80's Make up gets a thumbs up from me! POW!

I must confess, I'm quite a lover of the 80's; the music, TV shows, Viennetta and most definitely the fashion of colour clashing casuals, double denim and embellishment, so I was overjoyed when Marie Claire asked me to work on their Vintage Girls shoot for their November issue and recreate an 80's looks for Rag and Bow lady herself, Hazel Holtham and what a face!  On first meeting Hazel I was assured an 80's look of strong eyes and lips would suit her, after all its not for everyone.  I was struck by her eyes, they were reminiscent of Dee Cee Lee with a little Sade thrown in for good measure and maybe a touch of Sister Sledge too.

Above it a quick snap of Hazel wearing Hourglass Cosmetics Mineral Veil Primer Cover FX Total Coverage + Powder FX in B0 Ellis Faas Creamy Eyes E104  Bourjois Duo Chrome Eye Liner #58 Clinique High Impact Curling Mascara Bronze FX in Bronze + Golden Peach Tweezerman Eyenhance Brow Definer and Highlighter Duo Pencil

For this look to carry the 80's vibe, the lips still have to be strong, defined and two tone.  I chose a deep plum shade to outline the lip shape with Chanel Autumn Lip Definer in Amarante then careful swipe of Glo Minerals GloLipstick in Aubergine (avoiding the centre of the lips)

A warm dusky copper gloss #227 Chanel Levres Scintillantes daubed to the centre of Hazel's lips for shine and a dazzling, glimmer finish.  For an alternative finish I could have used Hourglass Extreme Lip Gloss in Reflect for a more dramatic effect!

The big difference between the make up those few decades ago is the textures, formulas and shades  which is why this make up appears really modern and even better news deep, dark eyes and lips are IN this season, what luck!

High five!

To see the shoot in all its glory get to your newsagents now for the November issue of Marie Claire.

Lashes and brows with the help of Tweezerman, of course!

I love my Pro Tweezerman kit; a compact set of tools for lashes, brows and nails. 

I put it to the test (minus nails) on a recent Honda ident for Channel 4 TV programmes. 

This short and sweet bite of a TV ad may have escaped you but it is amazing how much time is taken to produce these.  All in all a whole week of shooting though my bit took just half a day which was a close up of beautiful eyes.

I began by concentrating on lashes at first as this is how I like to 'pretty up' eyes.  I coated lashes with mascara and combed through carefully with Tweezerman Lash Comb added a few Ardell Individual Lashes to make them appear thicker and to fill in any 'gappy' areas.

I applied an extremely light base so the model didn't feel bare, then a delicate dusting of eyeshadow.  Brows were brushed (no need to pluck such a good shape) with Brow Shaping Brush, then filled in with the dual ended Brow Eyenhance Pencil

Ready for the close up once the Tweezerman Brow Mousse was swept through for control and finishing.

And action!

Little nippers!

I'm not known for being a complete nail expert but of course, needs must and most jobs entail some kind of nail work.  

Just like on this Scholl photoshoot.  Toes nails and buffed heels were a must, therefore I used my trusty nail kit of scissors, clippers, nail hoof, cuticle remover etc from my Mister Mascara set, that no longer exists it seems, though these nail tools have lasted well, at least 10 years and only just on their way out.

I recently purchased a few items from a reputable pharmacy, to replace the weathered tools though most definitely felt I might be missing something.  I was!  The Tweezerman Squeeze & Snip Nipper to tame cuticle, rid those hangers on's and with it's own cover. 

And here's a closer look along with the extendable nail file.  More handy tools, that's what I like!

Plucking good tools!

 

You wouldn't try plucking and grooming your brows with a pair of pliers, would you?

Tools are a vital part of beautifying and preening and I would be lost without my Tweezerman Tweezers and accessories for myself and my kit.

The picture shows my very own tweezing tools, one point tweezer, one slant tweezer and 10x Magnifying Mirror making the whole plucking experience quick, easy and effective.  I tend to perfect my brows whilst in the bath or afterwards, as pores/roots are open and I can precisely remove those stray hairs effortlessly.

Tweezerman tools are a worthy investment and remember they have a free sharpening service so you'll never have to throw away a blunt pair!