The Power of Contouring

'Contouring' is the word on everyone's lips these days! Made famous by celebrities and supermodels, the chiselled look has completely changed how we do our make-up!

Makeup brand Crown Brush is constantly out of stock of their infamous cream concealer contour palette (below), as every girl wants to achieve the perfect cheekbones and look super skinny (wahey for makeup!)

So what exactly is contouring, and how do we do it i hear you ask??

Basically, contouring is the highlighting and shading of your natural features using light and dark shades to create the illusion of that 'perfect' facial shape! We all have different features on our faces that we would like to either change or enhance, and by using shading and highlighting techniques we can achieve this!!

The shape of people's faces differ, and the 'oval' face shape is considered the most desirable. To achieve this, we need to blend out the sharp/round features of our face, and this is where the beauty of makeup comes into play. I have created a little pictorial below, using both a light concealer and a dark concealer, applied to certain areas of my face and blending them together to create a contoured look. 

You can contour using creams, concealers, foundations, and powders and they will all have the same effect. 

Product List:

- MAC Pro longwear concealers in NC15 and NC45

- Blank Canvas F20 Buffer Brush

- MAC Mineralize Powder to set

Image 1: Before Picture

Image 2: applying the darker colour to areas I want to detract the light from, or appear slimmer.. And applying the lighter shade to areas I want to highlight.

Image 3: buff the product into the skin and blend together

Image 4: the finished look!!

Try this at home!!!

Leanne X

Review: Kardashian Khroma Beauty 'Joysticks'

As major influences within the beauty and fashion industry, it seemed only fitting that the Kardashian sisters would launch their own range of make-up! The collection is based on the three different girls, and their own personal style. It is said that they wanted to mirror some of their favourite beauty products and re-create them for the brand, which means cheaper dupes of some of the hottest beauty products around (yay for us!).

For this post, I've decided to review their range of lipsticks, aptly named 'joysticks' :)

I was lucky enough to get my hands on all of the shades above in CVS Pharmacy while I was travelling in the States before Christmas, as they are proving difficult to get here in Ireland. However, I have spotted them since in some pharmacies, so keep an eye out! They were priced around $9 in the U.S. so quite reasonable for a lippy!

REVIEW:

Packaging:             ***** 5 Stars

I love how the joysticks are slim enough to fit into the inside zip pocket on my handbag, or even in my purse without being overly bulky. The lid stays put even with travel, which is a plus too because I find on some lipsticks the lids can come loose, and then stain my bag! The colour is clearly marked on the bottom, so you know exactly what shade to reach for when you need it :)

Price:                    ***** 5 Stars

At $9 a pop, I feel like you get a lot of bang for your buck! There seems to be tons of product fitted into the slim packaging, which means it will last for quite some time.

Product:              ***** 5 Stars

The lipsticks are cleverly pointed, for easy application on the go which eliminates the need for carrying a lip liner with you everywhere you go. That is a plus for me, as I am always looking to downsize my carry around make-up! They are heavily pigmented, which is something I was worried about before trying them. The colour on the packaging is definitely relative to the actual product, so a thumbs up there. They also smell amazing (like chocolate) , and as an avid fan of MAC's vanilla scented lippies, I like this little added touch.

Availability:       *** 3 Stars

At the moment in Ireland, these are proving difficult to get your hands on, which is my only criticism of the entire product, but hopefully over the next few months we will start to see it in-stores more as it is becoming a staple in my make-up bag!

'Retro Red'

'Sea Coral'

'Shocking Pink'

Above are some images of different looks with some of the beautiful shades available!

Let me know what you guys think!

Leanne X

How to wash your make-up brushes!

As a make-up artist, your brushes are your babies, so it is essential that you look after them correctly! I have accumulated an array of brushes over the years, and I must admit that, before I was trained, I wasn't always aware that there was a certain way to wash them (I would just throw the out when I thought they were gone- I know, I know, shocking!). It was only when I enquired about skin breakouts to a make-up artist on holidays one year, and she asked me about washing them, that I realised where I was going wrong! 

Thankfully, I learned how to care for my brushes correctly, and in turn, noticed a massive difference in my skin and my make-up, and this certainly paid off when I went to college to study make-up artistry. I was interested to discover that a lot of girls in my class had, like me before, been un-aware of how to care for their brushes and wash them properly. 

                                             My Brush Belt


How to Wash your Brushes:

I've put together this step-by-step pictorial for you guys, on how to clean your brushes properly, all you will need is some Johnson's Baby Shampoo and luke-warm water :)

*Johnson's Baby Shampoo is kind to your brush hair and will leave them soft and good as new!

Step 1- Put a pea-sized amount in the palm of your hand and gently lather the hair of your brush, remebering to AVOID the handle/wooden part as this will cause your brush to damage and weaken the glue!

Step 2- Rinse the hair under luke-warm water, and manipulate the shape of the hairs back to it's original shape.

Step 3- Leave to dry over a flat surface, and hang the hair over the edge so as air can get to it to dry!

Happy Cleaning Dolls!

Leanne X

Welcome to my Make-Up World!

Hi Dolls!

I'm Leanne, a qualified Make-Up Artist and Image Consultant with a passion for beauty, fashion and travel!

I have been toying with the idea of setting up my own blog for a while now, but have finally bit the bullet, and here goes!

As a working make-up artist I am constantly learning new things about the beauty industry, picking up useful tips and spotting trends, and I want to share my journey with you guys! I create daily make-up looks which currently feature on my Facebook page and post images of makeovers on my clients :)

Keep your eyes peeled for upcoming posts,

Leanne X