Beautiful Skin for Christmas!

/ Products

I’ve always been pretty strict on my skin care so I always cleanse, tone and moisturise to keep my skin looking as good as it can. Over the years I’ve tried LOTS of different products, some worked and some didn’t and I have a few favourites. However, about 2 years ago a friend of mine, Laura, introduced me to Liz Earle and my skin has never been the same since! I started using her cleanse and polish and fell in love with it instantly!

Apart from the fact that the packaging is just beautiful (I’m a real sucker for gorgeous packaging!!!!), the product itself is divine. It’s basically a cream cleanser that you massage onto your face and then wipe off with a warm muslin cloth. The smell is fab and the muslin cloth gently exfoliates your skin as well as removing makeup and dirt leaving your skin feeling soft and not tight or dry like some face washes. I also bought the moisturiser which I use at night and and the toner smells amazing too. I’ve recommended it to lots of my friends all searching for a great cleaners that won’t irritate their skin and they have all loved it!!!!

At the moment the only place which stocks Liz Earle are Wilde & Green in Milltown in Dublin but you can order online at http://www.lizearle.ie. They have the most beautiful gift sets which come all packed up in a lovely box, wrapped in tissue and with a little note, and depending on how much you’ve spent, a little free gift too! They are very reasonably priced so if you’re stuck for Christmas idea’s for your friends or family, these are ideal! They deliver very quickly too which is great. They also do little trial kits so you can try out some of the products rather than having to buy the large bottles or I love them for when I go on holidays and want to save on space. I bought the hand wash (which will NOT be going in the bathroom for everyday use 🙂 ) and hand cream last week as a treat and I think I’m in love!

Happy cleansing!

Clare xox

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Sigma Brushes

/ Products

Earlier in the week I posted a video on my Facebook page showing you how to clean your make-up brushes as a lot of people aren’t sure how to go about it. The video was done by a company called Sigma Beauty based in the USA and I first discovered them about 6 months ago. I needed to get a few more brushes for my kit and although I LOVE the MAC brushes and they last forever they can be very expensive if you’re buying a few. So in my search for some good quality but affordable brushes I came across the Sigma Brushes. I purchased a set (without the case as I already had one) and they were delivered quite quickly with brush covers and a little booklet on how to look after them. There were 12 brushes in the set I got which I think worked out at about 70 dollars before post and packaging.

Anyway, I’ve been using them now along with my M.A.C ones and I am very impressed. They are just as good and you’d hardly know the difference! So if you’re looking to replace or buy some good make-up brushes that won’t break the bank I’d highly recommend them. Check out the website http://www.sigmabeauty.com and you can see the full range they have.

Clare xox

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Test Shoot with Peter Evers

/ My Work

Last Saturday I had the chance to do a test shoot with well known Irish Photographer Peter Evers, http://www.peterevers.ie. We did an outdoor shoot in Deer Park in Howth and then headed back to the warmth of his Baldoyle studio for more shots. Peter was trying out some new techniques and went back to using film for some of his shots, for a more organic look.

It was a long 12 hour day but well worth it with some great photographs resulting. Our 2 gorgeous models, Amber and Aoife from Morgan The Agency wore some amazing dresses chosen by the stylist Lee and did a great job withstanding the elements. Below is just one of the shots (of Aoife) and you can see the rest of the shots on my fashion gallery page.

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The Foundation of good make-up!

/ Products

I get the bus to work every morning and this morning I was sitting opposite a girl in her early 20’s I think. Many women use the morning commute as a chance to do their make-up and this girl was one of them. She was beautiful, amazing pale skin and striking features and as I watched she proceeded to start applying her foundation. To my horror this stunning girl turned from pale to orange in a matter of seconds… I was probably staring but I couldn’t help it! She layered and layered the foundation on so it was like a mask covering her whole face. I might understand her wanting to do this if she had problem skin but she didn’t!

Anyway, it got me thinking of how many women just don’t use foundation the way they should and are probably wearing the wrong colour as well. I know in the beginning, when I started training as a make-up artist it was the one thing I wanted to know, how to find the perfect foundation. So here I will just give a few pointers that I think every woman should know about foundation.

Firstly, foundation should only be used to even out your natural skin colour and tone. It should NOT be used to make you more tanned or cover any major flaws or blemishes on your skin. Concealer should be used to cover these and then your bronzer and blusher used to add colour and contour your face. One of my favourite foundations and one I use a lot is the MAC Face & Body. Its a lightweight foundation that goes on very easily and gives a lovely flawless cover. Perfect if you don’t like wearing anything too heavy or just for daytime. I use a sponge when applying it to get a seamless look.

If you prefer something a little heavier the MAC Studio Sculpt is very good and again goes on quite easily but another favourite of mine is the NARS Sheer Glow. It’s like velvet going on your skin and gives a gorgeous finish. Perfect for brides! You can get this in a matt version also. It’s a little pricey but will last you ages as you shouldn’t need a lot. For older skin the Armani foundations are lovely and have that extra coverage you might need.

With all foundations though, you can use as little or as much as you like to get the coverage that you prefer but I would always say less is more. You want your skin to breath and look it’s best, not look caked or overdone. I think every woman wants to look like the best version of themselves so just keep this in mind when applying your base. And remember, if you have your foundation right you shouldn’t have that line around your jaw line that you see so often.

Clare xox

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M&S Autumn/Winter Show

/ Bridal

I was very lucky to have recently assisted the very talented Zoe Clark, http://www.zoeclark.com, and her team at the Marks & Spencer Autumn/Winter fashion show at the Aviva stadium. It was a great evening and we had 2 different looks to complete. One was for the younger models, a very fresh face with yellow/orange tone eye make-up and natural lip and the older models had a more bronzed look, smokey eye with a beautiful pink lip. They both complemented the gorgeous M&S collections perfectly and the final result was a stunning show.

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