I’m lucky to have a best friend who is also a makeup artist. She is so good at what she does and the advice that she gives out. So what I thought would be great, would be to bring the advice to my followers, in the form of Questions and Answers and products that she recommended and used on me. We planned a weekend together, to catch up and talk makeup, and this is what happened…
The image below is of me once I had had my makeup done by Megan. I wanted a subtle look, not much contouring and a smokey eye. The products that she used to create this look were;
Skin – Garnier BB Cream, Rimmel Stay Pressed Powder, Makeup Revolution Highlighter and Rimmel London Blusher
Eyes – Urban Decay Naked Basics 2 and Soap and Glory Kohl Pencil in Brown
Eyebrows – Soap and Glory Brow Archery
Lips – Rimmel London Lipstick – Kate shade
My Questions
While Megan was applying my makeup I asked her a couple of questions. I have been neglecting my eyebrows (for makeup) for years and Megan has made me realise that it isn’t as scary as I thought to shape and apply makeup to them.
When choosing an eyebrow makeup what do you recommend for your clients to look for?
Megan says; Always look for a brand who do a pencil with waxy consistency which clings to your eyebrow lashes better than a powder, for a more even look and longer lasting.
I struggle to choose lipstick for myself and I wanted Megan’s honest opinion on what product to choose for my skin tone.
What lipstick to go for to achieve a natural look?
When choosing a lipstick that you want to be natural looking (Megan says #MLBB #MyLipsButBetter) choose a colour no more than one shade darker than your natural lip colour. And to ensure staying power, apply a layer and then blot thoroughly, before applying another layer.
Something I have had for a while (from a goody bag I reviewed months ago) is a highlighter that I have never used. I wanted to know how I would go about experimenting with this product.
Where would I begin to apply my highlighter?
When applying a highlighter always place it on the tops of your cheekbones, and the top of your Cupid’s bow. Some of these products can be applied dry or wet (with fixing spray) but you’re aiming for a look that enhances your natural features.
Superdrug Mini Haul
Once Megan had done my makeup we headed out to get me some items that I was missing for my makeup bag. And I also picked up a new varnish to strengthen my nails, I have quite brittle ones during the cooler months.
The main items I bought were, a Superdrug Flutter cosmetics sponge, a new lipstick (I chose a ‘Kate’ shade from Rimmel London), my first ever eyebrow pencil and brush combo from MUA, and also the Rimmel London Scandal Eyes Eyeliner (so I can be brave and try new things).
I was most impressed with the MUA eyebrow pencil and brush, easy to apply and soft. I can imagine me using it again, especially when applying a full face of makeup.
I also appreciated Megan’s help with choosing the lip colour, it is currently my staple favourite.
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FAQ’s – A Day with a Makeup Artist
Hello Megan, and thank you for joining in with my blog post today.
Thank you for having me.
What is your most asked makeup question from your clients?
The most common question I get asked is, “Am I doing it right?” or “What is the right way to do it?” Makeup is an art rather than a science and to me there is no “right way” to do things. If you look in the mirror (after application) and feel fabulous then it’s right for you!
Is there a particular brand that you use yourself that you could recommend people to try?
It’s important to remember that no one brand will do everything perfectly, so using a variety of different brands is best. Experimentation is key to a great makeup wardrobe.
Personally though my favourite brands are Urban Decay – their eyeshadows are some of the best, No7 – have fantastic lipsticks, and Estee Lauder – Double Wear Foundation is my holy grail makeup item.
Which part of your own makeup routine do you spend the longest amount of time on?
My Eyebrows. So often forgotten but the difference between a good look and a great look is your eyebrows. They frame and shape the face and can bring the whole look together in an instant. So don’t forget your eyebrows people!
Which skincare brand do you use?
By far my favourite skin care brand is La Roche Posay. It has a massive range of products designed for any skin type or complaint, they are all designed to work with even the most sensitive skin as well.
And finally, a question that I personally have always wanted to know the answer to (because I struggle to apply my own makeup well).
What is the secret to great looking makeup?
Skin care, skin care, skin care. Drink lots of water, cleanse, tone and moisturise your skin. Because if your skin looks great then you’re already half way there! Then any makeup that you choose to do, from winged eyeliners to smokey eye looks, will always look amazing.
Thank you very much for answering my questions today Megan, and for doing my makeup of course!
You’re very welcome.
***
Here is another image of my makeup look from today, perfected by Megan herself. If you like the look please feel free to leave a comment.
If you want to follow Megan on social media for great makeup tips and photographic posts then please click on the links below to see her various pages.
Thank you for reading this blog post today and I hope, like me, you’ve learnt something new and useful for your own makeup routine.
✩ Sabrina ✩
Makeup by Megan on Twitter https://twitter.com/MakeupByMegan2
Makeup by Megan on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/makeupbymegan121/
Makeup by Megan on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/missmegan_121/
For me, I nearly always wear mascara on my eyes and powder on the skin on my face to reduce redness and any uneven skin tone. I felt that I already achieved this look on a regular basis, so I wanted to show how I did this and what products I have used. As you can see in the image above my makeup is subtle, used to mainly hide dark circles and blemishes and to remove any shine from my skin.
So what products have I used for the makeup half of this look. Well the mascara I used was a gentle application of Rimmel London’s Super Curler 24 hr Mascara (a little goes a long way).
Day 3. Today I began to notice a few very tiny chips at the edge of my thumb and first finger. Not that noticeable though unless you were up close. This was bound to happen to me because of all the things that my hands go through every day. But it’s not bad enough to ruin the manicure. My nails are still a wonderful shade and are shiny, I have been both cooking and cleaning and typing the past 48 hours, so I am surprised they are in such good condition. So far so good!
Day 5. Other than a few minor chips my nails look great. The look and feel of he polish is still smooth and shiny which is what I would expect to see from a successful manicure. So far the quality of both the polish and the gel top coat is excellent.
Day 7. It’s been a week since the application and overall my nails look fabulous! The shine, colour and smoothness is still apparent and other than my thumb and first finger loosing some polish at the tips the manicure is still in a very good condition. When looking at them not close up you wouldn’t notice the chips.
Day 9. Today I inspected my nails and as you can imagine they are beginning to grow out now at the backs. Their pink lines stand out against the dark red colour painted upon them. Saying that though the look of my nail varnish is still very good. My first finger, thumb and middle finger are now beginning to look worse for wear, but from a distance you can’t tell very much.
Day 11. Not much difference in two days despite my daily duties. All of the nails are beginning to grow out now and most are chipped at the edges. Saying that I have never known a nail polish to last this long without me needing to remove and re-apply at least one of the finger nails.
Day 12. More growing out and a tiny bit more chipping, but otherwise my nails look great for having been applied 12 days ago! I’m starting to really like the quality of this product. It goes to show that when you apply things correctly it can really work in your favour, no wasting time reapplying polish every day or so.
Day 14. Time to remove the nail varnish, but I’m impressed with how well it’s lasted. My daily routine involves cooking and cleaning and I would’ve expected more chips than I have. As you can see in my photograph my nails have lasted reasonably well overall and I think if I were applying this nail polish long term it would be very useful investment knowing that when applied correctly it will last a minimum of a week, almost 14 days if looked after.
