Leap day ramblings!

Firstly, I just wanted to say a big thank you to you all for taking the time to read my blog! I've now had over 1,470 hits and it's so overwhelming. So thank you :-)










Next a little apology for the lack of blogs this month! It's been a manic one and well, I'm back on it! One of the things I wanted to do was to go over three of my favourite beauty items from the past month. Now, I've tried to not spend ridiculous amounts on beauty products but I have made a few wonderful purchases so here it goes...


My top purchase from February has to be the Bioderma Créaline H20 Cleansing Solution. Now, it's something I've heard about through the industry and one of the essential tools in a make up artists kit. One of the reasons is because as a make up artist, you are working with all skin types. Dry, sensitive, oily and so you need a make up removed that isn't going to cause any irritation. The fantastic thing about Bioderma is that it has been created to be a 'water like' product that actually 'eats up' the product rather then just remove it from the skins surface. It's used backstage at Paris Fashion Week and unfortunately is only available for purchase in France. However, many reputable companies are selling this product online for roughly £13. So it's a good idea to shop around but always check reviews! Although £13 seems quite a hefty price for a make up remover, the bottle is 250ml and you literally need the tiniest amount on a cotton pad. Because of this, it's bound to last a very long time. It's a great product to remove make up before you cleanse! 

Another beauty related purchase is my amazing new perfume. I was fortunate enough at Christmas to receive from my lovely mother, an imported DKNY perfume. It's gorgeous but I felt it will be more suitable for summer. So recently, I popped into John Lewis and tested out (probably) every single perfume I could get my hands on. I immediately headed for the Prada 'Candy' perfume as I had heard wonderful reviews and the bottle was divine. However, I was sadly disappointed and felt that it was a little too grown up for my taste. Eventually, I found one I love. Which is my next favourite beauty purchase of February.... Vera Wang 'Princess'. 

I think I stumbled in at a good time as I managed to get 100ml for £40 which considering that normally 100ml is £59, I was pretty pleased with myself. It's the most beautiful, floral scent and every time I've worn it, someone has complimented me on it. It's a mix of pink guava, waterlily and vanilla and I've found it stays on the skin perfectly without being too overwhelming. To top it off, the bottle is very beautiful and looks lovely on my vanity table. 

Finally, I wanted to share with you my new favourite blush. I tend to go through phases with blusher. In summer, I like the colour to be more of a brown than a peachy/pink colour and in winter/spring, I revert back to peachy or pink colours. Historically, I've always been a Benefit blusher kind of girl. My first 'high end' make up purchase was 'Dallas' by Benefit which I still repurchase every year. However, since becoming a make up artist, I've been open to different blush colours and have stumbled across one that I'm starting to really love. It's MAC blush in Peachykeen.

It retails at £17 which may seem a lot, but it does last a very long time. And on top of that, Benefit blushers start at around £20 so I still feel that I'm getting a good deal. Peachykeen is one of my kit basics as it suits all skin tones and has a really nice application. It does last all day (although can become patchy towards the end of the day) but this isn't uncommon with blushers. 




So there we have it. During March, I'm going to be continuing my mission on finding a good foundation (as currently I mix one or two!) and hopefully find a fantastic serum for my skin.




I also wanted to announce some fantastic news. I've been selected as a UK blogger for a brand new skincare company called Biao Skincare. They are based in the USA and I will be doing a blog sometime this week on Biao to explain what the company is all about and what I'll be doing over the next few months! It's a very exciting time! :-) 


Again a big thank you for reading and I will speak to you soon.




Love Marissa xoxo

Follow me on twitter: @MDR_MakeUp

Golden Globes 2012

Now, I've never been a massive follower of award shows but since I couldn't sleep the night the Golden Globes was on, I thought I'd give it a try.



I could not pull myself away from watching all the celebrities arriving on the red carpet! I found myself checking out their make up, skin, dresses, jewellery! It was the exact same feeling as my year 11 prom. Minus my fail at '50's glamour.'


A lot of the blogs and magazines are arguing over who was best dressed that night. For me, the ultimate award should go to Zooey Deschanel. Now, I've always loved Zooey since 'Elf' and what I love about her most is her down to earth nature. She's a girl you just want to be friends with. (If you haven't already, check out New Girl on 4OD....hilarious!)


Many celebrities tried too hard at the Globes (Lea Michele I'm looking at you) but some, hit the nail right on the head. For me, Zooey was the ultimate Globe Girl. 


I found myself wanting to google '60's hair' immediately and I can't help but suspect we might be onto something here. For me, my favourite make up looks are the ones us 'normal' girls could wear. Zooeys look was absolute perfection. Not only are her eyes absolutely stunning, just look at her skin. Wowza.




How to get Zooeys Golden Globe look


Firstly, cleanse your skin. 


I would then start with the eye make up. As you want the eyeshadow to stay on for as long as possible, I would add a small amount of concealer or eyeshadow primer ( Too Faced Eyeshadow Insurance is also good). Smooth it all over the lid.


Colour wise, it looks as if Zooeys make up artist used a slight grey/ light blue eyeshadow all over the lid so I would go for something such as MAC's Silver Gull. You want to use a slightly angled brush to hit the corner of the eyes. To add definition, I would use a very small amount of MAC's Carbon eyeshadow to create a very slight smokey eye. 


Zooey is known for her winged eyeliner and this is something to bare in mind for this look. I tend to do eyeliner in small and steady strokes. Don't be afraid to wing out the eyeliner at the end! I would then go under the bottom eyelashes with a pencil eyeliner to add the dark definition Zooey has in this look.


Next I would add either mascara or maybe even very small fake eyelashes. (I will be doing a fake eyelash tutorial soon.) The key to this look is the white eye pencil along the water line. This gives the illusion of a wide awake, fresh look.


Now it's skin. Once you have cleared up around the eyes with a face wipe, apply your foundation (I've been mixing No 7 BB cream in Medium with MAC studio sculpt in NC 25). I would then add a very slight pink blush and brush very softly along the cheekbone (Benefit Georgia would work really well.)


Finally it's the lips! I would say a nice colour like Chanel Rouge Allure in Hyde Park topped off with a little pink lipgloss (MAC Baby Sparks.)


And you're all done!


Enjoy :-)

''So. What is your end goal?''

For me personally, I feel it is so important to always have goals in life. It gives me a sense of direction and keeps me from going insane. Life can be extremely mundane at times but it's the realisation of how short our lives are that gives me passion and drive to succeed!

My incredible make up teacher, Melissa, asked me on my first day ''So, what is your end goal?''

To be honest at the very start of becoming a make up artist, I really didn't know. I just wanted to be good. To be good enough that people would hire me at their weddings, proms & events. That photographers wanted to work with me and that people in the industry know who I am. 

I still want that but I'm now starting to think a little bit further along. I know I can be good. Great even. I adore making people feel good about themselves and I know make up has always done this for me. I'm learning, yes,  but I know I will be successful.

So who knows. Maybe you'll see MDR make up brushes and make up organisers one day? Or even my own make up range. Maybe you'll see me working on the latest celebrity or maybe I'll be doing your make up at your wedding. Who knows. 

It's a very exciting time in my life and I'm very grateful to you all for taking the time out to read my ramblings! (Every time I see someone has read my blog, it gives me butterflies!)

Bushells of love,

Marissa