sophiealexis make-up artist

A match made by No7

noreply@blogger.com (SophieAlexisMUA) — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 18:58:00 +0000

One of the most commonly asked questions I am asked f is "What shade of foundation do you think I am?". In simple terms the answer is that I have no idea. Shades differ so much from brand to brand and can be given names, numbers or letters so I advise to go to a make up counter and get shade matched.

This may seem simple enough but can also encounter some problems such as staff inexperience or harsh shop lighting which can lead to the wrong shade being matched. Something that has happened to myself on several occasions and is so annoying!

Now any new technologies or developments in the make up industry gets me excited (this geekiness is allowed as it is part of my job!) but I definitely believe No 7 have come up with something spectacular with their new Match Made service.

No7 have spent the last 3 years putting a lot of time and investment into the brand and today (29th August) they will be revealing their revamp which includes new counters, packaging, colours, products, and even uniform.

Part of their relaunch included redeveloping the formula and shades of their foundation and they have joined forces with US company X-rite who are the owners of Pantone. Together they have come up with cutting edge scientific colour measuring equipment and have photographed and measured the skin tone and under tones of over 2000 real woman from all ages and ethnicities. From this research they initially identified 17 distinct skin tone "clusters" and a range of 50 shades of foundation which they have then whittled down to 17. Another advantage is that these shades are consistant across all the different formulas, something quite unknown in the make up industry. You may be aware that NW20 is a different shade in almost all of MACs foundations!

The technology that they have developed is a small hand held device which has 8 LED and 1 UV lights which enter the skin at different angles and take 27 skin photographs. These are then processed by the device and the shade match is shown on a display. Allowing the consultant to help you decide on which formulation to go for. The device works is any light which is brilliant considering the harsh unnatural light of the stores!

The Match Made service will be available in most of the stores but you can also head over to Boots.com to find out if it is available at your local store. Also if you wish to read/listen to more information about this then check out Lisa Eldridge's Blog and YouTube Channel which is where I discovered it. I will certainly be heading down to my nearest counter tomorrow to have a good nose about and try it out for myself!

I hope that this technology is something that they will sell on and be made available at all the different brand counters as it certainly is exciting stuff!

If this article was of use/interest to you then please subscribe for more posts like this!

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noreply@blogger.com (SophieAlexisMUA) — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 16:24:00 +0000

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AOFM

noreply@blogger.com (SophieAlexisMUA) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 08:55:00 +0000

Well it has been a while since I have written a blog post but hopefully this will be the week to change all of that...

I am sat in Starbucks, Wardour street, Soho drink a lovely but rather over indulgent vanilla spice latte and have just polished off a pain au chocolate - clearly forgetting I am a bridesmaid in 9 weeks time!!

The reason for all of this is today is the first day of my course at the Academy of Freelance Make up - you may remember me rambling on about it a couple of months ago. Well the day is finally upon me and I am a hour and a half early!!! I thought I would use the time productively instead of glaring at facebook and write a wee introduction post.

I will be attending the course for the next 6 days and hope to be able to update you all with stories and picture as I go along. This post is a bit type heavy as obviously there has been little action to snap yet.

So I will end with a lovely picture of the door and ask you all to keep checking back for updates, these will also be posted on Facebook and twitter.

Happy Monday everyone!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Dinair Airbrush Systems

noreply@blogger.com (SophieAlexisMUA) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 23:03:00 +0000

I am excited and please to announce that I will be introducing airbrush make up from Mid February and will be using the Dinair brand.

Dinair was founded by Emmy-award winning Makeup artist to the stars, Dna Ousley and is the originator of airbrush makeup. It is the secret to that celebrity finish and is mostly know for its use by the likes of Girls Aloud to the cast of Desperate Housewives.

Dinair is hypo-allergenic and alcohol free. It's lighter-than-air consistency give complete coverage that last up to 20 hours, making it the perfect choice for brides to be. It can also be used to cover tattoos, scars and skin conditions such as Rosacea and is rub and transfer resistant.

I am offering this at an introductory rate of an additional £10 per person for all bookings taken before 30th April.

xxx

Friday Following..

noreply@blogger.com (SophieAlexisMUA) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:32:00 +0000

Every Friday my plan is to put a local business in the spotlight, so to speak. This week is Princess Cut Bridal Hair. If you are wedding planning I would recommend you check her out. Here are some words from the lovely owner, Charlene:

At Princess Cut Bridal Hair , my goal is to give you the wedding look you've always dreamed of. A look that reflects your unique personality and style. One that you and your guests will delight in.

My aim is to provide a friendly, helpful and professional service but with a fun and personal touch that will make the 'getting ready' part of your day almost as memorable as the rest of it! By focusing on a high-quality service and customer satisfaction I will guarantee to meet your expectations.

Using the best products around and right up-to-date with current trends, I am able to come up with the look you really want, classic or contemporary, natural or totally glamorous . . .

I cover all areas of Scotland including Fife, Edinburgh & Glasgow travelling to your hotel, wedding venue or home so you can sit back and relax in your own environment.

If you are part of a small business and would like to featured in Friday Following please email info@sophiealexismakeup.co.uk

Thanks

Sophie

AOFM and Thank You

noreply@blogger.com (SophieAlexisMUA) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 23:55:00 +0000

As some of you may have read on my Facebook/Twitter I have now had my place at the Academy of Freelance Make Up (AOFM) in London confirmed for mid March. As a make up artist I firmly believe that there is no end to your learning and it is important to stay up to date with trends, techniques and products in order to develop and enrich your talent. AOFM is a world class make up academy and agency that has schools in London, Paris and New York, whilst there I will be taught by some of the industries finance. Or to put it in their own words:

Our association of artists makes the Academy one of the best training institutes in the world. Because of this our students go on to be some of the best freelance artists.

Words cannot begin to describe how excited I am to train there and I hope to return refreshed and polished so that I can give my clients the best possible experience. I would just like to thank all those that have believed in me and given me the chance to follow a career that I am so passionate about. I cannot believe I spent so many years worrying about what I wanted to do when make up was such the obvious choice, ever since I set foot in that MAC store around 14 years ago....

More to come on this later as I hope to blog whilst down there!

Sophie xx

1st Video Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (SophieAlexisMUA) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 19:41:00 +0000

Hello everybody and Happy New Year!!

I have some exciting things coming up this year which I will update you about soon but the first of these is my YouTube tutorial debut!! Click here to view my channel.

I will be posting a new tutorial once a week and also be doing reviews etc etc so please subscribe to keep in touch.

If you have any requests then please let me know!

Love Sophie

xxx

Sitara* 12

noreply@blogger.com (SophieAlexisMUA) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 22:18:00 +0000

Last Saturday I was asked to do the make up for the Sitara* '12 video promo shoot. Last year I was fortunate enough to assist Sandra Cormack with the make up for the glitzy event, and hope to work on many more shoots with the Sitara team. A big thank you to Diane for the invitation to work with the group

Sitara* is an St Andrew's University Charity Fashion show, below is extract from their facebook page:

Asian inspired event that encompasses fashion, performances and acting all in one amazing night to remember
Sitara*, which translates into bright star in Hindi, is a unique experience held once a year in St Andrews. It celebrates the fusion of Asian culture, from the stately tea houses of Japan to the vibrate dances of India.

Sitara* is narrated through a annually changing story which weaves together the three aspects of the show; fashion, performance and silent acting. From the runway to the stage Sitara* will captivate and enthrall audience members, taking them on a magic carpet ride through all of Asia~

Last year, Sitara* donated over half of the show’s proceeds to The Ashraya Initiative for Children in Pune, India. This year, we hope to raise even more! Ashraya, meaning hope, trust, shelter, and protection in Hindi, is a community outreach project that houses children living on the streets. Started by a group of freshman students at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia in 2004, the Ashraya Initiative embodies diversity at its best.

xxx

Leo Friel Shoot

noreply@blogger.com (SophieAlexisMUA) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 22:05:00 +0000

Last week I had the pleasure of working with the talented Leo Friel Photography at Meow Studios, Edinburgh. First off, I would just like to say that the studio's are fantastic and offer a great alternative to standing outside freezing your bum off during those winter months.

The model for the day was Steph Ramsey, who very kindly stepped in at the last moment and saved our shoot so massive thanks Steph. Below are some pics from the shoot:

The first two pics above were actually from the 2nd look. The idea behind them was a slightly harder and rockier look than the first and the inspiration was from Shirley Manson. I love how the make up is quite "fierce" and contrast with the vulnerability of Steph's pose as she is wrapped up in the white sheet.

The first look was a simple beauty shot where the make up was kept quite natural apart from a pop of colour on the cheeks and lips. I finished the lips with a high shine lip gloss to create that fabulous glossy look.

A big thank you to everyone involved!

xxx

Advent No 2

noreply@blogger.com (SophieAlexisMUA) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 11:07:00 +0000

Under 18's party make up £10 per person!

A great treat for Teenagers Ball and other dances.

Book by end of today to snap up this deal.

info@sophiealexismakeup.co.uk

Merry December

noreply@blogger.com (SophieAlexisMUA) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 08:34:00 +0000

December is finally here and we can tuck into our advent calendars that we have been eyeing up for weeks!

I have decided to do a Sophie alexis make up advent calendar too, so please come back each day to see the daily treat! Or to make it easier become a follower!

1st Dec: free lashes with all party make up. Book by the end of today to enjoy!

Lots of love

Sophie

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

An update

noreply@blogger.com (SophieAlexisMUA) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 20:06:00 +0000

Hello all,

Hope you are all well and busy preparing for Christmas. I cannot believe its that time of year again.
I am joining in the festivities by offering Christmas party make up for £15 per person. BARGIN. Please get in contact if you would like to book.

Winter brides-to-be, I am also offering 20% off all wedding packages booked for December, January and February. Book today to avoid disappointment!!

I have been busy working on a few photo shoots over the last couple of weeks and will write about these in another post. I am also going to hopefully be up loading some video demo's in the next few weeks, so let me know if there is anything in particular you would like to see.

Sophie xx

Summer is settling...

noreply@blogger.com (SophieAlexisMUA) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 19:34:00 +0000

I cannot believe that summer is now on its way out, not that we had a great one here in Scotland! I have had an amazing first wedding season and met a whole load of lovely brides. I feel honoured to be part of their big day.

To help ease into the winter months I am offering 10% off any November and December wedding packaged booked before 30/09/11. Just quote the code WINTER10 when booking!

Sophie
x

The next step..

noreply@blogger.com (SophieAlexisMUA) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 20:43:00 +0000

I already posted my recommendations for a cleanser so thought I should follow it up with some moisturiser recommendations.

Moisturising is one of the key ingredients to perfect make up application and a lot of people skip this step out. Moisturising your skin helps to create the perfect surface to apply your foundation too, it helps even the skin out and stops foundation "dry patches".

Here are a few of my recommendations:

Embryolisse Lait - Creme concentre

This product suits normal to dry skin and it is my main kit moisturiser. It skins into the skin quickly and is not heavy or sticky. You can buy it here. I would probably stay away from it if you have oily skin.

Dermologica Skin Smoothing Cream

I was first introduced to this cream by my mum about 7 years ago and is a product that I always return to. It is very similar to the Embryolisse. You can buy it here.

Oilatum Natural Repair

Another fantastic product that creates a fantastic base. This product would again suit normal to dry skin. And especially those with really dry skin. It is a little thicker than the other two but again soaks into the skin very quickly. You can pick this up from Boots.

MAC Oil Control Lotion

The clue is in the name with this one! Suited for oily skin, this lotion goes on clear and dries matt. Now the main purpose of this is to act as a primer but it is also very moisturising. The key thing to note about this product is that results improve with usage as it improves the condition of your skin. It is also very gentle which is very important with Oil control products as a lot of them contain harsh ingredients which strip the skin of natural oil, therefore creating a catch 22 situation as the skin works over time as it thinks there is not enough oil being produced. This product will stop your make up slipping off and allow for fewer (if any!) touch ups. You can buy it here.

Fiona Luing

noreply@blogger.com (SophieAlexisMUA) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 20:16:00 +0000

A few months back Edinburgh based jewellery designer Fiona Luing invited me to be involved with her first collection photo-shoot.
The model was the beautiful Dominique and we did several looks for the shoot. Fiona's jewellery is beautiful and colourful so I tried to mirror that in the make up. Here are a few images from the day

Fiona's collection can be viewed and purchased here.

A little suggestion..

noreply@blogger.com (SophieAlexisMUA) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 18:55:00 +0000

..to all those out there on the look out for some new skincare.

I am a complete skincare junkie and have tried a whole range of products from both ends of the spectrum. I thought I had solved my addiction when I came across Dermologica Daily Microfoliant however I have recently been won over by another (and cheaper!) product. I present to you the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish.

Now this product has been all over the blogosphere but I just have to give my two cents. Within 3 days of using the product I could see the difference. My skin was clearer and more evenly toned and well it just looked a lot brighter than usual.

The product is pretty simple to use. All you do is apply around 2 pumps to your face and massage in gently then remove with the muslin cloth. It takes all traces of make up away and the fragrance leaves your skin feeling lovely and fresh. For an added bonus follow up with Liz's Instant Boost Skin Tonic.

Sula's Charity Fashion Show

noreply@blogger.com (SophieAlexisMUA) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 18:42:00 +0000

A few months ago I had the pleasure of being asked to work on a charity fashion show that Miss Teen Fife, Sula Powell was organising.

The event happened 2 July at the Rothes Halls. It was an extremely hectic and tiring day but so rewarding when I saw the girls out on the runway. The girls looked fabulous and you couldn't see any sign of the nerves and worries that were going on back stage.

The evening was a great success and resulted in Sula raising a great whack of money for local charities Maggie's and Chas.

Well done to all the took part. Pictures from the evening can be viewed here.

If you are organising a fundraiser fashion show then please get in touch as I love giving my time and effort to a worthwhile cause.

Back to Basics: Foundation

noreply@blogger.com (SophieAlexisMUA) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 20:00:00 +0000

Foundation is by far the most important part of make up application and also the easiest to get so wrong. The most common mistake is choosing the wrong colour or too much product. Here is a quick guide to getting it right:

1. Moisturise!
A lot of people tell me they often have problems with their foundation going patchy, when I dig a little deeper it is often discovered that they do not moisturise before applying foundation. I cannot stress how important moisturising is and how it helps to create a perfect base to apply the product to. Primer also helps with this by filling in fine lines and pores to crease a silky smooth surface, ready for your foundation.

2. Coverage.
The purpose of foundation is to even out the skin tone so if you have clear, even skin then a sheer coverage foundation will do the job nicely. If you have a lot of redness or acne then you may want to try a foundation with a bit more coverage so you should try a foundation with medium to full coverage. If you are of a more mature age then try tinted moisturiser or a good powder as foundation may show up lines and wrinkles. Try and not to confuse foundation with concealer and do not over apply. If you find you still have some areas of redness or blemishes then cover with concealer and only to the areas that require it.

3. Colour
Make sure that the foundation blends completely with your skin tone. It is best to test this out on your jaw or forehead. The foundation should just disappear, if you can see it then its the wrong shade. You may fine your neck is a different colour to your face so if your neck is lighter you might want to go for a slightly lighter shade and vice versa if darker.
Darker skin will require two tones of foundation, use the lighter shade in the centre of your face and darker on the outside - but make sure you blend well.

4. Powder
Cream or liquid foundation needs to be set with a powder to ensure it lasts and it also helps control shine. Apply with a large fluffy brush concentrating on the t-zone.

Foundations I would recommend

MAC face & body - This is water based and can be built up very easier depending on the coverage needed

Face Atelier Ultra Foundation - Lovely foundation provides a bit more coverage and a little goes a very long way

Chanel Aqua Lumiere - Another water based foundation, helps to create a lovely dewy finish

Estee Lauder Double Wear Light - This still provides good coverage but is slighter than its Double Wear sister. Also photographs a lot better

Bourjois Healthy Mix - A brilliant budget foundation with light to medium coverage

Say Hello

noreply@blogger.com (SophieAlexisMUA) — Thu, 19 May 2011 17:58:00 +0000

Hello everyone who may read this!

This blog will be used to discuss what's been going on with the Make-up side of my life. I will discuss some of the work I have been doing, do product reviews and lots of tutorials. For those of you interested I also have my personal blog over at La Beaute Ecossaise where I just ramble on about my life and weight loss!

Anyway this is just a quick hello and I will be sure to post again soon.

Oh and before I forget please check out my facebook page too.

Sophie

x