Take my advice guys- the perfect valentines day present!!!

Ok listen closely guys if you want to have the happiest girl friend/wife ever this Feb the 14th and endless appreciation untill… well untill our birthdays at least
(This includes you Adam!)
The most perfect gift I can think of would be a gorgeous fragrance by Lolita Lempicka sold at most major department stores including Selfridges, House of Fraser (they have them reduced!!) and Sephora if you are outside of the UK
You can’t judge a book by its cover? ..Well in this case you can.
As well as being the most beautiful perfumes I have ever set my eyes on Lolita Lempicka’s perfumes are class-A addictive. Each of the 5 women’s scents look and smell fit for nothing less than a queen.
Lolita Lempicka’s First Fragrance

Forbidden Fragrance

Si Lolita

L de Lolita

Fleur de Corail

My favourite is “L”. Fit for a Lauren ha? Tell my husband please!!!
I adore the fantasy inspiration of a mermaid; the sea-blue pebble shaped fragrance sprayer. Decorated with none other than my first initial
A diamond encrusted L and the glass is embossed with a gold starfish.
The coastal-growing gomphrena flower is a key note to L de Lolita Lempicka as well as bergamot, bitter orange, cinnamon, vanilla and musk. This perfume is not the summery, ocean breeze scent that you would expect; it’s a sensual, feminine empowering smell. You can really pick out vanilla, citrus and sweet floral notes.
I am not into soft scents and in perfume equivalent this is no wall flower so it may be more of an evening scent to many women.
It reminds me a little of Viktor & Rolf’s Flower bomb but in much prettier casing!
Lolita Lempicka also sell men’s fragrance- Just add some cuddles and a nice meal and you have Valentines Day sorted.
What I got up to today..
Hi there
Today I had another shoot with the fabulous Titus Powell.
On the way there I fell out considerably with my sat nav. It managed to add an extra half hour to my journey time by taking me on a wild goose chase the wrong way up one way roads…
Luckily I’m really parranoid when driving through central London and set off extra early and managed to arrive on time just before our lovely model for the day Nicola.
I created 2 make up looks; one was a healthy natural look and the other more colourful - strong ocean blue on the eyes and a wash of pink on the lips.
Whilst nosing through Vogue on a break today I found a painting by Ling Jian which I have fallen in love with- (sigh)

Her other work is very nice.
Some pieces are too macarbre/abstract for me but I love the more fashion edged pieces.



The paintings are oil paint on large canvasses.
All I can say is WOW so imspiring … I think I might find my old brushes and do a bit of painting!!!
Being a make up artist can be so boring.. :-P
Just another day in the office…
Yesterday I was body painting Alex Kovas for his entertainment act – Humanimal.
Alex is a legendary as a body painter’s muse- he is anatomically perfect, seems to have no sense of cold(!!!) and can sit still as a statue for hours, he’s also fearless when embarking on a London club painted as a lion to the amusement of drunken revellers.
Its always great fun and hilarious when I do these jobs, every now and then I hear the odd yelp as an unexpected person in the crowd gets the shcok of their life; a 6′ 2″ man tiger standing next to them.
If you would like to book Alex’s act for your event you can find his contact details on his – website
Valentines gift ideas- Urban decays cutest set ever

I thought I’d give you boys some ideas for Valentines Day in hope that my husband might read this…
I can’t wait to watch Alice in Wonderland on the big screen and I am in sweet love with Urban Decay’s Alice in Wonderland Book of Shadows palette!!!
This is the best packaging I’ve seen in a long time, indulgent and whimsical gorgeousness.
“Open the palette to reveal a pop-up scene of Alice in the mushroom forest. Her “drink me” bottle discarded, she staggers past towering mushrooms, only to cross paths with a very peculiar, hookah-smoking caterpillar. A large mirror rests behind the scene – you feel as if you are transported into the film itself.”
16 best selling eye shadows have been hidden in a secret drawer- adorable!
You can buy urban decay in Boots but may have to ring in advance as this collection has been selling out and is quite hard to get hold of but earn some brownie points and buy it for me Adam… whoops I mean- buy it for your lovely girlfriends lads
Review- Can it be? A brilliant natural mascara

Greenpeople Volumising Mascara
My eyes are sensitive and weepy; practically any aggravator causes them to stream- cold, hay fever wind. Therefore I’ve always been open to natural eye products and cosmetics but natural mascaras don’t bear well in my book.
I don’t want parabens, formaldehyde, phthalates and even mercury(!) running into my eye if they water!
Finally I have come across a good natural mascara free from the nasties.
Greenpeople Volumising Mascara is a black EcoCert certified organic mascara. (Certified as vegetarian. Not vegan due to beeswax content.)
This mascara created much more volume than I would have anticipated. Previously the natural mascaras I have tried have coated the lashes in a heavy coat of smudgy, colour which didn’t really aid to volume and length but this is very light and really stretches the length out equally to its mainstream competitors which use artificial fibres and other ingredients.
BEFORE - My tired naked eye (I think my next review will be dark circle cream and eye drops!!)
Look at what 2 coats can do- No clogging or flakes, I could have got a more natural effect but I wanted to show you what a strong effect this natural product could achieve
After a full days wear, really very little difference, no smudging or flaking at all. If I was going to be totally anal- tiny fall in volume and a teeny bit worn away but practically perfect
7 hours later- My eyes look a lot more tired… but this is no reflection on the mascara!! The mascara is in pretty good shape!
After a full days wear- really very little difference, no smudging or flaking at all. If I was to be totally anal- tiny fall in volume and a teeny bit worn away but practically perfect!
I was impressed in how it applies; fine, weightless, buildable layers that volumise and DEFINE.
The brush doesn’t look like anything impressive, quite dated in appearance but it really did the job on me. My lashes are long but fine and this mascara was great for them.
The formula claims to moisturise eyelashes with Shea butter and lengthens and thicken with sweet almond oil I will update this if I notice any improvement in condition with prolonged use.
“This organic mascara is made without Mercury, Formaldehyde, Parabens, Petrochemicals, Phthalates and Synthetic Colorants to bring you the purest mascara that nature can offer.” www.greenpeople.co.uk
My lashes felt flexible and fresh all day and removed quick and easily.
It cost £13.99 which I thought was really competitive for quality ingredients, it’s made and packaged ethically which confirms that it is possible to make quality products like this ethically with out compromise in price, ingredients or principles.
Latest Editorial- Winter Haze
Here are some tear sheets from a recent editorial in Kismet magazine published this week.
Photography Dave Wise
Hair Eugene Davis
Make up Lauren Baker
Models Dasha and Tegan at Storm models
A couple of new shots
Here are 2 of the shots from a recent shoot with Sing Lo, Anni Ulm, Jennifer Kouao and Jason boateng.
The gorgeous jewellery is by Dean Davidson, its big and blinging, I wanted it all!
Just nice clean, natural beauty, my fave is the black and white
Hope you like
xxx
Review O’sucre natural products I LOVE 100% Natural Shea Butter

I’m thrilled I began this series of natural reviews; this small change in my beauty regime is causing a snowball effect- encouraging me to take healthier life style choices daily
My most recent review is the most glowing so far!!
I received a bundle of products from O’sucre Natural Cosmetics.
Never judge a book by its cover! The company have extremely humble branding, very affordable prices and totally basic packaging. I’ll be honest I didn’t expect such amazing results.
The base of O’sucre’s products is intensively moisturising 100% pure Shea Butter. Shea Butter has many uses and is used to hydrate skin, even skin tone and fade blemishes
My favourite products-
100% Pure Shea Butter
I’m now completely converted to natural Shea butter as a body moisturiser!!
I was so surprised when I opened the lid of this moisturiser. A thick, fluffy white cream was inside. It was dense and slightly matt looking, very different to the wet, fluid texture of many lotions and thicker than any butter I have previously tested.
It was totally unscented.
When you rub in the product it breaks down instantly to a deliciously rich butter. There is only one ingredient in this super hydrating product- No unnecessary chemicals- parabens, over powering perfume or preservatives just rich hydrating Shea butter. I would use this on my whole family including my young daughter as well as my clients as I know there is small likelihood of unexpected reactions to this single ingredient in comparison to the rocket fuel list in some expensive “wonder creams”. It is a great mens product as it doen’t have a feminine smell.
“Known to be very beneficial in treating skin conditions such as Eczema and Psoriasis, as well as for use on Stretch marks and blemishes, it’s an all round ‘miracle’ butter.”
‘Soft As Silk’ Shea Lotion
This is a Shea butter based lotion. It’s a lot thicker than many lotions and much more effective as a moisturiser than others I have used but quicker to rub in than the butter.
The lotion was slightly scented but not over whelming or unnatural, it reminds me of the scent to Elizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour Cream.
It left my skin feeling incomparably soft, there is an oily finish to the skin which eventually sinks in and would give a beautiful glow in photographs.
The only other product which has given my intensely dehydrated skin this effect is baby oil so I am delighted to get this feeling with out the heavy mineral oils and unlike mineral oils this cream does eventually absorb.
On O’sucre’s web site there is a section called morish moisturisation and it couldn’t be a better description, my skin felt so great, so soft! I’d buy this product in bulk to sustain this baby soft skin feeling.
I’d love it if O’sucre also made a hand and body cream in a tube that I could put in my bag to hydrate my hands, elbows etc
It was indulgent, if I was treated with this (£5.99) natural moisturiser in a health spa I’d be really impressed and expect it to have a much higher price tag.
Other ingredients include Coconut and infused Almond oil, Cocoa butter and essential oils-






The down side to these products? They take quite a while to sink in to the skin even on my dry as a dessert skin although it does eventually absorb.
I didn’t like the packaging of any of the products, this is at my personal taste and the price of these products is super value and there is no reflection to fancy packaging and I am happy to have more humble packaging and keep the costs in the ingredients, I just think it’s a shame that these products may be overlooked by what’s on the outside.
There was a slightly gritty feel to these products which is often the case in natural products where oils may solidify at near room temperature. I think it’s a small price to pay for pure products.
I love natural Shea and am converted. This is a product I hadn’t expected getting hooked on but will definately be ordering more of!
Lily Lolo new product launch

soft, smudgy, natural eye liner
Lily Lolo: New product announcement –
Launching 8th March Natural Eye Liner It has been confirmed that mineral and natural cosmetics brand Lily Lolo has found the perfect 100% natural eye liner formula. Having spent several months perfecting the eye liner base, Lily Lolo is now delighted with the finished product and has announced 8th March as the official launch date. After a product 
test giveaway, brand follower Vanessa said: “The pencil texture is really nice, applied easily and looks great. The pencil is soft enough to go on smoothly but not too soft that it smudges off easily.” The pencils are in fact beautifully soft and smudgy, with great staying power. They’ll glide onto your lids really easily and are great for smudging to achieve the smoky eye look. Containing both vitamin E and C with antioxidant and protective properties, the eye liners are an absolute must have for your makeup bag at only £7 (trade £3.50), available from http://www.lilylolo.co.uk/ Available in four shades, black, brown, khaki and blue; the eye liners will officially launch alongside the new look Lily Lolo website in early March but are already available to salons and independent stockists across the UK. The pencils add to an already highly sought after collection, as products initially designed for a niche market have become mainstream with the increased consumer demand and trend for natural products.
IMATS!!!

Today I had a fabulous day at the IMATS show with the lovely girls from Face On
It was my first visit to the show. It was great to see some familiar faces, finally put faces to talented artists and check out all of the products.
I must be honest I thought it was going to be larger and like many trade shows it was over crowded making it a challenge to find the products that you are after (lets not even go there on the toilet queue!) But the creativity was flowing and it was a inspiring day out.
Highlights
If you are going tomorrow I’d highly recommend bringing proof of trade and heading to the Illamasqua stand to find out how to get a trade discount of up to 40%!!!!

Also with proofs you can sign up to the Dermologica artist’s insider scheme for discounts and free products/sample and news. Stupidly I only brought myself and missed out on signing up but will be joining online.

Dinair airbrush kit- I know several people who
have shipped this super light weight airbrush and compressor set over from the states and incurred huge costs but now Guru are selling the airbrush set for a staggering price of £250 and only £200 at the show!! I think this is a great little airbrush, it’s not super powerful but is this a drawback for cosmetic use? My foundations kit actually weighs more than this whole set up! It comes with every thing a beginner would need, air brush, compressor, 8 colours, air brush moisturiser, airbrush cleaner, stencils and instructional DVD. You can even buy a battery pack and easily take this little baby on location!

The art of make up- The London academy of freelance make up was there demonstrating and selling their amazing book “The art of make up”. This is a beautiful book which I think is a great inspiration photographically as well as with in make up.

Tip- they are selling Alex Box and Rankin’s AMAZING book there but you can get it at almost half of the price at Amazon!!

Oh wow lets not forget the student competition. The theme was Alice in Wonderland. Beautiful entries! I am inspired to go and create something totally CRAZY now!
I will update this post with some shots soon!
xxx








