Photoshoot Prep

Disclaimer: I am by no means an expert on this subject, I am simply sharing my own personal preparation steps for upcoming photoshoots. I am not a professional model, I do not work full time as such. I am simply giving you an insight into the groundwork required to make me camera ready (cue an hour long montage of exhausted beauticians and stylists á la Miss Congeniality)

So lets get down to it.

Photographer - One More Photo 

Four Days Prior:

Four or so days before a shoot I will have my nails done. By this I mean gel extension infills and polish...but if you have good natural nails then just a manicure or polish will work for you. A highly overlooked factor in preparations, poorly cared for nails can ruin a perfectly good photograph. Needless to say, if you bite or chew your nails, consider extensions or even stick on nails for the shoot. This is not to say that nails should be long, this is simply personal choice, but whatever the length they should be well maintained and freshly polished. On this note, do chat with your photographer prior to your shoot to get an idea of the theme...a french manicure or nude polish will work for most things but brighter colours or black, may look out of place in a bridal editorial...you get the idea. 

PS: Don't forget your toe nails! 

This is also the time to consider eyebrow waxing and a hair cut if required.

Three Days Prior:

Ok, so three days before a shoot I will dye my hair. I personally dye my hair at home as my regrowth is so quick that it would cost me a small fortune to get my roots done at a salon every time. I use Clairol Nice and Easy home dye kits and I have never had a problem with them. 

The reason I dye my hair 3-4 days in advance is threefold. Firstly, dying your hair ahead of time gives you plenty of room for error. Should you cock up horrendously, there is time to rectify and perfect your barnet prior to shoot day. Secondly, when dye is first applied it will most likely result in a blanket colour and deeper shade than the final colour result. Giving yourself a couple of days of hair washing means that your hair will have settled and softened into a more natural looking tone. Thirdly and most importantly, residue! 

As the rest of you home-dye guys and gals out there will know, hair dye leaves a lovely stain on your scalp and hairline. Before the 'professionals' among you get keyboard happy, yes i'm well aware of the fact you can coat your face with Vaseline to avoid staining. However, having used this technique when my hair was pink (which was nigh on impossible to remove from skin) I am here to tell you that it's simply more hassle than it is worth! I'd rather spend 10 minutes scrubbing my hair line than half an hour trying to clean my face and hair of Vaseline residue. 

As I was saying, staining does occur with home dye although Clairol is one of the best brands I've come across for minimal scrubbing to remove. Giving yourself a good few days will ensure plenty of time for scrubbage and fading. Jobs a goodun! 

Additionally, from about 3 days prior to a shoot I will cut down my calorie intake to about 500 per day. I generally eat very healthily but obviously I become rather more body conscious when a shoot is up and coming. I tend to stick to a zero carbs policy from about 3-4 days prior to minimise bloating and to ensure my body is looking lean and toned. Ensure you drink lots of water and if you are finding that you're lacking energy due to lower or zero carb consumption, consider adding lemon and honey to hot water and letting this cool before drinking. The lemon is great for digestion and the honey will give you a natural sugar energy boost. 

Two Days Prior:

In the morning, two days prior, I will exfoliate my body from head to toe. For this I use exfoliating gloves and my regular soap, but if an exfoliating gel works best for you then you go ahead. As I said, this is just what works for me and is not to say that it will be the best option for all of you out there. 

You can pick up exfoliating gloves from pretty much anywhere; Primark, Boots, Wilko, Superdrug, Poundland, The Body Shop....the list goes on. 

In the evening I will bathe again and remove all traces of makeup, deodorant and moisturiser from my skin, as well as giving it a light once over with the exfoliating gloves again. Once done I will have a spray tan applied in their lightest shade to give me a light golden glow without turning tangerine toned. Lets face it, we all feel better with a tan, but trust me, your photographer does not want you turning up looking like an extra from TOWIE! Subtlety is the way forward with tanning in this industry. 

The Day Before:

As you fake-tan girls out there will know, this is the day you wake up with the muddy tan residue and blackened pores. Do not panic if you are a faker-first-timer...this is completely normal. Day one of a tan generally sucks and you WILL smell strongly of biscuits, especially once you sweat. This is exactly the reason I always ensure my tan is applied two days prior to any important event, be it a shoot, wedding, date..whatever.  

Have a bath or shower and thoroughly wash off any remaining tan. I then shave my legs and under arms so as to avoid having to do it the day of the shoot and risk a shaving rash or cut. I wash and condition my hair. Depending on the condition, I may also apply a hair mask or liberally applied coconut oil.   

Next I will ensure I have no stray eyebrow hairs and curl my lashes. This saves a lot of time the next morning. Then I will liberally moisturise from head to toe (a light moisturiser for my body and my trusty Estee Lauder day cream for my face and neck). 

Pack the night before a shoot to avoid any last minute rushing the next day. Your photographer will have most likely notified you of what shoes, clothing or accessories you may need to bring with you, but do not forget the essentials: Hair products such as spray, gel, pins, bands, straighteners and curlers are a must. Makeup products and wipes. Energy boosting snacks (you WILL need them if the shoot is a long one, trust me, its harder work than it looks). And lastly, underwear! Whether your clothes are being provided or not, you'll need undies for any outfit so I always pack nude thongs, a nude strapless bra and possibly a black and a white underwear set. You may also want to consider nipple stickers for outfits where a bra is a no go. 

PS: Do not worry about over-packing for a shoot. A photographer would always rather you brought too much than too little. 

The Day Of The Shoot:

I always set my alarm with plenty of time to spare so as to avoid any panicked rushing should something go wrong. I bathe and wash, blowdry and style my hair. I apply top up whitening strips to my teeth and then brush them once these have worked their magic. I apply a facial moisturiser and primer before applying a basic makeup, complete with individual lashes (much better for a shoot than the fake-looking strip lashes). I ensure that I am completely moisturised from head to toe and then dress in loose comfortable clothing without a bra- this is to avoid strap marks on my shoulders and back, the editing of which costs photographers both time and money. I recommend leggings, shirt and hoody for travelling to a shoot so as to avoid marks from tight clothing such as jeans, and removal of meticulously applied makeup by pulling clothing items over the head. I will have my morning protein shake and ensure my bags, food and water for the day are all in the car, program my sat nav and set off well ahead of time in case of delays. 

And there you have it. My complete pre-shoot program. Obviously this does not factor in day to day life, gym sessions etc...but you get the general idea. I hope this has been of some help to a few of you and please do not hesitate to pop me a message or leave a comment with any questions you may have. 

Emma-Louise

Arbonne - Protein Shake and Energy Fizz Sticks

So, a couple of weeks ago, I met up for lunch (mainly pancakes smothered in whipped cream... but that totally counts as a healthy lunch owing to the accompanying strawberries....right?) with the fabulous Dee Fisher who is a local area manager for Arbonne.
Arbonne's founding principle - pure, safe, beneficial - is carried, uncompromisingly, across their extensive range of skin care, cosmetics, hair products, sun screens, bath and body products and of course their range of nutrition products.

Dee was kind enough to leave me with not only some reading material for my perusal (a guide to the brand and the products they offer), but also a vast array of samples to try out. Those of you who follow my Instagram account will have seen the lovely products I was able to test, and I'm hoping to be able to share my views on most of these with you lovely readers. Today I will cover the two nutrition products, but check back soon for my thoughts on the skin care and cosmetic products I've been giving a try.

The first product which caught my eye was the protein shake. I personally drink a daily shake anyway as part of (or to supplement) my breakfast, or as part of my workout routine, so this is not a new concept for me. At the moment I am using Thermo Whey by Kinetica in Wild Raspberry flavour which I am pretty fond of and have been using for some time now. Arbonne offers two flavours of protein shake - Chocolate and Vanilla - as well as ready mixed options for when you are on the go. I sampled the Vanilla flavour option and followed the mix guide exactly for optimum results. The powder mixed easily and to a smooth finish with very little shaking of my Dolphin Fitness shaker, this was a good start as some shakes can take a bit of work to smooth out. The result was fairly thick compared to my usual shake but I tend to thin mine down anyway as a personal preference.
Smell and taste wise I have to be honest here and say that unfortunately this shake wasn't for me. This is no reflection on the brand or product in the slightest...simply my personal tastes, and unfortunately the flavour of this shake was just far too sweet for me, with a smell to match. This would perfectly suit someone who may find many other shakes bland or savoury, and have sweeter tastes....but for me it was not a winner.

Next up was the Energy Fizz Sticks in Pomegranate flavour, which came highly recommended by Dee herself and was certainly a product I was intrigued by. 

Advertised by Arbonne as 'a replacement to your morning coffee, or when you start to feel the afternoon slump', Fizz Sticks are a blend of vitamin B, antioxidants, chromium and a botanical blend of green tea, guarana and ginseng. A natural Red Bull alternative, if you will. 

Mixing this product is fairly idiot proof, however the product took a fair amount of stirring to mix well without leaving a skin like layer on the surface. Once mixed the drink is somewhere around the colour of an apple presse and with an enticing scent. 

Taste wise I was actually pleasantly surprised...pomegranate is just about recognisable, but alongside a fairly 'sherberty' taste...this is by no means a negative, and I actually found it very tasty. Results wise, I certainly noticed a difference in my levels of fatigue and concentration so I would vouch for its effectiveness. Overall this is a product I would consider purchasing for more regular use and I thoroughly recommend.

For more information on Arbonne's range of Nutrition products, head over to www.arbonne.com or alternatively contact Dee Fisher at www.facebook.com/deefisher.arbonne

Emma-Louise

The hunt for the elusive 'Holy Grail' Foundation - Part 3 - MAC Studio Fix Fluid

Carrying on from my previous post, my hunt for the elusive 'Holy Grail' Foundation continues. Here we pause to asses the possibilities of this title being handed to MAC's Studio Fix Fluid Foundation.

I discussed my skin type in my previous post so do take a look at that for reference as, what works/doesn't work for me, may have completely different results for someone with a different skin type.

Firstly, let me point out that MAC will confuse the hell out of any first timer owing to their ludicrous shade guides. Whilst the average makeup company would guide their products as WARM for yellow/golden undertones to the skin.....and COOL for a pink undertone... MAC sticks a finger up at logic and gives us NW (Neutral WARM - Pink Undertone) and NC (Neutral COOL - Yellow Undertone). According to what I've read online, I gather MAC's reasoning is something along the lines of colour correcting, meaning they would recommend you use the opposite of what you skin undertone is so as to counteract the underlying colour. HOWEVER, having used MAC's foundations, I can assure you that the yellow/pink tones in the foundation are FAR to intense for this to be viable. I am very yellow based and even I find that the NC range CAN look a little liver-failure-chic...especially in the lighter shades.
If you are what we would refer to in Britain as, an 'English Rose' - pale skinned (for those of you to whom this is lost upon) - then this post may not be for you as MAC products are primarily targeted to an audience who's skin tone is somewhere between 'Tangerine' and 'Rich Mahogany'. That being said, a couple of their foundation lines do go relatively light, but by no means anywhere near Alabaster or even Ivory.
As a final note on MAC shades, DO go in and check with a makeup artist in store, or better yet, take home a sample of the product you wish to try. The shades do NOT translate across their full  makeup range, for example, the NC15 in Studio Fix is nothing close to the NC15 in Studio Sculpt....so do check before parting with your hard earned cash.

MAC Studio Fix Fluid - £22

Right, so I wear somewhere between an NC15 and NC20 (depending on my tan). I wear a shade a little lighter than my skin tone as a rule as these foundations seriously oxidise! This is a medium cover foundation and is buildable. It has an SPF of 15 and is a matte finish.

Application wise, these foundations go on beautifully and the coverage is pretty damn good (MAC do a concealer in the same range for those pesky blemishes, which I highly recommend). I would say that application with a flat foundation brush can end up with it pasted on a little thick... but then this is usually the look the majority of MAC's clientele are after. Personally I would recommend application with a stipple brush or a rounded foundation brush (Real Techniques Expert Face Brush), and buff it into the skin for an airbrushed finish. As I previously mentioned, this foundation really does oxidise so don't forget to take this into account.
Longevity with this foundation is a hard one to comment on as my skin is oily and even the most stubborn of foundations would have a hard time clinging to my face for anything longer than 5 hours. I would say, in comparison to other foundations, the staying power is fairly good - it does need powdering and a fixing spray will also help if your skin is prone to oiliness. I did also find some issues with patchiness and creasing but nothing overly catastrophic. If you're looking for a foundation which will last you a day of active wear...then this is probably not the foundation for you; it doesn't deal well with perspiration, it transfers extremely easily, and it's certainly not waterproof. However, if you're simply looking for something to last you a day at work or cocktail night with the girls then this may be just the ticket.
Comfort wise, this is where I find this foundation falls down. As a fairly heavy foundation, it is a given that it will feel a little heavy on the skin, but with this foundation I find that as the day goes on, this goes from 'heavy' to 'mask-like' with little to no exertion. Personally I find that my face feels very clogged whilst wearing this makeup and as such it needs a fair amount of extra attention to keep it in good condition. This, again, may just be my oily skin coming into play and for a drier skin this may not be an issue at all.

Overall I would say that this is a good, medium to full coverage foundation which wears well for basic day-to-day wear. It photographs nicely with some flashback in extremes but nothing too offensive. I like the fact that you can purchase a concealer to match which blends seamlessly with this foundation. Touch ups are easy peasy with very little issue with layering or muddiness (unless you layer over a bronzer - BIG no no).
Negatives are its transfer issues, slight creasing and patching as it wears off, oxidising, colour matching, heavy 'mask like' feel whilst wearing, and of course, it is fairly unsuitable for sports or swimming.

Are you a MAC Studio Fix wearer, share your comments on this foundation below, I'd love to hear from you.

Check back in with me soon for another step forward in my hunt for the perfect foundation. Next up, Double Wear by Estee Lauder.

Emma-Louise

The hunt for the elusive 'Holy Grail' Foundation - Part 2 - Revlon Colorstay

Earlier in my blog I posted about my (seemingly endless) hunt for the perfect 'Holy Grail' foundation. As I am quite sure I am not alone in this quest, I shall endeavour to share my views on the foundations I have tried and tested over the years.

My Skin:
Before we begin, it would be prudent to give you an idea of my skin type, as foundations which may work/fail dismally for me...could indeed have the opposite result for someone with a different skin type.
I have a combination skin which is prone to oiliness. I am lightly tanned and have a yellow undertone. I have some minimal breakouts around my 'time of the month' and some visibly open pores on my nose. My eyes sport bags and shadows which are a family feature (thanks Mom!) added to by lack of sleep and occasional dehydration (I'm useless at remembering to drink enough water). I have facial freckles of which I am not a fan as they have clumped together in patches and somewhat resemble badly applied fake tan, and a few broken capillaries around my nose due to constant blowing of it thanks to my allergic rhinitis and nasal polyps.  
So there you have it! My beautiful face.

Revlon Colorstay Makeup for Combination/Oily Skin - Boots - £12.99

Revlon Colorstay:
This foundation is one I have used on and off for quite some years now so I can give a fairly good overview. I have to say that on the whole I am impressed with this product, not least because of its affordability.
At £12.99 (Boots UK) this high street brand foundation has been getting rave reviews online for years, and its not hard to see why. Available in two varieties - Combination/Oily and Normal/Dry (I use the combination/oily) - Colorstay is a medium coverage foundation with a fairly good colour range. On the whole the shades tend to lean toward the pink tones which is an issue for me as my skin has a definite yellow base. However, the first shade I selected by this company, many years ago, was Sand Beige - one of the few yellow toned shades. On application this shade was a fantastic match for my skin and the products coverage rivaled Estee Lauder's Double Wear. Unfortunately, within a fairly short amount of time, this shade oxidised to a very unflattering orange tone (great if you're a fan of the tango-tan but on the whole, not a good look). For a long time I stuck it out, reapplying regularly... but as I am sure you can imagine, this is both frustrating and costly (both in time and finances). I worked my way through a selection of similar shades (Natural Beige, Fresh Beige and True Beige) before I happened upon a blog who's author was having a similar issue and suggested the lighter shade Buff. Now, in the bottle, Buff is scarily pale and almost grey toned...yet I took the risk and purchased a bottle, and boy am I glad I did!
Upon application, Buff is very light with a neutral undertone which could probably work for both pink and yellow bases. I panicked at my ghostly complexion yet persevered. The trick to this product is not to use too much, this was my initial error and so I started over again. Take a small amount of product on a buffing or stipple brush and really work it into the skin in circular motions. I use the Real Techniques buffing brush but any will do. The coverage is really quite exceptional for a high street foundation (for ANY foundation for that matter) and you do not need to layer it on to get a flawless finish (In fact, I really recommend you don't layer it or paste it on thick as it tends to leave muddy build up marks and goes slightly grey). I set my foundation with the Ben Nye Banana powder but I'll be honest, on days I've been in a rush and not powdered this foundation, I've had no difference in the finish or longevity of the product. Speaking of longevity, this is a BIG factor for me when selecting foundations as I really need a full days wear out of my makeup. Colorstay is the longest wearing foundation I have tried as of yet and minimal touch ups on oilier areas such as my nose, are all I need to get through the day. I would say that on average I get about 8 hours wear before I start to feel like it needs really touching up significantly.
As a model and blogger, I am regularly having my face photographed, so a foundation needs to have minimal flash back. For those of you who are not aware of this term, flash back is when the foundation shows up as paler or white under flash photography. This is usually down to the SPF content of the makeup (and do keep an eye on which powder you are using as some are really bad for this) reflecting the light from the flash. This is why so many photos from nights out will feature mahogany coloured women with glowing white faces. Colorstay CAN be a teeny bit prone to flashback but ever so minimally. I have worn it for photoshoots and nights out and had no problems whatsoever, again, keep an eye on your powder and do not layer the foundation on too thick and you will most likely have no issues with flash back.
Removal of this product is non-problematic. I use Garnier Micellar Water, and this whips it right off. Please do make sure to cleanse your skin properly, heavy foundations are not great for your skin and leaving your pores clogged up with product is only going to end in tears.

Overall I am generally happy with this product and return to it over and over again. My only issues would be the build up issues and greying tones should you wish to layer to touch up patches, the tricky shade selection and minimal yellow tones, and last but not least, this product does transfer something chronic, so no hugging of the husband/boyfriend/nan lest you leave a face print upon them to remember you by.

Well I do hope my rambling has been of some use to someone. Next up will be MAC Studio Fix Fluid. Keep your eyes peeled.

Emma-Louise

The hunt for the elusive 'Holy Grail' Foundation - Part 1 - Introduction

I'd love to jump straight in with an outfit post as I raided H&M the other day and can't wait to share my purchases with you guys, HOWEVER, I am currently curled up in bed feeling utterly lousy and very sorry for myself, nursing a cold.
Lemsip in hand, I thought I'd post on a subject I touched briefly on in an Instagram post, which received interest in taking it further so here we go...

The hunt for my 'Holy Grail' foundation:
This seemingly endless (and currently fruitless) search has taken me from designer to high street to bargain buy and back again, seeking that elusive holy grail foundation. That foundation which applies perfectly, dries evenly, photographs flawlessly and lasts endlessly...that foundation which makes your friends and family question a possible pregnancy glow, the makeup which still looks good under fluorescent strip lighting and in changing room mirrors! Where the bloody hell is mine?!

So let us start at the beginning. I began using makeup in my early teenage years having been bullied mercilessly for my abundance of freckles. I will admit that my first forays into the world of makeup were not my finest moments, but we all have to start somewhere. I remember feeling ever so grown up, applying my Maybelline foundation (appallingly matched and equally hideously blended) with a triangle makeup sponge. Atop this base I liberally applied bronzer, despite my ghost-like natural complexion, therefore enhancing the already overly noticeable tide lines encircling my face. Moving on to eyes, my mother had discovered a set of Mary Quant pastel metallic liquid liners, during one of her car boot sale rummages. Age of product questionable, I made use of these treasures giving myself a thick upper liner and cat flick in either baby blue, pastel green or champagne, dependent on mood. Mascara was, of course, absolutely essential and choice was made dependent on price rather than product owing to the limited income of my 13 year old self. Despite my pale colouring, auburn hair and near-invisible eyebrows, I decided that a black mascara, applied liberally, would be most flattering.
Flashing forward a couple of years I had moved on from my Mary Quant liner days (most likely I had run out) and discovered the joys of black eyeliner pencil. Taking inspiration from 90s Witch Flick - The Craft - character Nancy, I opted for a waterline, upper AND lower coating in jet black kohl which again contrasted somewhat glaringly with my blonde (bordering on clear) eyebrows. This look was short lived and I soon toned it down to just a waterline and mascara combo. The following years contributed blue mascara, coloured eyeliner pencils, eye-shadows in various unflattering shades, the appearance of eyebrows in a variety of shapes and widths, and an abundance of garish lipsticks, to my makeup routine. It wasn't until I started modelling, when I turned 21, that I really started to hone my makeup skills, and it was here that my search for the perfect foundation began.

Skin type:
The key factor in selecting your ideal foundation is identifying your skin type. This, on paper, is a simple process of stating either Oily, Combination or Dry. Easy peasy yes? NO!
For example, during my period my skin is most definitely slap bang in the Oily category, yet a week later it will be incredibly Dry and then settle back into a textbook Combination skin type until of course, the next month and my next period. Ah, the joys of womanhood. As a rule I lean toward a Combo/Oily focused foundation as I find this generally works for the majority of the time.
I find I tend to maintain a fairly oily t-zone, nose and chin, with the addition of larger pores on my nose. My period causes breakouts around my mouth and chin, utterly delightful I know, but lets face it, it happens to us all at one time or another. I have a fairly relaxed skin care routine but over time I am improving it and looking at ways to more adequately care for my skin and hopefully delay aging signs for as long as humanly possible.

Foundation products:
So you've finally decided on your skin type, now comes the dilemma of selecting a foundation. With such a vast array of BB Creams, Mineral Powders, Mineral Fluids, Pressed Powders, Cream to Powder, Fluid and Mousse Foundations available, the hunt for the perfect base is somewhat akin to finding the proverbial needle in a haystack. Coverage is my initial key factor, I like a medium cover foundation with the option of it being build-able. If you are lucky enough to only need a light cover then a good option is a BB cream or a mineral powder as these are generally better for your skin whilst providing a light base for the rest of your makeup. Heavier cover usually warrants a fluid foundation and this is where I find myself, having tried and failed with many different powder and cream-to-powder varieties.

My key points when looking at a new foundation:
Before making a foundation purchase I will always do two things (where possible). I will spend time looking at reviews online - Boots or Makeup Alley are a great place for this, with the obvious addition of beauty blogs. Bear in mind that each review is one persons opinion and our skin varies person to person. Take the time to read through multiple reviews and pay attention to feedback from customers with similar skin types to yours if it is stated in their review.
Secondly I will ask for a sample. This is necessary for colour matching and testing the foundations durability on your skin. A lot of counters will either give you a sample pot or offer to apply a small amount. The key factors I look for in a foundation are as follows:

• Coverage
• Durability
• Buildability 
• Wearability (not too heavy/mask like on the skin)
• Colour Match 
• Suitable for Sensitive Skin
• Minimal Transfer 
• Overall Application and Finish

And so we move forward into test runs and purchases. I hope to share with you my views on the numerous products I have tried and tested over the years. Obviously I have already rambled on quite sufficiently for today so I will sign off on this post and continue on to reviews in a separate post later in the week. In the meantime, I will be attempting to recover from this damn cold and getting some serious retail therapy on the go tomorrow in West Quay. I look forward to sharing my purchases with you (for a sneak peek, keep your eyes peeled on my Instagram account). Have a good eve whatever you are up to and think of me, snotting uncontrollably whilst watching utter crap on Netflix.

Emma-Louise x