Make Up Muse | Ve Neill

Todays Make up Muse blog post is on three time Oscar winning make up artist Ve Neill . Ve Neill was born in California in 1951 as Mary Flores . Her next-door neighbour growing up was a Make Up Artist . He used to create amazing Halloween looks & she always said to him that she wanted to do what he does when she got older .

In the early 70s it was a very male dominated industry & Ve Neill was one of the first woman to join the Union & paved the way for other woman . She actually studied Fashion Merchandising in College & at 18 owned her own vintage clothes shop . She learned how to do make up by a man she met at a science fiction convention . She then began to work on some small independent films before getting into the union for make up artists .

She has won Oscars for the make up in Beetlejuice , Mrs. Doubtfire & Ed Wood but she has been nominated for eight Oscars , which makes her the female make up artist with the most Academy Awards/Nominations .

The other make up artists I have written about so far are Fashion/Editorial/Beauty Make up Artists . Ve Neill is a able to create both Beauty & Special Effects Make up but specialises in extreme fantasy looks . She is also a judge on the TV show Face Off , where make up artists compete for $100,000.

She has created some of the most iconic looks in television & film that are recreated year in and year out at Halloween . She worked along director Tim Burton & Actor Johnny Depp quite frequently . Other successful movies she has worked on are 'The Hunger Games' , 'Austin Powers' , 'Hook' , 'The Amazing Spider Man 2 ' , 'X Men :Days Of Future Past ' along with many many more .

This woman is a huge inspiration of mine , she is just an absolute genius & the things she has achieved as a female make up artist in the film industry really inspire me and a lot of other make up artists.

I feel like Make up is a lot different now then when Ve begun her career  , now social media plays a big role in the career of a Make up Artist where as when she begun , her talent, personality & work ethic is what got her to where she is today .

Thanks For Reading !
Alannah x

MAKE UP MUSE | LISA ELDRIGDE

One of my biggest & first inspirations in Makeup , Lisa Eldridge . She was the make up artist on the TV show 10 years younger  , has an amazing YouTube channel & Blog , countless celebrities clients & is global creative director of Lancôme . She has previously lived & worked in Paris , New York , LA & now lives in London . Might I add she has a family as well as achieving all this . Such a hard working human being . That's something I really admire in all the Make up Artist's I'm mentioning in these Make up Muse Blog posts .

With her YouTube channel she has a really good way of explaining things in a simple manner . Also if she says a products good , I trust her opinion and would buy it . She has over 1.5 million subscribers on YouTube . Her regular celebrity clients include Kate Winslet , Rosie Huntington Whitley , Keira Knightley , Kate Moss ,Lilly Collins & many many more. Kate Winslet seems to be one of her very loyal clients .She has her work on magazines like ELLE , VOGUE , ALLURE, HARPER BAZZAR & has worked with many famous photographers & designers  .



She has previously held creative directorships, ambassadorial and developmental roles for leading brands including Chanel, Shiseido and Boots No7.  She is currently global creative director of Lancôme, working on product development , social media strategies & advertising campaigns .

Lisa published her first book 'Face Paint : The Story of Make up' last year . The book about the history of make up & is a New York Times bestseller . What an achievement ! Along with her make up artistry skills she has a great knowledge of social media .

Hope you all are enjoying these Make up Muse blogposts as much as I enjoy writing them .

Thanks for reading .

Alannah x

CLIENT MAKE UP TUTORIAL | QUICK & EASY

My beautiful friend Linda let me do her make up & video it for a tutorial this week .I will hopefully lure some more people into my videos as models as its nice to see a different face & not just my face all the time haha .This wasn't actually a planned video but she had very little time for me to do her make up so I pressed record on the camera & worked away . Quick & easy make up look .

 I created a smokey eye , defined brows , warm glow & a mauve lip . As you can see from the pictures I applied a foundation a few shades  darker then  her skin because she was telling me she was going to be putting on some fake tan when she got home . Most clients I apply make up on usually have tan on our are going to put tan on after I do there make up .

 Orange eyeshadow works really well making blue eye stand out . So If you have blue eyes and never tried orange eyeshadow , please do it looks amazing ! This was fun to film & we had lots of laughs throughout .  Ill definitely have Linda in another video in the future demonstrating a different look .

                                                        To Watch In HD : Click Here .

Product List

Skin

Moisturiser : Lacura - Day Cream

Foundation : Makeup Forever Ultra HD Foundation

Concealer : Kiko Highlighting Pencil (sadly discontinued)

Blusher : Blank Canvas Cosmetics Pippa Palette

Bronzer : Kat Von D Shade & Light Palette

Eyes

Eye Primer : MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot - Soft Ochre

Cream Eyeshadow : Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Palette - 'Tempera'

Orange Eyeshadow : Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Palette - 'Realgar'

Dark Eyeshadow : Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Palette- 'Cyprus Umber'

Pencil Eyeliner : MUD - Black Eye Pencil

Liquid Eyeliner : Collection-Extreme 24 Hour Felt Tip Liner

Mascara : Volum Express Colossal Mascara

Eyebrows : Morphe Brow8 Brow Palette

Lips

Lipstick : Bourjois Lipstick in

Thanks For Reading/Watching .
Alannah x

Make up Muse | Pat McGrath

Second blog post for this series 'Make up Muse' where I write about Make up Artist who I admire .
This week its the one & only Pat McGrath . A true make up legend . Pat McGrath has been called the most influential make up artist in the world by Vogue magazine editor & chief Anna Wintour . She never had any formal make up training but did a foundation art course in a college in England.

Her make up creations can only be described as a work of art . I have always been a fan of high fashion/editorial make up , its not always pretty but I like that .Its different , make up doesn't always have to be pretty .

I love the way she is so versatile with her looks she can create beautiful feminine looks or dramatic haute couture looks . She works mainly with her fingers , rarely using brushes .

She is very passionate about make up and was quoted saying 'I really love being a makeup artist. It never gets mundane or predictable and every shoot and show is different ' .

Every year she attends four fashion weeks(including couture) & throughout the year works with well known magazines (Vogue , Harpers Bazaar ), designers (Louis Vuitton , Dolce & Gabbana , Gucci) & make up brands (Max factor & Cover girl) on editorial shoots .

She is creative design director of Cover girl & Max Factor cosmetics . Before that she created a make up line for Armani in 1999.

In an interview with Vogue.com UK McGrath said "I'm influenced a lot by the fabrics that I see, the colours that are in the collections, and the girls' faces. It's always a challenge but that's the key - to make it different every time."

She is constantly travelling an takes thirty to fifty (yep , you did just read that right... meanwhile I struggle to get one bag to fit on the plane with Ryanair haha ) bags of materials, tools & reference materials with her  .

It would be an absolute dream to meet her one day . I took a lot of inspiration from her creations when I was in college studying make up artistry . If your on google images , search her name you wouldn't be disappointed she has a lot more amazing artistic looks .

Thanks for reading ,
Alannah x

Make Up Muse | Patrick Ta

So I have decided to do a blog series where I write blogpost about Make up Artists that I admire . Make up is like art so there is many artists with very different styles . Even if I don't personally like a certain style that's just my opinion and there will be people out there that will like that style so its best to stick to your own style & way you like doing make up . Its art after all not everyone is going to like or dislike the same thing . I am starting off this series with a make up artist I found on Instagram awhile back Patrick Ta .

Patrick Ta is represented by 'The Wall Group' in Los Angeles . 'The Wall Group' is a well known agency for Make up , hair stylist & nail technicians . He has a long list of Celebrity Clients like Gigi Hagdid, Chrissy Teigen , Shay Mitchell , Kendell Jenner & Jenna Dewan Tatum to name just a few .

All his looks are very glamourous & flawless. Since these celebrities are under loads of lights & HD cameras its important for his looks to be really perfected , looking well in person & on camera . I especially love the way he does eyebrows . He does brows that suit the clients face & aren't too drastic . He also creates beautiful radiant skin , once you achieve nice skin it makes a big different to the finishing result of the complete make up look .

He is a self taught make up artist who was discovered through Instagram . How cool is that ? He's list of celebrity clients is just going to get bigger & bigger . What a talented man .

                   Here is a video of him creating flawless foundation : click here to watch .
                                                                 Instagram : Patrickta

Thanks for reading ,

Alannah x

Starting Out In Make up : Building Your Freelance Makeup Kit

We all know make up can be expensive but when your a make up artist its part of your job to have make up. When starting out it can be hard & expensive to build up a kit . Yes you can get cheaper make up products but generally if people are paying you to do there make up they want you to be using good quality products , because its a luxury for them to get there make up done so they want to feel pampered.

I went to college & studied make up artistry for a year & we got a kit with the course . The kit was the most expensive thing we had to pay for . It included lots of palettes , airbrush gun , special effects make up and a train case .

I do believe that you should do some sort of make up course before charging people because even though make up is like art and a lot of its to do with natural talent its good to know hygiene, pick up tips from others as well as practicing yourself . 

I hope this blogpost helps some beginner make up artist out there , keep in mind I am still a beginner I have only been doing make up for three years now but this is how I have built up my kit to the stage its at , I still have a lot more things to add to mine but this is a good start . 

• Palettes are the best thing since sliced bread . Palettes usually are great value for money and are very compact . If you were to buy single eyeshadows it would work out more expensive then buying a pre-made palette with them in . 

          Some palettes I love : 

Foundation 

Graftobian HD glamour creme 

MUD cream foundation 

Eyeshadow 

Anastasia Beverly Hills - Modern Renaissance 

Urban Decay - Naked 2 

Sleek I Divine Eyeshadow Palettes

Eyebrow Palette

Morphe Eyebrow Palette 

Highlight & Contour Palette 

Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit- Sun Dipped

Blank Canvas Cosmetics - Pippa Palette (eyeshadows , highlighter , blush & bronzer) 

Lip Palette 

Graftobian HD Super Lip Palette 

          

• Cheap mascara . You will go through mascara that much that you can't afford to be buying the latest YSL or Lancome one every single time. Essence are usually a good brand for affordable mascara . People usually get fake eyelashes too if its a special occasion so you don't really see there own lashes anyway . 

• Lipsticks . You don't need as many lipsticks as you think , I mean I know it looks cool when you own all the mac lipsticks but its really not nescassary . If you have a spatula & palette (which you should for hygiene reasons) you can just mix your shades on the palette to create the colour your looking for . 

• Foundations . You can get some really good creme foundation palettes(I have listed the ones I like above) which are extremely handy to have in your kit , you can make them have more of a liquid texture by mixing them with a water based primer. Foundation is something you do need to spend your money on though . If theres a foundation you like buy it in three shades is usually a good start . Buy a light , medium & dark shade and you can mix them to match the persons skin tone . Most Irish girls wear fake tan. 

• Translucent powder . Something you don't have to spend a crazy amount on either . Buy translucent instead of a coloured powder cause it will go with every complexion . 

• Eyeshadows . There are so many eyeshadow palettes out there , most people go for golds , browns , burgundies & oranges and after that you will get the very odd person looking for colourful looks (unless your working in fashion of course) . I love Make up Geek & Inglot eyeshadows also & you can customise your own palette . 

• A bigger kit doesn't necessarily look good . I have heard a few well known make up artists say this . When I first started doing make up I thought it would look better if I had a really big make up kit . But honestly its just makes products hard to find & confusing . If your going to a bridal trial there is no need to take your 20 loose glitters & face diamonds . It just makes the client doubt your ability too while your rooting around your case looking for a foundation  . 

• You can buy eyelashes in bulk online . Make sure they are good quality . I probably spend too much money on my eyelashes to be honest because I like the brand & styles I get . I get them off false eyelashes.co.uk and they usually have good coupons for percentage off or throw in an extra pack free. With Fake eyelashes you need to remember to have tweezers , scissors & glue (my favourite is Duo Glue) . Keep in mind that some people are allergic to latex and you can get Duo glue thats latex free. 

• Make-up removers & skincare . Obviously people don't always come to you with there skin make up free & perfectly mositurised so its important to have cotton pads cleanser , toner and moisturiser in you kit . We used a french brand called Matis in college which was very good but expensive , the Simple range would do the job for starting out. 

• The base is a tricky one , you really just have to try different products and see what you like to use yourself .Everyone seems to have different opinions when it comes to primers . I like the Smashbox Photo Finish primer , Kiko Glowing Potion , Loreal Infallible Mattifying Primer . 

• Hygiene : You need to make sure you depot everything & don't directly apply something to someones face . 99% achocol is great to have in your kit to keep everything clean . Hand sanitiser (Boots) because your hands will be near or on the clients face . Spatula & palette(Amazon) to depot & mix products. Brush cleaner(Mac) & tissue to spot clean your brushes between clients . Mascara spoolies (Sallys Salon Services) make sure not to double dip though . Once you but the mascara spoolie into the tub of mascara apply it on the client and take it out you shouldn't put it in the tub again .  

• Brushes are worth spending money on because brushes can last you a lifetime . You also want the brushes to be gentle on peoples skin you don't want some harsh brush giving them a red skin or a rash. Brush sets are the way to go , buying them individually can get expensive . Zooeva , Blank Canvas Cosmetics are both very affordable good brush brands . 

• Lipgloss & lip pencils you really don't need to many either . A nude , pink , red & purple lip pencil will usually do the job . All you need is a clear lipgloss because you will see the lipstick shade through it . 

• Gel eyeliner is best hygiene wise . Gel eyeliner tends to dry out so Inglot duraline is always good to have to make the consistency more fluid like again . 

• We got a make up case in college , it was a very bulky one that kept everything organised but it wasn't the most compact . There was just a handle & strap on it but I bought wheels for mine and put them on it to make it easier to wheel about . To be completely honest I don't think you really need an expensive train case  . If you had a nice sized bag your can just organise your make up in lots of different make up bags inside . It will be a lot lighter & cheaper .Mines looks pretty similar to the case on the right hand side below .

• Clear make up bags . It is very hard to get make up off make up bags once they spill so having a clear make up bag makes it easier to clean up the mess . You can get clear make up bags in Penneys, Dunne Stores, eBay or Boots. 

• Brush belt or brush holder ? Well really whatever you find easiest to see your brushes . I like using my brush belt but don't have it around my waist instead I lay it down on the table so I can see them clearly . 

                                                                  

• I really like the LA girl pro conceal you can order it on Ebay or amazon , I got mine on holidays . You can get colour wheels also like the Graftobian & Wet n Wild ones with concealer & colour correctors in them . You can also use concealer as an eyeshadow base if you set it with a light coloured eyeshadow before applying the rest of your eyeshadows . 

If I forgotten anything let me know . I am thinking of doing more 'Starting Out In Make up' blogpost in the further. There is some really good videos on Youtube too on how to build your freelance make up kit so I would check those out too . 

Thanks For Reading !

Alannah x 

Favourite Autumn Eyeshadows

 

 

If you didn't already know , I love warm autumn colours . There flattering on every eye colour and just look great . Since it is Autumn I thought it was a suitable time to list a few of my favourite warm eyeshadows , that I use on a regular bases . These eyeshadows are from two brands both brands create powdered eyeshadows that blend beautifully and are very pigmented with little fall out .

 

Make up Geek Eyeshadows

Bitten - Dark maroon red matte finish 

Peach Smoothie - Light peach colour matte finish

Latte - Medium matte brown

Mango Tango - Peachy pinks with flecks of gold

Goddess - Metallic pale cooper

 

Make up Designory Eyeshadows

(actually supposed to be blushers but I use them as eyeshadows )

Brick - Deep terracotta

Pumpkin - Burnt orange

Gingerbread - Warm brown with slight shimmer

 

 

 

Whats your favourite eyeshadow to wear in autumn ?

 

More Halloween posts will be up soon , having some technical issues with a Halloween tutorial I'm trying to upload . As always , hope you all have a nice week .

 

Thanks for Reading

Alannah x

Eye Makeup To Compilment Dark Lips - Step By Step

Dark lips are seen as a winter trend . In Ireland its feels like its always winter . Dark lips and dark eye make up can clash and are really hard to pull off . When your wearing a dark lip its nice to have an eye make up look that complements the look and is not completely boring. So I thought I would do a blog post on how to achieve this eye make up look that works well with dark lipstick . Oh and the lipstick is from Avon in the colour Vixen, enjoy .

Step 1 : Prime your eyelid using a concealer(i used collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer)  to make the pigment in your eyeshadow more vibrant use your finger to blend it out. 

Step 2 : Using a fluffy blending brush blend some light brown eyeshadow(i used Inglot eyeshadow) into your crease . Make sure its well blended . 

Step 3 :Using black eyeliner(I used Inglot gel eyeliner) starting from the inner corner of your eye drag it out wards an create a flick at the end . 

Step 4 : Apply a black eyeliner pencil(I used MUD pencilled liner) on the tight line of your eye .
 

Step 5 : Using a medium sized eyeshadow brush apply some gold eyeshadow to your inner tear duct (I used half baked from the Urban Decay Naked 2 palette) . 

Step 6 : Apply your favourite mascara (i used Maybelline Great lash blackest black mascara) .

Sorry for the lack of posts the last while , had plans for something new for my blog in 2015 but I'm putting it off for a while because a few things (college etc) . So for now I will be doing my normal make up blog posts . Hope everyone had a nice christmas and have a happy new year :) .

5 reason you need this eyeshadow colour

Todays Blog post is about my most reached for eye shadow (Inglot Eyeshadow - Matte Brown 342) and who would of thought ? It just looks like a boring old matte brown shadow but trust me you need it. After purchasing the Urban Decay naked 2 palette I realised I was in need of some matte eye shadow for my kit . Too much shimmer eye shadow doesn't look great on older skin as the can sometimes make the wrinkles and fine lines around the eye area more noticeable also you really can go wrong with a matte eye shadow .My friend bought me an Inglot freedom system palette with 3 eye shadows and there was a place for one more eye shadow so when I was in Dublin a while after that I decided to head towards there South Anne Street Inglot store and purchase this eye shadow so that my Inglot palette was complete . Here are 5 reason why I love this eye shadow so much :


1 . The price. €6 ! I personally think its a bargain for the quality and the amount of the eye shadow you get . Mac eyeshadow is €10 and has a lot less product in it .


2 . Works well on every eye colour . Teenagers , Adults , people with green , blue or brown  trust me it will suit you ! Great colour for those who aren't that confident at doing there own make up . Also matte brown will never go out of trend.


3. Its the perfect eye shadow transition colour . Especially with a brown , black or orange smokey eye look. A transition colour is a colour you blend out in the socket line of your eye so you don't have a  harsh lines between your brow bone & your eyeshadow . Your eyeshadow will look well blended and will gradual fade into you skin.


4. Great Eyebrow Colour . Believe or not it works on blondes , light brunettes and red heads . It just depends how lightly or strongly you apply it . I like to use and angled eyebrow brush to apply it and conceal around my eyebrows then to make my eyebrows look more defined .


5. Nicely pigmented . Inglot eyeshadows are probably the most popular product from Inglot because they have a nice texture and are really pigmented . If you don't believe me look up more reviews on there eyeshadows and I am sure they will all say the same.


I have used this eyeshadow in my previous make up looks on my blog , have a look if you want to see this eyeshadow being used .

Pop of Purple

I did this make up a day last week , when I was going to lunch with my mother . Recently I have been trying to incorporate more colour into my make-up looks , I started doing a natural brown eye with winged eyeliner , then I thought I would add some blue eyeliner ( it looks purple in the photo but I swear its blue) on my waterline and blended out some purple eye shadow underneath. Purple is great for making brown eyes pop. I have very little colour on the rest of my face because I wanted my eyes to be the main focus of the look . Highlight in my tear duct is as become a reoccurring step in my make up routine as of lately , it really makes your eyes look more awake looking. Here's a product list of everything on my face , if any of the products interest you , you can just click on the product and it will take you to a website were you can purchase the product .

Product List

Skin

Moisturiser : Embryolisse - Lait Crème Concentré

Primer : Makeup Designory - Face primer

Foundation : Graftobian HD Glamour Crème - Sunrise Flush

Blush :Nyx cream blush- Rose Blush (very lightly applied)

Eyes

Eyelid Primer : Urban Decay Primer Potion - Sin

 Eyeshadow (outer corner of eyelids) : Inglot Freedom System eyeshadow - Matte Brown 342

Winged Eyeliner : Makeup Designory - Black (winged out with a small precision brush)

Waterline eyeliner : Penny's eyeliner - Blue

Eyeshadow (bottom lash line) : Urban Decay Nyc Palette - Psychedelic Sister

Inner Tear duct Highlight : Wet'n'wild Cover All Palette

Mascara : Maybelline Great Lash - Blackest Black

Eyebrows : Inglot Eyeshadow - Matte Brown 342

Lips

Lipbalm :Nuxe - Reve de meil Moisture Stick

Lipstick - Nyx Black Label Lipstick : That 70s Pink



Natural Summer Glow - product list

So it's currently summer in Ireland and surprisingly its been sunny (shocking I know) anyway I thought I would write a blog post  about the products I use to create a natural summer glow . To achieve glowing healthy looking skin your really need to focus on the base cleanse , tone, moisturise , apply a good primer and then some illuminaror. Currently have a cold sore so that is what that weird looking thing on my lip is . I will be two blog posts a week from now on.

Skin

Make up designory - face primer 

Nars - orgasm illuminator

Maybelline match perfection- foundation 

Sleek - Bronzer from the light contour palette

Nyx -  cream blush in rose petal

Wet'n'wild - concealer wheel -highlight 

Eyes & Eyebrows

Graftobian HD glamour crème palette- darker brown colours 

Soap and Glory - thick and fast black mascara 

Inglot eyeshadow(used on brows)- 342

Lips

Graftobian HD glamour creme palette- cream blush colours 

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