Week One

It is the end of my first week at make-up school and so far the verdict is two massive, highly enthusiastic thumbs up!  I absolutely love it!  I haven’t felt so much in my element in a long time.  All my worries (see last post) were completely unfounded. 

There were only two of us in the class this week: myself and another girl, which meant that we had a lot of time to learn and practise our skills on each other, with the constant attention of our tutor.  It has also meant that, in one week, more make-up has been applied, removed and applied again to my face than ever before and that my semi-permanent lashes that I had professionally applied as a pre-birthday treat have taken a battering from all the mascara that has been coated onto them.  But I am not complaining – I have learnt so much in the last week and I am already feeling confident about the feasibility of making this my career.  So much so that when watching the demonstrations at some of the make-up counters in Selfridges last night at Fashion’s Night Out last night, I was thinking “A smoky eye...I can do that, no problem!”.

I am in absolute awe of our tutor, Branka Vorkapic.  For her young age she has achieved so much and worked in many different areas of the industry including fashion/editorial, TV and body painting.  She is a very personable tutor and keen to share her knowledge and tricks of the trade.

So...the moment you’ve all been waiting for!  Here are some photos of the make-up I’ve done this week:



A daytime look with smoky eye





A dramatic yellow and purple eye with glitter





60's inspired look





20's inspired look















Back-to-School Dilemmas

It is the night before my first day at make-up school and I am feeling nervous and excited in equal measure.  Actually, scratch that - nervous is definitely the predominant emotion.  The main worries that are swilling around my head like dirty dishwater are (in no particular order):

-          Have I made the right choice?  Can I really start again?

-          Have I picked the right course for me?

-          What shall I wear?

-          Will the other students like me?

-          Will the tutors like me?

-          Will I be the oldest one there?

-          What if I’m not actually very good at doing other people’s make-up?

Like all good school girls, I am packing my bag the night before.  So far, I have packed all the necessities such as a notebook, make-up wipes (as we will probably be working on each other and I don’t want to leave class looking like a clown at the end of the day), hand sanitizer and MAC Brush Cleaner.  We will be given a starter kit, including a set of brushes, but I’m not sure what else comes in the kit and I don’t want to turn up empty-handed and look like a make-up novice!  I am not very good at packing light and I find myself in a bit of a Goldilocks-esque dilemma: which of my three make-up bags shall I take?

• Case no. 1:  The same size as a carry-on suitcase and made of heavy duty steel and aluminium, it can just about fit all of the make-up and brushes I own, minus the stuff I use on a regular basis.  Whist it would be comforting to have all my stuff with me, I have a feeling it won’t be required on the first day and will make me look like a bit of a ‘try-hard’, which I don’t believe is considered to be a positive attribute in a school-like situation!
• Case no. 2: A sexy, black beauty case by Beauty Boxes, given to me by my lovely friends for my birthday.  It can carry all the kit you would need if you know what style of make-up you would be doing and who you were working on.  But I have no idea what will be happening tomorrow and want to be prepared.
• Case no 3: Not actually a case but my make-up bag with all the make-up I use on a daily basis, plus a few more items just in case I feel like mixing it up. The trouble with only taking this bag is that the shades of eyeshadow, foundation and lip colours that I use on my own face won’t necessarily suit anyone else in the class. Also, shouldn’t I keep the make-up I use on myself separate from that which I use on other people?



Which one is 'just right'?

The truth is that I know I don’t really need to take anything with me: they will have plenty of cosmetics there- it’s a make-up school for heaven’s sake!  But the perfectionist in me just wants to make a great first impression and show everyone that I’m serious about making this my career...And of course, be the best in class!

Another exciting occasion happening this week is Fashion’s Night Out on Thursday.  A night of after-hours shopping, fashion shows, pop-up restaurants and of course, make-up demos!  I’m hoping to head down to MAC on Oxford Street and the make-up counters at Selfridges, where I am sure they’ll be lots to see and purchase.  Could get messy - wish me luck!