OCC tint swatches

 Before                                         After

Just some swatches of my Obsessive compulsive cosmetics (OCC) tinted moisturizes. They come in red skin tones,  R0 to R5 and yellow skin tones, Y0 to Y5, I keep the Y1-5's which i transfer into little bottles to condense my kit.

I purchased mine from Makeupandglow, they aren't cheap compared to consumer brand tinted moisturizers but they do last a while as they have more pigment in them so great for people with good skin who don't need a lot of coverage and want a natural no makeup look. Like most pro brand they don't have SPF so apply sunscreen beforehand if going out into the sun.

Kimberley's wedding makeup

A picture of my gorgeous bride Kimberley taken on my phone from her wedding last Friday. We got ready at Long View winery in Macclesfield where her ceremony and reception was being held so it was a nice and relaxed atmosphere and the views were just amazing, I love my job!

Emily H portfolio shoot

Photo's from yesterdays shoot for photographer Marryam Lum's portfolio with Pride model Emily Hage and stylist Imogen Sabel. You can find the rest of the photos from this shoot on Marryam's blog.

The look was natural, carefree, fun and colourful. I was asked to do natural wavy hair and natural makeup with a pop of colour. Emily had great skin so i used a tinted moisturiser for a nice light natural finish. The first look was natural eye shadows and lip liner/gloss. The second look i added a nice copper shadow which bought out her eyes, and mixed 2 Graftobian lipstick for her lips. The last look I used the same shadow but wet for intensity and mixed 2 lip tars for her lips.

Cleaning makeup brushes

Last night i had to clean brushes for a wedding so i thought I'd take some photos for a post to show you guys how i do it. I like to have heaps of brushes, a mini set for each client so i don't have to clean in between when doing a wedding party and clean them all when i get home instead.

Makeup tip - longerlasting lipstick

For longerlasting lipstick, a good tip is to apply your lipstick, blot with tissue, then apply a second light coat of lipstick. Layering lipstick in this way makes the colour more pigment rich and acts as a second layer of defense against eating, drinking and kissing. Blotting is also a good trick for making lipsticks more matte, as doing so rids your lips of the moisture, leaving only a layer of pigment behind.

MAC fluidline

I mainly use MAC's Rich ground fluidline as an eyeliner for brides, its a soft gel so you can also smudge it for a softer look. They also make great bases for smoky eyes when doing bridal work as they aren't as hash as black, you just have to remember to work quickly before it dries down to a waterproof finish.

(L-R) Rich ground, Macroviolet

Face Atelier pro foundations

Face Atelier Pro foundation has been used for Madonna's confession tour, Lady Gaga, Fergie, Kelly Clarkson, Trueblood and now, my brides!

I've been using it a lot lately for photo shoots as I like the fresh dewy look. FA is an oil free, fragrance free, non-comedogenic (pore blocking), water resistant, silicon base foundation with built in primer. I like to use it for people with dry skin, for combination skin I use an anti-shine in the t-zone, it can look a bit too shiny for people with very oily skin though.

More colours have been added to their line to cater for darker skin tones since I purchased mine. They have a zero minus (white) and zero plus to lighten and darken foundations, also excellent for highlighting and contouring or mixing to get an exact match for your skin tone. I do carry a few colours in my kit for bridal work though as you don't want to waste too much time mixing colours.

(L-R) #1 Porcelain, #2 Ivory, #3 Wheat, #4 Sand, #5 Sepia, #6 Honey, #7 Tan, #8 Caramel, #9 Toffee, #10 Cocoa (used to be zero plus in their old colours), Zero minus