Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting powder

For a long time I had been searching for a contour shade which did not have any reddish tint. Finally, this one by Kevyn Aucoin in shade medium is a perfect flat brown shade that I had been hunting for a while. For my skin tone I am sure that the shade in dark wouldnbe fine too. The texture is slightly creamy but powder and highly pigmented. My only complain (yes I  am fussy) is that it is only 3g and retails around £22. I know that I will need to purchase this often so maybe a bigger one would be better value for money. The new packaging also makes this look tiny but I should not complain as a makeup artist  the tinier it is, the more I can stuff my kit with (seriously).

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!

Shiseido Lipsticks

I must say that these lipsticks by Shiseido are probably the best blingy lipsticks I have ever worn. They have tiny sparkly bits in them and are highly pigmented and moisturising. 

You won't be needing a lipgloss on top of these! 

Ideally I would like to have all of them.

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.

My winter skincare

As the weather gets colder and the heating in the houses gets hotter, my skin feels and looks dehydrated.

A few things I like to do:
1. Give myself a facial at home (so that products especially the mosituriser I use is more effective)
2. Use a facial scrub once or twice a week (PureActive uprooting blackheads scrub by Garnier)
3. Wear a serum like, Vinoperfect radiance serum by Caudalie
4. Wear Hydrazen Moisturiser by Lancome throughout the day and at night
5. I love wearing Cherry flavour Carmex whenever I can.
6. I also drink loads of liquids throughout the day especially water to hydrate
7. On my body I only like to use Baby Oil by Johnsons straight after a shower

I am 40 and a lot of people who meet me say would never have guessed - OK so good genes ie my heritage but I try and look after myself too as much as I can remember and have time to.

Poundland and makeup brands

I was browsing what my local Poundland stocks  (nothing to be ashamed of), and lo and behold! I see some known makeup brands like Outdoor girl, Rimmel, Revlon, Sleek, Collection 2000 and some others. These brands were not selling their whole range but selected few items, but I managed to pick up a Rimmel lip liner (which I love) and a few Rimmel colourful paint pots (do NOT love as they are very runny but will make good eye bases that are very sheer), Rimmel waterproof mascara in black (very good) and a Sleek lipstick (which is a creamy gold and can be worn on top of lipsticks to give a shiny light gold effect or if you like wearing pale lipsticks; a good one for you. So, all in all I spent a fiver on 5 items - an excellent way to try out a brand or an item.

See you soon at Poundland :-)

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

Does Genetics affect hair and makeup?

Does Genetics affect hair and makeup?
The answer is yes (and your lifestyle so it is a combination of factors)

This blog is nothing about the title or should I say, it somewhat is! The next few lines are more revealing; In 2000, I made a career transition from Molecular Genetics to Makeup artistry and Hair Styling. I would like to add that it was more of a journey rather than an abrupt change.

Some of you will wonder why, others will probably judge and comment that if she really wanted to do Make up and Hair Dressing, then why did she waste her time, surely Molecular Genetics is not a pre-requisite to be a make up artist or hair dressing for that matter.

All I remember is that when I decided to leave my budding academic career; I had no regrets. Infact, I never missed: the laboratory atmosphere, the sterile smells that began and ended my long days, the nights I spent peering at the auto radiographs, the radioactive materials that I had to shield my ovaries from, those white coats that even after a wash did not look that great, those competitive people within a group that would do anything - by anything I mean ANYTHING,  the long nights spent persevering so that the goal was achieved when time was running out, the training of students, the writing of thousands of words to complete a thesis or the scientific grants or papers, the going back full stop!

As the journey of one career ended with a PhD, the new journey required some thought and planning, although most of the skills were already in place due to a natural talent. What was needed was refining and confidence to pursue and thrive.

Although, the road to creativity seemed a clear choice, there were a few bypasses......Back to Academia it was to learn about Management at London School of Economics which would provide a new perspective altogether; a great theoretical background for any business to say the least and provide a few more choices. It is always good to have choices!

Horizons were definitely broadened, and the vision to having my own business had never been clearer.
Now came the decision to which school (AGAIN you and I say) should the creative skills be honed at. Using analysis, it was felt that every school under consideration had a unique quality and that over time, a few should be attended to gain valuable techniques.

At the first make up class, the feeling of excitement was nothing less than your first love; when you know you are made for each other.

Make up classes turned into experience (skins of all types and colour), experience turned into experimentation, experimentation led to photo shoots, photo shoots led to social media, social media led to networking, networking led to ideas, ideas led to a variety of outputs. The fun, passion, hardwork, obsession all pays off - given the time and patience.

Make up as a complete field is vast, there are: fashion make up artists, beauty make up artists, wedding make up artists, TV / FILM make up artists, prosthetic make up artists, catwalk make up artists. So, you can specialise in any of these but also decide to specialise in one of them and branch out to a complimentary service like Hair Styling (goes hand in hand) or Photography (be behind the lens both ways) or beauty (after all make up is an element of beauty). Saying that nothing is more satisfying than imparting your experience, training people who will remind you of how you began, test your patience, teach you about human psychology and in a philosophical way complete the circle.

www.sanakmakeup.com
www.sanakermani.com
We provide Bridal services and Training in Hair and Make up

Arbonne makeup

I was recently sent some goodies by Arbonne and here is a picture of the items (minus the packaging).  Of them, I have tried the primer, creamy finish high lighter, foundations on myself and some friends and they all go on very smooth. The foundations have a matte finish so even though 2 types of powders were supplied I found using those only made the finish too powdery; that might be more appropriate for oily skins or hot climates.
The eyeshadows that I was sent were a metallic brown and a metallic grey, and they are both great. The blusher supplied is a shocking pink and I found it looked good on both olive and light skinned girls.
There was also a huge bottle with a pump which a face,hair and body wash, so if you are someone that likes a fruity smell and not a lot of bubbles then this is for you!
I have yet to try the creams in sachets marked RE (for mature skin). Will let you know.....

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.

Nyx eyebrow cake powder 02

I have just discovered Nyx at the Olympia Beauty show 2012 and out of various products have found their eyebrow kit in 02 the best. It comes with:

• two shades of flat brown (darker and a slightly lighter one) ideal for ladies of colour or for darker brows
• a brush to colour the brows with
• a mascara brush to brush the eyebrows if you have put too much on or just to brush them anyway
• a waxy gloss again if you want to give your brows some shine and direction or if you have larger gaps and you put the wax on first then touch with the brown powder, it gives you a darker and longer lasting effect
• best thing is it is tiny enough to carry it in my purse or use in my kit!

I LOVE IT!

PS:- there are other shades in this kit for lighter brows or coloured brows

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. 

Sassoon Soiree - Best Haircut

Few months ago, I blogged about the 30 week Diploma I was involved with at the Sassoon Academy in London.

The last 10 weeks were spent preparing for our final graduation show. We were a small team of 6 students, who had to organise 3 models each;  clothes, accessories, food, drinks, props, makeup, photography, videography, thank you gifts etc. It seemed like a big task especially as we had watched previous shows which seemed of a really high standard. The show was booked at Wella Studios in Mortimer Street and we knew that would add a professional backdrop for our the catwalk.

The theme title was finalised as Manufactured Landscapes and in short we were inspired by Architectural buildings or anything man-made with some kind of definitive structure.

Here is a picture of Tulip fields that summarised our theme and also formed our colour palette for hair.

Previously Sassoon cuts were known to be inspired by the Bauhaus, so as this was a classic course, we thought this theme was perfect.

Classic cuts are all about sharp lines and angles but ofcourse executed according to suitability to the face.

We also watched several Sassoon DVD collections to get inspiration from.

One of the looks that I  was really inspired by was from the Tribe one collection, which was a long hair cut with a really creative fringe.

Here is the haircut I did ........

this was chosen as the best haircut at the show. I was really pleased with the finish and the whole look.
The colours that I chose were a warm reddy brown all over and a blue black in the fringe area.

Other cuts that I did were a scissor over comb with layers for a young male

and creative cut with creative colours of purples with a bleach and tone.

This officially marks the beginnings of hairdressing for me (even though I have been hairstyling for nearly a decade thanks to Weddings and Fashion work).

The Luxury Wedding Show at the Millenium Hotel - Mayfair

On Sunday 25th Sept, we had a 7am start to get makeup and hair styling done, even though the first show was not until 12.30. This is because there were 6 female models, 1 bridesmaid, 2 male models, a Ballerina- Kerry Birkett, first artist with the English National Ballet who performed the opening act and 2 Celebrities (Lizzie Cundy and Nick Ede who compered the show. In between the hair and makeup was dress fittings and choreography! I even got time to do some live makeovers at my stall. All went well, and I have some lovely pictures to share. See you at the next show!


Photography Shahzeb Hanif - Copyright