Sitara* 12

Last Saturday I was asked to do the make up for the Sitara* '12 video promo shoot.  Last year I was fortunate enough to assist Sandra Cormack with the make up for the glitzy event, and hope to work on many more shoots with the Sitara team. A big thank you to Diane for the invitation to work with the group

Sitara* is an St Andrew's University Charity Fashion show, below is extract from their facebook page:

Asian inspired event that encompasses fashion, performances and acting all in one amazing night to remember
Sitara*, which translates into bright star in Hindi, is a unique experience held once a year in St Andrews. It celebrates the fusion of Asian culture, from the stately tea houses of Japan to the vibrate dances of India. 

Sitara* is narrated through a annually changing story which weaves together the three aspects of the show; fashion, performance and silent acting. From the runway to the stage Sitara* will captivate and enthrall audience members, taking them on a magic carpet ride through all of Asia~

Last year, Sitara* donated over half of the show’s proceeds to The Ashraya Initiative for Children in Pune, India. This year, we hope to raise even more! Ashraya, meaning hope, trust, shelter, and protection in Hindi, is a community outreach project that houses children living on the streets. Started by a group of freshman students at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia in 2004, the Ashraya Initiative embodies diversity at its best.

xxx

Leo Friel Shoot

Last week I had the pleasure of working with the talented Leo Friel Photography at Meow Studios, Edinburgh. First off, I would just like to say that the studio's are fantastic and offer a great alternative to standing outside freezing your bum off during those winter months. 

The model for the day was Steph Ramsey, who very kindly stepped in at the last moment and saved our shoot so massive thanks Steph. Below are some pics from the shoot:

The first two pics above were actually from the 2nd look. The idea behind them was a slightly harder and rockier look than the first and the inspiration was from Shirley Manson. I love how the make up is quite "fierce" and contrast with the vulnerability of Steph's pose as she is wrapped up in the white sheet. 

The first look was a simple beauty shot where the make up was kept quite natural apart from a pop of colour on the cheeks and lips. I finished the lips with a high shine lip gloss to create that fabulous glossy look. 

A big thank you to everyone involved! 

xxx

Advent No 2

Under 18's party make up £10 per person! 

A great treat for Teenagers Ball and other dances. 

Book by end of today to snap up this deal. 

info@sophiealexismakeup.co.uk 

xx

Merry December

December is finally here and we can tuck into our advent calendars that we have been eyeing up for weeks!

I have decided to do a Sophie alexis make up advent calendar too, so please come back each day to see the daily treat! Or to make it easier become a follower!


1st Dec: free lashes with all party make up. Book by the end of today to enjoy!


Lots of love

Sophie


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

An update

Hello all,

Hope you are all well and busy preparing for Christmas. I cannot believe its that time of year again.
I am joining in the festivities by offering Christmas party make up for £15 per person. BARGIN. Please get in contact if you would like to book.

Winter brides-to-be, I am also offering 20% off all wedding packages booked for December, January and February. Book today to avoid disappointment!!

I have been busy working on a few photo shoots over the last couple of weeks and will write about these in another post. I am also going to hopefully be up loading some video demo's in the next few weeks, so let me know if there is anything in particular you would like to see.

Sophie xx

Summer is settling...

I cannot believe that summer is now on its way out, not that we had a great one here in Scotland! I have had an amazing first wedding season and met a whole load of lovely brides. I feel honoured to be part of their big day.

To help ease into the winter months I am offering 10% off any November and December wedding packaged booked before 30/09/11. Just quote the code WINTER10 when booking!

Sophie
x

The next step..

I already posted my recommendations for a cleanser so thought I should follow it up with some moisturiser recommendations.


Moisturising is one of the key ingredients to perfect make up application and a lot of people skip this step out. Moisturising your skin helps to create the perfect surface to apply your foundation too, it helps even the skin out and stops foundation "dry patches".


Here are a few of my recommendations:

Embryolisse Lait - Creme concentre

This product suits normal to dry skin and it is my main kit moisturiser. It skins into the skin quickly and is not heavy or sticky. You can buy it here. I would probably stay away from it if you have oily skin.

Dermologica Skin Smoothing Cream

I was first introduced to this cream by my mum about 7 years ago and is a product that I always return to. It is very similar to the Embryolisse. You can buy it here.

Oilatum Natural Repair

Another fantastic product that creates a fantastic base. This product would again suit normal to dry skin. And especially those with really dry skin. It is a little thicker than the other two but again soaks into the skin very quickly. You can pick this up from Boots. 

MAC Oil Control Lotion

The clue is in the name with this one! Suited for oily skin, this lotion goes on clear and dries matt. Now the main purpose of this is to act as a primer but it is also very moisturising. The key thing to note about this product is that results improve with usage as it improves the condition of your skin. It is also very gentle which is very important with Oil control products as a lot of them contain harsh ingredients which strip the skin of natural oil, therefore creating a catch 22 situation as the skin works over time as it thinks there is not enough oil being produced. This product will stop your make up slipping off and allow for fewer (if any!) touch ups. You can buy it here. 

Fiona Luing

A few months back Edinburgh based jewellery designer Fiona Luing invited me to be involved with her first collection photo-shoot. 
The model was the beautiful Dominique and we did several looks for the shoot. Fiona's jewellery is beautiful and colourful so I tried to mirror that in the make up. Here are a few images from the day 

Fiona's collection can be viewed and purchased here.

A little suggestion..

..to all those out there on the look out for some new skincare. 


I am a complete skincare junkie and have tried a whole range of products from both ends of the spectrum. I thought I had solved my addiction when I came across Dermologica Daily Microfoliant however I have recently been won over by another (and cheaper!) product. I present to you the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish.


Now this product has been all over the blogosphere but I just have to give my two cents. Within  3 days of using the product I could see the difference. My skin was clearer and more evenly toned and well it just looked a lot brighter than usual. 


The product is pretty simple to use. All you do is apply around 2 pumps to your face and massage in gently then remove with the muslin cloth. It takes all traces of make up away and the fragrance leaves your skin feeling lovely and fresh. For an added bonus follow up with Liz's Instant Boost Skin Tonic.

Sula's Charity Fashion Show

A few months ago I had the pleasure of being asked to work on a charity fashion show that Miss Teen Fife, Sula Powell was organising. 


The event happened 2 July at the Rothes Halls. It was an extremely hectic and tiring day but so rewarding when I saw the girls out on the runway. The girls looked fabulous and you couldn't see any sign of the nerves and worries that were going on back stage. 


The evening was a great success and resulted in Sula raising a great whack of money for local charities Maggie's and Chas. 


Well done to all the took part. Pictures from the evening can be viewed here.


If you are organising a fundraiser fashion show then please get in touch as I love giving my time and effort to a worthwhile cause.

Back to Basics: Foundation

Foundation is by far the most important part of make up application and also the easiest to get so wrong. The most common mistake is choosing the wrong colour or too much product. Here is a quick guide to getting it right:


1. Moisturise! 
A lot of people tell me they often have problems with their foundation going patchy, when I dig a little deeper it is often discovered that they do not moisturise before applying foundation. I cannot stress how important moisturising is and how it helps to create a perfect base to apply the product to. Primer also helps with this by filling in fine lines and pores to crease a silky smooth surface, ready for your foundation.


2. Coverage.
The purpose of foundation is to even out the skin tone so if you have clear, even skin then a sheer coverage foundation will do the job nicely. If you have a lot of redness or acne then you may want to try a foundation with a bit more coverage so you should try a foundation with medium to full coverage. If you are of a more mature age then try tinted moisturiser or a good powder as foundation may show up lines and wrinkles. Try and not to confuse foundation with concealer  and do not over apply. If you find you still have some areas of redness or blemishes then cover with concealer and only to the areas that require it. 


3. Colour
Make sure that the foundation blends completely with your skin tone. It is best to test this out on your jaw or forehead. The foundation should just disappear, if you can see it then its the wrong shade. You may fine your neck is a different colour to your face so if your neck is lighter you might want to go for a slightly lighter shade and vice versa if darker. 
Darker skin will require two tones of foundation, use the lighter shade in the centre of your face and darker on the outside - but make sure you blend well.


4. Powder
Cream or liquid foundation needs to be set with a powder to ensure it lasts and it also helps control shine.  Apply with a large fluffy brush concentrating on the t-zone. 




Foundations I would recommend


MAC face & body - This is water based and can be built up very easier depending on the coverage needed


Face Atelier Ultra Foundation - Lovely foundation provides a bit more coverage and a little goes a very long way


Chanel Aqua Lumiere - Another water based foundation, helps to create a lovely dewy finish


Estee Lauder Double Wear Light - This still provides good coverage but is slighter than its Double Wear sister. Also photographs a lot better


Bourjois Healthy Mix - A brilliant budget foundation with light to medium coverage

Say Hello

Hello everyone who may read this!


This blog will be used to discuss what's been going on with the Make-up side of my life. I will discuss some of the work I have been doing, do product reviews and lots of tutorials. For those of you interested I also have my personal blog over at La Beaute Ecossaise where I just ramble on about my life and weight loss!


Anyway this is just a quick hello and I will be sure to post again soon. 


Oh and before I forget please check out my facebook page too.


Sophie 


x