She Had Me At 'Dolce Vita'

You may have come across one of her tutorials for net-a-porter... or perhaps you've spied the beautiful burgundy and rose-gold packaging in Selfridges.

Either way, here's why you need to know CHARLOTTE TILBURY.

SOME KEY FACTS:
- she assisted makeup matriarch Mary Greenwell (we're not worthy *bows head*)
- she is one of Kate Moss's close friends/'go-to' artists(!)
- Selfridges gave Charlotte her own 'pop-up' last year which was filled with her favourite products from other brands (genius)
- She has red hair (always a winner in my book)

I am not Charlotte

The Charlotte Tilbury Makeup Range:
Back in Feb I was invited to attend a pro artist event at Charlotte Tilbury's show studio in Queen's Park. It was a chance to get to know the products outside of the shopping centre environment (always appreciated) and I have to say, I was mesmerised!

Why Charlotte's range is a WINNER:
- Charlotte Tilbury is the makeup artist behind the Tom Ford beauty campaigns of recent years. Not only are her makeup designs luxuriously femme fatale (see above), but if you lust after Tom Ford makeup but weep at his prices, Charlotte's helps you edge just that little bit closer to decadence.
- She makes it easy for everyday women to be inspired and 'copy' a look based on our mood
- I have a 'thing' about rose gold. So does my sister Kelli. Whilst it's not about the packaging, it is SO about the packaging... (and the makeup ain't bad either).

I am Charlotte

Here's a closer look at what I chose to invest in from Charlotte Tilbury's glorious range...

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:
- Powder & Sculpt Brush (£35)
- 'Dolce Vita' Luxury Eye Palette (£38)
- Brow Lift in 'Grace Kelly' (£22.50)
- Colour Morphing Eye Shadow pencil in 'Champagne Diamonds' (£18)

EASY TO FOLLOW
Charlotte's eye shadow quads make application easy by explaining what each shade does:

E.g. working clockwise:
- Top left is PRIME (all over)
- Top right is ENHANCE (i.e. socket)
- Bottom right is SMOKE (i.e. lash line/more socket)
- Bottom left is POP (overlay)

CHECK YOU
I've worn the 'Dolce Vita' palette several times now (it's my new go-to smokey eye!) and on more than one occasion someone has told me how beautiful my eye makeup looks. "Wha' thaaaaank you!"

WANT TO TRY?
Here are some fantastic investments, whatever your budget...

Dip your toe:
Full Fat Lashes Mascara (£22.00) - There's a reason she's only got one.

Birthday Blowout:
Wonderglow Primer (£38.50) - I used this on a client the other day and was visibly taken aback by how literally radiant her skin looked. Wear on its own and with a touch of concealer at the weekends to feel glowy and carefree.

Investment Piece:
Eye Shadow Palette (any, £38) - Even though this is a similar price to the Wonderglow I would describe this as an investment piece because ANY eye shadow palette you buy you simply MUST get a lot of wear out of (otherwise, what's the point?).

Be sure the shades you choose are RIGHT for you and that you'll have the balls to wear them...a feeling that's all too present amidst the euphoria of purchasing in the beauty hall but which quickly fades the moment you're back at home. My personal faves: Dolce Vita and The Uptown Girl for wearability.

Do you have a favourite Charlotte Tilbury product? I'd love to know...

All images Charlotte Tilbury.com plus some iPad snaps

When one door closes...

aviola.com/breakupquotes

Two weeks ago my laptop was stolen from a noisy pub in Shepherd's Market.

For some bizarre reason (and very unlike me) I decided not to rest it on my lap as I normally do but rather, wedge it between the wall and the stool. I mean, I didn't even wrap the bag strap around the leg of the stool. What was I thinking??

As my dear friend B and I sat there gassing away the realisation that someone had stolen it suddenly hit me like a bucket of cold water and I just knew it had gone even before I looked down.

:(

That, coupled with the fact it's been quite a six months...well, it would have been very easy for me to start a downward spiral.

'When one door closes another opens'

Those of you who know me will know that I'm a sucker for affirmations and positive thinking. It doesn't come naturally and I really have to work on it but I truly believe in its power.

Losing my laptop, as upsetting as it was, has meant I've had to use my iPad more to blog and to my surprise (and with the help of a devilish little gadget called the Logitech Bluetooth Keyboard!), I actually find it a lot easier. 

Similarly, but on a much more profound level, heart-breaking situations of recent months (the breakup of a four year relationship) have opened up the way for moments of pure joy (watching my one year old nephew take his first steps).

I've not revealed my favourite Charlotte Tilbury product* in this post but I hope I've reminded you to look for the positive in every situation. Because it's always there. 

* coming soon

Sudocrem: My Little Skin Warrior

This is me with nappy cream on my face.

Why? Because nappy cream - and more specifically well-known baby brand Sudocrem - is impressively brilliant at reducing scarring from spots.

If you're like me (and...*cough*....I'm talking to the over thirties among us☺), then you may have noticed that any spots that come your way...well, they don't seem to fade as well as they used to. They leave red marks. Annoying marks, which you probably feel obliged to cover up lest anyone think you've got The Plague.

This is where Sudocrem has become my absolute saviour.

Not just for babies bottoms 

Having had pretty good skin throughout my teens, my early thirties heralded an onset of mild adult acne, or 'stress spots'.

Aside from taking an honest look at my diet and trying to find ways to reduce my stress levels (haha) I decided to treat the problem 'head on' (ahem).

For me, the most effective topical treatments included:
- Origins Super Spot Remover Treatment Gel (£14)
- Duac cream (GP prescribed)
- ...and good old fashioned toothpaste (try it!)

It was great to see the spots begin to disappear but the marks they left behind started to get me down. Not being one to go in for laser, I decided it was time to give the bottom cream a whirl (well why not?!)

I also come in a handy tube.

I can't remember who or what it was that first prompted me to try Sudocrem but it appears to have since become a bit of an urban legend amongst acne sufferers. 

What you may not know is its active ingredient: 'zinc oxide' (commonly found in sunscreen but not in such high quantities), helps to regulate the activity of the oil glands and accelerates the renewal of skin cells.

And having used it for many years now I can verify that it really does:
a) calm the redness down 
b) speeds up the healing process

2 QUICK TIPS:
1. Reach for the Sudocrem only after the spot has been squeezed (gross). Applying it to a new spot won't really do anything and you want whatever gunk is in there to come out naturally.

2. Apply a little, dabbing it onto the area/s you wish to heal. Use it over 3 or 4 consecutive nights or until you're happy it's started to work its magic.

Image source: Sheknows.tv

I don't know about you but I quite like going bare faced every now and then. There's something about clean skin, curled lashes and a swoosh of soft blush that makes me feel...well, girlie and zingy. (Add to that 'a bit sexy too'...)

So thanks Sudocrem for being my little skin warrior.

Do you have a skin warrior? What is it? I'd love to know...

Top of the Top Coats

Dark and stormy

I hear what you're thinking...
a) who has time to do an at home three-stage manicure?
b) I've got a really shaky left hand
c) I barely manage a swipe of mascara, let alone two coats and a top coat??

That may (all) be true. But can I just share a teeny weeny secret with you?

There is a top coat that is, in my humble opinion, the Ferrari of Top Coats. If you haven't yet heard of this product then I feel honoured to be introducing it to you. It's certainly saved me hundreds of £'s in manicures over the years.

(By the way, see that photo above? They're my nails 6 days after I painted them. Yes Sir).

Tell me more...
- It's readily available in the UK (£9 in Boots, £11.50 at Liberty, and £10.95 at John Lewis. You can also easily buy it online from Amazon. Prices start at £4).
- It lasts 10+ manicures
- Your nails are completely dry within 5 minutes (max), regardless of how quickly you just applied your second coat of colour.

In fact, I once accidentally did some hand washing having just applied Seche Vite and to my complete surprise my nails were just fine!

Now surely that's the ultimate test...

Would YOU want to be retouched?

You may have recently read that the brilliant Lena Dunham has been papped by Annie Leibovitz for American Vogue.

Alongside co-star Adam Driver (there's something about that man), Lena appears: propped up seductively on the side of a bath; standing wistfully in the street with a bird on her head; and (my personal favourite) crossing a zebra crossing on Adam's shoulders wearing fluffy yellow slippers (as you do).

Unsurprisingly the feature has stirred up the big retouching debate because the images were retouched (well, of course they were. This is Vogue darling). But why has this jarred so much with people? The proliferation of retouched images in magazines is surely not news. 

Perhaps it's because retouching is something Lena Dunham's alter ego, Hannah, from the hit series Girls, would never agree to. 

Or would she. Would you?

You can read the full Jezebel article here which shows exactly how the images were retouched (I'll let you decide whether the retouching is as minimal as they claim).

The article got me thinking though... should Lena have insisted on unretouched images for her shoot as a way of championing one of the things she is famed for? Namely, a desire to present herself as she is, a woman who 'trumpets body positivity' with her non-conformist pear shape and womanly curves?

What would Hannah have done? Should we be disappointed that she was retouched?

As a makeup artist I sit somewhere in the middle of the retouching debate. I can see its merits from an artistic point of view (e.g. lighting, colour enhancement, the removal of flyaway hairs etc) but as a woman I can also see how potentially damaging it can be for people who are unaware of the ways in which retouching alters reality.

I often wonder what the reaction would be if one day a magazine committed to producing an entire edition without any retouching in it. Would it appear sloppy/unfinished? Would people buy the next issue? Or do we want to escape into 'perfect'?

Of course when it comes to makeup we are bombarded - often unknowingly - with heavily retouched images of flawless skin and perfect eyeliner. No wonder women often feel that wearing makeup is completely inaccessible!

Naturally, we all want to avoid the rather unsightly makeup blunders that include mascara goop and mis-matched foundation...but wearing makeup needn't be a chore. And it certainly doesn't have to be hard.

Just remember that the woman wearing that beautiful shade of lipstick in the advert probably got some on her teeth during the shoot...just like the rest of us.

Please note: It has not been my intention with this article to give a solid for or against response to the subject matter but rather to raise the debate / pose questions. I have enormous respect for the skill and expertise of professional retouchers. The nature of retouching in our society has been well documented over the years and I simply wish to join the conversation as impartially as possible. Thank you.


Lena Dunham images courtesy of Vogue.
Before and after eye makeup courtesy of Faux Pink Retouching for Maybeline.

3 Aussie Beauty Brands Worth Knowing

I've just returned from a two-month stay in Australia...(I know, please don't hurl rotten tomatoes at me)...catching up with my family and trying my best to avoid unsightly tan lines (tick).

During my visit one or two Aussie skincare and makeup brands caught my beady eye. Thought I'd share a couple worth knowing...

Lucas' Paw Paw
Lots of you will already be familiar with the cult red packaging but it's still worth a mention.

Once a celebrity staple, you can now spot Lucas' iconic tube peeking out of most handbags. This handy, all purpose balm is enriched with the Carica Papaya fruit, a fruit that's bursting with vitamins and minerals. In my opinion, a better bang for your buck than Vaseline and readily available in the UK from The PawpawShop. Prices start at just £4.35. Great for kids too.

NATIO Mineral Bronzing and Highlighter Duo

Natio

Natio is a fabulous, reasonably priced Aussie brand that's now available in the UK at Debenhams and Tesco Direct (hip hip!). Offering skincare and colour its products combine the 'finest natural ingredients with 100% pure essential oil blends'. 

Having had a good look at their range in Melbourne I decided to invest in their wonderful mineral bronzing and highlighter duo and am loving the effect it has on my skin.  Some powder highlighters can be quite drying but this one blends effortlessly and doesn't settle into fine lines. 

Note: Natio's Mineral Bronzing and Highlighter Duo isn't yet showing on Debenham's or Tesco's websites but I doubt it will be long!

Invisible Zinc
It was an Australian friend of mine who first introduced me to Invisible Zinc (thanks Jac!).

Invisible Zinc is an Aussie brand offering clear and tinted SPF products that use a non-chemical SPF, namely zinc oxide.

I was looking for a high SPF during my trip and decided to try Invisible Zinc's tinted daywear moisturiser SPF 30 in 'Light'. I was impressed with the dewy finish it gave my skin although less is definitely more. I would like to try their Tinted Lip and Cheek Balm next (see above).

Invisible Zinc is currently available* at our very own Selfridges and is promoted by the most leggy of brand ambassadors, Jerry Hall and Georgia May Jagger.


* Selfridges website is showing out of stock but worth asking in store

How about you, have you tried any of the Down Under brands mentioned above? What did you think?

A note on KIT:
Kit Cosmetics (see top image) sadly isn't available in the UK but it can be purchased online. A cross between MAC and Space NK's own range, Kit's products are surprisingly affordable and with great colour pay-off.

A note on BECCA:
I have omitted Becca from this post partly because it's been covered a lot by other beauty bloggers and partly because I think it deserves its own post! More to follow...

Makeup artists: Protect your back

Image: Corbis

Protecting your back is not really something they teach you at beauty school (although I'd love to see it added to the curriculum).

It makes perfect sense that standing on your feet for long periods of time whilst twisting and turning to get the perfect angle can't be good for your back, right? To find out why I decided to interview the woman who has changed the way I work - and stand - to get her take on it.

The Makeup Debate: Hi Alex, great to chat! Why is Pilates so good for your back?

Alex: Pilates helps to create 'axial elongation', or that is to say, a lengthening of the spine. The spine is meant to move in all directions - forwards, backwards, sideways - but sadly we find ourselves in jobs and situations where we rarely move and this is what causes the discs in the spine to dry up. 

Pilates exercises help to lubricate the discs in between each joint whilst strenthening the muscles along the back and front of the the trunk. It's no wonder people often leave sessions feeling longer, taller and massaged!

The Makeup Debate: Sounds great! OK, so let's imagine I'm a Pilates virgin...where do I start?!

Alex: Stretching is a great place to start. When you first get out of bed in the morning stand with your arms reaching up and over your head. Yawn, sing in the shower!...anything to fill your lungs with nourishing air. 

If you have a spare minute another great exercise is to get down briefly on all fours and flex and extend your spine. I like to imagine I'm a cat stretching out in front of a fire place.

Did you know you can also do Pilates on your way to work? Standing on a busy train (or bus) with your feet hip width apart...can you stabilize the front and back of your body? I.e. can you not hold on and use your abdominal muscles to support you? Go with the wobbles (be wary of the handbags, elbows and tutting passengers!). To stop yourself from falling try and pull the front and back of your body together by creating an imaginary corset around the trunk. Try doing this for 5 days straight and you'll really start to feel it working.

If your back starts to hurt in the evening a simple and effective exercise is to lie on your back and hug your knees to your chest. This will release your lower back. Next, place your feet on the floor and gently tilt your pelvis forward and backwards. 

The Makeup Debate: As a makeup artist I have to spend long periods of time on my feet. How can I save my back?

Alex: 

Long periods standing will put pressure on your lower back so you must take the weight off your feet as many times as possible. Rather than twisting your back to get the right angle, try shifting your feet more while you work and bend at the hips. 

Core exercises will also make you more aware of your torso which in turn will make you less likely to bend into awkward positions. It's worth finding one or two that you can do easily in the morning or before bed (e.g. 'the hundred', or the 'plank').

When you have a break between clients, it's good to stretch your back a little. You can do this by sitting on a chair with your feet flat on the floor. Slowly bend over pulling your head towards your knees (think 'brace' on an airplane).  Try it with your hands pressing gently behind your head to apply a little bit of pressure. 

Remember all you makeup artists out there...keep moving like a tiger in the jungle!

About Alex:

Alex Considine (that's right, she's wearing a festive hat) is, in my humble opinion, a Pilates guru. Aside from being an awesome gal with an exuberant approach to teaching, Alex truly opened my eyes to a series of exercises that have not only relieved my back pain but that I know will have protected my back in the long run (thank you Alex!)

If you would like to experience one of Alex's classes for yourself, why not drop into one of her fantastic 1.5 hour workshops, held once a month at the Urdang Dance Academy in Islington (map). Heck, might even see you there!

pilatesexcellence.com