7 Questions from a Beauty Blogger to a Photographer

 

So as promised, 7 questions I've been dying to ask the photographer himself. You can find him @NOS_PHOTO on Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter.

1.We all love a good selfie. What advice would you give to ensure we always get it right? 

Lighting is the key I feel. We’ve all seen a grainy selfie in the past, and that is down to the lack of light. Personally, I think natural light is the best light but a strong lightbulb should do the trick. And I mean strong… Bad lighting can make you look haggard and I don’t think anybody wants that look intentionally. It helps if your light source is above your face slightly too as it defines your natural features. 

Raise the camera above your face. Everyone looks better from this angle. If you place your phone below your face you end up looking chubbier than what you actually are. Make your natural jawline visible!

2. Any advice for getting comfortable in front of the camera? 

Be confident. If you’re nervous or tensed up when a photo is being taken, this is how you’ll appear in the photo. I know it sounds obvious but I think it happens more often than many care to admit. Best tip is to relax, trust whoever has the camera in their hands and be as natural as you can be. 

3. What photo editing apps are on your phone? 

Good question! None. I don’t like to over-edit photos especially on a mobile device. Maybe I’m old fashioned but I like to do editorial work on a desktop, especially when I have professional software!

4. How do you avoid red eye or those demon eyes when the flash is on? 

Turn it off. Flash should only be used when necessary. The flash itself is lighting the inside of your retina up hence causing redeye. The only solution not to avoiding redeye completely and using a flash it to look away from the light. 

5. #foodporn snaps? Yay or nay? 

Yay if you’re an avid cook. 

Nay if it’s something you’ve ordered in a restaurant. 

6. How do you avoid bounce back on mirrored products in photos? 

I think flashes are the biggest culprits here so avoid at all costs. Bare in mind too if you’re photographing a reflective surface, it’s going to reflect everything around you. Try and photograph in an environment with the least visual clutter around you. For example, try not to take a picture of a mirrored surface when you’re in a room with heavy-patterned wallpaper because that’s exactly what will appear on the surface. 

7. What's makeup look should we avoid if we're having our photo taken professionally?

Avoid makeup that makes you vulnerable or uncomfortable. As professionals we have the skills to photograph almost any makeup, whether you’re going for an editorial shoot or a natural maternity shoot. Wear what style that you feel looks best on you and they’ll make for the best photography.

If you haven't checked it out already, you can read part one here on Niall's blog where I answer some of his questions.

 

 

IsaDora | Nude Sensation Fluid Foundation

 I've had this foundation in my stash for months. I received it at an event last year and used it a couple of times. I did like it at the time but my skin was in a really bad way - really dry and dehydrated. It would cling to the dry patches on my face and I quickly moved onto another foundation.

It's only in the past few weeks that I've rediscovered it and now that my skin has improved (slightly) I've been loving it.

IsaDora describe it as a 'super fluid foundation' with an 'airlight' finish and I have absolutely no reservations in whole-heartly agreeing with the statement.

It's very deceptive - the consistency is really watery but it's extremely pigmented with a medium-buildable coverage. The finish is slightly matte but the formula itself is hydrating so they kind of balance eachother out.

I love the matte look but because my skin is so dry naturally I've become accustomed to a dewier finish and find myself reaching for an illuminator without even thinking about it.

 It comes with a pipette despenser (or dropper) and 3-4 drops is more than enough to cover your whole face. I have it in the shade 10 Nude Porcelain and it's the closest match I think I've ever found to my own skin tone - I don't even need to blend it into my neck. It's slightly yellow toned too which I personally prefer. If you're a fan of Bobbi Brown bases I think you'll like it too!

They say you can apply it with your fingers but I'm a brush girl and have been using it with my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush and then going back in with a sponge to make sure it's completely seamless - sheering it out under my eyes and across the bridge of my nose to let my newly discovered freckles show through.

If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, it's what I've been wearing in all of my recent selfies and the comments speak for themselves. The finish is completely natural and it feels like I'm wearing nothing on my face.

As for price? It's in and around the €23 so it's a little bit pricier than your average chemist brand foundation but I'm getting 8-9 hours wear without the need for touch ups where I'd normally need to apply more powder to my t-zone after the 4th hour with another foundation.

Inglot Warm Neutrals

*Warning* 

This palette is the result of a self inflicted spending ban. 

It was my intention to get through lent without buying any makeup,clothes or shoes and I lasted a grand total of 2 and a half weeks before I pushed myself over the edge by stepping through the doors of Inglot on Oliver Plunkett St in Cork.

Its been on my wishlist for a while - I'm a complete sucker for warm tones anyway and was torn between a freedom palette from Inglot and the illusive Master Series Palette One from Blank Canvas but unfortunately it has been out of stock online for weeks.

In my defense I was pretty restrained. I did contemplate filling the palette on the day but having paid a trip to Mac just beforehand I said I better be good and settled for 5 shades in a 10 palette. Not to worry though.. It'll be full before long!

In typical me fashion I couldn't wait to take photos of the shadows before tearing into the and I ended up wearing a few of the shades on Saturday night.

I will definitely be doing a full review on them in the near future but for now I'll just let you bask in their glory and leave you with this..

If you do not own a peach eyeshadow, you need to leave whatever it is that you're doing and go out and get yourself one.. It will change your life for the better. Without a doubt it is the best makeup investment I have made in a long time. It won't matter how bad you think you are at doing eyeshadow - Peach makes everything look more blended! 

Shades L to R:607 -335 - 563 BP -312 -355

Makeup Additions | MAC, Charlotte Tilbury and Hourglass

To ease my way back into blogging after what seems like forever and since my last high-end haul went down such a treat, I thought I'd show you some of the gorgeous makeup bits that I have acquired over the past few weeks - the majority of which was very kindly gifted to me by my family for Christmas. 

Hauls are my favourite videos to watch on YouTube - I think they're a great way to introduce people to products they may not have heard of before and also a great way of enabling me to spend my hard earned money. Not looking at any bloggers in particular *coughs* Lovelygirlie.com *coughs*

So without further ado.. 

MAC:

 'Soft and Gentle' MSF - 'Painterly' Paintpot - 'Chili' & 'Mehr' lipsticks

Lipliners in 'Edge to Edge' 'Whirl' & 'Burgundy'

 Charlotte Tilbury:

'The Vintage Vamp' Eyeshadow palette

'Bitch Perfect' Lipstick

 Hourglass:

'Monochrome Rose' Modernist Eyeshadow Palette

'Ambient Lighting Wardrobe'

So there you have it, some of my new in high-end makeup bits, if you see anything in particular that you'd like some more information on or a blogpost about just let me know and I'll get on it.

Or of you have any product recommendations you think I should know about also let me know ;)

Duochrome Nails

I knew that New Look had brought out their own beauty range but I never really made time to have a proper root through it.

While I was queuing up to pay for a few bits last week, I spotted this nail polish out of the corner of my eye and said I'd chance it. I have a soft spot for Duochrome and with Christmas just around the corner I've become somewhat of a magpie for all things sparkly. If it was crap I wasn't going to be out of pocket by much - it was €3.99.

Let me start off by saying that Duochrome is very hard to photograph and these photos do the polish no justice. The shade is 99 | multi coloured and it really is gorgeous with bronze,copper and pewter glitters. 

It looks everything from rose gold to a metallic khaki depending on the lighting. 

The wide brush makes application really easy - two coats and its completely opaque and you're good to go.

As for staying power? I've had the polish on for 5 days and I have yet to see one single chip. To say I'm impressed with the polish is an understatement. I'll get so much wear out of the polish over the festive season.

Have you tried any products from the New Look pure colour collection? It'll be my first port of call the next day I'm in there.

Mac Nudes for Pale Skin

 Finding the perfect nude lip shade is a lot like finding the perfect pair of jeans - Difficult at best but once you find it you feel as though you can conquer the world.

Being as typically "Irish" in the complexion as I am only adds to the already up hill battle. 

That being said, after much deliberation I have compiled a list of three of the most wearable MAC nudes for pale skin.

A lot of your "true nudes" will make you look like an extra from the walking dead if you're pale along with adding a yellow tinge to your teeth in photos so I've avoided including any. Instead I have opted for neutral shades that will enhance a paler complexion while still giving the desired "nude" effect. 

 Left - Blankety -Amplified - Brown/Beige Nude

Middle - Creme Cup - Creamsheen - Pinky Nude

Right - Syrup - Lustre - Mauvey Nude

IsaDora Face Sculptor | Review

You know when you find a product you love so much that it's almost like second nature to use it? You don't have to think about it at all? This is one of those products. It was kindly gifted to me by IsaDora at an event I attended ages ago and I have been using it non-stop since. That in itself says a lot because I'm a self confessed contour queen and it has literally rendered my drawer full of contour products redundant. My smashbox contour sticks? Haven't used them yet!
The palette itself is a one stop shop for all of your contour/highlight needs. The powders are all highly pigmented and so finely milled that they blend into the skin like butter. You only need to touch your brush off of the product to see how intense the colour pay off is.
There are four variations of the face sculptor palettes available, one to suit nearly every skin tone. 
The one I have is 01 Warm Peach and it couldn't be anymore perfect for me. The warm toned bronze shade is sheer perfection. It's not too orange and it isn't ashy so not only does it create these insanely chisseled cheek bones but it also adds this beautiful, natural sun-kissed glow on the skin.
The peach blush shade is right up my street, I've never been into pinky toned cheek colours opting instead for orangey toned peaches and corals during the summer months and mauve, plum and brown shades for the autumn/winter. 
Finally, you have the champagne highlight shade. It is beautiful, so finely milled that you're left with a this beautiful radiant glow without a trace of glitter. I sweep it along my cheekbones, on the tip of my nose, my cupids bow and on my brow bone and my skin looks glowy and healthy during the day without being at all over the top. Because it's quite a soft focus/candlelit glow, I tend not to use this highlight when I'm going out, instead opting for something slightly more intense like Mary Lou-Manizer from the Balm.
At €25 it is on the pricier end of the scale for a pharmacy brand product but don't let that put you off. I cannot recommend this palette enough, it is worth every cent. I love this palette so much that I may just have to pick it up in another shade. I'm thinking the new 03 Nude Palette which has a cooler toned bronze shade for a deeper contour.

Have you tried any of the other Face Sculptor shades? I'd love to hear your thoughts!