CATHERINE FLEMING MAKE-UP

A week ago or two I had the pleasure of doing Jordan’s make-up for a photo shoot. You may recognise Jordan if you watch “Take Me Out” on a Saturday  night where 30 girls, with the help of Paddy McGuinness, get a date and they go to the Isle of Fernandos aka Tenerife! Well Jordan left her light on (part of the show if you haven’t seen it!) and got picked to go to the Isle of Fernandos (she is still single….:)

For Jordan’s make-up I wanted it to have a Christmassy/winter feel so I did a red lip (“Russian Red” by MAC) and kept her eyes a soft gold smoke, I used colours from the Urban Decay Naked Palette , “Half-Baked” and a touch of “Darkhorse” (smoked with “Handwritten” by MAC) I don’t use the Urban Decay  palette a lot in photographic work as there is a lot of sparkle in the shadows which is not great with flash photography but I love the look at this time of the year for going to a ball or a glamorous night out and even sometimes during the day a subtle glint on the skin is gorgeous and feminine. 

Jordan having her make-up done (both in our big flattering jumpers lol!)

Oonagh from David Graham Hairdressing doing the final touches to Jordan’s tresses

I think Jordan looks a bit like Cindy Crawford (for those of you who remember the supermodel from the 90s!) in this photo

We loved this photo of Jordan so much we decided to use it to promote our  Christmas brochure for the “Lashes & Flashes” Makeover Photo Experience, a brilliant Christmas present, Gift Vouchers available by phone or at the Linen Green.

No I haven’t given myself a Sainthood (if there’s such a word!)!! Nor have I started a college for make-up! However, last night I had the pleasure of having six lovely teachers from St Catherine’s College, Armagh in for a night of eye and brow make-up and I was the “teacher” at the front of the class. As I’ve said to a few people before and last night, I am really NOT a natural teacher (it actually fills me full of dread having to stand up in front of  an expectant audience) and am much better in a one to one situation. But, that said, it was very enjoyable showing all of these lovely ladies as much as I possibly could about the art of eye and brow make-up over a glass of wine and some totally unhealthy snacks. I cover everything I know and do on a daily basis from primer/base and related products, a natural eye look to a bold smokey eye, eyeshadow products/colours/textures, eye shapes, mascaras, eyeliners – types and application and finally brows- the symetrics of the brows to brow filling, shaping, products and also tips on false lashes and application. 

Nigel came in at the end and took a few photos (which was very funny watching everyone frantically applying lipstick, blusher etc once they knew some photos were being taken)!

From L-R – Cathy, Tina, Anne, Me, Cathy (my model), Niamh, Meghan and her lovely mummy Orlagh

Blend, blend, blend is the key to eye make-up (all make-up really). Here I’m using my favourite eyeshadow brush the MAC 217 to blend the crease/socket line.

Cathy, with her two eye make-ups slightly different, on the right one I demonstrated some glitter at the end for Christmas nights out, my favourite are still the Jemma Kidd Jewel Cream Duos, this one’s in the colour Bronzite which suits warm skin tones and green and brown eyes people – its a gorgeous bronze/gold sparkly colour.

This really is a great night out for six friends or work colleagues who’re all interested in eye make-up. It’s two hours of relaxed “learning” and hopefully you come away with some really good tips about eye and brow make-up application, products and how to have more confidence to make your eyes the best they can look. Remember girls, most people look at our eyes when they talk to us so we need to get them looking mesmerising!

I went for a run down to the Boucher Road in Belfast today, after speedily diverting myself from M&S in Sprucefield where I couldn’t get a park and my blood pressure was getting high at the need to get my (very dirty) Golf parked! Just not worth it on my precious Sunday afternoon

After getting to the Boucher Road (the parking was every bit as bad!), and after a spiced gingerbread skinny latte and salted caramel square in Starbucks, I went into Boots. I absolutely love having time on my own browsing all of the make-up brands seeing what’s new and testing loads and loads of stuff out on the back of my hand. There are so many great products available it’s just a minefield and you literally could spend hundreds of pounds in one go on make-up. They also have all the gorgeous gift and box sets in for Christmas and it was really difficult limiting myself to just a few things. This is what I bought:

I took the photo on my phone so thats why its so small and terrible quality, but from back L-R: a Real Techniques foundation buffing brush for flawless foundation application, Soap and Glory Super Colour Sexy Mother Pucker Lip Plumping Gloss , L’Oreal Colour Riche lipstick in no.367, a Vaseline lip therapy in rosy lips (definitely good at this time of the year), a L’Oreal Color Riche LeSmoky dark brown eyeliner pencil with a smudger on the end and a Barry M red lip liner pencil (I’m doing so many red lips at the minute ).

Caoimhe, who’s make-up I did on Friday afternoon for her going to the Omagh Business Awards at which she WON the award is wearing this lipstick and that’s why I bought it, after using hers, just the most gorgeous colour. It’s a deep raspberry red intense colour and has a good bit of moisture so it feels lovely on.

So those were my Sunday afternoon purchases today in Boots. I also tried some clothes on in River Island, decided I was far too fat for any of them and then went across to  Marks and Spencer on the Boucher Road where I got dinner for nearly our whole week and also got the Golf washed  just opposite for £3.50. A successful day in the end

On Friday last I did Joanne’s make-up for her Lashes & Flashes Makeover Photo experience that her husband and two wee boys had bought her as a present for Mother’s Day.

Joanne arrived fresh faced and after we had a discussion about make-up likes and looks we decided to define Joanne’s great blue eyes and smoke them up. I used a soft grey/pink on the lid and then smoked the crease/socket line and under the bottom lash line with a deep purple mixed with a touch of black “Carbon” by MAC.  After loads of black mascara by Clinique I finished the eyes with a set of Eylure 101 false lashes. I also filled and shaped Joanne’s brows with a mixture of eyeliner pencil by GOSH and matte shadow, “Omega” by MAC. On Joanne’s cheeks I contoured with NARS “Laguna” and used the pretty pink powder blush in “Dollymix” by MAC finished with a highlighter on the tops of the cheekbones. 

Such a transformation, just beautiful

The package Joanne had starts at £69.95 for professional fashion and photographic make-up application, photo session in our fully equipped photography studio and photo fully edited/re-touched/airbrushed and professionally printed for you 12×8 size. A really great gift for someone, especially for Christmas . Contact me on 028 87752766 or call in at the Linen Green.

A couple of weeks ago I did Cathy’s make-up for her engagement photo shoot with her fiance Christopher. Cathy is a part time model and just has the most amazing skin and naturally curly eyelashes so my job was not difficult doing her make-up for the photo shoot. I kept Cathy’s make-up quite natural and did a soft gold smokey eye to compliment Cathy’s beautiful green eyes. All of the colours of Cathy’s eye make-up matched the amazing autumn colours out at Brantry Lough where the photo shoot was.

I “pinked” up Cathy’s lips half way through the photo shoot to match in with the pink in her scarf. 

In the afternoon we were back in the studio and Cathy and Christopher had some “intimate” shots done which is a really lovely thing to do when you’re young, gorgeous and in love! Any of these photos would be great hanging in your bedroom. The definition in Cathy’s eyes and an extra bit of cheek contouring worked well in black and white.