I'm now a Bobbi Brown Pro!

Last Friday I send off a little white envelope to New York containing a call sheet, magazine tear sheet and proof of ID; and this morning I woke up to an email welcoming me to Bobbi brown pro. I'm just a little excited!

I'd been eying off the BBU palette and lip palette for artists for my professional kit for months  and I feel like I now have the perfect excuse to invest! I'll do a mini review or haul when my next package of goodies arrives.

I've been a fan of their gel eyeliners lately so It'll be interesting to test other products in the Bobbi Brown line.

What to consider when planning your bridal makeup look..

Lately I've been thinking about what really makes a fantastic bridal look, and making it last throughout your wedding day. Anyhow here's a quick list of what might we worth considering when designing your bridal makeup look during your trial:

• Temperature; if your embarking on a warm destination or beach wedding, ensure that your artist is using as many oil free or oil preventative products as possible to ensure your makeup lasts beautifully and will not move during the day. ( Pro tip: make sure you ask if your MUA offers a touch up kit, that way they'll make sure you have what you need to maintain your makeup throughout the day if you're not hiring them for the day, if not, purchase at least some blotting paper and a similar lip colour to have nearby for touch ups.
• Photos; knowing that you're going to have your photo taken ALOT on your big day means your makeup artist will apply your look a little heavier then a normal day to day look, but should still beautiful face to face, but don't fret! this is to ensure you will not look washed out or flat in your wedding pictures. pro tip: make sure your artist does not use any products with SPF as this will cause a flask back in photos with a ghost white face.
• prep; Make sure you cleanse and moisturise your face prior to your MUAs arrival ( again no SPF products), your artist will then prime your face will a silicone or similarly based primer for oil control and pore minimization prior to your makeup application.
  Another good idea is to lightly exfoliate your lips with a soft tooth brush and apply a light lip balm prior to your service.
• play it safe; try not to make any drastic changes in the lead up to your wedding ( drastic change to hair, brows or tan) if it doesn't work out as planned you'll regret looking at your wedding photos.
• Brows; having clean shaped brows can make or break a bridal look, as they not only frame your eyes and face but highlight your facial shape. this is something to consider in the lead up to your wedding day preparation.
• faking it;
  • Lashes; so often I have brides say they don't want false lashes, but I always offer during their trial and once they see ow fantastic they look and light/ unnoticeable they are to wear I believe 90% of the time change their mind. Personally I like a soft doe-eyed half lash on brides, with curled lashes and mascara. in doing this the aim isn't to look fake, but natural and enhanced. A false lash will also help in your wedding photos as your eyes will look bigger and more defined.
  • Tan; a light Spray tan can cover any unevenness in skin tone and help mask impurities like freckles and scarring. Body contouring with spray tanning can also give the illusion of a more toned physic.

Hope this helps! xo

End of May update.

So I thought I've better do a quick catch up on what's happened over May.

• found out my work will be published in the September 2014 issue of Modern Wedding along side wedding stylist, florist and decorator Inspired By Happiness. (available in woolworths, coles and all good news retailers)
• found out a photo shoot I was part of back in March will be featured in Vintage Bride ( formally "the vintage and handmade bride")Magazines December 2014 Summer issue ( available online & in news agents)
• Finalised my first publication in Freque Magazine ( May 2014 Volume One - Beauty & Conceptual) ( available online now!)
• was accepted into NARSpro, which is very exciting for a cosmetics junkie like myself, I'm completely obsessed with their blushes and have heard great things about other products in their line, so I'll be able to start road testing new things for my kit shortly.
• my next bridal collaborative shoots coming together nicely, we've finalised our models and are now working final styling ( alongside Maggie May bridal, All about romance & MissTe Styling)
• have been slowly collecting second hand bridal gowns to create more bridal styled shoots over the winter monthes for my portfolio, including a Alfred Angelo for Disney wedding gown and a Vera Wang!
• Still Deciding if I want to take part in the Vintage bride Wedding Expo at the end of June
• I've finished my concept for the face2face awards beauty editorial for the international spa and beauty expo in august and will hopefully be shooting in June/July.

I'm really proud of how far I've come since the beginning of the year, my New years resolution was to get one publication, so finding out I have three in a month is incredible, I'm so appreciative of everyone who has supported and helped me get to where I am today. I'm beyond grateful and blessed, things are looking good! 

The Danger of Counterfeits

It's no secret market leaders like MAC, Bobbi Brown and Urban Decay have knock-off/ sub-par counterfeits springing up online through mediums like eBay, strawberry net, ect . Some may also remember Target Australia selling counterfeit MAC a few years ago, and the huge lawsuit that followed. 

Anyway, the danger is in what these knock offs actually contain. With no governing body controlling what is put into these products, or the methods of production, there is the potential for serious damage to be caused to the consumer. Having samples of these counterfeit products testing positive for lead, and high levels of talc, and other heavy metals not safe on the skin, or for human consumption. Knowing many counterfeit products are more often then not produced in third world factories,  the reality check being , they may have no hygiene practice in place meaning, there is the potential use of unfiltered, bacteria ridden or contaminated water used as the base of your foundation, hair care or makeup.

With the use of these cheaper products/ lower standards of hygiene, lowering the cost of production, hence making the cheaper sale price online. Inclining the average consumer to choose an online third party seller over the official company website or in store.

Another potential problem posed from unofficial resellers is the sale of product past it's expiration date. This is a little easier to spot as it's often "special edition" ranges / colours, change on formula consistency ( separation) and smell. Unfortunately consumers cannot see these until it's already too late. Out of date products are also vulnerable to harmful bacteria build up.

From a makeup artists perspective, the potential that I could harm and damage my clients is completely unethical and dangerous, and in to way justifiable financially. In saying this I buy all my product directly from the brands official manufacturers, and keep proof of purchase for all high end/ professional quality products stocked in my kit for my own piece of mind.

I know budget can be a big issue for young people on particular when it comes to high end cosmetics or cult classics, especially in Australia with the consumer markup on cosmetics and beauty products. If this is the case, I recommend looking up "dupes" for the specific product your after and buying a similar product from another brand ( mac vs. rimmel), Or spending that extra $$$ on the original product, your faces are to precious to end up with permanent scarring or other inflammatory symptoms / infections.

Play safe!

What makes a Professional makeup artist, Professional?

 Lately I've been receiving this or similar questions so I thought I had better elaborate.

Unfortunately the terms " professional" and "qualified" makeup artist are thrown around a lot in this industry, literally any one can pick up a brush and call them self a makeup artist. Almost as if it's a guarantee of quality or skill level. so here is a quick list of ways to make sure you're hiring the right person for the job.

*disclaimer: this is in no way meant to offend, discredit or defame, only to serve as a loose guide for those unsure of what to ask / look for when booking a makeup artist, I have structured this from my previous experiences as a consumer/ client and as an makeup artist working in the bridal industry*

• Always ask your potential artists for some credentials or referees if they're not mentioned on their website, take a look at their social media pages for reviews, check out their portfolio, whatever you need to do to know you're in safe hands.
• Find out where they were trained?  There is a huge difference between a 4-12 week short course and a recognized certification, while there are institutions out there like napoleon perdis that offer " makeup artist" courses, they're not recognized as a qualification, also knowing that these artists are trained only in napoleon perdis cosmetics their skills are often limited to "smokey"  eyes.  Now, Beauty therapists, while yes they do a module of makeup artistry during their training, this does not cover facial analysis, correction, application, sanitation and maintenance. Now this isn't to say a self taught artist, beauty therapist, ect, are in any way inferior to a trained artist, I'm merely trying to give a loose guideline of what to look for in an artist. Ultimately it's your personal preference that counts.
• Business set up, do they have a website? do they have social media pages you can connect with?  business cards? Publications? Portfolio? these are all signs that the artist is serious about what  they do as a profession, as well as offering potential client like you ways to interact with your artist prior to booking/ service.
• Social Media following, this is where things get tricky, as on medias like facebook or instagram, you can buy likes for pay to advertise. so if you see someone with a tonne of likes, but only iPhone selfies of makeup they've done of themselves of friends, low quality portfolio shots or and this one really bugs me images of  another makeup artists work. you'll know something doesn't quite add up.
• OHS, find out what OHS measures are in place? whats the life expectancy of their products? how old are their brushes/ mascaras,ect? Most makeup artists are proud of their kits and love talking about what we stock and how we take care of our makeup.
• You're allowed to ask for our professional indemnity and public liability certificates. this is proof that we're insured meaning  ( touch wood) anything were to happen you're artist and you are covered, as well as the fact that the person your hiring not only considers themselves a professional, but cares about their owns and their clients safety.
• ask what they stock in their kit? now this can be tricky with the amount of counterfeit mac and other high end brands, as well as lower quality versions i.e. Napoleon Perdis vs. NP Set out there in the cosmetics market, so dig a little deeper if you feel worried at all, I myself order product direct from the manufacturers, ensuring my kit is not only fresh, but safe for clients. and keep all receipts and order invoices allowing proof of products legitimacy.
• Price, this is a huge indicator of quality and experience of your artist and the quality you should expect. we make our own rates, reflecting on our time in the industry, our training, our makeup kits quality, ect. 
• Dress. Now I'm just getting picky here but, the industry standard of dress code is plain black, nothing too revealing or bold. Remaining Well presented, comfortable and tidy but  also blending into the background and not stealing focus. This again comesdown the the artists personal preference, For me this isn't only a presentation issue, but wearing black ensures we do not have any colours bounce / reflect off what we're wearing and can cause colour miss matching. Myself when I'm working on collaborative photo shoots will dress more casually however still predominantly black, however when I'm on set (TVC, Bridal parties, look books ect) make sure I'm tidy, and dressed accordingly to the call sheet requirements if they differ from my standard plain black uniform.

All in all, if the artist is someone whose work you admire, fits your budget, and suit your events needs then book yourself in! and have a fabulous time :)