​2. Illamasqua​ Gleam
​Illamasqua​'s Gleam works wonders for achieving a healthy, summer glow.

This is a light, shimmery cream highlighter, which subtly reflects the light, illuminating your skin. It contains ingredients such as skin boosting Vitamin E and Mica Mineral.

This cream highlighter works perfectly under foundation and is applied after your moisturiser. It can also be used on the body for added shimmer and glow.
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This highlighter comes in two shades, 'Aurora' and 'Supernatural'. I would recommend the Aurora shade for pally wally skin like mine, and Supernatural for darker complexions.

3. Mac Strobe Cream  
​Mac’s Strobe Cream is a moisturising cream, which contains iridescent particles that illuminate the skin, giving it a beautiful, subtle pink shimmer. It also contains nourishing vitamins and antioxidants.  Compared to Illamasqua's Gleam and Mac's Mineralize Skinfinish 'Soft & Gentle', the Strobe Cream gives more of a dewy finish versus a sun-kissed glow, due to its pink colour.

​Similar to Illamasqua’s Gleam, it too can be placed under your foundation using a flat foundation brush, and after your moisturiser. 
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These are must-have highlighter products for your make-up bag this summer!
 
Have fun getting your shimmer on!
  
Do you have a favourite highlighter? Then please feel free to share here – I always love to hear about new make-up products!

Warm shimmery wishes,

​Colettex

​For more helpful makeup tips and tricks of the trade, follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, and sign up for my free report ‘Makeup Secrets that Everyone Should Know About!’ by simply entering your details below: 

1.   Prep the skin by cleansing, toning and moisturising. Then apply a primer to both the face and eyelids.

2.   Apply foundation to the face.

3.   Then apply concealer (of a similar shade to the foundation) where required, such as on the undereye area and on any blemishes, blending well.

​4.   Using an angled blusher brush, apply blusher to the apple of the cheeks, sweeping lightly across the cheekbone to blend. 
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5.   Set by gently patting a little loose powder across the face.

6.   Groom the brows by brushing. For any sparce areas, fill in as necessary with a brow pencil or powder, then brush through again to soften and blend.

7.   Apply a pale gold eyeshadow across the eyelids. Then apply a medium brown eyeshadow to the outer corner and crease of the eyes for definition. For a more dramatic look, a darker brown matte eyeshadow can be applied to the very outer corners and should be blended well.

​8.   Across the top lash line, apply black eyeliner as close as possible to the lashes, finishing with a flick at the outer corners.
​One of my favourite gel liners at the moment is Illamasqua’s Precision Gel Liner, which glides on so smoothly and lasts really well on the eye.
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9.   Curl the top lashes with an eyelash curler and apply a coat of black mascara to both the top and bottom lashes.

10.   To apply the strip false lashes correctly, place them as close as possible to the top lash line.
For a more natural look, blend the natural and false lashes together by applying a light coat of mascara, brushing it through gently. 
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11.   To complete the look, line the lips with a red lip liner and apply a matching red lipstick to the lips. A lovely blue toned matte red lipstick is Illamasqua ‘Sangers’, which has fab staying power and makes your teeth look even whiter!

​As Illamasqua 'Sangers' is a matte textured lipstick, it does not need a lip liner necessarily, but if you prefer to use a liner, try Illamasqua Lip Colouring Pencil ‘Lust’. A lip brush should be used to apply a matte lipstick perfectly.
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For an even more vampy pout, why not experiment and try a darker berry red or plum lipstick with a matching lip liner.

Have fun putting all of this into practice over the festive season! 
 
If you would like someone to teach you how to apply make-up, choose the correct shades for your colouring or even change the way you do your make-up, check out my Make-Up Lessons! They also include helpful hints and tips of the makeup trade.

And if you would like someone to do your makeup for a special occasion that is coming up (including Christmas parties!), just get in touch!
 
Please feel free to share your own ideas for Christmas party makeup looks in the comments section at the bottom of this post - I'd love to hear from you.

Happy Christmas!

Colette x

​For more helpful makeup tips and tricks of the trade, follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, and sign up for my free report ‘Makeup Secrets that Everyone Should Know About!’ by simply entering your details below: 
​

It is amazing the difference false lashes can make to a look, really emphasising the eyes and making them pop. They are perfect for a special occasion makeup look or even a bridal look where the eyes need to be a wee bit more emphasised in the photographs.
 
Time and time again, I get asked by my clients ‘How do I apply my false lashes and remove them?’ As they have spent a lot of time in the mirror trying to get them on, only to have them stick out at funny angles, be uncomfortable to wear or even fall off after a couple of hours.
 
So, as they can be tricky wee things to master, I thought I would write an article to help you out by explaining how. It is actually not as tricky as you would think - once you know how!
 
Follow the 8 simple steps below to achieve the perfect luscious lashes and then be able to remove them easily at the end of your evening.​

1. Apply mascara
Apply one coat of mascara to your own lashes – using the same colour as the false lashes.

2. Size up the lash
A common oversight is forgetting to size up the false lashes to the eye shape, and then placing too wide a lash on the eye. So before applying the glue, check them out for size by placing them on the eyelid and then trim them as necessary.
 
Always trim from the long lashes at the outer end rather than the inner end where the lashes are shorter.

Plus trim just a tiny bit at a time so you don’t over trim, checking back to your eye after each trim.

3. Shape the lash
Holding both edges of the lash, bend the lash inwards to create a ‘C’ shape for a few seconds. This helps give the lash a better shape to then fit to the curvature of the eyelid, and also ensures the corners stay put on the eyelid. This also helps with the application of the lash onto the eyelid.

4. Apply the glue 
I use the DUO adhesive glue, which is a high quality lash glue. The glue that comes in the pack with false lashes is not as good a quality. So if you are a regular user of false lashes, I would recommend investing in the DUO adhesive glue. Mac Cosmetics sell it for £10.
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​If you have a steady hand, gently squeeze some glue along the lash spine. Failing this, just use the handle of a tweezer to gently place the glue along the lash spine. Ensure to place the glue all along the spine and right out to the ends of the lash, so it does not lift at the ends when applied.

​Allow the glue to air dry for 8-10 seconds before placing the lash onto your eyelid. This allows it to become tacky and easier to apply.

5. Apply the lash to the eyelid
To apply the lash as close as possible to the base of your own lash line, start with the eye closed. Then align the false lash spine along the base of the natural lash line, getting as close as possible to the natural lash base for the best fit. 
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​6. Allow to set
Once the false lash is in place, you do not need to hold it down. Instead, just allow the glue to dry.

7. Blend the false lashes into your own lashes 
To help blend the false lashes into your own lashes and achieve a more natural look, very gently press the false lashes and your own lashes together with tweezers. Then brush the false lashes through your own lashes with an eyelash or spooler brush. An old, clean mascara wand will do the trick also.
 
If required, apply a small amount of mascara at the junction of both the false and natural lash. Take care not to over apply the mascara by taking it all the way out to the ends of the false lash hairs, as this will exaggerate the false lashes and make them look less natural. It is best to use mascara the same colour as the false lashes.

​8. Removing the false lashes
​Place some eye makeup remover on a cotton bud and gently rub it along the base of the false lash. Avoid getting product in the eye as much as possible. 
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​Leave this sit for a minute to allow the cleanser to work its magic. To remove them, hold them by the base of the outer lash and gently peel it off the eyelid.
 
By holding them by the base of the lash, it prevents any stretching and distortion of the lashes, so they last for much longer.
 
Then remove your eye makeup as normal and that’s you done!
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Have fun putting all of this into practice! 
 
Please feel free to share your own tips on how you like to apply and remove false lashes in the comments section at the bottom of this post - I'd love to hear from you!

Colette x
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For more helpful makeup tips and tricks of the trade, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest, and sign up for my free report ‘Makeup Secrets that Everyone Should Know About!’ by simply entering your details below:
​

A question I am often asked by my clients is how to apply your matte lipstick perfectly without it clumping.

Firstly, preparation is key! Lips should be exfoliated and moisturised before the lipstick even touches the lips, as the matte formulation can be pretty unforgiving and tends to highlight any flaws, such as dried or chapped skin. 

Exfoliate the lips:
Where possible, exfoliate your lips the day before you use the matte lipstick, particularly if you have quite dry, chapped lips.

Firstly, apply some moisturiser to the lips to soften the skin. A fab lip conditioner is the Mac Lip Conditioner (£12), which offers very quick a deep conditioning to the lips. Other lip balms such as Burt's Bees Lip Balm or Lucas' Pawpaw Ointment can be used also.  

Then after an hour or two, very gently, exfoliate the lips.

Lips can be exfoliated using a homemade lip scrub (a mixture of sugar, olive or coconut oil & honey) and the lips gently massaged with it for a couple of minutes and then rinsed. 

No time to make up the lip exfoliator? I sometimes use a soft toothbrush if I am in a hurry. 
 
Moisturise the lips:
I would recommend exfoliating the lips before going to bed and then slather on lots of moisturiser to get the maximum amount of conditioning. 

Line the lips first:
Although a lip liner isn’t necessary with a matte lipstick formulation, due to its long lasting staying power, I still like to use the liner to help it last even longer (call me greedy, but I’d rather spend less time touching up!). It also helps give a beautiful, sharp finish.

Apply the matte lipstick using a lip brush:
After lining the lips in a similar colour to the lipstick, the matte lipstick is then applied with a lip brush. Real Techniques do a great retractable brush for £7.99, which has a wee cap, so is very handy for the handbag. Love its pink colour as well!

Apply a second coat:
For even more staying power, blot the lips afterwards with a tissue and reapply the matte lipstick again. There are a number of reasons for this – it not only extends the staying power even more, but also adds intensity to the lip colour and helps avoid dry or cakey looking lips.

For a super sharp, precise line:
A wee trick  of the trade that make-up artists adopt to get that super precise line is to use some concealer to clean up the edges of the lips, using a small concealer brush or a cosmetic cotton bud.

A couple of my favourite matte lipsticks at the moment are Illamasqua’s 'Eurydice' and 'Liable' (£19.50 each). 'Eurydice' is  a lovely bright fuchsia pink lipstick that pops on the lips, and 'Liable' is a really classy, sophisticated red lipstick with a yellow undertone. Amazing colours with even more amazing staying power! 

 
And that should then be you ready to rock a fabulous & perfect matte lip! It may seem like a fair bit of effort but it is definitely worth it to achieve that beautiful, long lasting, flawless pout :)

Have fun putting these makeup tips into practice! 

Please feel free to share your own makeup tips on how you like to apply a matte lipstick in the Comments field at the bottom of this post - I'd love to hear from you!

Colette x

For more helpful makeup tips and tricks of the trade, follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, and sign up for my free report ‘Makeup Secrets that Everyone Should Know About!’ by simply entering your details below:

 
I am so excited to be finally starting my blog! It’s really lovely to be able to share all my amazing experiences with you all, plus obviously provide lots of helpful information and tips!

So, my very first blog post is about a recent bridal photo shoot at the Mal Maison hotel, by the Shore in Leith.

Where did the inspiration come from for this photo shoot?

The inspiration for this amazing photo shoot came about when I was first approached by Mette Baillie of Freja Designer Dressmaking, regarding a bride of hers, Fran Previdi. Fran had been looking for an Edinburgh make-up artist who could do bridal makeup for her dark skin complexion, and after speaking with the lovely Fran, she very kindly agreed to be involved in a bridal photo shoot. I was thrilled!

Who else was involved in the photo shoot?

I was keen to involve local small businesses in this photo shoot. Two photographers who really wanted to be involved were Vikki McCraw Photography and Rachel Hein Photography. Petals by the Shore kindly donated a beautiful bridal bouquet. The award winning bridal dress store, Freja Designer Dressmaking, kindly lent us two of their stunning bridal dresses from their new collection, along with matching boleros and headdresses. We then chose the beautiful wedding venue, Mal Maison hotel by the Shore, due to it stunning hotel interiors and equally stunning location, being right on the Water of Leith.

How did it all unfold on the day of the photo shoot?

It was such an exciting and fun shoot with such a great team of people, and I think the images really reflect this! One of the team even commented ‘I didn’t want the day to end!’ which captured the buzz amongst the team on the day. We managed to get images from two very different photographic perspectives, with Rachel’s images being more natural and informal, using natural lighting, and Vikki was able to give us images that had a more editorial feel to them, using photographic lighting. This was a real treat as you don’t often get this luxury on photo shoots! 

The only minor hiccup  on the day was that the good ole Scottish weather decided to put a spanner in the works and we were only able to shoot indoors. Despite this, we got amazing images due to the fact that there were so many beautiful spaces to shoot in within the hotel itself.

What was the inspiration for the makeup?

As we had two different dresses and accessories to choose from, for the first dress I decided to go with a more natural look with beautifully radiant dewy skin, which was inspired by the Spring/ Summer 2015 catwalk and was designed to complement both Fran’s skin tone and the simple but very elegant dress and headdress.

Whilst incorporating a key Spring/ Summer 2015 trend colour of coral into the look, I used warm tones of gold, coral and brown with an orange undertone on the eyes to complement Fran’s beautiful skin tone. Black gel eyeliner was applied to add definition to the eyes. To complete this beautiful look, coral was used on the lips (Mac ‘Vegas Volt’), which popped beautifully against Fran’s skin tone.

Inspired by the style of the second dress, we went with more of a vintage makeup look with the signature strong eyeliner and a bright orange red lip (Illamasqua ‘Liable’).

Images from another bridal shoot taken along the Shore just outside Mal Maison

From a previous bridal photo shoot by the Shore, the below images were taken along the Water of Leith, and right outside the Mal Maison hotel.  These help capture what Mal Maison has to offer outside the hotel! The photographer for this shoot was the lovely Morag Brown of Brown’s Photography, and the models were Marika Hipponen and Louise Arnold. Dresses and accessories were from Rachel Scott Couture. Make-up and hair were by Colette Casher Make-Up Artistry. There were so many beautiful images to choose from, but here is a wee selection that help capture the day…

 As I’m sure you will agree, Mal Maison hotel coupled with the Water of Leith by the Shore, make this just a stunning location for a wedding!

So, what happened next?

Fran was so delighted with the end result for this photo shoot at Mal Maison, that she not only booked me for her bridal makeup but also her partner’s! I am totally honoured and delighted to be involved in their special day. 

And as if things couldn’t get any better, we were in the very fortunate position that We Fell in Love, Scotland’s largest wedding blogger, were very keen to be involved and post a blog of their own on our shoot! Just amazing! I was astonished at how things had progressed from my initial wee chat with Mette of Freja Designer Dressmaking and our beautiful model, Fran Previdi, and have had to pinch myself on more than one occasion! I just absolutely love my job J

So without further ado, please see We Fell in Love’s blog in the below link –

http://www.wefellinlove.co.uk/blog/2015/05/09/bridal-shoot-malmaison-freja-designer-dressmaking/

I really hope you enjoyed my first blog! More to follow, so keep a wee eye out.

Warm wishes,

Colette x

Credits: 

Models – Fran Previdi, Louise Arnold and Marika Hipponen
Photographers – Vikki McCraw Photography, Rachel Hein Photography and Brown’s Photography
Dresses & Accessories – Freja Designer Dressmaking, Rachel Scott Bridal Couture and Rachel Scott Accessories
Venue – Mal Maison
Florist – Petals by the Shore
Make-Up & Hair – Colette Casher Make-Up Artistry

Images are copyright of Vikki McCraw Photography, Rachel Hein Photography and Brown’s Photography

For helpful makeup tips and tricks of the trade, follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, and sign up for my free report ‘Makeup Secrets that Everyone Should Know About!’ by simply entering your details below: