Behind the Scenes - LK Bennett

Recently I worked on a fashion parade for British label LK Bennett as part of the makeup team put together by The Session School. Held at the Marylebone Hotel, the parade was sponsored by Bellápierre cosmetics which was fantastic for the makeup team as we got to work with their beautiful mineral makeup.

Makeup look, pre- hair styling

Working with loose mineral powders can get a little messy backstage so organisation is key. A little bit of untidiness is worth it as these products give such a luminous glow. Since the show, I have been playing around more with these at home and I must say, i'm really impressed by the coverage they give. As well as the foundation, my special favourites are the highlighting and blush powders - divine!

Our lovely selection of Bellápierre foundations & nail polishes

Me .... working it ....

Back to the parade. The hair was done by the fabulous Electric London team and the look they created was described as 'Marie Antoinette on crack'. Each hairstyle they produced was slightly different but working in the same theme and each was like a work of art. 

The clothing was all modelled by employees of the LK Bennett brand, from front-of-house retail staff to behind-the-scenes stockroom employees, and they all did an amazing job. This was my first London fashion parade experience, having previously only worked at fashion events in Sydney, and I really enjoyed the backstage vibe. 

The Spring 2014 collection from LK Bennett looks really lovely too.  

Mineral Makeup - Bellápierre

I touched on Bellápierre the other day in my foundation wardrobe post (which you can read here) but wanted to go into a little more detail. 

I don't have a good track record with loose powdered mineral makeup. I first tried it a few years back while I was going through a bad skin period. I had a consultation at my local beautician's with a Bare Minerals rep and bought their foundation and kabuki brush. As I used it, it seemed to just highlight all the imperfections in my skin. I didn't enjoy the buffing technique or the results that I yielded and then one day the lid of the jar malfunctioned and I lost half the powder down the sink. I hadn't gone near it since then. 

I was introduced to Bellápierre by the lovely Amanda Bell at The Session School. I was sceptical given my last dealings with mineral makeup, but as the day progressed I was impressed. This was such a better quality of powder consisting of pure pigment (no talc or nasties) which can be applied in a variety of ways - the aforementioned buffing it into the skin, adding it to moisturiser to make your own liquid foundation, using it with a makeup base to create a concealer consistency and more.

Here is the look Amanda Bell created using Bellápierre at The Session School

I was lucky enough to work on a fashion parade recently which was sponsored by Bellápierre and we were given a range of their products to use on the day and to keep after the show. Impressed once again after using the products, I decided it was worth incorporating them into my personal makeup routine. I must admit, the thought of having loose pigments flying around my predominantly white bedroom scared me but so far so good. The container seems sturdier than the Bare Minerals one so i'm confident I will have better luck with Bellápierre. I do find the quickest and easiest method for me is to buff it on after using the Bellápierre primer. I do this by tapping a small amount of the powder into the lid, swirling my brush into it, tapping off the excess and then applying it to the face in a circular motion. This method for me doesn't give a full coverage, but it gives enough to keep things looking natural, which is the look i'm after when i'm just going about my daily routine.

The backstage Bellápierre supply ....

I really love the blush in 'Desert Rose' which I have been using on my cheeks and also sweeping across my eyelids. The shimmer stacks are also amazing as you get 9 colours and they can be mixed and used in such a number of ways. I also saw some shimmer stacks heavily reduced in TK Maxx the other day so it is worth keeping your eyes out. 

Featuring blush in desert rose and foundation in ivory ... and some of their mini travel brushes which are a delight!

You can buy Bellápierre online here in the UK and here in Australia.

My Foundation Wardrobe

There are some new and really interesting foundations on the market (hello By Terry, Terrybly Densiliss). I don't need any new foundation but I want. So in a bid to remind myself why i'm not allowed to add to my foundation wardrobe, here is a run down of the foundations I currently own.

Chantecaille Future Skin

This is the only foundation I have ever repurchased! It is an oil-free gel foundation which is great for my combination skin. I love the texture of a gel foundation and find this goes on best with hands instead of a brush.  I used to be 'Nude' in colour but have become 'Vanilla' since moving to the UK. There is a range of 10 shades so there should be match for most. My only gripe is that it comes in a pot so its' not ideal for travelling, but a positive to the pot is that you can control how much product you dispense and you know you can access every last drop. At £58.00 / $105 AUD it is certainly at the luxury end of the spectrum, but my god it is good. You can pick it up here in the UK and here in Australia.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum 

This is also a gel formula foundation - I told you like a good gel formula!  It is radiance-boosting, anti-fatigue and claims to blend instantly and flawlessly. For the money (£10.99 / $32 AUD) it is a really good light coverage foundation. I have colour 52 Vanilla which is a touch too pale for me, however the next colour up was a little too dark. Limited 5 colour choices is one of the down sides to a cheaper product. I use this for low key days when I have nothing exciting happening. It is a good back up foundation. You can pick this up here in the UK and here in Australia.

 YSL Le Tient Touche Éclat Foundation

An illuminating foundation based around the iconic Le Touche Éclat highlighting pen. This certainly gives you a lovely glow. Sometimes I do find it a little too oil-enhancing on my t-zone, but used in the right conditions in cooler weather, it is lovely. Great packaging for travel too. I am colour B40 and there are an impressive 22 colours in the range. £29.00 / $78 AUD, you can buy this here in the UK and here in Australia.

By Terry Sheer Expert Perfecting Fluid Foundation 

Oh By Terry! I really, really do love their products. This is so light it is verging on being a tinted moisturiser. The colour is an absolute perfect match for my skin (No 8. Intense Beige) so it just blends in flawlessly for me. All her products have the most delicious smell too. I have never been disappointed with anything from the range that I have purchased, my main problem is knowing when to stop. £44 / $89 AUD here in the UK and here in Australia.

In Shade 02 Ivory

Bellápierre Mineral Foundation

I had a bad experience with mineral makeup a few years back so I was hesitant to go there again however I was introduced to 

Bellápierre makeup when I did my course at The Session School and was very impressed. To be honest, I don't love the process of buffing powder in to my skin, but I do find this gives a nice even coverage. You need to prep the skin correctly and I find the Bella Pierre primer underneath is a must. There are 10 colours in the range and it is very easy to mix them together to create a bespoke shade. If mineral makeup is your thing and you want pure pigment without any added nasties, then you should give this a try. £34.99 / $79.95 AUD, you can buy this here in the UK and here in Australia.

I am also really keen to try Chanel's Vitalumiere Aqua and Georgio Armarni's Luminous Silk - but not until I use up some of my existing supply.