Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman

Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman

Everyone has been raving about the new Real Techniques makeup brushes available in Boots and some pharmacies. The majority of people would be more familiar with Samantha Chapman from her YouTube channel Pixiwoo where she uploads video tutorials with natural makeup looks to avant garde looks. Her brother Jim Chapman is also a youtuber. 

Recently, Chapman was contacted by Paris Presents (the makers of Eco Tools and other beauty products) to develop an affordable make-up brush line called "Real Techniques." The brushes are cruelty-free, made of synthetic Taklon and not tested on animals. Each brush head is hand-cut and the brush collection works with a wide variety of make-up products from powders to creams and liquids. 

I am obsessed with this brush range. It's great affordable and leaves a flawless makeup look.

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Love Rach xoxo

Natural Makeup Look

For those mornings when you don't feel like putting in too much effort or when you don't have as much time as you'd like or perhaps you prefer the natural look anyway, here is a simple natural daytime look for you. 

I love glows dewy skin, I'm not a fan of matte matte skin so I don't use powder afterwards unless I really have to and I love using a cream concealer as a high,igniter or Highbeam from Benefit. 

What I Used:

LA Creative Mineralise Foundation in Tender Beige and Sandy Beige (had to mix to get the right colour)

LA Creative Eyebrow Colour in Blonde (for contouring)

LA Creative Cream Concealer in Light and Medium  (Medium for under eye area, Light for highlighting)

LA Creative 3 Piece Palette in Natural (darkest colour for brow colour) 

FOR BIG BROWS FILL IN YOUR ARCHES!!

Benefit Big Beautiful Eyes Palette (lightest on base, second lightest in crease, darkest outside corners) 

Rimmel Scandaleyes Retro Glam mascara (and lots of it)

LA Creative clear gloss 

And there you have it. Simple! And if you're going straight to the bar after work throw a bold red or purple on your lips and there you have an on trend makeup look and your nighttime look all in one! 

Side Note: I'm thinking of starting vlogging (video blogging) but not sure. Gimme some feedback in relation to this. 

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Love Rach 

Dublin High Street Makeup

Dublin's High Street Makeup Look

It's becoming more and more apparent that us Dublin gals are as up to date with makeup trends as any other nation. Which is not surprising knowing that Ireland spends the most on cosmetics than any other European country (I kid you not).

"People watching" is definitely my guilty pleasure. Looking at people's individual style and their makeup trends. One trend I have definitely seen a lot of is a pop of colour on the lip and a lick of eye liner. 

This look is super achievable and affordable if you want to go drug store brands or my fav LA Creative brand which is what I will be blogging on.

What you will need:

All LA Creative products......

Skin Transforming Foundation in Linen (I'm super pale!)

Bronzer in Safari (love the look of this product)

Brow Palette in Soft Smoke (big fan)

Gel Liner

3 Piece Palette in Natural

Blusher in Coral Sun

Translucent Powder

Primer in Pore Perfecting (for that oily area) 

Cream concealer in Light and Medium

Mascara in Sensitive (eyes need some TLC)

Luxurious Matte Lipstick in Red Carpet

Luminizer Stick

Step by step:

1. CTM!! Cleanse, Tone and Moisturise. It's the only way to get that flawless finish. 

2. Prime the face with Pore Perfecting Primer

3. Apply foundation preferably with a large stippling brush blending it in nicely to the face making sure never to use too much. 

4. Taking LA Creative's Cream Concealer in Medium with your ring finger, lightly dab the concealer under the eye. The ring finger is used because it is the finger that uses the least amount of pressure. I use the Medium concealer because I do not want to highlight the under yet so I used a slightly darker concealer to counteract the grey, purple and blues under the eye. 

5.I always like to contour next simply because it is how I always apply my makeup. Using a contouring brush (angled fluffy brush) find the underside of our cheekbone and using inward sweeps gently apply Safari bronzer in towards the nose. I don't like applying bronzer in the hollows of the face (under cheekbone) because it makes people look gaunt more than anything. Unless that is the look you are going for of course! 

6. Taking your blusher brush apply Coral Sun from the outer side of the eye outwards. We want to keep the under eye area nice and bright so avoid putting your blusher there. 

7. Moving on to the brows (my fav part), I'm loving Cara Delevinge and her Power Brow cult she has accidentally created so taking a small angled brush and our soft smoke palette (a dark brown eye shadow can also be used) we start at the inside of the brow using flicking feather like motions to create natural hairs. Creating a boxy effect stencil out the brow underneath and on top until you get to the arch. Ignoring the arch (for our power brow look) and sloping downwards for the end. Using our feather like motions fill in the brow where colour is needed to make the brow look full and complete. I prefer using shadow as opposed to pencil because I feel pencil looks too stamped on the face. 

8. On to the eyes, I'm not sure if I think eye primers are a little gimmicky or not. I prefer to use a dab of concealer on the lid and the a pat of translucent powder on top. Always worked for me. So taking our eye palette using the lightest colour sweep the base onto the lid. Then using the second lightest colour blend it into the crease and all the way towards the inner corner of the eye almost creating a cut crease but keeping it a little more natural. Finally using the darkest colour, blend it on the outer corner of the eye to elongate the eye. 

Side Note:

People most commonly have eyes slightly too close together so to counteract this, brighten the inside corner of the eye darken the outer corners. Ta-da!

9. Next is the dreaded gel liner. Using either an angled brush or a liner brush (whichever you feel most comfortable with) take a little amount of the gel liner starting with the eye your weakest at create the flick first, then mimic this flick on the other eye. Connect the flick with the lash line and this is where you decide how thick or thin your are going to go. I like to keep it slightly thin because it makes my eyes look larger. I also like to bring the liner in to the inner corner of the eye but that's up to how you like your liner yourself. 

10. Lick some mascara onto those lashes. The more the merrier in my opinion!

11. Take the Luminizer Stick the dab it on top of the cheekbone and underneath the eye area. Take your ring finger and blend it into the skin. 

12. On to the lips, you can use a lip line if you wish, I always like to because I feel my lippy stays on so much longer with it. Pencil in the entire lip in a red lip liner. Taking a lip brush or a brush that you can use as a lip brush. Generally you should look for a small dense sturdy brush that won't move on you or create sticky out hairs that ruin your lip colour. I actually use Bobbi Browns Smokey Eye brush. Taking your Red Carpet lipstick paint your lips in with this beautiful colour. You don't have to use red, you can use pink, purples or even browns. I prefer a matte lipstick because it doesn't move on my lips. 

You can drop or add different parts to this look. You don't necessarily have to use liner and you can go as strong or light as you like with the contouring depending on if it is day or night look. 

Here's some photos of the makeup from Dublin Fashion Week

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Love Rach x

PeterMark Hair Show

I was very flattered and honoured to be chosen by Ciaran Cannon and Alex Seery to be their hair model for the first stage of the PeterMark Colour Awards in Style Club on South William Street. Everyone involved takes this competition very seriously so I am so excited to be apart of this event! Ciaran and Alex are taking their inspiration from the 1970's era, so we're talking big amazing hair and beautiful blonde and copper colours. 

Alex applied the colour on Monday afternoon and Ciaran has been styling it to competition standard a few times since. The styling is amazing also, low cut green velvet dress with a killer (literate wording) train and the makeup (by me) is going to be beautifully smoked dark browns, blacks and my all time favourite Antiqued by MAC. 

The show is this evening so expect a lot of photos from me and my Dream Team! Here is a photo of the set I had to sleep (or not sleep) in last night. Reminds me of my Irish dancing days. 

Only one team gets through from this stage to represent the salon and compete against PeterMark salons nationwide. 

WISH ME GOOD LUCK!!!!! 

Inglot's Duraline

Inglot's Duraline has been ranted and raved about, as it should be. Its amazing. It revives your dried up eyeliner in one simple drop and turns mere powdered products to liquids. Makeup artists call it a "must have". Inglot describe it as "a special transforming liquid that will turn any Inglot powder eyeshadow into a liquid formulation". I have tried this product on MAC eyeliners and eyeshadows so it is not made specifically for Inglot cosmetics. It comes in a 9ml clear glass bottle with a dropper on top. They advise you to use it by dropping it onto the back of your hand and wetting your brush with it and then dipping your brush into the eyeshadow or eyeliner. I prefer to scoop out a part of the desired product onto my palette and drop one drop of Duraline on top and mix them together so as to not taint the original eyeshadow.

The ingredients listed are as follows:

• Isododecane
• Bis-vinyl Dimethicone Copolymer
• Capryl Glycol
• Phenoxyethanol
• Hexylene Glycol

What you need to know about this product:

• It does not crease
• Its waterproof
• It does not smudge when rubbed
• It does not fade
• Takes awhile to dry but you have to work quickly with the product

I actually prefer this product mixed with eyeliners even if the eyeliner is not originally dried out because it gives the liner a perfect consistency and allows the liner to glide onto the eye. Unfortunately, Duraline does not allow for mistakes; if you make a mistake with your eyeliner it is difficult to fix as Duraline is waterproof, crease proof and smudge proof. However, it has multitask abilities; you can mix it with your shadows and pigments to form either a coloured liner or a smudge proof eye colour. Imagine the power of a pigment and the durability of Duraline combined. Unstoppable cosmetic combination. 

For €10 per 9ml this is most definitely value for money. I would recommend it to anyone and everyone who would use eyeliner and shadows. Even for people who wouldn't usually apply a liner or shadow except for occasions, this will come in handy if that liner you have stuffed in the back of your draw dries out, whip out Duraline!

Inglot Duraline - 9ml - €10

Debutant Makeup

Recently my sister asked me to be her makeup artist and hairstylist for her boyfriends Debs. I was more than happy to oblige. She wanted a natural look with a little bit of liner.

Don't they look darling! <3

Face:

• Benefit Moonbeam
• LA Creative Mineralise Foundation
• Blonde Brow Colour (Contour)
• LA Creative Cream Concealer

Eyes:

• LA Creative Nude Eye Palette
• LA Gel Liner
• LA Cream Concealer (highlight)
• MAC Antiqued Eye Shadow
• Benefit Beyond Real Mascara

Lips:

• LA Creative's Clear gloss (per request of my client)

MAC Comes to LA College of Creative Arts

Its been a long 6 months at LA College of Creative Arts but I've loved every minute of it. Unfortunately the year is almost over and my class is graduating on 28th August. I've invited family and friends to attend and my boyfriend is featuring in the end of year fashion show as my model to showcase my work, so it is going to be a very special day for everyone.

This week is our last full week of college and the atmosphere is fun with a pinch of anticipation. Today we had guest tutors in to visit us; MAC's senior business manager Lisa Byrne and MAC's staff trainer, Corinne. Corinne showed us a look from MAC's Reb-Elle range which key MAC artists have described as "undone glamour". This look does not require neatness or tidiness and is supposed to reflect the makeup two days after partying constantly so everything is basically melted onto the face beautifully.

Corinne started off by prepping and priming the skin with MAC's new skincare range called Lightful which is a long-term skincare range. She drenches four cotton pads in the range's softening lotion and places them on the models face and lets them rest there for a minute, then removes the pads and uses Lightful's Essence serum to reduce pigmentation and give clarity to the skin. She then uses the range's moisturiser which is a gel based moisturiser that gives a radiant and youthful look to the skin and is perfect for the backstage of a fashion show as it is gel based is not oily. Finally Corinne places MAC's lip conditioner onto the lips and lets that marinate while she continues with the rest of the face. She sprays a hydrating mist to the face to leave the skin dewy and radiant.

MAC's Lightful Skincare Range

Corinne begins with the foundation using Face and Body from MAC. She comments that backstage at the majority of fashion shows, makeup artists only use either Face and Body from MAC or Mineralise Moisture Foundation as they are the only two foundations that make the skin still appear as skin and not like the model is wearing makeup. If in doubt, Corinne advised always to go a shade lighter then your foundation (a tip from the top key artists at fashion weeks around the world).

MAC Face and Body

MAC Mineralise Foundation

She takes a MAC prep and prime highlighter pen and dabs it under the eye of the model, and lets it melt away under the natural heat of her ring finger (the finger with the least amount of pressure). Corinne would usually arrive at a fashion show four hours before it begins to set up and allow time for the team briefing and hair and makeup. The key artist who designed the makeup look will then get their team together and demo the chosen look on a model and show the team the techniques, products and the finished look required of them. Before any of the team can allow their specific model to go out, they have to check with the key makeup artist if the makeup is to the brief. Corinne applies Studio Finish concealer (MAC's concealer with the fullest coverage) under the eye and anywhere it is required on the skin and dabs away the excess.

MAC Studio Finish Concealor

MAC Prep and Prime Highlighter

She then gets Feline pencil, which is the most intense black MAC has to offer in a pencil and paints it all over the lid. Then, taking a blending brush, she blends out the pencil into a soft rectangular shape extending the excess to the sides making sure the model is looking straight head and also making sure it is not a perfectly blended edge. Eye shadows are not normally used backstage on a fashion show as they do not give that intense colour straight away as there is a lot of building up the colour with eyeshadows, therefore a lot of cream shadows and pencils are used instead. Corinne then uses Feline in the waterline and uses a pencil brush to bring the majority of the product to the outer corner of the under-eye giving a rounded rectangular shape to marry with the upper rectangular shape. By using the pencil brush, you are melting the kohl Feline pencil into the under-eye giving a beautiful effect. Using Pearlglide in Black Swan, she paints on the lid of the eye to give a wet and plastic look. using a dry brush Corinne blends the Pearlglide outward.

MAC Pearlglide - Black Swan

MAC Feline Pencil

Corinne continues to use MAC's Pressed Pigment in Black Grape and packs it onto the eyelid as the pigment clings to the kohl eyeliner. The lashes are then curled and the brows are brushed up to reflect the unkempt look that models portray on the catwalk (hello Cara Delevinge!) and the MAC Brow Pencil in Spiked is used in little swipes from underneath along the brow using darker colours where skin is seen through the brow and lighter colours where the brow is fuller and the inner brow the hairs are brushed upward.

MAC Brow Pencil in Spiked

MAC Pressed Pigment in Black Grape

Using MAC's Pro Product Sculpting Creams (which are only available in the London store), Corinne highlights the cheekbone withe the lighter colour and contours nice and high, hugging the underside of the cheekbone using a darker shade of the sculpting creams with downward sweeps. She then uses a few dabs of concealer on the lips to take out the natural lip colour and uses MAC's Flase Lash mascara in Extreme Black.

MAC Pro Product Sculpting Cream

MAC False Lash in Extreme Black

I loved the finished look and I think I'm going to be a hardcore Rebel fan from here on in. I love the idea of a makeup look that looks like it has been there for days. So trendy and edgy looking. Later on in the day I was able to replicate the look and I also took photos of the look Corinne completed...... See below.

My Version of the Reb-Elle Theme

Corinne's Version of the Reb-Elle Theme

You can find all the products mentioned here..

Avéne - Skin Care Review

Avéne is a skin care range dedicated to dermatology. It was founded 250 years ago near the Sainte-Odile spring. The ingredients in the Avéne Thermal Spring Water has been connected with addressing certain skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis, psoriasis and eczema. The brand is centered around the Avéne Thermal Water and its soothing anti irritation properties.

For the past two weeks I have been using the Avéne skin care range as my skin regime. I always like to give new skin care products two weeks to show significant change in my skin. So far I have had a lot of benefits. Before I regularly used No7 Beautiful Skin cleanser, toner and moisturiser. I found the moisturiser too rich therefore giving me blemishes, however everything smelled amazing.

I went onto the Avéne website and had a "Skin Diagnosis" to discover what products would suit my skin. I was recommended Gentle Gel Cleanser, Thermal Water Spray (BIG fav), Hydrance Optimale Light UV SPF 20 and Hydrance Optimal Light Hydrating Cream as my night cream. Ever since I have been strictly using this as my skin regime and sometimes treating myself to a Soothing Hydrating mask which can be left on over night and leaves my skin subtle and smooth. I have noticed a lot of changes in my skin. My blemishes have calmed down and are almost all cleared up. My skin looks brighter, more fresh and firmer. I love the Avéne range and I don't usually fall in love with skin care. I always used to settle for whatever I could find that wasn't killer expensive. There are different ranges within the Avéne range that deals with different types of skin. For example the Clearance range would deal skin with a lot of blemishes and imperfections on younger skin. The Antirougeurs range would be for people localised redness and smooths and soothes the skin. D-Pigent range corrects and prevents brown spots and evens out complexion and the TriAcnéal range reduces redness and sores, minimises imperfections and evens out the skin.

My favourite aspect of this range is the Thermal Water Spray. I actually use this as my tones because of its amazing soothing and anti irritating essentials. Because of Ireland's miniature heat wave recently, it was useful on long walks if my face started to become dry or comfortably tight I would spray the Thermal Spray on my face and it felt amazing on my skin. It can also be used for traveling, long days at the beach to cool down, sore feet, sun burn (for a small bit of relief) and before putting on makeup.

Another product that I love is the Soothing Hydrating Serum. I use it as a primer before putting on makeup. It helps my makeup stay on longer and acts as a barrier to protect my skin while wearing heavy makeup.

In summary, I think Avéne is a great skin care range. You can find Avéne in Boots and in Selected pharmacies around Ireland. I found all of my Avéne products in Craughwell Pharmacy ;)

Rihanna VS Liz Jones

Yesterday at 21.52, Liz Jones (writer for the Daily Mail) wrote an article giving out about Rihanna saying she is an awful role model and listed out all of her mishaps in the previous few years. Click here to read Liz Jones article.

Jones said how Rihanna is an awful role model to young impressionable girls with her "fake nails" and "fake hair", her "obsession" with guns and how she reunited with Chris Brown.

The article did not receive positive feedback as fans hit back in comments by saying Rihanna never asked to be a role model and called Liz a "sad old spinster".

Rihanna then proceeded to post  a terrible looking photo of Liz Jones on Instagram (pictured below) and wrote the following the comment box...

LOL!!!! My money got a bad habit of pissing people off!! If you sincerely wanna help little girls more than their own parents do, here's a toxic tip: don't be amateur with your articles, you sound bitter! What's all this about hair and nails and costumes and tattoos?? ....That shit ain't clever!!! That shit ain't journalism! That's a sad sloppy menopausal mess!!! Nobody over here acts like they're perfect! I don't pretend that I'm like you, i just live... My life!! And I don't know why y'all still act so surprised by any of it!! "Role Model" is not a position or title that I have ever campaigned for, so chill wit dat! I got my own fucked up shit to work on, I'll never portray that as perfect, but for right now it's ME!! Call it what ya want!! Toxic was cute, Poisonous Pop Princess had a nice ring to it, just a lil wordy! And P.S. my first American Vogue cover was in 2011...APRIL!!! #ElizabethAnnJones

 What do you think of the situation?

RCKMUA

Rihanna's Holographic Trend

Rihanna in London during Diamonds World Tour

Handbag: Stella McCartney

Jeans: Acene

Shoes: Manolo Blahnik

6 Seconds To Die

Recently I was a makeup designer on a short film with the very talented Mollie Jakubowski. Together we designed the makeup looks and discussed them with the director in detail until we understood the requested brief.

There were five characters in total. Two German Nazis, two jews and a mad scientist type figure. It was challenging but unbelievably fun and I love working with actors.

The entry is for The Short Film Festival and I am absolutely in love with the finished product.

Without further ado, here is 6 Seconds To Die......

Click here to watch the YouTube video

Kimye's Little Baby Miracle

Looks like Kim finally pushed out that little baby of her and Kanye's over the weekend. No official comments have been realised but family have been Twitter saying what a miracle has come into their lives etc etc.

The couple has kept the gender of the baby a secret from the public. Kayne was recently interviewed in The New York Times and said he didn't like talking about his family or his child.... "Like, this is my baby. This isn't America's baby".

All will be revealed on Keeping Up With The Kardashians, but if you dislike that show terribly, I'll keep you updated instead ;)

And just in time for Father's Day. Nice one West, expecting a gift from your newborn immediately after their birth.

RCKMUA

New Teenage Snorting Condom Craze

Yeah, that's right. I wish you read that title wrong but no, teenagers in the US and Britain have started a new trend that involves snorting a condom (don't ask) up their nose and reaching into their mouth to retrieve it whilst gagging in the process.

Condom Snorting YouTube Craze

This trend is slowly becoming a YouTube sensation and has called itself The Condom Challenge. Maybe this craze is a cry for help due to the economic climate or its trying to get people to realise the shortage of sex education. Personally I think its a sequel to The Cinnamon Challenge or "planking".

Watch a video here but be warned.... DON'T WATCH IT!

Happy Monday

RCKMUA