Back To Basics!

Hey Ladies,

In today's blog post I want to share with you my secret to a flawless smokey eye. MAC Painterly Paint Pot is a staple that you will find in every MUA's kit and to the unsuspecting eye you wouldn't think much of this little thingamabob!

In simple terms its a cream eye shadow with a pink undertone. It can be worn on its own to even out the eye for example, on my days off I pop a little bit on with my ring finger to make my eyes look less tired and prevent my mascara from running. But when it is paired with eye shadow it helps products last twice as long especially if you have oily peepers and it also helps shadows to pop! There is nothing worse that buying a gorgeous deep purple eye shadow and loosing half the colour when its put on an unprepared eye. Eye primers are so essential to a flawless eye look without them it will be no time before your eye shadow has creased and faded away.

 

MAC do a whole shade range of these paint pots but painterly is the most talked about in the YouTube/blog world. Another firm favourite of mine is Groundwork, its a taupe-y shade that you can use to create a simple smokey eye in seconds! Im hoping in the coming month to do more tutorial style posts/videos so you can see these paint pots in action.

Until next time!

Thank you, thank you, thank you.....

Aloha my lovely followers,

I have a very exciting blog post for you lot today so let's get sappy for a second...

I am so appreciative to all the people who take the time to read my blog, check out my Instagram and chat with me on Twitter so I wanted to say a HUGE thank you with a little giveaway! I honestly never expected anyone to read this blog as it was created purely for my own entertainment, further my makeup skills and to have an outlet to ramble about my favourite beauty bits. I know I am not the most frequent blogger and I don't write the exceptionally long detailed reviews or opinionated posts but this is the style of blogging that I enjoy and I hope you enjoy too!.

For those of you that do read.... a mahooosive thank you!

There will be one winner who will win goodies from Rimmel, Revlon, Maybelline, Stila, Benefit, Wet'n'Wild, MUA, Barry M, Real Techniques and last but not least Essence.

To win all of this you simply have to pop your details into Rafflecopter below, to make it fair and square to all who enter. The main entry is to follow me through either Bloglovin' or Google Friend Connect so it really couldn't be any easier. Make sure you are above the age of 18 or have the permission of a parent and lastly this is open internationally so don't fret, once you have a postal address I will send these lovely goodies anywhere in the world!


Love as always,
S x


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tips: Getting A Job In Make-Up/Freelance

Hey Ladies,

I have been brainstorming/working on for this post for quite some time now so I apologize for the lack of regular posts. I thought for once I should do a really in depth post on my tips for getting a job in make-up, be it on a make-up counter or freelance. I qualified from my make-up artistry course in May 2011 and up until this August I have been working hard at advancing my skills and applying for various jobs. One of the toughest things about being a make-up artist is getting work and finally I am where I want to be, as I am working on counter and a freelance make-up artist.

Here are some of my tips on finding available jobs, succeeding in interviews, strengthening your skills and increasing your freelance client list. Hopefully you will find something here helpful as god knows it has taken me long enough to get it right and I am still learning!

The Job Hunt

• Just finished college or a course? It's time to get active while you are still a student. Check with your college if there is any available work experience or support system to help you out once you are gone! This will open doors and give you valuable work experience that will make your CV look fantastic.
• Build your CV/ Portfolio. Using your new qualification do up a new CV that will impress your future employers, Google will be your guide for layouts and what content builds a good CV. If in doubt contact your college guidance councillor/course tutor and ask them to throw their eye over it, they have years of experience and will help you make it the best it can be. Your portfolio should also be on the agenda, make sure to get a nice folder and start collecting all of your recent images. It should mainly be just the images that show your skills and are of a professional quality, your portfolio will build over time. 
• Job websites will be your best friend if you are looking for full/part time work. Lately I have noticed a big reduction in the amount of counters that will take in CV's. I have made a list of the basic job websites that you may find helpful. 

www.jobs.ie

www.esteelauder.jobs

www.boots.jobs/ireland/

www.brownthomas.com/careers

www.jobs.beautifuljobs.ie

www.iftn.ie/jobs/

www.careers-at-benefit.com

www.arnotts.ie/content/Careers-at-Arnotts/2509

• Recruitment agencies may also be quite helpful but I am unsure of how helpful they are as I have never been through one. 
• FAS is also a really good option for anyone who is really struggling. They are always there to help with a job search, course options or a helping hand with a CV. 

Freelancing, be your own boss! 

• It's a big scary world out there when you are starting off as a make-up artist. If you feel your not ready or don't have the confidence, why not look into another course? In the beginning I did some FAS courses called CBT and Steps which were a real confidence boost and make you look at everything with such optimism. They were only a week long and were completely free and to be honest I don't think I would be able to do half the things I do if I didn't do those courses! I have added them to my CV and in interviews I mention them because employers seem to love it. Get in touch with your local FAS for more info. 
• Business cards are VITAL! It is very cheap to get business cards printed up and you can choose your own design and details. These come in handy all the time in my opinion. When someone comments on your make-up or asks what you do simply hand them a business card, which means they have a way of contacting you and you are memorable. 
• Social media will be invaluable in finding freelance work. Setting up a Facebook and Twitter for your freelance business will make you known to everyone, especially the people who didn't know you were a make-up artist. If you put up some pictures of your work it gives your future clients a great idea of what you do and not to mention your services/prices! 
• Blogs! I have met many friends through blogging and even some clients. Why not set up your own blog? In every interview I have done in the last year I have mentioned my blog and my god do they love to hear about it. It shows you have confidence, oodles of product knowledge and can be yourself in a creative environment. 

Limbo! 

• Sometimes when things really slow down it can feel like you are in limbo! Never give up because you never know when opportunity may come knocking! 
• Never ever say "No" to a job unless you really cannot do it, because it could be the door to more work or a possible job. 
• Be prepared to work for free. Once your on your own it is very difficult to get someone in the industry (i.e. a photographer, stylist, etc...) to give you paid work, often it will just be work experience. Why not email some photographers you know or better yet a photographer who is also just starting out and ask them if they will do a trade. You can do the make-up for their shoots and you get images in return, this is a fantastic way of building your portfolio and getting to know various photographers. 
• Connections are key! You never know who could help you out in getting work, be it freelance or on a counter. In the beginning of my career, my friends were relentless in recommending me to family and friends which meant I got loads of weekend work. Establish connections with anyone and everyone, even make-up counters because you never know where a word of mouth might leave you! 

The Pay-Off 

• In the end what you put in, you'll get out. If you work hard the industry could take you to amazing places or provide you with an amazing job, don't expect to be handed work. I always find that things are much more rewarding when you have done them all by yourself! 

Love, 

S