Happy Easter from Made Over Ladies...

Spring is my favourite season I love all the blossoms, lighter nights, the lambs, the yellow spring flowers, and of course, the Easter Eggs! This year we had a Made Over Ladies egg hunt with the little ones and I'm not quite sure who had more fun!

Kirsty had decorated the the house beautifully paper pom poms and hand stitched Easter bunting framed the front entrance.  

                 

Time to get this hunt started! The kids had a ball looking for clues and seeking out those eggs!

                  

                 

    

Proud of their finds these wee happy faces make it all worthwhile.

                

Time to work it off...egg & spoon race! All lined up and ready to go they were so good at this and there was only a few splatted eggs.  Morven won for the bigger kids & Evan took the gold for the little ones! 

               

We finished off the evening with playing out late in the sunshine, munching on eggs whilst us mummy's chilled in the evening sun. 

               

Poppy managed to take five minutes out for a quick pose!

              

Happy Easter to all our family & friends,

Amy & Kirsty xxx

                        

Storyboard- 'Homecoming'

Today is our 5 year anniversary.  When I look back on our wedding I'm reminded of all the love and generouisty that surrounds us, the happiness that I felt that day from waking up feeling like it was Christmas morning, my dad walking me down the aisle, our first kiss as husband and wife to dancing the night away with all our family and friends.  It's a feeling I will always carry in my heart wherever I am. 

Love you honey happy anniversary x

The Make up Brushes you NEED.

The word NEED is the key word here!!  The make up brushes you hold in your arsenal are there to make the task of make up easier. I have lots of brushes in my professional kit and I wouldn't expect any one person to need the same amount of brushes to use on themselves. Fact is sometimes too many brushes can be confusing! I'm sure if you go to a make up counter they will have a lot of brushes on offer that you don't necessarily need but they certainly can help in making doing your own make up easier , better and making it more long lasting. This post will give you a guideline on the brushes you require to do make up on your self and overview of the brushes I like to use.

When I bring out my brush roll I usually hear a little swoon and the occasional gasp yes they look impressive and they really allow me to do my job well they are made up of a combination of the original brushes I trained with (from Napoleon Perdis), a select few MAC brushes and some from Real Techniques. My own personal brushes are an even more a random selection that I've collected over the years. The fact is you will never need as many brushes as a professional make up artist as you have these wonderful things called fingers that you can supplement your tool kit with! I will come back to fingers in my next post.

{What brushes do you need?}

Here is the list I give my #molmakeuplesson clients and remember you can have more or less than these and you can use them in a multi-purpose way. 

For a flawless face: 

• Foundation brush this can be a flat foundation brush or a rounded buffing style/Kabuki
• concealer brush- again flat or rounded
• powder/blush brush or both
• Kabuki or buffing brush (if you are over the age of 20 you fill find this brush helpful!) 

Planning on making eyes at someone... you better get these on your list:

• eyeshadow brush a flat brush for ‘laying down’ the colour
• eyeshadow brush a fluffy brush for blending in the crease of your eye for example the infamous 'MAC 217'
• angled liner brush
• Eyelash curlers (shu uemura expensive at £20 a pop but trust me totally worth it!)
• A 'spoolie' for combing though your brows or you could use a clean mascara wand

Lips are the first thing a man notices about you....apparently

• lipbrush 

{Size isn't everything ladies!}

When picking your brushes keep the size of your features in mind. A big voluminous powder brush might be ok just to apply a layer of translucent powder to set your make up but its unlikely you will be using it for anything precise...the smaller the brush the more precisely you can use it. Maybe choosing a smaller powder brush would be better and you can multi-use to scuplt your face with bronzer, apply your blusher and use it to powder (don't forget to clean it off between each step) If you have small eyes a big eyeshadow brush isn't going to be much use to you you will likely end up getting shadow everywhere go for a smaller more precise brush or if you have big eyes a small blending brush isn't going to help your case much either!

{No messing about...buy these brushes}

I'm a big fan of the Real Techniques Brush sets and this is not  a sponsored post I've just decided to break it down and make to easier to decide what to buy.  They are beautifully soft dense brushes that last well...sometimes the descriptions are confusing for example the deluxe crease brush is not an eyeshadow brush but more a 'buffing' concealer brush so use it to buff concealer under the eyes without sinking into fine lines. Putting a big brush like this near your crease shouts out panda eye to me even in the hands of a professional! So look at the brush and think of it in it's possible multi-use forms could you use a fine eyeliner brush with a bit of concealer to pin point conceal a blemish? I think so! These are my go to brushes I recommend The Core Collection and The Starter Kit  (you can buy directly from the affiliate links at the bottom of this post) The Buffing Brush is my favourite when applying foundation it really gives an amazing airbrush style finish. This is also my go to brush for make up top up I usually 'buff' with a clean brush if there has been any settlement of the make up in fine lines or frown lines!  I also like the expert face sponge (use damp) to apply foundation and blend off hard edges off concealer/blush etc.  If you don't want a whole set and are only looking for a buffing style brush for quick and airbrush style application I recommend the Expert Face Brush.

I am a BIG fan of the Kabuki brush and all it's variations and the Eco Tools range also do these so well and are great value for money. Im also a big fab of their tapered blush brush for applying bronzer in a contouring way.  You can buy online here. 

Good brushes are an investment, the majority of my brushes were bought over 7 years ago but because I have maintained them and taken care of them they are still in good condition, so yes, this might be somewhat of an outlay if you are starting from scratch but there is so much option out there you can have a good selection of brushes for any budget.

I hope this has helped you in the quest to the find best make up brushes to use in your own tool kit. These brushes are all high quality with a reasonable price point so you can afford to spend a bit more on your make up! We will revisit tools in a future lesson & how you can use fingers effectively in your make up application. 

{shop the post}

Real Techniques Core Collection (Orange kit) *free worldwide shipping

Real Techniques Starter Set   (Purple kit) *free worldwide shipping

The expert face sponge *free worldwide shipping

or 

  

{More on how to do your own make up...}

Skincare & Inro to MOLMakeuplesson

or if you are Melbourne based and would like to book and one on one lesson or special occasion make over read more about my make up services here. 

Skincare and Intro to #molmakeuplesson

This is the first of my series on make up DIY which I am doing hand in hand with make up lessons with my clients.  You can use these posts to refer back to after your lesson or if you are reading online to guide you in your make up application.  Please do not be shy and if you do have a question please feel free to post it as it may be something that someone else is struggling with.

I was astounded by the response I got requesting 'guinea pigs' to sample my new service of make up lessons.  I have always been asked about doing lessons but have always thought people would prefer to head off to their local MAC counter where you can pick up tips and redeem your money against products however I have began to realise that not everyone likes the "you've been MAC-ed look" and I must admit I do like the odd MAC makeover but I suppose I am very specific on the look I am going for and I usually like the results...recently I have been seeing these horrendous wet look eyebrows coming out of MAC so if you are heading there be sure to ask for a natural brow finish!

Anyway on to lesson #1 and I might add I am not a skincare professional this routine is what works for me & my skin.  

Skincare for me starts before bed I cleanse all the make up off and I like to do this a few different ways.  
1. With a make up remover I love my Bioderma or Sephora Waterproof Make Up Remover (you can read more about my thoughts on those here) 
2.With a cleansing oil- a favourite of mine is the Superfacialist Una Brennan Skin Renew Cleansing oil (have a look here) I just warm a few drops up in my hands as soon as you rub your hands together the lovely scents of rosemary and rosehip are released (it makes you feel better instantly) I like to do a facial massage and some deep  breathing as the smell is sooo good and very relaxing. 
3. With a babywipe after a night out...oooh I'm so naughty! As long as you get the make up off it doesn't really matter how you do it!

image from www.luuux.com

Here's a fab image on facial massage I do this most nights before bed and I prefer to use an oil, either my cleansing oil or I use a deep hydrating oil which sinks into the skin.   You can treat yourself to a host of gorgeous oils but I really love using natural oils such a pure coconut oil too or good quality carrier oils.  With benefits such as skin plumping, firming and radiance boosting can you really afford to not give facial massage a try! 

On really dry skin days for me I like to apply a night cream after the oil for a really powerful dose of moisture! If you are prone to spots or your skin tends to flare up with too rich a product try a lighter but still skin nourishing serum.

In the morning I don't really have to cleanse my face as such as I have generally done all the hard work the night before.  I just give my face a wash with a gentle cleansing milk or just splash a bit of cold water on my face (in an attempt to wake up usually!) but apparently this also helps close pores.  I apply my moisturiser, eyecream & lipbalm straight out of the shower so it has plenty of time to absorb before I do my make up.  It's a good idea to grab a glass of water at this stage then by the time you've got your face on you are already one glass down :)

The only other things I do when it comes to skincare is exfoliate once or twice a week to do this I use my cleansing milk and a muslin cloth I don't like really abrasive exfoliaters I find them too harsh.  Another fab thing for skincare is facemasks I am a big fan of sleep in facemasks which basically you put on when you go to bed and wake up looking lovely and plump (I have also been known to put this on thinly before my make up when I've had a few too many vinos the night before and my skin is begging for moisture!). In fact I had actually popped this on before bed the day I woke up to the #nomakeupslefie nomination and I was super glad I had that combined with my HD Brows made for a not so scary one!  I also love the fresh facemasks from Lush with Angels on Bare Skin being my firm favourite for quite some time.  There's something just so relaxing about a facemask I love taking the time to do them and my skin reaps the rewards...I'm off to put one on right now! x

If you are interested in a make up lesson with me please send me and email on amy@madeoverladies.com and look out for my weekly DIY make up series on the blog.  Feel free to let me know if there is anything in particular you would like covered!

The Rules of Wedding Make up

What a nice surprise to see my name in lights again....well not quite lights but I always get a little bit excited when I see something I have written or worked on appear in print whether that be in paper or online...

Let me draw your attention to 'Made In Scotland Magazine' that is an online directory and magazine that celebrates all things Scottish, Beautiful and unique and it was my pleasure to write an article on 'The Rules of Wedding Make up' in issue #6. 

You can get the low down on three of my most requested looks for bridal make up 

Polished & Natural
Photo courtesy of lushweddingphotography

Subtle SmokeyPhoto courtesy of Marc Millar Photograghy

Making a statement
Photo courtesy of jawnmcmlenaghan.com

I hope you enjoy the article and thank you to my lovely brides Katrina, Suzi & Corrine for sharing their gorgeous wedding photos with me.

French Fancies...

I'm just back from a trip to Paris to celebrate Miss Poppy's second birthday here's the gorgeous girl on her big day...

As most family holidays go it was pretty fabulous but a lot of hard work! So of course I got myself some goodies as my own reward here I will give you a quick rundown on my purchases, what my thoughts are and to see if they are going to make into the kit bag! So here's my french fancies....

Bioderma- Micelle Solution

 Ok so I'm perhaps a little slow on the uptake with this one as this product has been on the market for about 6 years and has a massive cult following on the beauty circuit.  I generally love my tried and tested Sephora waterproof eye makeup remover as it literally melts away the make up but I feel can leave a bit of a slippy surface fine for if you are stripping your make up and applying a nice nourishing serum or night cream before you jump into bed but not great for correcting a mistake or for cleaning up the skin before applying base (as if you've had your make up done by me you know I generally do eyes first). I actually love this stuff so I am well and truly jumping on the band wagon. I felt it was light and didn't leave a film on my skin but still effective at removing my gel liner and waterproof mascara which for me if always the hardest thing to shift!  This product does not contain soap so cleans up your skin keeping it balanced whats also fab as you don't have to rinse it off so if you feel sometimes you find adding extra water is drying for your skin you have just dab your face with a towel and also makes it great for mid makeover clean ups.

 

Benefit Gimme Brow

I mentioned this in my Spring Treats post which you can read here  well I finally got it as I was very sensible and waited until we got on the ferry to make my purchase (thus saving on the duty) I had it out the packaging on my brows before we hit Calais! I chose the medium/deep and there's some helpful instructions and pretty pictures on how to apply, the wand is teeny tiny and did not disappoint I would say put the first sweep out of the tube at the arch of your brow then work towards the start of your brow so the most of the product is concentrated away from the front.  Its the most natural way to your brows and avoids the 'sharpie brow' faux pas!  I do love this product it give me great individual hair definition which I don't get from anything ever (my brows are sparse and fair) it also has tiny fibres through it to thicken out your brows.  I have added a little bit of my usual shadow on an angled brush to elongate the tail of my brows and that has made this work perfectly for me.  Good to use on it's own and over shadow.  As for being waterproof it lasted swimming with two over zealous kids so of course I didn't put my head in the water or anything but there was lots of splashing!

L'occitane Ultra Comforting Cleansing Milk (which apparently is no longer available in the UK sorry I didn't know this when I bought it but according to L'occitane the 'Shea Cleansing Milk is the newer and advanced version) another cleanser as I'm fed up of feeling like I have tight sore skin after I wash my face.  Of course winter has taken it's toll on my skin and I am definitely drier than usual particularly on my forehead (flaky is not pretty).  I love anything described as a 'milk' as I just feel it will be gentle and kind I really like this but not necessarily for cleansing my face from make up more like cleaning a reasonably already clean face so maybe if you've done a good make up removal and you feel you need a calming wash or great for first thing in the morning when all your really doing is washing off your night cream and freshening up. Love it! No scent as such just feels soft and all the natural ingredients makes you feel quite virtuous.

Sephora Eye Liners

Sephora Eye Liners- Can you believe this was my first time in an actual Sephora shop! I nearly burst with excitement and when I explained to my husband what it was I watched his face fall when he clicked on I was about to spending our Euros on make up! I did not go as mad as I thought I would, I loved looking at the Marc Jacobs Beauty collection that has just been released but I didn't splurge.  I do now sort of regret not treating myself to one of the gorgeous Style EyeCon Paletes but as I had just re-stocked my MAC palette I thought I would take a deep breathe walk out the shop then If I realllly felt I needed it I could go back...have a look here if you can't resist though!  I would probably go for 'The Starlet' if I was buying as it has a rust/orangey tone I would die for. ANYWAY! So I treated myself to some nice new liners as this is something I seem to have ran out of all at once.  I chose a few from the Sephora collection I opted for Tiramisu as I love using a brown liner in bridal make up and being waterproof I knew it would be great.  Also great for my kit is Tango Night- which is a black purple so would make a great base for a smoldering purple smokey eye, I also chose 'Diamonds are forever' which is quite a sparkly grey colour.  Lastly I opted for lovely skin colour liner called 'Blonde Ambition' which I will be using mostly on myself to give me a bit more of an open eye look.  (This holiday left me needing a holiday to get over it!) If you want to try out any of these or anything from the Sephora collection I have just discovered they now ship to the UK.....oh this could be dangerous! 

Agatha Necklace- Finally this was a lovely (non make up related treat) for Miss Poppy and myself.  We are sharing this gorgeous Agatha necklace as a joint mothers day/second birthday gift.  She has so many toys and is always so generously treated by our family and friends we decided to buy her a beautiful keepsake in Paris that she can wear when she is older.  It was actually really hard to find something in Paris that was french themed but not tacky so I was uber excited when I came accross Agatha (particularly as it had my girl crush Alexa Chung as the face of Agatha...I was sold).  We chose this gorgeous Eiffel Tower love heart necklace that is engraved with a poem in French on the back.  I love it and will take good care of it for when she is old enough to wear it and we can tell her she got it in Paris. Apparently the French describe the Effiel Tower as "une monstruosité "(although don't quote me on that as I think my source was the episode of SATC when Carrie moves to Paris with the Russian) and also that the French are rude but we had lots of immaculately styled women (mostly) interacting with the kids and making them laugh on trains etc.  I found it all quite delightful and will always have happy memories of our Paris adventure. Hope you've enjoyed my french fancies...Au revoir xxx

***Just a little note to say from now on were possible I will be using original photography on the blog so please bear with me while I work on my photography skills!***

Storyboard- ' Mon Cherrie' x

Meet the gorgeous Cherrie her wedding morning was the most chilled and calm we have ever had! We loved her wedding lipgloss entitled 'Walk of Shame' by Urban Decay which gave us all a giggle. We think you will agree Cherrie's look is endearing, beautiful & glowing such a beautiful person which radiates through in her pictures. Thank you Cherrie for letting us be a part of your big day x

            

MOL Eras

Behind the scenes on an MOL shoot can be a mixture of high energy, fun and sometimes mania.  This one was true to that observation!  We planned a shoot to feature our favourite eras in wedding fashion over the years we had so much to fit in and so much we wanted to achieve.  Most of our costume choices are authentic to the decades stated and we were amazed at what great condition they all were in.  Some of these images have been published and some are never before seen so keen to hear your feedback and if you have a favourite!

Our first look was roughly based on 1920's hair and make up.  Kirsty chose big soft waves complemented perfectly with a bejeweled brow band, I made the feature of the make up a flawless slightly flushed skin and berry stained lips.

This look is inspired by the finger waves and the upturned berry pouts of the 20's but the finished look is less 'dress up' and appears effortless, sophisticated and most of all wearable.

Gatsby meets old hollywood.  We didn't set out to do a a 1950's look per se but this look started off by adding an extra flick of liner and a vampy red lip.  What quickly evolved was a Gatsby/Old Hollywood mash up with a perfect faux bob by Kirsty.  The result was my favourite look of the shoot.

Our next decade to tackle was the sixties, with a variation on the bridal theme we chose an alternative bridesmaid look.  The back combing happened swiftly and expertly by Kirsty, the middle part keeps the look modern and sultry.  I added liner, neutralized the blush and opted for a more contoured cheek, lashes to the bottom lash line and added a peachy nude lip.

The 1970's time for something different...

This 1970's fucshia and lace bridemaid costume was pristine.  The headpiece was adorned with pink and orange blooms. Kirsty teased the hair and created adorable curls that framed the headpiece perfectly I mixed a custom shade of lipstick using a fushia pink and orange to compliment the outfit. 

Finally, we fast forward to the 90's.  This is sleek, uncomplicated but impactful and true to the decade.   The nineties isn't a decade much referred to when it comes to bridal inspiration but the finished look was fresh and gorgeous.

We love that bridal fashion changes throughout the decades and loops back to styles and looks of the years gone by and we had fun recreating our favourite eras.

Hair, Make Up & Styling by Made Over Ladies

Photography by Martin Sweeney

Thanks to our model Brogan.

What do you really need to top up your wedding make up?

My brides always ask me what do I need to 'top up' on the big day.

Here's my top 3.

Lip colour I am a big fan of the urban decay lip junkie.  This is a fantastic all rounder when it comes to lips it's not sticky, it's conditioning, it's pigmented. The tube is pretty with a delicate design to compliment your wedding clutch perfectly.  Gorgeously scented and lip plumping properties makes this a wedding day must have! Search colours here

Powder. Eek nobody wants to be a shiny face bride but in the same breath I wouldn't want you being a cakey face bride either! If you do suffer from shine I would have already prepped your skin with a mattifying primer however I choose MAC Blot powder to touch up if you need to! Get yours here.

Blush. The easiest way to add a youthful flush to your wedding day make up is a fresh blush. I like to push the product into the apples of the cheek then sweep upwards along cheekbones. A blush & highlight combined is a sure fire way to nail that wedding day glow. Try Urban Decay 3 in one palette "flushed" that has bronze, highlight and blush all in one! Grab one now here.

Wedding day or big night out these products will help you stay looking perfect all night long!

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/11883811/?claim=kxgppkbwysd">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Is it spring yet..?

I love winter make up you can really go all out and overindulge. I loved the deep berry stained lips and luxe textures we were wearing to compete with the rich and sumptuous surroundings that Christmas decor and winter textiles have to offer.  Although it's only February and it's still rather chilly out there I'm ready to move on to the fresh spring looks we crave after as the the lighter nights surprise us and the blue skies start sneaking in.

Spring make up for me is fresh and dewy and glowing.  It is the perfect partner for the pastel palettes we see in spring fashion I like to choose a light coverage base to really let the skin shine through.  I concentrate on really buffing the base into the skin using a kabuki brush or a fluffy blush brush it gives you a seamless almost airbrushed effect skimming over fine lines.  A fresh light base doesn't mean you shouldn't conceal do use your concealer to cover blemishes and dark circles.  A lighter concealer can also act as an uplifting highlighter just blend the edges out thoroughly. Dig out the bronzer and use it in a gentle sculpting way to help define cheekbones (suck in the cheeks), outer corners of the forehead and under the jawline.  The aim is to make your face shape more oval.  Top up colour with a pop of pink or peach on the apples then sweep a shimmery highlight just above the blush.

Defined brows are still a make up must for me. I'm looking forward to Benefits release of 'gimme brow' that has a dinky little brush with 'volumising fibres' sounds like a fabulous time saver to me! As always curl your lashes and apply some lovely black mascara. I finish this look by adding my highlight to brow 

bone, inner corner of the eyes and just above the cuspids bow and a generous helping of lip balm.

It's far from a complicated make up look and it's my fail safe that never let's me down.  Products I'm treating myself to this spring are Benefit Gimme Brow, MAC Well dressed Blush & Lanolips 101 ointment x

Streamlining your make up bag...

Ok I just treated myself to a new make up bag for my personal use. If you have ever seen my professional kit you will wonder how I decide what products do the best make up mileage for me and when I say that I mean durability, ease & speed of use an finally value for money.

Here's my top tips...

The make up bag itself shouldn't be too large. You can have a larger make up collection but for everyday use try and keep your make up stash to a smaller size make up bag it's so much easier to find what you are looking for that way. For me the best make up bags are (on the most part) translucent again the best way to find what you are looking for. My pick of the bunch was a cute birdy Ted Baker number it fulfils most of my requirements including the ability to zip right open (again best for digging around for that essential eyebrow pencil) and also fab that's it's wipe clean!

Ok so what's inside. Ideally I like to choose multiuse products or use them in a multiuse way. Here's a few ideas of how to use your products to their full potential. Why not try mixing your normal concealer with highlighter instead of buying a light illuminating under eye concealer, try a multiuse lips & cheeks product, use your bronzer to create definition on the eye crease, use eyebrow pencil/powder to define brows & lash line, use lip balm to brush & smooth stray eyebrows, use a matt bronzer to contour & mattify cutting out the need for powder...it's actually endless what you can do with different products it's just about thinking outside the box.

Here's my top 10 products for a quick & easy but beautiful face. These are just examples of products there are thousands more out there to try & experiment with!

Beauty Serum- I really like the products from nspa a selection of reasonablly priced skin care products that are really good quality. Try the Illuminating Beauty serum as a primer so apply just before your base. If you feel you need more moisture than this put your moisturiser on just after you get out of the shower so it has some time to sink in first then go ahead with the serum. I also like the facial oil from this range.
Foundation- I personally love illuminating products so for me I can't get enough of budget buy Wake me up by Rimmel don't forget to powder the areas if you tend to get too shiney but at least for the rest of this month I'll be hanging on to a sheenier finish to my skin before the winter matt looks really kick in. Cream eyeshadow- I actually really love the Creaseless Cream Eyeshadows by Benefit. I'm not a huge fan of their products although I love their blushers I think alot of the expense goes on eleaborate packaging and not the product itself but these are nice. Apply with a fluffy eyeshadow brush my suit anyone shade is 'Flatter Me' or you can alsouse darker shades as liner.

Bronzer- love my bronzer to not only add colour but also contour and add some structure to the face. My all time favourite is the MAC Mineralise Skinfinish natural but for a much more matt effect try Bourjois there's another blog post on contouring have a look at that for tips.
Mascara- You cannot go wrong with Max Factor False Lash effect and I always choose waterproof
Lip balm love love love Lansinoh it's really for cracked skin on nursing mothers but I think it's the mother of all lip balms!

Eyelash curlers- go to Shu Uemura and treat yourself they are worth the investment
Eyebrow pencil/powder love the MAC eyebrow pencil in 'lingering' it suits so many different people there are also tons of brow kits available that you could use as eyeshadow or vic versa a good eyeshadow can make a fabulous brow powder for dark hair coulours try MAC eyeshadow pot in Espresso and for lighter tones try Cork
Blush & Highlight way too many ones I love but try the products that have blush & highlight incorporated look at the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks for inspiration there are loads of products 'inspired' by their original design and a great one for mutliuse e.g. use on cheeks, eyes, highlight the inner corner/browbone or cupidsbow...

Concealer I'm really loving the Lumi Magique by L'oreal which is more about illuminating than strong concealing if it's a cover up issue go all out on a Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Kit. So that's about it! For me everyday make up is all about how you can make yourself look better in as fast a time as possible with minimal messing around and zero time fiddling. We are all so busy getting to work, getting the kids sorted and doing the school run it's all about quick and easy beauty. I have linked back to the Boots website quite alot as I love the advantage points scheme it's a great way to get yourself a little treat which for me was my lovely new make up bag. Hope this has been helpful and if you'd like some assistance giving your make up bag an overhaul contact me where you can have a make up shake up & lesson for the special offer price of £25...

Winter shoot planning & my little helper

Made Over Ladies are busy planning our winter shoot! Following the success of our Vintage Wedding Story we are taking on another era. Here is a sneak peak...and one of my little helper!

A vintage wedding story...the insider!

Just wanted to give you all the inside story on our recent photo shoot "A vintage wedding story" that we shot on location in the beautifully quaint South Queensferry with a gorgeous backdrop of the bridges and little hidden lanes with intriguing double front doors lined with miss matched pots blooming with daisies and pansies. Graeme Webb (based in the Scottish Borders) was our photographer and the lovely Brogan was our model.

The dresses. We were astounded by the beautiful condition of both dresses given that they were both almost 4 decades old. The first was a white longsleeved handmade full length dress with caped sleeve and modest train. The vintage lace detail around the empire line and trim round the cape is so simple yet the impact it makes is just stunning. We teamed the dress with a simple vintage hair clip, flat mary jane style pumps in white and a hand tied pink daisy posie (hand made by our talented Kirsty). The finished look was innocent, pretty and pure. The second, again handsewn, was a high necked lace dress layed over a beautiful lilac cotton with a long gathered sleeve and statement train. The daisy trim around the neck, empire line and sleeve was so sweet and we loved it so much we echoed the daisy theme in the hand tied daisy posie (again Kirsty's multi talents at work) and daisy hair clip.

The low down on Brogan's make up. We wanted to keep Brogan looking fresh and youthful but playing up the drama in the eyes. Her base was simple with minimal contouring and a sweep of MAC's Fluer Power powder blush over the cheekbones I complimented this with a sweep of highlighter just above the blush and graduated this up to the temples. Eyes where a combination of Urban Decay's 'Sin' over the lid with 'Toasted' worked into the crease, I then smudged 'Sin' along the lower lashline and inner corner of the eye to reflect the light and add a bit of luminosity to the look. I used MAC fluid line in Blacktrack to define the upper eyelash line and after mascara applied a full set of lashes. Lips where kept neutral in the first shots with a smudge of nude lip colour applied with a finger then later change to a berry tone(Lipstick Queen Jean Queen) to compliment the lilac of the second vintage dress. The finished look was simple but effective and authentic to a seventies bridal look.

Our fabulous stylist Kirsty worked her magic on Brogan's hair. Firstly Kirsty smoothed out Brogan's hair so it looked smooth and shiney then added volume using rollers. Again we wanted the hair to be uncomplicated and once on location Kirsty worked on Brogan's hair firstly by sweeping the front section back and away from Brogan's face. This made for such a simple elegant style and accessorised perfectly with a vintage clip. The second hair style was a modern twist on the vintage theme. Kirsty piled Brogan's hair up into a beautiful up do perfect for any special occasion from a wedding to a red carpet event. I was a bit mesmerised by the speed that she did so. A simple ivory daisy clip was used to accessorise the style and tie in with the daisy detail of the beautiful lilac dress. Both looks were perfect for the feel of our theme.

A vintage wedding story...meet our vintage bride, wed in the seventies, dreaming of daisy chains and happily-ever-after.

Lashtastic!

Sorry for the cheesy blog heading I couldn't resist. Just wanted to let you all know about this fabulous new product by one of the false lash front runners: Eylure.

These beautiful lashes give a top and bottom set that are really quite easy to apply and give a beautiful 'open eye' finish to your eye make up. They are less fiddly than the individuals but add just the right amount of drama to the eyes! I particular like these ones teamed with a monochrome 60's eye with a generous helping of black liner . A la the Iconic Twiggy...

And if you are a Britain & Ireland's Next Top Model fan the fabulously bitchy but normally accurate Ms Grace Woodward was sporting them in this weeks episode.

They are also on offer in Boots so try them out if you feel like adding a bit of a twist to your make up!

One for the eyebrow obsessed...

I am an eyebrow obsessive...it's often the first thing I notice about someone and everyone's are different. I like to maximise my brows maybe because nature wasn't so generous to me in the brow dept and I've always been jealous of those who are naturally well endowed when it comes to brows! I change my brows depending on the look I'm going for which is something the brow blessed don't have the same flexibility with so here I count myself lucky.

If you need a little help in filling in your own face framers try the Boots No 7 Precision Brow Pencil. The formula is a lot creamier than a kohl pencil and blends easily making a more natural looking brow. The pencil is wide with a flat edge which makes pencilling in more graphical/squared off eyebrows nice and easy. It might take a bit of practise but once mastered a well groomed eyebrow can work wonders for the face even with minimal make up else where on the face.

Fabulous and free!

I love a glossy magazine nearly as much as a glossy lip...pick up Red (July 2011) and you can have both! Nab yourself a lovely new Jemma Kidd lip gloss rrp £14. I went for the 'perfect red' but there is also a lovely tango orange and a lighter peach tone. All are quite sheer, super glossy and fabulously free!

A treat for lips...

Are you like me and addicted to lip balm? I have been ever since I purchased my first little tin of Vaseline (you remember that little round tin don't you?) I applied like it was going out of fashion,on the hour every hour. Nature intended for your lips to be moist and soft. Dry and flakey lips are the result of getting into the vicious cycle of applying lip balm. So, can you break the cycle? YES just stop putting it on, of course your lips will have to go through a period of re-training and yes they are going to be sore and flakey and dry and probably not that attractive.

So, if like me, you would rather humour your insatiable lip balm addiction treat yourself to this...it's lovely, tingly, softly tinted and smells gorgeous.

Embrace your addiction!!

Doing bridal the right way- go Kate!

How could I resist a blog entry on the newly wed Kate Middleton's beautiful bridal look? Her make up was lovely and was pitched just at the right level not too much and not too bare. The rules for bridal make up are no longer about looking 'natural' the new rules are...there are no rules!

I loved Kate's heavy eyebrows, flushed cheeks and smokey(ish!) eye with the clever use of eyeliner. Some brides shy away from eyeliner as they don't want their make up to run but modern formulas are so much more wearable and don't run as easily as you might expect. I do recommend some definition on the eyes as it makes your eyes stand out so much more in photography. Choose formulas that are tear proof and if you really want to try it out go and watch a tear jerker after you've had your make up trial!

Kate's beautiful face was self made and she trusted her judgement in what to go for, if you are used to wearing eye liner every day why would you change this on your wedding day? I like that Kate had obviously packed a touch up bag- did you notice the fresh sweep of blush over her cheekbones by the time they made it to the balcony in time for 'the kiss'? Do take along the essentials with you- lip colour, blush and face powder. Even the best make up products applied with the most up to date techniques is going to wear off eventually (especially with all the kissing!) so don't be caught out and take along some products to re-apply. Oh yes and my tip is save the kisses for your hubbie all the rest can have air kisses...mwah!