Time for a Makeover!

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www.vicky-brown.co.uk

vicky@vicky-brown.co.uk

Vicky Brown Hair and Makeup Artist

based in Hertfordshire

My Wedding Makeup- October 2014

I thought I'd finally get round to doing a little post about what makeup I actually wore on my wedding day back in October at South Farm! Whilst I had the wonderful Lauren Taylor do mine and my bridesmaids hair; I decided to do my own wedding makeup; not out of fussiness but purely because I knew exactly what look I wanted, how long it would take to do and what products would last all day!

Before the day I did a few makeup trials, as I would for any of my brides. I started with the look I thought I wanted, dark smokey eye's with browns and gold, that of which is normally found in bridal magazines....but it just wasn't right. Over and over again, something...just wasn't right, it didn't look like me...Fine for an evening out but not for the wedding day photo's.

So when the wedding day came, I did my makeup the same as I normally wear it...with just a little more time and care taken and a few extra products that I knew would add the perfect finishing touches:

Primer: Benefit's Porefessional is an oil free cream that can be used on it's own or as a primer and it helps minimise the look of pores. It's a perfect base for foundation but doesn't work for dry skin.

Eye Primer: I use MAC's Paint Pot in "Painterly" which is a highly pigmented eye base which dries fast and I find holds eyeshadow amazingly well.

Under-eye Cover: I couldn't be without Illamasqua's Creme Pigment in "Emerge." The peach colour is perfect for neutralising the blue tones under the eye and works well with the camera. YSL can cause bounce back if a flash is used and cause a grey appearance to the skin.

Foundation: Without fail it had to be Illamasqua's Skin Base. SPF free, I find that it is less oily than other foundations and like all of Illamasqua's collection it is designed to work in a professional HD environment so looks flawless on camera.

Concealer: Sadly I got a big spot right in time for the wedding day but thankfully, I knew that MAC's Pro Longwear Concealer. would do the job!

Contour: There's no right or wrong products with contouring (unless you use shimmer, that's wrong...) for the wedding day I used the Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation in 01 (white) and a slightly darker tone 10 to "enhance" the cheek bones. I combined this with a little of MAC's Sculpting Powders.

Blusher: I love MAC's Springsheen Powder Blush I used to use Pink Swoo but they discontinued it :(

Powder to Set: Whilst the foundation is matt coverage, it's still super important to set it with powder to help it last. MAC's Mineralize Skin Finish Powder is nice and lightweight but doubled up as a great pressed powder to keep in my clutch bag for the evening.

Eyebrows: I use Illamasqua's Eye Brow cake in Thunder as it's a great powder that has a nice natural colour. I took the time to highlight above and below the brow with a little white foundation to make sure my brows were camera ready. I get my eyebrows tinted, threaded and waxed (whatever it takes to have good brows!) and it should be noted that makeup can't always work wonders; if your brows are in bad shape, get them sorted!

Eyeshadow: Nope....I don't really wear I eyeshadow so I just kept it neat and clean.

Eyeliner: Liquid Liner is my makeup trademark so I couldn't be without it on my wedding day. The only difference is I went below the eye rather than just on the upper lid, it helped make my eyes look more defined and dramatic. I've tried so so so many and my absolute favourite is Collection 2000 Fast Stroke Liner  about £2.99 from Boots.With a foam tip applicator, it goes on smoothly and softly and gives a nice black pigment...and it stays on!

Mascara: Benefit's They're Real Mascara is AMAZING. The silicone comb inside does a lot of the hard work admittedly as you can comb through multiple times without it getting clumpy and depositing too much product. It's not technically waterproof but it really doesn't come off. I considered using lashes on the day but didn't bother in the end, I gave my lashes a helping hand by lifting and tinting them the week before so even without mascara they looked long and dark:

Bronzer: I tend to bronze after I've done the rest of my makeup so I can see how much I actually need. Once eye makeup is done it can look a little more dramatic and you may find you need less. I used MAC's Bronzing Powder in "Refined Gold."

Lip Colour: I don't wear lipstick very often and find that I'm self conscious about it when I do. Instead I wore a little of MAC's Lip Pencil in "Dervish" and MAC's Lip Gloss in "Partial to Pink." 

Vicky Brown Hair and Makeup

based in Hertfordshire

www.vicky-brown.co.uk

My Everyday Makeup Bag

There's a lot of pressure as a hair and makeup artist to try and look well presented all the time. On meeting a new client I know that they (rightly or wrongly) will make a snap judgement on whether they would like me to do their hair or makeup based on how mine is done; and whilst I could be creative and bust out a Smoky Eye or Christmas Glitter, this may actually terrify a prospective client! I keep it clean and simple.

My approach with makeup is that "less is more" and I personally don't like to feel that I'm caked in heavy products. Flawless, healthy, glowing skin is always on the wish list and I think that anything else is just a bonus!

Working on my feet for long hours, I don't often get time to check in the mirror which means I pick products that I know will genuinely last all day. Whilst my everyday makeup products might not all be suitable for my professional kit due to ingredients and hygienic application, they're the best that I've found. You wear your hair and your face everyday and they should be your most expensive item's of clothing!

With professional application there are certainly a few more steps, techniques and products used but for every day, I use the following in this order too:

Primer:         I always wear a primer, every day without fail otherwise I know what little makeup that I have put on, has disappeared by midday. Benefit's Porefessional is an oil free cream that can be used on it's own or as a primer and it helps minimise the look of pores (and fine lines!) and helps foundation glide on super smooth. If my skin is particular dry I'll swap it for MAC's Prep and Prime Skin which is a good all rounder.

Concealer:     I don't always use a concealer (it depends on how whether my skin is behaving!) but if I do it's MAC's Pro Longwear Concealer. It lasts really well and isn't too thick and stodgy like other concealers.

Foundation:     I choose to use Bare Minerals powder for everyday wear as it gives good coverage and because it's a powder it's really light weight. My backup foundation is Illamasqua's Skin Base; it's so flawless I used this on my wedding day and always reach for it if my skin is misbehaving and needs better coverage. Skin Base is really lightweight and doesn't contain SPF which I think makes it feel less oily and greasy....I love it, love love love it.

Eyebrows:      I use Illamasqua's Eye Brow cake in Thunder as it's a great powder that has a nice natural colour. I just use eyeshdow in my kit as honestly I don't think there's any difference in the products; perhaps Illamasqua's is a little more waxy.

Liquid Liner:     Liquid Liner is my makeup trademark, I always wear it and if I don't everyone assumes that I'm ill! I've tried so so so many and my absolute favourite is Collection 2000 Fast Stroke Liner  about £2.99 from Boots. I don't think I'm the only one who know about this little gem either as it's always sold out so I buy multiple when I get the chance! With a foam tip applicator, it goes on smoothly and softly and gives a nice black pigment...and it stays on! Unfortunately I can't use it in my kit as the applicator isn't hygienic and using disposables just isn't the same. I therefore use Illamasqua's Eyeliner Cake  alongside their Sealing Gel. One drop of this product turns any powder into a colour-intense, water-resistant paste that dries quickly and lasts for hours. Perfect as a set gel or sealant, blend with Powder Eye Shadow, Pure Pigment, Eye Brow Cake or Eye Liner Cake.

Mascara:        Benefit's They're Real Mascara is AMAZING. The silicone comb inside does a lot of the hard work admittedly as you can comb through multiple times without it getting clumpy and depositing too much product. It's not technically waterproof but it really doesn't come off and makes your lashes look awesome. I use this in my kit too.

Bronzer:        I tend to blush and bronze after I've done the rest of my makeup so I can see how much I actually need. Once your eye makeup is done it can look a little more dramatic and you may find you need less blush and bronze. I use Benefit's Hoola for bronzing and contour. It's shimmer free, comes with a perfect contour brush and the packaging is cute. I tend to use a contour pallet in my kit as I need a variety of shades but for easy every day "chuck on" application, this is a winner!

Blush:          Whilst this depends on your skin tone of course, for English-Rose type skin, a pretty pink normally works a treat and I love MAC's Springsheen Powder Blush I used to use Pink Swoo but they discontinued it :( 


Like everyone else, I don't have an hour to put on my makeup everyday and actually when I'm up at 5am for a wedding, the last thing I want to be doing is my own hair and makeup so quick and reliable products are a must! Xx

Vicky Brown Hair and Makeup

www.vicky-brown.co.uk

Simple Everyday Brows...

There are two types of people in this world...those who "brow" and those who don't...I love love love doing eyebrows and I'm a great believer in brows framing and therefore shaping your face. Some are blessed with amazing brows and really don't need to do much to them but for most of us mere mortals, they need a bit of help; a bit of taming or filling in.

It's important to have your eyebrows shaped occasionally by a professional as it's incredibly easy to get tweezer happy over time and lose the natural shape. Everyone's eyebrows are different shapes and sizes and quite often need filling in due to the thin eyebrow fashion of the 90's meaning that they just haven't recovered and regrown. Threading is the kindest option (it hurts...a lot yes) as it doesn't affect the skin unlike waxing which can leave the skin sore.

If you've got a good shape, you may just need to fill in the brow but if you need to draw a shape, this guide will hopefully help a little but it does take practice and time to work out what you feel comfortable with.
-The eyebrow should start in line with the inner corner of your eye, hold up a makeup brush or pencil to find this point.
-To find where the eyebrow should end, hold up a makeup brush (or pencil again) and line it up from the corner of your nose to the outer corner of your eye and keep this imaginary line going; that's where your eyebrow should end. It's the most flattering angle and draws the eyes upwards and helps open the face and create feminine and large looking eyes.
-Finding where the arch of the eyebrow should be is the hardest part and you do learn overtime. Again, using the makeup brush trick and looking in the mirror directly ahead of you; line up the makeup brush from the corner of the nose up through the pupil of the eye and up to the brow.

Now time to fill in the shape....as with all makeup there's no right or wrong but just make the best of what you have; start out with less and you can always add more.
There are some great starter kits Benefit Brow Zing, Sleek or HD Eye & Brow Palette.
I keep it simple and just use a brown eyeshadow and a small angled brush, I don't actually like the waxy look that some of the kits give and prefer the brows to look as natural in texture as possible.

You can use a makeup wipe or cotton bud to run around the edges of the brow to tidy them up afterwards. I then use a highlighter beneath to help them look sharp and clean (only if I have time of course!) please please please pick something that doesn't have shimmer in it...unless you're going to an 80's party....then shimmer is fine...
When I'm doing eyebrows professionally and for weddings, there's a little more TLC that goes into this process but for a quick everyday look, I use a quick swipe of YSL Touch Eclat. It's not good in photography but for everyday use, it's precise and and easy to use:

Finishing touches are then completely up to you; I like my brows clean and sharp but I think it's important that they look soft at the start as they would naturally would be. You can keep the brows sharp and precise or really just use a light dusting of powder just to add a bit of colour and definition which may be a good option if your natural hair colour is very fair and you're still getting used to the process.

Again, please don't think that I'm saying it's wrong if you do your makeup another way, there's no right or wrong but this is just the easiest way I've found to do quick and easy everyday eyebrows.

Hope you find it useful! Xx

Vicky Brown Hair and Makeup

www.vicky-brown.co.uk

Quick Trick Smoky Eye!

I recently posted a blog on Autumn/Winter 2014 Makeup Trends and thought I would show you a really quick and easy way to get the big smoky eye look....nothing professional, just a quick and easy cheat! This technique can be used with darker eyeshadow for an evening look or a much lighter colour for daytime but the principles are the same.

The most flattering angle for the wing of eyeshadow is from the corner of the eye up to the outside of the brow; this angle draws the eyes upwards and outwards and makes the eyes look bigger and feline in shape.

Between getting up close to the mirror with one eye shut and reaching over with an eyeshadow brush, it can be really tricky to get this angle perfect on yourself. A foolproof way of holding this angle is to use a stencil; this can be a piece of paper, a receipt, a magazine page or if you find yourself getting a bit cack-handed...use Sellotape! You may want to do this before putting any of your base on if you're worried about making a mistake or the Sellotape (if you're using it!) pulling foundation off.

Selecting the darkest shade for the outer corner of the eye, press the eyeshadow brush upwards towards the browyet stopping before reaching the brow- don't forget you can always add more so start with less.

When the stencil is taken away it leaves the eyeshadow with a perfect angled edge. Choose a second lighter shade of eyeshadow and apply to the middle section of the eye and a third lighter shade still (if you have time!) and apply to the inner corner of the eye and blend the colours together. If you take the eyeshadow too close to the brow you can clean this off with a cotton bud and add a bit of foundation below the brow to make it look fresh again.

It's now completely down to personal preference how to finish the look. I like to keep the edges sharp and crisp for an evening look, however you may wish to soften them with a clean brush or just with your finger tip for a softer daytime look. In the below image I added a little of the dark eyeshadow beneath the eye using a small brush, followed by liquid liner across the top lashes and a coating of black mascara.

I hope you find it useful and if you have any questions or other looks you'd like help with, please give me a shout!

Vicky Brown Hair and Makeup

www.vicky-brown.co.uk

How to Bronze, Blush and Highlight

Confession: I've used to be a blush-a-phobic.

I have rather fair skin but have pink undertones and in moments of extreme heat or freezing temperatures, my cheeks always flush so I could never quite understand why I would want to add more pink! Don't get me wrong; I've known how to use blusher for years. I've been taught how to use it on paper and in practice and I've applied it to clients correctly for years too; but It's only been this year practising makeup for my own wedding that I've finally got it....I really get it! I love bronzer, always have and always will but rather than just coating myself with bronzer in the hope to look tanned and glowing from the non-existent holiday; I now see how blusher, bronzer and highlighter are made to work together.

Excusing the ridiculous faces I've had to pull to demonstrate how to apply it, you can see the difference it adds to skin tone and cheek shape...This is the best and easiest way I've found to teach and demonstrate where to apply bronzer, blush and highlight. Professionally I take a bit more time and use bronzer to contour other areas of the face too but for day-to-day makeup....this is the trick.

Bronzer or contour powder should create the effect of a shadow beneath the cheek bone- think Kate Moss and the hallowed cheeks of the heroin chic look from the 90's! We all have cheek bones... but some are just hiding a little deeper than others so to find where best to apply the bronzer or contour powder you can a) turn your face away from direct light to see where the shadow falls b) pull the silly face that I am doing in the below picture by sucking your cheeks in or c) draw from the centre of your ear down towards the corner of your mouth with the powdered brush.
I use Hula by benefit as it doesn't have any shimmer and is therefore quite natural. You can use bronzer with shimmer in it but it's going to be a little more noticeable.


Once you've mastered bronzer, the blush sits directly above this in a parallel line. Now you don't want streaks of colour so of course you'll need to apply this softly, don't forget that adding more is far easier than taking it all off. Some people apply blusher to the apple of their cheeks- this is when you smile widely and apply the blush to the rounds of the cheek and if this works for you, that's absolutely fine but I just find it a little old fashioned! I use MAC Springsheen or Pink Swoo, both very similar colours but I find they suit my skin tone best. You can use corals, berries or brown shades if these work better for your skin tone.

Highlighter is designed to imitate light and it should be applied to the highest point of the cheek which is pretty much eye socket bone (you can feel this with your fingertips if you're not sure) up to the temple. Highlight can also be used across different areas of the face but again, for day-to-day makeup I don't really have time to do this so best to keep it quick and simple...in-fact I don't always put highlighter on! I'm a fan of Benefit's High Beam or Lancome's powder highlighter.

There's no right or wrong with makeup so if your technique works for you, then that's great but I hope you find this helpful! x

Vicky Brown Hair and Makeup

www.vicky-brown.co.uk

Autumn/Winter 2014: It’s Eye Makeup or NO Makeup

Winter is coming…and whilst that’s a great excuse to dig out those oversized jumpers to hide beneath ready for Christmas hibernation; now is the time to dig out those eyeshadows you casually bought 2 years ago and have never worn because this Autumm/Winter, It’s Eye Makeup or NO Makeup!

Use metallic eyeshadows, bold eyeliners, caked on mascara or even whopper lashes….just make sure to do eye makeup. Bold eyes were used all over the catwalks this season used by designers from Burberry to Dior and it’s worth giving it a go as it can really transform your look and compliment an outfit.

If you already wear bold makeup, why not go nude…on the face that is! The one thing that will never   Use a super hydrating face cream before any makeup application to ensure your makeup looks fresh all day rather than drying out. My favourites are Bobbi Brown’s Vitamin Enriched Face Base; rich in feel but never greasy, this oil-free face formula, with Shea is the perfect base and can be used as a hydrating primer before makeup application. For super dry skin, I like Bobbi Brown’s Hydrating Face Cream; this lightweight formula continues to keep the skin hydrated for hours on end.

falter is radiant skin; Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter, we all want great skin so make sure to look after it as the cold winds set in.

Ultimately fashion’s change every season and there’s no wrong or right with makeup, so if you just want to go for the traditional red lip this Christmas then go for it, it’s a timeless look. Makeup always wipes off thought so don’t be afraid to try something new this winter!

Vicky Brown Hair and Makeup

Based in Hertfordshire

www.vicky-brown.co.uk