Lashing the Lashes

Okay...I've gotta get this one off my chest.  It's high time someone has had this candid conversation about falsies! I get a lot of clients who very kindly come in to me with lashes to try and spare the expense for both of us. However kind this gesture may be its unfortunate however that our retailers are very misguided in what lashes are suited for most women in the market today. Thus I get my very enthused ladies brandishing something like these.

Whilst they are grand for big fashion events or if you want the glamour pin up look or indeed if you have huge eyes that can take the size of these whoppers!! But for the majority of ladies who are going to a ball, debs, wedding who want their eyes to look somewhat natural...these darlings are a disaster, why? Too wide, have to be cut to fit the actual eye... not a problem normally..but its also the length that would have to be cut to look more natural and once you cut the length it looks horrendously blunt and obvious it has been cut unless they are cut in a feathered fashion, which is a technique for a hair stylist in itself.  The average MAC lash available in stores are also a no no for the average lady on an evening out but great for artists to cut and measure and layer for different effects. So in essence can retailers curb their enthusiasm for the wild ill fitting mad lash and opt for lashes that fit the average lady whom does not have Christina Ricci sized eyes and perhaps supply the more natural but enhancing eye accessory?

When I sojourn to the beauty shop for my own supplies I am met most days with an annoyingly ample supply of fantasy lashes. I ask for corner segment lashes and I am usual supplied with this
                                                                

In fairness it is good to have a varied selection for perhaps some goth shoots which seem to be the most popular type of photoshoot in Ireland if you were to go by the supply and demand theory as that does seem to be the most common type of lash available!!!!! However, here are my recommendations that are easily obtainable for everyday, gorgeous women who want to REally fake it well:

Eyelure - Naturalites

Ardell - Fashion Lashes

Revlon  - Beyond Natural

Individual lashes are actually probably easier to apply on yourself than strip lashes as there is always one eye that proves difficult and you easily end up with the beautiful droop on said eye. Individual lashes on the other hand are easily popped in on either side very pro-like by anyone with a little tolerance!

Individual choices, again that are easy to get hold of, are Eyelure and Ardell brands...there are others but these I find are the most obtainable and good for everybody lashes.  They also usual come with small, medium and large sizing in the one box...most women I have applied lashes for however are small, some medium and very few long!

 Things to look for in good lashes:
The seam is vital, the thinner the better... you do not want a big ugly line giving the game away if you have applied them perfectly.
Lash texture, look for a natural texture, there are many out there with vinyl - like textures that look very plastic.
Size, make sure to be realistic about the size of the lashes best for you.  Yes you can get the huge long and thick lashes but then remember that your make up will have to get that extreme to make the lashes seem like a fit for you.
Individual lashes, make sure that the flare on them is not too fake looking and the knot is relatively small.


Get yourself the best GLUE available, one that is the artists choice is Duo lash glue, a white latex glue that dries clear.  It's available here in Ireland from MAC and other good beauty supply stores.  There are of course others on the market, but this is just my choice.  Throw away the ones that come in your box of lashes, they are usually useless and one tube of Duo will last you an age!

Make sure to have a good TWEEZERS and look down in to a mirror when applying. This enables you to get your eye into the perfect position for setting the lash down into the groove between skin and lash, the most natural place for them... try to get right under and in that groove.
Don't apply individual lashes at the very end, this will make the falsie very obvious and have that nasty looking overhang.  Instead choose maybe the second or third lash segment (of your own lashes) in from the outside. Applying them in a cluster on the outside gives a lovely architectural and elegant finish.... this is why I tend to use corner segments for Brides, it gives an instant Princess Grace appeal.
When using Strip Lashes make sure they fit your eye properly and you measure and cut accordingly... again ill fitting lashes give that unsightly overhang, which screams fake and amateur!
Besides that, don't be afraid...everyone seems to think lashes are so incredibly difficult, they're not...they just need patience and a bit of attention.

Remember you want to look like this

  

AND NOT THIS!!!!!!!!!!!

Smashbox in Wexford!!

Hi Guys

Right today I finally got to check out the counter in Kelly's Pharmacy in Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford....a bit odd some might think as my usual port of calls are MUFE in Dublin and of course Brown Thomas in Dublin.  However, this wee place has the nicest staff and has a great Smashbox counter to boot!! I got a beautiful palette called Smokebox (do you like what they did there?) from the "Photo Op Eye Shadow Palette" with beautiful colours to suit every eye colour although they were designed for Hazel eyes in particular.  With this winters glam power trend these colours are luscious and party-ifying (that's a new word).  This comes with 6 shades of 1 satin nude shade and the rest are dark frosted with 1 light frosted shade also.  The colours are: Bliss(Satin, Peachy/Nude) Putty (Frost, Mushroom/Light Brown) Blacktop (Frost, Black), Mist (Frost, Champagne/Pinky/Lilac), Royal (Frost, Aubergine), Nocturnal (Frost, Navy).... These are just what I was looking for in just 1 palette...score! I also accompanied them with 2 separates Cabarnet (Frost, red wine coloured) and Aquatica (Frost, Dark Electric Blue/Navy). Apparently Smashbox are stopping all the individual shadows in favour of the palettes, which is grand.. normally if they get every palette just right! Also they have left the sisterhood of Max Factor in favour of Estee Lauder so perhaps they will follow a MAC route further down the line and have refillable palettes...now that is the best outcome, I'm sure their reading this so it will be so : ))

The lip gloss I opted for was the O-Gloss Noir, if it does what I think it does I will be a very happy bunny! This gloss is black...very unusual but it means for girls at home you can get that femme fatal dangerous evening glam look using your usual colours at home this should enhance the colour to look deep, dark and dangerous... fingers crossed! Now,  obviously not with every colour! I have done a fair few shoots that I would loved to have had this in my kit for!
Also in my little treasure trove is a sampling of Smashbox new 15 hour foundation. Trying this on in the shop it had quite a surprising finish. Started off like a fuller coverage foundation, with that thick viscosity but had a beautiful light finish when given a minute! I am holding out to be impressed when I try it properly!
Whats definitely worth getting but one in which I could not afford today with all my other purchases and many pending bills was a beautiful vivacious bangin Gold Gloss...it did what it said on the tin...FABULOUS...again, how I wish I had this for so many shoots in the past, unfortunately I've had to resort to using eye shadows and paint pots on lips of models with not nearly the same results. Another wee gem is the Goji Berry Lip and Cheek stain available. Amazingly this beauty reacts with your own skin colour to give the perfect pink finish to both lip and cheeks, watch the colour go from clear and change to a pink perfect for you!!! Amazing!!! Watch out though, you need to practice with this one as once on you have to work quick before the staining process takes hold, you could end up looking like you applied it in the dark...drunk!! Not a good look!

Anyhow, I will be doing a video using these products soon so please tune in and tell your friends!

Below is a link for Kelly's Pharmacy, Enniscorthy, Co.Wexford...Thank you girls!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kellys-Pharmacy-Enniscorthy/

Sunday World Shoot for Heatons Stores A/W 2011/12

Hi Guys, here is a wee link to a shoot I did end of October this year featuring clothes from Heatons stores nationwide styled by Liam John Power. I had never worked with Lucy before of Lucy Nuzum Photography but I could tell by this very young womans swagger she was a good 'un and I was proved right by the results which I will post. The models of the day were supplied by Comptons in Dublin and they were the amazingly gorgeous and very professinal Michelle Lima and Mr.Ireland Vinny Gough. Shot on the back streets of Guiness at St.James Gate in Dublin and beautiful crisp day lots of wardrobe and makeup changes in the street much to the delight of passers by and some beautiful shots were the result. Lucky there was any makeup at all as I had left much of what I needed behind in the big kit bag back at HQ (Comptons).

I had no idea of what way the styling was going to be so when the stylist gave me free reign all I had to go on was the models gorgeous face. At first I went with a beautiful soft, sultry skin base using MAC Face & Body and Studio Sculpt and added freckles with a brown pencil with a slight shimmer..... I can't remember the brand (sorry) and I wanted to just go for a nice contoured eye with almost a no makeup look and Brigette Bardot lips in soft Freckletone by MAC. I then bumped it up a bit when I saw the stylings and noted that she was looking a bit lost in the clothes, makeup can be the factor that can make you wear the clothes and not let them wear you! The styling was fab, so on trend mixing classics with patterns everywhere and teaming it all with va va voom colours and electric tights.....oh the tights...they were fab (link below)!!!! So on the street and with limited supplies I gave her purple/red toned lips courtesy of Smashbox Bacio and CK(Calvin Klein) Pomegranate Fizz. Her lashes were adorned with fab lash accessory Lancome Doll Eyes...love it for this seasons Doll eye look (funny enough)... which is lashes that have a too much Mascara look but obviously done well!!!!! I changed the lips around and added more browns/purples to the eye for a more glam look, and teamed it with fab red lips which I reinforced the lipstick with some red eyeshadow for a velvety textured finish. Here is a link of a video of the shoot in action: http://youtu.be/bMU2afMO370

Ahem....... Just thought this might be of interest for some of you!!

Other Links of interest from this blog:

http://lucynuzumphotography.com/ liampower20@live.co.uk http://www.compton.ie http://www.mytights.com/