Makeup for a Photo Shoot

Here I got the chance to do something creative for a friends photo shoot. The look was inspired by a visual the photographer wanted me to do. Her website is: http://codie-hobbs-photography.com/ where you can find all of her work it is amazing so please take a look. 

This is the finished look, makeup was done by me. I used black and white pencil eyeliner. And gel eyeliner for the detail around the eyes with fake eye lashes to make the look more intense. 

Makeup prices for photo shoots vary, please get in contact with me though e-mail if you would wish to make a booking: eleanor_poulson89@hotmail.co.uk 

Narrative Photography Shoots

I won't go into much detail... This image is meant to capture the innocence of a young teen. I used bright colours such as pinks, blues and purples and drawn on eye lashes in gel liner on the upper lid to make it "doll like." 

This image I call Ice Queen, I used a lot of M.A.C products for this, crystal avalanche and vanilla pigment on the eyes and highlights above the cheek bones. The lipstick is a limited addition to M.A.C's recent collection; Glitter and Ice. (I brought it FOR this photo shoot and found it comes in use for highlighting too. The name is Eloquent Air).  

All these images were for my Sin City based project for college work, I think in this image you can really tell it has a "Frank Miller" touch to it using film noir style lighting. 

The makeup used was M.A.C's gel liner, Urban Decay's naked eye shadow for conturing and M.A.C's Russian Red lipstick and Brick liner. Thank you to my model, Lauren she really pulled it off in this photo! x x 

Getting Creative

Its been a while since I've posted on here, I have done more makeup and have been extremely busy with Photography work... Deadline on Friday eeeek!

Here I used a bright pink lipstick, nothing expensive just a cheap one I got for £2.99 I think it was from BHS or M&S sometime last year. It's not as shiny as it looks, (that was just the camera flash) as I wanted a matte coat so it would be easier to apply the black gel liner using a M.A.C 210 fine liner brush. 

Barbie Pink

Collection 2000. I never would have thought that it would be such a great make for lipstick and lipgloss. I brought bubble gym pink lipstick and gloss bot for £2.99 each! It is so cheap yet absolutely smooth and bright. I wear it a lot and LOVE it! 

Collaboration Of Photography and Makeup

Myself and a friend who is a Photographer also are offering a 2 hour makeover shoot for £60pp. You will receive a makeover, by me the makeup artist using high quality makeup, after the makeover you will then have a photo shoot modelling your new look and getting the full model experience, after receiving a disc with all the successful images edited for you to use as you please! If you have any questions or would like to book a shoot get in contact with Lauren to ask anything about makeup and health and safety ask me (Ellie):


Lauren (Photographer):
 email - laurenhalesphotography@hotmail.co.uk
website - www.laurenhales.co.uk


Ellie (Makeup artist)
 email - eleanor_poulson89@hotmail.co.uk

Project Barbie Look Number 2

I wanted to re-create this look, however I feel it could have gone a bit better if I had used my "detailer brush" to go round the sockets bringing it down into a thiner line rather than using my other little brush that I should REALLY throw away as the bristles have spread out leaving me with less control but oh well I think the look still worked.   


Products used: 


Eyes: 
 MAC Paint Pot - Soft Ochre (Base)
 MAC Eyeshadow - Crystal Avalanche (Highlight)
 Barry M Trio Eyeshadow - 029 (Light Purple) 
 Urban Decay Deluxe Eyeshadow - Frigid (Dark Blue/Purple) 
 Urban Decay Eyeshadow - Creep (Glitter Black) 
 Fake Eyelashes (Don't remember which ones) 


Face:
 L'Oreal Paris Primer - Smooth and Re-surfacing 
 Rimmel 25 Hour Foundation - Soft Beige 
 Bourjois Delice de Poudre, Bronzing Powder - 52 


Lips:
 Urban Decay Lip Pencil - Wiked 
 MAC Lipstick - Pink Plaid 
 Bourjois 3D Effect Lipgloss - 04 Rose 

PROJECT BARBIE!!!

I was experimenting with my eye shadows last night whilst my dearest was playing PS3 and I was bored. I ended up using the pinks in my Urban Decay 15th Anniversary palette and a ton of blusher!!! I had so much fun doing this and ended up making myself look like a Barbie doll! 

This is where I got excited and decided to do a project on Barbie makeup. Yes, as a child I had a few Barbie dolls, Blossom Beauty Barbie was my favourite! It took me back as a child when I experimented with my Mother's makeup and made a complete mess of it (as you do when you're little). Yet it has played a major part in my life whilst growing up. 

 I want to say a big thank you to Karen* my mother's friend who introduced me to better makeup and my first eye shadow, a bright silver NARS, that I wore ALL the time in year eight along with black eye liner and mascara (cringe)! 

I just think to all girls who loved their Barbie dolls ended up growing up to love makeup and the slender body. I won't go into it now but it plays a major part in "women of today."

Knowing Your Facial Features

Knowing your features will help you understand on the best approaches to applying make-up. The more you understand shapes, tones and skin types the more it will work in your favor.

For example I have studied my features over the past six to seven years that I have been wearing make-up and still sometimes find it a little challenging with weather changes and how it effects my skin.

My skin can be a bit of a pain sometimes; this is because I have a combination of normal to oily skin. Sometimes it’s a little dry due to change in weather, but I do tend to get oily skin on my nose so I tend to cleans my skin and not apply any moisturizer to that area. Instead I apply L’Oreal Paris Studio Secrets primer then foundation and a powder. Setting spray can also help lock in the oils.

A healthy diet and regular exercise can help the skin calm down

I have an oval face shape, which is lucky for me as I can practically carry off any kind of make-up style because of its balanced proportions.

Many eye shadows tend to work really well with my eyes, as they are a dark brown/green anything can go I generally tend to blend light to dark hues. Blue eyes would be harder to mix colours.  

 My eyes are round, which is ideal for space and creativity. Although I like to apply eyeliner to the out corners of my eyes to make them look more almond shaped.

I love my lips! I am so glad I have full lips; this is because anything can work, it is best to use a liner and a lipstick together, both matts and glosses look good. At the moment I really like to use matts purely because they stay on longer and don’t bleed.

My cheeks are slightly puffed out especially when I smile so it’s always good to have a bit of colour to give them a bit of a healthy glow. I tend to use both bronzers and blushers together for a warmer effect.

I am practically loving blushers at the moment as its getting to winter and I loose the pigment in my cheeks.

Contouring is possibly very easy although a lot of people get it wrong by not knowing where exactly to create the shadows. I really enjoy contouring as it gives a great look to your features making your face look a little slimmer this is really good to use with dramatic eyes, as it won’t distract the appearance of the eyes as much as a blusher or bronzer would.  

Photo Shoot Number 1

Me and a few friends decided to have a practise in the studio. I was the makeup artist nd here is what I did the photographs were also taken by me. :) 

 

Idea for Photo Shoot

This idea will of course be done on someone else as I will be doing the makeup and taking the photos in the studio. I will use the main lights that are built in the studio with the use of two or three soft boxes on the face. I want it to be pretty bright but with use of some shadow as experiments. 


Here is a photo of the one of the ideas I have created to be worn by one of the models. 

My eyes were a bit too round for this look so this would look so much better on someone with an almond shaped eye. I used gel liner, dark purple and a light purple eye shadow with glitter pigment and mascara. I'm thinking fake lashes would give it a greater effect. Perhaps double sided lashes? 

M.A.C Buys!

I thought I would dedicate a new post to the mac products I brought yesterday as I didn't want you to read on forever! 

So same photo again but just focusing on the MAC products. :) 

We'll start with the lipsticks I brought MAC Cremesheen lipstick in Creme Cup, I like this colour as it is wearable throughout the day, its very soothing and nice to wear and stays on quite long, I also fin that this colour would be very suitable for a wedding or prom. 

MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Creme Cup: £13.50 House of Fraser 

I chose MAC Glaze Lipstick in Hue because I wanted a lipstick that wouldn't draw so much attention and that way I could focus more on the eyes when doing mine and/or other people's makeup. I love how soft it feels this can also be worn in the day and I think it would make a great lipstick to wear when doing a photo shoot as I like to do dramatic eyes and it goes the same for wearing at night. 

MAC Glaze Lipstick in Hue: £13.50 House of Fraser 

I wanted a face powder that would have a hint of yellow to it so it could be used for photo shoots and seeing as I wasn't sure what it was going to be like I brought the MAC Select Sheer Pressed Powder in NC20 which is the perfect colour for me. It's not too heavy but can reduce shine without covering so much. This will be perfect to go over the top of the Rimmel foundation I'm raving about in photo shoots. I will be investing in a few other tones for other skin types. It's a MUST HAVE! 

MAC Select Sheer Pressed Powder: £17.50  

I am loving black liner at the moment and I have been meaning to buy some for a while now as pencils don't do it for me. So I brought, MAC Fluidline Eye-Liner Gel in Blacktrack and it has to be one of my favourite products of all time. I am very creative with eye makeup so this works well with a MAC 210 brush which is very thin for details yet quite strong for a perfect application. 

MAC Eye-Liner Gel: £13.50

MAC 210 Precise Eye Liner Brush: £16 

I wanted something more fun for the eyes and looking at Marilyn Minter's art work (I will add some photos soon) she uses a lot of MAC pigments to create 'dirty glamour' like images. I wanted to try out a gold colour so I went for MAC Old Gold Pigment Colour Powder. It is very rich in colour and I quite like wearing it myself actually. 

MAC Pigment Colour Powder: £15.50 

A lot f money well spent I must say, I can't wait to get in that studio and start creating my ideas. If you're a pretty person and would like to model for me then contact me through e-mail: eleanor_poulson89@hotmail.co.uk

September Buys

Again I brought Rimmel London's Lasting Finish 25 Hour foundation, I got it one shade lighter at 200 Soft Beige which is good for fair-ish skin but not quite so fair. This is also great for combination skin (which I have) because its a water based foundation that hydrates as well as staying put on your skin. Like I said before I absolutely LOVE it, although some people might be put off because it doesn't have an SPF in it. But for me that's perfect as I will be using these foundations for photo shoots and any other foundation WITH an SPF can reflect the cameras flash and give you a pale look which we don't want. 

Rimmel London Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation: £6.99 Boots

I ran out of my primer so I thought I would try something different, a Colour Calming Primer by No7 which I thought would be good for me as it revitalises tired looking skin which I have unfortunately. It looks alright when I have my makeup over it but I wouldn't say it was brilliant as when you rub it into your face it can leave traces of patchy purple marks behind that doesn't work so well. But I have only used it today so we shall see...

No7 Colour Calming Primer (Corrects Shallow Complexions): £11 Boots 

I also ran out of a Clinique bronzer and I didn't know the name of it as it had rubbed off so I thought I'd try a bronzer that everyone raves about which is Bourjois Paris Delice de Poudre Bronzing Powder in number 52. I chose this one because in the shop it didn't look too dark or too light but it is one shade too dark, however it when lightly applied it doesn't look too bad. I just don't like the smell, it smells like polish which isn't great. 

Bourjois Paris Delice de Poudre Bronzing Powder: £6.99 Boots 

Benefit Stay Don't Stray Primer for Concealers and Eyeshadows, is a pretty good primer, it holds everything on without creasing, however not suitable for people with really dry skin under the eyes as it can be painful and looks crusty. I can sometimes get dryness under the eyes if I skip moisturising. 

Benefit Stay Don't Stray Primer for Concealers and Eyeshadow: £19.50 

I picked up a sample of Mat Lumiere by Chanel as I wanted to try before I buy, the colour suits me perfectly and I love matts at the moment it really helps my oily skin and seems to work nicely even with the slightly dry areas. This product is pretty pricey but I might just have to purchase it for myself as I won't be able to afford it in all different shades for my freelance work. Although I reckon it may be quite useful for photography by controlling the shine. 

Super wet, super stay!

Even harder rain was falling onto my face, yet using All Nighter Spray saved the day yet again. Here are photos when I came back home after being out in the rain. No touch ups! Shame it doesn't work for hair though :p 

Excuse the face 

Baring in mind I was wearing a normal mascara (Urban Decay Big Fatty Mascara), it WASN'T waterproof yet it stayed on and didn't irritate my eyes in the wet weather. 

Make Your Makeup Stay All Day (And Night)

I was on the bus in Plymouth and the traffic was bad and I only had like 7 minutes to get the last bus to Exeter that day. 
 I knew if I stayed on this bus I wasn't going to make it through the heavy traffic. So carrying my heavy gym bad I got off the bus at the train station and RAN as fast as I could in the muggy English weather, light but soaking wet rain was lashing down on my face. I wasn't really thinking too much about the way I looked, I had quite a lot of makeup on though, I just knew I had to get that bus! 
 Finally I made it with "30 seconds to spare!" the bus driver quoted as I climbed to the top of the bus. Feeling a little hot and a tiny bit sweaty I took off my jacket and decided to check the way I looked. I thought I was going to have to re-touch but NO! 
 Shockingly all my makeup had stayed on! No joke! The same perfectly applied eyeshadow was on in its straight point at the sides. My foundation was fine and the bronzer still looked natural. Even the mascara that isn't water proof was fine! 
I wore it for the rest of the day and my makeup still looked like I had only just applied it. 


This was all THANKS to Urban Decay's All Nighter, Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray! £19 from any Urban Decay stand in Debenhams or House of Fraser! It WORKS!!! Well worth the money.  :) 
  

Where Does My Journey Begin?

So, I finally realised that I want to be a makeup artist, I could really kick myself for not realising this sooner in life. I would have changed my further education if I had known. But then suppose everything happens for a reason, I wouldn't have met the amazing people in my life today! 


I must focus on today and what I can do from here! Everything today is all about a qualification! So I will have to slow down and hold back on my freelance makeup business until I have got at least 1 qualification in makeup. 


I will be posting more on my blog and will also be testing products and helping with beauty tips still so no need to panic! I will also be doing people's makeup however products maybe limited such as foundation. It's all down to money these days and I'm just going to have to be patient.  

August Faves!!!

1. Rimmel London 25 Hour Lasting Finish Foundation. I like this because even though it is one shade too dark it still works into the skin really well leaving your skin feeling hydrated, it doesn't rub off onto clothes too easily which is great if your wearing light coloured clothes. 

2. Its Potent Benefit Eye Cream. Really brightens up the skin around the eyes if you have dark circles (like me), its also soothing if you get a little dry skin or redness around the eyes. 

3. Big Fatty Mascara Urban Decay. I've had this mascara for almost 2 Months now and it hasn't gone clumpy. It says it's really good for giving length and width to the lashes.However I think they could be a little longer but still a great mascara! 

4. MAC Pink Plaid Matt Lipstick. LOVE it! Word: SMOOTH and because its matt it stays on for ages even when having a drink. Brilliant colour, won't suit every skin tone, but not too daring.  

5. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Lip Pencil in Wicked. Does what it says, glides on easily and stays on well, easy to blend with other lipsticks or left to look sharp against the lipstick. 

Cheap and Cheerful :)

Who says the brand names are always the best? Here's some of my favourites by Rimmel London this month! 

Rimmel Londons's 25Hour Lasting Finish Foundation in Classic Beige 201

(I will get this in my natural shade, Soft Beige) 

I brought this a shade darker than my skin tone for the summer as I tan quite easily. It is heavy coverage but doesn't look cakey with just the one layer, I wanted it to last as I don't like to re-apply my foundation throughout the day and using a primer really helps as it spreads on a lot easier, it's hydrating and lightweight feel, it smells nice too and doesn't cost a lot. 

I compared it to an expensive foundation that has heavy coverage which is my MAC Studio Sculpt NW20 which I thought wasn't as good as I throughout the day I get a slightly oily nose and it looked awful! It also felt too sticky and it smelt like paint. Would you believe it?! So that just PROVES that a good foundation doesn't have to cost you that much! Hurray for Rimmel London's 25 Hour!  

Also I really like Rimmel's Stay Matt compressed powder, its REALLY cheap, like £3! And it does the job. I use it on my nose, cheeks and forehead to control the shine. And for the price its really good just to set the foundation. 

David LaChapelle

David LaChapelle has to be one of my favourite artists/photographers around as he uses celebrities within his work creating strange scenarios to 'shout out towards his audience.' The messages aren't always clear, some quite political and many are to do with his obsession for popular culture. 

Here are a few of my favourites from the book, David LaChapelle Haven to Hell, you can find this for on Amazon.co.uk :)