Tim Burton's Corpse Bride Look for Sacred artistry competition for October

Hey everyone. The time has come again for the Sacred Artistry competition and the theme was Halloween. Immediately i saw this i knew i was going to be doing a zombie like look and i was fascinated by Tim Burton's corpse bride. After some trial and error as well as tips from you tube videos i set on my adventure.


Just in case you have not watched this cartoon here is a pic of the original corpse bride.

Th original corpse bride

I really enjoyed this movie.



Well i did change a few things since as you can see the bride has a blueish tinge to her and i could not go blue as i am dark skinned. i hope you like my own version. My version actually scares me more than the original. LOL. i would have loved to show a breakdown of the steps but as i was working on myself i was more intent on getting the finished look.

My Version of corpse bride

For the base i used Sacha liquid foundation in Perfect caramel (5 shades lighter than my own complexion) ad dusted it with MUD loose powder (white) to get the ashy tone. I also used Sacha concealer to block out my eyebrows and rub all over my lips to get the dull look you see in the picture.

For a tutorial i watched i saw the lady use UHU glue stick to get these patches that look like rotting skin but i was just too lazy to start searching for that. Instead of the glue stick i decided to mash white bar soap and just stick it on my face till it dried.

While waiting for it to dry i used a white eyeliner for the lower rim of my eyes to make them appear larger and black eye shadow all over the eye. After which i used liquid liner to make the spikes around my eyes, eye brow and stitches all over me.

The soap patches were now dry and i used a brown face paint to paint all over the soap. Then i used a red face paint to just give the appearance of dried blood and make the rotting face more realistic.

Not yet satisfied with the look i finally decided to use some black face paint on my lips to make the lips appear even more cracked.

This is my entry for the Sacred Artistry competition and i hope you like it.

YAY!!! I won...

Feel free to drop comments.

Bibi Natural Hair and Body butter ( My hair regimen)

Most of you know by now i carry my natural hair which is free of relaxer. I did this because i found out that being on relaxer was not working for my hair at all. Some people have a full head of relaxed hair and it works for them.

This product I am about to review is Bibi Natural Hair and Body butter which is all i use for my hair..... It is a combination of Shea butter, Almond oil and all essential oils that will make your hair flourish. Also available for purchase is pure unadulterated coconut oil (it smells heavenly too).

Hair and Body butter

This is not your ordinary Shea butter  to those that may scoff at this. This Shea butter has been infused with, coconut, almond and olive oil and finally whipped together to create a fluffy texture that makes application to your hair or skin much easier. If you have ever tried using raw Shea butter then you know just what i am talking about.

If you ever wondered how i could keep my natural hair frizz free and easy-to-comb then wonder no more because i use Bibi Natural.

Bibi Natural pure coconut oil

This i grabbed from the lady and friend who produces it because coconut oil has so many benefits for the hair and skin and i have searched far and wide for this. There are so many products out there claiming to be coconut oil but THIS is the real deal. Apart from the almost clear colour you can always tell by the fragrance( when you sniff this you go straight to coconut heaven). If you want to purchase this divine product it is measured in millilitres(mls).

This products are definitely a must have for any body who has natural hair out there but did i also mention that it is also a great product if you use relaxers on your hair. For relaxed hair that goes through all that heat this products will help keep your hair strong and healthy.

If you aim to have a healthy head of hair that is truly yours then this products are a must have...

To book for this products you can call Bibi Natural on 08054073992 and yes it can be shipped nationwide in Nigeria.




Disclaimer: I have not been in any way influenced to write this review as i purchased this product with my own funds.....


So feel free to drop any comments and see you at the next post...

My beauty blender is HERE!!!!!!

So i have my beauty blender finally!! YAYYYY!!!!! Thanks to Kike fellow makeup artist and friend who traveled to the UK and got it at the Guru Makeup Emporium. I can't get beauty blender in Nigeria yet but hopefully soon that will be a thing of the past..i would love to distribute this sponges here.

excerpts from the website
"Now you can look like a movie star without the pricey services of a major make up artist. Introducing Beautyblender, the ultimate make up sponge applicator. Invented by top Hollywood make up artist Rea Ann Silva, Beautyblender has been created to leave you with a professional finish and a flawless complexion. Silva knows that the key to a perfect face is simple: a perfect blend. So forget your fingers or sharp-edged triangular sponges, these application methods waste make up and can leave visible streaks.

Beautyblender’s patent-pending elliptical shape makes application foolproof by allowing you to access hard-to-reach areas with stunning ease. Its suede texture is sensual to the touch and its unique curves fit the contours of your face, leaving your make up dazzling and undetectable. Beautyblender is latex free, non-allergenic and odor free."

The beauty blender wet

I decided to use the beauty blender wet because i was using MUD cream foundation which can be too oily for our weather. To apply foundation with the beauty blender you have to use the stipple method. This means to just dab it on your face instead of swiping. That way you place the foundation exactly where you want it. 

So here i am stippling with my beauty blender and i can actually see that it does not have streaks which means that application time is much shorter than normal since i don't have to go back and blend away lines.

I also used less makeup than normal. At the end of the application i really felt like i did not have any foundation on, i just felt like my skin was flawless. All the hard to reach areas like my nose etc were just too easy.....

Let me say i am looking forward to using it on my clients and i will be ordering more....

Before

After

I was going for the natural look to showcase the beauty blender sponge.

Face

MUD cream foundation GY2

Sacha loose powder (Perfect bronze)

Sleek contour kit (Dark)

Sleek blush (Flushed)

Eyes 

Light brown and dark brown (Sacha eyeshadow)

Lashes

Lips 

LA girl lip palette in LP8 Passion

Brows

Ardell brow powder in mink

eyes lowered

my side view showing my blush

Beauty blender is a must have for all makeup artists. It cut down my application time and i love the flawless finish. Looking forward to the client i will be using this on. 

For more on beauty blender check www.beautyblender.net

Oops i almost forgot to mention the cleanser which cleans the sponge beautifully and has the best fragrance EVER!!!


Free free to drop comments

My review of the Paris Berlin studio bag

Over the weekend i launched my new studio bag and i have to say i am very pleased. Below is a picture of the bag on the web..

I was bit worried that the bag might look smaller than this in reality but i was pleasantly surprised. It was bigger and even sturdier than i assumed.

Things i love about this bag are the colour, the material(so easy to clean), padding around the bag and also fact that i can throw it on my shoulders while i am on the move. I am yet to find something i don't like about the bag..

Bag zipped and empty

Bag unzipped

I was able to pack all my stuff that i work with into the bag which is just great.

Foundation, pencils, eye-shadows, blush, makeup tools

I have clear bags that i pack my cosmetics and sort them into different categories. A cheaper option would be storage or freezer bags.

Palette, depot-ted foundation, loose powder, brushes etc

                                                                                               













I was able to decant my loose powder into the sifter containers as well as lipstick and cream foundation in the storage boxes which helped to make space in my bag..

Bag unzipped with contents

Bag zipped with brushes by the side pockets

Looking forward to going on make-up sessions with my new comfy bag.

Haul from Guru Makeup Emporium and other places

I love my makeup box ( I have a cute pink trolley) but sometimes i am carrying around too much baggage. Seeing that i will be travelling more, i have started the process of compacting my kit. This weekend i will be doing a lot of depot-ting and transfer of products.


My friend/Make-up Artist Kike just got back from the UK and during her stay, she was gracious enough to get me some stuff that i needed( thanks for all you did ... mwah mwah).

First stop for her was Guru Makeup Emporium. check their site here Guru Makeup Emporium . If you are ever in the UK you must have a look.

Beauty blender and cleanser combo

If you don't know about this sponge you can click on this link (Beauty Blender) to get more info. By the way this picture i have on my blog does not do enough justice. it is just as pretty as it looks on the website pictures. Review of the sponge and cleanser coming soon...

Paris Berlin professional studio bag

A snap shot of the bag 

I wanted a bag that i can decide to sling over my shoulders as well as hold like a briefcase. I had earlier in the year purchased some of the clear bags  so i guess having the bag now makes it all come together. Review of the Paris Berlin studio bag coming up .......  it has a lot of room and well padded. I believe it will fit my new compact kit.

Kroylan Moustache wax

This particular buy is an experiment.I will keep you all updated.

Powder sifters and storage box

The powder sifters are from Guru Makeup Emporium but the storage boxes were from somewhere else. Instead of dragging around my loose powders and spilling it everywhere i will be using this to save space. The storage boxes(i have four of them) are to preserve my cream products that i will be depot-ting.

Loose pigments

This loose pigments are from Super Drug (Dazzle me and 2 true). Colours are purple, bright orange, hot pink, light green. Review will be coming up soon

Face Paints push up sticks

I got these from Amigos Supermarket in Abuja. Colours are Red , Black, White, Yellow, Green, Blue.

For the weekend i will be having fun with my kit. Thanks to Kike.


Feel free to drop comments

Afro / Twist outs Chic

I decided to go natural for a second time around this time last year. I had been natural before but at that time i did not make any effort to try and understand my hair. Now after years of relaxer abuse and stunted growth i said NO MORE.  I could not go for the BC (Big Chop) so i decided to trim the relaxed parts of my hair little by little and invested in braids and locs. Last weekend i finally had a full head of natural curls and i decided to do the twist out.

Decided to go black on white

One thing i learnt this time around is to co-wash my hair. which means when i am ready to wash my hair i should condition the hair first before using shampoo. i can say after obeying this rule my hair did not have any tangles. i also found out using my fingers to comb through while washing instead of a comb was better for me. Now i can say i have very soft and manageable hair especially with olive oil and shea butter in the mix.

That is how long my hair is when stretched

i have very curly hair that shrinks and making twists is the best way to reduce the shrinkage. i also sleep with  silk hair nets and in the morning i spritz with water and finger comb. i am been getting a lot of glances from strangers lately and i have no idea whether they love the hair or just love the bold attitude for carrying natural hair around town. i love my hair. i don't panic when it gets wets and it defies gravity and wind.

with my eyes lowered

For today i decided to enjoy making myself up for my new hairdo. After moisturising,i used Black opal cream foundation in perfect bronze and black walnut and set it with Sacha loose powder in Perfect bronze. for my brows, a pencil to fill in the sparse areas.I used my Sacha eye palette for my eyes. A deep orange with brown for my lid, brown for my crease and outer corner and a very light brown for my brow bone. Lipstick was from the LA girl sunset palette. MUD cream mascara for my lashes.

Just me in my twist outs

Me me me, loving my new hair.

I really love my new hair do and i know as it gets longer it may not defy gravity but for now i will enjoy each passing day.


Feel free to drop any comments....

Safe beauty (My personal make-up kit)

Have you ever had breakouts and come to the conclusion that you were probably reacting to a particular makeup product.......

Well think again because you might just have a lot of bacteria breeding in your sponges and brushes. Once in a while when i have breakouts i always recall that i did not take the necessary precautions with hygiene.


First and foremost i don't share my makeup with anyone even my sisters. I have my own set of brushes i use for myself and i wash them weekly. For products i use sponges i do the same and once they begin to show some wear and tear i toss it out and get a new one.

I always always try to make sure my hands are clean before touching my face. I seem not to have any weird breakouts once i follow this routine...


feel free to drop comments

Safe beauty (My Professional kit)

While doing my makeup course, i was introduced to the term safe beauty. In a short sentence it basically means doing everything humanely possible to reduce the risk of germs transferring into product, on your skin or even from one person to another(cross contamination). i recently had conjunctivitis and i was so grateful i had been keeping up with my safe beauty practices. The only stuff i had to toss out was my mascara.

Have you ever been to a cosmetic counter or shop and then see people using sample lipsticks and eye shadows directly on their lips and eyes? Before you ever do that, maybe you should wonder about just how many people did that before you and yes yuck!! that is not a pretty thought. There are so many infections one can get from conjunctivitis to the highly contagious cold sore.

Whether we want to or not we have to realise that cosmetics can be a breeding ground for germs and we must make sure we do everything to reduce this.  Below are the different items and how i reduce risks of transferring germs

1. ALWAYS HAVE CLEAN HANDS (wash or hands or have wipes available with a hand sanitizer)
2. Get a mixing pallette or bowl or something you can use..
3. Foundation  (whether cream or liquid) i always decant, i would not dip the brush or sponge into the product and use on the face. No double dipping.
4. Lipstick, gel liners are creamy products and i always take a little out with a plastic spatula or palette knife. i avoid rubbing the brush on the product. There are even disposable lip brushes but i like my lip brush.
5. For my powdery stuff like eye shadows, blush i do dip my brush in, but after my job is complete i wipe the surface with a clean tissue. When i get home i go through them with methylated spirit.
6. All pencils are sharpened before being used on the client.
7. For mascara i use disposable mascara brushes and avoid double dipping. Right now there are different sizes of disposable mascara brushes which will broaden why type of lashes you can achieve with them.
8. Last but not the least i always make sure i use one set of brush per person. If i have more people than brushes i always have on hand my Kryolan Instant brush cleaner. You would never want to transfer an infection from one person to the other

My case of disposable mascara brushes

My plastic mixing palette

I was given this mixing palette when i was in beauty school. very handy. i use the middle for my loose powder and the other little holes for everything else. I always clean it with alcohol before using.

Mary kay disposable mixing palette

This was given to me by a friend and it came in a pack of about 50. It is very thin and i guess you can keep recycling it till it gets broken.

Safe beauty has come to stay. I have just given you my regimen on how i keep my professional kit safe. The next part would be how i maintain my own personal make-up kit.