PHOTOSHOOT - AUTUMN STYLE AT MELDRUM HOUSE HOTEL

Earlier this month, I teamed up with Walter Evans Photography, Kerry Gillan Bridal Hair and our beautiful models: Amy and Taylor at the stunning Meldrum House Hotel to create some natural portraiture shots. We wanted to work together to have a bit of fun and create something a little bit different to our day-to-day work - we didn't have anything too specific in mind, so it was fun to just let the creative juices flow and see what came to us on the day!

I am in love with the result of our photoshoot - we didn't use any studio lights to create these images, only natural light which just goes to show what you can do with some basic tools such as a reflector (Oh - and Walter's camera work obviously).

Kerry did some stunning, loose and undone hair styles which was exactly what we had in mind when first arranging the shoot. It worked perfectly with the overall style. We didn't want the hair, make-up or outfits to take away from what the true focus of the shoot was - some lovely, natural portrait shots of the girls.

Keeping this in mind, I wanted to keep the make-up relatively natural. I played it quite safe with Taylor's look with a natural lip but emphasised the eyes slightly to bring out her amazing blue eyes. For a slightly more autumn look, I kept the eyes completely matte and with very warm tones which ended up working so well with all of Taylor's features.

When it came to doing Amy's make-up, I decided to go for something slightly different. Again, I kept it matte on the eyes but this time, used a variety of deep purple/plum shades with dark brown tones so it didn't look too overdone. I paired this with a beautiful deep plum lipstick which Amy pulled off beautifully. The colours really worked well with her features.

A list of make-up products used on the day can be found below:

To prep the skin, I used Embryolisse Moisturising Cream and Lucas Paw Paw on the lips (perfect for the colder month's), followed by MAC Strobe Cream and Pixi Beauty Glow Mist to create a beautiful dewy base.

Amy:

Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation, Clarins Instant Concealer, NARS Laguna bronzer, MAC "Sculpt" powder, MAC "Mocha" blush, Becca Champagne Pop highlight, Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade, Morphe 35P palette, MAC "Smolder" kohl pencil, MAC "Current" lip pencil and MAC "Dark Side" lipstick. 

Taylor: 

Charlotte Tilbury "Light Wonder" foundation, Clarins Instant Concealer, NARS Laguna Bronzer, MAC "Sculpt" powder, MAC "Margin" Blush, Laura Mercier "Indiscretion" highlighter, Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow, MAC Warm Neutrals Eyeshadow palette, MAC Single shadows in: "Kid, Embark and Carbon", MAC "Teddy" Kohl pencil, MAC "Stone" lip pencil and MAC "Velvet Teddy" and "Siss" mixed together. 

GARDEN PARTY PHOTOSHOOT

So recently, I decided to get together with a couple of other local, Aberdeenshire suppliers to put together a little Garden Party styled photoshoot. I had seen some images on Pinterest which I fell in love with and wanted to try to recreate these style of images. 

I absolutely love the final images - it's exactly what I had pictured in my head and I love seeing everyone's creative efforts come together to create something awesome like this! 

The photoshoot took place at Pittodrie House Hotel, near Inverurie in their walled garden. This is a such beautiful and peaceful location and is very well hidden gem - definitely worth a look! 

Our gorgeous models for the day were Xavier Reid and Alexandra Vrinceanu, they did amazingly 

well in the chilly conditions and obviously, made my job so much easier! It's always a bonus working with a team that you can have a laugh with!

For the make-up, I kept Alex's look quite soft and natural with neutral tones and a light pink lip. I kept the skin nice and natural using Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk foundation, a touch of Clarin's concealer (only where needed) and MAC Mineralise "Dainty" blush. I finished off the look with a

good dusting of Laura Mercier's baked matte highlighter.

For Xavier, I wanted to add something a little different so I went with a pink pigment on the eyes (I used Sara Hill's Schnapps loose pigment), paired with a good helping of liner using MAC's Boot Black. I then finished with MAC's "Creme Cup" lipstick. I wanted to create a contrast between Xavier's separate  looks so I went slightly bolder with her second style. We added Ardell False Lashes, MAC's "Girl About Town" lipstick with dark and defined brows to intensify the look.

Venue: Pittodrie House Hotel, Inverurie
Photography: Apricot Tree Wedding Photography and Video
Stylist: Laura McNeil
Hair Stylist: Gemma Taylor
Make-up: Tiffany Dawson Make-up Artistry
Stationary/Invitations: Papeterie Crafts Wedding Stationary
Set Decor: Deeside Vintage Hire
Flowers: Blooming Good Flowers

2015 MAKE-UP FAVOURITES

2015 was a busy year for me and my little business and during this time, I tried and tested a lot of different products both on myself in my personal make-up bag and on clients, in my professional kit bag. 

Here is a small round up of some stand out products from 2015 for me!


BASE:

- Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder Foundation: My new favourite foundation. This foundation is beautiful, it is a medium coverage and gives such a natural and luminous glow to the skin. I have this foundation in my kit and every time I use it on a client, they always comment on how flawless their skin looks. Easy enough to layer this foundation if you want a slightly heavier coverage too. It comes in a great variety of shades and there is a good choice for pale skin.

- Clarins Instant Concealer: This is my go-to concealer for under the eyes. It's not too heavy, has amazing coverage and the small tube lasts for ages! The only downside is that they only have three different shades in this concealer so it's definitely one to try out before buying, still an fabulous concealer nonetheless.

- Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Concealer: If you like the extreme highlighted under-eye area that you often see on Instagram/Youtube tutorials paired with a bit of contouring - this one is for you. This is a very pigmented, thick and creamy concealer which I personally like to use to highlight the face, it has quite a brightening effect so I wouldn't use this on spots/scars/blemishes. I don't put this right under the eye either as it is quite heavy but that is just my personal opinion! There is quite a good range of shades in the line, the one I use the most is "Light Medium". A little goes a long way so it's well worth the money!

-  Becca Under Eye Brightening Corrector: If you suffer from really dark circles under the eyes, this is an amazing product for you. You only need the tiniest amount - layer it over a good eye cream and follow with a light covering of concealer. Finish off with a light dusting of powder to set everything in place and you will have a much brighter, more awake look without having layer tons of concealer under the eye!

- Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder Palette: This palette is so convenient for my professional kit but you can buy these powders separately for personal use and they really are amazing. Albeit expensive, they are definitely worth it. My favourite shade is "Dim Light" which I use all over the skin to set foundation in place, it gives almost an airbrushed effect to the skin - it is beautiful. The powder is so finely milled that it goes onto the skin beautifully and doesn't give a cakey or obvious powdery finish to the skin.

EYEBROWS:

- Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz : This is the best brow product that I have ever used and it really works for everyone. There is a twist up pencil on one end and an amazing quality spoolie brush on the other end to brush the product through your brows. The pencil is so fine and is amazing for drawing in tiny hair-like strokes to create the most natural looking brow. This comes in a huge variety of shades so really does suit everyone. They last really long too and you don't have to worry about sharpening it which is a bonus!

LIP:

- Bobbi Brown Lip Palette: Again, this isn't something that everyone would be able to have in their own personal make-up bag but Bobbi Brown lipsticks are amazing quality. There is something for everyone, there is a huge range of different shades, textures and finishes. This palette is a must-have for Make-up Artist's, it's got an amazing range of colours in one neat sized palette - perfect for carrying around in a large kit bag.

EYES:

-  Kiko Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow: These are an amazing bargain buy and are currently on sale at £3.40 each on the Kiko Milano website! There is a good range of neutral everyday shades and some daring bright colours for those who like to experiment with different colours. These have a great pigment and can be worn on their own, but I like to layer powder eyeshadow or a loose pigment over the top for the ultimate staying power.

CHEEK:

- MAC Mineralise Blush: These have to be my favourite blushes of the year - Pigmented and give a super pretty glow to the cheeks, I love these for bridal make-up especially. My favourite shade is "New Romance" it works on pretty much every skintone.

- NARS Illuminator: I love to layer this illuminator under my foundation to create a nice subtle glow but they can also be mixed with your foundation to create a super dewy look. They come in a variety of shades but Copacabana has to be my all-time favourite.

What was your favourite product of 2015? Have you tried any of these products?

Tiffany. X

Nouveau LVL Lashes

LVL Lashes created by Nouveau is the natural lash treatment that everyone is loving at the moment (including Celebrity Make-up Artist, Lisa Eldridge and Actress, Michelle Keegan!). Say goodbye to damaging and high maintenance lash extensions and say hello to this natural treatment which gives amazing results and reduces / eliminates the need for mascara.

LVL stands for Length, Volume, Lift - As you can see from some of my before and afters, this is almost always achieved with every single client. There are three different types of lift that we can use during the treatment, the Lash Technician will always assess your eyelashes and your requirements before picking a shield type which will define how dramatic a lift you will get.

LVL Lashes uses NO adhesives or extensions, this is a treatment using your own lashes. SO many clients are constantly telling me about their Eyelash Extension horror stories but finally, we now have an effective treatment that gives a full and defined look to their eyelashes but on a more natural level.

Nouveau say: 

"Unlike a traditional lash perm, LVL enhance straightens your natural lashes at the root, creating the appearance of longer, thicker lashes. Plus the added lash tint creates a mascara-style effect, so your lashes are perfect from the moment you wake up."

I can carry out the treatment at my small in-house beauty room in Inverurie or I can travel out within Aberdeenshire for parties of 3 or more. 

The treatment takes around 45 minutes to 1 hour maximum and lasts for up to 6-8 weeks with minimum maintenance required.

Follow this link here to watch the procedure of the treatment to give you an idea of what is carried out during your appointment. 

Please Note: A Patch test is required at least 48 hours before the treatment is carried out. 

Some of my LVL results below...

Have you had the LVL Treatment done or are you an avid fan of extensions? Would you like to give this treatment a go?

Tiffany x

FAVOURITE MAKE-UP ARTISTS - YOUTUBE

Monika Blunder

Monika is an amazing celebrity make-up artist based in L.A. I found her on Youtube just by chance whilst browsing various tutorials and now I religiously watch every single one of tutorials. I just love every single make-up look that she posts, the looks are so simple and natural - but effective. My favourite video of hers is her recent tutorial with Jessica Alba.

Harry Makes It Up 

London based Make-up Artist, Harry, is relatively new to me. I found her channel, again, by chance whilst browsing and have never looked back since. She has a great range of different tutorials but also has amazing videos for tips for make-up artists, advice and information on professional make-up kit.

Pixiwoo

I had to give a mention to the famous Pixiwoo who I also trained with back in 2014. They have been uploading make-up tutorials since around 2007 and were one of the first Youtubers that I ever watched back when I was still at school. They pretty much have a tutorial from every occasion from the most simple of everyday looks to extreme halloween looks. They also do regular monthly favourites which is always a great watch to keep up-to-date with the latest product releases.

Lisa Eldridge 

Lisa is another one of the first Make-up Artists that I ever watched on Youtube, plus she has over 20 years of experience in the industry. She was also announced as Lancome's new Creative Director back in January 2015 so she always has the latest news on the newest Lancome releases and trends. She has a HUGE amount of videos on her channel and there really is a look for everyone and loads of helpful tips. She has a huge interest in the history of make-up and has a few videos on this topic which is a great watch, her vintage Make-up Collection video is a must watch.

Do you watch Youtube tutorials on a regular basis? If so, who do you enjoy watching?

Next week I will be sharing my favourite Make-Up Artists on Instagram.. keep your eyes peeled!

Tiffany x