thebeautyholder

I am issuing a huge apology first and foremost! Sorry for taking so long to post this. My aim was to get this done early on in June and life (as it does) got in the way. I have had a hectic June and cannot wait to tell you all about it. That, however, is for another post.

Thank you for being so patient and not giving up on me. I also want to say a super duper THANK YOU to everyone who sent your questions in. Your questions (and my responses) are what will make up this blog. So thank you once again, you have officially co-written this blog post! Great job!

I was inundated with questions as a response to my last post, where I asked you to submit your beauty, make-up etc questions for me to answer. With just over 80 (83 to be exact) I am so grateful you took the time to send them in. There were a couple of duplicates and so as not to make this post too long, I have decided to condense them down to lucky number 25. The ones that were a little more personal, I have sent responses directly back to the individuals. As I type, I notice this is starting to get longer, so on with the questions. In no particular order…

1. What is your favourite brand of make-up? I really don’t have a favourite go-to brand for make-up. Each brand has something different to offer and some are quite unique. Some of the ones that you will always see in my kit are: NARS (love their blushes and foundations), MAC (foundations, eyeshadows), Bobbi Brown (concealers), Sleek (lips), Illamasqua (foundations, lips, eyes) and INGLOT (foundations, lips).
2. I think that my make-up is causing spots. What do I do? Sounds silly, but first, be sure that it is your make-up. Spots, acne, rashes etc are caused by so many different things and not just external factors such as face creams and make-up. If you can start with the process of elimination. Did you get the spots as soon as you put the make-up on your skin? Have you changed your make-up or skin care recently? If you are stressed, have dyed your hair, changed your detergent or shower gel, you could be irritating your skin and not knowing it. If in doubt, speak to your doctor or dermatologist and discontinue use of the make-up until you know for sure.
3. What make-up product can you not live without? Any mascara that lengthens and thickens my lashes. If that fails, false lashes!
4. Can I use milk of magnesia as a primer for my oily skin? Yes…but in moderation! Apply a very thin layer to the skin over your moisturiser and under your foundation. I would advise against using it every day and limit use to at least twice a week as it can really dry out and change your skin type.
5. I keep getting razor bumps after I shave my beard. Is there anything that I can use/ do? There are many products on the market designed to help reduce the appearance and combat razor bumps (e.g Duke, Bump Away). Try using a shaving oil underneath your shaving cream or gel. This will help the razor glide over the skin. Make sure your blade is sharp. Dull blades have more work to do, thus pulling and tugging the hair. It is also so important to exfoliate and look after the skin in-between shaving. if you shave every day, it may be enough to exfoliate just before you shave to help remove any dead or rough skin.
6. Do you have a favourite lipstick? Girl About Town (MAC). Fuchsia pink shade that I tend to have on in every picture of me.
7. What colours go well with green or blue eyes? Colours in the same colour palette as your eye colours tend to compliment it. So if you have deep green eyes, then olive or forest greens look great. For blue eyes, e.g. light blue eyes, then sky or sea blue will compliment. To get more depth and intensity then try pale neutral shades including browns and golds. For intensity for green eyes, dependent on the warmness or coolness in your eye colour I would recommend, warm browns, topaz like colours, plums to violets and purples respectively. I can’t say that I always follow this guidance and sometimes just work with what I think will look good with the skin tone and eye shape.
8. Do you match your make-up with your clothes? No! and No! again. Not really for me.
9. What do you think of men and foundation? I think there is nothing wrong with it. I am not here to judge people. Make-up is worn for many reasons. A lot of men in film and TV wear make-up because they have to. Some people who are not in the industry wear it for confidence because of skin issues and the like.
10. How much money have you spent on make-up? A lot.
11. Most expensive make-up product? Foundation and some of my brushes.
12. Do you have any beauty tips or secrets? That is a post in itself. I guess one of my main tips is beauty doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Try and be smart when purchasing make-up and don’t just think you need a product because of the brand or name behind it. Do your research. It pays dividends and saves you money in the long run.
13. I want to become a make-up artist. How do I get into it? Make a plan. Think about the area you want to go into (fashion, catwalk, bridal etc). Do you want to do a course, practice on friends or family, work cosmetic counters, assist an artist. There are many different routes and everyone’s journey is different. It is not always glamorous but if you really want it, it will be rewarding. Whether you are working on a celebrity or a neighbour who is getting married. Put in the work and go out on a limb. Always be polite, professional and personable. Even if you don’t encounter people who are the same. Listen and don’t be afraid to put forward suggestions and ideas. Be yourself. Believe in yourself. Personality counts for so much. Outward beauty is really special and even more beautiful when it comes from within.
14. Where can I see your work? My website is currently undergoing it’s own makeover. I post work on twitter (@thebeautyholder) and will be creating a Facebook page (www.facebook.com/TheBeautyHolder). I hope to have the website finally finished by the end of July.
15. Do you get nervous when you are doing make-up? I used to. I sometimes get nervous just before I do a bride or if I am working on a celebrity. They are good nerves though and ones I channel into doing the best job ever.
16. Can you do period make-up or film and TV make-up? Yes. I am currently working on a film called Krish and Lee (released next year 2013- will tell more in another post).
17. What looks do you enjoy the most? Classic beauty looks. Flawless foundation and defined eyes and lips. I also love bridal looks as each bride is different.
18. Do you wear make-up everyday? No. I honestly only wear full make-up for special occasions.
19. What is in your make-up bag? Very little. MAC Spiked eyebrow pencil, Vaseline, Clinique Body Smoothing Cream, Clinque High Imapact and Lash Power Mascara, Benefit Bad Gal Lash Mascara, MAC Spite Lipglass, Rimmel Kate Moss lipstick 20.
20. I think bright colours look too ‘in your face’ on black skin. What do you think? I think from the lightest to the darkest of black skin if you find the right colours to compliment your shade and tone, you will look amazing. We have gorgeous skin and need to celebrate that. I love a bright pink lip (see question 6). Be beauty confident and embrace what you have, understand what looks good on you and rock it with pride!
21. Can I wear a smokey eye in the daytime? Yes. Try using browns and golds or any colours you want and go more intense at night with black.
22. Red lipstick makes me look old, why is this? I am not sure if you are being told you look old or if you think it makes you look old. I think everyone can wear red lips just as long as it is a shade of red that compliments your skin tone.
23. What make-up look do you wish you could do? A perfect cat eye liner. It takes some time to get it just right.
24. Do you use lash curlers? On my own lashes, no. When working on clients, photoshoots, models etc, then I look and see if I need them first. Most of the time, I do.
25. Final Question: What inspires your beauty and make-up looks? The person I am working on! After introductions are done, I talk to them to find out more about them and what they want to achieve. I want them to be able to be confident about the look they will be wearing. As cliche as it may sound, they are my beautiful canvas and I am simply going to enhance that!

I hope you enjoyed this post and look forward to more like this in the future. If you have a question for me, email info@thebeautyholder.com

The Beauty Holder! xoxo