Make-Up Photoshoot with Model Alexis Cavanagh

This post is now available at www.emmafarrellmakeup.com

Alexis is a fantastic model who I worked with in Melbourne Australia. We wanted to use the city as a backdrop to the shoot and I think it worked really well. This is a gorgeous beauty shot.

Alexis was fantastic to work with and she really was a trooper! We were asking her to do the impossible, to look gorgeous while staring directly at the sun. People always look nice with the sun shining on them, but unfortunately it isn’t so nice for the eyes.

She is from Edmonton in Canada and does mainly promotional/commercial work. If you would like to get in contact with her for a booking go to:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=52343819991&ref=ts

Illamasqua It Must be Love

Stare

I just have to say that I am in love…with a new make-up range…Illamasqua. I was drooling over all the beautiful make-ups on the website, I love the drama, beauty and glamour! I love the intensity of colour and the luscious themes. I love the unbridled creativity and use of theatre. I love the fact that beauty and art are explored and the make-up is exciting and creative. According to their website they take their roots from the dark and illicit 1920s club scene.  The brand is manufactured by Kryolan, a company that I know well. I have been using their body painting colours for years which I love. Kryolan has been in the cosmetics industry since 1945 and their attention to quality can be assured. I have been reading tons of reviews online and that is one of the biggest points that I have noted, that the quality of the product is supreme. Designed to be colour-intense, colour-true and long lasting. I haven’t yet had the chance to test it for myself as I was travelling for the last year and a half. I am heading up to Dublin next week where there is a store in BT2 on Grafton Street. Rest assured, I will be like a kid in a candy store and I shall come back and give my own review. Apparently there is a huge palette with which to express yourself, whoever you are and whatever look you want to achieve….so I reckon I could be a lot poorer after the experience hehe!

There has been LOADS of buzz about this make-up range on the internet, in such a small space of time (It’s only been around in the last year) it has garnered a bit of a cult following! Here’s just a few samples of what are being said:

http://www.scrangie.com/2009/05/illamasqua-makeup-for-your-alter-ego.html

 Illamaqua Nail Varnish – Spartan  “ The polishes are thick and opaque. I did two coats of all of them. The formula is extremely smooth and easy to apply. It’s comparable to Rescue Beauty Lounge’s formula, which is pretty much the gold standard for me. The polish dries quickly and wears well. I had no bubbling and after two days of wear had almost no sign of tipwear (that second shot of Rampage- the indoor lighting one- that was taken after two days of wear)…The brushes are good, I did not encounter any wayward bristles or application problems with them. The bottles are really pretty- they’re a solid bottle that’s not going to get knocked over easily and they’re a little bit Gothic in design. Beautiful to look at. I especially love the logo and the shape of the cap:”

 Excerpt from scrangie.com

  http://beaut.ie/blog/?p=10692
 

 

 “…this is makeup for glamazons and anyone who wants to explore their alter-ego. Beside the pale pink BE
counter, we get perspex, mirrors and shiny black and cream Corian, sculpted into flutes and swirls inspired by the vibe of 1930s Berlin. This is high drama, high fashion stuff. A bit naughty, a lot OTT. Is it glam? Oh, you betcha. Those swanky counters are topped with a multitude of eye-popping colours for nails, eyes, cheeks and lips, but it’s not just about shocking shades. 

Given the goth/burlesque/counter culture vibe of the brand, foundation shades start at white. No joke – you can quite literally walk away with a Sudocrem-esque base, but that’s not to say other skin colours are ignored, because they’re well catered for. I got a perfect match for my milk bottle complexion, and I reckon this brand will become a go-to for anyone who falls between the cracks of other brands’ foundation offerings.”

  

  Excerpt from Beaut.ie

What I like about Illamasqua is that they encourage individuality and are all about bringing out your own unique beauty. That’s what I felt was the problem with a lot of other cosmetics houses, that they tended to just replicate the same look/face on everybody, essentially making everyone walk around like clones.  There is this whole idea of the alter ego which I love, something a little more intense and nightimey(if that’s a word) in all of  us. They also seem to be a very conscientious company, not only do they support the charity S.O.P.H.I.E but they also do not test any of their products on animals. I was surprised to learn when I worked for Esteé Lauder that the majority of companies still do this! Shocking really in this day and age…

Another way that they are different is that they provide consultations rather than ‘make overs’. Their make-up artists spend time getting to know individuals, helping them explore their alter ego and create the look they want to achieve. This is self-expression at its most creative, allowing women and men who dare to be different to create a look that can be achieved confidently at home and flaunted at night. Oh and in case you forget what you talked about at in the consultation, they even record it onto a DVD that you can take home and reference any time you need to. That is such a great idea, can’t believe that no one thought of that before.

I also found while researching the company that the majority of their artists are extremely experienced. They not only have experience in the fashion industry, but alot of them have artistic backgrounds in design, dancing, theatre, television and a whole lot more. It is good to see a company that values having creative and talented make-up artists instead of sales people, trying to puch product down your throat. The Creative Director of the company, Alex Box, is certainly one such talented person.

Alex Box

She studied fine art in the Chelsea College of Art and this has influenced her career that followed. She has worked with a vast array of people and companies, with a large list of names under her belt: Peter Jensen, Stella McCartney, McQ,  Biba, Anne Valerie Hash, Gareth Pugh, Karl Lagerfeld, Richard Burbridge, Miles Aldridge, David Sims, Paolo Roversi, Warren Du Preez , Fashion Rocks, Nick Thornton Jones, Vogue Italy, Vogue France, Vogue Japan, Vogue China, British Vogue, Numero, W, Dazed&Confused, 10 and i-D.

She is seen as one of the most influential make-up artists of our time and has even been compared to the great Pat McGrath http://www.myspace.com/patmcgrathmakeup. Pat McGrath has been synominous with gorgeous fantastical make-up designs that stretch our imagination. She is also THE name in Make-Up Artistry around the world.

I am really excited to see what sort of heights Illamasqua will achieve. Hopefully they will be a refreshing change from M.A.C Cosmetics who I feel have the monopoly on the industry at the moment. They seem to do all the fashion shows, sponsor the make-up for all the new designers coming out of NCAD, they sponsor the Irish Film and Television awards, countless photoshoots, I saw that they sponsored a BAFTA education video given by Christine Blundel another amazing Make-Up Artist in the Film and Television Industry. They have even started doing the make-up for Cirque Du Soliel I read somewhere. Don’t get me wrong, I like M.A.C but there is definitely room for some healthy competition and I think that Illamasqua has the artistic flair and design edge that is needed. They certainly have their finger on the pulse of popular culture with myspace, youtube, facebook and twitter accounts already. I’m really liking their youtube videos and looking forward to many more. Unfortunately I am somewhat addicted to youtube Make-Up Video Channels!!

 

 I will be sure to make another post when I have gotten my Illamasqua “haul” and post some pictures of my Alter Ego hehe.

 Laters xx

 

 

Make-Up and Style Press Releases

This article is available at my new blog: www.emmafarrellmakeup.com

ARTICLE ABOUT WEDDINGS IN THE RECESSION:

I have been wondering if the downturn has effected the wedding industry or not and how this would affect me as a make-up artist…from my research it would seem that it hasn’t. People are just keen to get value for money now, aware that with the financial crisis there is a real opportunity for a bargain. I think if you offer quality service for good value you will always be kept in business.

A fellow make-up artist in Ireland has this to say in a recent press release:

Co. Clare, Ireland — 05 May. 2009 — Irish Brides-To-Be searching for the perfect choice of makeup artist have had their prayers answered with the launch of ‘Makeup By Gillian’ in County Clare.

Gillian Dunphy, a professional freelance makeup artist specialising in weddings, says that the economic downturn has had little impact on the number of couples deciding to walk down the aisle.

“The demand for Makeup Artists is as strong as ever. However, most brides are looking for more competitive rates without jeopardising how they look on their Big Day. Like every other sector, the wedding industry has had to adapt by offering clients a quality service at a reasonable cost”, stated Ms. Dunphy.

She said that there was a common perception of makeup artists being overly expensive.

“This could not be further from the truth”, stated Ms. Dunphy, “Price being hiked for Brides To Be is an unethical and wrong business practice but is less frequent than it would have been in the past. The vast majority of practicing makeup artists in Ireland are today professionally trained and are cogently aware of the financial burdens placed on couples getting married. Makeup By Gillian, for example, offers special rates to anyone getting married”

She noted that the Internet had played a major role in making the wedding sector more competitive for service providers and customers.

”The Internet has allowed customers to discover these special offers and to compare one service over another. This can only have positive consequences for the sector as it too attempts to devise business strategies in response to the current economic downturn”, Ms Dunphy concluded.

WHILE I WAS HAVING A LOOK AT THE PRESS RELEASES I STUMBLED ACROSS ANOTHER INTERESTING ARTICLE.

I  am always keen on learning more about style and fashion. Now it seems it is made easy for you with styling classes from Style Fish:

Co. Kildare, Ireland — 09 Apr. 2009 — In times when all we seem to be hearing about is DOOM & GLOOM – WWW.STYLEFISH.IE HAS ARRIVED TO BRING A SMILE TO THE FACES OF THE WOMEN OF IRELAND!

Walking in a woman’s shoes nowadays can be tough. With children, husbands, work, mums, friends all to keep happy, but what about you?!
Sophia Loren once said “A woman’s clothes should be like a barbed wire fence, serving their purpose without obstructing the view!” While the clothes we wear will never make us who we are, what we wear & how we feel in our clothes has a huge affect on our self-confidence & that helps make us who we are. Style fish was set up by Julie Cobbe to inspire women to find, develop & have fun with their style & beauty in an inspirational 8 week programme just for women! Making that ‘Stylish’ feeling accessible to women everywhere no matter what your lifestyle or budget! Someone once said ‘Men look at themselves in mirrors, women look for themselves.’ Women see a deeper meaning in themselves and sometimes just sometimes need a little help to see what they know to already be there. Style fish has done the research, asked the questions, road tested the classes & this ladies is what you have asked for! From body shapes to bras, from your colours to your closet, make-up to hair, confidence to calories, clothes swapping to clothes shopping and everything in between its not about buying more clothes its about understanding what suits you & what doesn’t, how to put together the clothes you have & how to get away from the ‘Nothing to wear’ Syndrome!
Each lady will walk away with their very own personalised‘Style fish Fashion Bible’, full body & colour analysis, exclusive Style Fish Membership Card with 12 months of offers, discounts & ‘extras’ all for you. Tailormade for you, Saving you so much money all in an inspirational & fun class setting!
Julie is a qualified Style Coach. She has worked in fashion & weddings in London, has been involved in bringing Ireland’s first ever designer Wedding Dress Sample Sale, Billion Dollar Brides to Ireland, she has appeared on TV3’s ‘Xpose’ & has written for numerous fashion publications on everything from fashion & weddings to life & love.
“You don’t have to spend a huge amount of money on personal shoppers & consultations, it is the financially friendly solution – educating you! It’s simple, its cost effective, its fun & it will give you everything you need to totally transform how you feel about yourself & your style!” Julie
For further Information contact julie@stylefish.ie/ 087 4130336 or check out www.stylefish.ie
Starting Laois; Thur 16th April, Maldron Hotel, Portlaoise/Time; 7.30 – 9.30pm/ Cost €299
Starting Kildare; Tues 28th Apr/ Venue; Osprey Hotel, Naas/ Time; 7.30-9.30pm/ Cost; €299
Starting Dublin; Mon 18th May/ Venue; Louis Fitzgerald Hotel, Naas Road, Dublin/ Time; 7.30pm – 9.30pm/ Cost; €299

AND CONTINUING WITH THE STYLE THEME:

Co. Dublin, Ireland — 06 Feb. 2009

Fee G is an independent Irish Fashion House based in Dublin. Fee G was founded in 2003 by Fiona Heaney and her partner Don Gormley, under the Fee G label.
Graduating from NCAD Dublin, Fiona worked internationally and in Dublin before launching her own collection with it’s distinctive style.
The SS09 collection makes a strong statement by juxtaposing classic silhouettes with bright colour and vibrant pattern.
Luxurious fabrics, silks and linen blends are teamed with quirky unique embellishments and embroideries. Each garment is created with love and is designed to make the wearer feel beautiful and feminine.

The collection is stocked in over 120 boutiques in Ireland and the UK. Images are available at a high resolution for printing.
Contact design@feeg.ie for more information regarding the brand.
www.feeg.ie