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Today, I am welcoming professional make up artist Gemma Rimmington to our fabulous Little White Book and as we countdown to Christmas we ask her what is on her Christmas list this year.
My top 12 favourite products of the moment, some budget and some a little more expensive. Going more expensive doesn’t always mean better either! There are some great products out there which I use in my makeup kit for clients and always achieve long lasting quality results. So here we go;
Get your skin prepared… I’m presuming you already drink your 2 litres of water for keeping your skin lovely and hydrated right?? Hmm… I should practice what I preach! Anyway, the key for a flawless makeup application (aside from copious amounts of water) is skin scrubbing. By using a scrub on your skin it removes all of the dead skin cells and gets the circulation going to give you clean, plumped up skin and a perfect base to start your makeup. Try Origins GinZing refreshing face scrub – perfect for doing the job and gentle enough for regular use. £18.50 available online and concession counters.
So your skin is newly scrubbed, time to prep! I love Simple skin care products. They are very gentle on even sensitive skin and again I keep the toner and moisturiser in my makeup kit – they are staple items for me. There is currently an offer in Superdrug for the Simple Gift of Goodness Box – £10.00 which includes Kind to Skin Purifying Cleansing Lotion 200ml, Soothing Facial Toner 200ml and Hydrating Light Moisturiser 125ml and all contained in a cute cosmetic bag. A perfect stocking filler.
Do you want your makeup to last through the day? Priming your skin is so important… I have a found a great multi purpose product by L’Oréal Paris called True Match Liquid Glow Illuminator and its only £6.99. Bargain. It comes in liquid form and can be used under foundation as a primer which will give you a radiant glow or use as a highlighter over your foundation where the light catches on your face.
Keep your shine under control using Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder £3.99. This is a great product for the price – this is one of the products where you can save your pennies and put them towards something else. There are several shades available to suit your skin tones and it can often be included in the 3 for 2 offer at Superdrug. It promises 5 hours shine control.
Do you want to add a bit of luxury in to the mix? If so, you can’t get anymore luxurious than the amazing Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Eye Pallette – Uptown Girl for £38.00. Charlotte Tilbury also does You Tube videos on how to use her products so you’ll find one demonstrating how to use this palette and you can wow your friends with your professional makeup skills 🙂 Product available online or concession counters
Mac Cosmetics currently have a limited edition Christmas range of mini pigments and glitters. You get 4 in a cute little box and I can absolutely confirm that these eye products are to die for and great value at £26.00. I have used these on clients for occasion makeup and they are stunning especially when the light catches the glitter. They are selling out quickly thought so get them snapped up. Available online or at concession counters.
Get that perfect cat flick eyeliner with Maybelline’s gel liner in black. £7.99 and an excellent budget eyeliner. The fact that it is budget is irrelevant as this product is personally tried and tested for being smudge and water resistant as well as being safe for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers. Just remember to close the lid properly after use as with all gel products otherwise they will dry out.
Finish off your eye makeup with these amazing mink lashes – NEMUA 3D mink lashes in N5. £9.00 and can be reused up to 25 times with care. They are striking and perfect for ultimate glamour. I stock these so they are available directly from me at appointments or you can buy online at http://northeastmakeupacademy.co.uk/lashes/. There is also an offer on at the moment with a free base blender on orders over £30.00.
MUA Makeup Academy sells great little blushers – 6 shades available in peach and pink tones and guess what, they are £1.00! YES! You could buy all 6 and give them out for presents and still not break the bank. My personal favourite is BonBon which suits most skin tones. Available online and in Superdrug.
Are you planning on kissing someone under the mistletoe? Get that perfect pout with a glorious selection of NYX Liquid Suede Cream lipstick. I love Cherry Skies – a perfect festive shade – £6.50. Available online or pick yours up in some selected Boots stores.
Why not keep all of your new makeup items in a personalised makeup bag. Tesco do them! Upload your favourite photos and add some text – available in 3 sizes but I would advise going large. You can never have enough room! Take it from someone who knows… large dimensions are 320mm x 230mm x 100mm and prices start from £8.00. Can be delivered or collected instore. https://www.tescophoto.com/Gifts/MakeUpBag/Make-Up-Bag-Small
Lastly, for those who are serious fans of makeup I can highly recommend the NEMUA 12 piece brush set – consisting of both real and synthetic hair. They come packed in a cylinder container perfect for keeping your brushes organised and for travelling. These brushes came on the market following 2 years of research by a leading makeup artist in the area trying and testing brushing from all different ranges and picking her favourites and creating her own range. I have the 24 piece set for professional use and they definitely compare to high end brushes on the market. Price for the 12 piece set is 49.99 and available from northeastmakeupacademy.co.uk
I hope you have found this useful! I am always happy to answer questions from clients with product queries. I am not affiliated to any particular makeup brand so I can try lots of different products with an impartial view.
So, I am wishing you all a fantastic Christmas and very healthy and happy new year.
Gemma x
http://www.gemmarimmingtonmakeup.com
https://www.facebook.com/GemmaRimmingtonMUA/
