My Hall of Fame Make-up Brushes

I'm often asked to recommend make-up brushes to Client's. Here is a list of my favourites which have stood the test of time. They are not cheap but investing in good brushes will dramatically improve your make-up application, some even do a lot of the hard work for you.

Take care of them by washing regularly (twice a week) in mild shampoo and leave to dry overnight, overhanging a table (so no bristles are in contact with the surface). Be careful not to let the water get into the handle of the brush as this can damage the glue.

Eyeshadow - MAC 239

Brilliant for packing on colour to lids. No splaying.

Socket brush - Laura Mercier crease brush

Fantastic shape for working colour into the crease.

Blending brush - MAC 217

Can either be used as a socket brush or just to blend socket colour.

Blush - Illamasqua brush 1

Perfect dense bristles for the apples of the cheeks

Concealer - MAC 195

Great flat shape for all those imperfections

Powder - Shu Uemura

Holds it's shape really well

Eyeliner - MAC 266

Fab for gel liner application or to use shadow as a liner

Smoky liner - Laura Mercier smoky eye liner

Brilliant at blending out pencil liner for a smoky effect

Brow - Shu Uemura

Super stiff bristles make brows a doddle

Lips - Shu Uemura Kolinsky

Absolutely the best lipbrush I've ever used

Make-up Shopping

Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed by the choice of make-up brands now available?

Have you ever felt pressurised into buying products that you don't need or particularly love by pushy sales staff?

Are you keen to try different products/brands but don't know where to start?

Fed up wasting money on make-up that lies in your drawer unused but don't have the heart to throw away?

A make-up shopping experience can help with all of the above. I meet you beforehand to have a chat about your current make-up and what you would like to improve. After going through your make-up bag, I'll help you weed out the products that need to go and we'll decide what can be saved. We'll agree a budget, then hit the shops.

Being freelance, I have no allegiance to any particular brand and will only direct you to the products I know from experience work. These are likely to include some premium brands as well as some high street gems.

All age groups are catered for. It's a fun and useful experience for teenagers to grandmother's and everyone in between.

£60 for up to 2 hrs. Combined with a one to one make-up lesson £120.

Latest Lindsay Fleming Shoot

Archibald photography (http://www.archibaldphotography.co.uk/) have very kindly sent me some further images from the stunning Lindsay Fleming 'All That Jazz' collection (http://www.lindsayfleming.com/). The shoot took place at the Voodoo Rooms in Edinburgh with the gorgeous Lois Weatherup (http://www.coloursagency.com/). Grace is such a talented lady, the dresses have since been featured in several magazines and a little bird tells me they may be making their way onto the big screen.

The shoot was a continuation of the previous collection with hair and make-up 1920's inspired. I love working with this team of people. Mark is a joy to work with, not only does he produce incredible, award winning photography but his calm approach brings out the best in everyone. He even managed to keep smiling after we ran WAY behind schedule following M8 roadworks, before then discovering every window of the venue was blocked by scaffolding. It's no wonder his bride's love him!