Change of Pace

So, I am a horrible blogger.  I say that every few months when I make the effort to post something. Truth is, as vain as this sounds, I keep trying to blog about products and such, but I am much more successful at blogging when I am writing about myself, my life and my experiences.  Not sure why this is, but it is!

So, I am going to revert back to the kind of blog I like to keep.  Which is one about a lot of things going on in my little world.  I will, of course, keep it makeup related and will still talk about products that I am using, but since mostly only family and friends (who couldn't give a crap about makeup) primarily read this, I will keep it simple... for now!

Kit Building part one! Foundations

When I first started building my kit, I was running from cosmetic store to cosmetic store breaking my bank to get barely enough products to last me a year on myself.  And then I learnt about pro discounts, pro products and website that offered a better deal than any cosmetic floor could give me in any country I had been to.  And so, I will share with you, my favourite products and the most affordable places to get them.

Foundations are a great starting point for a kit. My favourites are:

1. Cinema Secrets Ultimate Foundations (recommended pallets are 1, 3, 7, 10 ,11)                          

These are cream foundations that read brilliantly on film and in photography leaving the skin looking flawless, but natural.  With a small amount of silicone, they sit beautifully on the skin, have a slight dewy finish and can be cut of mixed with lotions, thinners and other foundations.  These are a staple in my kit.

2. Graftobian HD Glamour Creme Foundation (recommended pallets are neutral 1&3, warm 1&2 and the corrector pallet.

Also a cream foundation, Graftobian is easy to use, but has a creamier and dewier finish than Cinema Secrets and will need to be layered to achieve a full coverage.  I do not personally use the foundations, however, I very regularly use my Graftobian corrector pallet as it is sheer enough to correct and has the perfect range of correcting colours.

3. Face Atelier Ultra Foundation (recommended colours 0-, 1, 4, 6, 0+) 

Face Atelier is a silicone based liquid foundation that is long lasting and has a dewy, natural finish.  Pros and celebrities swear by it and when you have a play, you will see why.  Another exciting part of this foundation is that the colour range is huge and even has a global colour extender that includes various 'undertones' that can be mixed in to assure that you can match anyone that sits in your chair, no matter where they are from. Very exciting!

4. Temptu S/B Airbrush Foundations (recommended 12 colour minis pack)

Obviously this is an airbrush foundation, and truth be told, I don't airbrush, however I do have this in my kit and I do use it often.  It gives a very light, natural finish and mixes amazingly with my Cinema Secrets to give a more wearable daytime look that still reads well on film and has great coverage.

And so, these are my foundation recommendations for when your kit is young and fresh and must be versatile and easy to learn with.  Many pro artists use all of these brands long into their career as their pay off it brilliant, however, as a new artist, they are both affordable and easy to use.

You certainly do not need all 4.  

If you can only get one, go for the Cinema Secrets (or Graftobian USD$23) as they are super versatile and cost USD$21 on www.camerareadycosmetics.com.  That is a total of $105 for every colour you will need! Camera Ready ships world wide and carries a lot of other great brands worth checking out.  International shipping varies from $12 to $35 depending on the option you pick.  I usually opt for the $29 option and have my makeup in my hand within a week, often less!

If you can afford two, I would add the Temptu S/B mini pack which can also be purchased on Camera Ready for USD$75 or, in Australia at www.hubmakeup.com for USD$90.  The Cinema Secrets and Temptu S/B, like I mentioned previously, work great both alone and together to achieve a number of finishes and if you are on a budget, these 2 make a great kit starter!

As for the Face Atelier, it is a great foundation to add to your kit for beauty and bridal work and is best bought from www.faceatelier.com as although it is priced at $32 no matter where you are and what currency you are paying it, Face Ateliers website offers a pro discount of 40% making each foundation cost a whopping $19.20.  That's a pretty smokin' deal!  Shipping prices are determined at the time of order and although it is not stated on the website just yet, they do ship internationally.

I hope, for those of you starting out and at a loss for foundations, that this has been a bit of a help.  Next time I touch on foundations, I will go into the more expensive pro brand and the consumer brands that do a great job!  But for now, dish out $200 on new foundations and don't feel so bad about it!

Any questions, don't hesitate to ask!

Everything is Illuminated

I received a package in the mail last week in a beautiful black box filled with shredded black tissue paper  some booklets advertising Illamasquas most recent capsule collection 'Throb,' and a whole lot of new makeup for the kit.  The packaging is truly to die for and makes the adventure of new makeup, even more exciting, if it is at all possible!

I have been on the hunt for the perfect Illuminators and have met my match with Illamasqua.  They come in 5 colors, which I purchased 4 of and they are truly amazing.  

First color up - FONDLE.  It is a hot pink with gold shimmer and makes for a great Illuminating blush, an eyeshadow base, or anything else you can come up with! This is Illamasqua after all, get creative!

Next one down is GLIMMER, which has a warm golden tan with a bronze and gold shimmer finish.  This color is to die for on tanned and darker skin tones and, again, looks amazing as a stand alone shadow on the right skin tone! *swoon*

Third from the top, and a personal favourite, is HALCYON, an ivory pearl with a champagne shimmer. It looks amazing on almost everyone and creates a very natural and realistic glow.  I have mixed it in with my foundation and it looked supreme!  Although you do have to work VERY fast if you are going to do this!

And, last but not least, ODESSY, a white pearl shimmer illuminator that looks fabulous on the pale skinned beauties but also on other skin tones when you are really looking for a pop!  

And now, for the overall brilliance of these amazing Illuminators, let me share with you some of their many uses and features.  For starters, they are all easy to work with, can be used anywhere on the face and body (although I would make sure lips are well and truly exfoliated before applying there) and dry to a shimmering, water proof finish.  Did you hear that? WATER PROOF!  This means that you must work quickly with them, although I have never had a problem getting the desired effect before it self sets. 

The Illuminators can be used under your foundation for a subtle highlight or on top for a more intense glow.  They can be pressed on the the eye lid as an eyeshadow base or as a stand alone color to compliment a gorgeous and glowing dewy makeup.  A tap could even be put in the centre of the lips to create a long lasting 3 dimensional look under a natural lip gloss.

These Illuminators are exquisite and allow you the utmost creativity.  I personally use my fingers to apply them 90% of the time, but there is no reason you cannot pick up a synthetic brush and paint your little heart out.   Pro Artists world wide are picking up on these brilliant little tubes of shine, shimmer and glimmer and they are even featured on Kevin James Bennett's blog *In My Kit*

If you are looking to buy in Australia, head over to your local MYER counter, providing you live near Sydney, Bondi, Melbourne, Chadstone, Brisbane or Robina.  If you are out in a city that has yet to be blessed with Illamasqua, you can always order via phone or online with Myer.


For my North American friends, Illamasqua is available at Sephora in the USA and can be ordered at Sephora.com if you need it north of the border.  And, trust me, you need it!

Fresh Start

Ok makeup world. Friends, family, mom, Teer?  I think I got everyone who might see this covered.

Anyways, we will change all of that soon!  Uni is finally finished and I am buckling down and focusing on my makeup, design and just really really enjoying 2011.

The year has started off in the most brilliant and inspiring way.  Illamasqua has started to pick up and our Chadstone location will be seeing huge success soon!  I am very excited about this and have been falling in love with all of the pieces since we opened.

Another huge and exciting part of of my early January was a trip to Sydney to assist and attend Donna Mee  in her week long set of workshops.  I learnt so much about makeup application that I was literally blown away and exhausted half way through the week.  Donna specializes in corrective makeup and this was the focus of a lot of what she taught us.  Big stand outs for me were the 'Highlights and Contour class' and the 'Eye Color Theory Class.'  Leaving me beyond inspired were the "Print and Bridal Class' and the "Fashion Makeup Class' as we discovered so much about, finding, getting and keeping work in all of those areas.  I felt like a giant sponge come Friday evening when I jumped back on my plane to Melbourne.

I met some amazing people throughout this week and cannot wait until next time we all meet up and go crazy over makeup!

Perhaps, throughout the next few months, I will reveal some tips and tricks that I learnt from Donna as I discover how to utilize them in my own little makeup world.  I have already amazed one client with a Donna technique and cannot wait to share the difference some simple, subtle makeup tricks really can make a huge difference.

I received an Illamasqua package in the mail today so next up, swatches.

Another day, another reason to bring a camera to uni

Simply because it was brilliantly funny, here is a quick-cap of my Tuesday assessment.

That's my fun filled drag-a-licious Ciaya with her super orange pout and big bold eyes.  We were told right before the assessment.  Avoid red around the eye area, don't blend colors and stay away from cream colors. Whooops.  Did all of the above.

And this is everyone else.   Fabulous.

October

Almost over October is.  Which means school will shortly follow.
So much has happened in the past month and because I have a tendency to jabber, we'll keep it short.

IMATS Sydney was amazing.  Didn't spend much money on products but did drop a bit of cash on 2 workshops.  One with the brilliant Kevin-James Bennet who gave us an eyes update and another with Donna Mee, who taught me more about contouring, highlighting and makeup related color theory than I have ever known.

Next up there have been a million and one exams, assignments and assessments, most of which I am doing fabulously on!  Thank god.  I have only done one photo shoot this month.  It was for the student showcase poster for the NICA students.

Illamasqua has called and they want me on their Melbourne team! I am excited about this but as they have yet to open and nothing is 100% confirmed, I will wait before I dish!  Regardless, check em out!

That is my life right now.  I have also been scouring beauty counters for samples and new products as I am still planning to get a more productive blog together.  In time.

Once a month, twice a month

August proved to be a crazy month packed full with school work, big assignments, dancing and trying to answer my emails in a timely manner.  I did alright, except I failed that last one.

So, in a quick recap.  I forget much of the month as it has rolled up into one big ball.  However, there are a few stand out moments I do remember.

Illamasqua called.  I am on their short list of successful candidates for the opening of their counter in Myer Chadstone.  I must now patiently wait for the phone call inviting me to a training session that I am hopefully in town for and for the opening, which I have been told is October 8 2010.  This is exciting news that I will keep everyone posted on!

Next up, I managed to squeeze one whole photo shoot into my entire month with Alister from Image Asylum.  Miss Carly Peacock proved to be the fabulous model I expected and our hair stylist, Aida Woldu did a fabulous job!  Clothing and location were provided by Davida from Lupa and it was a treat to have access to so many amazing designs.

And, last by most certainly not least.  And not even in August, but on the windy, rainy day of September 4, 2010, I was asked by my instructor/inspiring makeup artist, Eve Flight to assist on a Melbourne Spring Fashion Week event put on by MissBossyBoots staring Phillip Boon in 'The Stylist Says.'  It was a fabulous day that included more nail painting and brush washing than it did makeup application, however, the opportunity was exciting and finally immersing myself in Melbourne's fashion world really put me back in my element.  

With winter and August gone, Spring is trying to set in and September is offering itself up as a pretty crazy month as well.  Starting off with Fashion Week was a fabulous way to start off and once all of my assignments are out of the way, it is time for IMATS!  I can not wait for the shopping, the lectures, the information and, of course, the weekend away in a city I have never been to.  The Monday following IMATS, I have a 7 hour workshop, The Editorial Edge,  booked with Kevin James Bennet that I am dreadfully excited about!  And then, I will finish September off with a bang with House of Burlesques Fringe Festival performance 'History of Burlesque through the eyes of Minsky Malone,' in which I will be designing and applying makeup with the help of Academy of Makeup students, sewing and assisting with costumes and, most recently, performing!  It is going to be great fun!

And so, I  must get back to catching up on my 2 weeks of unanswered e-mails before I fall into a well needed slumber!

..wooo.. look at all those links.  Happy perrr-oozing!

haven't I been lazy!

Lazy updates... no updates...
And I wish I could say it is because I have been sitting around and enjoying my free time!  reality is, however, that I have not!

School is at its all time busiest and way too many assignments are due over the next 3 weeks!  As a matter of fact, every assignment we do over the entire YEAR is due in the next 3 weeks!  And so, I am working my little tush off trying to organize my school work with my school life, photo shoots, work, more work, dance classes and, somewhere in there, a personal life.

I will update quickly with some info.  IMATS competition winners were announced and I, unfortunately, did not get in!  However, a lovely lady friend of mine Kaysia-Joy, did!  And we are all rooting for her to take home gold!

I have also recently been interviewed for a position with Illamasqua cosmetics as they are opening a counter in both Myer Melbourne and Myer Chadstone and are recruiting a full new team to man their British cult wonder-brand. My fingers are crossed real tight for this one!  I should know the outcome shortly!

I also have a slew of products coming in the mail that I will be writing reviews on shortly.  There is a beauty and lifestyle internship I am looking into applying for and want to get some good footing before I plunge into that one!

And, last but not least, I did a photo shoot with Jeremy of ensofoto.com and am thrilled with the results!  Did you hear me?? Thrilled?  It was one of the first photo shoots where I had a lot of creative control over both the hair an the makeup and so, in soon to be true JeNelle style, I did a very clean, glowing beauty look with some very fun hair!  Over all the shoot was a ball, the photographers and other team members were fabulous and there were snakes, crocodiles and frogs!  What a treat!

Here are the results!

Love it?  I sure do.

On the go for the rest of August, we have a lot of school work, a lot of Fringe Festival planning a music video and a big photo shoot with Alister from Image Asylum and some beautiful models!!

until next time...

Pictures worth a thousand words...

so, with all these pictures, I will keep my words limited...

Finally finished and sent off my IMATS entry!  Phew, now thats over until I hear I am in.. if I am in!  I did another photo shoot with Courtney that made in into the entry and these are the results.

I also did a photo shoot for House of Burlesque and did both makeup and photography.  The pictures are head shots of the dancers that will be used for promotional work.  Here we are....

That's all the piccies for today!  I may have another two photo shoots over the weekend perhaps and we'll see where we go from there!

Until next time

Holida-ayy Celebra-aate

And so here were are, official day 3 of uni holidays.  I presume I will spend more of this holiday working than relaxing, but that is a.okay.

Anyhow, not much news on this front.  My brain is getting over excited for IMATS and I am trying my darndest to save money so that I can stock up on magical treats of makeup and other such goodies.  Also, I must mail off my competition entry shortly, so my little fingers are crossed that the next few shoots I have planned will run smoothly and assure that I have 8-10 brilliant photos that guarantee me a spot in that line up!!

I am also hoping to start getting some product reviews up here as I pick up and try new things.  Perhaps starting in a few weeks, I reckon, so keep your little eyes peeled.

And to finish my least exciting update in weeks, a few pictures I am adding to my potentials pile for the IMATS entry... enjoy...

following up

Thought I would follow up from last week with a quick snap from the Dizingoff show at Room!  A brilliant team of makeup artists and stylists worked hard to get these 5 girls gussied up for a different take on showcasing clothing and video media! The bar was brilliant, the clothes brilliant and the overall, a whole lot of fun!

And then there was school.  Lots and lots of school!  I have scribbled on 3 new faces this week at school and am quite happy with the result.  One was for glamour makeup and the other 2 fantasy.  We are given an outline before fantasy class and one was straight line and the other was fire.  I shall let you guess which picture goes with which outline!  

 I must confess that I still struggle a little with fantasy.  I see makeup that is applied randomly all over the face and is meant to look a certain way and, generally, I hate it.  Therefore, until I can paint a face like Alex Box paints a face, I may continue to create 'fantasy' pieces with a more fashion influence.  Regardless, here are last weeks in school creations....

Weekend wonderland....

It was a crazy weekend that I consisted of a lot of real work, a lot of play and a lot of makeup!  Friday kicked off with studies, followed up by work and finished off with a Dizingoff fashion show that required fun big black makeup and lots of people in a small room.


Saturday also screamed crazy with fashion shows and lots of people in and out of my little makeup chair in the 6 hours between start and show.  I worked aside two brilliant hairstylists and with a bunch of beautiful models and brilliant people!  It was great fun to have a fair amount of creative control over the looks as my only direction was, 'My theme is....' and I made them up as their theme!  The show rocked and it felt so wicked to end up back in a place filled with PVC, big boots and bigger hair where everyone in the entire building went to every measure to look astonishing!!


There was a photographer there who took some brilliant photos that I am looking forward to seeing and possibly working with in the future.

Here are some teaser shots from the show that I snapped with my own little camera late into the night....

Crazy busy..

Still running on small amounts of sleep!  We are about to jump into a new week of school and I need to design a whole slew of pli sheets for the upcoming week.  Fantasy makeup has begun as has hair knotting. I have lost my memories of last week through the weekend, but have a picture of some character makeup I did.  My lovely model Andene volunteered to be my pretty little clown.  Time was cramped, but I was still satisfied with my work overall.  And so, until next week, here it is....

And after looking through my photos, my memory was jogged and I remembered that I had a photo shoot on Wednesday night for a Melbourne Crime Victims series.  I have yet to see the results, however, I took a few snapshots for myself so as a preview to some new work that I may be getting some time next week, we also have these...

I know you can't tell from here but....

I've been damn busy!

There is, of course, school.  School which consumes about 24 hours of my week plus homework time and the dreaded 3 hours a day of public transport there and back.  And then there is work that ranges from 8-20 hours a week, but that pays well, so I do not mind it taking up my time too much.  On top of this, we throw some work experience, networking and the attempt at slowly working my way into the digital world, I barely have time for anything else!  I don't even answer my e-mails.  Sorry mom!

Coming up, I will be picking up an extra shift near my home for the next 8 weeks and possibly an extra Monday shift as well.  I am going to help do some admin work for House of Burlesques Fringe Festival Performance in exchange for dance classes and I am looking into taking a one week short course in styling over my winter holidays.

I love being busy! I thrive off of it!  When I wake up feeling like bed is the best place to be, if I still make the effort to get really (I mean fully!) involved in my day, I go to bed pleased as pie!  I often still don't want to get out of bed the next morning, but it is winter.... self explanatory I reckon.

Anyhow.

I have done a few shoots over the past few weeks.  I have got some great school makeup started and I really REALLY need to get some great shots for my IMATS entry.  I realized just now that much of my work needs to still be downloaded, but for this long overdue entry, I will leave you with work from my second most recent shoot with Rachel Mia of Matchless Snapshots and Simone Lukic.  It was an inspired art nude with softness and rock and roll!  Fun.... here we are

FIRST PUBLISHED MAKEUP WORK!

 I am super stoked to share with you my very first published makeup work!  Thanks to Miss Lux St. Sin, who found out about the shoot last minute, and in turn asked me to come do her makeup last minute, I now (10 hours later) have something fabulous to show for it!  

God save the queen!

Drag make-up on Tuesday and I had the pleasure of painting of pretty miss Courtney with her tanned skin and red hair.  What a treat it was!

Blocked brows and greens, golds and blues galore, she was ever the treat looking as much like a lovely lady as one can when done up as a man trying to look like a lady!

The rest of the week has been fairly simple.  Moulding of noses and rolling of tresses.....

But, more excitingly, Thursday night I was requested for an early morning makeup application on Lux St. Sin for a piece in the MX that was to promote the Australian Burlesque Festival.....

keeping tabs

Hello world.  I am going to start off the week well with a picture-less and short (but sweet) entry!  Dove into my third work experience today doing makeup and attempting hair on 2 girls for a photo shoot for Hopeless Lingerie.  We started at 9am in the city for hair and makeup and trained it to Edithvale for a shoot on the beach and finished at 5:00!

It was a fun day though!  I got to do some natural looks for photos I bet are going to turn out great and I got to hold the light reflector.  Oh the fun of being helpful!  Tomorrow at school is drag makeup, so I hope to bring home some fabulous pictures with me!!

<3

11 days with no updates!  How bad am I? Of course, it is only my mother who wonders where I am, but I sure there are a few others who secretly keep an eye out and I like to please you as well!

I barely remember last week and this week has been hectic, but marvellous!  So, let me tell you about it!

Monday, I finally had my first work experience photo shoot that carved a nice 3.5 hours out of my 70 required hours.  It was a great shoot and the pictures just came through yesterday; they are lovely.  Great photographer and beautiful model!  There were two photographers shooting and this picture was taken by Josie Lee who can be found at http://www.josieleephotography.blogspot.com/.

I am thrilled with how the makeup turned out on film!  And so, I will give you a quick run down of the products I used.

*MUFE HD Primer - Cinema Secret cream foundation - Smashbox Artificial Light in 'flash' - MUFE HD translucent powder - La Femme blushes and eye shadows - Kryloan black aqua color - Kryolan Mascara - MUFE flash colors mixed with MAC lip glass*

Pretty simple! But great effect!  Also exciting is that I did the hair.  It was curled, combed and set and, I must say, I am happy with the result.

 Next week, I officially start to learn how to 'properly' style hair!  I am super excited for this!

Moving on. Tuesday and Wednesday were fairly standard school days, carrying on with theatre makeup and mould making.  The evenings, however, were jam packed with sketching, typing, brainstorming and practicing for my Special Effects Exam that was on Thursday.

And so, Thursday came and everyone was very nervous, but the energy in the classroom as we set up and got our models dressed was great!  So, great in fact, that our teacher looked shocked with us when she arrived after everyone else.

For my exam, I made up Mardie as a girl who had been in a fight and then, later in the evening passed out in the grass and was shot in the head and, obviously, died.  It was simple, but thorough and I was very pleased with the results.  And so must have been my instructor as I was graded a 99%!!  I must confess, we were graded very generously but I was still on the high side of the generosity!

After my crazily hectic exam day, I went to my second work experience photo shoot.  I don't have photos from that one yet, but will post them when they come through.  It was a Follies inspired shoot with Angela McConnell behind the camera and the lovely Miss Kelly Ann Doll (a Melbourne Burlesque performer) in front of it!  It went beautifully and I can't wait to see the results.

However, reinforced to me during that shoot was no matter how many times I use Kryolan products for beauty work, I will never come to like them and they will now permanently be staying in my SFX/theatre kit where I am more competent with them!

We are getting too long now!  It was my Birthday yesterday, my very small celebration today, work Sunday and another big photo shoot on Monday.

Next week will be crazy busy as well, but I will try to keep you updated more frequently to avoid life long blogs like this one!  I hope you enjoyed!

dance like no one's watching?

I took the weekend mostly off.  I brought home all of my makeup with the intention of practicing to make perfect but found myself giving up after a few scars, some socket lines and resorted to cleaning my brushes and organizing my kit instead.  Funny thing is, I have a feeling I may have practiced more than most.

Homework for todays class was a pli sheet for both drag makeup and skull makeup.  I designed both and was quite pleased with my results and looking very forward to the elaborate-ness that is drag makeup.  However, when school starts we are told that, instead of the aforementioned designs, we are to do what is called 'ballet makeup.'  I had never heard this term before but as the demonstrations unfolded, I was quite excited as it was the most elaborate makeup we have done yet that could be classified as high fashion.

As the look unfolded, I put more and more effort into making my lines clean, my colors strong and my blending flawless.  I am so keen to enter the IMATS fantasy competition in Sydney, however, I need 8-10 strong pictures that will get me one of the 8 spots.  I had two and after todays makeup and a mini photo shoot in the hallway, I think I may have three.

Tomorrow we are doing a half face casting.  Sounds dreadfully boring, yet interesting.  I, hopefully, will have an entertaining story and a few pictures to share.

until then....

the ins and outs of bullet wounds...

Another days of special effects and another wound down....


  Our timetables have temporarily changed and we have the class 2 times a week now rather than one.  I, personally, think this is fabulous.   The class is coming to an end soon and we are cramming so much learning into the next few weeks before our final exams.  This week, fairly new to us, was wax wounds.  I had a few practices with slices and splices, cuts and scars.  Some were successful, others less so, but as the practice continued, the skill came through and each trial run looked more realistic than the last.


Our biggest 'taught wound' was of a bullet hole in and the aftermath to follow.  The wax bullet hole in was fairly simple.  The masterpiece coming out the other side was a little more intense and created with very basic materials.  Tissue paper, latex, colors and blood product.  Pretty straight forward.  Pretty fun.

hats off to no hair....

Wednesday today.  Prosthetics class.  It's a funny one.  Prosthetics class.  I feel like I learn so much, perhaps because everything I am doing is new to me, however, I also feel like I am sitting still and doing nothing for much of the class.  We were warned of this in interviews.  That some classes consist of a lot of waiting.  Waiting for latex to dry, glatzan to dry, prosthetic pieces to set and plaster to dry.  Waiting, waiting, waiting.

Today I waited through an instruction video that was likely filmed the year I was born, worked and then waited until long after the silent school bells rang as someone else did their work.   I didn't mind too much though as I, once again, was learning something new.  How to apply a bald cap.

We had manufactured latex bald caps last week and this week we were to apply them.  Going through step by step, I was much more pleased with my politely pressed down edges than I had been with my first latex appliances.  For my first go, I was more than impressed with myself although I did come up against a few set backs, I snipped, pulled and set my bald cap as best I could before I painted, powdered and... portraited? Yes, I took a picture.

Having a blad cap applied to me was relaxing and felt almost like a scalp massage.  I just sat back, read a copy of Makeup Artist Magazine and listened to everyone complain how embarrassing the whole experience was.  Taking off the bald cap, however, was the least exciting part of the overall experience as, after dousing myself with MME and having a 3 hair wash shower, I still have bits of latex stuck in my hair and sticky reside making a home on my roots.



Perhaps my hair will be nice and clean for next Wednesdays class of face casting......

create a creature...

Back at school after what turned out to be a long weekend, we got down and dirty. Very, very dirty.  That is not to say that we spent all day playing with blood.  We didn't.  Out came the nose putty, the sprit gum and the paint to make an undefined creature.

First experience with nose putty and I have to say that I am sure it will get easier, and tidier, but it was a messy and confronting experience forcing us to turn 2D ideas into 3D realized concepts.  I designed a cartoon like Draculette.  She was to be blue with a little pixie nose and protruding eyebrows.  The nose went down, more or less, without a hitch.  The eyebrow bones however, did not.  Although they were indeed protruding and blended into the skin fairly well, I just could not get the shape I wanted and was forced to settle.  A learning experience none the less.

That's what school is though isn't it.  A learning experience.

Last week we made blood, latex bald caps and worked on eye sockets.  This week, we will apply that blood to new and elaborate wounds, apply our hand made bald caps and, well, probably not do anything related to eye sockets.

Tomorrow is bald cap today and I am certain the pictures should be a laugh and a half.  I cannot imagine they will work well as they are so thin, however, I will give it my best go.  My model had a super thick head of hair, making my first bald cap application more fun, of course!

And now it is gym time....

Hey pops, do I make ya proud?

Back into the swing of things we are and it feels great!!  Today was burn day.  Third degree!  It was a simple yet potentially difficult task that included a magical mix of gelatine, glycerine and sorbitol mixed with water and dumped onto the skin.  That, of course, was the easy part.  And even the pressing of the edges that came next was fairly straightforward.  But, for some reason, I just couldn't get the mix to dry to the right consistency to 'pull' the faux skin is varying directions and ended up having to push it, which didn't give the same results, but still turned out pretty good for my very first 3rd degree burn.

In other school related news there is a great work experience tomorrow doing up models for a fashion show that, unfortunately, I am not involved in as I have to work.  However, it is still exciting watching as the opportunities roll in!  And a fabulous one rolled in today that I am gunning for!  It is a 3 week theatre production about Dusty Springfield and from what I have heard it sounds absolutely fabulous!  And so, I will be handing out my website and resume to the right people.  After that, I will cross my fingers.

And, seriously.. dad!  Do I make ya proud???

Spring break?

These school holidays are passing slowly and mostly unproductively.  I have been working away on my website and on starting an 'actual' beauty blog and makeup, hair and fashion where I don't just ramble on about my accomplishments and plans but where I ramble on about the accomplishments of others.  Yay from creams, powders, products and.. shoes?  Yes, shoes!  I find it difficult to start though!  I want it to be more about the absurd side of beauty and fashion but still fully cover the lotions and creams that keep us young, fresh and revitalized.  However, I must invest in some of said creams and start testing and trialling.  I need to keep even more up to date on the fashion shows, most of which just recently happened, and I need to seek out absurd and immaculate talent to inspire me and what I intend to write about.  The website is titled 'Get your glitz on' and is found through my profile here or at www.getyourglitz-on.com!  It will start slow, but it will pick up fast! I promise!

I am almost getting anxious for school to start again.  Likely because I am expecting a shipment of products and goodies and will then get to decide on what else I need to get for myself.  The assessment sheets should also soon start rolling in nice and fast and I get to flick that little creative switch and start rolling out the sketches for creative assignments!

Anyhow, I have daydreams to have and visions to concoct!
I will practice soon and get some more piccies up in the next few days!

Burns, bruises and NO bandaids!

I am on school holidays now! I know.. it happened so fast; feels as though school just started last week. But, it didn't.

Gore, however, started last week. Well, actually it started the week before but my first attempt at a prosthetic application was embarrassing at best and so I choose to let you into my second attempt at a wound, one that was much more successful than the first.

I am enjoying the making and applying of prosthetics, but I seem to be much better at making than applying. It is an art, an art that i will have to practice, practice, practice, to make perfect! And perfect I will make it!

Day 2 of Gore in Week 6 was burns! Now this.. was fun! I took pictures of step by step and then, just before I finished, my camera shut off and did not turn back on again until its tired little battery spent the night recuperating all plugged into my wall. And so, no pictures for this one. It was great fun though. Gelatin, powder, gelatin, powder, latex, powder, pull, poke and prod, then paint. It was a reassuring moments to see my edges blended in flawlessly with the skin and the the invisible seams painted over the latex right on to the skin with no obvious variation in color. I was proud. I did get some critique, as I expect and hope to get with everything I do, but it was probably the best special effect makeup I have done thus far and for that, I am excited and looking forward to practicing over my 1 week break from school.

Who's that girl?

And so it appears that the 5th week of school is upon me and I find myself wondering where oh where did the past 4 weeks go?

It went in the past, that's where it went; and with it went some product, time and creativity... not to mention a lot of playing, listening and learning. Everything is in full swing now and every day a new technique is taught and a new product introduced.

Today's lesson: The 'infamous' smokey eye (pictured- Janelle, my lovely model for the day)

Let me tell you, it was sure a treat to put away the grease paints and get out some liquid foundation and mascara to create a little beauty. Now, by no means am I a stranger to the smokey eye. As a matter of fact, it is one of those looks, just like cat eyes and pin up styles, that I generally excel at. However, despite doing it time and time again, it was great to be critiqued and corrected by someone who has surely applied a million more smokey eyes than I.

I love learning and relearning looks. In my makeup past, I have always had the opportunity to be creative with what I am doing and have mostly been given an idea that I got to work with. However, in school I am given a specific look to do with specific colours and specific placement, ultimately following a brief somewhat like what a client may offer me. I love this as it gives me the opportunity to work towards someone else's vision. Someone else's goal.

And my goal in school, makeup and career is to be able to do whatever is asked of me and do it well. Or, better than well. Awesome, perhaps. Perfect? Yes, I will settle with perfect. I want to recreate other peoples visions and exceed far beyond their expectations. I want to realize ideas and construct masterpieces on the skin. And that is why even though I am learning and relearning and practicing things I may never use in my career, I am thrilled to be doing so. Because I believe one never stops learning and I feel that one piece of constructive criticism can change the way you look at a face. The way I look at a face. And if words can enhance my ability, I am all for words. And practice, play, listening, watching and, ultimately, learning.

Ageing Andene

   

Week 3 has begun and it seems that all of our paperwork and heavy note taking is over and we have finally dove in hands first, fingers gripping brushes! Week 2 had us master our basic shading, do our first in school straight makeup (*picture 1) and prepped us for the stage/character makeup we will be doing every Tuesday and Friday for the rest of the semester.

Todays Character: Aged Andene

I must admit, this was all very new to me. Ageing, hard lines, feathering and really caking it on to assure the detail, bags, wrinkles and all, could be viewed by any audience member, provided my model were playing the part of a much older lady in a stage production. However, despite being a character virgin, I was quite pleased with the outcome and became inspired by the infinite possibilities of the face.

Character makeup, here I come....

In the fresh...

I have made it safe and sound through the first 2 weeks of school, learnt more new things than I expected to learn in this short introductory time and have finally got enough of a website built to be content with publishing.

Over the next nine months, I intend to use this space to document my studies, my experience and everything that I learn in relation to makeup and cosmetics over this time. I plan to regularly update with pictures, videos and reviews, all the while building my portfolio to showcase the best of my work.

This week, I have no pictures, no videos and no new stories to share. Next week will be different and the week after that, even more so. Give me a few months and I will be flowing with interesting bits of information and great tales to share.

until next time,

enjoy......