What Works Best on Scars

When I was 7 years old, I went to live in Jamaica for 3 years. When I came back to England, my mother marched me straight to the doctors. Why? Because I was covered, head to toe in mosquito bites, I looked like a pin cushion. It was as if the mosquitos had been told my blood was pumping pure Crack and they went and told all their friends and family to come on down and fill yer boots! And boy did they.

The doctor gave her a prescription and told her to massage it into my skin each night.  Within months, all the scars had disappeared.  The prescription was for 100% Pure Cocoa Butter and it came in a large block, the size of a tub of lard!

The reason I mention all this is because last week, I managed to get my skin attached to some nipple daisies which have left a brown daisy shape scar around my areolas!...or is it areoli (see Easter Blog). I had some bio-oil hanging around so I decided to use it (it is easier to use), but the scar isn't fading fast enough for me so I decided to go back to old faithful.

These days you can get many cocoa butter products e.g Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula (available at Boots £3.77).  They are a lot easier to work with as they are diluted. The higher the cocoa content the stronger the product will be (look at the ingredients, cocoa should be the 1st or 2nd ingredient mentioned, the lower down on the list, the less amount of cocoa the product contains).  But you can purchase 100% Pure Cocoa Butter in small blocks from Afro-Caribbean shops e.g PAK's Beauty Supplies (usually found in urban areas or online).  The blocks are very small.  I'm not sure why they sell them this tiny but as they only cost £1- £2,  I usually buy 3 or 4 at a time. You have to warm the blocks by rubbing it on your body until the block produces oil as it melts.  Depending on the area you are working on, you will get oil stains on your sheets, but hey, what would you prefer, using up extra Persil or having a nasty scar for the rest of your life?  This product works best on new scars, so the fresher the better. I have used it on and off over the years, depending on where the injury/scar is. My friend used it when pregnant so she wouldn't get stretch marks. 2 children later, not a mark in sight.

Now as an experiment (you lucky people, I'm too good to you!), I have been rubbing the right with bio-oil and the left with the cocoa butter. After 4 days, the left is noticeably lighter.  Now, much as I don't mind suffering for my art, I am not prepared to go as far as to be left permanently scared, so as of tonight both "sisters" will be getting the cocoa butter treatment.  It's either that or a tattoo to cover the scar! Ouch!

Working for yourself

As a freelancer at some point (usually after the 1st year) you will have to decide whether you will do your own accounts or whether you will hire an accountant. You should first register with the Inland Revenue, notifying them that you are going self-employed (do this as soon as possible, even if you don't file a return in the 1st year. Otherwise you will incur a fine before you've even got off the ground!).

A good accountant will charge you between £200 - £500 to do your accounts for you and it's always best to go for one that has been recommended (it helps if he understands the entertainment industry). The more you earn, the more you pay in tax and so the sensible thing to do, is to put a certain amount aside each month for the tax man.

I say that's the sensible thing to do but todate, I have yet to meet a makeup artist that doesn't run around like a headless chicken come January, when they have left it to the last minute to do their accounts and to find the funds to pay their tax!

I do my own taxes. I do it online direct http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/selfemployed.   It's usually quite straight forward. I usually file my return around May, that way I know exactly how much I have to pay and I can easily gauge my budget over the remaining 8 months to find the funds to pay my tax. No surprises, no panic attacks, simples!

The advantage of paying an accountant is that he will know what you can and cannot claim as expenses, so even though you might not like his fee, chances are, he will save you a few bob in the long run. Besides, his fee is tax deductible anyway.  Doing it yourself, saves you the annual or monthly fee but it takes a lot of patience (it's not unheard of for me to lock myself away with copious amounts of herbal tea and toast for 3 days,  doing it all)

Which ever you decide, don't leave it to the last minute and if you do.......DON'T CALL ME!

Clinique Body Spray Update

Well those of you who have read yesterdays blog, would have noted my comments regarding Clinique Body Spray SPF 25 (RRP £17.50). Well I am happy to say that I used it on my niece and nephews on Monday and to date they have been dermatitis free! Now before you report me to child services about using spray on the kids that brought me out in a rash. They refused to wear any of the  white leaving, heavy creams, besides they are always kissing the dog and they haven't keeled over yet! So do a strand test and if its okay after 24 hours, happy bronzing!

Easter's Over!

There is nothing more beautiful than the UK in the sunshine and this Easter has been freakishly hot. Being a freelance makeup artist, I'm basically "on duty" 24/7 365 days of the year, if I so choose. So I decided not to accept any work this weekend and just enjoy myself.

Day 1 Friday in Brighton!
We drove down to Brighton (and with the Blackwall tunnel closed, it took longer than usual to get across the river!..why oh why are they always working on this, They can rebuild whole motorways in 6 days in Japan???!!). Brighton was packed, as was expected, with the sunny weather at 26 degrees. Anyone reading my previous blogs will know my stance on sun protection, so on my face I used Kiehl's Ultra Light Daily Moisturizer SPF 50 (RRP £26.00) and on my body, I used Clinique Body Spray SPF 25 (RRP £17.50). Now, I was looking forward to using the Clinique sun protection spray as I despair at the fact that whenever I use the creams, I have skin that looks like I've rolled myself in ash! This product sprays on, rubs in and is totally transparent. I also wore a nice summer dress on the beach and when you are already hot and bothered, I for one, want to get rid of all restrictive clothing, including the bra. so as an alternative I wore "nipple tape" LaSenza Fabric Adhesive Breast Daisies (RRP £5.00). I had originally bought a packet for a nice backless LBD I wore at a formal occasion and have had no use for them since, until now. After eating fish and vegetarian dishes (it was Good Friday after all) we took the long journey home.

Day 2 Saturday BBQ
So I've woken up with itchy arms and sore breasts! The wonderful Clinique body spray has given me a bad case of dermatitis on my arms, chest and the back of my neck. Legs escape unscathed. As for my breasts, well all I can assume is due to the heat and probably the blocked sweat glands, I have perfectly  shaped daisies around my nipples, where the skin has been stripped bare. I'm hoping liberal amounts of bio-oil 60ml Superdrug (RRP £7.64) will either fade the scar quickly or at the very least, enlarge my C cup to D's due to the constant massaging! Decided to stay close to home and go to a friends BBQ. Thunder storms and lightening put paid to that pretty early!

Day 3 Sunday Knebworth
Stately home, with large gardens and bouts of jousting! I traveled with an Italian and a Brazilian as I thought they would enjoy this touch of quintessential Britishness! We had prepared a picnic with the Brazilian supplying the cooked food (me thinks he was thinking as it was Easter Sunday he may have been called on to feed the 5,000...I've never seen so much chicken!).  For the £8 entrance fee, I thought it was value for money. The Jousting was obviously geared towards anyone under the age of 6 and many older children and adults walked away before the end. The Italian and I found the whole experience tranquil and beautiful.  I fear the Brazilian is still awaiting a conga line to go marching through the open fields!

Day 4 Monday O2
Took niece and nephews to O2 (their ages 8-13) Dinosaurs Unleashed Prices from £11.25 The show promises animatronic life sized dinosaurs, quizzes, Easter egg hunts and interactive games. The show is on going and not just for the Easter holiday.  You have to book a slot as there is an official tour guide supplied before you get a chance to wonder off on your own. Due to the Blackwall tunnel still being closed, we took the long way around and crossed the river via the Woolwich ferry for the 1st time. (Didn't even realise it was a free service). Kids didn't like sailing backwards, but it's a very short trip.  It was fairly empty when we got there, I'm putting this down to the good weather outside, but the children enjoyed it all and were very pleased with themselves for finding all the clues and getting their prized eggs. (Okay so I helped the 8 year old with most of the questions, only for him to be so excited about getting his box of mini eggs, upon opening them with one large tug, sent them flying all over the floor. Having a loving brother and sister didn't help, they refused to share theirs with him! Promised to buy him a new egg...still waiting!)

So now the Easter break is over, I've added 500 miles to my car, I've spent £180 on petrol, tickets and food another £200, rashes on my torso, Daisy looking "tattoo" on my breasts, some great photos and a lovely tan! Time well spent!!!???

Nigella and her Birkini!

Just what is all the fuss about? For those not in the know, Nigella has been spotted on the beaches of Australia dressed from head to toe in a black  Hijaab type swimwear (hereby known as a "Birkini"), especially designed for Muslims who wish to cover up on the beach.

Now, as far as I know, Nigella has never claimed to be a style icon, in fact, she will always correct you if you refer to her as a chef.  She is, by her own definition, a cook. She just happens to be very successful at it, hence the books and the TV shows. Yet everyone seems to have taken quite a dislike to her attire, in particular the Gay brotherhood, who insist on telling me how she SHOULD dress if she wishes to get away from the sun!

 I have been fortunate to work with Nigella over the years and I can say without a shadow of a doubt that she doesn't take herself that seriously.  I found her to be a warm, fun loving  woman. I can imagine her roaring her head with laughter when she first saw the birkini, rubbing her hands with excitement at the thought of wearing it!  Nigella also has a mischievous side (when working on her Christmas cookery book, she insisted on wearing a pair of reindeer ears in one of the shots...it was kept in!) She would have thought, what a novel way for her to cover up from the sun (she is very pale) and also to have a bit of a giggle.  Nigella looks good,  a 3 dimensional Jessica Rabbit, who looks good in an apron (or have we too soon forgotten the Gillian McKeith comparison???!!)

So whether she did it for protection (and lets face it, who wants skin like a leather handbag) or just to have a laugh with a mate whilst on holiday, what's it got to do with us.  Leave the woman alone!

BRUSHES! Is it good to fake it?

When I studied makeup many moons ago, I was told the brushes I bought should be the very best. They were to last a lifetime, if I took care of them. Over the years, I would say I have spent close to £3,000 on brushes alone. They have always been Sable or Goats hair and I wash them in shampoo and conditioner to hold on to the bristles as long as I can.  But constant use of brush cleaner has meant that eventually they end up as bald as the Sable who kindly donated their fur!

Currently on the market for some time now, are "cruelty free" brushes, made out of synthetic fibres (Sacré bleu! my old tutor would turn in her grave!...if she were dead). Now some of these brushes cost as much as "real fur" brushes but I wondered if there really could be that big a difference, between the top of the range synthetics and the fairly cheaper versions,  so as a cost saving exercise,  (yes I know, I'm so good to you guys!) I went online to my old friend eBay. I decided to buy a set of these brushes, 32 to be precise, brand new, for the princely sum of £12.99 (it even included a very cheap looking brush roll!). I thought they wouldn't hold any powder, they would shed, fall apart the second brush cleaner touched the bristles or the handles would crack and peel from contact with warm water. Wrong!, wrong! wrong! I have been using these synthetics along side my animal hair for the past 3 months and there has been no difference.  Out of the 32 I purchased, only 2 shed their bristles (large blender brushes), but that is no more than very expensive brushes have done to me in the past. So sorry Debbie (old tutor) but I shall be using synthetic brushes in the future, for as any man will tell you, it's not the equipment, but how you use it that counts!

For those who wish to try the same, the eBay link is http://stores.ebay.co.uk/123-accessory/_i.html?_nkw=brushes&submit=Search&_sid=826878100 Price at going to press is  now £14.88. Also note, 8 of the large powder/blusher brushes are made of goats hair (if your sensitivity doesn't allow you to use these, then by all means, pass them on to your less ethical colleagues!).


On another note, I did a shoot with Mary Byrne at the weekend (Irish lady, worked at Tesco, went on to perform on XFactor,...penny dropped?) Now I have met so many so called "Celebrities" and most of them are so greedy for fame that they have yet to realise that there is a whole machine working around a real celebrity: makeup artist, stylists, publicists etc and the nicer you are to them, the better your life will be in the long run, mainly because, people are willing to go that extra mile for them.  Well Mary was one of the nice ones, humble as well as friendly. When she came into the studio she gave the whole crew a big hug as if we were all long lost friends. Z-lists take note! She will be doing a tour with a very big US singing sensation this summer and I for one wish her the best of luck with everything she does. Go'wan girl!

An Eye Liner to "Dye" For!

I have always loved MACs Smolder Khol Pencil (RRP £13.00 ) for it's softness and intensity, but anyone who has ever  placed it into the inner rims of the eyes and used it on a shoot, will know the problem with Smolder is that it ends up smudging around the eyes! Not very good, unless you're going for the grunge look!

I was introduced to 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil by Urban Decay (RRP £13.00) for use on an artist who was on tour and needed something intense, that didn't budge during her exuberant performance on stage and this certainly did the job, as it is waterproof and after a few moments it sets in place.  So good is it, that it's like a good curry....that just keeps repeating on you! No matter how much you think you've removed all traces the night before, you will still find traces of it on your eyes days later!

But my latest find, is quite a surprise! It is  Contour Clubbing Waterproof Black Party Pencil by Bourjois (Available at Superdrug RRP £4.99) Bargain! Its smooth on the eye, as intense as MACs Smolder as long wearing as Urban Decays Glide-on, but unlike the other two, it does not run and it's a lot easier to remove.  At those prices, I shall be stocking up with the full range of colours!

Summer at Clinique

I was lucky enough to be one of the chosen few to attend Cliniques press launch of the Summer Trend products.

They have brought out a new Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm (RRP £14.00).  Now if you like your chapstick with a  hint of colour, then this is for you, It comes in a thick pencil shape (think fat magic markers) but there is no sharpener required as you just twist the end to move the balm up.  The colour is sheer, so don't be lulled into buying it if you are looking for a lipstick/gloss effect, but it is ideal for a subtle tint to your lips. There are several shades from light pinks to dark grape. The blurb states your lips stay moistened for longer. Well I haven't had to reapply for a few hours, and I'm a serious lip licker!  I've got the Super Strawberry and my lips do feel well and truly moisturized!

Will revue the other items as and when I get to try them out.  Watch this space!

Kiehl's Kissable Skin

So the sun came out and caught you unawares (it did come rather early, aren't we supposed to be bathing in April showers??) and you were one of the lucky ones and bagged yourself a date! But oh oh! Those legs have been in skinny jeans and tights all winter. You've taken a good look at your naked bod and realised the  armpits and legs would give a silverback gorilla a run for their money and as for your "lady garden" well....it can be seen by satellite and has been earmarked as the new rainforest!!

You may want to trim those hairs a little shorter first, depending on what method of hair removal you choose (Me? Veet Hair Removal Cream  Poundland £1!!, 1/5th the price it is in boots!!)  once you've got rid of all that hair  (or, maybe you're the save the earth type and saving the hairs to make a nice sofa cushion??!!) you are still going to have to buff that skin that's been sucked of all moisture due to the harsh winter and central heating.

Now, I have been using a particular product for the past 2 weeks. It was so good I have kept it all for myself, rather than putting it in my kit! It's called Superbly Restorative Argan Body Lotion by Keihl's (RRP £29.50 200ml)  I also used their Superbly Smoothing Argan Shampoo (RRP £17.50) which is really rich and so is great for thick, curly or afro-Caribbean hair. No, I didn't know what an Argan was either! It's a nut that grows in Morocco. It takes a year to mature, where they fall from the tree. The goats eat the fleshy outer part of the Argan and excrete the extremely hard nut shell, (think Kopi Luwak coffee, but thankfully I'm not eating this stuff!). The nut is then gathered up by local women and it takes 20 hours of hard work just to produce 1 litre of Argan nut oil!

Well despite all that, I still used  the body lotion, morning and night and I'm glad I did.  My skin is so baby soft, I can't help stroking it!   The shampoo has done the same with my hair! Others have complained that the shampoo leaves their hair lank and greasy looking, but as I said, it's a product for us with a serious head of hair! So, start preparing that skin now, you may get lucky and with hair and skin that soft, he may even remember your name in the morning you trollop!

BACK TO CLINIQUE

Once upon a time, in a life far, far away, before I became a makeup artist. I departed from the Oil of Ulay (which is what it was called back then) my mother had used all her life and purchased some Clinique moisturizer.  It was my first expensive beauty purchase and I couldn't wait to use it that evening.  My skin felt a little itchy  during the night, but I just thought my very sensitive skin was just rebelling slightly, at the audacity of me using a different product from the one I had been using since I was 13.  When I awoke the next morning I was mortified. The only way to imagine  my skin, is to blow up a big red balloon and smear it  with some left over oat porridge! To this day, the company I was working for, still think I was off work for a week with a twisted ankle! Alas, from that moment, I have made the sign of the cross every time I come into contact with a Clinique counter!

Well, as I said, decades have passed  since then, so when I was sent several Clinique products, I was curious to see what's new.  I was most impressed with one particular item Up-Lighting Liquid Illuminator (RRP £19.00).  I used it on a shoot (for which the brief was to produce a fresh preppy looking makeup) and I must say it does exactly what it says on the tin. It highlights without the extra  sheen as it is oil free. It can be used on the cheeks, brow bone or all over the face. It comes in 4 colours from natural to bronze.  I used the peach colour on this models cheeks and it looks very soft and natural.

 

So am I a Clinique convert?  You betcha!!!
 
NB: The other makeup products used to create this look:

Face Atelia Ultra Pro Foundation £24.00(Sold at www.love-makeup.co.uk)
Dior Petal shine  5-Colours Iridescent Eyeshadow  £40.00
Bobbi Brown  Seashell Shimmer wash Eye Shadow    £15.00
Estee Lauder Sumptuous Waterproof Bold Volume Mascara £19.00
Shu Uemura lip pencil in very pale beige £16.00
Shu Uemura lip gloss in Frosted  pale peach £18.50




 

Born Lucky of Have Luck Thrust Upon You!

Many times I have been asked, how come you got that job? or, how did you end up working with that celebrity? My answer has always been the same. Good luck! I have been fortunate to be in the right place at the right time.

We were discussing this very subject today. Can you change your run of "bad luck"???

A close friend of mine, has been having some very bad luck. First her mother died, then while she was on maternity leave, she lost her job, her husband moved out, one of her daughters was diagnosed with a foot complaint for which she will need an operation to correct. If that wasn't enough, due to the stress of it all, her hair  began  falling out in clumps!

I hadn't seen her in a while, so when I knew I would be working on a shoot for which she and her two daughters could have some photos done for free and her makeup done by yours truly, I asked her to come along to cheer herself up.  Well she had a fantastic time, she was a model for the day and with some pics of her daughters, as well as the glorious sunshine, the day was perfect.  That was until she went down to her car!

She found that it had "disappeared" from the spot she left it in.  She called me in tears and  I eventually found her still standing around the corner from the studio, clutching the buggy in one hand and her 4 year old daughters' hand in the other. Just looking at the space left by her car.  It would cost her £260 to get her car out from the  car pound. Luckily (pardon the pun) I had finished for the day, so I dropped all 3 home. I planned  to take her to pick up her car as she would otherwise incur daily charges. I waited in the car with the kids whilst she went in to get her ID. After 15 minutes, she still hadn't appeared, so I rang her up. Once again there were tears, she couldn't find her driving license or her passport. By now, she was convinced she had thrown them out by mistake and her car would be charged more in fines, than the whole car was worth by the time she got a new set of ID!  I gathered the children and their belongings and went inside to calm her down.  I convinced her to take long deep breaths (the air clears the brain you know)  and that I would take care of the little ones, as she tried to recall when she last saw the documents in question.  That's when I remembered I'd left my phone in the car. When I went to get if, I realized I had left my car unlocked, my phone in the front seat and my bag on the back, more importantly, all my makeup kit in the boot ....and I had been parked for the last 30 minutes..... in Hackney!!!  Yet it was ALL still there. Now has Hackney just got a bad reputation that is unwarranted or am I lucky  and she unlucky?

Well, as one of those annoying people who sees a silver lining in most things, let's go through that all again: Her mother had just died , which is always tragic, but she was 90 and she had been ill for several years and in the final months, extreme pain and the NHS being what it is, she was left in her own mess most of the time. Death would have been a more dignified blessing. She lost her job, which she hated but stuck to because it was a Government job and she thought it would be a "job for life!"   Well it isn't anymore, so with the settlement she will receive, she can finally do something else with her career. In fact, that IS what happened to me, and I was able to swap careers and I am very happy, thank you very much.  Her daughter has to have her foot corrected, but it is so she doesn't incur back problems in later life,a problem that is severely worse.  As for her husband moving out. Trust me, she is the only one who'd have him, so chances are he will be back soon, so enjoy the ME time whilst she can! Now loosing your hair is a biggie, I won't deny it, but if Gail Porter's hair can grow back, I'd be thinking, so could mine. I would hold on to that minor thread of hope as if  it was the last drop of water on the planet, meanwhile, wearing any funky looking wigs I could get hold of and rock that look!(I would shave it all off if I didn't have a skull like a bag of golf balls!) And as for the car tow, well there was a huge yellow sign on the meter stating there was a parking suspension. I would NEVER assume it was a safe Sunday, this is London after all, this whole city has a license to print money!  Incidentally, I would probably have paid more than £260 for a professional photo shoot so I still got a bargain day!

Luck is all a matter of perception. If you expect goollies at every corner, that is exactly what you will see. So expect the best, you may be presently surprised.  As we say in London, STAY LUCKY!

A..Chew!

So the sun is out, seasonal change is amongst us and with it comes.......everyone else's germs! As a makeup artist, you are constantly up close and personal with everyone you work on. Not to mention, the people you come into contact with on public transport. So as a freelancer, can you afford to take time of sick? I hear a resounding "No".

Well, you will have two choices; carry on working, spreading your germs amongst the people you come into contact with (not a good idea if you are working on celebrities...they have obligations too!) or you can do as I do.  I have not been ill in 3 years! no cold, flu, coughs...how do I do it? A wonder pill. It's called High Strength Olive Leaf Complex  sold in health food stores (Holland & Barrett 90 capsules = £29.99) It comes in capsule or liquid form. Dosage states 3 times a day, but unless I'm feeling a bit throaty or have spent the day with someone who really has a bad case of the lurgy, I will take one a day.  There are other stores that sell Olive Leaf Complex for a lot less, but it has to be the high strength stuff, not that diluted tosh. You gets what you pay for, simples!

Now according to the blurb it has been around since the ancient Egyptians. It is "Nature's Protector"

• A natural, safe and effective alternative to antibiotics
• Highly beneficial for all types of infection
• A non-toxic way to strengthen immunity

Scientific research has shown that the active ingredient in Olive Leaf Extract - Oleuropein, has powerful healing properties that fights the bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites that cause infection and disease.

I'm not a doctor, or a scientist and I have to admit, unlike those Octogenarians in that ad, I do not play basketball or climb trees due to my high olive intake....  but let me reiterate NO COLD OR FLU in 3 YEARS!  


I pass this advice to all and any makeup artist that has the sniffles near me or a cough they can't get rid of and todate there is only one person I  know who hasn't benefited (but they do have diabetes so maybe it was trying to tackle that instead of the cold...who knows). All I can say is gesundheit and pass that bottle!

HOW YEW DOIN'???

In the words of Joey from friends "How yew doin'?".

We ALL have or should have, a feature we love, whether it's your eyes, lips, teeth. skin, hair. We should all have at least one thing we love about ourselves and if you feel the need, then enhance it with whatever makeup and or hair skills you have at your disposal.....then WORK IT!

What you shouldn't be doing, is looking in the mirror at the bags, the crows feet, the yellowing or blackened teeth and taking a photo of Cheryl Cole and say "make me look like that! Coz I know she only looks that way because she has a professional makeup artist!" . As if Cheryl Cole is Hagrid in disguise and only blossoms, once touched with a set of MAC make up brushes! So we've all seen the before  photos of Susan Boyle and although she looks better (and younger) now, even with all of Simon Cowells money at her disposal, she does not look like Cheryl Cole!

Naturally, as a makeup artist and or hairstylist, we are masters of out art. We are able to make you look 10 years younger, using the finest products on the market and without the use of expensive surgery. But you have to learn to love and live with what you have. Our job is to enhance your OWN features and conceal your flaws (and we all have them, even our Cheryl!). We are able to make anyone look the best they are ever going to look but the look will be unique to YOUR features.

One of the most classiest women alive today is Joan Collins, but how ridiculous would it be if she turned up in a meat dress, looking like Lady Gaga???!!

So look again in that mirror, see what you love. If its lips, eyes etc, then go to the makeup counters, find the lipstick/gloss, eyeshadows that will work for YOU.  Most makeup counters are all about the big sale and less about what is best for you, but the counters at Dior, MAC, Bobbi Brown, Shu Uemura, YSL  usually have excellent makeup staff, made up of real makeup artists and not just sales reps. So when you have time, pop in and start loving yourself!

TANGO'D

So the sun was out in London today and like most British, you probably rushed out to meet the sun, the second you could! I sat having a drink outside Somerset House this evening and it was an interesting sight, watching as chairs were moved further and further into the sun spots as the shadows creeped up on you like a hunk with a cold sore! .  God forbid this is the only bit of sun we get this year and you miss it!  But how many knew it was going to be a great sunny day? Now how many of you applied sun protection? Not that many I fear.

So what is SPF and what ratings should you use? SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor. If you burn after 10 minutes of being in the sun with NO sun protection, then an SPF15 will allow you to stay in the sun 15 x 10 minutes longer before burning. SPF30 = 30 x 10 min etc. But that does not take into consideration wearing off during the day, due to sweat or just rubbing off on your clothes. So all those sitting in the sun today, even if you had applied sunscreen earlier in the morning, might as well have sat there rubbing in a tub of lard for all the protection you were getting!  

UV Protect Face & Body Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50 by Keihl's (RRP £19.00) provides protection in a handy bag sized 150ml tube,  it provides protection  from UVA and UVB. Or the product I use on myself, their Ultra Light Daily Moisturizer SP50 (RRP £26.00) which boasts that it protects against pigmentation irregularities as well as premature skin aging. To be honest, if you have olive to black skin, it will leave a white/grey tinge to your face, but because it is  non greasy you can wear a tinted powder like Studio Careblend  pressed powder by MAC (RRP £17.50) available in shades from light to deep dark, to counter act that. So put it in your bag for those sun burst emergencies and don't forget to reapply.

So what if you avoid the sun, but like that just back from holiday skin? Well your best bet is to get yourself to a salon for a professionally applied spray tan.  I was doing a shoot the other day, with some of the dancers from Louis Spence's Showbusiness series and I have to say it was the worst self tanning I have ever seen.  Word to the wise, those tide marks aren't sexy! At best, it looks as if you have gone in for some mud treatment and not quite washed it all off. At its worse, it looks like you have an aversion to cleanliness! And as for not using a self tan for body AND face...There isn't a shade of foundation  ever been made, that will blend that orange tide mark in and of course, it is hard to retouch the skin because trying to get a nice tone of skin to paste over the patchy bits is difficult. Why?... because there are no nice skin tone bits!

So rule of thumb, if they are not asking you where you've been on holiday...you're doing it wrong!

Prepping that skin!

I am a firm believer in great looking skin! When doing makeup, I will spend more time getting the skin looking perfect, than I will spend doing the eyes etc. Now to some, that will seem pretty obvious, but you will be surprised the amount of makeup artists I have met who will do the basics on the skin, because as far as they are concerned "the photographer can touch it up anyway!".

As a rule of thumb, I will always prepare the skin for "close ups" regardless of whether the pictures are full length etc.  Now I am not referring to lumpy spots (you can't do anything about those and in this instance, our friend photoshop comes in pretty handy!). What I am referring to is dry patches on skin, large pores, blotchy skin.

So how do I begin? Well after making sure the model has no allergies, if she has dry patches on the skin, I will use Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant, this is a fairly mild but effective exfoliant, which I apply using a damp sponge, working it in soft circular motions. Wipe off any residue using a wet wipe. Then cleanse the skin using every makeup artists and models secret weapon, Bioderma Crealin H20,  one of THE best cleansers on the market. If you've got any trips to France coming up, I suggest you stock up! Now at this point, you can choose to apply moisturizer depending on the skin type, whether dry or oily etc.

I like putting on a base and my favourite at the moment is Shu Uemura's  UV Underbase Mouse. Now when I use this product, I use no additional moisturizer as I feel it is moisturizing enough. It also has built in SPF30, which is also a bonus. This product refines the skin: getting rid of blotches, smooths the pores and generally gives a nice sheen to the skin. I apply using a flat foundation brush and to the naked eye you won't notice much difference, but in photos, its amazing. I have attached a couple of photos from  shoots using this product. These images have not been retouched, it is purely down to great skin preparation and excellent lighting:

Your Professional Kit

I, like most  professional makeup artists, carry my makeup kit in a large suitcase. Once in a while it all needs a good clear out!  I have just purchased some clear zipped beauty bags from M&S (set of 3 = £6.00 available on line) They sell similar bags in Screen Face and Charles fox for 3 times the price, so this really is a good buy.

Having so much make up means  you will have lipsticks, glosses and sometimes foundations, that have passed their sell by date.  The lipsticks and glosses will start to smell and the foundations will start to separate. (MAC face and body foundations are renowned for congealing quite early). So every now and then, have a check of these products as it's not very professional pulling them out to use on a job. These beauty bags are great for accessing your stock and it also means you don't have to unpack each item separately as all your glosses and foundations are all displayed "neatly" in these clear bags that are easily wiped clean. The larger bag is ideal to use to carry on set too! It may be my OCD kicking in, but I like to know where everything is and I like it to look  clean and orderly. A model told me that she physically heaves if she sees a makeup artist with a dirty kit, because if that's the state of the kit, how dirty must the brushes be! (One particular horror I once witnessed was this makeup artist who had a nasty habit of picking at her flaky skin whilst up close to the makeup mirror. Obviously, all that dead skin would then fall onto her open pallets and brushes! Skanky!!)   So remember to keep it all looking clean and in particular, hygienic.

Eyeliners!

Now I AM a lover of the top lid eyeliner! I constantly wear a nice little black flick that adds a sexy definition to the eyes. Over the years I have always been asked how to perfect the eyeliner.  My top tip: Shu Uemura's liquid eyeliner Pen. This pen is similar to the old fashioned fountain pens.  It comes empty (RRP £11.50) and you purchase the liquid eyeliner cartridge separately (RRP £11.50 also). It's a bit pricey for an eyeliner, but well worth it. The fibre tips glides softly and easily across your lids. Use the whole nib for a thick even stroke and by using just the end of the tip and a small flick of the wrist, you will have a perfect flick at the ends. When it runs out, you just replace the cartridge. The tip can get clogged if constantly putting over eyeshadow. To clean, just run under warm water tap and it's as good as new. Initially, it takes quite a a lot of clicks to get the ink to flow down to the ends, but well worth the wait!