FOTD: BTEC Coursework - Bridal

 

It feels long ago now to be talking about my final pieces from my BTEC in Make up artistry coursework. I qualified for my BTEC in Make Up Artistry in February after submitting a portfolio of evidence. The final pieces were 5 set briefs (you will see four of them due to model agreements) that needed to be filled, over the next few weeks I am planning to share as many of these pieces as I can starting with Bridal.

 

With the bridal brief it was for a 20-30 woman who hardly wears make up and wanted to still look natural but still had in mind the needs of the day.

 

Primer: MUA Cosmetics

Foundation: Rimmel Wake Me Up in Ivory

Concealer: Estee Lauder Disappear in Light

Blusher: MUA in Shade 4

Eye Shadow: Sleek Sparkle 2 Palette

Eye Liner: Rimmel liquid in Brown

Mascara: Lancome Hypnose Drama in Black

Lip liner: Estee Lauder in Fig

Lipstick: Estee Lauder in Vintage Mauve

 

Of course using a foundation with SPF produces the 'ghost' effect that is produced here, so if this was put onto a bride I would use one without. However the really like the glow finish of Wake Me Up foundation, the coverage is build able and photographs well. I still like to use my creamy Estee Lauder concealer, it blends well without creasing as well as being light enough for pale skins. You will notice that the Sleek palette appear more over the next few weeks, it has been my go to because of the pigments and shimmer/sparkle.

 

 

Masterclass - The History of Mascara

 

 

Other than foundation the holy grail is mascara, one that makes lashes look darker, thicker, longer and defined. The early mascaras date back the Egyptian times where eye areas were darker to ward off dark spirits. It didn't back into fashion in Europe until the Victorian era. Victorian ladies of leisure would make their own mixture; would heat a mixture of ash or lampblack and elderberry juice on a plate and apply the heated mixture to their eyelashes.



The first commerical mascara was developed by Eugene Rimmel using a new product called Petroleum jelly, his name is still linked with mascara as in Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Greek, Turkish, Romanian, and Persian it is translated as mascara. Mr Rimmel is also the founder of Rimmel London (then Known as the House of Rimmel) and was owned by the family until 1949.

Over the water a little later in 1913, another mascara empire was starting. T. L. Williams was creating something similar for his sister Maybel, which planted the seeds for the company Maybelline. Both formulations were messy and not easy to use.

It wasn't until Helena Rubinstein, a shrewd business woman, saw the popularity that this product was getting and started to develop (alongside her rival Elizabeth Arden). After the First World War, consumers were eager to try new products and this is where Rubinstein launched her range including mascara cake that is applied by wetting the material and applying with a brush.

Years later in 1957, Rubinstein created a formula that evolved mascara from a hard cake into a lotion-based cream. The packaging of the new mascara was in a tube sold with a brush. For use, the cream was squeezed onto the brush and applied to lashes.

The modern mascara we see today was soon evolved, the device picked up the same amount of mascara for each use. Then the grooved rod was altered to the brush similar to the ones used today. The change in applicator led mascara to be even easier to use, and so starts the hunt for the perfect mascara.

Next week - Using mascara

Retro Love - Rimmel's Heather & Coffee Shimmer Lipsticks

The first ever lipstick I ever wore was by Rimmel and it was  influenced by a girl called Jenny. It was the end of the day at school when I was around 14/15, it was end of our PE lesson and she insisted that I try some lipstick as I was too much of a tomboy and needed to girl up. I wore it home to be promptly told by my mum to take it straight off because I looked to silly and I was too young to be wearing lipstick.

The lipstick in question - Heather Shimmer, this purple/brown hybrid was the THE lipstick of the 90's. The 90's trend could be summed in one world, Brown and it was all over the eyes, lips and even blusher. You were in two camps - either Coffee or Heather shimmer. All of my friends wore Heather (including my friend, Heather. I still have the evidence!).

I liked coffee shimmer more, it wasn't until the beginning of the year that I brought both of them. It was being a teen all over again, and they are still perfect for this years brown lipstick revival.

Being a hoodie in Coffee Shimmer

You can buy them in your chemist's of choice, They are part of the Lasting Finish collection - Heather Shimmer is No. 66 and Coffee Shimmer is No. 264: RRP £4.99

NOTD: Beware of the Spider

I have been very unwell with a stinker of a cold the past few days, I have been going to work (much to my husbands distress), coming home and falling asleep on the sofa. I got to Friday night and after a snooze wanted to do something to make me feel better. I still wanted something that was Halloween themed as I wasn't going to any parties due to the cold.

I've had Rimmel's Camofluage Chic in my unused collection for a while and thought it would be great to use as it's still wintery but not too dark that I couldn't paint over it. This is two coats, then using a black stripper brush I painted on the webs and spider. Check out Poundland and a company called Art Deco, this is where mine is from and I cannot fault it, but don't forget your holding it and tip it over - I got black varnish everywhere. I then used another red glitter stripper to drop a few bits of glitter over the web and give the spider some eyes.

Another spooooky bit of nail art.

100th Entry and the NOTD for it

 I'm now into triples digits! I did want to do something a little different and celebratory for this one, so here you have my first attempted at some free hand nail art. I love this little cupcake that I found the tutorial on Cutepolish's youtube channel.

For the base I used Rimmel's Aqua cool, with the yellow of Orly's Lemonade and a stripping varnish that I got at Olympia Beauty on Sunday for 49p! I broke and bought 6, I really regret not buying more as they are so simple to use. My only grudge is I think they were getting on a bit and needed a huge mix before using, but fine after that.

Thank you to everyone who reads, follows, supports and generally for being such wonderfully people. There are some great things coming out so please keep tuned.

Ebay is naughty but I couldn't resist a nail bargain!

I am now on a spending because well I have no money to actually buy anything. I have been selling some of my old varnish's off on eBay just to get some money back and clear out my collection. All was going well until I checking out the competition (it's my defence and I'm sticking with it!), there was a huge a job lot with 12 varnishes, a stamper set with spare bits (My wishlist had this on). I stuck it on my watch list to see what it would go for.

At work I got a ping to tell me not to miss out, and well I had a look it was still at good price a minutes to go. I got itchy fingers and before I knew it it was paid for, a whole £14 including P&P. Today it arrived, after the terrible day at work it defiantly something that brightened  up my day!

This is the stamper kit bits including a still boxed up set that has plate B26 (Hawaiian themed). The other plates are B56 (designs for edging) and B01 (flowers, butterflies and girlie bits). Needed a wipe with varnish remover but cleaned up well, eager to try these out!

Rimmel varnishes L-R: Funtime Fuchsia, Grey Matter, Strawberry Fizz, Instyle Coral, Camouflage Chic, and Aqua Cool

Others L-R: Sally Hansen Cafe Au Lait, Orly Lemonade, Nails Inc Tate, Nails Inc Portobello, Nails Inc Notting Hill Gate, Nails Inc Haymarket.

Altogether there is at least £70 worth of items there, and I'm over the moon. Should give me more than enough to play with while on the spending ban!

Why I Love Red Lippie

The first time I ever tried a red lipstick was when I had it suggested that I should try it because I had that classic English Rose look. I brought my first red, a Bourjois in a matt red case with gold on it, it a blue/red with a matt finish and I loved it, it instantly made me look glamorous with little effort. From then I was hooked, I loved the way it brightened my skin and earned me the nick name, "Snow White" because of my dark hair, pale skin and I was told my "perfect" lips that can pull off the red pout.

One of the many times I've worn red out

So why is red lipstick still one of the go to colours of our time? It comes from the Western history, Japanese geisha's painting their lips red in contrast to the whiteness of their skin (more on that later as it is a subject I dearly love). The look was steadily coming over to the east, in 13th century Italian ladies worn them as a mark of status in the upper classes.

It wasn't until the glamour of the early 20th century with the 1920's flapper girls and of course the huge Hollywood productions. Max Factor, Elizabeth Arden, and Helena Rubinstein were the first names to see a market for mass production of cosmetics. One theory of it's popularity is that the red lips to men could remind them of something else on a woman, which I'm not sure how true this can be.

Red, to me, is the easiest and most glamorous way to update any day to night look, it instantly makes me more womanly. In colour therapy it signifies passion, love and fire, and is associated to my star sign of Aries.

My collection (as current but I'm always looking for more to add my collection so any suggestions are welcome) stands as the following:

The best I had was one from Boots No7 and it was a double ended wand with a paint on colour then gloss,  but I lost it on a night out and I dearly miss it. These are great colours and I do seem to go towards the more pinky reds, while the Rimmel is more a blue/red. The Silk Red was part of a Christmas lipstick collection that Estee Lauder did about 2010. My most recent was Boots natural collection and comes up almost sheer with shimmer.

Maybe it's a time to get a new one, well you cannot never have too many reds?