Amy Prifti

Where do I apply concealer?

2012-03-02T03:03:00.001-08:00

Following on from my previous video's helping you with how to choose and apply the correct foundation, I thought I better make a video to help you complete your base.

The age old debate of do I apply concealer before or after my foundation? Is still being discussed, but quite frankly, my reply is you conceal AFTER applying your foundation.

Just think - You spend lots of time concealing your blemishes, dark shadows, under eye area and then you rub your foundation on top rubbing off all your concealer needing you to conceal once more on top of your foundation again! - Why not take out having to conceal twice by just applying your foundation first and your concealer on top?

The next question is Where should I apply concealer?
My video answers that for you, and wow, what a difference it makes!

A lot of people ask if they should be using two different colours for their concealer, a light one for around the eyes and a darker one for the rest of their face - the answer to this is 'NO'
If you use a concealer that is too light under your eyes then you will get the 'panda eyes' finish, which will show up best in photographs once the light from the flash reflects off your concealer (never a good look)

You need to match up your skin tone and find a concealer the same colour.
OK, so a lot of make up brands only have concealer in light, medium or dark (none of these will be perfect for you) so you may have to search a little further for your tone colour - remember the tips from choosing your foundation, if your base colour is pink - you need a pink based concealer.

I like to use both Supercover and Dermacolor concealing palletes - although you will only need to have one colour, all colours can be brought separately.

Happy Concealing!

How to Apply Foundation

2012-02-18T06:28:00.001-08:00

I have made this short video demonstrating how to apply your foundation to get the best and most natural results.
I hope you enjoy!

In this Video I have used supercover cream foundation which is a cream mineral formulation great for HD TV and for close up shots. The results are extremely natural, giving you a clear canvass to apply the rest of your make up on to.

Please remember, your foundation is not used to cover blemishes or unwanted markings on your face - that is the job of your concealer, your foundation is used to even your skin tone and to give you a clear canvass to add to.

Some people like to make their skin look more tanned or darker than it naturally is - If you apply a foundation that is too dark to achieve this look, your make up will never look natural, and there will always be tell-tale signs around your jaw line, hair line and eyebrows. You actually need to apply the correct colour foundation and then apply bronzer at the end of your make up to look more tanned or darker.

This also applies if you are wanting to make your skin look lighter - do not apply lighter foundation, just apply a light powder or white (colourless) powder to set your base if you want to look lighter.

Any questions?....... just ask!

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The secret behind BB creams

2012-02-08T06:41:00.000-08:00

A few days ago I was looking through a magazine when I came across an article on BB creams - I had come across BB (Beauty Balm) creams when working as a cosmetic camouflage consultant so read further.
BB creams are basically used in the medical profession to help with healing skin after someone has suffered a trauma - this can be a burn, laser skin surgery or an operation.
BB creams are applied to the area and they help to heal the skin and reduce redness, on top of this they also work as a 24 hour moisturiser, a sun block, primer AND a foundation!

So, a few days ago I went shopping - mainly I was looking for a moisturiser to get me though this horrible cold winter weather that we are having as my skin has completely dried up and I have so many blemishes it really does not look good!

I found myself in Superdrug looking for a moisturising face mask when what should I see but Garnier BB cream on the shelf!.... I brought it! I knew that this couldn't just be some beauty scam making me buy a product that doesn't work as I had seen how great this product could be in my line of work, but still I was dubious as I didn't know how it would be once it had hit the beauty production line!

So, this morning I decided to try it out - Already I had decided that there was no chance that the cream would cover my skin with enough coverage to hide my spots as it does come out of the tube a bit like a tinted moisturiser.
I was however surprised by it having a slightly better coverage than a tinted moisturiser. I applied it as a moisturiser all over my face and immediately saw an improvement. I did feel the need to apply my usual foundation and concealer on top, but overall my skin looks a lot better today than it has for quite a long time.
When I take my make up off at the end of the day I am still hoping to see an improvement to my skin as this is what the BB cream, over time is meant to help out with.

There are many BB creams on the market and I have only tried one - so far, I get on with it. But quite frankly not only have the medical professionals been using it for a long time to help with the healing process, the Asian market have been using these creams for quite a long time now so it does make you wonder why it has taken so long for the UK market to discover them!

For now, I think the BB creams are fantastic whether you use them on their own or chooses to apply foundation on top it really doesn't matter as long as they have the healing properties they say they do, I think I might be a little but addicted!

How to choose the perfect foundation colour to suit your skin tone

2012-02-06T08:13:00.000-08:00

Today's video demonstrates how to choose your perfect foundation colour for your skin tone;

It really is worth spending the time to get the correct colour foundation for your skin tone - If you always use the correct colour, your make up will always look perfect!

Take a good close look at your skin to decide which colour undertone it has - this will be either pink, yellow or blue. An easy way to tell is that pick undertones will always flush pink during exercise, they are also prone to sunburn. Yellow undertones tend to tan quite easily and it looks like quite a warm colour. Blue undertones can be spotted in people with darker skins giving a slightly 'cooler' look.

Once you have determined which colour undertone you have, this is the colour foundation that you will need to buy - don't go against your own colour as it won't look right. I do find that most foundations available at the moment tend to only have a yellow undertone so I suggest that you take a look at Supercover foundations and Kryolan foundations as they both have a lot of colours with pink, yellow and blue undertones.

To test the colour, ALWAYS test it on your jawline to make sure that it blends away (NOT the back of your hand which is a completely different colour to your face) - Always go into natural daylight to make sure that the foundation blends away and to make sure that it isn't too dark, light etc.

If you do want to look either lighter or darker than you naturally are, DO NOT try to achieve this by using the wrong colour foundation - There are always tell tale signs that you are using the wrong colour, and the overall finish will not look as perfect as it could do. If you do want to look darker, you can achieve this afterwards by applying bronzer, alternatively if you want to look lighter, you can use a light or white finishing powder.

I hope this helps...... Any Questions?

How to choose the correct foundation for my skin type

2012-01-26T05:09:00.000-08:00

For the fast answer to this question, please view the above video tuition.

For a more extended answer, please carry on reading.........

The answer to this question does not lay in which make up brand you use, or how much money you spend on your foundation - The answer lies in how your foundation feels on your skin, how it settles and how it looks.

Foundation coverage - Tinted moisturiser will give you a very fine coverage but will not conceal any imperfections - this is best used during the summer just to even out your skin tone.

Pressed/loose powder - Just like the tinted moisturiser, this does not conceal, neither does it give a lot of coverage, it will however mattify your skin.

Wet to dry powder - Applied using a wet sponge, this foundation gives you slightly more coverage as it goes on like liquid, yet dries to a powder.

Liquid foundation - This will give you a medium coverage although you can build up the product to achieve the coverage that you require, it is easy to apply using either your finger tips, a sponge or a foundation brush.

Cream Foundation - This gives the most coverage although it is best to consider that a little goes a long way so you can get a very natural finish with cream foundation too.

Mousse foundation - Just like the cream, this gives complete coverage, but you do need to work fast with it as mousse can be quite difficult to blend.

What to look out for - If you have quite dehydrated skin, dry skin or flaky areas, it is best to avoid a powder foundation as the powder will collect in the dryness of your skin.

If your skin has a few oily patches, yet again I would avoid powder foundation as the final result can look quite 'patchy'.

Look out towards your jaw bone to check that your foundation is not showing up any of your 'downy' hairs as this isn't a great look either!

Remember - A foundation is just to even up your skin tone and to use as a blank canvass to apply the rest of your make up on top of - do not expect your foundation to cover up blemishes, redness or dark circles, as this is what a concealer is for.

My top Foundation products -

1. Supercover cream foundation - a cream mineral foundation that can be applied using finger tips or a sponge to create a natural look - perfect for HD camera's

2. Kryolan liquid foundation - perfect to apply using a sponge or finger tips, blends well resulting in a natural finish

3. Collection 2000 colour match foundation - gives a soft dewy finish

4. Asda's own foundation - cheap and cheerful but does the job!

How to cover up a tattoo using Camouflage creams

2012-01-15T00:56:00.000-08:00

As a cosmetic camouflage practitioner I get asked to cover up scars, burn marks, port wine stains, birth marks, broken capillaries, Rosacea, eczema and all other skin conditions and discolourations. When I am doing a wedding, I often get asked to cover up a tattoo or two!

Below I will outline how you can cover up your own tattoo using Cosmetic camouflage creams.

There are many creams available on the market, my product of choice is Dermacolor by Kryolan - this is endorsed by many companies including British Association of British Camouflage and Skin Camouflage Network. Some of the products are also available on Prescription if your doctor gives you a prescription for the product - otherwise you can buy it direct from Charles H Fox.

1. - tattoo before any cosmetic camouflage creams have been applied.

2. If the tattoo is black, you need to apply a red colour on top of the black to neutralise the colour - I apply the product using a lip brush or liner brush. I have applied a green colour over the places where the tattoo is red to neutralise that colour.

3. Apply Dermacolour Fixing powder on top with a powder puff, pressing firmly so that the powder sets the colours - leave powder on for 10 minutes.

4. Using a large powder brush, brush off the excess powder - the tattoo is now ready for a skin coloured camouflage cream to be applied.

5. Match up the correct colour to your skin tone and apply over the whole tattoo using a slightly bigger concealer brush.

6. Apply Powder once again with the powder puff, pressing firmly to set the cream - Leave on to set for 10 minutes before brushing away the excess powder with a powder brush.

7. Apply the last layer of camouflage cream to match your skin tone.
8. Set the whole tattoo using Dermacolor Fixing spray.

Please note - the Dermacolor fixing powder will make the camouflage cream waterproof so that you can either go swimming or out in the rain and the camouflage cream will not come off.
The Dermacolor fixing spray makes the cream both waterproof and sweat proof meaning that you can dance the night away, get hot and sweaty and the camouflage cream will stay on. Also it will not rub off on your clothes.

For any questions, please leave a comment so that I can provide you with an answer.

Happy Camouflaging!

New Years Eve Make up Looks

2011-12-31T08:33:00.000-08:00

Hi there, I have made a step by step video demo of how to apply make up perfect for your New Year's Eve Party.
Please follow this link to view it -

Amy's New Year's Make Up Video

photo of the final look -

It gives you tips of how to apply glitter without ending up with glitter all over your face!

Happy Viewing - HERE'S TO A CREATIVE NEW 2012

HAPPY NEW YEAR XXXX

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

2011-12-22T03:08:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

I would like to take this oportunity to wish you all a very MERRY CHRISTMAS - I hope that all your dreams come true in 2012.

See you in the New Year with my Make Up Video's - I hope that they are helpful to you all. :-{)

Behind the scenes of a video shoot

2011-12-19T01:43:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I trotted off to Chris Giles Photography Studio with my Model, Dora Giani to make some mini video's to demonstrate to the general public how to create make up looks.
Here are a few 'behind the scenes' pictures I took whilst there;

Chris making sure that he has put the memory card into the camera ! ( these things must be double checked)

Make up laid out ready to start, with those all important cups of tea.

Checking the Lighting in the studio - Dora amused by all the fuss!

Keeping Warm between takes.

Just a few of the make up looks I have created a make up demo for you to recreate.

AND ........................ NOW FOR A SNEAKY PEAK of smoky eyes look - video tuition to follow....

We had a great day making these videos for the general public to view and recreate the looks themselves - I will be releasing the videos throughout 2012 (hopefully one between now and New Year) - All on my youtube channel - makeupbyAmyP

makeupbyAmyP Youtube Channel

Website

Chris Giles Photography

A Christmas Wedding at The High Rocks, Tunbridge

2011-12-11T13:14:00.001-08:00

Last weekend's wedding was a very last minute one - In fact, the head bridesmaid contacted me only two weeks before the wedding and asked me to do make up for the bride and 3 bridesmaids - no trial needed!

Therefore, I turned up with my entire make up kit, ready for a Christmas wedding, and boy did I get one! - The bride wore Red and seeing as all the girls were young, they were happy to experiment with make up and use as much colour as possible!

Yeah for me - two weddings in a row where I get to do what I want! (as long as they like the final result) - Of course, they loved their make up, and now I get to share it with you;

The Bride wore red

Base - Supercover, Concealer - Dermacolor, Powder - Supercover Setting Powder, Eyebrows - Kryolan eyebrow powder, Eyelids - Yellow all over, orange / gold liner above and below eyes, concealer pencil on inner eyes, Black liquid eyeliner applied on top eye lid finished by applying false eyelashes and maybelline mascara, Cheeks - supercover orange blush, Lips - Supercover natural liner, supercover lipstick in red with white shimmer and gloss on top. Highlight and shading, finished with Dermacolor Fixing spray to make all make up waterproof and sweat proof.

The Bridesmaids were in deep purple.

Base - supercover primer followed by supercover foundation, concealer - Dermacolor, setting powder - supercover, eyelids - Beige base, Green sockets, gold middle finished with black liquid liner (I prefer Rimmel), Maybelline Mascara, concealer pencil applied to the inner eyes, Cheeks - supercover in pink, lips - supercover lip liner, pink lipstick, clear gloss on top, Dermacolor fixing spray to finish off.

Big eyes!

supercover primer, foundation - supercover, concealer - dermacolor, powder - supercover setting powder, eyebrows - kryolan eyebrow powder, eyelids - white shimmer, purple sockets, black liquid liner applied to top, purpler liner below eyes, false eyelashes applied, cheeks - supercover pink, lips - supercover natural lip liner followed by pink lipstick and finished with gloss, highlight and shade, fix with dermacolor fixing spray.

Supercover primer followed by foundation - supercover, concealer - dermacolor, powder - supercover fixing powder, eyebrows brushed through and clear mascara applied, eyelids, yellow base, orange sockets, gold centre, dark brown liner applied to upper and lower lids, maybelline mascara, cheeks - supercover peach, lips - supercover liner, rust lipstick, clear gloss on top, highlight and shade - dermacolor fixing powder applied to make all make up waterproof and sweat proof.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year !

Amy

http://www.bridalmakeupbyamy.co.uk/

http://www.wellbeingangels.co.uk/

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Wedding at Selsdon Park Hotel, Croydon

2011-12-08T13:15:00.001-08:00

After awaking at 4.30am and leaving at 5am, I arrived at Selsdon Park Hotel in Croydon for a big traditional wedding.
We started getting ready with hair and make up at 6am, 1 bride and 6 bridesmaids later, off they went at 12pm to get married - all looking wonderful!

The bride had already had a trial at my house so I arrived knowing exactly what she wanted - as far as her bridesmaids were concerned, the bride asked me to do 'whatever they asked' and boy did they ask! - Each bridesmaid wanted to bring out their individual style and personality resulting in them being extremely happy on the day, and me having so much fun !

The Beautiful Bride, looking stunning in White

make up as follows - Foundation - supercover #34, Concealor - supercover #34, Powder - supercover ultra fine setting powder colourless (white), Eyebrows -Kryolan eyebrow colour in Dark Eyeshadow, Eyeshadow - Kryolan Beige G base, Unbranded Purple on the socket and outer corners, Unbranded silver in the middle, Liner -Rimmel Exaggerate Liquid eye liner above, Vie Prcision eyeliner in coal below and inners Mascara - Maybelline the one by one Volum Express, False Eyelashes applied, Blush - Kryolan in Pink, Lipliner - supercover in natural, Lipstick - Shiseido in Bordeux Highlight -supercover fashion wheel #5 Shade - kryolan eyebrow shadow in Medium, Finished with Dermacolor fixing spray - keeping all make up waterproof and sweat proof throughout the day.

Bridesmaid - Hair set in curlers and then backcombed into an extremely high beehive, a few strands of hair left loose and tonged. Headband applied around the beehive.

Make up - Supercover Base, Dermacolor Concealer, Supercover setting powder, Eyebrows filled using Kryolan eyebrow powder. Eyelids left neutral with a line of Red shadow both above and below the eye. Inner eyes lined with black khol pencil, Liquid liner applied above the eye. Maybelline Mascara, red blush, Lips lined, soft mauve Lipstick with clear gloss on top.

Hair - Set in Curlers, Side parting, bringing the fringe over the forehead to keep the style looking soft, back comb at the crown and sweep hair over to the side. Pin up hair into curls and spray. Hair decoration fixed in infront of the 'side bun'.

Make Up - a more natural look - Supercover base, Dermacolor concealer, supercover setting powder. kryolan eyebrow powder, eyes staring with a beige base, charcoal grey applied to the sockets with a pink applied to the middle of the lid. Inner eyes lined using concealer pencil, grey kohl pencil on the outer eyes. Maybelline Mascara, pink blush, lips lined, pink lipstick with clear gloss applied on top.

Hair set in curlers with frizz serum applied. Once out, hair piled up on top of head - front bits left out and tonged for a softer look.

Make Up - A very soft smoky look - Supercover base, Dermacolor Concealer, Supercover setting powder, Kryolan eyebrow powder, eye shadows - soft pink, charcoal grey and blue, grey kohl line above and below lids. Maybelline mascara, peach blush, lips lined in natural, pink lipstick and clear gloss on top.

Going for the 'Beyonce look from her telephone video' Foundation - supercover #27, Concealor supercover #27, - Powder - supercover ultra fine setting powder colourless (white), Eyebrows - Kryolan eyebrow colour in Dark, Eyeshadow -supercover in gold, Liner -Rimmel Exaggerate Liquid eye liner, Vie Precision Liner in Coal below and inner eyes, Mascara - Maybelline the one by one volum express, Blush -supercover in deep red, Lipliner - Ben Nye in Red, Lipstick - Supercover Red with benetint on top finished by applying supercover top coat clear gloss, Highlight -supercover fashion wheel #5, Shade - Kryolan eyebrow powder in Medium, set with Dermacolor fixing spray

Foundation - supercover #41, Concealer - supercover #41, Powder - supercover ulltra fine setting powder colourless (white), Eyebrows - Kryolan eyebrow colour in Medium, Eye Colours - Kryolan Beige G base, Aubergine Socket and Gold Middle, Liner - Rimmel Exaggerate liquid eyeliner above, Vie Precision eyeliner in coal below and inner eyes, Mascara - Maybelline the one by one volum express, Blush - Supercover in Auburn, Lipliner - Ben Nye in Red, Lipstick - Supercover in Dark Mauve, Highlight - supercover fashion wheenl #5, Shade - kryolan eyebrow shadow in medium, To Finish - Dermacolor Fixing Spray

Foundation - supercover #33, concealor - supercover #33, Powder - supercover ultra fine setting powder colourless(white), Eyebrows - Kryolan eyebrow powder in Dark, Eyeshadow - non branded electric blue, Liner - liquid liner above by Rimmel Exaggerate, electric blue shadow below, inner eyes vie precision eye liner in coal, Mascara - Maybelline the one by one volum express, Blusher -supercover 'deep red', Lip Liner - supercover natural, Lipstick -supercover orange/gold with supercover clear gloss top coat applied, High light - supercover fashion wheel #5, Shading -Kryolan Dark Brown eyebrow colour, To Finish - Dermacolor Fixing Spray making all make up waterproof and sweatproof.

Wedding Wigs and Hair Pieces

2011-11-27T07:16:00.001-08:00

I have always seen wigs and hair pieces as a bit of a challenge - When a bride would sit down and say to me 'I have really fine hair so there's not much you can do with it' I always accept the 'challenge' and go full steam ahead giving the bride a full bodied hair look (mainly through setting in heated curlers and a lot of back combing) - When someone asks for an Amy Winehouse Beehive, I never shy away - more backcombing! and when someone wants a nice full bun I am happy to style this for them.

What I tend to forget is that many people want to achieve this for themselves, and they want an instant transformation without the hassle of setting their hair in curlers and backcombing, let alone having to style their own hair at the back without even managing to see the back! (I knew eyes on the back of the head was a good idea for something!)

Most wigs that I came across were very complicated to put in, and hair extensions take forever plus are very expensive so what is a girl to do?

TAKE A VISIT TO ANNABELLE'S WIGS - that's what! - www.annabelleswigs.co.uk

I was introduced to Annabelle's wigs in March this year and was in awe of how easy the hair pieces were to put on, how comfortable they were once in and also how affordable they are.
Annabelle's Wigs are a quick fix to changing your hair style, colour, more body for your hair, and now, with her new collection out with Lino Carbosiero - She has wigs that are heat proof and that you can style yourself - make curly wigs straight, put some funk into that bun.... limitless fun can be had with your hair pieces.

Here are a few examples of my favourites -

Fish Tail Plait head band (the rest is the models own hair plaited)

Heat resistant hair piece that you can either curl or straighten giving lots of height at the crown and length at the back (styled up in this photo)

Bob Wig - available in lots of colours for 'girls who want to have fun'

Plaited bun for instant glamour

Full red wig for those of you who can't decide just what colour to be - YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL!

As far as Annabelle's Wig's collaboration with Lino Carbosiero goes - You can not get more fantastic hair pieces that are heat proof, easy to put in at such fantastic prices - It has only just been announced that The Saturdays are taking these hair pieces on their next tour - Congratulations to Annabelle's Wig's and Lino Carbosiero.
Here are a few of their hair pieces -

Full wig Straightened

3-in-1 plaited

Low sleek ponytail

And as for me? - Well here are the before and after shots of me sporting my very own 3 quarter bob from Annabelle's Wig's - the Lino Carbosiero Collection

BEFORE

AFTER

So whether you want a change but not the commitment, if you need longer hair for styling, if you are forever changing your mind, if you want an instant transformation, if you are looking for a different colour - You now only need to visit one place! - Enjoy Playing!

Wigs supplied by Annabelle's Wigs - www.annabelleswigs.co.uk
Photography by Chris Giles - www.chrisgilesphotography.co.uk
Make up and Hair styling - Amy Prifti - www.bridalmakeupbyamy.co.uk

The 2012 Wedding Industry Awards

2011-11-27T02:15:00.001-08:00

Well, This is the first year that I have been entered into the wedding industry awards - Thank you for entering me !
Guess What ? ......................................

I have been shortlisted, So a big Thank you to ALL my brides who voted for me.

Here is what they said ...........

GENERAL COMMENTS

“I wanted a striking look on my wedding day to compliment by 50s vintage dress and Amy understood exactly what I was after. I had so many compliments!”

“Amy came round to my House prior to the Wedding for a trial of Hair and Make up for myself and my bridesmaids. We took a long time deciding what style to have our hair but Amy was very helpful and patient. On the day of the Wedding Amy was at the Hotel dead on 8 am as arranged. She was bright and bubbly and gave us tips and advice through out the morning. We were all very satisfied with the end result. Both our hair and make up were perfect. The day of my wedding was very windy!!! My hair stayed looking good for the whole day. I think this in itself was a winner”

“Have already recommended Amy to my cousin who was thrilled with Amy”

“Amy was great on the day, she did both of our hair and the Mother of the bride in record time and we were all really happy with the results. Our makeup was also great quality and lasted all day. Amy was really friendly and helpful, she helped to put in fascinators, lace our dresses, and even helped to fix the strap on my Sister's dress when it snapped.”

“Amy was a delight to work with, well organised and really made sure we all looked our best.”

“From the very beginning Amy was very professional but also friendly and approachable. She put me at ease straight away at my trial and also on my wedding day. She also did hair and makeup for my 3 bridesmaids and all were very happy. I would definately recommend Amy without a doubt.”

“Amy was absolutely brilliant, both before and on my wedding day. Amy provides a very personal service - unlike others who I contacted who made me feel like their next pay check rather than an anxious bride to be! Not only did she make my hair look fantastic on the day, she also did my makeup and provided hair and makeup for my three bridesmaids - amazing that she singlehandedly managed all of that... and kept my nerves at bay! Everyone commented on how stunning our hair and makeup looked... it was absolutely perfect.”

“I was delighted with my wedding hair and make-up which added an extra special element to the day!”

“Amy was a fantastic make-up artist. As someone who doesn't usually wear a lot of make-up, I wanted to still look and feel like myself, yet slightly different so that I felt special on the day, and Amy definitely achieved this. As well as doing the make-up for myself, my mum and my bridesmaids, Amy also proved such a help on the day and was really lovely and friendly with it, from putting on necklaces, to lacing up the corset, and doing up all the buttons on my dress! I would definitely recommend her to anyone.”

“I can't tell you how pleased I was with my bridal make-up it looked absolutely amazing - I still looked like myself but a much more beautiful version and it lasted all day! She was a calm tower of strength on the day and felt more like a member of the bridal party then a supplier.”

“Amy was excellent before and on the day of my wedding. At my trial she really listened to all of my requirements and on the day of the wedding she gave an excellent service that went beyond the requirements. My make-up and hair lasted all day and looked fantastic in the professional photographs. She also provided make-up and hair service for my mother and bridesmaids and they were all extremely impressed with her high standards. I would definitely recommend her to a friend or relative.”

“Amy is a wonderful make up artist with a lot of great experience in the make up industry. She put me at ease as soon as we met and really listened to what I wanted to look like and how I wanted to feel on my wedding day! She gave me advice on the way she was going to achieve the look I wanted and also gave me a great trial prior to the wedding so I was completely comfortable and happy with everything I had asked her to do. She arrived on the day and I knew that I was in very capable hands with no worries about how my make up was going to look! There was a lot going on the morning of my wedding with a huge amount of people coming in and out of the room which didn't help me to keep still but Amy was calm and did a wonderful job even under manic conditions! I would highly recommend her!”

“Incredible hair and makeup, I was so delighted. She was able to deal with different requests on the day and seemed to be prepared for anything”

“The level of service offered by Amy was outstanding. We had a full hair and make-up trial for myself and my 2 bridesmaids before the wedding which I can only describe as amazing. Amy gave each of us at least 3 different hair styles to choose from which she seemed to conjured up like magic and each looked amazing! Oh the day of my wedding, I had so many comments on my hair up do, which people were convinced must have taken hours, but again seemed to be performed like magic by Amy! My hair and make-up and those of my bridesmaids all looked amazing on the day and I couldn't recommend Amy highly enough - I'm just waiting for more of my friends to get married so I can!! Oh another note, Amy also helped me into my wedding dress and hooped petticoat on the day, which went above and beyond the call of duty! One of my funniest memories of the day is a picture of Amy totally underneath my wedding dress, helping me into it! Thank you Amy!”

Why They Booked (in random order)

“I was recommended Amy by my cousin who got married in May 2010. I wanted a make-up artist who would make me look and feel special, without making me look too different and made up and, based on the recommendation and after booking Amy for a trial, she definitely delivered. Her friendly and warm nature undoubtedly contributed to my decision making.”

“I found Amy via the Internet and her site looked professional with good results of her work demonstrated. She was friendly, professional and extremely competent at my trial which left me in no doubt that I wanted to book her for the day.”

“Excellent training backed up by great personality and so pleased with make up which looked fabulous all day and night.”

“A great personal service, brilliant value for money/ quality and lots of fun!”

“The prices were very reasonable and after my trial I was very happy with the results.”

“She was able to travel to my parents house and at the trial she filled me with confidence that she would deliver an excellent service on the day.”

“Because she was very easy to get on with, patient and willing to take time to get the look just right.”
“I was so pleased with the hair and makeup she did at my best friends wedding that I decided to ask her to do mine”

“Amy's portfolio looked good and her prices were reasonable. We had a trial beforehand and were both happy with Amy's work.”

“Amy is a make up artist I came across on google and she happened to live in my area which was excellent! I booked a make up trial with her and she came to my house to go through it all with me. The trial was fantastic, Amy ran through everything I was looking for and asked relevant questions about what I liked and how I wanted my make up to look and also about my dress so as to match my make up to fit the day! She really knows her stuff and put me at ease, we thoroughly talked through what I wanted to achieve out of my look for the day and she told me exactly what she would be using in order to do this. She has a wonderful background and experience in the make up industry so felt very comfortable with her doing my makeup for the most important day of my life”

“I booked Bridal Make Up By Amy because my hair and make-up was one of the most important aspects of my wedding day and I wanted the highest service possible, as I will be looking back at my hair and make-up in my wedding pictures for years to come. I can honestly say I was truly amazed by Amy, my hair and make-up was absolutely perfect, better than I could have even hoped for and I couldn't recommend Amy highly enough.”

“I was the web page on the Internet. Amy was prompt in replying and her web page and experience were professional”

“Experienced in both make up and hair”

“Amy ticked all the boxes- professionalism, experience, price and location”

Make up for darker skin tones

2011-11-21T22:47:00.001-08:00

For some reason a lot of make up artists don't feel confident when applying make up for darker skintones - I love dark skin tones - make up really enhances their skin and colours look vibrant and fresh all day long.

Mistakes made on darker skin tones - If you use a coloured powder to set the foundation, the skin can end up looking quite 'ashy' and not so fresh, therefore I always use a colourless (white) fine powder which simply sets the make up without changing the skin tone.
Darker Matt Eyeshadow colours don't always show up on darker skintones - If you do want to go dark and sultry - always use a shimmer eyeshadow and insert a bit of colour (purple is great mixed with black and brown as it gives depth to the shadow)
Always ask your model what they want to change about their features - Noses can be slimed down (if requested) by Shading on the outside of the nose and highlighting down the center. Lips can Always be made to look thinner by applying a darker lip colour on the outer shape and bringing the colour either lighter or brighter towards the middle of the lips.

I always embrace each and every feature the person has that I am working on - we only have one face, so let's celebrate it!

Below are some photos from Saturday's wedding showing exactly what looks you can achieve and a list of the make up products I used for each person.

'The Bride' - Foundation - supercover #34, Concealor - supercover #34, Powder - supercover ultra fine setting powder colourless (white), Eyebrows -Kryolan eyebrow colour in Dark Eyeshadow, Eyeshadow - Kryolan Beige G base, Unbranded Purple on the socket and outer corners, Unbranded silver in the middle, Liner -Rimmel Exaggerate Liquid eye liner above, Vie Prcision eyeliner in coal below and inners Mascara - Maybelline the one by one Volum Express Blush - Kryolan in Pink, Lipliner - supercover in natural, Lipstick - Shiseido in Bordeux Highlight -supercover fashion wheel #5 Shade - kryolan eyebrow shadow in Medium, Finished with Dermacolor fixing spray - keeping all make up waterproof and sweat proof throughout the day.

If you want any information on any of the products that I have listed, please feel free to email me at amy@bridalmakeupbyamy.com or please leave a comment below.

New Make Up

2011-11-14T14:10:00.001-08:00

Oooh,
Look what I got today ......

This is what a box of Supercover Make up looks like - exciting or what?

Just take a look at all those colours - foundation colours, eyeshadow colours, lipstick colours plus brushes, primers and powders - I am a little girl in a sweet shop with all these products!

I have been using Supercover for the last 3 years now, although I was introduced to the company who makes supercover - Beauty republica back in 2002 and have been using various items of their make up throughout the last 11 years.

I use Supercover foundation on all my brides, models and clients as I can always find the right colour for the correct skintone without having to mix a few colours together, the pigment is enough to conceal uneven skintones, yet it is light enough so it doesn't feel heavy on the skin - The foundation itself always lasts for at least 12 hours and remains looking fresh for the entire day.

I will be looking forward to using all my new make up over the next few weeks, on brides, models, members of the public, and myself.

If you want any more information on supercover products please feel free to email me - amy@bridalmakeupbyamy.com

Happy Make Up shopping!

INTRODUCING 'THE WELLBEING ANGELS'

2011-11-02T06:31:00.000-07:00

My new company which you can view at www.wellbeingangels.co.uk

I made the decision to start up this business after I met so many talented students on my adult leisure courses that I teach at Sussex Downs College. I taught many students the art of Make Up Artistry and some were very talented, in fact so talented that I could not let their talents go to waste.

With this in mind, the wellbeing angels was formed - I had a team of Massage therapists, Beauticians, Make up artists and Hair stylists who could visit different workplaces to bring wellbeing into the workplace!

I was still in the very early stages of setting this business up when I took my children to their school disco, here I met Katie Weir, a Personal Trainer who thought that she would be a great asset to the wellbeing angels team so that I could also offer exercise in the workplace - that, teamed up with me being a Zumba Instructor and hey presto, something else for workplaces!

Now that this idea was fully formed and I had my team of people it was time to get my website up and running. I love my website! it is exactly how I envisaged it (after a lot of changes and to'ing and thro'ing of course)

The wellbeing angels is now a fully established company and we are available to; bring wellbeing into your workplace, for corporate events, work party's, pamper in the home and much, much more!

For more information, please contact me at www.wellbeingangels.co.uk amy@wellbeingangels.co.uk
07952 737126 facebook like page Twitter

The Hazards of Being a make up artist on location

2011-10-19T06:27:00.000-07:00

I picked up the telephone one day only to have an overexcited photographer scream at me.... 'Pack your bags, we're going to the Maldives'

So I did what she said!

The team was an all female team - photographer, model and me (make up artist, hair stylist and stylist) - plus the photographer's mum (she came along for the ride! - Hazard 1!)

Hazard 2 was when it came to packing - apparently I had no space in my suitcase to pack clothes for me as it would be full of clothes for the shoot we were doing! still, we packed suitcases full of fashion clothes loaned to us by various fashion houses, fashion students etc and wore all of our own clothes on the plane - A bonus is that you loose around 2 stone once you have taken all your clothes off once you have arrived!

We landed in Male, caught a speed boat (at this point we didn't even know which island we was going to) and got off at a very small idyllic Island in the Maldives baby!

Once unpacked we walked the whole distance of the island (about a 20 minute walk) and then enrolled ourselves onto the padi diving course - all for work research, well someone has to!

Hazard 3 - Being woken up at 3 am as the photographer wants to catch the sunrising for a few shots -

Hazard 4 - was when someone came up with an Egyptian theme and thought a 'sphinx' would look great in the photo! - 10 points for guessing who would be constructing it.

Hazard 5 - Sand gets everywhere! and I mean EVERYWHERE.

Hazard 6 - Being careful of getting 'the bends' whilst diving up and down in the depths of the sea trying to be the communicator between photographer and model!

Hazard 7 - Me getting in the way of the shoot (if you look carefully you can just about see my legs with fins on them where I am swimming on the surface of the sea)

Also the Hazard of mis-communication of the photographer complaining that the model keeps 'flashing her' and wants a side on view!

Hazard 8 - Fish getting in the way!, come on fish, we are trying to work here!

Hazard 9 - The body looks 'tiny' underwater!

Hazard 10 - turning into a waitress throughout the day to serve the model drinks.... she has legs!

Hazard 11 - Getting Wet! (and the model finding it funny)

Hazard 12 - Staying awake until sunset because yet again, 'the photographer wants to catch the light at a certain level'

And some people call this FUN?.......

more to follow soon.

Business Mums Summit 2011

2011-10-12T06:10:00.000-07:00

On Monday 10th October, I attended the Business Mums Summit at the Thistle Hotel in Brighton.
It was after I attended my first 'mumpreneur' meeting at the cock just outside Lewes when I decided that attending the Summit was a 'must' for me to meet new people, get inspiration and find out ways of how to carry forward my new business - The Wellbeing Angels.

I was so busy in the days leading up to the summit that it wasn't until the night before that I looked online at the programme for the day when I took note that the day was going to be 'full on'! wow, it really didn't disappoint!

After organising how my boys were going to get to school I managed to convince my husband to drop me off at the train station before he began his day of work, I caught the train with 5 second to spare, stepped off at Brighton and walked in completely the wrong direction for the hotel doh! However, I managed to arrive bang on the dot at 9 only to be asked which workshops I wanted to attend as I had to sign up NOW! After deliberating which would be the most helpful to me, I decided on 'Bigger business: The professional advice you need to grow your business' followed by 'winning awards' - oh, I wouldn't mind!

I then also managed to sign myself up for the 'conga-style speed networking' It is not easy to speak about your self and your business for only 15 seconds, believe me - surely you know that women can speak forever!

I enjoyed listening to great speeches by Beth DeAvila, Laura Tenison, Karen Skidmore, Kate Garraway, Sarah Smith and Zoe Meredith of Yummy Lollies, Shazia Mustafa, Rachel Boyle and Erica Douglas as well as the 'specialised breakout sessions' I had signed up for earlier.

The event was televised for BBC South East, ITV and various radio stations - my boys spotted me on the local news 5 times!

Unfortunately I couldn't attend this years awards ceremony as I had to rush back to lewes in time to teach Zumba in Ringmer (just made it)

What did I achieve from attending the summit this year? - I met lots of friendly people from different backgrounds and abilities who have set up their own business and achieved. I felt inspired to grow my own business with no boundaries, I met two people who volunteered to become my mentors, I met a few people who would like to find out more about my business and join my team, I met other business's who would like to use the Wellbeing Angels in future events, I met even more business's who would like to team up with Wellbeing Angels to run events together. And, at the very least, I got myself on the local news (5 times) so at least my boys think I'm famous! (for now)

If anyone is thinking of or already have started up their business and would like to share it with others, gain inspiration or find out how to move it forward, the business mums summit is a must for all!

If you would like to know more about my new business you can at http://www.wellbeingangels.co.uk/
You can follow me on twitter @WellbeingAngels and on my facebook page Wellbeing Angels Like Page

Thank you
Amy

Brighton Hilton Metropole Wedding Fayre

2011-10-04T02:53:00.000-07:00

On Sunday 2nd of October I exhibited at Brighton Hilton Metropole.
Not only was the sun shining, but the champagne was flowing and the people kept coming and coming and coming!

In preparing for the wedding fayre I had a banner and new leaflets printed up, and used everything I could think of to encourage people to stop at my stand;

Testimonials check, leaflets check, special offer on the day check, sweets to entice check, examples of work check, wedding cake supplied by Steph's free from check, Model on the day to show hair and make up check, me check!

I was shown to my table when I arrived and boy was it in a great position! people could see me as soon as they walked in, people could see me as they walked out. I was also situated between two wonderful tables, one with alternative wedding dresses that were gorgeous and on the other side an amazing 7 piece band with female singer who was extremely nice.

Not only did I meet lot's of lovely brides to be but all the other stall holders came to introduce themselves and offered up lots of leads for me to follow up.

I must admit, once I opened up my make up box of tricks to do my model's make up demo, a lot more people stopped to look at my 'pretty colours!' - I must remember this trick for future wedding fayres!

The Result? - I confirmed 15 bookings, unfortunately I had to turn 6 away as it seems that EVERYONE is getting married on August 25th 2012! Also, I hope that a lot more people book me at a later date.... remember, if you do you will qualify for a 5% discount!

It was truly worth going to a wedding Fayre that had been arranged by an events company rather than the hotel itself. Everything was organised and ran extremely smoothly so thank you stylish events, I will definitely attend another wedding fayre run by you.

I would like to say a HUGE thank you to the following people, without whom this wedding fayre could not have been the success that it was.... Hope and Creed for doing the artwork for my banner, and also for doing my website(s) for me, Annabelle's Wigs for letting me use the photos from her recent shoot collaborating with Lino Carbosiero, Holly Higgins and katie Green for being the beautiful models on said shoot, Christopher Giles for letting me use his photos and for 'getting them to me in time', Lewes Print rooms for Printing up by banner and flyers as very late notice, and getting the job done well, Stephanie Palmer for supplying me with one of her fantastic Dairy free, Gluten free, wheat free cakes and last but not least to Katie Weir of Lewesfit for being my glamorous model on the day and also helping to give out my flyers.

How DID I get in the paper ?

2011-09-29T05:03:00.000-07:00

Working as a freelance Make up artist and Hair stylist, I have never been with an agency and relied on just myself for getting work, so the question asked is - how DID I get in the paper?

Here's a few examples of HOW?

1. Back in 1997 I worked in a photographic studio styling hair and doing make up - the studio was a great opportunity to work with other make up artists and to meet photographers. I made great friends with a photographer called Elle who introduced me to her model friend, Lisa - together we set about working and living art! - We travelled to the Maldives together to do some test shoots for magazines, we even all slept together at Elle's studio in Hoxton Square, building a camp under her black back drops and drinking hot water with lemon!
Whilst At this studio, we did the following shoot for Bliss for Brides

It was so much fun with me and Lisa hiding behind black back drops and throwing pieces of fabric out to meet to use as the back ground !

2. Fast Forward a couple of years and I find myself working at 'pout' a make up shop with a huge celebrity following - because of this following pout was asked to provide make up artists to do editorial work, and this time I managed to get my face into the mag !

It was fun to do the Zest Magazine life make over shoot, and it was a bonus having my picture in the mag!

3. Fast forward a few more years and I meet Claire, of Annabelle's Wigs. Not only is she the loveliest person you could ever meet, but annabelle's wigs have a wide following so is it surprising that I am in the papers again?

Here I am (or at least my work) in Devolution Magazine

4. Going back a few more years now, I find myself dressed up as a firefighter and on the front page of the newspaper - 'Yeah, I made it to the front page!' (on the left)

Of course, these are just a few editorial pics - I don't want to bore you with the whole lot !

But in answer to the question how DID I make it in to the papers?

Right place, right time? Lucky break? great people to work with who like what I do? Hard Work? Fantastic make up artist and hair stylist? ..... I'll let you decide!

I promised results..... and here they are!

2011-09-26T02:25:00.000-07:00

It was great to have pictures emailed to me with the finished looks from the 'Annabelle's wigs' fashion shoot with Lino Carbosiero.

On the day we were looking to achieve two different looks with each new hair piece, a natural one (below photographed by the amazing Chris Giles)

And a more high fashion look, photographed by the fantastic Martin Higgs.

The shoot was photographed at Daniel Galvin's hair salon, styled by Joey Bevan, modeled by Holly Higgins and Katie Green, Hair styled by Lino Carbosiero and make up by me, Amy Prifti and all of this was done for Annabelle's Wigs new pieces in collaboration with Lino Carbosiero.

I hope that you agree with me that the finished look is outstanding and the new hair pieces from Annabelle's wigs extremely versatile.

Behind the scenes at 'Collaboration between Annabelles wigs and Lino Carbosiero' Photoshoot

2011-09-17T10:20:00.000-07:00

Recently I was offered a fantastic job I couldn't turn down (even though it involved a 5.30am start ugh)

I was picked up by Photographer Chris Giles and Claire of Annabelle's wigs and taken up to London for the photo shoot to take place. When I say London, I mean at Daniel Galvin's Hair salon in London (only the biggest Hair salon in the whole of Europe) - There, I met up with Lino Carbosiero, his assistant Josh, Fashion photographer Martin Higgs, Stylist Joey Bevan and his assistant Angela Gates. I was also introduced to the lovely Model Katie Green (who had travelled all the way down from Northampton) and also Holly Higgins (travelled the furthest from Cardiff)

Together with this very lovely team of people we achieved both natural and fashion looks to show off the new pieces from Annabelle's wigs.

Here are behind the scene pics ;

This was a thoroughly enjoyable day, and even though myself, Claire and Chris were almost falling asleep on the way home, Chris delivered me safely back to my door by 9.30pm.

I promise to post a few pics of the finished photos in a few days time.

MAKE UP PRODUCTS THAT YOU SHOULDN'T LIVE WITHOUT !

2011-09-06T06:16:00.000-07:00

Every now and then I come across a miraculous product that I would love to yell from the roof tops that everyone should have this product in their make up bags.
Instead of yelling, I have decided to blog about a few of them -

The 'Eraser Pencil' is a pencil made from wax that will instantly get rid of your make up mistakes for you just as an eraser will rub out unwanted pencil marks!
If you have blinked or looked up whilst your mascara is still wet and ended up with mascara over your eyelids or under your eyes, just use this handy little pencil to draw over your mistakes and then rub off with either your finger or a tissue. - You can use this pencil on any make up mistakes you have - wonky eyeliner, lip liner that wasn't quite the right shape, too much blusher etc - you get my drift!

Another great product is -

Concealer pencil.
There are many ways that you can apply these little beauties, but the best place is to use them as you would a 'white' pencil (oh so 80's!) - Draw the concealer pencil along your inner eyelid on the top and bottom (just inside ledge of where your lashes grow out from)
This will result in your eyes looking bigger and wider apart and will also brighten up your eyes so that they sparkle.
Also a little dot on the inner and outer corners of your eye will make you appear less tired and will widen your eye (on the outside) to make it look more almond shaped.

Hope you enjoy these products...... more to follow!

What a beautiful day to get married!

2011-08-30T01:49:00.000-07:00

I love this photo - from the wedding dress and the collar of her bolero to her hair and make up with tiara. The composition of the photo is also a lovely one, being able to spot guests during the ceremony yet they are slightly blurred so we can focus on the bride.

A lovely photo of a lovely person who deserves all the happiness of her married life - you can see how happy she looks in this photo!

Make Up products I could not live without!

2011-08-16T11:44:00.000-07:00

There are two products in my Make Up Kit that I truly could not live without.

They are top secret..... until now!

The first one :

Dermacolor Concealer Pallette.

This clever little pallette is a cosmetic camouflage cream that was developed to cover up birthmarks, portwine stains, psoriasis - It even covers tattoos! Because of the skin it was developed to be used upon, it has been made for even the most sensitive of skins.

I bring my pallette to every job that I do, knowing that I can cover up ANYTHING I come across, and will always have the correct colour as there are 16 different colours in each pallette.

My second Make up secret is :

Dermacolor Fixing Spray

This handy container is all that you need to make ALL make up waterproof and sweatproof.

It can be used in conjunction of ANY make up at all, as well as used with other dermacolor products - you simply hold it 12 inches away from your face, close your eyes, take a deep breath and spray.

Not only have I used this product in my underwater make up shoots, but I also use it on myself when I am going to a salsa club all night long, knowing that after 5-6 hours of nonstop salsa dancing that my make up will look as fresh as the minute I put it on..........

Just don't tell anyone else about my make up secrets!

Underwater Calender for Syncronised swimming club

2011-08-07T09:41:00.000-07:00

What a fun day to be had - and a wet one at that !
13 pictures to come up with, all of which were taken under water to create a calender for a sycronised swimming club to raise money.

This is 'Miss September' - Back to School, and Yes, this photo was taken underwater - in a swimming pool believe it or not.

This was a really fun shoot to do - I am an accomplished underwater make up artist as well as a diver.
I spent the whole shoot doing hair and make up before entering the water to make sure that the end result looked as great as it could.

After 12 hours spent in the pool, my skin was completely hydrated!

Demonstration of how to use Hair Pieces from Annabelles Wigs

2011-07-31T10:14:00.000-07:00

I was introduced to Annabelles Wigs earlier this year, and have had so much fun working with them, and Brighton based photographer Chris Giles.

This is the first time that we have ever collaborated together to make a video and I think the outcome is superb!

We had such a fun day together, the end result looking like this! - Plenty more videos to come... Enjoy!

The Mexican look !

2011-07-22T07:17:00.000-07:00

I love the strong eyebrows in this picture which really changed the look of the model. The orange and gold 'wet look' eyeshadow screams hot summers to me, and the lovely freshness of the pink lips combined with gold gives the overall look a soft finish (not easy with such 'harsh' eyebrows!)

The bright blue back ground is a lovely contrast with the model's dark hair, set in heated curlers and loosely styled.

Welcome to my blog

2011-07-21T03:17:00.000-07:00

I am a Make Up Artist and Hair Stylist based in East Sussex, although I work all over the country.

I intend to use my blog as a portfolio of my work to share with you - I hope you enjoy viewing it.

Amy.

First up - My favourite all time wedding photo.

Taken at Buxted Park. I love the simplicity of this look with the silhouetted background.
Why go over the top with hair and make up when you can let the dress flowers and jewellery talk for themselves?

Sometimes my job is about getting the balance of the complete look right, as I think this photo shows.
A fresh natural look (with eyelash extensions applied) equals a timeless wedding photo that will never go out of date.