DECEMBER

Y’know how you watch someone do something you can’t, and aside from your first thought being HOLY SHITSNACKS THAT’S COOL, your next thought is, “Oh I wish I could do that”.

Well I get that every time I watch Natasha complete a make-up application.

So at the end of this year, after watching her (not in a creepy way, like, in an admirable/we work in the same space way) talents she asked if I wanted a make up shake up session and I said a wholehearted all capslocked YAS because I have zero chill (literally zero, ask Tash and all of my friends and family).

We picked a day and I went over to her studio/house and we ate pasta with bacon, and then got stuck into changing up the mug of mine.

Natasha created two looks for me; one that was signature Tash glow, and another heavier, smokier look.

I prepped my skin with Eve Lom Hydration Serum, followed by La Mer Soft Lotion.

From Natasha;

SIGNATURE LOOK

 

I’m all about glowy skin and have a less is more attitude towards coverage. To get flawless coverage that looked minimal I mixed 1 part Ellis Faas with 1 part Josie Maran Illuminator (half foundation half liquid gold TBH) applied with a Zoeva flat kabuki.

On areas that need more coverage such as the chin and under the eyes, I buffed concealer using a fluffy domed shadow brush – this allows you to  blend the edges seamlessly and make concealer almost undetectable, it just looks like skin.

The skin always looks fresher with cream and liquid products so I always like to work with cream colours first. Stila convertible colours are my fave because they keep their shine and don’t dry matte and for cream highlighter I can’t go past Copacobana (by Nars). Skin was set with Hourglass Diffused Light (on a fluffy brush applied very lightly), warmed up with Luminous Bronze Light and extra glowed with Mecca Enlightened.

My take;

I still can’t believe that Tash took products I already used and made me look completely different with them. Natasha also gave me a very soft, semi-natural, glowing bronze-based eye that I really loved. It wasn’t overly dramatic but it was a little more lined that I’d usually go for and I loved it. Thought we did have an almost hiccup – Tash forgot I’m allergic to Too Faced Chocolate Bar (I KNOW I’M SO UPSET) and almost came at me with it haha! Luckily we went for Too Faced Sweet Peach instead (palette returning soon, according to Snapchat!) which provided all the warm, rosy-bronze shades you see below. Natasha also used a Stila Smudge Stick along my waterline to create that super sexy, not-too-overdone look.

Natasha’s Take;
DRAMA EYE

 

Black smoky eye using MAC paint pot in Black Ground. It’s super pigmented and dries fast so use synthetic brushes – natural bristles just don’t cut it here. I applied this shadow all over the lid and pressed MAC Black Track shadow on top.

The trick to making a black smoky eye non-intimidating is to blend it out with brown, so I used a medium brown shade by Inglot and Too Faced Natural Matte (Sexpresso and Risqué – mostly under eye) on the border of the eye crease I used the orange shadow in that palette. Warm tones always soften it out and make it much more wearable. Use natural bristles here if possible!

Then I used a Stila Smudge Pot for the waterline and upper lash line – no flick, winged liner ruins smoky eyes and that’s when it becomes a glamour eye.

Amp up the skin with a deeper blush shade and add a bit of contour – Paloma by Nars here!

My take;

Not gonna lie, when Tash was getting her brush worked into the MAC black pot shadow I had a teeny tiny minor freak out because I’ve never ever ever EVER put black directly onto my own lid. Minor panic. Total faith in Natasha, but black is a tricky colour. And my version of a smoky eye almost always involves a wing (that was an interesting moment, I’ve never considered my make up style glam but whaddya know?). All of the layering, blending, dabbing, brushing, smoothing, buffing and smudging was incredible to experience. Natasha made it look easy as anything, never once faltering, even when my eyes pulled their “There’s-nothing-wrong-but-we’re-going-to-water-up-ANYWAY” trick. A favourite for every and any make-up artist I’ve ever had touching my face.

When she had finished I felt like a new woman. My eyes were a different shape, by far more sultry than anything I’d done before, and my wide, big eyes were actually a benefit here, because often smoky eyes lose half their effect when the eye is open. I was a bit chuffed to hear my big ol’ bug eyes were good for something.

Tash popped a Smashbox exclusive lip on me, Phil, a beautiful, perfect pinky-nude and that was beautiful too.

We did a bit of a photo shoot and I gotta tell ya that was probably the best bit. Tash told me to be serious and sexy and sultry and anyone who has a friend knows the minute you try pulling serious sexy faces this happens;

Ten minutes later we had some great shots and a cute Boomerang to boot.

WHAT I TOOK AWAY

I’m on the right track with Ellis Faas and Josie Maran. The way I apply my concealer has completely changed, and whilst I haven’t yet attempted the smoky eye on my own, I have tried the glowy bronze look and I found it easier to do after Natasha’s tips!

THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME FOR THE 12 DAYS OF BLOGMAS! Enjoy Christmas and New Year’s, little birds, and I’ll see you for more beauty-ful adventures in 2017.

Tweet tweet xx