As the days get shorter and the weather turns colder along comes another trend in make-up. Summer 2010 saw pretty pastel eyes, natural looking dewy foundation and pink, pink, pink and more pink for lips. However, Autumn/winter has taken a turn to the dark side, with winged smokey eyes in blacks, burnt golds and oranges and dark berry and even black lips. The classic red lip is still very much “in” as is the traditional smokey eye.

To create the perfect winter look always start with a fantastic complexion. Skin should appear as flawless as possible without looking too fake or as though foundation has been caked on. Cover any dark circles and blemishes with a good foundation and concealer and set with a translucent or colour free powder.

If you wish to create a Gold, burnt orange and dark-brown/black smokey eye as seen at Christian Dior then:

1. start with a very light, bright yellow gold and sweep from the inner corner of the eye over the whole lid area.
2. Get a bronze/burnt orange shade and start from the inner third of the eyes, around the point where your iris is then sweep all over the eyelid, above the socket line and continue up to just above the socket line and onto the brow bone.
3. Sweep the colour out at the corners and in a soft fine line under the eye
4. Next take a deep-brown/black to contour the outer corners and outer third of the eye. Then take under the eye and stopping two thirds of the way inwards
5. Blend blend blend to ensure there are no harsh lines and that all 3 colours merge beautifully, giving a soft, smokey effect.
6. Finish by lining the inner rims of the eye for added impact and add a few coats of mascara

If you are opting for a bold lip, either the traditional red lip or something deeper then its best to opt for natural eyes and cheeks.

1. Prep the lips to ensure they are smooth. Use a lip exfoliator, or a toothbrush, to scrub away any dead skin and then apply lip balm (vaseline is great too!)
2. Ensure there is no lip balm left on the lips as it will prevent lip colour staying put.
3. To give a modern and more subtle twist to the red lip opt for a lip stain. apply the stain with a brush, your fingers or a cotton bud and press lips together to help set and dry.
4. For the ultimate starlet red lip, start with a red lipliner and line the whole lip and fill in with the liner. Blot with a tissue. Applying liner to the whole lip area helps keep lipstick in place and should the lipstick come off you will be left with a great lip stain.
5. Fill in lips with a matching red lipstick, you can choose any finish you like. Use a lip brush for ultimate precision.
6. Blot lips with tissue and reapply lipstick for added stay put power.
7. An old Hollywood trick for extra staying power is to separate a 2 ply tissue, so you have one very fine sheet, hold against your lips and then press translucent powder through the tissue with a make-up brush.

False lashes are huge in the make-up world once again. People are opting for a variety of styles and application methods, from DIY individual and strip lashes to full on eyelash extensions. There is good reason for the trend too. They help open up the eye, enhance them and can also help change the shape if applied the right way.

To apply false lashes;

1. Before applying any type of lash ensure the eyelids are clean and oil free. The glue wont adhere if there is any oil on the skin. Make-up free cleansed eyelids are best.
2. Choose your lash type and lengths. lashes come in various styles and forms. From very natural looking individual eyelashes and strip lashes to this heavy “natural” lashes to wild and crazy colourful lashes. The choice is yours.
3. Measure the lashes against your own eye, they are often too wide for most eyes, and trim accordingly – taking away a little at a time.
4. Once the size is perfect, apply glue. There are 2 methods for this: Applying directly to the lash or applying to a palette/back of a clean hand and dragging the lash through. Once the glue is applied allow it to go slightly tacky as this allows for a better grip.
5. Begin applying as close to the natural lash line as possible. Start at the inner corner and press gently to the outer corner. Some people find using fingers a little cumbersome, so feel free to use tweezers to hold in place and a cotton bud to press.
6. If you are using individual lashes start at the outer corner with the longer lashes and work inwards placing shorter ones closer to the inner corner. You will only need a few lashes to achieve a natural look.
7. Once the lashes are in place you can apply a small amount of mascara to blend your natural lash to the false eyelashes.
8. Blend the false eyelash line with your natural lash line using an eyeliner in a matching colour.
9. Finish the rest of your make-up look.

Make-up is a magical tool. It can totally transform a face, tired eyes can become bright and lively, blemishes can disappear, faces can look thinner and more chiselled and people can get a huge confidence boost from having a make-over. What I wonder is, why are too many women scared of make-up?

Are they worried they will look like a drag artist? like they have been punched in the eye? like they have been tangoed? I have asked several women who have contacted me about bridal make-up, beauty tips, make-overs and make-up lessons and have found that they simply dont understand make-up and what it can do. They feel that all foundation is heavy and will make them look and feel as though they are wearing a mask, that eyeshadow will make them look as though they have done 12 rounds with David Haye and that lipstick will make them look like a hooker. The reason a lot of them feel like this is because of the way their mothers or grandmothers wore make-up. There was a time when thick blusher AND heavy eyes AND full on lips was en vogue, but not in the noughties.

When approached by a woman with these type of concerns I ask her what she feels is her best feature, what she dislikes, what she would like to accentuate, how much time she is willing to spend on her make-up each day and then I talk her through the best application techniques, colours and products for her. Each woman is very different in all of these aspects. What works for one lady won’t necessarily work for another.  Here are a few of the basic tips that I give to my clients depending on which feature they wish to accentuate.

There are several different eye shapes, just as there are face shapes, body shapes, lip shapes etc, depending on what shape eye you have depends on how you should wear your make-up. Eye colour, skin colour and hair colour also affects the eye shadow you are able to pull off. As this is for basic tips I will stick to a neutral palette, which tends to suit almost everyone. This is the basic application that works for almost all eyes. There will always be some exceptions to the rule and I will cover these in individual blogs and tutorials over the coming weeks.

Choose 3 colours, from the same colour palette, you can often buy trio shadows which make choosing the right colours much easier.

1. Sweep the lightest colour over the whole lid area, from the lashes to the brow bone.
2. Apply the second shade, the slightly darker one, from the centre of the lid to the outer edge and blend blend blend, so that you can not see a solid line between the 2 colours.
3. Apply the darker shade to the outer corner of your eyelid in the shape of a C/backwards C. Blend it along the lash line and into the crease, you can even take it along the lower lash line if you wish. But so stick to the outer third of the eye and do not extend too far out, past the brow.
4. Apply eyeliner from the same point as the 2nd eyeshadow and keep as close to the lash line as possible for a natural look. Use a cotton bud/Q-tip to smudge the eyeliner slightly so that it doesn’t look as harsh.
5. Apply mascara as required.
6. If you are feeling brave or want a little more of a dramatic look you can try this technique with more colourful shadows and even add a highlighter to the inner corner of the eye and on the brow bone.

Those who are not make-up artists or who haven’t worked closely with a make-up artist may not have any idea about Yaby. It is a very well kept new industry secret.

Yaby was created by a professional make-up artist, Liz Yu, when she was trying to condense her kit into a small, yet extremely effective and efficient workable kit. Many professional cosmetics come in full size bottles and containers, meaning that make-up artists have to lug heavy products or decanter the products into smaller pots. It also manes that make-up artists often have products go “off” as they haven’t used them all. Therefore they waste time depotting and also waste unused product and money on a colour they very rarely use.

Yaby is fantastic as it is very cost effective, especially for such a highly pigmented professional product. All products come in small pans, tubes or palette, meaning you are less likely to have any waste. Liquid foundations come in small tubes, which aren’t completely full, allowing the user to create a custom blend directly in the tube. the fact the pans and tubes are smaller means you use far less space in your kit. All Yaby products are packed full of pigment and you only need the smallest amount to make an impact.

I LOVE the cream foundations and concealers. They come in small pans that can be placed into a freestyle palette (either one of Yabys or the Z Palette) and you only need the smallest amount to cover blemishes and even out skin tone. I also adore the eyeshadows. They are rich in colour, soft, easy to blend and look amazing on camera and in real life. If you use them with a damp brush the colour pops and looks phenomenal!

As Yaby is a Canadian invention, it isnt widely available here in the UK. However, you can purchase the majority of the products from www.themakeupartistboutique.com and if you are an industry professional email them and you will be able to get a fantastic 20% discount!!

On Saturday 20th November 2010, Crystal Jewels brought their stunning designs to Essex. After months for planning April and Sean finally got to see their jewellery and head pieces brought to life by the stunning models and very talented photographer.

Lots of planning went into this shoot. We needed to organise models, deciding to book more than needed in case a couple couldn’t make it. However, we were blessed as all 5 were able to arrive and turned up on the day. Once the models were decided we began to organise styling for the clothing and hair. Unfortunately the stylist who initially agreed to help was unable to and the day before the shoot the hairstylist dropped out!!! Lucky for us, Stephanie Kew stepped in at the last minute and created a few fab looks, including a cheryl cole inspired fish tail plait.

The shoot began by getting the models prepped. All the models started with a “pretty” almost bridal look make-up and soft hair look, to show off the delightful designs by Crystal Jewels.

First in the make-up seat was Francesca Turner. She is a natural model. At just 17 she knows how to use her body to create some amazing shapes, she is professional, polite and has amazing bone structure. She worked as though she had been in front of the lens for decades. Pulling off the natural beauty with effortless grace and high fashion with the poise of the most renowned couture models.

Up next was Jade Amanda. Jade worked like a star. A total pleasure to have around. She knew how to “get the shot” and had a fantastic face to make-up and a body to die for. Jade is an awesome fashion model – professional, talented and needs next to no direction but when direction is given she is able to take it and understand exactly what is needed.

Charlotte Chapman, a professional dancer and model with vast experience, looked utterly divine as a natural beauty. She made Crystal Jewels pieces look as beautiful as ever. Posing to show of the designs and moving to ensure each design was in shot. Her natural beauty was enhanced with soft pinks, bronzes and golds with a hint of purple to bring out the green of her eyes. When it was time for the high fashion look she was totally transformed. Her outfit was funky with a sexy twist, showing her fabulous dancers body off to perfection. Being a dancer clearly benefits Charlottes modelling, being flexible is a great advantage.

Donna Bull brought a fantastic energy to the studio with her enthusiasm, positive attitude, ideas and even helping with the tidying up and making teas!! Donna needed little direction, was fun to be around and was able to model with ease.

Michelle de Feo was the final model to take to the “stage” so to speak. Michelle doesn’t usually do high fashion and beauty shoots, preferring a different style. This was a new challenge and a fantastic experience and something different to put on her CV.

The amazingly talented photographer for the day was Martin Higgs. Martin was the last member of the team to hop on board, bringing Fran with him. After Crystal Jewels and I had seen a few different photographers it was a great delight when Martin contacted us. We liked his portfolio and it was a bonus that he is a local photographer. His portfolio is initially what made us decide he had the right style for the shoot, but on the day it was his warm personality, creativity and ability to bring an idea to life that made the shoot such a success.

Stephanie Kew, hair stylist, was a total star for stepping in at the minute. She couldn’t stay for the whole day as she had prior commitments, but she literally helped save the shoot. Without Steph the shoot my not have run so smoothly. She Arrived and got straight to work, creating some stunning finger waves, a pretty curled look and an on trend fishtail plait. She was my hero for the day!

Overall the shoot was a complete success. Crystal Jewels travelled from Bristol to Essex for the shoot and it seems like it was definitely worth it. A selection of stunning images were created to help advertise their brand and make them stand out from their competitors. The Essex Photo Studio was utilised brilliantly. The curve was the area used the most to create some fantastic full length shots and stunning head-shots. Martin and the models got to create some fun, beautiful and stylish images for their portfolios and to be one of the first teams to work at the studio.