Inspiration: Magazine Covers

Magazine covers are one of my biggest inspirations as a make-up artist, I absolutely love trawling through the magazine stands each month. They are a great resource for new trends and colour combinations, which inspire me when planning for my upcoming shoots.

A lot of the high-fashion and foreign magazines however, are not readily available which is where Cover Junkie is very useful. This incredible site has an enormous database of creative covers from magazines around the world, all without having to leave your sofa! I regularly save covers that catch my eye and could spend hours viewing the latest creations. Here are a few of my favourite covers from 2012 so far...

Which are your favourite magazines for make-up inspiration?

In My Kit: Clinique Airbrush Concealer

Clinique's Airbrush Concealer is a light-reflecting makeup must-have. It brightens shadows and other imperfections and helps to soften the look of fine lines and wrinkles.

A relatively recent addition to my kit, this was recommended to me whilst assisting Make-up Artist Katy Short. Under-eye concealer is a make-up essential for disguising a bad night's sleep and brightening dull skin around the eye area.

Other light-reflecting concealer pens, such as the iconic Touche Eclat, are often mis-used and applied too heavily in an attempt to conceal rather than highlight. This can cause flash-back in photographs and actually accentuate under-eye circles. Whilst Touche Eclat offers no coverage, the Clinique pen conceals dark, pigmented under-eyes with enough light-reflection to add radiance to the area. At a more budget-friendly price too!

The creamy consistency is lightweight enough on the skin for easy blending without sitting in any lines or any 'cakiness'. The flow-through brush pen dispenses just the right amount of product without any mess and fits in your handbag for useful, quick application on the go.

This product is also a firm-favourite of top Make-up Artist Lisa Eldridge and if it's good enough for her..!

Tips:

• Can be applied to bare skin for a quick-fix or over foundation or other concealers.

• Ideal for Spring/Summer when you want to lose the heavy foundation and add more light to the skin. Try using a tinted moisturiser with the Airbrush Concealer applied under the eyes and on any imperfections.

• I use this on shoots to brighten the inner and outer corners of the eye and sides of the nose.
  
• To take make-up from day to night, clean under the eyes with a cotton bud and reapply to freshen the eye area.

• For very dark circles and extra coverage, I would recommend using a small amount of regular concealer first before thinly applying the Airbrush Concealer over the top to brighten.

This video from Clinique shows application techniques:

Clinique Airbrush Concealer is available in four shades (01 Fair, 02 Medium, 04 Neutral Fair and Light) and costs £16.

Red Carpet Summer Trends

The beginning of June saw two of the biggest Red Carpet Events, the MTV Movie Awards and the CFDA Fashion Awards, showcasing the best of the seasons make-up and hair.  

The CFDA's are often referred to as "The Oscars of Fashion" with Designers, Models and A-Lister's alike pulling out all the stops for the occasion. The dress, hair and make-up are all heavily influenced by the latest trends from the catwalk.  The MTV Movie Awards bring a more casual, relaxed vibe to the red carpet, often with youthful, fun and fresh make-up.

Here's a rundown of four of the stand-out trends from the awards. The stars seem to have taken inspiration from the Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter 2012 Catwalks, among them the modern cat-eye and tangerine trend. It's good to see such a variety of experimental looks to inspire us this summer.

Trend 1 - The Modern Cat-Eye

Zoe Saldana offered a nod to this Autumn's graphic liner trend as seen at Lanvin. All the emphasis was on the eyes, leaving the lips nude and hair slicked-back.

Doutzen Kroes paired her cat-like liquid liner with gently swept-back hair. Get the look with MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack. Using a fine liner brush, sweep across the lash line from the inner to outer corners extending out into a winged shape.

Trend 2 - The Bright Lip

Emma Stone embraced summer with a pretty pink lip and liquid liner. Make-up artist Rachel Goodwin used Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Rendezvous - a bright, coral-y pink.

Model Devon Aoki teamed her sultry cat's eye flick with a classic red lip. Get the look with Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Red Square. Her skin was kept fresh and natural allowing her beautiful freckles to show through.

Mandy Moore sported bubblegum pink lips and a high ponytail. The bright lip was balanced out with a flushed, rosy cheek and flawless porcelain skin.

Trend 3 - Full Lashes

Kate Bosworth drew attention to her extra-curly lashes by keeping her hair sleek and off her face. White eyeliner has been used on the waterline to make her eyes look even larger and brighter. Get the look with Shu Uemura Eye Light Pencil. The rest of her make-up was kept minimal, as seen on the catwalk at Calvin Klein, with just a hint of blush and rose-bud pink lips.

Lily Collins complemented her neat chignon with a classic smoky brown eye and groomed brow. Her long lashes were coated top and bottom with mascara allowing her big eyes to take centre stage.

Victoria's Secret Angel Candice Swanepoel paired her halo braid with pretty, radiant make-up. She kept it simple with a light, shimmer eyeshadow, fluttery lashes and a nude lip. Get the look with Eylure False Lashes.

Trend 4 - Tangerine

Dakota Fanning displayed a more wearable version of Givenchy's Autumn show look. Her orange eyeshadow has reflected the coloured accents in her Proenza Schouler dress. This shade really brings out her bright blue eyes and the lashings of black mascara add definition. Honey hued cheeks and lips finishes this look perfectly. Get the look with Illamasqua Eyeshadow in Vapour.

Leighton Meester has teamed a bold orange lip with striking black liner and peach cheeks. This shade looks fantastic with her new, lighter hair colour.

Model Karolina Kurkova's orange lip complimented her stunning graphic print dress. Her shimmery gold shadow and black mascara balance out the daring tangerine. Get the look with MAC Lipstick in Morange.

Image Source: Vogue.co.uk and Allure.com

Which red-carpet beauty do you think translated the summer make-up trends best?

Karl Lagerfeld for Shu Uemura

An exciting new collaboration has just been announced between Chanel's Karl Lagerfeld and make-up giant Shu Uemura. After launching his make-up line with Sephora last Christmas, Lagerfeld is now working on a special holiday make-up collection with the Japanese beauty brand.

The designer has used Shu Uemura products for more than 20 years - albeit to bring colour to his fashion illustrations, rather than their traditional use. Why? “Because other manufacturers do not offer such beautiful colours,” he tells WWD.

'I love sketching in the morning,' Karl says. 'When I go to sleep I always put my pens and papers next to my bed. I use Shu Uemura shadows to sketch, since they are such fantastic colours.'

Lagerfeld himself selected the colours and packaging for the new collection and has already photographed the accompanying campaign. Karl Lagerfeld for Shu Uemura will launch internationally in November; while the president of Karl Lagerfeld, Pier Paolo Righi, hints that the collection will reflect the designer's 'iconic, ironic style.' As a big fan of both Lagerfeld and the beautiful Shu Uemura line, I for one cannot wait to see the finished collection. 

MAC Beth Ditto

This month sees the launch of an exciting Limited-Edition Make-up collection from MAC. Beth Ditto will be joining the likes of Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj and Dita Von Teese by collaborating with the make-up brand and it's sure to be a sell-out.

The stylish, inspirational and confident lead singer of The Gossip has re-defined our image of the classic beauty icon. She brings plenty of colour to the collection, with shades ranging from bold brights to candy colours and pastels.

"Collaborating with MAC on my first make-up collection has been my dream. With music, there’s a long time frame, there’s a period of gestation – you do it, sit with it, let it grow and then give birth to it. But this make-up line was different, more immediate. I was like a kid in a candy store. It’s very colourful, but the idea is that it’s versatile. I didn’t have money as a kid, and now I travel a lot, so it’s about taking several things and merging them into one. With the Shade & Smoke Shadow/Liner you have black, pastel blue and navy to play with, and the face palette has four colours which you can blend together to create a bunch of other colours." Quote Source: Stylist.co.uk

Check out this fantastic 'Behind the Scenes' video of Beth and the MAC team - soon we'll all be using potatoes to apply our make-up in the morning!

Video Source: Grazia Daily

This colourful line features Pro Longwear Lipcreme's, Lip Pencils, Nail Lacquers, Zoom Lash Mascara in three colours and No7 Lashes.

The stand-out item is the 'Shade & Smoke Shadow/Liner' which will be premiering in this collection. The dual-ended sticks of creamy Eye Shadow and Greasepaint Liner are ideal for creating the perfect smoky eye and come in four beautiful colour-ways. Having already heard fantastic things about them, they are going straight to the top of my shopping list! The 'Beth Mask' shade in particular has caught my eye, blending a striking combination of brown-bronze liner and golden-peach shadow. The polka-dot 'Powder to the People' also looks irresistibly bright and beautiful!

Prices for this collection range from £9 for the 'Nail Lacquer' to £21.50 for 'Powder to the People'.

The MAC Beth Ditto Collection is available online at www.maccosmetics.co.uk or from MAC stores across the UK from tomorrow (7th June).


The MAC AIDS Fund will donate 190,000 Euros to French AIDS awareness charity Sidaction this year.

July Magazine Freebies

It's a bumper month for magazine make-up freebies! The big brands that are tempting consumers this month include Ciate, Benefit and Jemma Kidd. The July 2012 issues of Marie Claire, Glamour and Red are all on sale throughout the month of June, but don't wait around to claim your chosen gift!

Marie Claire Magazine (RRP £3.70) is offering a free Ciate Nail Polish worth £9. Choose from three new-season shades in 'Bon bon' (Nude), 'Jelly Bean' (Bright Pink) and 'Purple Sherbet' (Lilac).

These Ciate Paint Pots come in beautiful packaging with a uniquely shaped bottle and a long, easy to apply brush. I picked up the beautiful 'Bon bon' shade which is a classic opaque nude with a hint of lavender/dirty pink.

Glamour Magazine (RRP £2.00) is giving away a best-selling product from Benefit. Select one of these three luxe-minis: 'The Porefessional' which according to Glamour is worth £10, 'That Gal' worth £15 and 'Bad Gal' worth £10.

The Porefessional is a silky, lightweight balm which quickly minimises the appearance of pores & fine lines. I would highly recommend this for flawless foundation application and long-lasting results.

That Gal face primer contains light-reflecting pigments for a brighter, smoother looking complexion.

Bad Gal is a mascara for full, voluminous lashes. It's famously big brush can be a little too clumpy if not carefully applied, but this would be useful as a travel mascara.

Red Magazine (RRP £3.90) is offering a choice of two products from the Jemma Kidd make-up range worth £15 each. Pick up either the 'I-Glamour Volume Mascara' or the 'I-Glamour Define Eyeliner'.

I managed to get the I-Glamour Mascara which separates the lashes nicely whilst lengthening and adding volume. "The mega-black formula is enriched with Vitamin E and Glycerin to help condition and strengthen lashes, whilst providing the perfect texture to coat and lengthen with every application."

The I-Glamour black eyeliner offers a soft texture and a handy smudging tool on one end. "This pro eyeliner adds definition without dragging or discomfort, whilst also allowing essential play time, followed by smudge-resistant results throughout the day."

Which freebie are you hoping to get your hands on?

Update 5/6/12: I've just found out that the July issue of Harper's Bazaar, featuring Florence Welch, is giving away a Leighton Denny Nail Polish! Choose from one of three hot summer shades in Coral Reef, Plush Pink or Supermodel.