HAPPY NEW YEAR!! We hope you’ve all had a lovely break over the holiday period and are feeling suitably refreshed! Mind you, it doesn’t take long to get back into the swing of things does it.
You may have noticed the November/December newsletter didn’t materialise; oops! Sorry! The end of the year went hurtling by at such an alarming rate that we barely blinked and January was here. Jane was working like a demon and, as usual, trying to pin her down for long enough for an update proved impossible. Ah well, grab yourself a cuppa/glass of wine and read on as we make it up to you and reveal all.
Jane’s time has been taken up primarily with the awesome Leona Lewis – if you haven’t already bought her CD ‘Spirit’ or downloaded it then you’re truly missing out; it’s fantastic. Incidentally, Leona has broken the Guinness Book of Records for the biggest selling debut album of all time; we couldn’t be more thrilled for her. Her video for ‘Bleeding Love’ has had over fourteen and a half million views on YouTube in just two months – that’s an awful lot of people checking her out (and Jane’s incredible make-up too!)
Leona’s team have been up to all sorts of things including switching on the Oxford Street Lights with Westlife, appearing on Diva’s along with the likes of Celine Dion, Girls Aloud and Alicia Keys, shooting for Hello! Magazine, Harpers Bazaar and You magazine, jetting off to Stockholm in Sweden for another jaw dropping showcase, and also performing at Children In Need along with just about every top celebrity in the country! Yes, we’re all a bit jealous too.
Jane tells us she experiments with Leona’s make up all the time whilst making sure each look compliments each outfit she’s wearing; she recommends you do this too. When Leona has a daytime slot she’ll wear more casual clothes so the make-up is kept more simple, but for evening when she’s wearing a dramatic gown Jane will opt for a more dramatic look. Having said that be careful not to overdo it; for instance if you were wearing a glittery sequined dress it’d be too over the top to match it with glitter on your eyes. This would work with a simple Little Black Dress though – let either your dress or your face do the talking and the other do the shouting!
For the Harpers Bazaar shoot (February issue, out January) Jane used shades of black and brown on the eyes and kept everything else skin toned – even the lips. This look worked well with all the rather theatrical clothes that Alison Edmond (fashion director Harpers Bazaar) had chosen. This look draws all the attention to the eyes which looks very seductive. Jane opted for a nude shade lipstick instead of a gloss to make it look more editorial and recommends shades by Mac in High Tea and Nars lip shades in Belle du Jour and Dolce Vita. If your natural lip colour is quite strong try rubbing in a little foundation or concealer before the lipstick. Jane also discovered a great lip pencil recently by ModelCo in Erase which may also help neutralise very pink lips.
In complete contrast, the shoot for You magazine (out February 3rd) was another story altogether. This time the clothes were very feminine and girly with lots of long hippy inspired prints and flowing fabrics (summer’s going to be divine!) Jane and Leona decided to go for simple yet dramatic flirty eyes; no clever shading or strong eye shadow here, just lots of individual false lashes applied both to the top and bottom eyelids to give the freshest dreamiest eyes ever. Leona’s favourite colour, pink, was used to gently add colour to the cheeks using Daniel Sandler’s Watercolour blush in Icing. Lips were enhanced using lip balm and a slick of Bobbi Brown lipstick in Pale Pink.
Somehow, Jane has managed to fit in a few other clients in between her Leona commitments. The February issue of German Glamour Magazine see’s a really stunning fashion shoot with photographer Mary McCartney with lots of Forties period style clothing – very chic, and another big trend for Spring/Summer. A smudgy smoky eye worked well for this again with a nude lip. Mary also asked Jane to work on a shoot for the RBS and GQ magazine with guess what??? More rugby players! Now we’re getting even more jealous; remember she had two whole days last year oiling about twenty of them down – where did we all go wrong eh? Further examples of Jane’s handiwork can be seen on Bella Freud in Tatler and on most of Britains hottest fashion designers in the March issue of Harpers Bazaar.
Fabulous June Sarpong also got the treatment for a feature in Now magazine; June favoured a black smoky eye for this which Jane added lots of black glitter to. If you’re darker skinned you can get away with this kind of look without it looking overdone – darker skin abrorbs light more than paler skin so colours don’t look so bold or shocking…so go for it if you dare!
Now it’s time to mention a few of Jane’s latest fave products. Somehow the Laura Mercier ‘Secret Camouflage’ concealer compact has slipped under the radar and not found it’s way into Jane’s kit (shocking really seeing as it’s regularly voted as one of the best!) However, Jane likes to find this out for herself as highly blown praise for many cosmetics and skin creams can be way off. Jane has raved about this latest discovery so much we’ve all gone out to buy one. They come in several shades but ensure you only use the tiniest bit as it’s all you need to rid yourself of the dreaded black eye look. Fantastic. Jane also loved the Laura Mercier ‘Secret Brightener’ pen. Use it under the eyes before foundation then followed by the concealer; it has an iridescent hue which bounces light off the dark area giving extra help for really stubborn eye bags. Two real winners there!
http://www.lauramercier.com/
Jane also paid a visit to The Organic Pharmacy to check out their new make-up range http://www.theorganicpharmacy.com If you’re concerned about additives and chemicals in your make-up you might like to check our their website or even pay a visit to one of their outlets. They not only sell make up but a whole range of skin care and skin fixers that sound good enough to eat (you probably could too!) The only downside is that these kinds of products have a shelf life as they don’t contain the preservatives which all other brands do.
The pigments in the make-up are also a little weak but if you want to achieve a lovely natural glowing look you might want to give them a try. Their loose powder is lovely with a slight shimmer and the lip glosses and bronzer were particularly nice too. While on the subject of organics, Jane can’t recommend more highly the Stella McCartney ‘Care’ organic skincare range. Having turned a few friends on to it more than one has abandoned their long standing affair with trusted old favourites and swapped to Stella’s. You’ve only got one skin, so respect it and give it a treat; you’re worth it! stellamccartneycare.com
Finally, we’ve been hard at work putting together a range of professional Lips to Lashes make-up brushes which will be available as part of a set with the DVD and the Lips to Lashes make-up bag. Jane has been overseeing the production of the brushes making sure the size, shape, length and softness of hair all meet her exact requirements; having the correct tools makes application so much easier. As with all good things it takes time, so bear with us and we’ll keep you informed.
Don’t forget, if you’ve already signed up for the monthly newsletter you can go onto the Lips to Lashes website and read all the previous newsletters; every month we recommend a new product or talk about a new look or technique so it’s definitely
worth checking them out.
Remember Lips to Lashes is available online just about everywhere, at larger HMV stores countrywide, and Screenface and Baby Ceylon stores in London. Currently the brilliant Lips to Lashes Make-up Bag, designed by Jane, is available exclusively online at www.lipstolashesmakeup.com or www.prettycoolproductions.com
As always we’d love to hear your feedback on both the make-up bag and the DVD info@prettycoolproductions.com
Love, The Prettycool team x
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