Back from outer space, Conceal the evidence

Hello, my lovies, so sorry I've been missing. I was working on sooo much, but now it's catch-up time, and a new post. Today, we're going to talk about concealers.

Meet Milani Secret Cover Concealer:

These pots of concealer pack a wallop, I like their texture and I think they hold up well under the Lagos hot sun. You have to be careful how you prep under them, but I can safely recommend them. I used them on this shoot:

 Face: Black Opal stick foundation, MUFE HD powder, Zaron Pressed Powder
Lips: MAC lipstick in Jist and L'oreal Juicy tube lipgloss in clear; 2nd picture is a Revlon lipstick (maybe Sandalwood?)
Blush: La Femme blush palette

Their price is pretty good, from N900 to about N1,500. So Milani Secret Cover concealer gets my BIG PLUS SIGN.

Red lipstick, stay on

A client asked me a question recently during a consultation.

"How do I make my red lipstick stay on long?"

Well, great question, simple answer. Layer it. Start by using a red pencil all over the mouth, after you've defined your lip outline, then colour it in (like how you colour in stuff when you were a child). Apply your lipstick over that and I guarantee it'll last longer and fade evenly. Because it will fade no matter what, and I don't like lipstick sealers, they are too drying. So this will ensure it fades and leaves some colour behind.

This was a model for a fashion show in New York. I know we used MAC lip pencil in Redd and Cherry, then covered with MAC lipstick in Russian Red. Other red lipsticks I like are NYX red, Revlon lipsticks in red (all shades, these are beautiful), Jordana matte red lipstick, NYX lip pencil in Hot Red and Zaron lip pencil in red is one of the best lip pencils I've ever used.

So, there you have it. Happy red lipstick day.

PRETTY IN PURPLE

There’s nothing like a wedding.

Bridal makeup is supposed to bring out the loveliness of a woman, committing to a man in front of witnesses, about her love for him. Soft, pretty, sweet, demure, those are words we think of when we see a bride in our eyes. That usually translates to nude colours, browns and pinks, with some grey.

But what to do when your bride wants soft but not those colours exactly?

Enter our model, the lovely Chioma. Chioma was just recovering from an illness which stressed out her skin, and we were going for yellow and warm, she likes pink and purple and certainly didn’t want to wear yellow eyeshadow.

 

For her base, I used Black Opal Cream stick foundation, I like the texture of this when I’m dealing with dry skin that’s not so smooth, it can be greasy on others. I went with a pink eyeshadow on her eyes, with a purple eyeshadow in her crease (a blend of MAC 'Beautiful Iris' and Make Up For Ever '162'). Chioma has gorgeous brows, so I brushed them up and filled in sparsely with Tara Orekelewa’s eyebrow pencil. I left her blush and lipstick in the same family shade of pinkish-brown-orange. I deliberately went for that because her skin was washed out of colour by her recent illness, so I wanted to warm it up a little. No lashes, just 2 coats of mascara and eyeliner on the top (any liquid eyeliner will suffice, but in this case it was my kit staple Make Up For Ever Aqua Black, which will hold up through tears of “I do”, “My ex-bf is soo upset right now”, “OMG I’m married” and “Will I ever eat my mum’s soup again”.

By the way brides, you don’t always need lashes. So many times, I see lashes that are too big, applied on a bride. It actually makes your eyes look smaller and cast a shadow in pictures. Not always cute. Opt for more natural lashes or rock your God-given ones. Your groom likes the latter best.