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!!!!! 

Body Care

We have all been feeling the winter weather as of recent with blustering winds and the night creeping in a few hours earlier. With the harsh weather this season is going to bring we need to protect our skin from drying out and becoming dehydrated. During spring and summer a light moisturising lotion would suffice but during September to January something more protecting and more rich is required.

For the next few months your skin is going to need an extra little something. I am in love with body butters (obsessed would be closer to the truth), I love their texture and range of fragrances different brands provide. They hydrate your skin for the entire day and make you feel protected from head to toe.

Unfortunately, it would be impossible for me to name all of the brands I enjoy so I have narrowed the list down to my favourite top 5 body butters out there at the moment.

In no particular order........

1. Bodyshop - Body Butter
This product comes in 12 scents and it beautifully rich and creamy. Coconut is my favourite scent as it is not too sweet and reminds of my summer holidays abroad. 

2. L'Occitane-  Shea Butter Honey Whipped Body Cream
Discontinued in 2007 it finally made its way back into our hands again (thank goodness) with its amazing texture and 10% Shea butter it is EXTRA moisturising. 

3. Moroccan Oil - Body Butter
This concentrated body butter provides an abundance of nourishment, long lasting hydration and locks moisture in for long time repair.

4. Soap&Glory - The Righteous Butter
Winner of Woman&Home's  Best in Beauty in 2012 this product is also a winner in my eyes. It leaves you smelling divine for the day and protects you at the same time.

5. LUSH - King of Skin
This body butter bar is great for your skin. Just rub it onto dry skin rinse it off in the shower and pat yourself dry. Is also brilliant for shaving as well (secret tip).

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Love Rach x

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

Launch of New Irish Beauty Website

Next Tuesday the launch of the new Irish web site called TheBeautyLounge.ie is happening in Everleigh Gardens on Harcourt Street. I've been lucky enough to merit an invitation and I am so excited to see what this web site has to offer.

It promises "...great features, tips and advice from top celebrities and experts with exclusive offers for readers". So far the contributors are:

Penny Gray - Editor

Rosanna Davidson - Nutrition

Ailbhe Lynch - Make-Up

Mark O' Keeffe - Hair

Alison Canavan - Beauty

I think this website will be very good for nutritional tips especially coming into the summer. I'm going to take plenty of photos and I will have a lot to write about when I come back from the event so watch this space.

I'm so excited for this event. Its going to be an amazing evening.

rachelckmua.blogspot.ie

Rihanna Attacks Fan With Her Mic At Birmingham Concert

Oh Rihanna, you've proved good girls really have gone bad this time. During Rihanna's Birmingham concert, she walked near to the crowd holding out her hand as fans reached out to the singer. However one fan in particular held on a little too long in Rihanna's opinion because she turned around and hit her fan with her microphone.

A fan that has paid good money to see the star, who was probably in awe of her and they get a microphone in the face.... nice Rihanna, reeeeeeeal nice.

 

RCKMUA

My Three Adorable Euro Shop Buys

I got these three lil cuties after college today. Everything came to €4!!! 

Ok we'll start from left to right because that's how we read. 

This is a silver coloured tobacco tin/roller. But because I don't smoke rollies, I just use it as a cigarettes case as it stops other things in your bag crushing your cigarette box. I'll probably tear out the roller because it takes up space for cigarettes. 

I think this is my favourite. It's a refillable water bottle. You can freeze it and when it's empty you can just roll it up and throw it in your bag instead lugging around all these empty water bottles you want to refill eventually. Perfect for festival goers. And you can clip it to your bag or belt or whichever! 

Last but not least is my new pink phone case that I can also throw my cigarettes in on a night out. There's also room for cards and money in there. OR you can use it as a sunglasses case. Versatile eh?

Marc Jacobs Called Cara a "Dwarf"

Marc Jacobs and Cara Delevingne (5'9") weren't always BFFs. When Cara first walked into his studio, Marc said "why is that dwarf in here?" Cara was devastated. Marc banned her from 2012-2013 autumn/winter shows because he thought she looked too short and that she would look strange next to his other models. 

Since then Jacobs has hanged his tune and made it up her by casting her in all his major shows and shoots. Marc now says Cara is "a role model to women". 

And look at them now. Just goes to show, first impressions aren't everything!

RCKMUA 

Rihanna's Holographic Trend

Rihanna in London during Diamonds World Tour

Handbag: Stella McCartney

Jeans: Acene

Shoes: Manolo Blahnik

Kim and Kanye's Daughter's Name Revealed.....

Kim and Kanye are going to officially announce the name of their newborn baby girl soon but insiders revealed that the name on the top of their list for now is Kai Georgia Donda West. 

Kim wanted to keep with the Kardashian element of choosing a name beginning with 'K' so she may or may not choose Kai. A beautiful name if you ask me. 

Whether or Kai Georgia Donda West will be making an appearance on the Kardashians reality tv show is still debatable but Kanye and Kim have supposedly already decided they want to keep Kai a private part of their lives away from the media. 

My best wishes to the new family. Something tells me it's gonna be a whirlwind of an adventure!

RCKMUA 

Irish Blog Awards

Hey there peeps,

It's that time of year again, the Irish Blog Awards! I have been registered by Irish magazine editor Fiona Masterson from OohLaLa. Massively delighted about that. 

I am registered for the Newcomer award. So if you think my blog is worthy of your vote go to http://www.blogawardsireland.com/nominations-open/ enter in my blog email address rachelckmua@gmail.com, the name of my blog Rachel CK MUA, the web address of my blog rachelckmua.blogspot.ie and the date my blog commenced to exist (17th May 2013). 

I would really appreciate your vote as blogging is something I really love doing and I plan on expanding it so much over the next few months. 

Or if you don't think my blog is worthy of your vote tell me why and what I can do to change that :)

Thank so much to all your support so far. 

RCKMUA

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

Innocent Illusion MakeUp Artistry

My best friend from across the waters in Canada kindly agreed to do a guest blog for me. She is a makeup artist herself and runs her own business very successfully. Business is booming and she is right in the mist of it. Her blog is amazing and so up to date with everything and she does huge giveaways all the time.

Here she is........

I want to start off by saying I am honored to be guest blogging for Rachel CK. We go waaay back and it’s great to reconnect now starting out in our chosen careers sharing our new found knowledge, opinions and ways in this tough industry with each other and our readers J

While at the moment my own blog, Innocent Illusion Makeup artistry is a Canadian blog, I like to think of it as international. As you may have guessed since I went to school with the wonderful Rachel I am a born and bred Galway girl who has been living and working in Canada for the last year.

Recently finishing my yearlong contract doing a 9-5 job in relation to my nearly completed business degree, I resorted to my one true passion in this world, Beauty, as a means of making money until I return to Ireland in August to finish my degree.

What starting off as a simple freelance makeup artist has now turned into the already expanding business that is Innocent Illusion Makeup Artistry. (I can thank my study in business for this)

Currently here in Canada cosmetics are a $9.14-billion industry. A ban on animal tested cosmetics by the European Union was passed in March of this year, comprising a lot of the industries exporting revenue.

The cosmetics industry here worries the ban also means an entire market could be closed off to innovative new cosmetics in the future but remain positive that the market will remain strong as vanity is becoming more and more important to society and people even more so than years gone by.

Right now, everybody starting to enter the workforce is trying to get out of Ireland, predominately to England, Australia and Canada.

A question I seem to get asked a lot is “Is there work for a MUA there & is it easy to break into the industry?.

I feel I am too new to answer this fully but I believe work in makeup can be found anywhere. Even in recession struck Ireland, people seem to find disposal income to get a makeover or get glammed up for a special event as it is important to them to look and feel good.

What happens to a person when they put makeup on? They automatically feel better about themselves. The look good=feel good equation is the primary factor that brings that woman through the door into the beauty department and up to the lipstick bank looking for anything that will take away from the fact that she feels fat that day, or her kids aren’t behaving, or her 9 to 5 job doesn’t satisfy or that her husband doesn’t pay enough attention to her. When she purchases that new lipstick or eyeshadow and goes home and applies it, she feels better about herself and her world. When she gets complemented on her makeup and told she looks pretty, well that’s a more powerful drug than all morphine in the world. There’s always high demand for makeup in Fashion, TV & Film also. And therefore, wherever in the world, there will always be a market for MUAs in my opinion.

In regards to breaking into the industry I feel that may be easier here than in Ireland. I say this as a self-taught makeup artist, while qualifications and training are recognized, they are not the be all and end all here. Your resume is your portfolio. You are judged on your body of work and skill rather than qualifications.

The reason I have done what I have so far here is all down to Marketing and Social Networking. You need to let people know you exist and are interested in working with them by marketing yourself and networking. It really is the key to breaking into the industry.

What it means to be a Make-up Artist!

Since I was a little girl I always loved art, photography and anything creative. My art for many years was dance and I had great aspirations to make it a career. In my teenage years I focused more on my academics but always loved all things beauty. Now I have started my own freelance makeup business and since doing that I am inundated with questions about how to get the job and what qualifications people need etc. To me, makeup is simply art and lucky I have the skill to execute this art.

I think art is very open, there are so many avenues to explore that the desire to lead a creative life is always present. I now live my life as an artist. It’s about the way you think, the way you can critique work, how you approach life and overcome problems. Art is more about a way of thinking then just technical skill. It has to make your heart skip a beat.

I’d like to say that make-up artistry isn’t always about the glamour or the ‘cool’ status that seems to go with the title nowadays. While that is fun, it’s about exploration. Stretching your imagination as far as it will go and having no limits.

How many people look exactly how they feel they are on the inside? Make-up stems from a primitive ages and has been used for celebration, war, lifestyle, adornment, as tribal protection and for spiritual purposes. Make-up can be so much more fascinating than an oil painted canvas because it is an art you live your life in. It’s a pure injection of personality, emotion and colour. Make-up has the power to do anything. Even on the lowest of days it can make you feel invincible. Everyone is unique, and it is the same with make-up; no two people look the same, every time you pick up that make-up brush or eyeshadow there are subtle differences.

One of the problems professional make-up artists encounter is competition. We tend to feel inadequate as a result of somebody’s opinion, feeling like you don’t have the contacts, the skills, and the willpower to carry on, especially if you have an awful client. It’s not always easy to pick yourself up after a bad day.

Luckily I feel I have the belief and support to overcome a lot of the competition by staying true to myself and trying hard to achieve my dreams; making Innocent Illusion Makeup Artistry an international success. There will be bullies and hardships along the way but as long as I understand that I’ll be ok.

That look on peoples faces when they look at themselves in a new beautiful light because of what you’ve done makes it all worthwhile! All I do is enhance natural beauty- I can’t work magic J Making someone feel beautiful and confident with who they are makes are those hardships fade into the background.

I think we all shouldn’t be as down on ourselves! True inspiration doesn't happen when we are stressed out. We try to juggle so many things and it ends up stifling our creative spirit! It’s never wrong to take time out to reflect, pamper and enjoy your own company or spend time with loved ones, it helps the artist develop and it’s very important to feel free and open to new ideas. I think this is where my blog comes into play in a big way.

A strong work ethic is very important as a freelancer, but remember not to take life too seriously, learn to laugh at yourself, push yourself and be brave and confident in who you are!

To be in a position to be who you truly want to be sometimes takes effort and courage and to shrug off the opinions of people who say you can’t do it. Because if you want something badly enough you will keep on trying until it happens J

Lots of wisdom there! I know what you’re thinking; cliché, cliché, cliche! But I’ve had quite a difficult year out in the big bad world and a lot of growing up had to be done with the loss of a family member so all of the above really does have meaning- trust me!

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Beyoncé Fan "Taps That"

Looks like Baby-B was unimpressed during a performance of "Irreplaceable" in Denmark when a fan tapped her ass. She was reaching out to her fans and when she turned around some dude copped a feel. 

The singer was completely appalled and responded by saying "I will have you escorted out right now, alright?" 

Apparently Beyoncé and Jay-Z have denied rumours of their second child when assumptions were made after she started cancelling shows due to "health problems".

The world tour is said to continue its shows over the summer until the wrap up show in Brooklyn.

RCKMUA

Kardashians Season 8 Promo

Keeping up with the Kardashians season 8 is starting next week and we all know it's going to be all about Kimye and their love child.

Kris gets emotional.... they ALL get emotional. Kris dramatically adds "If one of you are pregnant, you're all kinda pregnant".

Watch the E! video promo here

H&M Purchase

Got some cute rings in H&M after college today. My favourite comes on silver too. 

RCKMUA