Makeup masterclass review

I attended the Chloe Boucher Glossybox masterclass today in the Marker Hotel Dublin and thought I’d share my experience with you. For those of you who don’t know Chloe Boucher she is a Youtube makeup Vlogger with a huge following on instagram for her makeup snaps. 

The venue was beautiful. Glossy box and the Marker Hotel had done a great job with the set up. The reception area was filled with beautiful vintage toned roses, tea and coffee stations were dotted around the room (very much welcomed on a Saturday morning!). The masterclass was due to kick off at 10 and we were called to take our seats at 10.15 so not too much of a delay. Rachel Kavanagh the MD for Glossybox Ireland and UK introduced Chloe and moderated throughout the masterclass. For those of you who do not know what Glossybox is it’s basically a box of discovery of new and iconic beauty products which you can subscribe to, to be delivered to your door every month. Each box contains 5 products for you to enjoy. I think the cost to you for your subscription is €14.00 p/month which isn’t bad really considering you get a sneak peak at some really wonderful brands, some high end and some more accessible drug store brands. They had a lovely little cream highlighter in their box this month which I got to see at the masterclass and try which is available in boots I think, unfortunately I can’t think of the name of it right now but will post on my Facebook page if I do remember.

Chloe went about doing her thing while answering questions Rachel asked her about which product she was using. Chloe also advised which brushes to use for each product along the way. Being honest I didn’t really go for her insights on makeup application as I am already a qualified makeup artist I did however want to see how she structured her tutorials. And I have to say I was pretty impressed. She came across as a very nice down to earth girl with a great understanding and passion for what she does. It’s no wonder she has such a huge following. She knows what she is talking about and can also walk the walk. She ran through a very simple natural day look which consisted of the usual primer, foundation, concealer, highlight, blush, colour wash in the eye with a smudged out brown eyeliner and nude lip. She then transitioned this into an evening look by adding a layer of sparkle shadow over the lid and darkened the lip. Very simple yet very effective. (Check out my previous blog series: 'A How to' guide to becoming your own MUA to learn all the tips and trick for mastering your makeup).

I myself have my masterclass debut at the end of the month which I’ve been a little nervous about, and so to see someone who has done it numerous times and feeling confident that I can match her skills made me feel a little better about the whole thing. So thank you Chloe Boucher and Glossybox for a great morning out.

Chloe answered a few quick fire questions in the Q&A at the end. Some of her answers might give you a little insight to this very beautiful yet down to earth girl:

Q. Ketchup pr brown sauce?

A.  Ketchup

Q. Tea or coffee?

A.  Tea

Q. Your last meal?

A.  If I was on death row?? Eddie rockets

Q.  Favourite spice girl?

A.  Posh

Q.  What is your spirit animal?

A.  Sammy seal being chased by fish and chips owners on youtube

Q.  What’s your secret talent?

A.  Chloe got a close up on the camera and showed us how she can roll her tongue!

A tan less ordinary

Recently I have decided to try and make a bit more of an effort when it comes to my non existent self-tanning routine as Spring is finally here thank god, and Summer is just around the corner. I also have a few events coming up which inevitably means I’ll have to ditch my uniform of jeans and jumpers and slip into a frock. Legs and arms will definitely be exposed, needless to say I cannot subject anyone to my winter white pins. Luckily this little beauty arrived at my door and has been my saving grace.

Bronz’ Express Magic Radiance Drops are little drops of liquid golden sun in a bottle. In a nutshell this magic little bottle allows you to add a few drops of self tanner to your usual skincare product of choice. It gives you a beautiful natural sun kissed glow without compromising your daily beauty regime. It combines with any textures, so if you use cream, gel, fluid or oil based moisturisers for your face and body it will simply enhance these providing you with a natural tan you control. This is the one thing I love about it. I often find it hard to get a good colour match with a self tanner, many come in light, medium or dark shades but none allow you to really control the depth of colour you want and while many do have great skin nourishing ingredients they will not have the same benefits of your carefully chosen daily skincare regime.

How it works

This can be used on both your face and body. Simply put your regular face or body skincare into the palm of your hand. Add the magic radiance drops by pressing the push button located under the bottle. Gently mix the two products together with both hands. Apply with light massages to the face or the body, rinse your hands after. If using on your face add 3 drops to intensify your tan or 2 drops to maintain it. Add 6 drops for your body for a natural glow or 4 to maintain your tan. 

As someone who is a hard sell for this type of product I am genuinely sold. I use it usually in the evening after I’ve removed my makeup etc. but you can use it morning time too as it just commons with your usual moisturiser. There is no self tan smell either which for me is a huge bonus. I know self tanners have evolved and aren’t supposed to smell but in reality most do a little. I’ve used this with a dry oil I’ve been using recently which smells amazing and it hasn’t changed the smell at all.

Overall, this is a great little self tanner, allowing you to tailor make and adjust your own tan requirements.

The Body Beautiful

With Summer just around the corner I felt it was about time I started trying to shed my winter skin and lay some ground work for the inevitable shedding of clothes. I’ve been using these products now for the last week or so and as I like them so much I thought I’d share. Two are for the body beautiful and the other an anti ageing face serum which is now a staple in my skincare regime.

So to kick off the summer body battle I’ve been using:

Vichy Ideal Body Oil

The first thing I have to say about this oil is OMG the scent! It’s divine. Really and truly you’ll feel like you've emersered yourself in a bed of wild flowers from Hawaii. Breath deep, it lasts all day. I’ve not even had to use any kind of perfume (I love a good perfume) I smell so  wonderful. Of course besides the amazing smell there are other greater benefits to this wondrous oil. Firstly it is not just a body oil. It can be used as a multipurpose oil, a few spritz’s in your hair, leave in overnight, wash out in the morning and hey presto beautifully hydrated hair.

I however am a bit of a conformist and so as it says body oil I tend to use it only on my body. I spray all over after showering and then gently massage into my skin leaving it to do its magic for a few minutes before I get dressed. Honestly, it’s wondrous the effect it has on your skin. My usually grey skin feels silky soft and looks dewy without feeling oily or sticky in any way. As it’s a dry oil the finish is satiny smooth leaving a slight reflective sheen to your skin. There are also added ingredients to care for your skin such as 10 essential nourishing and soothing oils: Apricot oils, Passionflower, Rice Bran, Sunflower, Rosehip, Macadamia, Jojoba, Black Currant Seeds, Coriander and Corn which bring softness to skin of the body, face and hair.

It is also enriched with antioxidant Vitamin E and Omega 3 and 6 which reinforce the barrier of the skin. While I’m no scientist I’m sure all of these added extras are good for something and for me they seem to be doing the job. I’ve no doubt that I’ll be using this right through Spring and well into the Summer.

Garnier Ambre Solaire BB Body No streaks bronzer

I am definitely not a self-tan girl. I find it time consuming and just never remember to do it the night before and so always end up using instant tan. While I do love the effects it’s not something I do often but I think with this new BB Body from Garnier I’ll be doing it a whole lot more. Now that my body is starting to reap the benefits from the dry oil Ive been using the application of tan has become easier and less troublesome (I’m always the one with streaks on the back of her legs!). Anyway, this 5 in 1 BB body bronzer cream is great. It does al the things a good BB cream does for your face. It hydrates, blurs pores, moisturises, evens out your skin tone along with giving you a  subtle glowing tan. While I may not have my pins out just yet my ankles are starting to peek through on a daily basis and t-shirts (indoors!) are becoming more frequent and so with just a little of this I feel the purple blueness of my winter skin looks a little bit more alive and ready to be bared.

Benefit Instant Comeback Facial Serum

Once again Benefit have come up trumps with this beautiful little booster serum for your face. Suitable for all skin types it promises to hydrate parched skin, protect against the visible signs of ageing ensuring your skin feels plumper, firmer smoother and more radiant. And having tried it for the last week I can say that while it may not be able to turn back the clock it certainly has made a difference. My skin does indeed feel smoother and firmer when I use it as a booster serum under my usual morning and nighttime moisturiser as suggested. A nice addition to your daily skincare regime. The packaging as always with Benefit is also very cute and will look great on your dressing table.

Arriving home from work, I'm greeted at the door by a screaming two year old and a three year old who has decided it's a great idea to empty the contents of my makeup bag all over her face! Hassled I pay the childminder not asking questions as to how said three year old got hold of my makeup or why my two year old is screaming like a banshee. Are you home from work now? asks one little face. I am. All day I've waited to get home. Wishing I'd get my work done a little earlier so I could head off and be with my girls. Now I'm home, sitting in front of a computer seems a whole lot easier I can tell you. The usual routine ensues, get dinner on, coax dinner into children (which my two year up kindly threw up all over me pretty much straight after). Bath time, playtime once Daddy arrives home, brush teeth, story and bed. Praying that they'll go to sleep. Wait no, I've to run up the stairs for the third time to find a) a soother, b) a teddy bear, c) the second time I found the wrong teddy bear! Kettle on and a cup of tea in hand I sit and take stock....

Oh god, feeling guilty maybe I should sneak up and give them one more kiss goodnight? Sitting here just wondering will it ever be enough?  Will the time I give my children ever be enough. Will the love I have for them ever be enough? Will the work I do ever be enough? Surely constantly wondering if you will ever be, give, try enough, is enough to drive anybody to the edge. Maybe it’s time I tell myself I am enough. What I give is enough. What I do is enough, what I achieve is enough. Or is this really good enough? 

Everyday I wake up hoping that today will be a good day. That I will have enough energy to sit down and play with my children. Not just sit beside them on the periphery and watch as I make excuses not to play. Does every mother feel like this? Is the constant want to be enough really going to inspire me to be my best?

Are we (us parents) making too many pieces of ourselves? Are we trying to be too many things to too many people. Can we really be all things to everyone? At the moment the way I’m feeling I’m not sure. I believe that I can achieve all the goals I have set out for myself. My problem is that I want to achieve them right now, instant gratification. Maybe I need to take a step back and realise that in order to be enough maybe I have to give a little less. Slow down. Take time out for me, my children, my family, my work. 

I’m a great believer that things happen for a reason, but I also believe that to achieve anything in life you must work hard for it, set goals and follow your dreams. Something I’m doing right now. Setting myself goals, working hard and trying my best. But sometimes, when I look at my little girls faces asking if I have to go to work today I wonder am I doing the right thing? Surely it’ll all be worth it. They will grow up understanding that while I may not have been there one hundred percent of the time, every minute I spent away from them was for them. My greatest wish in life is for my girls to be happy, to be educated and to feel loved.

So to all us working mammy’s, stay at home mammy's and for the day that’s in it, enough IS enough. You can only do your best and that’s surely got to be good enough. Happy International Women’s Day, you’re amazing, and you are enough.

Neutral Eyeshadow Palettes worth a mention

A modern day makeup bag staple has to be a neutral eyeshadow palette. But which one? There are so many to choose from often it's hard to tell the good from the bad. And if like me you're a bit of a magpie you'll be drawn to the ones with a bit of sparkle. Be warned! When choosing a neutral palette the more matte shadows the better. Leave the shimmer and glitter for another day.

I've listed four of my favourite nude palettes below.

Bobbi Brown Limited Edition Greige Eye Palette
Ok so I know I just said that for a really workable nude palette you should stay clear of anything with shimmer. Let me maybe backtrack a bit. This palette is literally the only palette you will need if you are a brown nude to smokey eye girl like myself. It has 8 shades ranging from a really workable cream matte shadow, subtle taupe and grey slate. The texture is creamy-smooth with excellent colour pay off. Layer up your day time nude eye with a little sparkle to take you through to the evening. It is slightly on the expensive side coming in around €50-60. But it will last, the pay off is amazing and you will not need to invest in a separate palette for a more dramatic smokey eye, so you're really saving money in the long run.
Rating: 7/10 (For the price a few more shadows would be nice)

Maybelline The Nudes Palette
This is a 12 pan palette with pretty much every shade you will need. It ranges from warm beiges to cool taupes with everything in-between and of course includes the essential black. For a budget buy I've been pretty pleased with this palette. The versatility and range of the shadows covers all skin tones so is pretty much a crowd pleaser in that respect. The payoff however lets it down a little. For a more intense colour you will need to layer the shadow once or twice. A good eyeshadow primer may be the trick to longevity here. I like this palette but don't love it, but will definitely be keeping it in my kit as a 'just in case'.
Rating: 6/10 (Payoff just isn't on point)

Clarins The Essential Eyeshadow Palette
This mid-priced 10 shadow palette is a bit like baby bear, just right ;). When I first got this palette I was a little hesitant, again there were shimmers included and so I just thought that it wouldn't really work as an everyday neutral palette. How wrong I was! The colours are rich and not over shimmery, blend beautifully and the payoff is spot on. I love that there are mauve tones include in the palette too. Often most neutral palettes stick to the earthy brown tones. While the colours are earthy they have gorgeous warm undertones really adding depth of colour to your eye. The brush that is provided is actually great too unlike most sponge applicators that are included in a lot of sets. I've kept this one as part of my kit I like it so much. My only gripe I have with this palette is the packaging. It looks cheap, and is slightly clunky a shame since Clarins packaging is usually sleek and minimal.
Rating: 8/10 (Ugly packaging and a little big to tote around)


Ellie Goulding Halcyon Nights MAC
Effortless by day, bombshell by night - or so MAC have described Ellie Gouldings signature look and have recreated it in a collaboration with the pop princess. AND I AM SOLD! I know this is all about neutral palettes but this is one I go to on a daily basis and so it definitely deserves a mention if the reason for reviewing these palettes is to find something that will work for everyone everyday. Firstly a little nod to the packaging. It's quite cult like, the icon reminds me of something from the illuminati, very cool. There are four deeply pigmented velvety shadows with a pull out cream colour base in a little compartment underneath and a neat little mirror for touch ups. The one I've featured is Halcyon Nights. The warm burnt orange colours look amazing either just swept along the lid for a daytime look or layered together for a statement colour pop. The cream shimmer shade is unbelievable when placed in the inner corner too to brighten and open up your eye. Basically this is a palette I keep in my personal stash I love it so much, it's definitely worth a try and will look even more amazing on sun kissed skin once the summer comes in. I live in hope.
Rating: 9/10 (A little pricey)

Don't be ashamed of your story. It will inspire others.

A few months ago I met a girl while doing a makeup course. Every week we'd go to our class learning new skills along the way, I also learned about this girl along the way too. She intrigued me. While beautiful and confident there was a vulnerability about her that drew me to her. She was open and honest about her precarious past, sharing her life story often candidly with the rest of us throughout the four months we studied together. She dropped in and out of the course due to ill health and "stomach issues" which she told us were due to her said past lifestyle. As we weren't close and did not have any other real connection other than the course many of us (there were nine of us in total) made the usual mutterings of concern and asked if she was ok after she had returned to class one evening. As a group we were of course worried for our new friend, though I'm not sure any of us really understood the extent of her ill health. We graduated from the course, had a fun night and went our separate ways. A few days ago this girl contacted me, looking for help. She told me that the night after our graduation she was hospitalised and had been there since. We graduated the end of January and so to hear she had been in hospital since then really shocked and worried me. I told her that if there was anything that I could do to help I would. And so that is why I am posting this today. Hazel Rainsford asked me to share her story. The following are her words from her experience with Anorexia Nervosa, depression, anxiety and stress. These are issues I'm sure many people have heard about but have little understanding of. I'm hoping that by posting this it will start a conversation about the importance of taking care of your mental health.

Medical diagnosis: Anorexia Nervosa, Stress, Depression and Anxiety

About a month ago I was brought to Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown after dealing with my GP for almost 2 years and there was nothing more she could do to help me with my weight issue.  After so many collapses my body just couldn't take any more and I was made an inpatient in the psychiatric ward in Blanchardstown Hospital for intense treatment. Why I choose to become an inpatient was after my final collapse in ALDI while I was shopping.  Usually when I collapse I'm able to get straight up. This time I wasn’t.  I was out for about 10 minutes which terrified me. I really didn't think I was going to wake up. When I did I was surrounded by people which caused me to have a panic attack. I decided then that I just couldn't take it anymore. It knew it was unfair letting my 20 month old son see me like that. I needed to get help not only for myself but for my baby. How could I look after him if I couldn't look after myself?  That’s what gave me the drive and strength to become an inpatient in the physc ward. Many people think the psychiatric ward is for ‘crazy’ people and you only go there because you’ve lost your mind! Let me tell you that is complete and utter nonsense. There are people in there for so many other reasons and if I didn't attend I wouldn't be able to tell my story and spread awareness. I ended up there for a cocktail of reasons namely Anorexia Nervosa, Depression, Stress and Anxiety. It really helped me. I couldn't be more thankful for everything my team of doctors and nurses did for me. My depression caused my anorexia and it caused my anxiety. I let it control my life and destroy me as a person. I had never had anxiety or a panic attacks up until about 19 months ago, just after the birth of my son. I completely stopped taking care of myself. I just didn't care anymore and I found I became very down. I isolated myself away from my family and friends and anyone who tried to help me. If anyone did try approach me I would get angry and start a fight with them just so I wouldn't have to face what was really going on. I made life hard for myself because I refused help for my illness. I would lock myself away and just cry when no one was around but if somebody was with me I’d put a big front on and act like everything was OK even though I knew it wasn’t. I was trying to convince myself I didn't need help which is completely the WRONG THING TO DO!! And now I have to live with the consequences. My organs were shutting down I was so weak, walking down the road to my local shop was a challenge for me. I found out when I went to the hospital that I now have liver damage, my stomach had shrunk and started to close up all because I refused to eat. Not because I wanted to be thin, I couldn't care less about my size so it was nothing to do with wanting to be skinny. I felt so down all the time. I never wanted to eat and if someone tried to make me eat I'd panic and get angry at them. I used to feel like throwing up every time I ate my body was rejecting food because of my mind!! Your mind is the first thing that is affected when you don't feed your body and I know people think that's not true but it is!! Food is the most important thing to fuel your mind, body and soul if you don't take care of yourself you can't have a normal healthy life. I underwent many tests,  scans, cameras down into my stomach…and one of the most upsetting things is the chances of anymore children is slim. Anorexia is a life threatening illness and is a silent killer and only you can help yourself by asking for help! I finally did and I feel so much better that I did. I know feel like the world isn't such a bad place and I can finally be the girlfriend and mother I want and need to be. I'm so blessed to have such a supportive partner and family who have stood by my side every step on this long road, and it still is a long road ahead to my recovery. But I now know that I'll get there, I'm determined to get there. I know that I can talk about my feelings and just get the negativity out of my head because keeping it in there makes you worse. You can't change what happened in the past or you can't choose your future you just have to accept it and live in the moment and enjoy life no matter what it throws at you have some faith that things will get better if you let them. I'm still under going treatment. Even though I was discharged from the hospital I'm now an outpatient and have to attend the day hospital twice a week. My treatment includes therapy, a meal plan, physiotherapy to regain the muscle my body ate away at, coping classes and relaxation. I've been set up with a diet attrition to help me put some weight on and assigned a community nurse who will randomly check up on me to make sure I'm not going back to my old ways which is everything I need. In my classes I’ve learned a lot about mindfulness which helps me control my breathing,  to help control  panic attacks and anxiety. I’ve also been taught my tell-tale signs to notice when an attack is coming on. My sign is that I scratch at my hands and face, something I never noticed before. They have also taught me that it is important to have some me time. I have to take an hour out of each day and do something that I enjoy whetever it is from doing my makeup, drawing or even listening to music.  They do all this at your own pace.  They’ve taught me to write down my feelings to get them out of my head so I'm not overthinking all the time. The progress I’ve made in a month is huge but I know I’ve still a long way to go until I overcome this illness. I'm feeling much better already, my mind is clearer now that I have accepted my illness and I hope my story will give other people the strength to ask for help because I know how hard it is to actually admit you need help. 

I found these sites very helpful to me : 

http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/2/PrimaryCare/pcteams/dublinsouthpcts/dunlaoghaireglasthulepct/livingwell.html

http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/eating-disorders/features/eating-disorders

http://www.yourmentalhealth.ie/About-Mental-Health/Common-problems/Mental-health-problems/Eating-disorders/?gclid=CPHenJjsmssCFWFQ2wodc_QCEA

Step 5 The Finale. A 'How to' guide to becoming your own MUA

This is it, the final hurdle. Step 5. In this tutorial we will finish off the eyes with some eyeshadow, a little liner and mascara. Then finish with the lips. There really is no need to apply a lot of eyeshadow for an everyday natural look, in fact pretty much most days I go without. Saying that it can add lovely definition to your eye area and can also help to reshape your eye area just like contouring does to your face. Apply the same rules for your eyes as you would your contour an highlight. Remember dark pulls back and light pushes forward. So those of you with hooded eyes, keep your lid bright and darken your crease. Large or bulging eyes can opt for a darker lid with a lighter brow bone. Close & deep set eyes keep the inside part of your lid bright and darken the outer corners the opposite for wide set eyes. The most aesthetically pleasing eye shape is said to be almond or big, but unfortunately one size does not fit all and so we can use the magic of makeup to recreate these dimensions. For a very basic neutral daytime eye, remember the rules above and follow the proceeding steps.

Step 1 Use a median brown to define the outer corners of your eye. This colour will be your base for pretty much every eye look you will ever do. Using a small bullet brush apply this in the outer corners in the shape of a 7. Do not go past the outer corner of your eye or below your upper lash line as this will drag your eye down. Repeat on both sides.

Step 2 Use a clean small fluffy brush blend this in using small circular motions into the corner of the eye then using sweeping motions along the crease towards the inner corner of the eye.

Step 3 Using a darker brown (2-3 shades), apply this on top of the median brown in the outer corners again in a 7 shape, this time however make it slightly smaller. Your goal here is to add a little depth and definition to the eye. We are not looking to create a dark smokey eye. Again using a clean fluffy brush blend this inwards along the crease. This will soften out any harsh lines. By using the two different shades of eyeshadow it creates a great layered effect adding more dimension and warmth to the eye.

Step 4 Using the first brown shade and a small bullet brush, run this halfway under the lower lash line. This will marry the upper and lower lash line skiving a more professional and polished look.

Step 5 If you want to add a little more light onto the lid use a cream or pale shadow. Apply this using a small flat brush to the inner part of your lid using patting motions. If you like you can blend this further using a clean fluffy brush. A mantra I'm sure you all know "if in doubt, blend it out!'.

Step 6 Eyeliner, this is a tricky one for everyone I think. In general I would usually go for a soft kohl pencil for the upper lid in a dark brown. This is really easy to use and gives a nice soft natural finish. I have chosen to show you how to apply a natural liquid liner today instead as I think this is one that most people struggle with.

Step 7 I'm using Urban Decay, Ink for Eyes, Waterproof Precision Eye Pen. I've found this to be one of the better eyeliner pens available. MAC, Rimmel etc. all have their own range but I've found that their liner doesn't last on the nib, it seems to run out halfway along the lash line. Tis one also does not budge and acts more like a gel liner than other liner pens I've used. Of course you can always use a gel liner and small brush if you prefer which I always have in my kit.

Step 8 Looking head on in the mirror find a point where you want you liner to end and mark it with a tiny dot. Always make sure the dot is higher than the outer corner of your eye otherwise the line will draw your eye downwards. Draw a line from the dot to the outer corner of your eye.

Step 9 From the line continue along to the middle of your eye keeping as close to the lash line as possible. Take your time, if you slip up here it is hard to fix.

Step 10 I like to do each eye in stages. Find a method that works for you and stick to it. I Start with the point, joining to the outer corner of the eye, up along to the middle of the eye then I go in from the inner corner of the eye along the lash line to meet the rest of the line in the middle.

Step 11 Apply whichever mascara you prefer, giving the upper lashes a good coating and a little touch to the bottom lashes. When applying your mascara on the upper lashes look down so you can get right into the root of the lashes and wiggle the wand through. To get to the fine inner lashes look down and away from the direction of the wand. Look up, tilting your head down when applying mascara to your lower lashes.

Step 12 The end is nigh! Finish off the look with a neutral peachy/pink lipstick. Choose a shade that will match your skin tone. In general warm skin tones look great with brown/orange undertones on their lips, while pinks look great cool skin tones.

Step 13 Line your lips with a nude lip liner or one that closely match your chosen lipstick. Fill in the bottom lip slightly with your loner, this will give your lipstick more lasting power. Using either a lip brush or the lipstick bullet itself alley along the upper and lower lip in patting motions. Smooth your lips together and your are now done!

I really hope that these tutorials have been helpful. I know for many who follow beauty blogs this will seem like the very basics. For others hopefully it will have instilled a new found confidence in them when applying their own day to day makeup.

Please feel free to comment good, bad or indifferent below or on my Facebook page, Kelliebbeautiful.

Thanks for reading.

Step 4 Brow's. A 'How to' guide to becoming your own MUA

So far if you've been following the last three posts on becoming your own MUA you'll have learned to prep and prime your face ready for foundation. Applied your foundation understanding the rules for colour matching and choosing the right foundation for your skin type. Also you'll have learned to apply the correct type of concealer for different areas on your face and where to apply your liquid concealer to highlight and reshape your face. And finally you should now have the tools to identify your face shape and use and apply a contouring shadow and blush. It's time to perfect those brows.

This is a tricky one, there are so many brow kits and tools on the market these days you can become bamboozled with the choice and end up using something that doesn't necessarily work for you. You may also be in one camp or the other, meaning full on HD type brows or natural feathery brows. For me it changes form one situation to the next. During the day I like to have a more natural looking brow using minimal product with minimal effort. If I have something on or am going on a night out I like my brows to be more defined.

Getting this right is so important. Your brows not only frame your face but they are important for communication and the revelation of your emotions. A great option for those of us who find it difficult to tame our brows is to get them shaped and tinted professionally, this will make it a lot easier to maintain them at home. A professional will also be able to advise you on the correct brow shape for your face, something a lot of us get wrong by either arching our brows too high or removing far too much hair than is necessary.

For a more natural day time look I often use a brow pencil. Be careful when choosing the shade though. I have fair to medium brows but find brow pencils for blonde hair often have a reddish tone to them which just doesn't suit me. A great all round shade which suits most Irish skin tones is taupe or hazel. Never ever use black, nobody's brows are truly black, if you have dark brows use a dark brown pencil. For my daytime brow I use Max Factor brow pencil in hazel which is only €7.49 in Boots. But my all time favourite brow pencil has to be Tom Ford Brow Sculptor in Taupe which is arguably less affordable at €45.00 from Brown Thomas, but it does last a very long time. It has an angled point which you twist up to refresh so you don't need a parer handy (something I can never find!).

I'll do a tutorial on more dramatic brows soon, but for now mastering a daytime brow is the first step. Excuse the pictures it's been one of those days!

Step 1 Place a brush along the side of your nose to find where your brows should ideally start.

Step 2 Angle the brush from the outside of your nose to the outer corner of your eye to find where your brows should ideally end. The end of the brow's point should be at a 45-degree angle from the outside end of the eye.

Step 3 Brush brows up with a spoolie brush. This helps you to see the shape you like and to see where they are uneven.

Step 4 Using short dash-like strokes to mimic your natural hairs, softly fill in any sparse areas with a pencil. Choose the colour that best matches your brows and fill in really lightly so it's barely there.

Step 5 Use an angled brush and a similarly colored pressed powder to define the shape of your brows even more. The goal is to really have the most even brows, but try not to overly fill in the inside corners of the brows or make the end points too harsh. Your brows are naturally darker at the outer parts so start filling in from the outside in without picking up anymore product on your brush.

Step 6 Brush through brows again with a spoolie to blend out the color and soften any harsh lines

Step 7 To set the look and hold the hairs in place, comb through brows with a coloured or clear brow gel. Or alternatively spray a little hairspray onto your spoolie brush and comb through, works for me.

 Step 8 Using your small concealer brush apply a thin line of liquid concealer under the brow, this will make the edge look sharp and clean. Set with some translucent powder.

Step 3. A 'How to' guide to becoming your own MUA

Step 1 & 2 done it's time to finish off your face. At this stage you should have applied your primer and foundation to the most part of your face. You are now ready for the concealer. I want to point out that this series of tutorials is all about perfecting your makeup to achieve a natural flawless daytime look, if you can master this look then the rest will follow. Many people think that a natural look is very simple but often it can be the hardest look to achieve. You need the right amount of product to cover and conceal any imperfections on your skin without leaving your skin looking caked and loaded with product. The balance can often be hard to achieve. 

Hopefully by the end of this series you'll have mastered this art.

Liquid Concealer: For use around the eye area and to highlight the face

You should always use a liquid concealer for these areas as a cream concealer is too thick and will settle into the fine skin around your eye area ageing you. As a rule of thumb you should use a liquid concealer for your eye area and highlight at least 2-3 times paler than your foundation. I often just go for the palest shade that I can find in whichever my chosen liquid concealer is. At the moment I am using and loving a Catrice concealer  (Liquid Camouflage in 010 Porcelain) I picked up in penny's for under a fiver.

Using either the wand provided or a concealer brush apply this under your eye area in a v-shape sweeping it along the higher part of your cheekbone too. This will create a v of light which will brighten your face instantly. Apply a small amount on your lids too. Using either a clean small fluffy brush or your beauty blender, gently blend the concealer right up under your lower lash line, along the lid up as far as your brow and into the foundation under the eye and along the cheekbone. Do this on both sides obviously. Depending on your face shape you will want to highlight certain parts of your face. Generally speaking an oval face is the most desired shape to have. By highlighting certain areas on your face you can bring forward facial features using the light from your concealer.

A quick guide to highlighting and contouring to achieve the "perfect" oval shape is as follows.

(We will get to shading or contouring in the next step just concentrate on the highlight for the moment).

Oval: Shade the cheeks

Square: Shade the temples and the jawline

Round: Highlight the chin, shade the cheeks

Diamond: Highlight the temples and jawline, shade the chin and top of the forehead

Long: Shade the forehead, cheekbones and the chin. Highlight the jawline.

Heart: Shade the temples, cheeks and chin. Highlight the jawline.

Pear: Highlight the temples and chin, shade the jaw.

To elongate, shorten or narrow the nose the following rules apply.

Long nose: Shade the tip

Short nose: Highlight down the bridge of the nose

Wide nose: Shade down the length of each side of the nose

If you are getting confused about where to apply the liquid concealer to highlight just think of how you can make your face more oval shaped. Do you have narrow temples, highlight these that will bring them forward. A small chin, highlight, thin jawline, highlight and so on. Remember light brings forward, shade pushes back.

Once you have placed the concealer in the correct positions for your face gently blend it in. You only want to use a small amount of product here. This is not being used to conceal imperfections rather to perfect your face shape. Loading product on will only result in a heavy unflattering finish to your makeup.

Cream concealer: For concealing blemishes and imperfections

Always use a cream concealer for any blemishes or imperfections in the exact shade of your foundation. You may need to have one or two different shades cream concealers in your bag to match your foundation depending on the time of the year or if you wear slightly darker foundation on a night out. The reason you use cream concealer rather than a liquid one is simple. Liquid concealers are lighter in consistency and will slide off your face more easily resulting in the blemish or imperfection you were looking to cover being exposed. Again you do not need to spend a lot of money on a cream concealer, most pharmacies or supermarkets stock a range of cream concealer palettes. In fact Essence do another great little palette with two shades which you can blend together to get the right colour match for your skin called Match to Cover. Be very light handed when using this type of concealer. If you load too much product on the area you want covered you will end up drawing more attention to it. Matching it to your foundation is key otherwise it will either look too dark on your face or too bright drawing the eye to it, which is exactly what you don't want.

Use a small concealer brush to apply and blend using patting motions either with your finger or beauty blender.

Once all your concealer has been applied it's time to lock in all that hard work. Use a large soft power brush to dust a small amount of translucent powder along the areas that need setting. Dip your brush into the powder but knock of the excess. The last thing you want to do is end up with too much powder sitting on top of your face. If you have dry skin just apply this to the areas you feel need setting, likewise if you have fine hairs on your face don't overload with powder as it will sit on top of the hairs. To set the eye area either use your translucent powder or a cream matte eyeshadow using a small clean fluffy brush, a powder brush is too big for this delicate area. Usually I would say you don't need to spend too much on products to achieve a great look, I will say though it's very hard to come across a decent colourless translucent powder unless you go for professional make up brands. Inglot, MAC and Makeup forever do a really good setting powder just ask the counter girls and they can advise you on the one to buy. Stay clear of powders with talc in them or with any kind of colour, you really want the be buying a pure white preferably loose finishing powder.

Contour, blush and illuminator:

We are getting there, slowly but surely! The finishing touches for the perfect face (eye and lips excluded here obviously).

Look back on the basics of achieving the perfect face shape above and apply these principles. If you are lucky enough to have an oval shaped face (think Kim Kardashian) then you will only really need to lightly contour the cheeks. You do not need to contour at all, infact ditching the contour and concentrating on just highlight and illuminating the face is becoming increasingly popular especially with the summer coming in. I do know however many people struggle with contouring and where to place it so I've included it here.

When choosing your contour shade always use a matte finish, anything with a shimmer in it will not look natural.  A great little 3 in 1 palette which includes your contour, blush and illuminator is the Naked Urban Decay Flushed one, Sleek do an excellent dupe of this which is available in Boots I think for about €12.00. Both come in a lighter and darker shade range. I use the lighter shade  as my skin is fair through the winter. Use a small angled blush brush to apply your contour as this will allow you to be more precise. When applying your shader to the cheek area first using your index finger find the nook under your cheekbone. You want to place your contour just under this area. Starting from the ear using light feathery strokes and minimal product sweep the matte bronzer under the cheekbone towards the nose just as far as the outer corner of your eye. If you use your index finger again place it on the outer corner of your eye finger pointing upwards you will see how far in your contour should be going. Its quite a small area, many people make the mistake of swiping it too far in their face resulting in a a very harsh contour which is unflattering. Apply the contour as per the guide above in the concealer section or if this is confusing you a good rule of thumb is the number 3. With light feather stories dust the matte bronzer in the 3 shape along each side of your face hitting the forehead/temple down  into the cheek area and then onto the outer jawline. This will add warmth and definition to your facial features. 

Blush. This is definitely a preference and some will not need to use it at all especially wis they have a natural rosiness to their cheeks already. Use a medium sized rounded fluffy brush with a very small amount of product on. Always knock off any excess, its better to start with minimal amounts and build up as desired. Smile. Where the roundest part of your cheek is is where you want to apply the blush. Us a tick or 7 motion when applying your blush. Do this once on each side and take a step back to check if you need more, the last thing you want is to end up looking like Aunt Sally or Madonna from the eighties. 

Illuminate. This is definitely my favourite part of the look. The difference a little bit of illuminator can make is shocking. Apply your illuminator along the tops of your cheekbones, cupids bow (your upper lip) although if you have any fine hairs along here it's probably best to not add any more powdered product. Dust it along your brow bone and anywhere else you think the sun would naturally hit your face. It's all about creating a glow. Fresh dewy skin looks beautiful and more youthful and illuminators help you achieve this.

 So there you have it, foundation, concealer, powder, contour, blush and illuminator done. The next step is your brows which I'll post up soon. I hope this is helping you become more confident around your makeup application. If you have any comments or questions you can find me on Facebook Kelliebbeautiful or Twitter  @KellieBillings1.

Till the next time.

Step 2: A 'How to' guide to becoming your own MUA

If you've been following my blog, you'll now know that I'm hoping to provide you guys with the tools to becoming competent and confident at doing your own makeup. My previous post was all about identifying your skin type and tone which will enable you to make an informed decision when buying your foundation. Hopefully you'll have had a chance to examine your skin either yourself or have had someone do it for you and have chosen a foundation that is

most suited to your skin type. If you're not ready to invest in a new foundation just yet, ask for some samples from various beauty counters. Most of them are great for this and will usually give you a few samples to take home. A tip if you're going to do this: Bring some tiny sample bottles yourself, sometimes counters will say they can't provide a sample as they

have no bottles left to decant their foundations into. Bring your own then they have to give you a sample. I've done this lots of times when buying new foundations, don't be embarrassed to ask it's what they are there for. My favourite counters who are really great for advice and samples are Yves Saint Laurent in House of Fraser in Dundrum and Bobbi Brown. The girls on these countered really know their stuff and are so helpful. Este Lauder are usually great too.

Once you've chosen a foundation or have a few samples it's time to get applying it.

You're first port of call is preparing your skin for your foundation. You want it to last all day on your face and honestly the only way this is going to happen is if you have prepped your face first with a good moisturiser and primer. By following these next few steps you should see the difference between slapping your makeup on in the morning in two minutes and taking just a few minutes more to apply it correctly.

Step 1. Moisturise: After washing your face in the morning and before you get dressed apply your usual daytime moisturiser this will give it enough time to absorb into your skin creating a better base for makeup application. You'll need to leave it absorb for at least ten minutes, so go get dressed or whatever else you have to do. Make sure your moisturiser is not too heavy as this will leave a film on your face and your foundation will end up sitting on top of this with the end result looking cakey.

Step 2. Prime: Always use a primer. This is so important for the longevity of your foundation. You don't need to choose an expensive one there are great ones out there for less than a tenner just stick to the same principals when choosing one as you would when choosing your foundation. You can apply this using your fingers or a makeup brush.  I like to use my fingers, you don't want to blend this into your skin as you would your foundation. With your fingers you can use a lighter touch. Smooth it over the areas you may have trouble with such as dry flaky skin or enlarges pores as this evens out the skins surface acting as a second more perfected skin layer. This ensures your foundation sits evenly on your skin. Tend to apply primer all over my face which is absolutely fine too.

Step 3. Foundation: Decant a small amount of product either onto the back of your hand or a palette but never straight onto your face. You want to be able to pick up product as needed and build up the amount of coverage you want a little at a time. Choose the tool you are most comfortable using to apply your foundation but stay clear of your fingers as the heat of your hands and excess oils often interfere with the product reducing it's longevity and coverage. Assuming you have chosen the correct colour you can start application from the inner nose working outwards and upwards blending as you go. You want to apply a thin layer of foundation first all over the face but avoid applying any around the eye area (This is where you will be applying a liquid concealer and if you have foundation there too your makeup will cake around the delicate eye area which will age you). Think sunglasses...leave a circle all around the eye area, lids and under-eye free from makeup. I'll get to this area in the next post. Check to see if the amount of coverage you want is correct. Avoid using really full coverage foundations especially if you have mature skin. The temptation is to use as full a coverage as possible but honestly this will only ever age you. A build able foundation will allow you to get a better coverage to suit you and leave your skin looking fresher, dewy and ultimately more youthful.

Foundation done, next stage is the concealer. You'll want to choose a liquid concealer in 2-3 shades lighter than your foundation for your eye area and to highlight your face. You will then need to choose a cream concealer the same shade as your foundation for any blemishes you may have

. Don't be fooled into spending lots of money here. Penney's do a great range of excellent concealers in both liquid and cream. So go pick some up or have a root in your makeup bag and we'll pick up form here tomorrow. You will also need a translucent powder, it doesn't matter if it's compact or loose but it does need to be as colourless as possible.

Till tomorrow.