Dolce & Gabbana the foundation perfect luminous liquid foundation teinteclat parfait

Having heard many a good things about this foundation, I finally decided to try this  particular one for my (aging skin). God only knows as I would like to look luminous and glowy with little bit of cover up now and again (sigh).....

I purchased 2 shades (as I am a mixer woman) as I wanted something with a yellow shade and something warm and peachy. 

shade 120 is on the left and 144 is on the right. 120 has a more yellow golden tone to it and 144 has a more peachy warmer tone. Saying that I found that both colours when they come out of the bottle look lighter but ince blended into the skin oxidise and so darken.

I found that 120 even though looks remarkably yellowy still has some pink undertone to it and this is something I had heard about this range that none of their colours have a true yellow undertone. 

I have swatched on my hand here

Second picture already shows some darkening

This is both rubbed into my skin looking very peach!

Pictures of this on my face with flash photography to follow 

Maybelline Fit me foundation

After hearing amazing reviews about Maybelline Fit me foundation, I thought there is no harm (yes it is to my finances) in trying out one. I went to Superdrug and tested a few colours out on my jawline (as you do) and found that 220 was the closest match in the liquid. I then also saw the stick foundations which were a thicker consistency so picked 220 in that too.

I have now worn the liquid and find that it has a yellow undertone and matches quite well and looks flawless. I would also say that it does not make my skin greasy after a few hours like some others so I am happy with it.

The stick foundation in 220 on the other hand is another story - it has a pink undertone and after an hour makes my skin look quite red. I am quite miffed as both liquid and stick have the same numbers there should not be a difference in the undertone unless it is meant to be a corrector which it clearly does not say!?

My fault totally as I should have swatched the stick foundation and compared it to liquid one before an impulsive buy!

Inglot cosmetics - 6 lipsticks

I have a major weakness for makeup, incase you had not noticed. Of all the things I like to decorate my face with, I must say that a lipstick always wins hands down if I had to make a choice in purchasing the one item. Lipsticks just add the finishing touch to the whole look or a bit of colour if everything else is understated.

On one of my (many) trips to Westfield, I discovered the fascinating store of Inglot; to any makeup obsessed person, Inglot is the equivalent of a candy store to a child. 

I spent hours swatching their lipsticks but in the end bought 6. 

Of the 6 below, 218 and 104 are creamy, the rest are all matte. Infact 408 is also very similar to MAC Ruby woo.

Learn to do your own makeup - By a makeup artist

Thanks to media (You Tube and famous Gurus like Pixiwoos, Lisa Eldridge, Panacea, Facebook, magazines, TV, Film, advertising) there is great awareness on makeup and brands and how to look good (Gok Wan style), I find ladies enquiring to learn makeup and hair for themselves.

Women who want to learn to do their own makeup are ladies who:
1. are going abroad and won't be able to hire makeup artists / hair stylists for various reasons
2. want to learn to groom themselves
3. have makeup stuffed in drawers but are clueless on how to use it
4. want to learn a certain look like smoky eye or learn to create loose curls and volume like 'Cheryl Cole'
5. want to know what it would be like to learn from a professional
6. use it as a 'taster' before they try out a professional course

I also found that most of them returned after a few months to try out a new look or skill later.

Once the skills are learnt they must be practised several times, to get better.

These non professional courses are run every week and last around 2-3 h. For more details, give me a call or visit the website www.sanakmakeup.com

Makeup Artist and Hair Styling Training Courses 2012

This year I saw quite a few enthusiastic students that wanted to learn Hair Styling and Makeup to enter the Wedding Industry as make-up artists and / or hair stylists.  At present the longest course on offer is 5 Days and the shortest is 1 Day, saying that it is also possible to tailor-make the lessons to everyone's requirement.  Courses start from 10 am and finish at 5 pm every day. Courses are suitable for any age or level and no prior experience is required. Our speciality is to provide one to one training to give undivided attention to each client.

Models were provided for demonstration purpose, practice and portfolio shoots for our make-up students.


Some of the students who only did Make up this year are very keen to return next year to do Hair Styling and vice versa. Most of the students have been passed on work shadowing and the ones that showed further interest and had their own transport were also passed on paid work. Each student was given advice how to further their work, build their kit and start their business.

For 2013, we have on offer 10% discount from 1 Jan to 1 Feb 2013 on all Professional training courses in Hair / makeup. For further details please visit

www.sanakmakeup.com

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

What to do after your makeup course?

First of all let me tell you that you have entered a career that is not only exciting but very competitive. There are also various branches of makeup : fashion, media, weddings, special effects

Most students that leave their course have no idea how long it takes to establish themselves let alone build a decent portfolio!

This career is :for people who are not only creative but are willing to persevere and have the patience. So, a lot of it is about your personality.

Let me make somethings very clear:

YOU WILL NOT GET ANY PAID JOB AS SOON AS YOU LEAVE YOUR COURSE. Unless you already have a family business or a ready made client base waiting for you.....you will need to do a lot of the things mentioned below.

If you think you will get hired because of a certain school name on your certificate- think again! In this industry it is about your skills and personality. A good teacher will teach you well but it is up to you to practise and get better to impress. All the jobs that I have ever been booked for have been based on my various portfolios and word of mouth. Clients do not ask to see your certificates.


Things to do:

Build your own simple website or hire someone

Get some business cards made

Invest in a decent camera and try and take good pictures of your work even if they are not models

Learn to Photoshop but do not over do it as it only destroys the quality if your hard work. If you can get some lessons.

Keep a budget for marketing (or who will know about your work). Even though there are free sites, social media to register your site, be realistic as all others will do the same. Do your own research for marketing there are various options and you will need something that works for you and your budget.

Collaborate with others in the industry (photographers, stylists, models) to build or expand your portfolio. You will need to collaborate with others who are at the same level as you as professionals will not take a junior and have their work at stake! It takes years to build a good portfolio.

Network within your industry, find out opportunities and take your business cards and a portfolio (ipad or printed).

Apply for counter jobs, it will teach you how to sell products, build a kit with daounted prices, how to communicate with clients, how to be professional, network and not only keep you uptodate with product news but also give you a chance to practise on real people of all ages and colour. If you cannot get a job at a makeup counter get one in any retail area and then apply for the counter job after experience.

Shadow makeup artists if they provide opportunities. Count yourself lucky if you get this chance, most artists will not take on juniors or people they have not trained. Try and watch something different each time, and try and shadow a few. Shadowing is FREE, which means you pay for your own travel and lunch.

Things to remember when shadowing:

Leave good impressions

Be polite

Be keen

Ask questions after the job is over

Switch your mobile off

Do NOT not turn up to the job - YOU WONT BE ASKED AGAIN!

Do NOT block the way or light for work.

Do NOT be late - you won't be asked again!

Do NOT take pictures as it is NOT your work and most clients won't appreciate that.

Do NOT take cigarette breaks while shadowing

Ask permission for most things

If you can do ask to help carry bags or clean brushes or clean brushes

Goodluck in your new and exciting career!

What should your kit contain for Bridal Makeup?

My students often ask me what their kit should contain if they want to do only bridal makeup as a career......

Whether you will only do brides or party makeup, your kit needs to contain items that is appropriate for all skin and colour.

I have divided the kit shopping into specific areas so that it is easy to understand. The brands that I have recommended are the ones that I have personally used over the years and recommend but there are several out there that are affordable and probably so the same job.

Tools:

Makeup brushes (various sizes and shapes) - needs a separate blog!

Slanted Tweezers (Tweezerman)

Eyelash curler (Shu Uemura)

Cotton buds (normal, pointed and extra fine)

Cotton pads

Tissues

Wipes

Disposable sponges

Disposable mascara wands

Disposable lip brushes

Disposable eyeliner brushes

A plastic plate / tile  to decant products out on for your client

small water spray

Prepping the face:

Cleanser and toner or something that can do the job in one (Bioderma, Avene or Lancome)

Moisturisers (for normal or dry skin) - Embryolisse, Lancome, Guerlain, Chanel, Vichy, Garnier

Primers (for normal / young / mature skin) - Gosh, Smashbox, MAC, Guerlain, Laura Mercier, Nars

Primer and Moisturiser in one - Laura Mercier, MAC

Eye shadow primer (Too faced, nyx, Lime crime, Nars)

Lip balm (Carmex or Vaseline)

Foundations:

Tinted moisturisers (Laura Mercier, MAC's Face and Body, Clinique)

Medium to thick coverage (MAC, Nars, Illamasqua)

Full Coverage (Estee, MAC, Illamasqua. Makeup Forever)

Powder Foundations (Chanel, MAC)

Powders:

Translucent (MAC, Bobbi Brown, Laura Mercier, Cornsilk)

Tinted (Chanel, MAC, Bobbi Brown)

Lipsticks

Some of the brands I have used are: Tom Ford, Chanel, Dior, YSL, MAC, Bobbi Brown, Benefit, Maybelline, Rimmel, L'Oreal and many more

Lip Glosses

same as above or make your own by buying a good quality clear gloss

Eyebrow pencils / powders / mascara (clear or coloured)

Rimmel, MAC, Bobbi Brown

Eye shadows

MAC (matt and shimmer - a variety), Bobbi Brown, Nars, Shu Uemura, Illamasqua (highly pigmented and matt ones)

You can buy unbranded matt and shimmer ones on ebay

Mascara (Black / Brown)

Lancome (Hypnose Drama), Clinique, Maybelline, L'Oreal

Eyelashes

Shu Uemura, MAC, Ardell and there are too many out there now, some are amazing bargains

Gel Eyeliners

Makeup Atelier (my first choice), MAC (my second choice), Clinique (if you are not that fast and want to take your time, does not dry that fast so easier to use)

Cake eyeliners

Kryolan, Laura Mercier,

Blushers

Sleek, MUA, MAC, Bobbi, Estee, Chanel, YSL

Bronzers

Guerlain, Chanel, MAC

Pigments (highly versatile) 

MAC Cosmetics

If you are a on a budget, most high street shops are a good option to stock up. The only things I would advise to spend money on is good moisturisers / primers, foundations and eyeshadows for your clients. Cheaper high street makeup lacks the spectrum of colours for all skin tones. Cheaper shadows also tend to look too shimmery and have a lot of fall out.

Professional Makeup Artist Discount Schemes

For those of you that have recently finished a course in makeup, one of the most important thing on your mind is to now get a makeup kit together for your clients.

A makeup kit is not cheap and it takes a long time and loads of money to reflect your client base.

Most companies (apart from the designer ones) and makeup stores, will have a professional makeup artist scheme that you could apply for; proving that you work in the industry (by showing various items like):

copies of your certificates
a website
a business card
a call sheet to show that you have been hired for a job
union card with photo id
any published or credited work


Some of the companies that offer the scheme are:

MAC - provides 35 % but you have an annual fee of approx £26 to pay
Illamasqua - provides 40% discount no fee to pay
Bobbi Brown - provides 40 % but you have to pay an annual fee again
Inglot
Makeup Up Forever
Nyx
OCC
Makeup Atelier
Yaby
Benefit
Nars
Laura Mercier
Smashbox
Urban Decay
Too faced
Minerals ID
Daniel Sandler
Naked


Stores - PAM and Guru Emporium

You should apply to the each company either via e-mail or by post.

Please add to this list if you know of others that provide a discount.

Back to Learning

As the main wedding season is ending, there will now be more time for one to one, weekly and group lessons again. These are particularly helpful if you want to learn to apply your own makeup or want to become a makeup artist or have accumulated a drawer full of cosmetics over a period of time and have no idea how to use them or stuck in rut with just the one look for years!

Don't worry, you are not the only one! Some of my recent brides have done these, some to do their own makeup on their own wedding day and some of the brides who were (should I say?) impressed with my skills, that they thought they should learn to do more makeup for more events after the wedding. Some brides have even changed their career and done longer courses to become a makeup artist or hair stylists.

A lot of my students are now working with me as my team and we have done many catwalk shows and several weddings together.

The lessons are for anyone who wants to learn a new makeup look like a flawless base or a smokey eye or how to do eye liner or virtually any makeup technique(s). Lessons can also be booked as gift vouchers for a special occasion for a loved one.

Incidentally, if you cannot come to us to learn, we are happy to come to you wherever you are..........

O and before I forget, we are moving to our new studio in Rayners Lane tomorrow (2 min walk from the station to Talbot House), so why not pop down? Just call and let us know you will be coming over. Ring 07967204275

Metro Newspaper shoot

Last year I did a shoot for the Luxury Wedding Show which was written about in the Metro Newspaper, Credits are as follows

Photography - Gretel Ensignia
Dress - Suzie Turner who specialises in Bridal Couture
Venue - The Landmark Hotel, Marylebone
Hair and Makeup - Sana Kermani

As you can see, the shoot was very glamourous .......the last image was chosen for the newspaper.

I am the Official Makeup artist and Hair Stylist for all The Luxury Wedding Shows and get to meet several potential Brides there. My team and I work under immense pressure to create beautiful hair styles and looks for the catwalks at the shows. Between the catwalks, we also provide free makeovers to potential brides and consultations and people visit us to browse through our portfolios and benefit from special offers for the coming year.

See you at the next one on 9 Nov 2011 at Plaisterers' Hall, London.

Things to do before your wedding to look Beautiful (as can be) - By a Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist

If you are getting married and want to look luscious before your wedding, then trying to have some sort of a game plan is a good idea.

My top tips for a bride-to-be:

1. Have a healthy diet, include omegas from oily fish, foods rich in anti-oxidants and high fibre and protein are a good idea. You want to have a healthy looking complexion so fresh vegetables and fruits are definitely something to add to your diet

2. Try to control your intake of caffeine and increase your intake of water, have lemon with ginger to spruce up your water or just a twist of lemon to add some taste

3. Rest when you can and try and sleep around 8 h, although the stress of the wedding can give some brides insomnia

4. To sleep well and produce endorphins (or happy hormones) exercise even if it is 20 mins a day, all that sweating will increase your stamina and fitness and cleanse your body of toxins through your pores.

5. Organise your tasks and prioritise, this way you will know what needs to get done first

6. Delegate some tasks if you can to reliable friends and family members, most friends want to help out...

7.If you have a good beauty routine ie. you cleanse your face thoroughly of all makeup before bed and in the morning cleanse and tone, then moisturise - you are on track! Don't try and do something new to your skin if it is in good condition, just for the sake as this can give you spots and blemishes. If you have oily skin with blackheads, have a consultation and then a course of facials to deep clean your skin and maintain it at home with good cleansing habits.

8. Have some me-time from all the wedding preparations, go for a manicure and a pedicure or a massage and unwind, what's better take your best friend and not talk about the wedding.

9. Find a makeup artist whose work you admire and have a consultation, then a trial. Make sure you ask as many questions as you can before and at the trial. You should be able to communicate with each other  with ease and you should feel relaxed during the trial. If you like the work, why not book yourself a lesson to learn how to do your makeup like a pro for all the pre and post wedding parties.

10. Find a hairdresser and have a consultation, then a trial. Make sure you discuss the styles you want to go for and don't get pushed into anything that you have not done before and would be self conscious of on the day. There is plenty of material in magazines and the internet.

    

Bridal Makeup - Asian, Contemporary, Arabic - the choice is yours - By Sana K Makeup

In the years that I have done various brides, one of the questions that brides ask is what race I do most makeup on. The answer to that is simple, I am a Makeup Artist first and by Genetics; an Asian Makeup Artist who also does a lot of Contemporary work with success. On any good makeup course, you are taught about various skin tones and how to apply makeup on a variety of ages and races.

When I first began putting a portfolio together, there was a lot of snobbery towards Wedding Makeup Artistry (Still is), it is looked down upon and thought of as cheesy as compared to someone who works in Fashion most days. Believe it or not, a lot of racism also exists in the industry, for example, one race would rather get the same race makeup artist and not another, as they believe that their kind would know their skin tones better - what a load of crap!?! So for those who like to judge, I created separate websites

www.sanakermani.com (the Contemporary one)

www.sanakmakeup.com (The Asian one)

Initially, I thought that was a lot of work, but then I realised I had already done so much work in the time that there was enough for both the sites. I enjoy making people look and feel great and I do not think of their creed and colour.

Most Contemporary brides want to look like themselves, but a very polished and natural version; meaning glowing skin with neutral tones. Very few would request a smokey eye or eyeliner unless they had a specific theme.

Usually, Asian brides want to look as glamorous as possible and want to look different to their norm. They go for full colour on their eyes and big lashes with strong lips - the great thing is their skin tones, their dress and jewellery is all so glam that everything blends well.

Arabic brides are a mixture of a contemporary and Asian - they wear the white dress but love to have dark smokey eyes.

In my opinion, a bride is always the centre of attention, no matter what she wears or who does her makeup :)

Whatever the look; a good makeup artist will keep your requirements in mind before tailor-making your look for your big day. 

Eyeshadows by Atelier Maquillage International

I came across this brand at IMATs this year and as a makeup artist I am always on the look out for new colours and products so I tested them on the back on my hand at the stall. To my surprise the colours were vibrant and highly pigmented. The eyeshadows come in palettes of 5, and you can buy them pre packed or make your own palette. I bought a couple of pre-made ones in Blues , Purples, Peaches, and Pinks. Apart from trying them for test shoots I tried them on ME for a TV interview I gave a few months ago. Some of the eyeshadows are light reflective and shimmery and others are matte. The real test was on a shoot I did with Actress Maia Sethna  and I wanted to create a turquoise / acqua eyemakeup with a smokey look, the colours have come out really well in the pictures. I am so impressed with them that I might buy a larger palette which takes in more of their colourful eyeshadows.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=208950012458101&set=a.174214682598301.38743.174214532598316&type=1&theater

This is a French brand but now they are available in UK and stock a wide range of products for makeup artistry.
Address:-
307 D Finchley Road, London, NW3 6EH, UK, open from Tuesday to Saturday from 10.00 am to 1.00 pm from 2.00 pm to 6.00 pm

Foundations of makeup

Over the years I have used quite a few foundations on myself and on my clients. I now keep certain brands for for certain purpose. Some of the ones that I will talk about today are:

For Asian  and Afro Caribbean skin tones, I think MAC and Bobbi Brown do a fantastic range of colours with various finishes. So, if you have fantastic skin with no scars / marks or spots, you could get away with MAC's Face and body range in C3 onwards. If you need coverage medium to heavy, you can use Studiofix MAC liquid foundation and powder with any translucent powder. If you have oily skin or are concious of your T- zone shining, then MAC's Studiofix powder foundation is the way forward. Available in Selfridges and at other retailers.

MAC and Bobbi are good for Asian skins as these brands do yellow based foundations as opposed to most other brands which have more of a pink tone, good for Caucasian skins.

Bobbi Brown also does a variety of foundations, so depending on the coverage you might need and your skin's condition, you can chose one that has a matt or dewy finish. I have Bobbi Brown's University Palette which is a makeup artist's best friend; it contains all their colours in their stick foundation range (which gives medium to heavy finish) and all their concealers. So, a brilliant one to take to a fashion show or a wedding party, it covers any skin colour possible! Bobbi colours cover anybody and everybody! Available in Selfridges and at other retailers.

Laura Mercier does fabulous foundations but they are predominantly for Caucasian skins as they are pink based . If you are a very fair Asian, you can use them. They too have different finishes like matt and dewy.

Makeup Forever brand has been widely recommended by some of my makeup artist friends, but again I would use them on my Caucasian clients / models as they are pink based. This is tried and tested but most Caucasian models and clients I have worked on are either 117 or 120 in their HD Foundation range. The finish with this foundation is medium but can be layered to heavier one and looks matt, This is a great one for Photography and Weddings. Makeup Forever can be bought at a few selected retailers in London. Guru Emporium in Fulham and   M.A.P shop near Shepherds Bush. Otherwise you can chose an online option.

Kryolan is a brand familiar to makeup artists around the world. Their foundation sticks are used a great deal in the Sub continent for wedding or fashion makeup. The finish achieved is flawless with a heavy coverage. It is brilliant for anything Photographic or bright lights like TV, Theatre, Wedding, Model shoots etc. You can also use this if you have pigmentation problems or scars to give good coverage. 

A word of advice - please match your foundation in good day light on your jaw bone, not inside a store with artificial lighting. Once on your jaw bone, take a mirror and exit the shop to check. The correct colour will sink into your skin and not show as opposed to a shade darker or lighter that will.  Please do not try and buy a foundation by matching it on the back of your hand as hands can be darker or fairer than your face.

Unless you have hormonal issues or pigmentation problems, the correct foundation should match your face and neck. People with hormonal issues tend to have darker necks so might need a slightly darker foundation to blend better.

Not a day goes by when women write to me about foundation problems. The thing is unless I meet you and match you I cannot tell you the exact match and sending me pictures (which have flashes etc) is not a solution. You just have to try and test, eventually you WILL find your colour. 

Another problem is that often a foundation changes colour on your skin. This is quite normal as it oxidises, usually turns redder so people think they look dark. This is a huge problem for some people as they do not like to look darker! My advice is get a sample of the foundation you want to buy, wear it with your regular moisturiser (changing that can also change the finish of your foundation) and then if you like it, buy it.

Last problem is foundation cracking. Think about it, if you have lines on your face around the mouth or around the eyes (which is quite normal) and you will use a thick creamy foundation, this is bound to happen. You need to wear less and powder lightly and frequently. 

A foundation is not a mask that you wear once in the day and expect it to be the same as when you  put it on. Your body chemistry (walking around makes you sweaty), touching your face, wearing a scarf around or wearing and taking off clothes will all move it. If you are concious of your real skin and colour please carry your foundation with a translucent powder to touch it up from time to time.

Lastly, if you don't spend a day shopping around and trying foundations, how will you know what suits you?! Get shopping then :)

Luxury Wedding Show 2011

I have recently been a part of the Luxury wedding show as their Official Makeup artist. This a show across 3 dates and 3 different classy and beautiful venues:

16 Jan - The Landmark Hotel, Marylebone, London - picture below from show
6 Feb - Radisson Edwardian Hotel, Heathrow - to be held
27 Feb - The Grove, Hertfortshire - to be held

My team (who are just the best!) and I am responsible for the hair and makeup of two fashion shows that will take place at each event.

I will upload some more pictures as they are being edited at present, but here is one for those who haven't already seen it on my fanpage on facebook.

I have a stall at each event and if I am not there when you visit, a member of my team will look after you until I am back (yes I will sit at my stall after the fashion shows). Timings for the shows are between 12 and 3pm. Doors to the venue open at 11am and close by 4.30pm. See you there!

Model Behaviour

Whether you are a male or a female model there is certain etiquette of castings and shoots:
1. Be on TIME or no point turning up (which means you should find out where and how to go well in advance - NO EXCUSES)
2. Be presentable which means:
- no makeup (which also means no mascara and eyeliner and lipgloss too, no makeup means squeaky clean), skin should be moisturised (no chapped lips)

- neat hair

-clean breath (the distance between a makeup artist and a hair stylist is quite a small one......)

- clean hands and nails - general hygeine (which means no body odour or strong perfumes)

- appropriate clothes and shoes
3. Bring your portfolio which can be 1 headshot and 1 full body shot

4. Switch your mobile off (this is a job and you need to be committed)

5. Do not eat and drink during makeup (it spoils a makeup artist's work). Good artists / photographers will always stop for a break or lunch so you can wait.

6. Please do not tell the makeup artist / hair person / photographer how to do their work. Most looks are agreed beforehand. TFCD Shoots are not makeovers!

7. If you have any allergies or medical conditions like epilepsy or migraines etc please tell before hand as photography / flash can trigger things.

8. Be professional (means no bitching and getting personal with anyone) - try and be pleasant company so you are remembered well and RECOMMENDED onwards for future work.

9. After a casting people are shortlisted so please do NOT hound anyone to take you and consider you - you will all be notified.

10. Be realistic for what your strong point will be, ie you might have an amazing bone structure so you could be used for beauty shots but not a fashion shoot.

Last of all goodluck!

Men and Makeup

Majority of my clients are females and of that most of them are models, brides, students or women who want to learn to do their own makeup. There is a very small proportion of men who request makeup but only for themed parties or a special occasion like professional photography.

With new makeup brands emerging, and the media's emphasis on looking good, I often wonder how many men go and buy spot cover or concealer (unless you are a model) for their daily routine. My guess is not many.....please correct me if I am wrong.

If you did a search on makeup for men on google, a range of metrosexual products come up. In order for it to be marketed to men it has to be packaged differently and called by another name! Surely, a mascara is still a mascara even if it is called a MANscara.....

I am intrigued to find out how many men out there would be interested in learning to apply makeup on themselves for whatever reason (that am not interested in).