Luke Woodford Abandoned Fashion Series and thought I would post some of my favs below :) Wish me luck guys ;)
                                   Sam

THE MRS. CARTER SHOW: BEAUTY EDITION - FROM HER OWN BLOG

So straight up.. I have a slight Beyonce obsession. Beyonce is the Queen of life!! I have grown up listening to her tell her fans to 'follow your dreams' and 'don't be satisfied with what society tell you to be satisfied with'. Her makeup is always so flawless that, any insight into makeup designs and how they create her flawless finish, i'm all over it! Today on her website - http://www.beyonce.com/news/the-mrs-carter-show-beauty-edition - We were given a sneak peak into her cosmic look for her Mrs Carter Show World Tour - Which by the way was the best Beyonce show I had ever seen! 

 Images - http://www.beyonce.com/news/the-mrs-carter-show-beauty-edition

My Karla Powell Obsession...

So... I have a slight obsession with Karla Powell, her work, her ideas, her creativity is beyond words! I found her on Facebook a few months back and have been hooked ever since. I have always been unsure whether to go into TV, Film, Theatre or Fashion makeup, always going more towards fashion but never been 100%. Seeing her work, along with her videos on Youtube - which show her makeups in process - confirmed I wanted to be working in fashion. Everyday her posts give me inspiration and determination to get to where she is! Seeing her posts everyday makes it painful knowing I have no brushes at the moment as they got stolen from my kit - People these days will take anything.. Its so sad :( - But my new brushes are on there way - Currently in Chicago Postal Office -and a whole months worth of inspiration will pour out into new makeup designs... I cannot wait for that day!!! Seeing something inspirational, as any creative person will know, makes you want to start painting, creating your own vision of what you have just seen, and for me not being able to do that is hard... Below are some of my favorite Karla Powell makeups, I say SOME, there are so many I would for sure just end up posting her whole portfolio!! 

 Sam

Dream Big...

Faux Freckles = Youthful Skin?

Saturday night and I am spending it tracing the internet for new trends and beauty tips - obsessed - Anyway I found this brilliant article about faux freckles. I didn't even know freckles were seen as a blemish to be 'ashamed off'. From the late 19th  Century through and into early 20th century, freckles were seen as an unwanted blemishes that should to be cast out from the complexion, harsh I know! 

This advertisement from 1914-1938 uses the statement 'ashamed of you freckles'. How times have completely changed... for the good!! I was so shocked reading this especially when today the fashion world use Faux Freckles which claims to give you the appearance of youthful skin!

'I can't explain exactly how or why a shift occurred in the perception of freckles, but somewhere in the mid to late 20th century they became acceptable and even desirable (see this article for possible reasons).  Perhaps the rise of the tan's popularity was a factor - as early as the 1950s, tans correlated to health and a life of leisure, and a byproduct of spending quality time in the sun is the production of freckles.  By the '90s, freckles were also linked to a more youthful appearance, an association that continues over 20 years later.' (Quote from The Makeup Museum)

Above is from a runway show in spring of 2009, makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury used a MAC lip pencil to create faux freckles on the faces of the models for Matthew Williamson's spring 2009 runway show.

This images shows a makeup artist which I believe is Charlotte Tilbury drawing on the many freckles. What a change from the 1920's when they were seen as a 'unwanted blemish'. 

Close up you can see the falseness of the freckles on this models face from a Jeremy Scott show, they are very prominent on the models face,  

'By 2013, freckles had firmly established their role as an anti-aging strategy.  "According to makeup pro Ruth Crilly, the easiest way to keep your youthful visage is to fake a few freckles,"  Adds makeup artist Sam Chapman, "There’s something youthful and fresh about freckles."  The spring 2013 shows further cemented the trend, with freckles proving especially popular at London Fashion Week (where, notably, Tilbury referred to the MAC pencil she uses to create the freckles as a "youth stick".)' - (Quote from The Makeup Museum)

What are your thoughts? Do freckles give a youthful look to the skin? Personally I think think they can do but not sure whether I would purposely draw on freckles to look youthful, for fashion I completely understand, fashion is about making the models look youthful and beautiful, but day to day I'm not convinced??? I also don't think the beauty world is convinced,  I know Chanel was the first company to market a product to create faux freckles which was released in 1995 and named Le Crayon Rousseur. Lancôme and Sephora followed 8 years later with similar products, other than that no cosmetic company have jumped on this band wagon, maybe they see no point? I said above that in a 2009 show Tilbury was using Mac lip pencil, and not a specially made faux freckles product. Is it just a high-fashion trend?

                                                                                  Sam

Recent Wedding Experience

Photographer - Jean Shakespeare

Hair Stylist - Jen Hutchings

Recently I was asked to be a makeup artist on a friends wedding. I offered to do it for free as any experience I can get to help improve my skills is a bonus, but they very kindly gave me £20 :) It was a very hot day so no one wanted a lot of makeup, we kept it very natural and subtle.
I used Garnier BB Cream on all Bridesmaids, Brides and Mum In Laws as the formula is so lightweight and leaves such a beautiful natural glow, I used the light shade which was perfect for everyone. Garnier BB Cream is a kit essential for me!!
As the Bride should be glowing on her wedding day I used Sally Hansen Illuminating Primer on her skin, this product has a subtle shimmer and leaves a beautiful glow to the skin. I wouldn't recommend this primer as the main primer in your kit as it is Illuminating, it is ideal to have an ordinary primer in your kit as well. 
I also used Benefit High Beam on her cheek bones to high light her features. I would recommend High Beam to anyone, it's quite expensive, £19.50 for a small bottle, but will last forever, it's so easy and within seconds you have a lovely highlighted cheek bone. 
Bride and Bridesmaids all wanted similar eye makeup. I used NYX Eye shadow Palette, I began with a cream base over the whole eye up to the eyebrow, then went into the crease with a dark brown and blended out. No one wanted a heavy eye makeup as it was such a hot day so I completed this look with Bourjois Mascara.
Everybody choose their own lip shade which varied from dark pink to a lighter the pink, the Bride didn't want too much lipstick on, so I put a light layer of a subtle pink which almost matched her natural lip colour.
Finally I went crazy with translucent powder to help the makeup stay as long as it possibly could in the heat.
A few days later I got given some amazing feedback, the makeup lasted all day, and everybody was happy with their makeup. Every time I do experience it boosts my confident especially when I get some good feedback. I will hopefully be getting the closeup images soon so will post them as soon as I can :) 

Sam

60s Are On Trend!!

I have noticed a lot of 60's inspired makeup looks recently, 60's makeup is always coming back to the spot light. It's such a unique and bold eye statement to wear. These two photos are from Lan Nguyen Grealis Facebook page, her makeup designs are always on trend, I follow her religiously, I find you can learn what is current by following the people who are on top! I would love to see more 60's makeup around.

The images below showcase a makeup design I done at university inspired by the 1960's, I think if the black liner was bolder the eyes would look more defined, it currently looks to faint. Also the liner should be more winged at the corners...Practice WILL make perfect!! I really enjoy studying the 60's and re-creating the unique designs. Time machine anyone??? 

Sam

INSPIRED!

Earlier today Karla Powell posted this photo on her Instagram account, a make up done by @yunotyou, the colours caught my eye straight away. I am so inspired with this look, it has given me so many ideas. I just wish my new makeup brushes would arrive!! I love the black lines highlighting certain parts, the colours really make her skin look gorgeous.

Sam 

Statement eyes for Summer!

This seasons makeup trends seems to be all about the statement eye.. The Chanel S/S 13 show showcased bold eye looks, featuring bold metallic silvers and block colours. I absolutely adore these eye makeups below, I love the contrast between the black and the silver, two colours that compliment so well! These images have given me so much inspiration for the next time I get dressed up, its perfect for a summers evening. I need to get my hands on some metallic eye shadow asap!! Will keep you updated when I find some! 

More Bourjois Goodies…

So while on my foundation buying trip I cheekily noticed that it was 3 for 2 on all Bourjois cosmetics, and as it was pay day, so it would be completely rude not to extend my knowledge on the Bourjois collection  So I decided to try out one of their very glamorous looking mascaras and Rouge Edition lipstick out.

ROUGE EDITION LIPSTICK SHADE 18 VIOLINE STRASS – My makeup obsession is for sure lipsticks! You can have no makeup on except for the lipstick and still look fab. I rarely leave the house with my lipstick. My best shade is red, but for a while I have been wanting to  venture out and find some more shades that will compliment my skin tone. I have definitely picked a winner here, the colour is absolutely beautiful. It’s not the best for staying on, I have found I have been needing to reapply quite a few times during the day, it doesn’t seem to dry on your lips which is what I like.. But it is a 100% better than some of the Rimmel lipsticks I have previously tried, and is good for a high street lipstick which i think retailed at £7.99 

VOLUME CLUBBING ULTRA BLACK – I was very impressed with this mascara, I normally find high street mascaras can leave your eyelashes clumpy and can leave a layer of black dust under your eyes at the end of the day which is why I normally use Lancome Hypnose Drama 01 Mascara, which is quite expensive so I normally have a high street brand in my kit in case I run out of my Lancome mascara (review to come soon). So far, I haven’t had major problems with this mascara, it can be slightly clumpy but I have been wiping excess product off the brush before use. A definite pro of this mascara is that it makes your eyelashes look super long, which is the ultimate goal to finding your perfect mascara… This mascara retailed at £7.99, which is an absolute bargain for what it offers 

1 2 3 Perfect Foundation by Bourjois

I have been needing to find a new high street affordable foundation for myself, on a recent Paris holiday I spent 42 Euros on a beautiful Makeup Forever foundation and as a student this sadly was a one off  *fights back tears*. I started my task by reading blogger’s reviews on the top high street names such as Max Factor and Revlon. Never before have I bought anything from Bourjois, and the name of one foundation kept popping up – 1 2 3 Perfect Foundation – With a selling tag line of ‘Flawless complexion even to perfection’ I was very interested in their bold statement about the foundation. I was for sure skeptical at first, can a foundation really have ‘anti-dark circle’ ‘anti-dull complexion’ and ‘anti redness’ pigments and succeed. The answer is YES…YES IT CAN! The foundation claims to have yellow pigments to cancel out dark circles, mauve pigments to banish that dull complexion and finally green pigments to cover up any blotchy red patches. I have very dark circles naturally all around my eyes and even with airbrushing they are always there, but this foundation seriously helps! It also leaves such a flawless finish when I use my REAL TECHNIQUES Stippling Brush (Which FYI is a must have in your makeup kit…perfect for foundation AND blush). The foundation is very liquidy (if that’s even a word :/) which personally I like, but I know is not everyone’s cup of tea. It leaves a smooth silky look to your skin which I just love. Plus the second day I wore it, I got 3 compliments on how lovely my skin was looking… I have for sure found a winner!!

Fall/Winter 2013/2014 Trendlook Prediction

Strong lips and dramatic eyes paired with bold eyebrows come together magnificently for Kryolan Professional Make-up’s beautiful Fall/Winter 2013/2014 trendlook prediction.
Again, Gary Cockerill worked with Kryolan to created this bold looked named ‘Frenetic’ which Kryolan said ‘celebrates the ‘self-assured temptress’, portraying a potent combination of femininity and strength.’
Kryolan also added ‘The eyebrows are contoured with Eyebrow Powder and fixed with Eyebrow Forming Gel. Gary used Shimmering Vision in dark blue 510 G and Faceliner in 10 to achieve the dramatic eye. The powerful lip look has been achieved using Faceliner in 30 and High Gloss Brilliant Lip Shine in Vamp.’

Kryolan Prediction for Fall/Winter 2013/2014

A progression of the metallic trend, this prediction for Fall /Winter 2013/2014 is created by Kryolan in partnership with Gary Cockerill. It was inspired by the 60s, with a retro-futuristic twist.

‘This look is called ‘Cool Moon’, it features the classic 60s black liner, and lashings of Mascara Voluminizer, alongside some of Kryolan’s most revolutionary, futuristic metallic products – Metallique in sparkling silver on the eyes, High Gloss Brilliant Shine in silver on the lips, Shimmering Event Foundation on the body creating a breathtaking result that Gary fittingly describes as a modern Barbarella.’
I have always been a huge fan of the makeup styles of the 1960′s. I especially love the Shimmering Event Foundation on the body on this makeup, it completes the ‘Cool Moon’ look. I wish we could see the eye makeup on the lid slightly more, hopefully more images of this stunning loo will soon be released.

Lan Nguyen-Grealis

These beautiful images showcase the fabulous work of Lan Nguyen-Grealis. She is a creative make up artist also a 3 times Award winner and published author. I have admired her work for the past few years. Each piece individual and stunning. These images are from her demo at IMATS 2013, which sadly I missed due to work, but I once saw a live demo from her at the Makeup Expo show in April 2013, which was incredible. An amazing talent…

BEYONCÉ

This editorial by photographer Tony Duran was shot in 2011 as part of Beyonce’s Year of 4 album campaign, but only now have the pictures been released in a beyond stunning editorial in FLAUNT Magazine. The body glitter is stunning! The colours and the glitter slightly remind me of space, the small amount of glitter on her face look like shinning stars. It makes me want to play with glitter, and as always BEYONCÉ looks hot!!

Karla Powell

This morning I did the quick usual quick scan of Facebook, and as I was flicking through, what i thought was a beautiful painting, was actually a makeup created by Karla Powell on herself. She is currently practicing looks for her Abandoned Fashion Series photo shoot in Paris. I would suggest to any aspiring makeup artist like myself to follow her work, she is truly inspiring, the ideas and concepts she has are incredible! Recently my makeup brushes got stolen from my kits :( so I am waiting for my new Sigma brushes (YES SIGMA AHHHH) to arrive as soon as they do I want to give this look a go, will post a few pics after... wish me luck ;)

Helloohaa

Hey, my name is Sam and I am studying at the Arts University in Bournemouth. Bare with me as I am new to all this blogging business but it seems so much fun I had to start one  I am studying Makeup for Media and Performance. I hope my blog brings inspiration to the world and makeup, and I may even attempt a few cheeky reviews of my favorite makeup products.