SWEETIESAL

Those of you who follow me on Instagram may have seen my story where I was up and out bright and early to head into Manchester to attend the Celebrity MUA Masterclass hosted by Amy's Makeup Box and Debenhams Beauty Club. 

It was a really intimate class of 12/15 so all questions could be answered and we all got to know eachother over afternoon tea which was really nice.

I took 12 pages of notes(!) - Amy demonstrated 2 looks - Bridal and Glam and both looked sensational.

Eyes First

I feel like I have been told this previously but never fully appreciated it until I watched this application in progress. It means you don't get those annoying flecks of dark on your cheeks and ruin your base if you get the majority of the eye done first.

Amy also talked through how she uses a beauty blender to it's maximum potential and it's all about getting them damp (not wet) to really work the products into your skin. Amy recommended squeezing out the beauty blender on to a piece of kitchen towel or a flannel to get as much moisture out as possible.

I am no stranger to MAC Paintpots as a priming base and Amy's shade of choice was Soft Ochre for both looks. Amy recommended the Anastasia Beverly Hills 'Soft Glam' and Becca Ombre Rouge Palettes for Bridal looks in particular. The transition shades are what will help you achieve a multi-dimensional smokey look even if on the later shades of the spectrum. It makes such a difference!

To achieve a subtle smokey eye, Amy prefers to apply a very fine line of a felt tip liner, very close to the lashes and take a dark eyeshadow shade and smudge it using a brush such as the Zoeva 237 brush. This provides definition but is much softer than a crisp liner application.

For lashes, Amy applies a coat of waterproof mascara just to darken the lashes and help the false lashes blend along with some gel eyeliner on the upper water line to make the eyes pop and then used Ardell Demi Wispies customised with some Red Cherry Knot Flare individuals on top.

A tip for applying lashes is to look down rather than closing the eye fully as it changes the shape of the eye and means that when you open, one of the corners will likely lift.

Brows were applied with precision using Anastasia Beverly Hills Taupe Pomade making hair strokes where you need them.

An Ace Base

In terms of skin prep this was where Amy recommended taking your time as it ensures that the base goes on and sets properly without looking cakey. Amy recommends an eye gel as it is thinner and uses a Bare Minerals one. For priming the skin, Amy used Laura Gellar Champagne under makeup primer or Benefit Porefessional to address any texture issues. MAC Fix Plus was then sprayed on the face.

The foundations of choice were either Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk or Estee Lauder Double Wear. Interestingly I bought Luminous Silk after some serious blogger hype and I didn't love it. Amy said to get the best out of this foundation it is best applied to damp skin which I have not tried previously! I'll give it a go and report back...

For Bronze, Amy uses either the Inglot J-LO Bronzer or Makeup Forever Bronzer in Amber and applies it under the cheek bones, under the chin and into the hair line. In terms of highlight, Amy outlined that she would only use a small amount as brides end up naturally being quite glowy as they get warm!

Amy sometimes uses lipstick as blush on brides as it provides a nice subtle finish - a particular favourite is the L'Oreal Colour Riche Lipstick in 352.

Lip Service

For lips, Amy prefers a natural look, working with the brides natural lip colour. She lines the lips and would only over draw on the middle of the top or bottom lip and then connect it to the natural shapes of the sides.

For a Glam look, you can't go wrong with a nude - MAC Stripdown Liner applied with HudaBeauty Bikini Babe Lipstick is a particular fave of Amy's!

Difference in Glam vs Bridal

The application methods were very similar between the Glam and the Bridal looks, it was more the choice of colour and intensity of the products used that differentiated the looks. Glam was obviously darker and more defined with contouring, more obvious highlight and a glitter eye whereas Bridal was focused on coming across amazingly on camera and also soft and subtle enough to last the day.

In Summary...

I basically wanted to go home and throw all my makeup on my face after picking up some amazing tips and tricks from Amy. She was so lovely, very talented and shared her knowledge and tips to us which was most welcomed by me! I do feel that I can try a smokey eye with slightly more confidence than I have been previously.

The makeup was absolutely flawless and whilst alot of steps were taken to achieve the look it didn't look too much at all which I think just shows how experienced and skilled Amy is.

Massive thank you to Debenhams Beauty Club for sponsoring the event and sending us away with a few bits and bobs to try and to the organisers of Celebrity Makeup Artist Masterclass for a truly lovely day!