MyKitCo Nude Launch Party

On Monday night I was extremely lucky to be invited along to the MyKitCo launch party of their new brush collection: the nudes. I love MyKitCo and I have supported them ever since they very first launched as a brand last November. It seems like just yesterday that I went to their opening launch!

MyKitCo is a brand designed for professionals (and makeup lovers!) providing a collection of high quality makeup brushes and accessories created by renown makeup artist James Molloy.
I fell in love with this brand the moment I tried their products.Their brushes are an outstanding quality at fantastic prices and they have so many smart accessories that make life as a makeup artist much easier!

The launch was held at the Cloud 23 bar in the Hilton hotel, Manchester, giving us the most amazing view of the city as the sun set. On the evening we were each greeted with a goody bag and a friendly welcome from James and Alex who both own the brand together. After meeting James and Alex once before and speaking to them via email and social media, I can tell how passionate they are about their company. The guys always go the extra mile to always provide a fantastic service to their customers and I think that this is what makes their brand extra special and exciting.

On the night we were treated to a live demonstration from James himself on the stunning model, Sophie Billington where James used and talked us through the new NUDE collection brushes and showed us how to achieve a high fashion bronzed glossy look.
I picked up so many tips and tricks from James and thoroughly enjoyed watching him work.

Inside our goody bag, we were gifted a small face powder brush with a flat and tapered structure, a beauty blender sponge and a cute little MyKitCo badge which will look great pinned to my kit.
The brush that we received in our goody bag is extremely soft (like all of the MyKitCo brushes) and I can imagine that it will be perfect for applying any precise powders, for example highlighter, setting powder and blush.

Now onto the products that I bought for myself with the impossible to resist exclusive 20% off discount. I decided to buy 3 eye brushes which were the 1.15, 1.12 and 1.13.
1.15 Pro-My blending shadow has a large soft full rounded brush head made from natural fibres. This is a classic blending brush which will always come in use when creating any makeup look. I like this brush because it is big enough to thoroughly blend shadow however it is slightly tapered which will help to keep the colour where you want it to be.

1.12 Pro-My tapered crease looks very similar to the 1.15 brush mentioned above however this is slightly more tapered which makes it ideal to use in the eye crease. The brush head tapers to a soft point, which helps blend powder shadow evenly. I think that this brush would be ideal to use when creating a cut crease eye look.

1.13 Pro-My detailing smudge has a small rounded brush head and the size and shape of this brush allows for a snug fit along the lash line. I will use this brush to smudge eye khol pencil close to the lash line and also to apply product underneath the lash line to create a sultry smoky look.

All of these brushes are extremely soft and well made; from the solid wooden handles and tightly crimped bristles to ensure the longest life of your brushes, each piece is finished to the highest quality and I can definitely see where the care and thought has gone into the process of each makeup brush.

I love drawing and designing my own face charts so I decided to pick up a pack of 15 professional face charts printed on the best quality paper meaning that I will be able to produce creative face charts to help me develop my skill as a makeup artist. 

Keeping my makeup kit organised is very important and it also makes my life a lot easier! MyKitCo have a variety of kit organisers which help makeup artists keep their kit looking professional and tidy at all times. 

I use a lot of loose pigments and as much as I love them, they can be a nightmare to carry in my kit because the packaging can easily open and spill everywhere which can make a massive mess and can waste product. To keep my loose pigments separate to the rest of the makeup in my kit I decided to pick up this small storage bag. My Mini PVC Bag is perfect for storing small items such as pencils, skin care bottles, pigments and glitters. 

Muji used to be my go to shop for buying tiny tiny cotton buds to use for makeup until MyKitCo released their My Small 'On Point' Buds which put Muji to shame! These buds have the smallest and sharpest point which make them perfect to use when correcting makeup. 

These are a must have in my kit! 

Finally, I picked up a My Mini Metal Pallet which is something that every makeup artist needs to stay hygienic whilst doing someone else's makeup. Using the back of your hand as a mixing pallet is fine from time to time but I think that it is nice to have somewhere separate to mix colours and hygienically apply products onto your client. I like this pallet because it is compact and will fit inside my kit easily. 

I am extremely grateful to have been invited along to the MyKitCo NUDE launch party. I had a great time and I am yet again extremely impressed with the things that James and Alex have achieved and I can't wait to see the brand grow even more. 

Check out the MyKitCo online website where you can order your brushes and accessories now!

https://www.mykitco.uk/

IMATS LONDON 2016

Last weekend Olympia London held the annual IMATS makeup convection which is the International Makeup Artist Trade Show where the industry get to meet, swap skills and big makeup brands offer great discounts to professionals.
IMATS is a fantastic 3 day show and I am so glad that I had the chance to go this year.

Being a budding makeup artist and makeup student (not for long now- I qualify in a week.. eee!), IMATS is the place for me and I have dreamed of going for years. It is full of people with the exact same interest and passion which gives you such a buzz for the industry.

Shopping at IMATS was a great experience, there were so many great brands including MAC Pro, Bobbi Po, Urban Decay, NYX, Zoeva, Inglot and many more. I managed to pick up some products with big discounts which is always helpful when building up a makeup artist kit!

Aside from shopping, I also enjoyed listening to the guest speakers and watching the amazing demonstrations from talented artists. One of my favourite talks was from Kevin James Bennett who shared his tips and tricks to becoming a successful makeup artist for photoshoots and red-carpet events whilst also sharing his hilarious opinions on 'Instagram makeup'.
I also loved watching prosthetic artist, Neil Gorton and MAC senior artist Rebecca Butterworth unite to create a unique, high fashion editorial makeup look.

Back to the shopping, I could not resist sharing with you the amazing makeup that I picked up .....

MAC PRO
MAC is the ultimate makeup artist brand and they have just a handful of special pro stores across the UK which hold exclusive products that are only available in those stores. The PRO stores are all in London which means that it is extremely difficult to get your hands on these exclusive products here in and around Manchester where I live.
Fortunately a handful of the pro products are now available to order online, however I personally don't think that shopping online for makeup is easy and I much prefer to see the products in person before I buy. The MAC Pro counter at IMATS was massive and I could not resist picking up a few bits!

Glitter, 3D Platinum & 3D Black 
Anyone that knows me will know that I love glitter and I very rarely believe a makeup is complete without a touch of sparkle. The MAC glitter's are a pro product which means that they are only available in pro stores or online so I knew that I had to pick some up when I visited IMATS. The glitter's are in the same packaging as MAC's loose pigments which is a generous sized pot with enough product inside to last you for forever.

I decided to pick up 3D black glitter which has a black layer with multi tonal small flecks of glitter. I think that this would look stunning ontop of a deep smoky eye or pressed over a dark lipstick.
3D Platinum is a silver with blue tones and I can imagine it to be the perfect addition to any creative festival inspired makeup.




Mineralise Skin finish Natural, Light Plus 
The mineralise skin finish natural powders are a kit staple for me and I use them on almost everybody. I love these powders because they give a small amount of coverage which is buildable, they mattify the face and never look cakey.
I use the shade Medium the most in my kit although I wanted to pick up a lighter one to suit paler complexions.

Cream Colour Base, Hush 
I am constantly hearing other beauty bloggers and makeup artists rave about MAC's Hush cream colour base so I decided to pick one up myself to see what all the fuss is about.
MAC's cream colour bases are a creamy multi purpose product that you can use on the eyes and face. I already use and love Pearl cream colour base which is a silver pearl and looks beautiful on the tops of cheekbones to give a subtle glow.
Hush is a rosey pink shade with a golden glow. It reminds me of NARS Orgasm blush which I love so I can't wait to start using it.

Eyeshadows, Coppering & Steamy & Swiss Chocolate 
I have a serious love hate relationship with MAC eyeshadows because for the price, the quality isn't always the best and I know I can get a better quality with another brand for cheaper. Having said that, I do love the colour selection that MAC have and some of the colours are very well pigmented.
MAC have a fantastic selection of bright coloured shadows which I think makes them really stand out from other brands who often just have a plain choice of nudes which are always the same. 


The eyeshadows that I decided to buy were Coppering, Swiss Chocolate and Steamy.
Coppering is a beautiful burnt orange copper shade which is very different to any other copper shadows that I already own. I have already used Coppering and it is extremely easy to wear and is the perfect colour to wear during the upcoming summer months.
Swiss Chocolate is a boring brown but I was missing a nice matte deep brown that wasn't too warm or orange and Swiss Chocolate looks like the perfect one for the job.
Steamy is a pretty mermaid blue that is very well pigmented and has a pearly metallic finish. I love this colour and can't wait to use it for a bright summer makeup!

NYX 
Glitter Primer 
As much as I love glitter, it can be difficult to apply without covering your whole face in it so I was on the hunt for a good glue to use underneath glitters to make them stick in place.
I decided to try the NYX Glitter primer which comes in a funky holographic tube and I am excited to see how it performs.

ELDORA
H160 & H155
Everybody always raves about Eldora false eyelashes so when I saw their stall at IMATS I knew that I had to pick some up and see what all the fuss was about. I decided to buy 2 pairs; h160 and h155 which both look very wispy and wearable which is what I love.

MAKEUP FOREVER 
Ultra HD Foundation 
Makeup Forever isn't easily accessible here in the UK so I was happy to see that they had a stall at IMATS this year. I haven't tried any of their products before, however I had heard a lot of good things about their Ultra HD foundation, so I decided to give it a go- especially when it cost me just £17 instead of the original retail price of £29 (what a great deal!)

I have already tried this foundation a few times on myself and so far so good... I love how lightweight it feels on my skin whilst still giving a good medium coverage. Stay tuned to see my full review soon!

URBAN DECAY
Heavy Metal Glitter Liners
Urban Decay is one of my favourite makeup brands and just a few weeks ago I bought their Heavy Metal Glitter liner in the shade Distortion and I have not put it down since. I love how easy it is to apply, the effect is amazing and I have received so many compliments whilst wearing it.

I loved the shade and formula of Distortion so much that I knew I had to buy more when I was at IMATS ....  I ended up buying the whole collection!!!

These glitter liners are super easy to apply and they give off such a great effect. You don't need a glitter glue or primer and the colour lasts all day- what's not to love?!
Glamrock is a true silver which will look great paired over any eyeshadow.
Amp is a pretty mermaid blue and Spandex would look stunning applied over a deep smoky eye.
Finally, Junkshow is a gorgeous pink with iridescent flecks on milti coloured glitter running through- I love how this looks on the eyes. (See picture below of me wearing Junkshow applied over Urban Decay eyeshaodw in the shade Salazen Grum from the Alice pallet)

(Left to Right : Glamrock, Amp, Spandex, Junkshow)

All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray 
Whilst at the Urban Decay counter I had to stock up on my favourite setting spray that I swear by and recommend to almost everyone.
If you want your makeup to stay in place all day/night long without having to do any major touch ups then you NEED this stuff in your life! I mist a few sprays of this after applying any makeup and I love it.

INGLOT
AMG Eyeliner Gel 76 (White)
Inglot is another brand that is difficult to access here in the UK so I enjoyed having a look around their stall at IMATS. I like creating high fashion editorial makeup looks and I thought that this white gel eyeliner would be a great addition to my kit.

CHARLES FOX 
Small Set bag 
I have recently been working on a few photoshoots and I have found that having a set bag makes life a lot easier. After applying the makeup to your model at your station they will then move away to be shot on location and as a makeup artist, you must be on set keeping an eye on the models to see if they need any touch ups. Instead of carrying powders, brushes, lip glosses etc in your pockets it is useful to have a small set bag which you can carry with all of your products inside.
I saw a lot of large makeup set bags at the show which weren't ideal for what I needed it for but then I came across this small set bag from Charles Fox which is perfect. This bag is the perfect size and has a good amount of handy compartments-  I am so excited to start using it.

Did you go to IMATS this year? What did you manage to pick up? 
I had a really great time and will definitely be returning next year! 

Urban Decay Alice in Wonderland Eyeshadow Pallet Review

Urban Decay is one of my favourite makeup brands and I especially love their eye shadows in particular, so when I saw that they had launched a limited edition collectors pallet inspired by the movie, Alice Through The Looking Glass, I could not resist picking one up! After all, my name is Alice so it would be wrong not to buy it, right!? :') 

First of all, Urban Decay have once again gone out of their way with the packaging of this pallet- it's like no other and I really love it. 

At first when I saw pictures of the pallet on-line, I imagined it to be big and bulky, making it impossible to travel with or fit inside my makeup kit, however I was pleasantly surprised when I purchased my pallet in store. I am not saying that this is a tiny compact pallet that you can take with you anywhere, however it is a reasonable size that fits inside my zuca case easily. I was also happy to see that the eyeshadow layer slides out completely which means that you can display the pallet on a workstation without having the whole case on show. 

When you open up the wacky colourful lid you will find a large mirror and two doors which open to reveal a decorative butterfly which flaps its wings when you open and close the flaps - I love this special touch which makes the pallet fun and original! 

Once you have made your way through the wonderland packaging you will then find a draw like handle underneath which holds the main event - the beautiful and unique eyeshadows! 

Urban Decay never fail to impress me with their amazing eyeshadows and this pallet is no exception. The Alice pallet contains a great mix of bright and vibrant shades along with some pretty neutral colours which make it suitable for everybody. I particularly love the shades Hatter, Lily, Heads will roll and Slazen Grum.

Overall I am extremely impressed with this pallet from Urban Decay, I love the eyeshadow colours which are different and like no others that I already own (I own a LOT of eyeshadow pallets!)
As always the quality is outstanding and I love the packaging which is really fun and creative.