Real Skin Care

Firstly, I’d like to apologise to my regular readers for my long absence.  I wanted to change the types of things I wrote about on The Make-up Darling as I realised it might be quite boring for readers to repeatedly hear about what I’m up to and I also felt like I was alienating a whole audience that weren’t budding MUAs but just interested in make-up and cosmetics.  I know there are a lot of blogs out there that give reviews on the my  myriad of products on the market, and I don’t want to just become another product reviewer but I do think some people may find it interesting to know which products I use, both personally and in my kit.

I have decided to write this blog post about my personal skincare routine.  Skincare has become really important to me in recent months, since I developed a severe case of atopic eczema towards the end of last year. The eczema covered large areas of my body, but most distressingly, it covered most of my face, neck and scalp too! The eczema was even around my eyes and made them swell.  The eczema was itchy and darkened to the point where my face was a completely different shade to my neck and body. Some days, even washing my face with water was too painful, and putting make-up on was near impossible. Even brushing my hair was painful and I began to lose hair at my temples where the eczema was particularly bad. I became so depressed that most days I didn’t even want to be seen in public and wondered whether I would be able to continue being a make-up artist: after all, people expect professional make-up artists to look a certain way and I felt like I looked like a monster.

I always thought I cared for my skin well. I washed my face morning and night with a good facial cleanser, and used a toner and moisturiser. I always thought my skin was really oily, and often used quite strong cleansers and toners, and oil-free moisturizers to try and combat this.  It wasn’t until I became a make-up artist that I considered that my skin might actually be severely dehydrated and that my facial skin was producing excess oil in order to try and hydrate itself.  When the eczema flared up, my skin suddenly changed type and became visibly dry. It was the first time that I actually missed my oily face!

After months of dermatologist’s appointment, allergy tests, blood tests, creams and lotions- both prescribed and bought on a whim or recommendation- I learnt that I really have to listen and look at my skin.  Now, rather than just using any old moisturizer on my face, I really look at my skin every day. If it is looking particularly dry or starting to feel like a flare up may be happening I use completely different products to I do when my skin is looking a bit more oily or congested.  I am also now obsessed with facemasks! Whereas at one time a facemask used to be a something I did to treat myself, normally accompanied by a large glass of wine and a chick flick, now I slap on a facemask at least once a week. 

My skincare products
 

The picture above shows all the products I regularly use in my skincare routine. I’m not going to lie- my skincare routine takes a few minutes longer than it used to (on average it takes about ten minutes; maybe a little longer if I’m wearing heavy eye make-up or using a facemask), but it’s so worth it to have clearer, eczema-free skin.  It’s an ongoing process and I’m always trying new things, but here are a few of my star products that I think have helped me (Please note: I have bought all of these products myself and have not been paid to endorse them- so it really is my personal opinion that I’m giving):

1.       Cetaphil Cleanser:  Cetaphil cleanser is a really mild cleanser, especially formatted for sensitive and dry skin. It’s great because it removes dirt, make-up and impurities without drying out the skin.  Loads of MUAs swear by it because you can use it on anyone without worrying that they’ll be allergic to it. I can use this even when I have a flare up and it doesn’t irritate it any further.

 

 

2.       Pixi Glow Tonic and Vitamin Liquid: on days when I feel my skin is not so sensitive and in need of a bit of mild exfoliation, I use Pixi Glow Tonic to remove dead skin cells and then the Vitamin Liquid serum to brighten the skin.  As a result of the eczema I had a lot of hyper-pigmentation and I think these two products have help to combat it.

 

 

3.       Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs and Rose Water: I love this facial spray.  I use this when my skin is feeling dry or sensitive as a toner.  I spray it on and then immediately apply a moisturizer or oil to lock in as much moisture as possible.  I have a couple of Mario Badescu products and think they could fast become one of my favourite skincare brands.

 

 

4.       Baobab Body Oil: Although this is a body oil, I actually use this on my face. I love this oil and think it’s really helped to smooth the skin and get rid of some of the discolouration.  It’s made from the seeds of the African baobab superfruit and is full of vitamins, minerals and nutrients.  It is a little bit pricey but totally worth it and I am tempted to start using it on my whole body.

 

5.       Facemasks: It’s hard for me to choose just one facemask as I am always using different ones, depending on the state of my skin.  Dior’s Hydra Life Beauty Awakening Rehydrating Mask  is more like an extra moisturiser as you don’t have to watch it off and I use this when my skin is looking a bit dry and in need of a bit of plumping.  I use Korres Wild Rose Instant Brightening Mask to help fade dark marks. Recently, I’ve started trying Lush’s facemasks.  I like the fact that they have all natural ingredients as I’m trying to stay away from parabens and harsh chemicals even though tests have shown that I am not allergic to anything.

 

I know that there are lots of factors that contribute to healthy skin, including diet, lifestyle and exercise but for me, self-analysing my skin and picking products to suit seems to be helping a lot. I think it is definitely worth a try if you are suffering from any skin complaints. 

Runaway with me

Phew! It’s been a busy few months.  I have lots to share with you but today I thought I’d show you some of my recent work.  These are the images from a lookbook I worked on for new fashion brands, Runaway88.   The spring/summer 2013 collection effortlessly combines hard, structural lines with more fluid, free-flowing elements.  The designers, Jade and Naomi took inspiration from nature and history, in particular, Ancient Egypt and ripples in the sand caused by waves.

I have started drawing a face chart for every job I do now, so that the client has some idea of the look I am planning to go for, and so that I can continually test myself on how effectively I can get the ideas in my head down onto paper and then see how well the look translates from paper onto the model’s face.  I have never been much good at drawing, but I am practising and eventually want to be able to just sketch my own facecharts rather than using pre-drawn ones.

I really enjoying working on this shoot, and it was a chance to take my make-up in a stronger, darker direction.  I think my work in the past has been more beauty and I really wanted to push this and make it more editorial and edgy.  I also got to try my hand at some art directing, which I really enjoyed and actually think I have a bit of a knack for!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photography: Kay Simpson

Model: Erika

Make-up/Hair:  Donna Harris www.donnaharris.co.uk

Clothes/Styling: Runaway88 www.runaway88.com

 

 

Make-up, Life and the In-between

Yet again, I have let months pass without updating The Make-up Darling blog.   All I can say is that life has got in the way, although that is no excuse – if world leaders can find the time to do their job and still have a family and a social life, I should be able to too!  But in the last few months there have been a lot of changes: a new job as a Retail MUA, a new house with my own make-up studio, many fashion shows (including one on which I was lead MUA and designed the look), weddings, proms, photoshoots, my own website (www.donnaharris.co.uk)  and just normal life squeezed in.  When I started this journey just shy of a year ago, I had no idea of what would be in store for me and I just knew with absolute certainty that I had to make the change. Looking back, I am so thankful that I did.  I feel like I have been a make-up artist all my life and, for the most part, I am a happier person because of it.  Sure, I may not be making the money I did when I was a stressed out Event Manager and I spend a large percentage of my time now cleaning brushes and dragging a suitcase full of make-up around, but I feel much more fulfilled in my career. 

I know I have also changed a lot as a person.  The way I look at things has changed and I am more open to new ideas and experiences.  It’s hard to articulate how I view things now and what interests and inspires me, and I’m sure to my friends I seem more vacant, detached and boring than I once was.  I don’t mean to be, it’s just that my mind if filled with so many thoughts and images now.  It’s like the right side of my brain has finally been kicked into gear after being suppressed for so long.  When I watch films now I get so caught up in everything- the make-up, lighting, the costume, the emotion.  I find myself staring at people’s faces, looking at the arch of their brow, the colours (yes, colours!) of their iris, the curve of their lips. Sometimes I think people must find me quite strange!  Trying to explain to a non-make-up artist what I spend my time doing on a week by week basis is hard because it must seem like very little, but honestly sometimes I feel more exhausted than ever because my brain is continually processing, planning, seeking inspiration.  I carry notebooks with me so everywhere so I can scribble down words, thoughts and poems, and constantly seem to be taking pictures.

I wouldn’t say it’s been the easiest transition to make and I am often plagued by self-doubt.  Natural confidence isn’t something I am blessed with.  I don’t find it easy to ‘let go’ and ‘just go with the flow’ and I always want to know where I am heading, so I often feel like I am going against my nature.  I don’t want to just be a good make-up artist; I want to be one of the best- the next Pat McGrath, Alex Box or Kevyn Aucoin.  I recently assisted Salina Thind on a shoot for Conde Nast’s Brides Magazine (September/October Issue- out now) and was so happy to have my work published in the magazine, although I wasn’t credited, but one day soon I want it to be my name that the world sees in the margin of the page.  I have no idea how to get from where I am now to there, so I guess I just have to keep doing what I’m doing and hope I’m doing the right thing.  I want to know more, do more, be more.

So, anyway, I am really grateful to whoever reads this blog- I hope that you get something from it; whether that is inspiration or just satisfaction that you are doing better than me!  I find it cathartic to write sometimes and get all my feelings out, but I realise posts like this might be boring for people to read, so I will endeavour to write shorter posts with more photos in the future.  Those of you that just want to see my work without reading me bleat on may want to follow me on instagram (deeh_mua) or twitter (@donnaharris_mua) or even just check out my website (www.donnaharris.co.uk).

I can’t leave you without any photos, so here are some photo collages of some of my recent work:

About a Boy

Finally, I am able to show you some photos from the shoot I had a few months ago with the gorgeous Remy Baquiche from Models 1 and the fabulous photographer, Marc Desvaux. 

As you know, I have now done many photoshoots with beautiful female models, but had yet to shoot with a male model, and when I met Remy at The Russian Fashion show back in February, I knew his look and personality would be perfect for the story I had in mind for my shoot.  I  had been watching 'The Talented Mr Ripley' and had been really inspired by the styling in the movie and in particular, the styling, look and attitude of the character Dickie Greenleaf, played by Jude Law.  Also, I noticed that the nautical look, with the boat shoes and turned up chinos, were coming into style for mens' fashion this spring/summer, so wanted to work with that.  Marc knew the film well and together we decided that we should use this as our inspiration for the shoot, but also wanted to play around and perhaps get something a little less polished and styled and a bit more modern.

Unfortunately, we had a slight snag when the stylist we had found dropped out, so at the last minute, I decided to style the shoot myself.  This is the first shoot on which I was co-producer/art director, hair and make-up artist and stylist, and to be honest, it was a little hard to concentrate on everything, but I think we got some great results. Remy was fantastic to work with and brought great energy and enthusiasm to the shoot, and Marc, as always, was a pleasure to work with and I think it's a testament to his great photography that Models 1 have put our photos on Remy's online portfolio.  I hope to work with Marc again soon on other shoots.

So, here are the long-awaited photos. I hope you like them...comments always welcome.More photos will be posted on my facebook page shortly, so be sure to keep an eye out!

Paris and the search for the perfect Red Lipstick

A couple of weeks ago, I went to Paris to visit my old friend, Sarah (http://sarah-serves.blogspot.com), who for the last five months has been living what must be every foodie’s fantasy: fully immersing herself in the French culture and cuisine.  This girl has guts and was one of my greatest inspirations when deciding to pack in my old job and become a make-up artist.  Since I haven’t had a holiday since 2009 and have always wondered what springtime in Paris is like, whom better to see it with than my fabulous, French-speaking friend! Another lure was of course the make-up shops such as Make up For Ever and Sephora (my idea of heaven- why we do not have one in the UK, I’ll never know!) and of course the French pharmacies, with all their amazing products that we have to pay considerably more for here in the UK.

High up on the agenda for my time in Paris was to find Sarah her signature red lipstick. Red lipstick is the stiletto of make up! Red lips are bold, sexy and never go out of style.  But many women find it hard to find the right shade and texture of lipstick for them.  The general rule of thumb is that people with pink skin undertones suit shades of red with a blue undertone, those with yellow/olive undertones suit orangey reds, very pale skintones suit most reds and those with dark skin suit brick reds and burgundy shades.   However, rules are made to be broken –especially when it comes to make up.  A blue shade of red tends to look more formal and grown up whereas orange reds are a little more undone, so it just depends on what look you want to go for. 

As for textures, matte lipstick delivers sophisticated, intense, full coverage colour with no shine.  It normally stays on longer than other lipsticks, but it can be drying.  Sheer lipsticks provide a glossy, sheer wash of see-through colour that allows your natural lip colour to show through.  It doesn’t have to be applied with great precision so is great for a quick fix.  Crème lipsticks provide a full coverage of moist colour. It wears quite well, without being as dehydrating as matte lipstick due to its emollient content. Crème formulas can have a natural, frosted or shimmer finish.  

A few tips to remember when choosing a lipstick in any shade:

·         Glossy lips look more youthful than matte.

·         Dark lip colours age you faster than any other make-up product. (The darker your natural lip colour, the darker you can go with your lip colour and still look natural and youthful).

·         Wear lighter shades of lip colour on thin lips to make them look fuller.

·         Warmer, more colourful lipstick choices always make you appear younger because they bring out the warm tones in your skin and add life to your face.

So back to my search for Sarah’s signature red – we decided that she should go for a matte red with a blue undertone for that dramatic look.  We started off in Make Up For Ever, where we found a gorgeous shade of red that really suited her.  Make Up For Ever was also where I picked up a foundation and lipstick palette and got a 40% professional discount (Merci beaucoup, MUFE!).  However, as it was the first make-up shop we had visited and there were still many others on the agenda we didn’t buy the red lipstick.  Next, we went into MAC, but couldn’t find one that was special enough. 

After a quick stop for refreshments at the quintessentially Parisian Cafe St Regis, a macaroon and chocolate fix at the amazingly fragrant Maison Larnicol and some sight-seeing around Notre Dame, we found our way to City Pharma, one of the many pharmacies in Paris.  Before I left, the main products I planned to buy for my kit were Bioderma Crealine H2O, which is my must-have cleanser in my kit, and Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentrate, which lots of MUAs swear by for moisturising.   I had been watching one of Lisa Eldridge’s wonderful tutorials about French pharmacies and made a note of some of the products she recommended from brands like Nuxe and La Roche- Posay.  I was like a kid in a candy store in the pharmacy and if they hadn’t been ready to close up shop after half an hour in there,  I would have happily spend hours browsing the aisles, trying to decipher what each product is for.  There were so many great products there at more than reasonable prices.  I ended up spending more money than I planned but am very happy with what I bought.

Walking the red carpet in Sephora - I can't contain my happiness!

The next day, we hit The Avenue des Champs-Élysées, lined with designer shops.  After a quick browse in Louis Vuitton, pretending that I could actually afford anything in there, Sarah and I get back down to business. First, we went to a shop called Marionnaud, which Sarah described as the French equivalent of a Superdrug, but I think it’s way classier.  It has a huge selection of men’s and women’s fragrances, skin care and make-up brands from Bourjois to Dior! Sarah tried on and swatched many red lipsticks, including a gorgeous one from the Dior Addict Extreme collection called Fireworks #756, but none were quite right.  So we hot-footed it down the avenue to Sephora. I have been obsessed with Sephora since I lived in New York.  There, it was my ‘happy place’ where I would spend hours on end smelling all the perfumes and testing all the make-up.  Whenever, I’d had a bad day (which was quite often in New York), Sephora would make it all better, so I was excited to be reunited.  And Sephora in Paris did not disappoint... in fact, it welcomed me into its huge doors and onto its red carpet with open arms!  I think this particular store must be one of the brand’s biggest stores in the world because it was quite overwhelming.  I instantly wanted to run in every direction at once and had to rein myself in a bit, take a couple of deep breaths and tell myself repeatedly that I was on a budget and couldn’t afford everything!

Whilst I was painstakingly looking over each product and asking myself “Do I really need this?”,  Sarah was off in search of her red lipstick.  When I caught up with her, her hand looked as if someone had written a novel in Morse code with lipstick and she was obviously a little bewildered by the choice.  So there was only one thing to do:  start from the beginning and try all the red lipsticks on her lips until we found “The One”!  So that is exactly what we did! I kind of took over various make-up stations in the store, found a lipstick that might be suitable and tried them on Sarah, one by one, sanitizing the lipstick before and after, of course and using the various applicators and make-up removers.  None of the staff seemed to mind, fortunately, and I even had a French girl approach me and ask me to suggest a good foundation for her skintone!  Sarah and I spent a good half an hour at least trying on lipsticks from Clarins, Chanel,  Dior, Shiseido, Lancôme, MAC, Givenchy, Guerlain, Giorgio Armani and Sephora’s own brand.  But do you know what we ended up buying? That red lipstick that Sarah first tried on in Make Up Forever, the shade: ‘Moulin Rouge’!  Which just goes to show that it is often the first find that’s the right find, but when it comes to choosing your signature red lipstick (and anything else worth having), it is always worth doing a little work to make sure you find one that’s perfect for you.

The only thing constant in this world is change....

I can’t believe it has been over a month since I last wrote a post.  I can only apologise for my tardiness- in my defence I have been very busy with various different projects.  There is a lot to fill you in on so I will begin:

First up, I have decided to quit my job at the Benefit concession at a House of Fraser in South London.  For the most part, working there has not been a happy experience.  I have enjoyed meeting customers and doing their make-up, but that’s about all.  I am sure a lot of people really enjoy working for House of Fraser and/or Benefit, and it is not my intention to speak badly of either company, but I will just say that working there was a not the right career choice for me and I will be glad to see the back of it.  This does however present me with the problem of not having a regular income to depend upon again, but I have always been one to follow my heart and I really believe that when something’s not working for you, you have to get out of it or it will drive you mad and make you miserable.  Also, I feel a bit more confident in my ability as a make-up artist now and feel like I can apply for freelance jobs that a few months ago I would have felt too inexperienced to apply for.  I have no idea what the future holds and if I will look for another retail job or just try and go it alone.  Only time will tell!

Anyway, as I said, I have been busy working on some shoots and projects in the last month or so.  Here is an overview of just some of the things I’ve been up to:

Thursday 8^th March:  AIU Graduates’ Fashion Show, Old Vic Tunnels

As part of a team of 8 make-up artists, I worked on the American InterContinental University’s annual Fashion Show, entitled ‘Flight’, held at the Old Vic Tunnels, London.  The school donated all proceeds from ticket sales for the show to FSSA (Funding for Secondary School Assistance) Zambia. 

The look for the make-up was made very striking with bright blue, green, yellow and orange triangular shapes stretching from the models’ eyelids to the hair lines, but the rest of the face was kept quite neutral.  It was a good opportunity to test out the colourful OCC eye shadows and paints that I bought from IMATS at the beginning of February.

Friday 9^th March:  90’s inspired shoot

On this day, I had the opportunity to work again with the wonderful Dan Korkelia and Zara Sparkes, with whom I worked on the Xsenia & Olya Lookbook last month.  I also recruited my good friend Mira Kozlowska to style the shoot and we used some great jackets designed by Olya Shishkina.  We wanted to achieve some gorgeous, black and white and colour shots.  The look was reminiscent of the late 80s/early 90’s supermodel era: sexy yet classy, with tousled hair, heavily lined eyelids and strong contouring.  I played around with the make-up throughout the shoot and added influences from the 60’s and 80’s to mix it up a little.  I really love the results:

Photography: Dan Korkelia
Model: Zara Sparkes
Stylist: Mira Kozlowska
Hair/MUA: Donna Harris
Jacket designer: Olya Shishkina

Photography: Dan Korkelia
Model: Zara Sparkes
Stylist: Mira Kozlowska
Hair/MUA: Donna Harris

Photography: Dan Korkelia
Model: Zara Sparkes
Stylist: Mira Kozlowska
Hair/MUA: Donna Harris

Photography: Dan Korkelia
Model: Zara Sparkes
Stylist: Mira Kozlowska
Hair/MUA: Donna Harris

Photography: Dan Korkelia
Model: Zara Sparkes
Stylist: Mira Kozlowska
Hair/MUA: Donna Harris

Tuesday 27^th March:  My ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’ inspired shoot

Given that I have not had the opportunity to work with many male models, I decided to organise my own test shoot and try my hand at male grooming.  A couple of month ago, I was watching ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’ and was admiring the styling in the film and thought that it would be great to do a shoot inspired by the film, tying it in with the summer trend for turn ups and boat shoes in men’s fashion.  I wanted to replicate the look of Jude Law’s character in the film, Dickie Greenleaf, with his sexy, ‘too-cool-for-school’ cockiness, but also make it a bit edgier and more modern.  I will write about the shoot in a separate blog post once I get the images back from the photographer.

Thursday 29^th March:  NABS Charity Event – Heaven and Hell

Last Thursday evening, I worked at an event organised by NABS (National Advertising Benevolent Society), entitled Heaven and Hell, held at Battersea Evolution.  The event was hosted by Sara Cox and the headlining act was Pixie Lott.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t doing either celebrity’s make-up, but instead was helping to make-up the twenty or so hosts and hostesses helping the event to run smoothly.  As the theme was Heaven and Hell we had to first make the hosts and hostesses look angelic with light, iridescent make-up and then later we had to transform them into Hell’s angels with black smoky or kohl-rimmed eyes, dark lips and red contact lenses.  Unfortunately, I was far too busy to take any photos of my work so have nothing to show you!

Friday 30^th March:  Music/Dance Video Shoot

Last Friday I worked on a music video shoot produced and directed by the multi-talented Sarah Peace, for Roberta De Francia, an acoustic/alternative singer/songwriter, originally from Italy.  The video featured the beautiful French-born ballet dancer, Alize Biannic.  It was really fun to work on something so different from my normal shoots and also to be on a film set again because it reminded me of my time as a dancer.

Once the video is ready I will post it on my facebook page.  Here are some stills from the shoot. You can see my first attempts at mehendi designs on the hands and shoulders of the singer and dancer:

Dancer: Alize Biannic
Photography: Sarah Peace
Hair/MUA: Donna Harris

Singer/Songwriter: Roberta De Francia
Photography: Sarah Peace
Hair/MUA: Donna Harris

So there’s a quick snapshot of some of what I’ve been up to in March.  I’ve missed out a couple of shoots which I will either blog about separately or post photos on my facebook page, so remember to ‘like’ and keep an eye out for them.  I’m looking forward to a few days rest in April and a quick trip to Paris to stock up on some make-up goodies. I hope you have enjoyed reading this post and I promise I won’t leave it so long before I write again.      

Happy Easter, Darlings!

My Fashion Fortnight

Just as soon as I’d finished complaining to you guys that I’d taken my eyes off the ball and missed out a few opportunities, a number of great opportunity knocked on my door and between these and my days as a Benebabe, I have had a hectic but exciting couple of weeks.  I will recount my adventures in the order that they occurred.  Prepare yourselves, it’s gonna be a long one...!

Firstly, on 10^th February, I was booked to assist international creative hairstylist, Johnnie Sapong at London Fashion Week on the menswear day (22^nd February).  Assisting at London Fashion Week has been my dream since the very start so I was overjoyed to have made the assist list. I haven’t had the opportunity to do much male grooming work since graduating so I was looking forward to the challenge, especially under the tutelage of Mr Sapong, who has been hailed as “probably the best hairdresser in the world” by The Sunday Times.  Plus, playing with cute boys’ faces and hair for a day didn’t sound too awful!

Just when I thought things couldn’t get any better and was eagerly planning what products to stock up my male grooming kit with, I got booked to assist with hair and make-up on a lookbook shoot for an amazing new brand called Miss Matahari, designed by the lovely Natasha Stuart. Miss Matahari is fitness wear for all women – from exercise novices to elite athletes, regardless of their size or shape. Inspired by Mata Hari, the icon of glamour and seduction that made her name synonymous with femme fatale during WWI, this brand celebrates and flatters the female figure, and manages to accentuate your assets and conceal the parts you’d rather not draw attention to, owing to the clever use of “some of the most technical fabrics available today”. It’s definitely a brand I’ll be wearing to Zumba class once it launches next month – “ this is seriously sexy fitness wear that ticks all the boxes”. The hair and make-up for the lookbook had to reflect this strong brand ethos of female empowerment so the brief was big, sexy, tousled curls for the hair and the make-up had a strong emphasis on the eyes, using browns, taupes and greys.

The shoot took place at a personal training studio near Tower Bridge in London.  We had a hair and make-up team of five, including me, and four models (one of which was also a make-up artist on the shoot).  I was a bit nervous to begin with as I didn’t really know what to expect and also because I knew I would be expected to help with hair, which is not my forte.  I don’t even like doing my own hair, but as a MUA its always a bonus if you can do hair as well.  I can do enough to get by when it’s a test shoot and I’m in charge of hair and make-up, but when I am assisting proper, experienced hairstylists, I tend to get a bit embarrassed about my hairstyling skills.  But the team was really nice and once I got into it, I think I did a good job, and actually ended up doing more hair than make-up on the shoot.

Whilst the photographer shot the stills for the lookbook, videographers were also making a film for the brand which saw the models running around outside in weird and wonderful locations and pretending to have arguments with one another.  I also played production assistant, holding reflectors, and bits of equipment and generally being the runner.  I  love just mucking in and helping to get a job done.   It was one of the coldest days of the year so far and the models and videographers  were obviously freezing  outside so it was important to be there for them in case they needed anything and to also help speed up the process as much as possible.

I can honestly say that this was one of the most fun shoots I’ve worked on so far.  I love meeting new people on the creative team and talent; discussing make-up with the MUAs and chatting to people about their experiences in the industry.  I can’t wait until Miss Matahari is launched next month and I get to see what we created that day. Of course, I will post them on my blog for you all to see too.

Well, as they say, no rest for the wicked, as the very next day I had shoot for another lookbook.  This time in was for the A/W 2012 collection from Xsenia & Olya.   Xsenia  and Olya, the design duo from Central St Martins, debuted their first collection ‘Staircase Wit’ at SS 2012 London Fashion Week.  The Fall/Winter 2012 collection showcases their experimental nature by introducing Digital Knit – the inter-weaving and morphing of knit and light to create unique knitting patterns unattainable in nature.   Their collection is absolutely beautiful.  By using light fabrics such as silk jersey, silk satin, light wool and crepe de chine, and a bold palette of red, grey, mustard and purple, the collection promotes comfortable elegance to hurdle the challenges of day to night dressing. It is about the woman and the limitless amount of possibilities that she can account for in one single day.

 Half of the lookbook had been shot the week before but unfortunately the MUA was unable to attend the second day, so I was called on by the photographer, Dan Korkelia, to take her place.  This meant that I had to copy the make-up she’d done on the model.  Now, I don’t know about other MUAs but I personally find it very hard to copy someone else’s work and I don’t like doing it.  Every MUA has their own style and areas of the face that they like to concentrate on.  For me,  I love a cheekbone – the more contouring and highlighting in the face, the better!  I love to see the angles of a face.  So when you have to match another MUA’s work it is hard to hold back on your own style and creativity.  Also, the make-up takes longer because you are working from a photo and trying to match all the shades, rather than working creatively and using your own instinct.  It will be interesting to look at the whole lookbook together, to see if anyone can spot the make-up done by me in the lookbook.

I had a beautiful model to work on, which always makes the job easier:  Zara Sparkes from BMA Models was fantastic to work with.  It was a new experience for me to work with the designers of the collection on the shoot: usually there is a stylist that acquires the clothes and puts items together, but I really enjoyed seeing  Xsenia and Olya fitting the clothes to the model as their relationship with each garment goes much deeper - they know how they envisaged the clothes looking and exactly what they want to bring out in the garment.  It was also interesting to work with Dan on a shoot. We have known each other since September 2011, having met on my first shoot (name link), but this was the first time I’ve worked with him.  By his own admission, he is a very hand-on photographer and likes to get into all aspects of the shoot, but I actually found it quite helpful to have his input: to see the make-up through the photographer’s  eyes and see what shades and colours the camera is picking up, because that’s what the world’s going to see in the end.  So here’s a look at some of the final images. To see the full lookbook click here and to find out more about Xsenia & Olya , visit the Xsenia & Olya website or Facebook page :

Model: Zara Sparkes @ BMA Models
Photographer: Dan Korkelia
MUA Donna Harris
Jacket: Xsenia & Olya (AW 2012 Collection)

Model: Zara Sparkes @ BMA Models
Photographer: Dan Korkelia
MUA Donna Harris
Dress: Xsenia & Olya (AW 2012 Collection)

Model: Zara Sparkes @ BMA Models
Photographer: Dan Korkelia
MUA Donna Harris
Jacket by Xsenia & Olya (AW 2012 Collection)

To my great disappointment, my London Fashion Week assisting job on 22^nd February was cancelled at the last minute. I was honestly gutted! But thankfully, my friend Nina Malone (www.ninamalone.co.uk and www.shootingbeauty.co.uk)  managed to get me booked as a hair and make-up artist for the Russian/Maslenitsa Fashion Show at the V&A Museum, sponsored by Fashion TV,  on the same day.  There were six hair and make-up artists in total and apparently 24 models, but I swear there were more.  We didn’t get given a brief before the day of the show, so I was a little bit worried about what the designers had in mind for the hair.  We were meant to be given full instructions on the looks at 12 noon on the day and then would have 5 ½ hours to do hair and make-up on four models each.  But, of course, at 12 noon the designers hadn’t yet given us any instruction and it wasn’t until about 1.30 pm when we finally started to pick up our make-up brushes.  By 4.30pm my hair and make-up station had descended into chaos, as had the whole room, with designers changing their mind on the hairstyles, models still not made up, and designers and presenters of the show requesting their hair and make-up to be done too!  I lost count of how many faces I put make-up on and because we had to move at the speed of light, I don’t think it was my best work.  We somehow managed to get everyone made-up and ‘coiffured’, our huge kits packed away and set bags with bits and pieces for quick touch-up at the ready, and jumped and on the shuttle bus to the V&A museum, where we arrived to find more chaos backstage, with designers unwilling to share their space with MUAs so close to their precious collections, show callers bellowing during rehearsals and three male models that needed to be made up.  So kits once again had to be unpacked in limited space!

It was exhausting but  somehow all the make-up artists managed to pull each other through.  I really enjoyed working with the other MUAs – one of the best things about being an MUA is that it never feels like you’re in competition with another MUA- you’re on the same team and you learn tips and tricks from each other.  And watching the models on the projector backstage we could see that we’d done a good job.  I can’t wait to see the photos and video footage from the night. Here are a couple of photos I managed to take on my phone:

One of my lovely models, waiting backstage

I got to play with cute boys after all - The male models

Finally, yesterday I did a test shoot for an advertising campaign, but I’ll wait until next time to tell you about it!

Thank you for reading.  Comments are always welcome (except if they are horrible, obviously!).  Check out my Facebook page and follow me on twitter (donnaharris_mua) for more up-to-the minute information.