Glam Guilty Pleasure...Gold...

Our ultimate Glam Guilty Pleasure is Gold. No matter what the seasonal trend dictates we find a way to incorporate gold into our looks for both day and night. Gold is incredibly versatile and comes in a variety of cosmetic products. It can be used as a pigment added to a lotion or creme foundation to add a subtle glow used as an accentual eyeshadow to make your look really pop and even literally applied to the skin for an artistic, bold editorial or high fashion look. One warning is to be careful that the gold you are using isn't to brassy or yellow for your skin tone. If you are using it for a wearable day or night look the key is to use golds that highlight, pop and glow against your skin. For eyes, Barry M's Dazzle Dust in Marigold is an excellent loose eyeshadow that is a vibrant, warm ,true gold colour that matches most skin tones. (Gold goes fantastically with purples and browns.)

If you covet a Midas Kiss for that extraordinary glamorous look, keep eyes bold and black to really make a statement with your gold lips. A fantastic, luxurious way to achieve gold lips is Dolce and Gabbana's Shine Lipstick in Gold from the ultra luxe shopping centre Harrods - At £22 its not overly expensive and is excellent value for money.

For cheeks and face GloMinerals gloDust in 24K Gold is a fabulous loose highlighter that can be mixed or applied directly for a glam guilded glow. You can also mix this with body lotion for an all over shimmer to enhance your tan or just for extra wow-factor when going out for the night.

  

If you want to create a uber-glam gold look but not sure how, here are some fabulous looks. And as always, a tutorial after the jump. Today's tutorial is by YouTube artist KlairedelysArt and she will show you how to create a gorgeous look using gold and purple.  Enjoy!! <3

Sweet Like Chocolate!!

Back in the day, before makeup for the masses was as highly versatile, varied and developed as it is today, colours were limited and catered to few in terms of skin tones and different races. While paler girls were able to find an array of gorgeous colours and makeup shades to suit their skin tones brown skinned girls were left with little to no shades that suited them. Fast forward to 2011 and that is no longer a problem. The makeup giants now have literally hundreds of different shades of brown, tan, sand, caramel and many more to suit every and every shade available. And if one company doesn't do your particular shade there are at least three or four more that stock it in abundance guaranteed. The late 80's and early 90's saw the uprising of cosmetic companies like IMAN and Sleek that were tailored to suit darker skin tones and opened up an adventure of colour, elegance and vibrancy to darker skinned beauties of all backgrounds from asia to africa and back again.

There are still many myths and misconceptions about creating looks for darker skin and a lot of girls still aren't sure how to make the best of their gorgeous dark skin. Enjoy our little guide on catering to chocolate tones and we've thrown in a few inspiration looks plus a tutorial by YouTube artist lilpumpkinpie05 on how to create a great looks with dark skin.

 Important Rule #1 DO NOT BE AFRAID OF COLOUR!!!

Just as a gorgeous bright pink or green pops on a pale complexion, same goes for a darker complexion. You have to remember that when it comes to bright colours standing out the contrasting effect is very similar to that on paler complexions except for the fact that it is on the other end of the spectrum. Brighter matte colours tend to compliment darker skin tones. Sleek's Acid i-Divine Palette has a selection of amazingly vibrant eyeshadow colours that will help create looks that are vibrant and expressive against a dark complexion.

Important Rule #2 PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR UNDERTONES

Are you in need of a warm ,neutral or cool tone foundation? Are you aware of how to make the best of your tone using complimenting colours? Just because your skin is brown it doesn't automatically make you a warm tone. Pay attention to the undertones of your skin, are they yellow? red? Not sure? One way to figure out whether you are cool or warm is to imagine your skin as tracing paper once you look past the main hue try to see the colours that are present underneath. If you still can't figure it out ask a retail artist to help you. (I highly suggest visiting a MAC or Bobbi Brown concession or store as their makeup artists will certainly be able to show you how to know your undertones.) This is important because it helps you to know which shades of colour will compliment your skin - though this rule applies generally for all skin tones and colours it is especially important for darker skinned ladies as picking the wrong shade of eyeshadow or lipstick for your tone can be especially disastrous as you already have a strong presence of tone. You want the colours you wear to accentuate and compliment your wonderful dark skin not clash with it.

Important Rule #3 HIGHLIGHT & GLOW!!

One of the biggest advantages of dark skin is its natural glow. You should always aim to make the most of this as it will allow you to add depth and warmth to your skin. Highlighting your cheekbones, brow and the bridge of your nose will create gorgeous angles and help frame your face and enhance your complexion wonderfully. MAC's Iridescent Loose Powder in Golden Bronze is a gorgeous multi-use powder that can be mixed into cream or foundations to create an amazing iridescent effect without being to brassy.It can also be used (sparingly) on its own to further enhance your facial bone structure.

Here are some gorgeous inspirational looks for dark skin - tutorial after the jump =)

One for The Aspiring...What Makes a Great Makeup Artist?

Here at Glam Angel LTD we believe that the making of a great, successful makeup artist is like the makimg of a beautiful cake. This may sound odd but it is very true in that the qualities, components or ingredients if you will, of what and who makes a great makeup artist need to all be present and work together in order to be successful just in the way the ingredients of a cake all come together deliciously!

If you are studying to become an artist or interested in becoming one, I'm sure you have asked yourself if you have what it takes to be successful at it. What we can't do is give you a secret formula that will make you a millionaire makeup artist over night, however, what we can do is give you a list of key qualities every makeup artist should have if they want to venture into and do well in this highly competitive industry.

1. Creativity

Like painting an oil canvass or designing a fabulous gown, this is an ART and therefore requires you to be artistic and creative in nature. You need to be able to enjoy and appreciate different colours and looks and have a flair for coming up with different ideas using different colour schemes and artistic themes as each client will have their own tastes, preferences and features like skin tone, bone structure etc. Whenever I talk to someone or am in a situation where I am around people, especially when they have a blank face I often look at them and see tons of different ways I can make their face. I analyse their bone structure and colouring and try to figure out their personality and create looks imaginatively, with hundreds of different colours going through my mind. A creative mind is a flexible mind in that it will be able to take a few colours and a blank face and turn it into something beautiful.

2. Passion

There is an amazing quote by Hardy D.Jackson that says “Above all, be true to yourself, and if you cannot put your heart in it, take yourself out of it.” This applies to all career and life goals and paths and certainly reigns true for becoming a makeup artist. Becoming a makeup artist takes a lot of hard work and if you aren't passionate about it, all the money, time and effort you put in will eventually go to waste. You need to have the drive to want to be the best in your field and love this industry enough to have the will to always be learning more and constantly be striving to improve and perfect your craft. Plus nothing is worse than hiring someone who doesn't really care for their job so its very important to keep that in mind.

3. Dedication

Dedication and Passion go hand in hand. When starting out in this industry, chances are that you will be putting in long hours for little to no money. Even artists that manage to clinch a deal working for Vogue magazine may not get paid but will instead do the shoot to gain credit in the industry. This is why you absolutely must be dedicated to your craft and to your career path in order to succeed. It is important that you are able to have an end goal in sight and be willing to put your time, energy, blood, sweat and tears into making it there (okay maybe not blood and sweat but you catch my drift =)) Dedication to your personal and professional growth and success is key. 

4. Personality

As you will be working with people on a daily basis you must be friendly, warm, open, helpful and work well under pressure. One day you may be working with a teary, stressed out bride and the next your working for a spoilt top model who doesn't want anyone to look her directly in the eyes ( -_- ) . You will need to be able to deal with so many different characters and be sociable, smiley, calm and friendly no matter what the situation is. If you have a bad attitude or go off in a strop on the job the simple fact is that nobody will want to hire you again regardless of how brilliant you are as an artist. The only person who is allowed to be a diva in the room while you are working is the client!

5. Organisation

You absolutely must be organised!! We can't stress just how important this is!! You need to be organised with your time, tools and products. You will be booking clients who will be paying you and no client will appreciate you turning up late, without the right colours or without your brushes. Time is money and if you stay organised it will save you alot of time and help you earn good money. Keep your palettes labelled and tidy and keep your brushes organised. Make sure to have a diary or planner (electronic is best recommended) and make notes before the job so you will know if you need to bring anything extra. Go through your kit often and make note of what is running low so you aren't caught out on the job. Staying organised will help you appear professional and keep you from embarrassing yourself in front of a client.

6. Professionalism

See numbers 4 and 5 =)

Professionalism encompasses how you carry yourself on the job, how you present your business and ultimately how existing clients or potential clients will view you as a whole. As you are working as a makeup artist there is a big emphasis on appearance. This does not mean you will need to go to every job with a full face of makeup in fact it leans towards the opposite. Your clients need to see that you are there to work and just like you wouldn't dress like Jordan to go to a business meeting in a finance company you will need to apply the same rules to your business as a makeup artist. Make sure your hands are kept neat and polished as they will be near your clients face and I'm certain no one wants to look at grubby nails all day. Keep your kit neat ,coordinated and organised so when you need something, your client will not be sitting and waiting for ages while you dig out every eyeshadow or lipstick you own to find the primer at the bottom. Keep your hair neat and dress in clothing that allows you to move and is not distracting or over complicated. Always have your businesses image in mind and be professional in your behaviour and appearance wherever you go as you never know when a potential client might turn up.

7. Business Savvy

This one is so important as it applies to absolutely EVERYONE even if you aren't an aspiring artist (I should have put this at the top but never mind =))

You must be able to make good decisions, know how to prioritise and be savvy financially. There is no use spending incredible amounts of money on expensive brushes and palettes when your just starting out when you can get fantastic professional, good quality products at low cost. There are fabulous companies like BDellium Tools  Crown Brush and BH Cosmetics and many more who supply fabulous brushes and makeup palettes for brilliant prices.

Know your budgets and capabilities and you'll save yourself alot of hassle in the long run. If your starting your own freelance business as a makeup artist, it might be a good idea to take a short course in business start ups so you put yourself in the best position to make educated choices. Educate yourself on marketing for small businesses and managing finance, read up and research as much as possible. Its all about acquiring the best tools and knowledge to avoid the pitfalls that cause many stumble and fail.

9. Believe in Yourself

I dedicated a whole post to self belief last year just as we first launched that you can read here. I decided to write it early on because it is so incredibly important for everyone in every walk of life. Self belief brings hope, happiness and success to millions all over the world every day, every hour, every minute and its something that remains incredibly important across the board from when you are first starting out right up to the veteran artists that so many look up to. Realise you have been given talents and passions for a reason and recognize where your abilities lie. Lean on every positive aspect of even the most difficult of experiences, take every experience as a lesson and take these lessons through life, be thankful for them and draw inspiration from others. The only thing stopping your dreams come true is you. Once you truly believe in yourself you will realise doors opening and recognize opportunities where you might have missed them had you still been wallowing in self doubt. If you believe you are able to achieve great things only then you will achieve them.

<3

                                        

       

  

Believe...

When starting any venture or path there are always steps to be taken. Some are more important than others, others may seem trivial but have the potential to turn into the biggest stepping stone to success. Above all there is one step that trumps all others in importance, power and priority. Its a cliche' but that most important first step is SELF BELIEF.  Because without it you have nothing. You may go and buy all the best brushes, palettes, pigments, creams and gels; have the best tools and cases and be taught by the most respected and revered professionals in the industry but unless you believe in yourself - it is all useless in your journey.

A wise woman once said:

''Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.'' (Gail Devers)

 And never has a statement been more true. I remember when I had my first lightbulb moment about becoming a makeup artist a long time ago. Something inside of me lit fire and it was as if so many things slot into place, all these ideas I had floating around in my head without a cause finally had a place but even so, I still pushed it all to the back of my mind because of all the negative thoughts that coexisted with my dreams. It took me a long time to realise that my dreams weren't stupid, I will make something of them and I CAN and WILL be successful if I just put my mind to it and now I'm well on my way leaving a blazing trail behind me =) . The journey isn't complete yet but I wanted to share some encouraging words with you and really let you know that before anything you absolutely MUST believe in yourself and your talent and then the rest is easy LOL!!

I want to share with you a very inpiring video from celebrity makeup artist Kandee Johnson. In it she shares herpersonal story and  tells of the importance of self belief.