The Rachael Ray Show

So, have any of you seen The Rachael Ray Show?

Rachael is a TV chef but also has an extremely popular chat show in the U.S. It's a huge show and they recently sent their makeover guru, Gretta Monahan over to the UK to give the residents of London "Royal wedding" makeovers.

Gretta put together a team of stylists, hairdressers and makeup artists and we set up near the London eye and pounced on the unsuspecting British public. The makeovers took place on a double decker bus so it was a little snug, so the team got to know eachother pretty quickly.

Very small makeup station!!!!

We had an early start with us being on the bus for 5.30am so they was a steady flow of coffee all day or in my case redbull. The makeup team were from Laura Mercier so amazing products were used.

We had 4 transformations and they were all over the moon with their new looks and really got into the spirit of things.

Please check out the link below to watch the actual segment from the show. 

http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/show/segments/view/grettas-london-makeover-takeover/#disqus_thread

Let me know what you think. Have a great week.

Katie x

As I start a new chapter in my life........

Hi Everyone,

I hope this finds you all very well. I'm excited to be telling you all of my news as I begin the next chapter in my career.

I have decided, after a lot of thought to leave the amazing Laura Mercier Cosmetics in order to return to freelancing. For those of you that know me, will appreciate how hard this has been to finally leave but it is the right decision for now. The travelling has kept me away from my family for 5 years and I feel it's time to reduce the amount of miles between me and my future husband.

Over the last 5 years I have been given so many opportunities by Laura and I have been sent to some fabulous places which have created memories I will cherish forever. Working for Laura has also enabled me to learn from the very best in the business, work with some extremely talented artists and use some of the worlds most effective products.......wow, why am I leaving????

The cities I have visited over the 5 years , such as Miami, New York, Paris, Bern, Zurich, Geneva, Houston and closer to home like Nottingham, Dublin, Glasgow, Manchester, Cardiff have given me challenges and experiences that I would never have had if I had worked for anyone but Laura and I thank the company for that.

Since handing in my notice, I have shed one or two tears and I'm sure this week, which will be my final event, will bring more emotion but I hope I will always have a relationship of some sort with Laura Mercier Cosmetics. ( and of course, I will continue their fab products on my clients)

So, I say thank you for my time and I hope to visit all the talented artists in store to but in a purchasing manner.

Next time I speak to you, I'll be a free agent and be begging you all for work! I also may be dying to have some time away! Hahaha!

Have a fun week.
Katie x

Amanda Wakeley Charity fashion show.

Hi Everyone,

I hope this finds you full of the joys of spring! Thanks goodness for the lighter evenings, doesn't it make a huge difference!

A few months ago, I was asked to lead the makeup team for a charity fashion event hosted by the amazing Amanda Wakeley to raise money for The Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester. Amanda's collection came from Harvey Nichols, Manchester, as did the talented Laura Mercier team who executed the makeup so beautifully and hair designed by the great Andrew Collinge.

We wanted to create a look that complemented the hair and of course the designs and so we concentrated on enhancing the eyes but keeping the skin very "flawless" and clean. Laura Mercier is a perfect fit for such a show.  We had 18 models and only 4 artists so it really was all hands on deck to get these girls ready for the show in time but also absolutely perfect.

Here are some of the backstage shots from yours truly.

And here are some of the shots from the show.

Please find a list of the products and tools we used below (all Laura Mercier)

Primer ......of course!

Silk Creme foundation......sponges

Secret Camouflage........Secret Camouflage brush

Secret Concealer........as above

Translucent powder......velour puff

Eye basic........ Cream eye colour brush

Cake Eyeliner in Black Ebony........Flatliner brush

Gold Metallic cream shadow........cream eye detail brush

Coffee ground eye colour ........ smudge brush

Brow pencils

Rose petal or wild bouquet cheek colour........ cheek colour brush

Bonbon lip glace

Hope you've enjoyed this little blog, any questions, just ask. I'm back up to Manchester this weekend to work with a talented hairdresser who wants a very exciting and creative look......can't wait to show you all next week.

Enjoy, have fun, remember it's only makeup.

Katie xx

Happy New Year!!!!

Ok, so I'm a little late but Happy New Year everyone! I trust everyone had a great new year and that your skin is finally finding it's way back to normality after the abuse of alcohol, chocolate, excessive rich foods and late night partying!

Well, this year started a little slow with January always being a touch quiet! However, I got plunged into an event last week in Selfridges which certainly woke me back up from the January blues!

However, I would point out that when advertising my visit to the store the website showed the following photo! This would be great if I were the one on the right! But I'm the "non" model on the left with the mushroom shaped hair! Hahaha! Don't attach me to such a beauty! It's like a before and after surgery shoot!

I spent 3 busy and exciting days on the Laura Mercier counter and boy did they work me hard.With over 5 clients to see per hour I needed Redbull by intravenous drip by the end of the day. I love this store, lovingly known as the big yellow cube - not to be confused with the Big Yellow Storage! You get such a diverse spectrum of cliental that really keeps you on your toes.

We had the new Silk Road Collection launch which I absolutely love and it flew out. The colours are incredibly versatile with a great eyes and cheek palette and some gorgeous limited edition lip plumpers.

These colours in palettes can sometimes scare us as they aren't "safe" colours but I urge you to try them as they can be very feminine but easy to vamp up for the evening.

Well, I'll leave you all for now and check in for a catch up in a couple of days.
And remember.....It's only makeup, you can wash it off! Go, play and have fun!

Fashion Show

Sorry, I've been away too long and now I'm back with a little update as to what has been happening in my mishmash of a world.

A couple of weeks ago, I had an very early start when I was asked to be part of the creative team for the John Lewis Seasonal launch show. These shows are put in place to promote the seasonal looks and to reach out to the Press, retailers and general fashion types to create a buzz around the brand.

We arrived at 5.45am and once my Redbull kicked in we got stuck in straight away with the 11 females models. The look was very "Parisian chic" and subsequently we used Laura Mercier products! Let's be honest, if you're looking for parisian chic, Laura Mercier, herself is where you look for inspiration.

Me and the lovely Flavia.

We kept the skin very clean, with a glow, using Laura Mercier's Illuminating Tinted Moisturiser and just the odd bit of concealer if needed. The eyes had no real defination with just a wash of colour swept across the lid and up into the socket. Brows were kept reasonably natural with a little brow pencil or powder as appropriate. 

The Lips are where we threw in some colour and drama, with a gorgeous strong red/brown pencil and blue/red lip stain to lift the brown up a little, creating the perfect shade.

                                                   

We had 4 shows and after a long but successful day, working with some great artists and catching up with models that I'd not worked with for a while, we finally packed up our kits at 4.30pm and headed home. Below are some of the shots from the show and the products used to create this gorgeous, sophisticated look.

Hope you enjoyed the photos! List of products used, below.

Laura Mercier Products


Primer
Illuminating Tinted Moisturiser
Secret Camouflage
Secret Concealer
Eye basic
Ginger Eyeshadow
Black Ebony cakeliner
Brow pencil
Wild Bouquet Cheek Colour
Thickening and Building Mascara
Redwood Lipliner
Scarlett Lipstain

From Miami to Mice! Glamour all the way!

Oh my Goodness! Talk about coming back down to earth with a bump!

This blog will definitely reassure you that being a makeup artist is not as glamorous as we like to believe! I'm sitting at Edinburgh Airport writing this, waiting to board my plane back to Heathrow!

Now, I must begin my telling you that I love Edinburgh, it's one of my favourite cities in the world! I have some amazing memories involving Scotland's Capital and last time I was here my future husband proposed so, as you can imagine, I was thrilled to be coming back for work!

I was due to take a Masterclass at Harvey Nichols at 6.30pm and gave myself plenty of time to get to the accomodation I'd booked, do a quick change,slap on some makeup and dump my case! This is where it all started to unravel! Now, on my travels, I usually book hotels but on occasion like to stay at those serviced apartments, especially if it is for a few nights, because you are able to cook for yourself etc. So, I booked Edinburgh Apartments, also known as Scottishapartment.com! I arrived at the "apartment" block and when no one answered I called the number on the email, only to be told that I have to visit the office first to collect the keys! What???????? So, I proceeded to get a taxi over there to pick them, up which left me no time to go back and freshen up!

Can you even imagine what is coming next? No! I ended up changing in a shopping centre toilet cubicle and then dashing to Harvey Nichols to lecture women on how to look effortless! Hahaha! Well, on a good note, the Masterclass went extremely well and the women and myself all had a great time and they went away very happy......and oblivious to my dressing room drama!

As it was late by the time I left, I took my suitcase and went straight to the apartment......one word...... disgusting! The amusing part of this story is that the woman in the office insisted on reminding me about 4 times that I would be charged for any damage! DAMAGE?!?!?!?! Damage would have been doing this place a favour! Cracked TV, only 2 channels working, hair on the bed sheets, damp on the bathroom ceiling and then to top it all off.....when I went looking for an ironing board, I open a cupboard door to find that I was sharing this "apartment"! With MICE!!! Well, a mouse trap, which I took as a big indictor that there was mice in the block!

To cut a very long story, short! The people running this organisation were useless, don't get me wrong, they offered me another apartment the following day......in the same block! Wow, genius! Thanks! As, you can imagine, I returned the keys the next day and booked into a hotel! I'm awaiting a refund, which I was informed had to come from Lastminute.com! 7-10 working days!

In short, what I'm telling you, is never,never, never book accommodation through these people, they couldn't even bring themselves to say sorry!

So, there is my story from Miami to Mice! Glamorous huh?

Weekend with Laura Mercier in Miami!

Well, where do I start? Firstly, I apologise for the insane length of time between posts but I've finally had broadband installed at home so there is no stopping me! You're actually more likely to want to slow me down! haha!

Last week I was lucky enough to spend 5 days in Miami with the amazing Laura Mercier company, learning about the new and exciting launches that they have coming up this season, insights into the company and spending time with some of the most inspiring artists in the business.

We started the first day with an amazing Q&A section with Miss Laura Mercier herself and the esteemed plastic surgeon and creator of Revive skincare, Dr Gregory Brown. This was amazing to hear the inspiration straight from the horses mouths (in want of a better word) What a way to start the 3 day conference!

I'm obviously not going to give you an hour by hour account as you'll drift off to sleep, fall off your chair and damage some part of your anatomy......and I certainly don't want to be responsible for any injury so I'll continue with my highlights!

Another amazing part of the weekend was sharing 2 hours with Laura's new ambassador Matin Maulawizada, who is not only a hugely sought after celebrity makeup artist but a truly warm, funny and kind man who does amazing work with Afghan Hands charity. He had recently returned from the Sex and the City press tour as Cynthia Nixon's artist so was a little tired but a trouper!

He, along with Laura took a 2 hour artistry class with only 15 of us in the room which meant we had a very intimate and honest session! I can not explain how valuable this was.

Laura spent time amusing us with stories of her time spent travelling the world meeting Mercier fans, working on some of the beautiful faces in the business and her time with the wonderful Sarah Jessica Parker, who has inspired one you the new fall collection products to hit Sephora this year......my lips are sealed until it has been launched and then I 'll tell you which one!

She shared some of her favourite looks and products, and was raving about using the Laura Mercier Bronzing Gel on top of your foundation but rubbing it between your hands and pressing into the skin for this summer glow.

On one of the balmy tropical evenings we were whisked off to the beautiful Vizcaya Museum and gardens for the award ceremony and wow, it was amazing! Some people were saying that it had been used as a location for the iconic film Scarface but I've yet to confirm that bit of trivia! After the awards were over, we went through to the casino and enjoyed the evening!

Above is a pic of me and the lovely Laura Mercier herself.

As you can imagine, we packed all sorts of other bits and pieces into the conference but most of it isn't interesting to write about. Although I'd been to the States before, I'd never ventured to Miami and it really was an "awesome" experience and one that has made me look to plan a return trip (for pleasure) to this beautiful and gorgeously hot state!

Please feel free to ask any questions relating to Laura or Matin and I will try and answer as best I can.

Thanks for reading and remember "makeup should be fun"!

Kisses,
Katie