Lucie Strong

2011-07-09T14:05:00.001-07:00

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Make-up Tips!

2011-04-08T18:55:00.000-07:00

Make-up Tips!

Check out some of my make-up tips on the following blog:-

http://Love-and-Wardrobe.BlogSpot.com/2011/02/Exclusive-Interview-Make-up-Tips-from.html

Making Dramatic Skin Colour Changes

2011-01-10T05:29:00.000-08:00

Making Dramatic Skin Colour Changes

Photography: Matthew Pearl a.k.a. Pearly (http://www.PearlyPhotography.com & http://www.MySpace.com/PearlyPhotography)

Model: Rochelle Clark

I achieved the different skin colour effects in the photo above by using black and white eyeshadows (from Nars) applied wet. To apply them wet I dip large eyeshadow brushes into water (before brushing them over the eyeshadows, and applying them). This way I achieve a bolder effect than if the eyeshadows had been applied dry.

The skin colour changes can also be achieved using opaque panstick in different colours, applied with either a cosmetic sponge, a foundation brush, a large eyeshadow brush, or your fingers; then setting the panstick in place with loose powder applied on top using a powder puff; and then gently brushing off the excess powder using a powder brush.

You don't just have to stick to colours like black, white and natural skin colours (e.g. ebony, ivory, cocoa, mahogany, alabaster, beige, mocha, sand, honey, chestnut, peach, tan and chocolate). You can also change the skin colour using unnatural-looking colours (e.g. blue, green, purple, pink, red, yellow, silver and gold). Make-up For Ever and MAC both make good pansticks and powders for this.

When making dramatic skin colour changes to the face, make sure you extend the colour(s) to the neck, ears and other parts of the body that will be on show, so that there isn't a line where it ends (unless you want to create a mask or contrast effect).

You can make people look like they are a different race, paler, darker, like fictional characters, like aliens, or like other animals this way. So have fun experimenting!

Smoky Eyes

2010-09-01T14:40:00.000-07:00

Smoky Eyes

Photography: Fredrik,

Hair: Alvaro at Nicky Clarke, Mount Street, London. (http://www.NickyClarke.com),

Clothes: Styled by Janne Gron,

Model: Agyness Deyn at Select (http://www.SelectModel.com)

Photography: Lee Gillies (http://www.LeeGillies.com)

Hair: Magdalena Tucholska (http://www.ModelMayhem.com/706496)

Clothes: Designed by Fannie Schiavoni (http://www.ModelMayhem.com/681437 & http://www.MySpace.com/FannieSchiavoni), shown at a fashion show at London Swatch Alternative Fashion Week, April 2008.

Model: Bernadette Vong (http://www.ModelMayhem.com/375775 & http://www.MySpace.com/Burny_MySpace)

Before making up the eyes, cleanse and moisturise the face, and then apply foundation, concealer and powder. (Make sure that you cover dark under-eye circles with concealer, and then powder the eyelids to set the concealer, and to get the eyeshadow to last longer).

Next apply some loose face powder below the eyes, (so that any dark eyeshadow that falls below the eyes doesn't mark the skin below the eyes, but just accumulates on top of the loose powder under the eyes, and can be brushed away with the powder, using a powder brush, once you've completed the eyeshadows).

Apply white (for fair skin) or ivory (for dark skin) eyeshadow to the brow bones right up to the eyebrows, using a large eyeshadow brush. The light colour eyeshadow on the brow bones will act as a highlighter.

Then pencil over the eyebrows, using an eyebrow pencil matched to the colour of the eyebrows, to get the eyebrows symmetrical to each other, and then brush the eyebrows in an upwards and outwards direction, using an eyebrow brush.

Using a small thin-tipped eyeshadow brush apply dark grey/dark brown eyeshadow all over the top eyelids, from the upper lash lines up just higher than the socket lines, and then line under the lower lash lines with the same dark eyeshadow, (as in the first photo above).

Alternatively, apply eyeshadow in a colour such as light grey/black/white/ivory/silver/gold/copper/purple to the top eyelids as far up as the socket lines, using a small thin-tipped eyeshadow brush. Then apply dark grey/dark brown eyeshadow to and just higher than the socket lines of the top eyelids to contour them, and then line under the lower lash lines with the same dark grey/dark brown eyeshadow, using a small thin-tipped eyeshadow brush, (as in the second photo above).

Using an eyeshadow blending brush, blend the dark eyeshadow, to soften it where it ends on the upper eyelids, so that it gradually blends out into the white/ivory eyeshadow above it. Blend the dark eyeshadow at the outer corners of the eyes, so that it creates a softened rounded effect around the eyes.

Make sure that the eyeshadow is the same on each eye, so that the eyes look symmetrical.

You don't just have to create smoky eyes using eyeshadows in dark greys or dark browns as I suggested, you can also create them using eyeshadows in other dark colours such as navy, indigo, dark moss green, and midnight purple.

You can highlight the inner corners of the eyes (as in the second photo above), by painting them with a bright colour eyeshadow such as silver/copper/gold/white/ivory/bright blue/bright green/bright purple. Apply it to the inner corners of the upper and lower eyelids, using a small eyeshadow brush for precision.

If the eyes are large/wide, and you wish to make them appear more mysterious or smouldering, apply black/dark grey/dark brown kohl pencil to the inner rims of the lower eyelids.

If on the other hand the eyes are small, and you wish to make them appear wider, apply white/ice pink kohl pencil to the inner rims of the lower eyelids.

Once you've finished applying the eyeshadows (and kohl pencil), brush the loose powder away from under the eyes (which any fallen flecks of eyeshadow will have accumulated on), using outward brushstrokes, with a large powder brush.

Then apply a few coats of black/brown-black mascara to both top and bottom eyelashes, and then comb through them with an eyelash comb.

Black false eyelashes can be stuck on too, as they go well with this type of make-up.

If you wear pale lipstick with these "smoky eyes", the eyes will dominate your look, which is a good technique for bringing the focus to striking eyes, as well as for creating a grungy look. For a more glamorous look, team these "smoky eyes" with bright red lipstick (as in the first photo above).

Colourful 1970s Make-up

2010-08-08T07:09:00.000-07:00

Colourful 1970s Make-up

Photography: Fredrik Aranda

Hair: Andreas Wild at John Frieda, Aldford Street, London (http://www.JohnFrieda.co.uk)

Clothes: Designed by Yurika Ohara (styled myself)

Model: Lizzy Bowden at Select (http://www.SelectModel.com)

To create this look, start by applying foundation, concealer and powder to a cleansed and moisturised face, (as directed in the blog below called "Getting Flawless Skin").

Apply some loose face powder generously below the eyes before doing the eye make-up, so that any falling flecks of eyeshadow from the eyelids will accumulate on top of the loose face powder, and can be easily brushed away with a powder brush once the eye make-up is completed, without marking the skin below the eyes.

Then using a small eyeshadow brush, apply a wash of light green-gold eyeshadow over the entire top eyelids, as far up as the sockets.

Next using another small eyeshadow brush (this time with a thin tip), apply a deep royal purple eyeshadow to the inner and outer quarters of the top eyelids, as far up as the sockets.

Now using a medium-sized eyeshadow blending brush, blend the deep royal purple with the light green-gold, to soften the edges between the two colours, so that it blends softly from one colour to the next.

Next take a large eyeshadow brush, and apply hot pink eyeshadow or intense hot pink blusher to the brow bones starting from under the eyebrows and extending as far down as the sockets of the upper eyelids.

Now with a small thin-tipped eyeshadow brush, apply deep forest green eyeshadow parallel to and just above the sockets of the upper eyelids, in a curving line, to define the socket lines. Then slightly blend the edges of where the line of deep forest green eyeshadow ends at the outer corners of the eyes, using an eyeshadow blending brush.

Now brush the loose face powder (which any fallen eyeshadow flecks will have accumulated on top of) away from under the eyes, using a powder brush, using outwards sweeps, so that the under-eye area looks free of any fallen eyeshadow flecks.

Now using a blusher brush, apply intense hot pink blusher or hot pink eyeshadow (joining on to and extending out from where you previously applied it on the brow bones), and sweep it up and over the temples and down along the cheekbones and into the hairline (as shown in the photo above). Apply the hot pink fairly boldly, and blend the edges of it where it ends at the temples and cheeks, with a blusher brush, so that it gradually blends out.

Define the eyebrows with an eyebrow pencil matched to the colour of the eyebrows, and then brush the eyebrows in an upwards and outwards direction with an eyebrow brush.

If the eyes are large or wide, and you wish to make them appear more mysterious, apply black kohl pencil to the inner rims of the lower eyelids.

If the eyes are small though, don't apply black kohl pencil to the inner rims of the lower eyelids, as it will make the eyes look smaller, but instead apply white/ice pink/green/turquoise/blue/lilac kohl pencil to the inner rims of the lower eyelids. This will make the eyes appear wider.

Apply a few coats of black mascara to both top and bottom eyelashes, and then comb through the eyelashes with an eyelash comb.

Finally apply hot pink lipstick and/or lip gloss to the lips.

This is a fun and colourful look, so have fun creating it and/or wearing it out!

Cat Eyes

2010-08-01T05:35:00.000-07:00

Cat Eyes

Photography: Sohail Anjum (http://www.SohailAnjum.co.uk)

Model: Mona Lisa Adli (http://www.ModelMayhem.com/852879)

Photography: Keven Erickson (http://www.Erickson-Photo.com)

Model: Krystyna

Drawing on "cat eyes" is a good way of elongating round eyes, making close-set eyes appear wider-set, and making striking eyes stand out more. They're a good look at night-time for going out to parties, meals or clubbing.

Before you start, apply foundation, under-eye concealer, and powder, as instructed in the blog further down this page called "Getting Flawless Skin". This will act as a base for the eyeshadows, and will get them to last longer. Eyeshadow doesn't last as long on oily eyelids, which is why it's important to powder the eyelids first.

Then apply some loose face powder generously below the eyes and on the tops of the cheeks to catch any falling flecks of eyeshadow, so they don't mark the skin below the eyes. (This is important, as fallen flecks of dark eyeshadow that have marked the skin or made dirty-looking smears on the skin below the eyes would really ruin the look).

Using eyebrow pencil, define your eyebrows, and then brush them in an upwards and outwards direction.

Use small eyeshadow brushes with thin tips for drawing on "cat eyes", as you will need the accuracy and ability to draw precise fine lines/edges that you can only achieve with brushes with thin tips.

There are several ways of creating "cat eyes":-

One way is to apply a light coloured eyeshadow (i.e. silver/gold/copper/purple/pink/yellow/blue) to the top eyelids as far up as the sockets, and then using a dark colour eyeshadow (i.e. black/midnight blue/midnight purple/brown/grey) contour the socket lines just above the sockets, and line below the lower lash lines with the dark eyeshadow, and then wing the dark eyeshadow out past the outer corners of the eyes (as in the first photo above). When you wing the dark eyeshadow out past the outer corners of the eyes, form triangle shapes with it, and get the triangles to taper to sharp points at the outer edges (as shown in the photos above).

Another way is to apply dark eyeshadow all over the top eyelids as far up as the sockets, then line the lower lash lines with it, and wing it out past the outer corners of the eyes (as in the second photo above). Again when you wing the dark eyeshadow out past the outer corners of the eyes, form triangle shapes with it, and get the triangles to taper to sharp points at the outer edges.

You can apply a touch of light/bright colour eyeshadow (in silver/gold/copper/white) to the inner corners of the eyes to highlight the inner corners (as in the second photo above). Or otherwise you can apply it along the inner halves of the lower lash lines (as in the first photo above).

If you want to jazz the "cat eyes" up more for parties or clubbing you can apply glitter over the top of the eyeshadow to make it sparkle.

If there are any bits of eyeshadow or glitter that have gone astray, cotton buds are brilliant for gently removing them. (Their thin tips give you the precision required).

If the eyes look small or narrow when you have drawn the "cat eyes" on, and you want them to appear larger, wider or more innocent, apply some white/ice pink kohl pencil to the inner rims of the eyes, to make them look wider.

If on the other hand the eyes look too wide or large, and you want them to appear more mysterious or more sexy, apply dark coloured kohl pencil (black/midnight blue/midnight purple/dark grey/dark brown) to the inner rims of the eyes to make them look less wide.

Then using a powder brush, brush the powder (with any fallen flecks of eyeshadow that may have accumulated on top of it) away from under the eyes and tops of the cheeks.

Apply a few coats of black mascara to top and bottom eyelashes, then comb through the eyelashes with an eyelash comb, and stick on some false eyelashes too if you want.

You can team these eyes with either pale lips (matte or glossy), to create a 1960s look; or with bright colour lips (matte or glossy), to create a funky or gothic look; or with dark lips (matte or glossy), to create an edgy gothic look.

Have fun with these "cat eyes"!

1950s Glamour

2010-07-29T09:23:00.000-07:00

1950s Glamour

Photography: Ian

Hair and Accessories: Styled by Lawrence at Toni & Guy, Marylebone High Street, London (http://www.ToniAndGuy.com)

Model: Sarah-Jane

Here are the instructions for how to create a glamorous 1950s movie star look:-

Start with a freshly cleansed and moisturised face.

Apply foundation, concealer and powder (as instructed in a blog I posted further down this page called "Getting Flawless Skin").

Apply eyebrow pencil to the eyebrows using light feathery strokes for a natural-looking effect, and then brush the eyebrows in an upwards and outwards direction using an eyebrow brush.

Apply some loose powder under the eyes and on the tops of the cheeks using a fan brush before doing the eye make-up, (so that any fallen bits of eyeshadow land on the powder and don't mark the skin below the eyes). Next take a small eyeshadow brush, and brush it over a brightly coloured eyeshadow such as bright blue, bright yellow, bright purple, or bright green. Then apply the eyeshadow just over the entire upper eyelids, up as far as the socket lines. After you've applied the eyeshadow, brush the powder away from under the eyes using a powder brush.

Now take a black liquid eyeliner (or otherwise an eyeliner brush which has been dipped into water and then brushed over black eyeshadow), and use it to draw a clean black line along the upper lash lines starting from the inner corners of the upper lash lines and extending right to the outer corners of the upper lash lines. Then extend the line past the outer corners of the upper lash lines, drawing straight lines past the outer corners of the eyes, which slant upwards at a 45 degree angle, like flicks (as shown in the photo above). Make the ends of the flick lines taper to sharp points.

Apply a couple of coats of black mascara to top and bottom eyelashes, and then comb through them with an eyelash comb.

Outline the lips with a bright red lip liner pencil, and then paint the lips with a bright red lipstick, and apply lip gloss on top if you like.

And that's how to create 1950s movie star glamour!

Be sure to check back for more make-up instructions and tips!

1960s Retro Eyes

2010-07-29T08:01:00.000-07:00

1960s Retro Eyes

Photography: myself

Model: myself

Photography: Cristian Bogdan (http://www.Bogdan.co.uk)

Model: Melissa at Storm (http://www.StormModels.com)

Here are the instructions for how to create 1960s-style eye make-up:-

Start with a freshly cleansed and moisturised face.

Apply foundation, under-eye concealer, and powder, over the face and eyelids (as in the blog below called "Getting Flawless Skin").

Using a large eyeshadow brush apply a white/very light pink/very light blue/ivory/cream eyeshadow over the entire area from the upper lash lines up to the eyebrows, so that the upper eyelids and brow bones are covered with it.

Define the eyebrows with eyebrow pencil, and then brush the eyebrows in an upwards and outwards direction with an eyebrow brush.

Take a thin-tipped eyeliner brush, dip it into water, and then while it's wet, brush it over a black/dark grey/dark brown/dark navy or another dark coloured eyeshadow. Draw a fine line with this dark eyeshadow parallel to but just higher than the socket lines above the upper eyelids. (With oriental eyelids where the eyelids are not quite as defined, as they are more shallow set, you sometimes have to judge where to draw the lines. They should be just slightly higher than where the upper edge of the eyeballs bulge through the upper eyelids).

Then line the upper lash lines with the same dark eyeshadow applied wet with a thin-tipped eyeliner brush, and extend the lines beyond the outer corners of the eyes (as shown in the photos above). Then draw lines starting from the outer thirds of the lower eyelids, and extending past the outer corners of the eyes, below but parallel to the lines extending out from the upper eyelids, leaving a space of a few millimetres between the two lines extending out beyond the outer corners of the eyes (as shown in the photos above).

Next dip an eyeliner brush or a thin-tipped eyeshadow brush into water, and brush it over a white eyeshadow. Apply the white eyeshadow between the two parallel dark lines that extend beyond the outer corners of the eyes.

Now take another thin-tipped eyeliner brush and dip it into water, and brush it over a bright blue/bright pink/bright purple/bright orange/bright green/bright plum coloured eyeshadow, and then draw a line with it parallel to but above the line you drew before above the socket lines with the dark coloured eyeshadow, (as shown in the photos above).

Apply a couple of coats of black mascara to top and bottom eyelashes, and then comb through them with an eyelash comb, and add some false eyelashes if you like.

Finally you can draw some eyelashes onto your lower eyelids if you like, (as shown in the lower photo), using a thin-tipped eyeliner brush which has been dipped into water and brushed over a black eyeshadow.

This eye make-up works best with pale pink/pale beige/pale nude coloured lips.

Enjoy fluttering your eyelashes with this look!

Getting Flawless Skin

2010-07-28T07:30:00.000-07:00

Getting Flawless Skin

Photography: Keven Erickson (http://www.Erickson-Photo.com)

Hair & clothes: Styled myself

Model: Paris at M & P (http://www.MAndPModels.com)

Here are the step-by-step instructions for how to create flawless skin as shown in the photo above:-

Firstly cleanse and moisturise the face.

If there are any red patches on the face, apply green colour corrector to these areas to tone the redness down. Apply the green colour corrector using a concealer brush, and then pat or blend it in using your fingers.

Select a foundation the same colour as the skin on the face. (To find the right colour foundation, apply a bit of foundation to the model’s jawline. The one which is the right colour will disappear into the model’s skin). Apply the foundation in small dots to various areas of the face (i.e. the forehead, the nose, the cheeks, and the chin). (It needs to be applied quite sparingly in order to give a natural effect). Next blend the foundation in using either your fingers or a cosmetic sponge. Be sure to blend the foundation right up to the hairline and under the jawline, to create a seamless finish, so that there aren’t any areas of the face that are left uncovered, and so that there aren’t any lines where the foundation ends.

Apply concealer the same colour as the foundation to any acne spots, rashes, coloured scars, pigmentation marks, spider veins/capillaries, birthmarks, or other marks, using a concealer brush. Then pat the concealer gently with a finger to blend it in, to create a seamless finish.

Apply concealer one shade lighter than the skin to dark under-eye circles, to lighten up the dark under-eye area, and to make it look less tired. First apply it using an under-eye concealer brush, and then pat it lightly with your ring finger to blend it in. (It needs to be applied quite heavily in order to eliminate a tired appearance). Be sure to apply the under-eye concealer over the inner corners of the eyes, (as well as over the under-eye area), as dark circles start from the inner corners of the eyes.

Select a loose powder the same colour as the foundation. Or for a porcelain effect select a white powder. (Note that you can only create a porcelain effect on fair skin, it won’t work on dark skin, as it will just make dark skin look ill and ashy). Fix the under-eye concealer in place by applying the loose powder over the top of it. Use a finger to blend the under-eye concealer out of any wrinkles or creases around the eyes before applying the loose powder on top. Apply the loose powder around the eyes using a large eyeshadow brush, in order to cover the small areas with precision that you cannot easily cover with a powder puff. Then apply loose powder all over the rest of the face using a powder puff. Make sure you get an even coverage. (This fixes the foundation and concealer in place, and mattifies the skin). Then brush the excess powder off of the face using a powder brush, using downward strokes, so that the tiny hairs on the face lie flat.

Oily or combination skins need powder to eliminate the shiny appearance to their faces. Even after applying powder their faces can become shiny again, and so need re-powdering in order to look more matte. Particularly dry or eczemary skins are sometimes best without powder, as it can dry the skin out further.

If you want to add a flush of colour to the cheeks, apply blusher to the apples of the cheeks. (Note that fair skins suit baby pinks or light rosy pinks, olive skins suit warm pinks or pinky-bronzes, and dark skins suit deep pinks, deep plums, or deep burgundies).

If you want to create a sun-kissed effect on fair or olive skin, or you want to make it look less pale, apply bronzing powder over the areas of the face where the sun would naturally hit, (i.e. the forehead, the nose, and the tops of the cheeks), using a powder brush or bronzer brush. Be sure to only use a light coloured bronzing powder on fair skin, as a dark bronzing powder will be too dark for fair skin and will just look dirty on fair skin. Olive skin can take deep bronzing powder though. However on very fair or porcelain skin stick to a light rosy pink or baby pink blusher instead of bronzing powder, in order to create an English Rose effect.

If you want to create a dewy effect, spray a fine mist from a water vaporizer over the face. Hold the water vaporizer at arm’s length when spraying it, so that the water droplets that land on the face aren’t too big and don’t make the face look wet or sweaty, and don’t cause the make-up to run or become uneven. This last step is a good idea for dry skins or over-heated skins in hot weather.

Et voila! Check back again for more instructions for how to create different looks with make-up!

My Tools of my Trade as a Make-up Artist

2010-06-12T07:50:00.000-07:00

My Tools of my Trade as a Make-up Artist

Make-up brushes in a zip-up case

I have a selection of different size and shape brushes for different purposes. (I will discuss the different types of brushes further on).

I keep them in a zip-up case with holes to hold the brushes in, as it protects the brushes from damage during transportation to and from jobs. I always wash the brushes with anti-bacterial liquid soap and water before taking them on jobs. This prevents infections being spread from one model to the next, and ensures that the colours I use come out as intended as there aren’t any residual colours on the brushes mixing with the colours I use. I tissue-dry the brushes after washing them. I put a sheet of folded up tissue behind my brushes in the zip-up case, so that make-up doesn’t transfer onto the case when I put the brushes back in the case after use.

Tweezers

These are good for plucking out stray eyebrow hairs and other unwanted facial hairs, as well as for picking up and applying false eyelashes.

False nails and nail glue

I frequently stick these onto models' nails if they have short nails or if their nails aren’t nicely manicured.

Nail polishes, nail files and nail polish remover pads

I bring nail polish remover pads in case a model already has nail polish on that needs to be removed. Pads are a better idea than a bottle of nail polish remover, as pads can’t leak in my bag.

I usually like the nail polish to co-ordinate with the eye make-up or lip make-up.

Cleansing wipes and moisturiser

I use cleansing wipes to remove the make-up that models sometimes already have on before I do their make-up, as well as to remove the make-up I’ve done when the job is finished (unless the model wishes to keep the make-up on).

I moisturise the models' faces before doing the make-up. Moisturiser acts as a base for the foundation and helps the foundation glide over the face and blend in more easily.

I use the kind for sensitive skin to minimize the risk of skin reactions.

Foundations

I keep foundations in a wide range of colours, so that if I’m working on a natural look I can get foundation the same colour as the skin on the model’s jawline, so that it vanishes in when blended in. If I don’t have the right colour foundation, I mix two or more foundations together on the back of my hand, using a cotton bud, to get the right colour.

Foundation brushes

I use foundation brushes for blending foundation in over large areas such as the legs, but for blending foundation in on the face I prefer to use either my fingers or a sponge.

Cosmetic sponges

I sometimes use these for blending in foundation on the face, (but I usually prefer to blend the foundation in using my fingers).

Concealers and colour corrector
I cut all my concealers out of their tubes, and put them into palettes, so I can see all the colours at a glance without having to rummage through my bag or take any lids off. This saves time, and is lighter to carry around in my bag.

Concealers are good for hiding dark under-eye circles, to make models look less tired. For hiding dark under-eye circles I use a concealer one shade paler than the model’s skin on her face. However for hiding acne spots, rashes, spider veins or capillaries, pigmentation marks, scars, bruises, and other skin marks I use concealer the same colour as the model’s skin on her face. I apply the concealer with a brush, and then pat it gently with a finger to blend, and then set it by applying powder on top using a powder puff.

The light green-coloured one in the bottom right hand corner is a colour corrector for toning down redness in the skin. (Green is the opposite colour in the spectrum to red, so it cancels red out).

Under-eye concealer brushes

I find these well shaped and soft for applying concealer with accuracy to the delicate under-eye area.

Blemish concealer brushes

These are well shaped with a small tip for accuracy for applying concealer over acne spots, rashes, spider veins or capillaries, pigmentation marks, scars, bruises, and other skin marks.

Powders

I keep a range of different coloured powders for different skin colours.

I apply powder all over the face on top of foundation and concealer, using a powder puff, to set the foundation and concealer in place. It’s particularly important under the eyes to set the under-eye concealer. I blend the under-eye concealer out of any lines or wrinkles around the eyes using a finger immediately before setting it with powder, so that the under-eye concealer doesn’t collect in any lines or wrinkles and emphasize them. Powder is also necessary for mattifying the skin (unless a shiny/dewy skin is required). I re-apply powder to models' faces as the day goes on if their faces begin to look shiny again, in order to mattify their faces. I apply it using a powder puff, and then brush away the excess powder using a powder brush.

Powder puffs

I use these to apply the powder evenly all over the models' faces, pressing gently.

Powder brushes

I use these to gently brush away the excess powder (once it has been applied with a puff).

I also use powder brushes to apply bronzing powder over the nose, tops of the cheeks, and forehead, where the sun would naturally hit.

Fan brushes

These are the perfect shape for applying powder under a model’s eyes before doing the eye make-up. (Any flecks of eyeshadow or glitter that fall below the eyes when the eye make-up is being applied will accumulate on top of the powder, and can be brushed away with a powder brush when the eye make-up is completed, without the fallen flecks marking the skin below the eyes).

Eyeshadows

I keep a wide spectrum of eyeshadow colours. But to me the most important colours to have are: a) a white or another pale colour such as ivory, to use as a highlighter on the brow bone, or for all over the area from the upper lash lines up to the eyebrows, or to highlight the inner corners of the eyes; b) a black, dark brown, dark grey, dark green, dark blue, or dark purple, to use for lining the eyes and/or for defining the socket lines, and/or for darkening/extending the outer corners of the eyes; and c) a bright colour or mid-tone colour such as gold, silver, copper, grey, brown, green, blue, pink, purple, orange, yellow, or lilac, to use on the top eyelids as far up as the socket lines, to give a nice pop of colour.

Eyeshadows often come with their own sponge applicators, which are sometimes good, but other times I require other thin-tipped eyeshadow brushes, in order to apply the eyeshadows to sharper points or to draw sharper lines.

Large eyeshadow brushes

These make the job a lot easier for applying eyeshadow or highlighter to brow bones, or for all over the area from the upper lash lines up to the eyebrows.

Small eyeshadow brushes

These are good for getting into small corners of the eyelids, for lining the eyes with eyeshadow, for defining the socket lines with eyeshadow, for creating “cat-eyes”, or for drawing sharp points or lines with eyeshadow. Their thin tips provide good accuracy.

Eyeshadow blending brushes

These are good for softening the effect of eyeshadow, softening the edges of it, and blending different eyeshadow colours together, so that there is more of a gradual change from one colour to another rather than a definite divide between the colours.

Glitters and mixing medium glue
I use glitters on both eyelids and lips. They stick to lipstick or lip gloss easily, but to make them stick to eyelids I squeeze a bit of MAC Mixing Medium (which is a glue designed specially for this) onto a small thin-tipped eyeshadow brush, before using it to apply glitter to the eyelids. This way the glitter adheres to the eyelids nicely.

Eyeliner brushes

I find these work best for lining the eyes with eyeshadow used wet. I dip the eyeliner brushes into water, and then brush them over the eyeshadows. The effect is bold, similar to liquid eyeliner.

Liquid eyeliners

These give a similar effect to eyeshadow applied wet, for bold impact.

Eyeliner pencils

I keep a few of these for a bolder effect than dry eyeshadow for lining the eyes, but not as bold an effect as wet eyeshadow or liquid eyeliner.

Inner rim eyeliner pencils

I keep a white one, and an ice pink one. They're great for making small eyes appear larger/wider, when applied to the inner rim of the lower eyelids.

Eyebrow pencils

I use these to make the eyebrows look more dramatic or darker, to fill in gaps in eyebrows, to thicken sparse eyebrows, to change the shape of eyebrows, to draw eyebrows on if somebody doesn’t have them, or to draw eyebrows on in a different position or shape if I’ve blocked the natural eyebrows out with make-up.

Pencil sharpener

I use one for both thick pencils and thin pencils, as I use both thick and thin pencils.

Diamantes

I like to make shapes or patterns with them. I put false eyelash glue onto the flat backs of them to stick them onto the face.

Eyelash curler

I sometimes use this if a model has short straight eyelashes, (which is quite often the case with oriental models), in order to make the eyelashes show up more.

Mascaras

In addition to regular black and brown mascaras, I also use coloured mascaras in purple, blue, and green.

Eyebrow brush and eyelash comb

The brush on the left side of the head is for brushing the eyebrows in an upwards and outwards direction after applying eyebrow pencil.

The comb on the right side of the head is for combing through eyelashes after applying mascara in order to separate the eyelashes and remove clumps of mascara, to give the mascara an even distribution through the eyelashes.

False eyelashes and false eyelash glue

I keep several different kinds of false eyelashes.

I apply a thin slick of false eyelash glue along the roots of the false eyelashes, and then hold them against the model’s lash lines for a few seconds to get them to adhere.

Bronzing powder

I brush it lightly over the forehead, nose, and tops of cheeks, using a powder brush, if the model is looking too pale once I've applied the foundation, concealer and powder.

Blushers

I keep a range of colours to suit different skin colours.

I like to use blusher on the apples of the cheeks to give a “baby doll” or rosy-cheeked look; or otherwise at the sides of the face along the undersides of the cheekbones to emphasize their structure or to make the model’s cheekbones look higher; or otherwise along the tops of the cheekbones and curving up and over the temples to give a pretty and healthy colour to the face.

Blusher brushes

I keep separate blusher brushes, (as I find they work better than the small blusher brushes that come with blushers), for blending the blusher over large areas without leaving streaks, for softening the edges of blusher, and for creating a rosy-cheeked effect. I also find that separately bought blusher brushes give me better control of where the blusher goes, as they tend to have firmer hairs, so they are better for defining cheekbones.

Lip liner pencils

I use these for drawing an outline around the edges of the lips before painting them within the outline with lipstick. Otherwise I use lip liner all over the lips in place of lipstick, or all over the lips before applying lipstick. The thin tips to the lip liner pencils enable me to get an accurate and sharp outline to the lips.

Lipsticks

As with the concealers, I cut all my lipsticks out of their tubes, and put them into palettes, so I can see all the colours at a glance without having to rummage through my bag or take any lids off. This saves time and takes up less room in my bag and is lighter to carry around.

I keep a plethora of colours, with a range of light colours, dark colours, and mid-tones.

Lip glosses and Vaseline

These give lips a glossier look and are more moisturising for dry lips than the matte lips look.

Lip brushes

These help me apply lipstick, lip gloss and Vaseline to the lips with precision.

Cotton buds

These are brilliant for wiping away small bits of make-up that have gone astray. I swear by them!

Mineral water vaporizer

I sometimes spray a fine mist from this all over the face after doing the make-up, to give the make-up a dewy look. I hold the vaporizer at arm's length when spraying it, so that only a small amount of water vapour lands on the face in very fine particles, (so that it doesn't cause the face to look wet, and doesn't cause the make-up to run either).

Photography of my make-up tools: done myself.

Glitter Queen

2010-04-11T15:17:00.000-07:00

Glitter Queen

Photography: Natasha Booth (http://www.Facebook.com/people/Natasha-Booth/836275421)

Hair: Styled by the model

Model: Natalie from "Britain's Next Top Model - Series Three" TV programme (http://www.Facebook.com/people/Natalie-Bntm/534587869)

Here are the step-by-step instructions for how to create the look I created in this photo:-

Cleanse and moisturise the face.

Apply foundation the same colour as the skin on the face. Start by applying little dots of foundation to different areas of the face (i.e. the forehead, the nose, the cheeks, and the chin), and then blend them in all over the face for a perfectly even and hardly noticeable thin coverage, using either your fingers or a cosmetic sponge to blend.

Apply concealer to any blemishes and/or under-eye dark circles, using a thin-tipped concealer brush, and pat it in lightly with a finger. Use concealer the same colour as your skin on your face to cover blemishes, and use concealer one shade lighter than your skin to cover under-eye dark circles. Under-eye concealer needs to be applied quite heavily to really lighten up dark circles, to eliminate a tired appearance.

Fix the foundation and concealer in place, and mattify the face by applying loose powder all over the face using a powder puff. Make sure you blend the under-eye concealer with a finger to get it out of any creases or wrinkles under the eyes before setting it with powder. Then brush off the excess powder with a powder brush using downward strokes.

(MAC and Fashion Fair make good foundations, concealers and powders for black and dark olive skins. Clarins, Nars and MAC make good foundations, concealers and powders for fair and light olive skins).

Apply some loose powder heavily to the under-eye area and tops of the cheeks before doing the eye make-up. (Any falling glitter from the eyelids will fall on top of this powder, and can be easily brushed away with the powder after you've finished doing the eye make-up, without any of the fallen glitter marking the skin below the eyes).

Get an eyebrow pencil or eyebrow shadow the same colour as your eyebrows, or slightly darker if you have very fair eyebrows, (for very fair eyebrows use a taupe colour); and using light feathery strokes, gently fill in your eyebrows all the way along their line, to give them better definition. Then brush them in an upwards and outwards direction using an eyebrow brush.

Select two different colours of loose glitter for your eyes (e.g. colour combinations such as gold and blue as in the photo, which look striking on black skin; or copper and green which look striking on redheads; or silver and lilac which look striking on blondes; or purple and midnight blue which look striking on brunettes; or bronze and deep green which look striking on olive skin). (MAC make nice loose glitters in small pots). Squeeze a bit of a gentle sticking liquid from MAC called Mixing Medium onto a thin-tipped eyeshadow brush, and then dip the brush into the lighter colour of the two glitters. Then apply the lighter colour glitter to the inside halves of your top eyelids, taking it up as high as your socket lines. Then apply a line of it along the inner halves of below your lower lash lines of your lower eyelids. Be sure to get the glitter right up to your lash lines. Next take another thin-tipped eyeshadow brush, squeeze some MAC Mixing Medium onto the brush, and then dip the brush into the darker colour of the two glitters. Apply it to the outer halves of your eyelids, top and bottom, but this time extend it slightly past the outer corners of your eyes, to points, to form triangle shapes, or "cat-eyes", as shown in the picture.

Blend the two glitters together on your eyelids, and make sure there is some overlap between where the two colours meet halfway across your eyelids, so that there isn't any definite dividing line between the two colours.

If any bits of glitter are out of line, use a cotton bud to gently remove them.

Apply a couple of coats of mascara to both top and bottom eyelashes. Use black if you're dark haired, or brown or brown-black if you're fair haired or redheaded. Lancome makes good mascaras. Start the mascara right from the roots of your eyelashes, so that they look the same all the way along (particularly important if you have fair eyelashes). Comb through your eyelashes after applying mascara using an eyelash comb, to separate the eyelashes and get rid of any clumps of mascara. Then apply some false eyelashes if you like.

Using a large powder brush, gently brush the loose powder (which any fallen glitter from your eyelids will have accumulated on) away from under your eyes and tops of your cheeks, starting from the inside corners of your under eyes and brushing outwards towards your ears. But be careful to only brush below where the line of glitter is under your eyes, so that you don't displace it. Make sure that the skin is looking free of fallen glitter, apart from on your eyelids where it should be.

Select a pink loose glitter for your lips. (Fuchsia pink looks good on black and olive skin, and baby pink looks good on fair skin). Squeeze a bit of MAC Mixing Medium onto a lip brush, and then dip the brush into the glitter. Then apply the glitter accurately all over your lips keeping within your lip line, instead of applying lipstick.

If any bits of glitter are out of line, use a cotton bud to gently remove them.

Et voila! That's how to create the "Glitter Queen" look. I hope you enjoy creating it and/or wearing it! It's good for wearing to parties or going out at night.

Links to my work and my contact details.

2010-03-02T16:57:00.000-08:00

Links to my work and my contact details

You can check out my work on my web site at: http://www.LSMakeUp.host22.com.

My more recent work can be seen on Facebook at: http://www.Facebook.com/pages/Make-up-Artist-Lucie-Strong/116200438395456, on Flickr at: http://www.Flickr.com/Make-up_Artist_in_London, and on MySpace at: http://www.MySpace.com/LucieStrong.

You can follow me on Twitter at: http://www.Twitter.com/LSMakeUp.

If you would like to contact me regarding me doing make-up for you, my phone number is: +44 (0)7958 008954, and my e-mail address is: luciedstrong@hotmail.co.uk.