Inspirations of 2010

Okay, so I've done a products of 2010..now I wanted to do a kind of who has inspired me blog!

2010 has definitely been a year of learning and luckily for me, I have had lots of people to learn from and be inspired by!

So this will not be a long post full of pictures, but a few links to the wonderful people I have either had the pleasure of meeting and learning from or have gratefully found this year! I appreciate their efforts so much and since trying my hand at youtube and blogging along with working, I know how time consuming it can be and just wanted to say a HUGE THANK YOU!! xx

Here goes-

First and foremost, pixiwoo, aka Sam and Nicky Chapman it goes without saying that without you two, this year would not have been possible, you are beautiful, kind and inspirational ladies! Thanks loads xx

http://www.youtube.com/user/pixiwoo

 If you have a spare min, take a look, I can promise you, if you like makeup, hair or just nice people, you will find something here you like!

Another wonderful Makeup artist- watch her site, you will see what I mean

http://www.youtube.com/user/lisaeldridgedotcom

Carly of Glitterdollz7, I watched her tutorials over and over in the summer, she can create anything from a pin up look, trends to the craziest and most amazing art work i've seen! Take a look xx

http://www.youtube.com/user/Glitterdollz7

Ashley of Hollywoodnoir, i love her accent, and the ideas and passion behind her looks! Just as beautiful as she is!

http://www.youtube.com/user/HollywoodNoirMakeup

Next are a few of the lovely ladies I met or have either attended the fashionface course, I love keeping up with them on here and find they keep me going too!

http://www.youtube.com/user/rajnee

http://www.youtube.com/user/millmollmac  http://beautybloggingblonde.blogspot.com/

Another favourite, is Tanya, who is Sam and Nicolas kind of sister in law and she is such a delight to watch and learn from..watch and see...

http://www.youtube.com/user/pixi2woo

a new addition would be Siobhan on Letzmakeup, can:t stop watching!

http://www.youtube.com/user/LetzMakeup

Hope you like this post and find something in it which you find interesting! I have loved all of these this year!

Thanks ladies!

Jo xoxo

Favourite products of 2010

Favourite Products of the year 2010!

Well, 2010 is nearly over and what a year it has been! It started off with a cold..and looks like it is ending with another! ah well..we still have wonderful makeup and beauty products to keep us cheerful! :)

For me, 2010 has been a huge roller coaster which started in Feb when I attended the fashionface.tv course with the lovely Sam and Nicky Chapman, it was an adventure in itself leaving my husband and children at home for the week and setting off on a trip which I knew would change things forever! I met some wonderful ladies who I'm still very lucky to keep in touch with and who inspire me everyday!

I am now lucky enough to have a career in a something which I love and do you know what, as much as it is frivolous, girly and at times a little self indulgent, being a makeup Artist and a mummy makes me feel alive and I love helping other people to find their confidence and enjoy how they look!

So thanks to you all for a wonderful makeup and beauty year, here are my favourite products of 2010! 

Let's start with the amazing Embryolisse moisturiser.its creamy without being greasy, protective and suitable for most skin types..A must for my kit and for me when my skin needs some TLC!

UNE 100% mineral foundation, not something I had tried until I stumbled upon http://makeupbykaty.blogspot.com/ but for those who don't like a full coverage of foundation but like to have clear looking skin, this is just gorgeous! Velvety on the skin and is build able!

 MAC cream colour base in pearl.....just the perfect highlighter! it's not too silvery, or peachy just creates a beautiful glow for summer of winter skin!

Laura Mercier products, I cannot speak more highly of her luminous silk creme foundation, it covers well, but is still light enough and luminous so feels like applying anew layer of clean fresh skin! Fab for older skin types who need a little bit more evening out of skin tone but without the heavy coverage look. Sets well on it:s own and is long lasting! I need more of these in my kit in 2011! Other two favourites from Laura are the translucent powder which provides a beautiful velvet finish and is so fine, and the iconic secret camouflage concealer! It would be hard to be disappointed with any of these products!

Eyeliners have been huge for me this year, along with false eyelashes, I've found I can create so many looks and change and enhance the eye! Top of the list this year will be clinique gel liner closely followed my Avon supershock eyeliner which is the blackest, smoothest pencil I've ever tried! A new addition is the elf dual ended mascara, waterproof and everyday in one handy wand!

For the lips, favourite lip pencil of the year Laura mercier in babylips, and favourite lipstick Estee Lauder Crystal baby.. both just lovely! 

My babies! Well, not my actual ones but these are my very favourite two products! Beelicious garden girl palette purchased from the wonderful website cocobeau

http://www.cocobeau.co.uk/

and my MAC pro neautrals palette!

Hair care..Schwarzkopf silver shampoo, great for cool blonde's AND cool brunettes! Keeps my lovely goldwell smoky brown and minky colours looking fab! Also Goldwell sun reflects treatment conditioner. I use this every second wash and it keeps my hair healthy and shiny!

 oh how i love this makeup bag! I have two favourite makeup bags,  one which is by benefit which i think is called the 'betty' bag but strangely I call this one my Betty bag as it reminds me of the makeup artist Lisa Eldridge's gorgeous cat called .....Betty! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ujl-eZUg9Ck

and as I have two British short haired cats, this is just the best!

 BarryM cream foundation in white is my go to product which lightens any of my favourite foundation shades if I find they're a little too dark or warm in tone! It may not be brilliant on it's own but the white one has served me very well this year!

 MAC studio fix fluid..I know it's not every one's cup of...well foundation but on the worst blemish ridden days, or if oil is taking over..this one does the job! Spritz with a little MAC fix + first and you're away! Covers blemishes, keeps oil at bay, photographs very well, (possibly looks better with a glowy blush on the cheek such as benefit coralista or a Bobbi Brown Shimmer brick) but it is for me, a bit of a life saver at times!

 

Okay, this must be the updated version of my hair tongs found on http://www.hairsupermarket.com/p/54 but these have been amazing and I love the way they make my hair look every time I use them!

Thanks for reading and I hope everyone has a fabulous new year! 2011 will be my year for youtube and blogging so keep a look out!

See you soon!

Jo xoxo

It's been faaar too long since I last blogged..

I've been really busy during wedding season and have LOVED every minute of it!

Only thing is, it's only left me time to look after my two boys, clean brushes, buy more makeup..ummm not all that bad then!

A little photo of my lovely friend Nicola, who inspired my rant about my love for these foundations, she really has the best skin!!

So, mainly as I've been meaning to blog about some of my favourite products for a month now, I thought I'd start with my Chanel foundations and bronzer..

I've had these in my kit for over a year now and love them so much have just re-purchased pro Lumiere in 20, vitalumiere in 30 and pro Lumiere in 50 to have a reasonable range to mix. It was purely indulgent but I added the bronze universel to my purchase, mainly as I've always wanted it and I figured, hey, it's the summer, I may have a tan (yes, from st tropez and xen tan ) so will get my use out of it!

I love all of the 'lumiere' products but 'pro' and 'vita' variety's seem to work the best for me, although I would certainly say the 'matt' and 'lift' are good too, for different skin types.

So..what do I love about them?? well, I can't ever forget Sam on my pixiwoo/fashionface course explaining why these work so beautifully but be it the correct explanation (or not too accurate) here is my way of explaining- Pro lumiere is a medium coverage foundation which gives a luminous finish. Something to do with 'spherical particles, bouncing light, flawless skin, you know) Do not be fooled into thinking this is not for those of us who have vaguely oily t zones, it's nothing a little bit of powder can't eliminate!

It is truly beautiful, I like to think of it as a second skin for my face, but a whole lot clearer and more glowing! If it's natural, flawless and glowing skin you're after..I would say give this a try! Below is a (rather bad) pic of me..with Pro lumiere 20 on..possibly some translucent powder over t zone. My skin is really not the most perfect either so you can see how good I think it is at evening and perfecting everything..

In the picture below I have more of a tan, so this is vitalumiere in 30. Equally as lovely as pro, but a little more sheer and glowy, so if you prefer a slightly lighter finish, or have dry skin, this is beautiful!


I can very definitely say I cannot imaging ever being the right colour for 50 (unlike my gorgeous friend Nicola who has such a beautiful warm bronzed tone to her skin) however it is a good colour to use to add a little in to my other foundations to match up the colour depending on tan. On the pic below I added a tiny pump of 50 to my 20, and it just added a nice warmth to the colour.

There you have it..a few of my most certain 'cannot live without' items..

Do you have any favourites cannot live without items??! xx0x

Make-up Milestones (just a quickie!) ;)

Just a vaguely random one.. i literally have thousands of photo's, I take them ALL the time, anyone would think I either walk around with a make-up brush in my hand OR a camera....

This basically means I have a full and detailed photographic record of pretty much every possibly situation happening in my life, which may have something to do with why I have quite a photographic memory (figures huh??!) Aaanyway, here are just a few pics which make me smile when I think of how life has changed for me such a lot since this time last year. ( I was then a bank manager..i know... weird!)

Here's my first ever photo shoot working with Annia Harrup photography..it was very very cold but thanks to my lovely friend Kate, we got through it and I have to say, although I was a little slow.. the end results were amazing!

Post Sam and Nicola Chapman/PIXIWOO/FASHIONFACE tv course work! Soaping out brows is down to you Sam, thank you!!

Pre- FASHIONFACE course, I love this one, okay, it's certainly no way perfect make-up.. but it kept me thinking I was doing the right thing booking on the course!

Aww.. I look so young..and with MUCH less make-up on! (yeah, I did it myself..) haha! My lovely wedding day to my lovely man john x aww x little mash in the background with grandpa!

totally forgot about this pic! Will never ever forget the wonderful time I had back in Feb 2010 with the lovely ladies on the course! Change life moment..! xx xx xx