I do, I do, I do

I have worked with hundreds of gorgeous brides on their big day. The most popular look requested is the "natural" look.  Achieving the perfect natural look actually requires a lot of make up and with wedding season about to kick off here are my tips for achieving the flawless bridal look to dazzle your future husband...

SKIN

Preparing your skin for the big day is as important as choosing what make up to you use. 

I always advise my brides to start preparing their skin a month or so before the big day.

Always drink 2 litres of water a day.

My favourite cleanser is Liz Earl Cleanse and Polish. 

 

Use a facial night serum to give skin an extra boost – my favourite one is Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair, it’s addictive – skin is glowing when you wake up. 

Moisturiser needs careful attention – find one to suit your skin type.  For normal skin I recommend Boots No 7 Protect and Perfect daily moisturiser.

FACE

Most brides opt for dewy skin look Chanel Vitalumiere . I haven’t found a foundation to beat this and I have tried but I only ever use this. It provides a natural even coverage with a beautiful dewy look.

The best concealer I have ever worked with FACT!  Erase Paste by Benefit .  No need to panic if spot appears on your wedding day or you have bags from not sleeping, this will work miracles.

EYES

A couple of drops of Optrex Eye Dew ensure your eyes sparkle.

Cover lids with a neutral colour I like Shroom by Mac. 

 

I usually use a waterproof mascara by Estee lauder and at weddings this year I will be using the new Sumptuous waterproof mascara  – curl eyelashes and apply lashings of mascara, top and bottom.

CHEEKS

Bobbi Brown rouge pot in Powder Pink is nothing short of perfect – dab onto cheeks and blend gently into foundation.   I love Mac’s powder blusher Pinch Me as well.

To finish off your flawless foundation look dab some of Benefit’s Girl meets Pearl onto cheek bones or for a stronger look go for a NARS Illuminator in Laguna.

Finally, dust some translucent powder over face to control any shine (this will make your photos look better).  I love Estee Lauder’s loose powder or Max Factor’s Cream Puff

LIPS

 Christian Dior’s Beige Indecise finishes the neutral look perfectly!

Now you’re ready to face your future husband  x  x x

If you’re interested in having your wedding make up done professionally email me for my price list at beautyattitudes@gmail.com

Back to basics

SO I have returned from climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. I survived and more importantly I made it to the tippety top of Uhuru Peak 5,895 metres – along with my father, not bad for a 63 year old (him not me). 

Like many women, applying make up is a daily ritual of mine. I never leave home without a full face.  So I was intrigued to discover how I would fare going bare faced for 7 days.  With tight weight restrictions on our bags (15kg) the make up bag was left behind and I slipped in Connock London wonderbalm (http://www.beautique.com/product/Connock_London/Kukui_Oil_Wonder_Balm.aspx)

Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream and Halo deodorant wipes.  (Incidentally my beloved 8 hour cream was useless, it didn’t cope well with the cold at all).  Still I got over that disappointment when I saw one of our porters whizz past us with 20kg of weight carried on his head, wearing a flip flop on one foot and an ill fitting boot on the other…..this 7 day trip was definitely going to be about perspectives and getting them in order. 

At night time the temperature plummeted, I wore all of my thermal clothing, plus a hat that tied up round my chin, thermal gloves and didn’t think of my warm bedroom at home once.  It’s either altitude or the situation of having to get on with it but very rarely did I torture myself with thoughts of home comforts.  Once a day one of the porters would provide hot water in a bowl for us to wash with, I took great care of my feet – making sure they were clean and dry before bed every night and thanks to my amazing walking boots I suffered no blisters at all.  In fact my feet had never been more comfy.  In the morning I would freshen up and use the Halo Deodrant Wipes which were a complete dream for two reasons, one: they worked (and that’s no mean feat considering how physical my days were) and two: they were quick and easy to use with no freezing cold spray from an aerosol.  I shall always keep a pack of these in my travel gear.  In no time at all I became quite comfortable being make up free, only occasionally rehydrating my lips with the Wonder Balm. 

Summit night was the toughest night for me mentally, physically fit enough I didn’t struggle with the daily walking or the steep ascent up.  Getting my mind focused on getting to the top was the biggest challenge. There is a lot of up and it’s never ending! We left Kibo Hut (the camp at the base of the mountain) and began our ascent at midnight and at 05.30am we reached Gilman’s Point, we had another hour and a half to go of walking around a snow covered crater to Uhuru Peak, which we reached at 06.50am on Thursday 24 February.  My cousin who was also with us described getting to the top as running three marathons back to back with a really bad chest infection and a raging hangover!  I suffered freezing hands and fingers which hurt so much I cried from the pain – even now the tips of my fingers are dry and a little cracked.

Wrapped up like Michelin men we posed happily for photographs.

I couldn’t yet tell you if it has changed me fundamentally.  I suspect it is an experience that will slowly filter through my psyche in time.  It’s definitely true to say that the mountain I once viewed with an overwhelming sense of terror has now become a beacon of all things achievable, we met people who had so little yet gave us so much, I learned that modern day frivolities over take us all at times and taking it back to basics was a positive experience, and for those who know me that would include coping with a bare face!!

Beauty at Altitude

I used to think that my worse nightmare (in the shallowest sense) would be if I was forced to make a choice between my favourite beauty products.  Occasionally in sadistic moments I have tortured myself with trying to choose between two favourites and rather like the old oven chips TV advert “daddy or chips, daddy or chips”?  I whisper to myself mascara or concealer? mascara or eyeliner? mascara or nail varnish (ooh a toughie!).  So imagine how I feel now faced with the prospect of having to choose just one luxury beauty product to take with me for a 10 day trip (Ok…..I agree there are a lot worse situations to be in and I am of course fully aware of this, hence the money I have raised).

In precisely one week’s time I shall be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, raising money for two charities very close to me (Small Steps and The Soldier’s Charity).  My packing is limited to trekking gear with strict weight limititations - absolutely no room for bulging make up bags on this trip.  A 3.5 litre camel pack will be my only accessory.

The choice I have given myself is between Mascara and Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream.  Both are pretty much staple necessities in my life, what is a life without long black thick lashes and glossy lips?

Is there such a thing as Beauty at altitude?!  I very much doubt it and will I really care when walking up a steep hill at freezing temperatures battling tiredness, hunger and altitude sickness? But with firm visions of Cheryl, Fearne and Kimberley who all scrubbed up pretty well when they climbed Kili I suspect sunglasses could also be key in this plus a hat.  Tick, tick.

The choice I gave myself seemed pretty impossible until I learnt that our guides will be practically running up the mountain ahead of us laden with our large rucksacks and other essential equipment.  Until I am humbled out of my vanity I shall go armed with my Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream which has multiple uses.  Perfect for chapped lips, blisters and dry skin this will be a small home comfort to have - it's medicinal!

Now that decision has been reached I remind myself that I am climbing the mountain to help others climb stairs, mascara? compared to the choices they are faced with every day who really cares.

I return on Monday 28 February
X x

Bright Eyes

In the kit of most make up artists you will find an incredible secret weapon in the form of a teeny little bottle.  Optrex Eyedew Dazzling is my favourite one, a couple of the blue drops in each eye makes the whites of my eyes look whiter and brighter.  A perfect pick me up when eyes become tired or red.  Brighter clearer eyes also improves the look of your eye make up.  For approximately £4 these are a must have for every make up bag. 

(NB please read instructions carefully before using – go to Optrex website for full listing of instructions & ingredients)

Pretty and Pink

I remember it perfectly, I was six years old, it was summertime, the brand was “Tinkerbell peel off” - the colour was fushia pink. 

Perhaps this is why I always associate pink nail varnish with happiness, in adult years it has often been the first bottle I reach for when in need of cheering up.  I am relentless in my pursuit of the perfect pink nail varnish. 

My latest perfect pink is not an expensive brand at all.  Fushia Hype - So Laque by Bourjois.   At only £5.99 it is affordable with a fantastic consistency  –  not too thin and not too thick.  It is easy to apply – gliding on perfectly.  The varnish has a gorgeous  glossy high shine and dries in about half an hour.

My top tip is to apply basecoat before applying the colour and apply top coat every day to help prevent chipping.

LET'S FACE IT

Coco Chanel once said that “Nature gives you the face you have at twenty. Life shapes the face you have at thirty. But at fifty you get the face you deserve”.

Having turned 33 and with this quote in mind I zoomed off to find the perfect potion to help benefit my tired winter skin.  Well….any excuse to buy!

Browsing in SpaceNK I spied “DR BRANDT’S ANTI OXIDANT WATER BOOSTER”.  Packaged in a medicinal looking bottle this is a super power which helps increase skin’s health.  For such a small bottle it is brimming with goodness “3 potent anti-oxidants, green tea, white tea and grapeseed extract” to be precise.  I bought it without hesitation and banished the scepticism slowly creeping in.

I put one dropper of the “blueberry anti oxidant water booster” into my morning glass of water or into my juice.  You can also add it to hot water. 

After just three weeks my skin has become less dry, much clearer and it looks less tired too.  I couldn’t think of a better £30 spent and this is definitely one potion I shall continue to use all year long.  I may not stop my skin getting older but I choose to fight the “free radicals” all the way there!!

FAKING IT

At this time of year when Barbados eludes me and the dark bleak january days go on and on and on and on...I keep a very humble looking sachet in my make up bag.  TAN TOWELS are the perfect way to gain a subtle touch of colour. I don't covet the "Only Way is Essex" look. 

They have the appearance of wetwipe, they have no mess, no funny odour and no streaking. They are a speedy and a much cheaper alternative to the fake tan creams.  If your face is a little dry, very gently exfoliate and allow your moisturiser to soak in before applying. Apply by wiping gently on your face, if you rub hard you may end up with too dark a colour so less is more here! Wash hands after application. It really couldn't be simpler. Carry on with your usual make up routine a minute or two later.  After a couple of hours or so your healthy glow begins to show through. A must have for every winter make up bag!