A Tale of Two Faces | The Power of Make Up

Last weekend I ran out of one of my favourite brow products. No problem though, right? Well, I was slap bang in the middle of filming my first ever You Tube video, typical right, oh and did I mention I was only able to finish one brow before I found myself in this predicament? So with a heavy heart I shut off my camera and packed up my wares, to film another day, but instead I took the opportunity to be a little two faced, nah I wasn't having a rant and a moan behind my beloved MACs back, I mean I quite literally took the opportunity to be a little two faced.

I've seen a lot of bloggers, vloggers, instagrammers and tweeters doing this challenge entitled 'The Power of Make Up,' where you make one half of your face up and leave the other half bare as a baby. The challenge was pioneered by Nikki Tutorials in order to get folks thinking about make up, why they wear it , how it makes them feel as a person and to show that us gals aren't making ourselves into gorgeously glittery glamazons for no guy. I mean PLEASE I ain't buying a £60 palette and painting my lids purple for anyone but my own enjoyment!

To me make up, as many before and many more after me will say, is a form of expression, a form of control and an opportunity to transform not just your appearance or aesthetic, but your entire mood and outlook on life even if just for a day, an hour, hell half an hour, if it makes me feel good then I'll be doing it on the daily! From that self concious 14 year old girl and her first ill advised purchase of a Rimmel mascara that I couldn't work out how to use without going all panda eyed, to me today, a far more confident, life owning girl boss......still making ill advised purchases but luckily I'm a lot less panda.

So guys I'd love to hear your stories! How does make up make you feel? Do you feel all nostalgic over your first ever purchases? Be sure to leave all of your thoughts, word vomit and brain farts in the comments below, come share your selfies with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook even (where could be more appropriate?

Until next time folks, what can I say? I'm a little two faced after all!

H.Elizabeth x

Eye Define | Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner Review

Back in the day pencil eyeliner was my go to, though I do think I've been through every phase under the sun throughout the years, liquids, creams, pencils, bright colours, dark colours, mattes, shimmers, you name it I've wore it! But today I want to share with you my latest liner obsession and that is the Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner. 

Currently I stock two colours in my kit, black ink which is a beautiful blacker than black shade and sepia ink which is a dark taupey brown which is great when trying to create a more 'natural' look (fab for brides!) and given just how much I have fallen in love with these I'm excited to buy more. The liners themselves come in small pots with 3g worth of product inside, but believe me when I say that a little goes a very long way. 

To apply these I use a damp tapered brush, typically my weapon of choice is the winged liner brush by Zoeva which came as part of my taupe collection. I start by painting my outer corner in short even strokes right at the root of the lash line and then working my way inwards and finishing off by tight lining my eye. By doing this I find the forumla goes on evenly and if necessary I'll wipe the excess off of the brush using a piece of kitchen roll before going near my eye. If used on the waterline which I rarely do, this last all day and according to claims can last as long as 12 hours on the eye (though I rarely wear make up in excess of 12 hours)The gel formula has helped me create perfect feline flicks faster than any forumla previously and doesn't smudge like most other liners do. This liner is perfect for ladies and gents who love the look of a liquid liner but don't want the smudging, running or hassle of application. 

At present I can't see myself needing anything more from an eyeliner than what these already give me, my only gripe in fact is that I don't have more colours!These pots retail at £18.50 each which sounds steep in comparison to high street brands but this will not only last all day but the pot will last you months guaranteed! You can buy these at any Bobbi Brown counter worth their salt in most Debenhams or John Lewis stores up and down the country.

Have you ever tried these gel liners? I'd love to hear how you found them, be sure to leave all your thoughts, comments and criticisms in the comments down below, perhaps you've found something EVEN better than Bobbi, I love getting your recommendations! As usual though you can catch me making faces on the usual channels Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and of course more from the blog on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, nothing beats Bobbi!

H.Elizabeth x

Too Faced | Semi Sweet Chocolate Bar Palette Review

Am I a bit late to the party? Probably, but then again aren't I always? Today I just wanted to share with you my new fave, my new bae if you will, who I picked up during my recent travels and jaunt to Sephora which I have literally been using to make up my face every day (every day I leave the house) and that is the Too Faced Semi Sweet Chocolate Bar palette.

Having previously been a hardcore advocate of MAC eyeshadow palettes and investing quite a deal of time and money in them I just have to say, don't waste your damn time! (What a 360 right?) Too Faced, as the rest of the world undoubtedly knows by now, are well known for their melted liquid lipsticks and their eyeshadow palettes who famously smell as they are named, in this case rich chocolatey goodness which just makes playing with make up that much sweeter.

The semi sweet palette is a slightly deeper and richer version of Too Faced's ever popular chocolate bar palette and contains a range of finishes such as glitter, shimmer and matte shades which can help you create a wide range of looks just from a handful of colours, whether you're into natural, barely there make up, or dramatic, bold, draggy styles (like me!). The colours are all named after sweets of some form or description and so far my favourite 'go to' shades for every day have been peanut butter, mousse and puddin' but their shimmer shades caramel and bon bon are GORGEOUS. The colours are all highly pigmented and easy to apply which is a must for me as one of my peeves is eyeshadow you really have to work into the brush! 

I do plan on purchasing more Too Faced shadow palettes in future, namely their newest Sweet Peach range which looks great and light for the summer time (and I also hear smells divine) You can pick up Too Faced products at Sephora, however if you can't afford the plane fare I know you can get your hands on them in select Debenhams stores.

Hopefully you have enjoyed this super quick, super snappy and super sweet review of the Too Faced Semi Sweet palette, I'd love to hear just what you think of their products in the comments below, Tweet over your recommendations for other shadow brands or of course if you'd just like to see how I've been using the palette head over to my Instagram and Facebook page.

Until next time, feelin' sweet!

H.Elizabeth x

Eylure Enchanted | Adored, Cherished & Beloved Lashes

Okay if there's one thing that can be said about me it's that I love, love, love false eyelashes! In fact I'd go as far as to say I'm a connoisseur of the false lash, a falsie addict, an artiste when it comes to application and I'm always looking to try new styles, products and make up techniques to enhance my own lashes. So upon buying the latest limited edition collection by Eylure I was excited to say the least and I expected to love and take these lashes in as my own go to gals! I was sadly mistaken and bitterly disappointed!

These lashes, where do I even begin, perhaps with the oddly formed band which can neither be trimmed to fit my lashes without looking ridiculously out of shape nor fit my shape naturally (a feat I have long admired the Eylure range for) Or shall it be how ridiculously uncomfortable these lashes are? Never have I ever been more uncomfortable while wearing a set of false lashes, and I have NEVER been so uncomfortable that I'd rip them off halfway through the day, but hey there is a first for everyhing. Alas this is what happened not once, not even twice but three times with these lashes as they're simply ALL as uncomfortable as the next.

Honestly, these lashes look so beautiful that I literally bought one from each set so now I'm lumbered with these devil lashes who want nothing more than to see me suffer! I implore you not to go for the enchanted collection (no worries Eylure it isn't all your fault) I for one LOVED their Katy Perry and Girls Aloud lashes and I've got to say I'm a big, big fan of their House of Holland lashes as well as their regular texture and lengthening lashes, so do try and test what you like to find your own falsie style (but not enchanted!) 

Sorry that this was something of a rant but I just wanted to warn you and spare you the scratched lids and dry eyes that these lashes offer you everything but the Enchanted experience you may be expecting! 

Did you get your hands on these? What did you think of them? Maybe it was just me? Be sure to let me know in the comments below, come share your thoughts with me on Twitter, or if you'd just like to see me making faces we can catch up on Facebook and Instagram!

Until next time folks, no these were NOT the lashes I was looking for!

H.Elizabeth x

Not another MAC Haul | My Recent MAC Haul

It's for the kit, I swear it's for the kit... well at the very least it's for research purposes! Yes I am indeed coming back to you today with another MAC haul but this time guys, I didn't buy ANY lip products of any description (I'll pause right here for the gasps) nope instead I ventured forth into some more weird and wonderful products that MAC have had to offer the beauty world of late and today I'd like to share just what I picked up this time.

MAC Eye brushes (217 and 224)
Though I do love my Zoeva brushes sometimes you've just got to see what else is out there you know. And as the beauty bloggers and vloggers of the world have been screaming and SCREAMING about the MAC 217 brush I thought why not? It is a flat eye brush which I think I'll use to pick up and apply pigment as well as shading and blending. The 224 brush I picked up on a whim, I love crease brushes and this one looks as though it will deliver some more precise application than my current Zoeva crease brush does.

MAC Mini Prep and Prime Fix + Spray

Prep and prime has been around in the beauty world since the times of yore. It can be sprayed on your bare face to absorb additional moisture into the skin and give you a lovely dewy look, it can be applied to your beauty blender before pushing product into the skin and some have even used it as a finishing spray. I myself have been dampening my eye brushes with this spray and using it to pick up and apply glittery or more shimmery pigments to give me a 3D effect on my eyelid.

MAC Cream Colour Base in the shade Luna
I was told in the store that this was a limited edition colour base product but I'm sure it's still available! Sneaksy store lady, sneaksy! I got this because I felt it would look fab as a cream highlight, it's so soft and buttery and just glides over the top of my foundation (liquid) and has helped give me that gorgeous dewy, strobe effect that folks have been loving for spring / summer.

MAC Studio Eye Gloss in the shade Pearl Varnish
After I spotted these out of stock gorgeous glosses in Barcelona I knew I had to have one, so when I returned to MAC in Aberdeen I was on a mission! Luckily I managed to get my hands on this pearl varnish shade. I have not been brave enough to use this yet through fear of sticking my eyelids open or something drastic but I'm looking forward to creating some dramatic, wet look eyes with these one day soon.

See, I didn't do too badly did I? Since writing this post I have also stocked my kit with a few shades of the MAC Face and Body foundations which are great for bridal make up as well as work on photo shoots (which I did in fact use them for recently) and of course and as always I do still have my eye on a few MAC lippys (I will be strong, I will be strong)

I'd love for you to alleviate my guilt and share with me just what you've been buying in MAC or elsewhere recently! Be sure to share your hauls and best buys in the comments below, come share them with me on Twitter, or if you just want to see what I've been doing to folks faces recently you can find me on Instagram and Facebook!

Until next time folks, MACing life!

H.Elizabeth x

You're making me blush | Hannah Adams Make Up Artistry has a new home!

Quickie, quickie update from me today just to announce a very exciting new venture for my little make up artistry business which I am pleased to announce has a brand new home! As of this weekend I will be offering make up artistry services every weekend from Blush Boutique in Aberdeen's city centre. For those of you who don't live in the good old Granite City, Blush Boutique began as a blow dry bar back in 2014 and quickly climbed to THE destination to get yo hair did on a Friday or Saturday before hitting the tiles. Since then they have come on leaps and bounds and are currently expanding their team of hairstylists as well as taking on brand new therapists, a make up artist (me) and nail technicians so they truly are becoming a one stop shop for all of your beauty needs.

Of course if you are a member of the glorious Granite City and you'd quite like to get your glam on be sure to call the salon for an appointment with me or drop me a line on Facebook. As per you can catch me lurking and making myself and others over on the usual channels, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook etc and more from the blog by checking my out on Bloglovin. 

Until next time folks, stop it you're making me blush!

H.Elizabeth x

MUA Moans | The True Cost of Make up artistry

Since embarking on my new make up artistry journey over these last few months I really do feel as though I've seen it all, the good, the bad and the ugly (i.e. unblended shadow, unblended shadow EVERYWHERE!) But in all seriousness today, I'd quite like to address a post that sort of made my blood boil recently on one of the many many MUA / wedding forums on Facebook relating to one bride in particular who quite simply saw her wedding and make up for the day as a god given right. 

The post in question was from a lady down south who wanted to give one 'learning but highly skilled' make up artist the privilege of working on her face for her wedding FREE of charge instead paying the artist in exposure, and her reason? She does not have it in her allocated wedding budget to pay a make up artist but is quite happy for whichever poor soul she is able to rope in to this utter, utter scam to take pictures of her on her big day. Now I'm sure all of you creatives out there have come across this at some point in your life, and it is RIFE in the wedding industry, with a lot of brides expecting free trials, free alterations, photographs, you name it! After seeing this post and understandably feeling a bit tetchy I sat down to write this post and basically outline the main three reasons make up artists charge what they charge.

Time

Time is quite a large factor when it comes to charging for various make up artistry. For example an evening make up will take less time than a bridal appointment. But people forget that it isn't just time spent with your client, it's time drawing up face charts and contracts, it's time sitting down with your client and discussing their requirements, it's time sanitizing your kit and making sure you're giving your client the best possible experience and service, and particularly for those working in a salon or studio, for brides it's time spent away from that salon.

High Quality Products
I've seen people screw their faces at being charged £30 or so for occasion make up, but did you know that some of the individual products your artist is using can cost upwards of £30, particularly if they stock brands such as MAC. So you're not just paying for time, application and knowledge but the products too. Some artists will use your own foundation and your own products if you request this and they'll charge you at a lower rate but generally you want the best of the best for your big day or event and at the end of the day you're paying for use of their kit.

Expertise
Just like any other profession you're paying your artist to use knowledge they've studied and acquired through various courses, degrees, training and painstaking hours spent getting those flicks on fleek! Basically your artist has put a great deal of work into their craft and it ain't cheap for them either. It's a bit like if you hired a decorator to help you achieve the dream home you've always wanted, would you expect this service for free, or ask your handyman to do this for the experience? Probably not.

Now obviously this is a very quick, thrown together and basic list of just why you're being charged that £30, but there is so much more. From advertising and marketing yourself to researching new products, keeping on top of the current trends, travelling to various locations, replacing disposables on a weekly basis and generally working your arse off to man and own your one person business (and guys that's the TIP of the iceberg)

Have you ever had your make up done professionally? Did you find it was worth the money or were you left questioning why you were charged so much? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below, come share your brain with me on Twitter, or if you'd like to see more faces you can visit me on Instagram and Facebook.

Until next time folks.

H. Adams Make Up Artistry x

Get it in the bin | Make Up Shelf Life

Now we're all guilty of this, I know we are! I myself have been known to hoard and covet some products WAY beyond the point of acceptance, but for the good of our skin we need to shape up and brush up on the shelf life of our make up. Since posting this on my make up artistry Facebook page I've been pretty inundated with messages of but what will happen if I don't throw away my foundation, but what if this and what if that. Well to put it quite bluntly, acne, blindness, DEATH!!! Okay I'm exaggerating, but the effects of out of date products on your skin ain't good. I mean would you eat a yoghurt covered in mould? Or drink from a separated carton of milk? Nope so why put something like that on your face? Do yourself a favour, make it this months resolution to replace or get rid of any out of date beauty products that you and I both know are lurking in the back of your beauty cabinet and start this summer a new.

Are you guilty? Do the expiry dates on some of your favourites shock you? Let me know in the comments below, come and share your outrage with me on Twitter or as per you can keep up with me and my world shattering news on Instagram, Facebook and Bloglovin.

This has been your weekly PSA by Granite City Girl, stay safe and stay sanitary!

H.Elizabeth x

Ooops I tripped! | Sephora Haul

Woops...what can I say guys, I um... tripped and fell straight into Sephora on our travels recently, and then I tripped again and again, counter to counter until I racked up quite a hefty bill. What can I say? I'm just that clumsy, but on the bright side not only have I totally buffed out my kit, got some great new products to play with and found a few new firm favourites, but I've also got something to blog about! Isn't it great when these things work out? So without further ado and going into too too much detail here is my special Spanish Sephora haul.

Too Faced Semi Sweet Chocolate PaletteToo Faced are quickly becoming more and more known for their eyeshadow palettes here in the UK, and after watching a fair few tutorials and giving it a great deal of thought I decided to go for the slightly cooler toned Semi Sweet Chocolate Palette. Stick around for my full review in the future as well as a couple of looks I've been loving creating recently. And yes guys...it really does smell like chocolate and it's awesome!

Too Faced Bulletproof Brows KitI've been on the hunt for a good brow gel for a while and I've got to be honest, I'm not entirely sure this is it, but I'm more than willing to give it a good go for a while. Having been a brow pencil addict through and through I think it'll take an adjustment but hey, I'll try anything once!

Too Faced Melted Liquid Lipstick in NudeY'all know how I love my liquid lipsticks. Having dabbled with Revlon, LA Splash and more recently Kylie Cosmetics I fancied picking up just one more to add to the collection and you know for...research purposes! I picked this one up in nude and it was love at first swatch, I'm looking forward to testing out the formula and giving it a good ole comparison post in the future.

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in VanillaHype, hype, hype. The higher end version of my much loved collection concealer (a considerably cheaper and amazing alternative for those on a budget) so I'm looking forward to seeing how this holds up compared to it's counterpart.

Nars Highlighting Blush in AlbatrossHaven't we all just gots to get that glow? I've been testing out quite a few different highlighting products recently including creams, blush, colour correct techniques by brands such as MAC, Revlon, Bourjois... all sorts really. When I swatched this Nars product in Sephora (admittedly having never heard of it before) it was love, and I now hold it as my own favourite and a kit favourite!

Sephora EyeshadowsSephora eyeshadows have never been something I've heard raved about, but I'm absolutely baffled as to why. I decided to pick up a couple of gold, coppery shades in a glitter and a shimmer simply because of how darn pigmented my swatches in store were (stay tuned!)

Too Faced Better than Sex Mascara (sample size) & Too Faced Hangover Primer (sample size)

As a wee prize for spending so much on Too Faced cosmetics I was given a couple of samples to take away, one being the much coveted and raved about Too Faced Better than Sex Mascara and the Too Faced Hangover Primer.

Well now I have repented my sins and cleansed my soul, I feel so much better, now I just need to give my bank balance a bit of time to heal! What do you guys think of my picks? Is there anything you would have picked up in addition? Be sure to leave your comments below, come share them with me on Twitter, or if you'd like to see EVEN MORE make up you can visit me on Facebook and Instagram!

Until next time folks, repent, repent, repent!

H.Elizabeth x

Building my Pro MUA Kit | Bobbi Brown BBU Palette

As a new make up artist it can be a challenge working out just where to start when it comes to building your kit and when it comes to specifics like foundations, eyeshadows, blushes, you sort of just want to throw your brushes in the air and hide away from it all, because there is just....SO....MUCH...CHOICE. But I have found that a great place to start is with one great go to palette that can take you through concealers, colour correctors AND foundations without having to fiddle about with individual bottles and go through the dramas and nightmares that come with picking and choosing different shades.

Following some advice from my GC tutor as well as a bit of research online I decided to opt for the Bobbi Brown BBU palette. Bobbi Brown is a brand who focus namely on skin and not masking your natural beauty but rather enhancing it, perfect if you're working with a bride or someone who isn't quite used to wearing quite as much make up as someone like me is. The BBU palette is made up of Bobbi Browns signature cream foundation sticks in all the colours of the skin tone rainbow, as well as creamy concealers and colour correctors that ought to help you handle anything life and face throws at you from dark circles to redness, wrinkles and skin discolouration, this is your go to.

Again this is a product that is best warmed up and placed on the face using your fingers and then going in and working with a brush or damp beauty blender to buff it into the skin. Personally I have been buffing the product into the skin using a Real Techniques Expert Face brush and getting rid of any lines with a damp sponge or beauty blender. Though the foundation is made to offer a light coverage the product is fairly buildable and if you wanted you could go back in with some darker  and lighter concealers and foundation colours to create some contoured and highlighted effects on the face the formula is just that versatile.

Having used this on pretty much ALL of the clients I have had so far I am pleased to report I haven't really ran into any issues, and none of the ladies I've had in my chair have complained of a reaction or anything from the formula (though skin prep is always a useful skill to employ so I will do a post on skin prep in the future for those of you who are wondering)

The palette is a little more on the pricey side, retailing at around £200, and I wouldn't recommend getting this if you're not planning on pursuing a career in make up artistry because DAMN GIRL these are expensive, but they do literally have any and all of the colours you're going to need so as a make up artist consider this as a necessary evil... I mean investment.... woops.

Again I hope you have enjoyed this little, teensy weensey peek into my make up artistry kit,  I of course have a far more extensive skin, foundation, concealer and skincare range than this, so if you are interested in seeing just what it is I use on dry skin, oily skin or even the skin prep I do for any skin types be sure to leave your suggestions in the comments below! Otherwise you can catch me and my varying alter egos on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and of course more from the blog on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, Bobbi, you are bae!

H.Elizabeth 

Everybody makes mistakes | My Biggest Ever Beauty Blunders

Even make up artists can get it wrong sometimes. When I was a children boy did I make a good few facial doozies when it came to my make up application, technique, product choices, let's just say, if it could go wrong it did. So today in light of my recent trips down memory lane (i.e. my old Facebook profile pictures) I thought I would share my biggest and baddest ever beauty blunders and hopefully prevent some of you younglings from making my mistakes.

Liquid liner in my waterline

In what world is this a good idea, particularly for an individual with me who has watery eyes? Liquid liner and damp areas simply do not mix, it's a recipe for gooping, running, smearing and unfortunately coloured eye gunk, my goodness the eye gunk! Don't follow in my footsteps, be smart, pick the pencil!

Using only my right hand to apply mascara

I'm not sure why I regarded my left had as the inferior helper when it came to mascara, but when I first ever got my hands on that coveted Rimmel Volume Flash mascara I refused to let my left hand do any helping. Resulting in overly coated lashes which unfortunately flaked all over the sink (sorry mum) as well as my school uniform through the day, and if I was REALLY unlucky a big blob of thick black mascara over the bridge of my nose, guys it's called goth mascara chic okay?

Ill coloured foundation

Top of every 20 something girls list of beauty blunders seems to be the highly sought after Dream Matte Mousse by Maybelline,  which I bought in seemingly every colour BUT the one that made my face match my neck! Not only did I completely miss the mark where my skin tone was concerned but I totally misread what my skin wanted and needed, and that my friends was intense moisture which, clue in the name, a matte foundation just wasn't going to give me. Woops, sorry face! 

Using my fingers as application tools

You name it, I applied it with my fingers, be it foundation, be it concealer, eyeshadow (what a mess!) you name it I had it ALL OVER MY FINGERS! Now I'm not saying using your (clean and sanitised) fingers isn't great for really warming the product up and pushing it into areas that need that coverage (i.e. eye primers, concealers etc) but when you're smearing your black as night eyeshadow and hot pink glitter pigment across your lids like war paint, it might be time to invest in some finer tools.

Using frosted eyeshadow to fill in my brows

Forgive me fleeky for I have sinned. It could be said my under plucked, non waxed or styled brows were absolutely not on fleek, and this carried on until I was about 20! That's how recent my blunders are bringing me. I would (sigh) dust brown eyeshadow with a cheapy applicator across my brows all to match my hair..... enough said really right? Don't do this! Get your brows shaped and invest in a brow pencil at the very least.

Dazzle dusting all of the things

Who remembers the Barry M dazzle dust pots? I know my mum does since I spilled an entire black pot on her pristine and clean flooring at the tender age of 15 (I've said sorry okay?!) At the time, of course being a hardcore advocate of using my fingers as my primary make up tools I would get this stuff everywhere, I always applied it dry, and for some reason it always seemed to be black! To be quite fair though the fallout did sometimes make me look like I had chic, high fashion black freckles, though most of the time it did just look as though I had been chimney sweeping. If you're going to use a pure glitter pigment I seriously suggest using a damp brush to pick it up and press it on to the area you want it (and you know put down a tonne of black bags to protect your floors)

Hopefully in some way this has helped you, saved your adolescence perhaps or maybe even just made you cringe laugh at my misfortunes, either way it's a win! I'm sure in future I'll look back at myself in my early 20s and cringe at whatever I'm doing now, who knows maybe winged liner and bold brows will be ridiculed in future (NAT!) Make sure you leave your biggest beauty blunders and downfalls in the comments below, if at the very least to make me feel like a bit less of a twat, come share them with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or you can just keep up with my recent cringes on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, blundering my way through the MUA world!

H.Elizabeth

Prep and Prime | Maybelline 24hr Colour Tattoo

 

As you lovely ladies and gentlemen should know by now, I've always been all about that base, and these days it's not just my face base I'm obsessing over. Nope, it could be said I like to cover all of my bases and none seem more important than our eye base. They say eyes are the windows to the soul, and I love nothing more than decorating mine with some of the finest drapings my local make up counters have to offer. But what I don't love is when my shadow slips, slides or worse gathers in my crease! But luckily there are so so many products out there that can not only stop your eyes from slipping down to your chin or crawling into your hairline, but give you  a fierce, fierce colour pop that you can create a multitude of looks with, and today I'm going to share one of my faves, the Maybelline 24hr Colour Tattoo.

These cream shadow products come in a wide range of colours and finishes, from mattes to shimmers and even a leather finish came on the go a while ago and whether you're just using this as an eyeshadow as intended or the way I use mine as a primer then you're set to achieve an eye poppin' look. As you can see I have mine in a multitude of colours from their creamy neutral creme de nude to my deep dark pomegranate shimmer which was my go to favourite during the holiday season and finally my brand new colour pops of teal and purple. But today I'm going to focus on my creme de nude as this is what I typically use for a base. 

If I'm working on a client with these I'll pop some of the product out onto the back of my hand and work through it with a brush and gently press the product across the entire eye lid and go back in with my ring finger to press it on that little bit more and blend it so there are no creases. If however I'm working on myself I'll take some on my finger and gently rub and press it along my eye lid and socket, this typically works much better than a brush because the product will have warmed up and will be easier to apply and move, but of course brushes are just fine they simply take a little longer.To set that in place I'll take an eyeshadow that is around the same colour as my skin tone, perhaps a little darker if I'm going for a dramatic look and sweep that all across my lid where I placed the colour tattoo product.. This will help set the primer and mattify your lid so colours you go in with from this point are true to form. You should now be good to go with whatever eyeshadow drapings and looks you desire because my dear your eyeballs are prepped and primed! 

These colour pots retail at £4.99 each but usually there is a deal on in Boots so you could end up getting a 3 for 2 or walk away with a gift of some sort. As you can see these are far, far more cost effective than their high end counterparts from MAC, but of course the only downside is that they don't quite have the range of colours or finishes as the paint pots in MAC.

Let me know in the comments below if you've ever tried using these coloured shadows as eye bases, how did you find them? Or have you found something that's even better than Maybelline? As per I hope this was helpful, useful in some way, maybe funny or maybe I've just aided in your procrastination of the day! Either way I'm more than happy to oblige. If you want to procrastinate even further come chat with me on Twitter, like my new make up snaps on Instagram or you could just stick around and follow the blog using Bloglovin!

Until next time folks, this ain't no slip n slide!

H.Elizabeth x

Updated Brush Cleaning Routine | How to care for your brushes

You guys will maybe remember that about a year and a half ago I shared with you just how I was cleaning my collection of make up brushes of the time, you remember, all 5 of them.. Well today I'm here to tell you to scrap that, because with my new found MUA in training wisdom I'm here to lay down some truths, home skillet, on how you should really be cleaning your make up brushes so as to avoid the dreaded fallout (it can actually be avoided, trust me) 

When you think about it all of the tips and tricks I'm about to share with you really ought to be common sense and it all revolves around the make up and design of your actual brushes themselves, but if you don't know, you just don't know. Your brush bristles are glued in to the base of your brush, but that base doesn't go as far as you can see, it goes even further usually going right to the base of your handle, so if you get warm water or really any foreign liquid into the brush you'll loosen the glue bonds to the point where eventually your bristles will fall out.

With that firmly in mind, here are my biggest do's and don'ts when it comes to safely caring for your facial tools:

DON'T submerge your brushes in water. Water will loosen your glue bonds and fall out will occur over time.

DON'T tap your brush on the side of a counter or on your hand to remove excess powder, this can also loosen glue bonds. Instead Potter it up with a graceful swish and flick.

BEAUTY BLENDERS should be placed in a pillow case and washed in the washing machine (sorry guys but this is the only way to effectively sterilize them)

MUA TIP: DO wash your brushes after every client you've worked on, don't compromise on cleanliness when your business is on the line!

DO hold your brush downwards at an angle under a slowly running tap to help wash your brushes. NEVER hold them upwards as water will enter the base of the brush and .. you  guessed it.. loosen the glue bonds.

DO use a gently cleansing shampoo such as Johnson's Baby Shampoo to wash the product out of your brushes and gently swirl them in the palm of your hand to work a gentle lather.

DO rinse them thoroughly always holding them downwards at an angle.

DO lightly spritz your make up brushes with an alcohol solution such as surgical spirit to keep them squeaky clean and free from bacteria.

DON'T dry your brushes roughly with a towel, instead dab them to remove excess water.

DO reshape your brushes and leave the tips of your brushes hanging over the edge of a counter so they don't lose their shape.

DO store your brushes in a safe, clean place such as a make up brush belt, or you could even store them upright in a wee decorative pot, as you see many MUA's and beauty bloggers doing (for the pics guys, for the pics!)

If you follow the above tips, theoretically your brushes should last you a good few years, in fact my Glam Candy coach had a brush in her collection that she has had for 15 years, so just let that sink in for a moment!

Hopefully some of you have found this helpful, I know this has worked wonders for the tools in my kit in that I haven't had to rush out and replace my brushes every month or so. Be sure to leave your top brush cleaning tips in the comments below, come share them with my on my Twitter, Insta, Bloglovin whatever and wherever you fancy, I'm just a beep boop away!

Until next time folks, I'm gonna wash that tan right out of my brush!

H.Elizabeth x

Hannah Adams Make Up Artistry

Well guys, it looks as though this has snowballed doesn't it? Today I launched Hannah Adams Make Up Artistry professional services for Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire on Facebook and hopefully I'll get myself all sorted with a new website very very soon. Over on the page I plan on sharing what's in my kit, which looks and techniques I've been loving, faces I've been working on and of course any beauty features I be writing on here.

I'd love it if you'd head on over, give me a cheeky wee 'like' and of course if you're a blushing bride, aspiring model or you're just looking to get all glam for your next night out give me a buzz. I can come to you (if you're in Aberdeen!) you can come to me, the sky is very much the limit. 

Before I sign off I just want to say a big thank you to my friends and family for helping me start up my exciting new venture, with a particular shout out to my hubby who has put up with my moans, groans of setting up and of course the glitter and pigments ALL OVER the living room and kitchen...bathroom...bedroom...car...on the cat, everywhere really! 

Though I have launched my professional services to all of you lovely ladies and of course gentlemen out there I would still love to work with any local photographers and models who want to try a few more creative bits and cut my teeth on some more 'out there' edgy looks so do get in touch by emailing hannahadamsmua@gmail.com if you've got any ideas or shoots in mind.

As usual you can keep up with my own latest looks and portfolio images (and the occasional foodie post) on Instagram, you can still catch me chit chatting on Twitter and now of course Facebook!

Until next time folks, this is Hannah Adams, professional make up artist signing off!

H.Elizabeth x