PIXIWOO Course August 2011

Most of you may know by now that back in August I took part in the 5 day intensive make up training with Samantha and Nicola Chapman.

I have long wanted to pursue a career in make up, it's something I have debated doing since my university days but had so many other time consuming interests that it always got pushed to the back.  However, over the years I have satiated the ambition with helping out friends, family and friends of friends with make up for events or simply the odd make up lesson here or there.   My blog also came as a breath of fresh air 3 years ago when I started it mainly as a make up blog but since then it has grown arms and legs.

My destiny is in my own hands and it's up to me to do something about it and my first steps on that mission was the Pixiwoo course.

It all started with a gruelling journey to Norwich, who'd have thought it was so hard to get to from Bonnie Scotland but I made it in the end.  I shouldn't forget to tell you what a beautiful and scenic place Norwich is ... it's absolutely lovely!

Meeting the Pixiwoo girls was a teeny bit of a starstruck moment, I was the first to arrive on day one and I'm not even sure I could find words to speak to them at first.  If you know me, you will know this is totally out of character.  I was struck instantly with how stunningly beautiful both Nic and Sam are in the flesh.  They don't need a scrap of make up - lucky devils!  Nic was also blooming in late pregnancy, giving us some R'n'B dance performances with her Harry bump, i've never seen such an agile preganant lady!

There were 9 girls on the course plus our gorgeous model Ashley and they were all a delight to learn with.  I feel I have made some great friends which is a delightful bonus you don't necessarily expect.

So back to the course, we started off the week learning about hygiene, natural make-up, contouring and a classic smokey eye before moving onto creative/drag make up, period make up and then a bit of freestyling toward the end of the course.   There wasn't a day that went by where we didn't leave the studio with a wild made up face as we experimented with products and looks on each other.

Examples of some of my coursework

The course definitely opened my eyes to areas I had previously ignored and helped me see where I needed extra coaching and practise.  It has definitely set me in good stead for starting as a freelance make-up artist and I now have a qualification to prove I know what I'm doing, something I wouldn't dare start a business without.

It was a fantastic week and the girls on the course as well as Sam and Nic really made it all the more enjoyable.  It was so sad to say goodbye to everyone but we are already in touch on a regular basis as we all pursue different routes in the world of make up artistry.

I have now set up as a freelance artist and I'm in the process of finalising my website and building my portfolio of work and already have a wedding and magazine shoot under my belt which I am over the moon about.  I am still pursuing other interests especially within the realms of social media but who knows maybe one day this could be a full time career, here's hoping! :)

x

The iPhone Diaries ...

It has been a struggle to dedicate time to blogging this week, I have been too busy setting up my business website, facebook, twitter, arranging and buying more goodies for  my kit and taking on board all the advice from Sam and Nic after completing the Pixiwoo intensive training.

I am dying to tell you all about it and about my transition to working as a make up artist as it's been on the cards for a long time and something I have actively pursued over the last 10 years but simply hadn't had any formal training or the guts to actually pursue it as a career.

Anyway instead of yabbering on, here's a peek at what I have been getting up to recently through the eyes of my i-phone ...

A bit of chunky bling from Primarni ... I quite liked that it was tacky with a mix of feminine and masculine shapes and material.  Sometimes you have to place tongue firmly in cheek when it comes to accessories.

Airport shopping, on my way home from Norwich I had a bit of a boring wait at Stansted Airport (that was until Danny Dyer ended up on my flight! Schwing!) .  I amused myself at MAC, Mulberry and my favourite but overpriced All Saints.  I was lucky, it was sale time, I picked up a maxi kaftan for my upcoming trip to Morocco :) 

I tried these wedges on in All Saints.  Loved them but didn't purchase.  Regret.

Yoo Moo! Something else Stansted had me hooked on.  I had never had this brand of frozen yoghurt where you fill your cup add some toppings, weigh then pay ... bit like pic'n'mix.  It was delicious and I've been craving it ever since I got home.  Is Yoo Moo available in Glasgow?  If you know, inform me! 

A somewhat shameful purchase.  A 'fake' bag!!!  I feel dirty to even admit it.  But you know, the Celine Boston Tote is somewhere in the region of £2k and it would take me until 2020 to a) save up for it b) justify that gut wrenching cost on a bag.  So, with the help of eBay I picked myself up a real leather version for £50.  Feel free to judge.

Aaah Chanel D'Illusion Ombres.  Everyone is raving about them, me included.  The latest souffle like eye cream/shadow/mousse from Chanel come in an array of metallic shades and are part of their permanent line.  I used some on the Pixiwoo course last week and loved them so picked up Epatant this week.  I did a bit of midnight make up experimenting and I can safely say it is beautiful worn alone (bottom pic) but also does a wicked job of creating a dark, dramatic smokey eye when layered and blended with a darker shade (top pic).  In this case I used MAC blackground.  Think I may go for this smokey look tonight.

In other news, this time next week, I will be flying to Morocco so I need to get myself organised and packed.  I am planning on taking minimal make up but not sure I can kid myself on by trying to downsize on the wardrobe.   I also got my first DSLR this week - the Canon EOS 600D.  I am still learning how to use it but hopefully you will see much better quality images here from now on.

Hope you are all having a fun weekend!!

x

Another EOTD

It's been a very busy week so I've not had much time for anything so I thought I would show you another effort from when I was having a play with the Sleek Graphite palette.

This look was completely inspired by Pixiwoos video.
I followed the Pixiwoo's tutorial as much as I could. Using the dark grey/silver from the Sleek palette all over my lid and blending out with the lighter silver. I then used the purple shade from the palette on the outer v and crease of my eye and on the inner quarter I blended through some Urban Decay Mossgreen. I brought the grey from the graphite palette underneath my eye and then used a blue shade I had lying around on top (can't remember what this was)
I finished off with some MAC fluidline in blacktrack and YSL Singulier Mascara. Again with some tweeking and more care I could definitely wear this for the party season.

What do you think? Tips always welcome :)

x

Chanel Pro Lumiere and Revlon Colourstay Combo

So last week after months of hunting for the perfect foundation, I decided on Chanel Pro Lumiere. (Majorly influenced my Pixiwoos wicked tutorials - love love love)

I have worn it quite a bit now but as much as I love it and think it gives great coverage, I believe i was sold the wrong shade. I am quite pale but wear a lot of fake tan. On this basis i was sold a shade that was slightly darker - 1.5 Cendre. Now i didn't really think this was a good idea at the time but i tested it on my skin and thought it was fine in the shop (underneath all the artificial lighting!!! isn't that such a pain!?). However, since then i have felt it just makes my skin look dirty! Flawless ... but dirty! If that sounds possible.

After reading Hele's blog and her trouble with returning products to Chanel I decided against going back and thought i could just use it for nights out when i am tanned to the max ... however, this morning while putting on my make up I noticed that my Revlon Colourstay in Sand Beige was actually very similar to the Pro Lumiere in 1.5 Cendre although the Chanel is a tad darker. So i decided to mix and see what i came up with.

Well, it came out almost perfect in colour .... just the inbetween of the 1.5 Cendre and 1.0 Clair/Cameo that my skin needs when i am tanned! Whoop Whoop! Not only that but the coverage it gave seemed to be a lot smoother and less shiny that the Pro on its own and less dry and matt than the revlon colourstay on its own - fab! Now i would post pics of what it looked like on and the differences of them on their own but I am afraid to say i do still feel a bit shy about this. Not sure why!! Will need to pluck up courage in the future.

I do love Pro Lumiere but sometimes i feel i need to powder my nose so to speak with it on as i seem to look overly shiny at times. However, for my next purchase i think i will go with the Matt Lumiere in 1.0 Clair/Cameo as I tried this as a sample and it left my skin looking flawless and was the perfect base for the rest of my make up. It would be great for wearing to work through the week when i am not always so tanned.

So top tip girls if your foundations aren't quite working like you want them to mix them up with a li'l something else and customise your own!!