Avant Garde…Gold Flake Makeup

This look was so much fun to create, Avant Garde is such a broad aspect of Makeup, it allows artists to really express themselves, get creative, and ultimately have fun!

I had seen something similar to this look on Illamasqua, and used this and the look done by Karla Powell as my inspiration! I bought the flakes a month or two ago and have been waiting for the perfect opportunity to be able to use them, and I was finally able to do so on Saturday….

So first of all what equipment will you need?

Face -
Art Deco Foundation - 1 or 2 shades darker than the natural skin tone
MAC Skin Mineralize powder - Soft and Gentle
MAC Lustre Drops
Ben NYE - Gold Shadow (Azlec Gold)
Gold Flakes - Ebay
Glitter Fix Gel - Stargazers (Amazon)
Kryolan Camouflage Palette (D15)

Eyes -
Emite Eyeshadow - DAMS (from my Glossybox)
NYX Mascara
Lashes - any that you love use! Eldora are my FAVES at the moment!
ELF Gel Liner
NYX Pencil Liner

Lips -
Gold Ben NYE Shadow
MAC Gloss

Tools -
Blending Brushes/Contouring Brushes - see my brush blog for essential brushes!
Face Brush
Silicon Applicator from Crown Brushes

So firstly I started with the face, applying Art Deco foundation 1 or 2 shades darker, using my short stipple brush from Crown Brushes, I built the foundation up to get maximum coverage. I then contoured the face using D15 in the kryolan camouflage palette, using my ELF Concealer Brush, be careful with application of this it is very dark so you won't need much. We opt for a grey coloured medium, as people often think using a brown shade of contouring medium works best, but actually grey is your best bet, as we are essentially trying to create a shadow!

Once the face was finished, I then took my ELF concealer brush and applied the Gold Ben NYE shadow to the areas in which I wanted the flakes, or some highlight/interest. I highlighted the edge of the face and all of the areas in which you would usually choose to highlight with a normal highlighter.

I built up the Gold shadow, to add some depth to the look, and also providing a good solid base colour for the flakes to sit on.

I applied the Gold Shadow to the jaw line, the cheek bones, above and below the eyebrow, along the bridge of the nose, on the hairline, and down onto the neck, highlighting the clavicles. I applied until I was satisfied with the colour of the product on the skin.

I then took my Glitter Fix gel from Stargazers, and applied it to the skin in areas that I wanted the Gold flakes to stick.

I also tied the hair back, applying wet look gel to the front, running it through the hair with a comb, to give it a sleek look, and I then applied the gold flakes into the hair line, running back into the hair!

The tool that made this look so simple to do, was the silicon applicator brush, by Crown Brushes, this truly was a god send!!! The applicator, picked up the flakes allowing you to transport them to the face without them dropping all over the floor, and allowed you to place on to the primed area with ease.

I stuck the flakes where I had firstly put the Gold Shadow, focusing on the framing of the face!
I took the flakes down onto the neck, at which point I decided to change my medium, I decided to use glitter, to cover the neck, using rather big glitter particles to cover the neck, again using the Glitter Fix gel.

Once I had applied all of the Gold Flakes I then moved onto the eyes..The look was sultry, dark, smokey, jet black eyes!

I have used a few black shadows in my time, but this has to be the most, deep, black I have come across, it is AMAZING. Its the one I received in my Glossybox this month and it is incredible. The pigment is so strong, it applies beautifully, blends amazingly, and has minimal fall. Although I did apply some translucent powder underneath the eyes to allow any drop to be removed with ease!

I applied a shadow base, NYX White Milk Stick, to the lid, for the shadow to adhere to, and taking a round contoured brush, again from Crown, I applied the black shadow, winging it out slightly, and continually blending until I achieved that dark black sultry, smokey eye. I also applied the Ben NYE Gold Shadow to the inside corner, to give it some interest, and contrast.

Another great brush for this look, is the Mini Contour (Crown Brushes) this really enabled me to get close to the lash line, applying the black eyeshadow precisely, as it is so small, but then being able to blend it out, with it being fluffy! This brush is a gem, and one all MUA's and makeup lovers need in their kits!

Apply your mascara, and Lashes and your eyes are almost done. I decided that I wanted to apply some gold flakes to the inner corners of the eyes this was simple to do, just apply the Glitter fix gel to the amount of the lid in which you want to cover and then apply the flakes using your silicon applicator!

I kept going over my Gold Highlight as I LOVED the colour, it was amazing, and it just got more beautiful the more I applied…I literally could have spent hours on this look, faffing, and perfecting!

I then finished the look with the lips, I again used the Ben NYE shadow and applied it to the lips, and applied gloss over the top in the centre of the lips, to maximise them!!

This looks was one of my favourites done so far, Avant Garde is supposed to inspire and create imagination paths within individuals, and thats what it has done for me, viewing the likes of Illlamasqua and Karla Powells work…I hope this inspires some of my readers, as I have already had several ask where I got the gold flakes from, so I hope to see a few of you re-creating and experimenting!!!
I would love to see some of them when your done…send them my way :)

Anyway, Enjoy, be Creative, Break Boundaries, and don't hold back!!

Lots of Love

Alex

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Sugar Skulls :)

Yesterday at Aqua Rosa, Media MakeUp School we did Sugar Skulls...It was AMAZING

This blog will give you helpful (I hope) information on how to re-create this artistic look! Sugar skulls originate from Mexico, they were created out of sugar to celebrate the deceased on a day titled 'the day of the dead' Now modern day people, artists, MakeUp Artists have got their hands on them and have turned them into a look that can be sported throughout the year (fancy dress mostly) but they are typically done around the halloween period! 

For my sugar skull, I used a variety of mediums...Paints, and shadows mostly!!

Firstly you need to create a white base, leaving space around the eyes, this ensures that the colour you put around the eyes doesn't mix in with the white base, say for example you put red over white, it will most likely turn pink! So where you are thinking of putting other colours over the white, to create interest leave blank :)

Once you have your blank white canvas, which I suggest applying with a sponge (car sponge works well, cut up) and then take a foundation brush and feather the paint, to ensure it is well blended!!

I worked from the top of the face down, forehead to chin, to ensure that I didn't smudge any of the paint I applied (similiar to painting a picture) To create the cobweb on the forehead, I used an eyeliner first and faintly drew on my design, once the design I wanted was achieved, I then took a fine eyeliner brush, with a nice point on it, and applied black facepaint over my initial lines! Make sure you have enough product on your brush to ensure continual movement of medium on the face!

I then focused on the eyes...applying a blue and green paint to the lid of the eye to create a teal colour! You can just use my design and change the colours? or you can just use the techniques I describe to create your own sugar skull :) Once the paint was applied to the eye, I added depth to the colour using a blue eyeshadow, blending with a brush! I then took a black shadow and focused on the lining of the eye smudging it out into the blue colour on the lid, so that there was no definitive edge! Keep applying the black until you are satisified with it!

Define the cheek bones of the skull like I did, joining the eyebrow detail to the mouth, which follows the line of the cheekbone! Blend the colour of choice down to create definition!

Add some interest to the nose using black eyeliner to create your shape again, and then go over with the black paint! I chose a spade for my interest on the nose! But you can choose any shape or design you want! Be creative! :) There really are no boundaries with Sugar Skulls!

For the Teeth/Lips, Using your eyeliner again, make sure your lips are closed, and draw a line from top to bottom, making sure they join in the middle, the outer lines are to be longer getting shorter towards the middle of the lip! Add depth to the lines by going over the liner with the black face paint!

Finally I added sequins around the eyes, to add more interest, and it looked quite pretty :)! It also looks very effective..you can use anything, sequins, glitter, anything! Its an opportunity to let your imagination run away with you! :)

All I will say is...take your time, do not rush this, because if you do take your time then you will really get it right, and it will look fab!! It will be worth the patience :)

Any questions please feel free to ask, for more details etc Get in touch!

Look forward to hearing from you all!

Lots of Love

Alex

xXx 

Cheeks Must Have's

Part 2 of 5, of the 5 essential Must have's :)

Cheeks! 

Now for Blusher's it really depends on what lip colour you are going to be applying, as my blush often compliments my lipstick choice.

For those of you that are going to be daring this autumn/winter, like myself and opt for the Plum shades on the Lipstick colour spectrum! I'd recommend, a plum/brown blusher, I think the colour i'd use to describe the perfect blusher for this look is MINK, like a Malt Chocolate colour, with the prime colour being brown, but with subtle plummy undertones..yummy, sounds almost edible...pink's and peaches work just aswell with this look, and I think I would often, if not feeling daring, opt for a subtle peach/pink blush :)

Sooo my recommendations for the daring amongst us is, Either Mocha, or Prism by MAC, apply this to your cheekbones, which will act almost as a contouring medium, and it will really add some depth to your cheeks, and then take a highlighting powder or a lighter (pink) blusher and dust it over your upper cheekbone, up towards the outer corner of your eye, also paying attention to the apples of your cheeks! 

For those of you that will be opting for the natural lip with this look, I'd advise using either a peachy tone or a soft pink. Melba, by MAC would be my choice for this alternative look. Still concentrating on the lower part of your cheek bone, and also apply a dusting over your upper cheek bone and the apple of the cheeks as well, for a soft, warm glow :) enhance the upper part of your cheekbone with highlighter if needs be! 

If you are going to be contouring, with a darker medium, then application of blusher to the lower part of the cheekbone isn't necessary, just apply your blusher to the apples of your cheeks, in a sweeping motion towards your temples :)

So now that you have a lovely glow to your cheeks, a highlighter can be used to enhance the cheek/brow bones! Giving you some extra lustre, more app at night as apose to during the day!

ELF do a brilliant highlighter, that can be applied with ease, and blended into the area using my brush specified in the previous blog, the flawless concealer brush from ELF. 

Benefit also do a lovely highlighting powder called 'luster duster' that can be used in the same way as the cream based highlighter, it often depends which medium you prefer working with, I often think that if my face MakeUp is cream based stick with cream based blushers, and cream based highlighters, but if you have gone for powder products, then stick with a powder highlighter! :) Makes sense, otherwise you may find that a cream based product, used over a powder, can cause unwanted movement of the powder, which will alter and essentially ruin your flawless look :( however powder over cream works, as the denser medium is the cream, so the powder effectively just sits on top of the creamy face MakeUp!

So for the Ultimate Cheek...I'd suggest purchasing a Peachy Blush, a Plum Blush, a Highlighter, a Contouring Brush, and a Face Brush! Different combinations of the above products will give you soo many different looks, that can be combined with an array of different eye MakeUp looks as well! Versatile MakeUp choice, is the ultimate skill to have, if you have an eye for different colours, and different mediums that you think will combine well together, then you have a head start, when aiming to achieve these day to night MakeUp looks :)

Up next...Eye's Blog!

Keep Reading,

Alexandra Louise

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