Your Perfect Statement Lip

The bold statement lip has been a must have accessory for a while now, with bright Reds, vibrant Oranges and Pinks being sported by anyone who's anyone. This Autumn Winter season is still all about the bold lip, turning to more deep plums/burgundy and berry shades as seen at Marni, Prada & Louis Vuitton. However, fret not red lippy lovers, the
red lip isn't going anywhere, as was seen yet again at shows such as La Perla, Marc Jacobs & by far the boldest at Nina Ricci.

For bold lips, keep skin fresh, flawless and dewy, teamed with well groomed/defined brows, and just a slick of mascara. Or if you want that vampy look, team your burgundy lips with a smokey eye!

Here are my top tips for the perfect long-lasting bold lips;

- Start by exfoliating lips, using a soft baby toothbrush to gently remove any dry skin.

- Follow this by applying a good nourishing lip balm, I love Carmex balms. Leave to soften lips for 5 -10 mins, then blot excess balm with a tissue.

- Taking a concealer the exact colour match of your skin, conceal your lips and outer lip edge, this will allow the true colour of your lipstick to show, cancelling your natural lip colour which can alter your chosen lipstick shade.

- Use a lip barrier pencil, like Urban Decays Ozone lip liner, around the outer edge of your lips to prevent bleeding and feathering.

- Using a lip liner the exact match of your chosen lipstick shade, line your lips and fill in, using the lip liner to colour the whole of your lips.

- Using your chosen lipstick shade apply to your lips with a lip brush, I prefer an angled synthetic brush which allows you to create sharpe defined edges. Blot with tissue and re-apply! Voila perfect bold AW13 lips that last all day!

Here are some pictures from my latest beauty shoot, where I used bold lips to steal the show!
Photographer; Ursula Roxy
Makeup Artist; Melanie Brown
Model; Killa @ Leni's Model Management

A great year to be British!

So 2012 is set to be a great year for us Brits, what with London hosting the Olympics and the Queens Diamond Jubilee! In such tough economic times, it's great to celebrate being British, and it truely feels like a sense of patriotism is being restored with such events!

To celebrate the upcoming events I wanted to do a beauty shoot... So here are the results...

Products used;
Face
Mac Studio Fix mixed with Shu Uemura UV base.
Bobbi Brown Correctors and Concealers.
Makeup Forever HD translucent setting powder.
MUA Bronzer and Blusher in English Rose.
Mac Vanilla Pigment used for highlighting.

Eyes
Mac Kohl Eye Liner in Smolder set with a mixture of Sleek matte black eyeshadows.
Shu Uemura eyelash curlers used and lashes set with 2 coats of Dior Show Mascara.
Eyebrows set and defined using Bobbi Brown Pencil and shadows.

Lip
Violent Lips Tattoo, set with Ben Ny paints.

Photography; Kaye Ford
Model; Stacey @ Leni's Model Management

Hope you like!
Mel
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Ethereal Shoot at Hyde Park

Wanted to share with you one of most favourite's shoots!

Teaming up with talented Photographer Hannah-Beth Todd, we shoot this at Hyde Park in London, on a beautifully sunny September day.

Hannah has a beautifully personal photography style which really creates a mood a feel to the photos. We wanted to create something almost dream like, girlie, soft and beautiful.. Which I think we did!

How I created the look;

Base was soft, matte and natural, using Mac Face and Body, Makeup Forever HD setting power, and natural highlights around temple, Cupids bow, centre of nose, using Mac pigment in Vanilla.

Blush was Bobbi Brown in pale pink and slopes. Used lightly to recreate a natural skin hue across apples of cheeks and blended outwards.

Eyes were left very natural, almost a no makeup look, brows were naturally filled with featured brush strokes, and further brushed through with a clean brush. Lids were evened out with a Mac Paint Pot in Soft Ocre. Lashes were curled and set with a brown mascara on top and bottom lashes. A beige eye pencil was then used on waterline to brighten and open eyes.

Lips were the main focus of the look, OCC lips tars were mixed to create bespoke colours for each girl, pigment was then pressed onto lips to mattify and create a slight two tone lip on a couple of shots.

Hope you like!

Mel
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Photoshoot with Adam Goodwin and Kat @ Profile and Fords

Here are some images from a shoot I did with the talented photographer Adam Goodwin. Model is Kat @ Profile models and Fords.

For this look, I used Mac Face and Body foundation as the model had such beautiful skin. I wanted a fresh natural coverage so face and body is perfect. For concealing I used Bobbi Brown creamy concealers and a corrector for under eye area.

Blush was left natural with some contouring under cheekbone. I used Bobbi Brown blusher in Slopes and contouring was a matte Bobbi Brown eyeshadow mix to match models skin tone.

Smokey eyes were created used Mac Smolder eye pencil on upper and lower lash line blended upwards and outwards for a winged cat eye shape. I then used Sleeks Storm I-Divine pallette using the vanilla colour in the inner corner of eye to open up eyes. I then used the black colour to set liner on top and bottom blending to a gradual fade upwards and outwards. I then used the smoulder pencil on the lower and upper waterlines of eyes. After curling lashes I applied 2 coats of Maybeline volumising mascara in black.

Lips were left with a natural gloss using Vaseline mixed with a dab of Bobbi Brown pot rouge.

Hope you like!

Mel
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