Work it Out: From Face Chart to Fierce

As you can see from my profile, I'm a trained makeup artist so I thought I'd give you a little insight into my work (and my portfolio!) by showing you how a look for a photo shoot translated from a face chart to a final image.

From This.....

To This...

Now, I'm the first person to admit I struggle with face charts but I am trying to stick with them, it's always good to have an idea of what you want to do.

I'm not sure how interesting you'll find this post but I thought it'd be nice to share a little snip from my book.

If you have any requests for posts, please let me know and I'll get around to them :)

Have a lovely Sunday!

Vicky xoxo

Blog Award: Tell Me About Yourself

So, it's a Saturday night and I'm housebound with a rotten cold when I get a message from the lovely Leona at Shopping Bag Full Of Dreams telling me she has given me my first blog award! Super excited so here we go....

Here are the 'rules' of the award:

- Thank and link back to the person who awarded you

- Write 7 random things about yourself

- Spread the love to 20 other bloggers

So... thank you Leona! I love your blog so it's super nice to receive this award.

Fact One: I am absolutely obsessive about sport. I'm an avid football fan (Chelsea) and a bit of an anorak when it comes to boxing - they're definitely my two favourites. Over the past year I've also really got into hurling (it's an Irish sport) and golf to the extent where I'm tempted to take golf lessons....

Fact Two: Las Vegas is my dream holiday destination. I've been fascinated by the lights, the history and the 'glamour' of Sin City since I was a little girl.

Fact Three: I'm obsessed with shoes and I will not feel complete until I have a pair of Louboutins in my collection.

Fact Four: Snatch, featuring Brad Pitt, is one of my favourite films of all time.

Fact Five: Pretty self-explanatory - I am an only child.

Fact Six: I absolutely despise birds but I adore penguins!

Fact Seven: I love the theatre and I am determined to see Wicked on Broadway. I saw it in London a few years ago and it was the best musical I've ever seen.

So, there we go, those are my facts. Pretty boring but I never claimed to be interesting ;)

I Tag:

* http://zaffirobleu.blogspot.com/

* http://shanicesays.blogspot.com/

* http://huskiii.blogspot.com/

* http://confessionsofamakeupaholic2011.blogspot.com/ 

* http://www.fitznbitz.com/

* http://lainspiration.blogspot.com/ 

Sorry that isn't 20 people! I found it really hard to select people who hadn't done it before! If I've tagged you and you have done it and I've missed it then I apologise!

Have a lovely weekend!

Vicky xoxo

Haul: Illamasqua Theatre Of The Nameless

As I mentioned previously, I went to Illamasqua on Friday; I only went in there for a lip gloss but it didn't take long for the Theatre of the Nameless display to catch my eye and, with the excuse of 'buying for my kit' I picked up the following:

Powder Blushes (l-t-r): Ambition (<3); Morale.

RRP: £16.50 each

Both are absolutely stunning and whilst Morale looks the scarier of the two, it applies as a beautiful rose pink with a shimmer finish and is truly stunning. Ambition is a neutral shade with a shimmer finish and is currently my favourite of the two, I've been looking for a product just like this for so long and as always, Illamasqua have produced one that has exceeded all expectations. I have a feeling they'll end up in my makeup bag rather than my kit!! 

Top: Morale; Bottom: Ambition (apologies for poor swatching, I can't get the hang of it!)

Pure Pigment in Beguile.

RRP: £15.50

I adore the Illamasqua Pure Pigments and when the MUA pointed this shimmery little beauty out to me I instantly snapped it up. It's a beautiful light shimmer that you simply have to play with -- use it to highlight, mix it with other products, wear it on it's own, turn it into an eye-liner with Illamasqua Sealing Gel; the uses are endless and the effects beautiful.

Masquara in Raven.

RRP: £15.00

The main rival to 'Ambition' as my favourite new product. Potentially the best mascara I have ever used. Illamasqua claim this little beauty will:

                   lengethen, define and dramatise to extremes...

A bold claim that is made by many but fulfilled by few however the Masquara certainly ticks every box. 

Masquara takes longer to dry than other mascaras which the MUA helpfully informed me was to prevent clumping. The 'wetter' formula also enables you to layer the mascara without ending up with sticky spider lashes. 

The brush is big but not too big (Collection 2000 Big Fake Lash I'm looking at you) and you're able to get into the inner corner of the eye and the thickness of the brush certainly helps to build volume.

Obviously, with my own Masquara I'll be using the brush provided however, with the Masquara in my kit, I will of course be using dispoable mascara wands which, if the product and application are good should make no difference but I'll keep you posted on that one...

There are more than a few other things in the collection that havve caught my eye and that I will no doubt go back to purchase.

What do you think of the Theatre of the Nameless collection; have you tried it? I'd be interested to know your thoughts if you have.

Have a lovely week.

Vicky xoxo

Twenty One...

So.... it was my birthday on Thursday and I turned 21!! I'm not really big on birthdays, even 'big' birthdays -- I really don't like the attention!

I thought I'd share a few pictures with you - I did take a decent picture of my eye makeup but it's still on my camera so I'll update this post with that picture later.

For anyone who is interested here is my Face/Outfit OTN.

Face

Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream in Light

Illammasqua Skin Base Foundation in 04

MAC Light Peach Colour Corrector

Chanel Loose Powder in  20 Clair

Eyes

MAC Paint in Bare Canvas

MAC Electra

Urban Decay Naked Palette 'Gunmetal'

Urban Decay Naked Palette 'Creep'

Illamasqua Masquara in Raven

Ardell 109 lashes

Illamasqua Pure Pigment 'Beguile'

Cheeks

MAC Sculpt contour powder

MAC Blush in a mix of Peaches and Well Dressed

MAC Vanilla Pigment

Lips

Illamasqua Sheer Lipgloss 'Rouse'

 Tan

Fake Bake 

Nails

OPI - My Private Jet

Perfume

Paco Rabanne - Lady Million

Outfit

Dress - Warehouse

Belt - Warehouse (with dress)

Heels - Linzi Shoes in Romford

Clutch - New Look

Bracelets - Pandora and Tresor Paris

I also went on a little makeup shopping trip, mostly for my kit but I picked up a few new Illamasqua products that I hope to post about tomorrow :) 

Have a lovely weekend

Vicky xoxo

MAC Deep Truth

Okay, I must have seen this eye shadow a hundred times before in MAC yet until the other day I'd never even bothered to swatch it; "hmm, pretty" I'd mumble before looking at something else.

Recently though, I have been on the hunt for 'the perfect deep blue eye shadow'; described by MAC as a 'true dark blue', it is a frost finish and it goes on smoothly and blends beautifully.

with flash

Excuse the brows, I have a threading appointment tomorrow...

As you can see, I couldn't wait to try it on so I decided that I'd slap it haphazardly all over the eye and hope for the best and do you know what? As sloppy as it is, I bloody well love it.

I think this shade would look particularly beautiful on darker skintones and equally striking on very light skintones.

I implore you to check out this eye shadow next time you're in MAC as it really is an absolute gem and a great alternative to a black smoky eye.

Vicky xoxo

High Roller

I have a love/hate relationship with velcro rollers, it's as simple as I love them and they hate my hair. Until recently I could spend hours (literally hours, I have a LOT of very thick hair) carefully coiling my hair onto velcro rollers, waiting patiently for the curl to take and then unwrapping my hair from the rollers with the enthusiasm of a child on Christmas morning only for my hair to look exactly the same as it did before I spent the best part of an afternoon attending to my mane.

However, I was browsing Boots about a month ago when I stumbled (quite literally, somebody had left the box on the floor) across *these* Trevor Sorbie rollers. The voice of experience told me to leave them whilst the voice of "oooh look how many and all different sizes! For only £15!" said: BUY THEM. So I did.

I forgot to take a 'before' picture so just think 'flat'.

Fitting nearly a whole box of rollers in my hair left me feeling very pleased with myself!

I varied the size of the rollers I used, keeping the largest ones for the crown area to create maximum volume. I kept to mid-size to large rollers as I knew there was no way, even in hair roller heaven, that these babies would curl my hair. That, unfortunately, requires serious amounts of heat and patience.

Before I placed the rollers in my hair, I ran my GHDs through each section of hair to provide the heat the style needed to set. The hair cools around the roller and takes shape that way.

Ta-da! Volume AND bouncy hair! After taking the rollers out my hair looked as though it'd just been blow-dried at the hairdressers; I always love my hair after it's been blow-dried at a salon, mainly because I don't have the time nor the patience to do it myself. However, the rollers gave me the same effect and I most certainly have the patience for them! Kate Middleton hair, be mine!

One more grainy webcam shot just for fun :)

Are you a hair 'high roller'?

Vicky xoxo

OOTN: Back to Black

On Saturday my friend held her 21st birthday party as a joint event with her twin sisters who turned 18. I didn't take a camera but I snapped a few pictures on my BlackBerry to share with you all.

This picture amuses me greatly...

I know you can't really see my makeup very clearly but I'll break it all down here anyway :)

Face

Soap and Glory 'Glow Job' moisturiser

Illammasqua Skin Base Foundation in 04

MAC Light Peach Colour Corrector

Chanel Loose Powder in  20 Clair

Eyes

MAC Paint in Bare Canvas

Inglot shimmery white (not sure of the name - can't get it out of the palette!)

MAC Electra

MAC Expensive Pink

MAC Hepcat

MAC Sketch

Urban Decay Naked Palette 'Creep'

Max Factor False Lash Effect mascara

Ardell 109 lashes

MAC Reflects Gold pigment

Cheeks

MAC Pearl Cream Colour Base

MAC Sculpt contour powder

MAC Dame Blush

MAC Petticoat MSF

MAC Vanilla Pigment

Lips

MAC Angel

Chanel Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss in 57 Insolence

 Tan

Fake Bake (not impressed with the application - will post later!)

Nails

Barry M Pink Flamingo

Perfume

Paco Rabanne - Lady Million

Outfit

Dress - River Island

Heels - New Look (old season)

Clutch - New Look

Bracelet - Pandora

Have a lovely week!

Vicky xoxo