Guest Blog: Who Inspires You?

Hello my lovely readers!

Once again I have a super exciting and super inspirational post for you guys to read from Amy! One of the kindest hearted people I know! Go check her amazing blog out and read this beautiful post she's done just for you guys!

http://beautybarbiedoll.tumblr.com/

Who Inspires You?

These are my personal faves...

Raquel Reed

My alternative beauty queen. Raquel was a big inspiration for me during my dare I say it ‘scene’ stage mainly because she had a creative edge over everyone else, she saw what everyone was doing and put her twist on it. I also love Audrey Kitching but she didn’t have the same appeal as Raquel who looks like a Hollywood glamour puss with bright blue hair. She is pin up meets the 21^st century. She also is a M.A.C. make-up artist in New York and has a fantastic modelling career. ENVY!

Terry Barber

Terry is a MAC senior artist, he has the most incredible voice! He has a way of describing makeup that really engages my imagaination, and helps distinguish makeup as a whole different art form. Terry Barber is magical.

“If you think you know everything there is to know, you know very little. For inspiration look at the past and make it futuristic.”

Hes also the director of make-up artistry at MAC for the entire world. Wow.

Holly Madison

I wish I could explain how obsessed I was with The Girls Next Door series on E! I always had this fantasy of being beautiful enough to be in Playboy and live the lifestyle these girls had, I felt I could relate so much to Hollys work ethic and her personality and I wished I could be her so bad. I'd love to look like her too. I know we have to work with what we are given in life but her blonde hair and figure inspire me no end. I spent ages researching her favourite make-up (Cinema Secrets Foundation, Spice by MAC Lipliner and Holly Golightly eyeshadow by Stila, she also has Alexis Vogel do her makeup, who is an inspirational make-up artist of mine).

I have the Girls Next Door workout DVD and actually find it really good! I toned up really fast and I stuck to it really well, Hollys and Bridgets' workouts are best!

Jessie J

The new kid on the block.

She is like Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry and Lily Allen rolled into one. All people I love individually and even as one package Jessie J isn’t cheesy shes pure cool. I think shes going to be huge this year! I love her attitude and style. It's all about being expressive and sexy but in a tough way. I like how she shuns this ‘slutty pop princess’ stereotype but doesn’t go as full out wacky as GaGa, who I actually don’t like, Gaga really isn’t original in her style at all. And I don’t rate her music after the Fame album, she has the underground magic but soon as she went mainstream she just lost it. And plus Jessie J is a better role model, no drugs, no eating disorders and amazing songwriting ability . Big appreciation from me!

Nicki Minaj

I first got into when Young Moneys' 'Bedrock' was released and my boyfriend said he found her fit. So I researched her musical career so far. She has come such a long way but it’s the last year that has catapulted her into the starlight.

I love her attitude, and her style is amazing. The wigs she wears I drool over every time, the dip dying is immense and I love the cut how it short at the back and super long at the front.

Nicki’s Barbie image is something that really appeals to me, shes the alternative feisty Barbie heroine, to me she is representing all the curvy women out there and showing how feminine and sweet can also be sexy and stand out. Personally I've never been into female rappers but Nickis' lyrics have changed my mind, I really enjoy listening to her. Few female artists really show their true passion for music , focusing more on their image, so I'm so glad as Nicki is a breath of fresh air.

Vivienne Westwood

I wish Vivienne was my great aunt. She is the exact invisionment of how I want to be when im older.

Her designs speak for theirselves…

Vivienne inspires so many of my fashion choices and art work with her quirky mix of punk anarchy, storybook and regal influences. I love her use of everything in the colour palette, the way she drapes a fabric, this women is extraordinary she is more than just a fashion designer.

As odd as it sounds I think Vivienne Westwood label oozes sex appeal, it think it's how she carries herself, how she has a young heart and is such a strong character and it reflects in her designs. And the makeup to accompany the shows! Omgod I love it!

Her bright orange hair is so amazing! She definitely has je nais sais qoi (did I spell that right?haha )

Dita Von Teese

I cant help but love Dita! She was my first serious role model when I used to waist train with corsets. I used to get called Dita at college which is the biggest compliment ever, someone thinking I look like her! I even won a competition twice in first place when dressed like her. I think her signature style is one that will always be copied. Her liner and lips especially. Ditas favourite shade of MAC lipstick is Russian Red. She is also a Viva Glam spokesperson, and you can't get any cooler then that :P.

She is the Queen of Burlesque and her classy yet provocative style makes me envious!

Evan Rachel Wood

This woman is beautiful. I chose to accompany this paragraph with a picture of her as Queen Sophie Anne in True Blood because I think the styling here is stunning. Her eyes are magnetic, she has the most perfect skin… something about her, I'm hooked! Please can I wake up and look like this?

Helena Bonham Carter

Helena inspires me because she is so kooky, she is so unlike every Hollywood starlet in that she really does her own thing, her style is erratic, she literally looks like a walking clothes horse or that she fell into a charity shop covered in glue and she always looks amazing in a way that she fascinates me. She doesn’t take herself to seriously…and her acting roles further prove this.

I think she is one of the most iconic actresses of our time, known for talent more than looks but still shocking and enticing us all with her amazing style.

I feel so inspired after reading this blog, I may well write one like this myself as it's truly lightened my day! Girl power! :)

xoxoxo

Guest Blog: What it means to be a Make-up Artist

Hello lovelies,

So a while back I asked fellow Sheffielder and Makeup Artist Amy to do some guest blogs for me. Amy is a makeup artist trained in all areas of the trade, and is amazing at what she does, so much so MAC employed her straight away and she's still there creating beauty now! She also goes to uni studying Fine Art, blogs lots on her tumblr, has a long term boyfriend and finds time to look incredibly beautifully amazing everyday! Here's a picture of her :) look how perfect everything about her is! :)

So here, I bring to you, Amy's first post!

What it means to be a Make-up Artist

When deciding what to write about for my guest post on this blog I thought about talking about something that’s very close to my heart and something I want to talk about more openly with everyone … which is what it means to be an artist.

My dream since being a little girl was to be noticed for my talent for art and photography and anything creative. I have such a passion for art that I was determined to make this a career. Nowadays I work for MAC and since doing that I am inundated with questions about how to get the job and what qualifications people need etc etc. No one ever asks me about my job outside the brand so heres my little post about what matters to me in art.

I think art is very open, there are so many avenues to explore that the desire to lead a creative life is always present. I live my life as an artist. Its about the way you think, the way you can critique work, how you approach life and overcome problems. Art is more about a way of thinking then just technical skill. It has to make your heart skip a beat.

I want to stress make-up artistry isn’t about the glamour or the ‘cool’ status that seems to get pinned to the title. Its about exploration, painting a real life canvas. Stretching your imagination as far as it will go and having no limits.

Its about personal ritual, having that quiet time to reflect or meditate on the day ahead, it's carving the person you are, letting them into the real world. How many people look exactly how they feel they are on the inside? Make-up stems from a primitive ages and has been used for celebration, war, lifestyle, adornment, as tribal protection and for spiritual purposes. Make-up can be so much more fascinating than a oil painted canvas because it is an art you live your life in. It’s a pure injection of personality, emotion, colour and vibrancy. Make-up has the power to do anything. Even on the lowest of days it can make you feel invincible. Every one is unique in make-up no two people look the same, every time you pick up that make-up brush there are subtle differences.

One of the problems professional make-up artists encounter is competition, feeling inadequate because of someones opinions, feeling like you haven’t the contacts, the skills, the willpower to carry on, especially if you have an awful client. Its not always easy to pick yourself up after a bad day. Luckily I feel I have overcome a lot of competition by staying true to myself and trying hard to achieve my dreams. There have been bullies and hardships along the way, I've lost several friends who resented me for making something of myself. MAC was a big hurdle, I enjoyed a new found sense of accomplishment, that out of hundreds of girls MAC thought I was special enough to invest in and give me this wonderful job, but the price of that was people I worked with became bitter and jealous and nasty towards me.

I think we all shouldn’t be as down on ourselves! True inspiration doesn't happen when we are stressed out and can’t cope. We try to juggle so many things and it ends up stifling our creative spirit! Its never wrong to take time out to reflect, pamper and enjoy your own company or spend time with loved ones, it helps the artist develop and its very important to feel free and open to new ideas. Humans are not machine we cannot work 24/7 and expect perfection!

A strong work ethic is important, but also not to take life too seriously, learn to laugh at yourself, push yourself and be brave and confident of who you are J

If lovely people have said to me I'm an inspiration to them; it’s the hugest and most amazing compliment I could receive!! To be in a position to be who you truly want to be…. sometimes takes effort and courage and to shrug off the opinions of people who say you cant do it. Because if you want something badly enough you will keep on trying until it happens for you! xoxox

Find Amy at her beautiful tumblr here;

http://amyeemae.tumblr.com/

I don't know about you guys but I can't wait to read her next guest blog post :)

xoxox

Little Old Update

Hello my lovely blog followers!

I do hope you are well and I'm sorry for abandoning you without posts for so long! I thought I'd give you all an update so you know what's going on in my life :)

Well, first off, I've taken a leave of absence from university as I was finding it so difficult, my anxiety was getting really bad and meant some days I couldn't even go out of the house. My depression also kept rearing its ugly head worse than I've ever experienced before, so after a lot of thought, I decided to put my mind first rather than studying, and spend time trying to make myself better :) The uni has been super helpful about it and have given me a few years off. So now me and Dan are going to move back to Sheffield where we'll be around family and friends and my normal doctors, and fingers crossed I'll be on the mend! However, I still have things to clear up in Scotland first before we go, but hopefully I'll be back home before I know it :)

Big bear and little bear have been super helpful giving me lots of cuddles and hugs while I've been feeling lonely and sad, especially when Dan's at work. They know all my secrets! :)

As I've been ill the makeup work has dropped off a little bit, as you saw I dressed poor old Dan up as a woman last week, and then this week I had a photoshoot planned, but sadly the model was ill so it's been rescheduled till next week, and I also did a makeup lesson for a lovely girl called Maggie. I knew her a little through the fashion show I did makeup for back in November, and she contacted me asking for my advice and help on how to apply eyeliner and eyeshadow, so I whisked myself off with my make up kit and helped apply her makeup for a dance she had that night, introduced her to some products I really thought would benefit her, and taught her how to do little makeup tricks and bits! I really enjoyed myself, and would love to offer more makeup lessons if anyone's interested! Plus Maggie was so lovely, such an amazing inspiring person.

Here's some pictures of me and Maggie, and I've added a 'before' one from her facebook, hope she doesn't mind!

'Before'

Me and Maggie after

I was super stressed out that day so spent forever on my makeup - it always calms me down and provides my mask to the world so noone knows what's going on inside, so took some pics to show you guys, plus I'm so impressed with how long the pink has stayed in my hair! And so vibrant still :) Dan straightened it for me bless him, he's so lovely!

With my brushes on ready to go, and my £3 dress! Love it!

Super big smiles with super long hair!

Me and Dan, I am the luckiest girl in the world to have him! :)

Till next time my lovelies,

xoxoxox