Picture heavy post from the last week....

LA and then onto NY

Pretty much all make up= very heavy.

The laid back charm of Southern California

LA style- indoor palm trees- beautiful!

The familiar skyline of NY

New York was actually in the high 90's

Filming in NY- 2 locations all air con turned off for the audio and under the lights as well, was pretty hot.

Cool, dark room perfect!

Food stalls outside of the Rockerfeller building (for once did not appeal) too hot.

The heat was pretty intense and in some parts of the city people had actually slowed down (a little).

FRIZZ

Amazing and much appreciated showers in the Delta lounge JFK

Back on a plane- homeward bound.

Fashion film- Volt Magazine with Alex Vlahos.

A beautiful fashion film is at Volt magazine's Volt TV: http://www.voltcafe.com/volttv/enter-malcolm

Featuring the very talented actor: Alexander Vlahos and shot by Andrea Vecchiato.
Styling & Grooming by me.

Kat Von D lock-it tattoo concealer- review!

 

Kat Von D- lock it tattoo concealer $25.00 17ml shade #24- Sephora

What they say:

What it is:
A heavy duty, highly pigmented, transfer- and water-resistant, multitasking concealer.

What it does:
Kat Von D Tattoo Concealer is a creamy, bendable secret weapon that provides the ultimate, customisable coverage, in four simple steps: prep, conceal, perfect, and set (see details for each step below). The four-step process hides tattoos, dark circles, and blemishes alike!

What else you need to know:
This oil- and paraben-free, long-wearing formula is perfect for any occasion that calls for a flawless look. Kat says, "If you wanna hide a tattoo just for one day, the proper concealer can make that happen! No one has to see what you don't want them to see!" Take it from the tattoo pro: "I think just as much as people have the choice to be tattooed, they should also have the liberty to look whatever way they want whenever they want." This is your ticket to tattoo freedom!

What I say:
A definite alternative to the Cover FX concealer, it feels a little more fluid and blends out easier too, but a fraction less covering. If you are looking for a full coverage concealer that is easy to blend out and has long lasting properties this is a brilliant option. It is a great balance as even though it is a very full coverage it does not *settle* in lines (if skin is prepped correctly), definitely multi purpose as it covers blemishes, redness and dark circles and it comes in 9 shades from fair to deep skin tones.
I would always use a primer to prep skin properly before using this and set it properly to ensure the best finish.

Pros:

• WOW!!!!  Flawless coverage
• Non- oily texture  with a delicate matte finish
• For the type of product a great texture that does not settle in lines
• Multi-purpose can be used to cover many different things
• Excellent lasting capabilities- pretty much stays in place until it is removed

Cons:

• It  does look full coverage on the skin- so if you want it to look like a 2nd skin apply very, very sparingly and blend out with a damp sponge
• Not a con per-se but I am yet to test it on a tattoo 
• It dries quite quickly so you have to work in *stealth mode* to ensure that it blends out seamlessly

 Purchased from Sephora US.

dr.organic Argan Hand & Nail Balm - LOVE it!

dr. organic Moroccan Argan Oil Hand & Nail Balm 100ml £6.99

This stuff to put it very simply *rocks*! I clean my hands so many times a day when doing make up with anti bacterial products and also washing frequently so my hands can get a little dry. This hand cream is beautiful and rich in texture, with a very soft vanilla fragrance that is not cloying at all. It disappears into the skin leaving hands very soft and not at all greasy! It has brilliant ingredients and is a very reasonable price, the best hand cream I have tried for that price point! It is such a lovely *treatment* for the nails too because of all of the oils, definitely one for me and 1 for my kit!


What they say:

Ultimate Hydration: Formulated for the driest, most active hands, this ultra rich Organic Argan hand salve is an intensive moisture repair treatment.
Combining our award winning blend of bioactive, natural and organic ingredients together with Organic Argan Oil helps to soothe, moisturise and protect even the most severely dry and damaged hands. Organic Argan Oil with Argan extract, Aloe Vera Leaf Juice, Kukui Oil, Orange Fruit Extract, Clove Oil, Geranium Oil, Lemon Peel Oil, Patchouli Oil, Cinnamon Leaf Oil, Rosewood Oil, Wild Mint Oil, Mandarin Peel Oil, Vanilla Fruit Extract, Spearmint Oil, Kigelia Fruit Extract, Roselle Flower Extract, Baobab Fruit Extract, seal over cracks in the skin and aid the skin's natural healing process.
12 HOUR MOISTURE LOCK - INTENSIVE NUTRITION - TOTAL PROTECTION

A flawless look- not for me!

A LOT of make up and absolutely not *a natural look*. Shot with i-phone & an instagram filter

• Contoured eyes
• Tightlined under the lash line
• Dotted liquid liner along the lash line to frame eyes and make lashes appear thicker
• *lifted* outer corner of the eyes with an angled flick and created a corrected line to make eyes appear more *almond*
• Corrected dark circles under eyes & brightened whole area
• Primed skin, used a light layer of tinted moisturiser and then buffed in fuller coverage foundation
• Applied concealer on top of the base and buffed in
• Contoured bone structure and minimised the width of nose
• Used a new technique I have been developing using a matte and lustrous peach to lift & sculpt bone structure
• Used a touch of blusher
• A POP of vibrant colour on the lips

All that took well over an hour as everything was applied in very small *layers*. I like the effect but it is not *me*, of course nice for a special occasion etc, but in all honesty I would not even do it for that (but that is me) , I would hate to feel that I would have to look like that every day as after I had finished, I did not see *skin* just base.


I am 41 years old look after my skin (really look after my skin), I am a make up artist so know every trick in the book for looking *fresh faced* but in general I personally don't wear a lot of make up on a day-to-day basis and I know every *fault*/flaw and I am actually comfortable with them, I like somethings more than others but I am definitely at peace with my imperfections:

What I look really look like:shot with i-phone with a normal *look* for every day.

I have bags under my eyes, dark circles, open pores, chubby cheeks, double chin, redness, a large nose. eyes with slightly different shapes,a few lines under my eyes, fine eye lashes etc etc and I am actually fine with all of that, I accept it as it is *me*.

Make up for Mature skins.

Last year I did a masterclass on make up for mature skins and I have just done a private lesson for a make up artist who wanted to know a little more about what worked for mature skins. The 3 ladies who were kind enough to *model* were ranging from 64-42 and all had very different *looks* and different skin to take into consideration. When working on mature skin the actual texture of the skin and skin tone should dictate and just because someone is over 35 does not mean to say that they should restrict themselves colour wise to all neutrals or bland shades and that a *POP* of colour still can look gorgeous.

Fresh, glowing skin a vintage look with a pop of berry lips.

Model- 60's
Look: Glowing, flawless and natural
Had to be mindful of: skin pigmentation/uneven skintone
Key products:

• Antipodes divine oil as the 1st layer of moisture in the skin
• Tinted moisturiser used across the skin (Becca) and then a little Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua blended on top to create a fresh look
• Make up forever concealer palette to: even out skintone and conceal dark circles under the eyes
• Pixi Tinted Brilliance Balm in Baby Bare

Model- Late 40's
Look: Defined eyes, fresh complexion
Had to be mindful of: Framing eyes without being *too heavy* and putting *moisture* back into the skin.
Key products:

• Blanc De Chanel
• Sisley Mat liquid foundation #2
• Boots Fanomenal lash mascara
• Pixi Fairy Dust Highlighter

Model- Early 40's
Look: Flawless complexion and strong lips
Had to be mindful of: A break out on the chin and uneven skin tone
Key products:

• Pixi Lip blush in happiness with lip balm over the top just gives the most beautiful berry *pop* of colour.
• NARS Blusher- Orgasm
• Liz Earle- Sheer Skin Tint #2
• Chanel- Soleil Tan de Chanel

Cats......my cats- beware mad cat woman post :)

Let me introduce you to my cats:

Lou Lou- Pet names:*L*, Lool, Loodle, Oodles, tubey. 

She likes to be included in family activities.

She is fond of a box , bags and worryingly carrier bags.

She is a little princess/madam and a very pretty girl.

Mr Whiskers- Pet names: Big Whisks, Whisks, *Burlington Bertie*, lynx.

A very enigmatic and handsome boy!

He keeps his white fur sparklingly clean.

He is *Huge* really long/tall and atheletic

Lou Lou walked in on Christmas day 4 and a 1/2 years ago, she was literally starving and freezing cold- we think she was *dumped*, so we fed her and cared for her until the local Cats protection office was open again on the 28th Dec, by the 28th we had fallen in love with her and when her previous owners could not be found (posters/posting on the cats protection league website and no chip), we were so relieved that we kept her and adopted her.
Lou Lou soon became the baby of the household and our little girl, we however were more than a little shocked and surprised when she introduced us some 5 months later to her *friend*: A handsome grey cat with a slightly regal demeanour, the cats have a friendship that is purely platonic and very touching. So cat #2 moved in too -Whisks is a boy's boy (he was initially very, very afraid of Women), he and my son have such a special bond a *kinship* that is so beautiful to see.

I don't know what my cats had to suffer before they came to live with us Whisks still visibly flinches sometimes when I get too close *uninvited* and Lou Lou eats like she is never going to be fed again.......ever! But I am so glad that they *found* us.

True love. It is fate that they were meant to have each other.

I could just *eat* her up.

If you want to find out more about the Cats Protection:
http://www.cats.org.uk/?gclid=CLWJg_axmLgCFYTItAod3mUA4g
We donate food just to help them out whenever we can as even a small donation helps.