Contour products - powder vs cream

Hi beauts,

Contouring has been in trend since Kim K released her selfie showing her highlighting and contouring on social media. Ever since then, contouring has become a craze! 

Not a lot of people know that contouring has been around for many years as part of corrective make-up. This make-up technique has been mastered by professionals over the years, to find that different styles of corrective make-up suit each individual face shape differently!! But we will not go into much detail about that in this post, if you would like me to do a detailed post on how to contour different face shapes then leave a comment below!

This post will be about the different types of contouring products out there in the market, as the title states: powder vs cream contour! 

So I have put together my most used cream and powder products that are my holy grail for contouring. 

Product list:

Tom Ford shade and illuminate palette (01 intensity one)

Mac cosmetics pro concealer palette (medium/dark) 

Anastasia Beverly Hills contour palette (not sure which shade) 

Sleek cosmetics contour palette (medium/dark) 

Tom Ford shade and illuminate 

This is my favourite contour product out of the products listed! I am more of a cream contour person, just because I feel as though cream contouring gives a more subtle and natural shadow where applied. This product blends in so seamlessly, it really looks great once applied, the highlight is quite something in itself too! It has no shimmer but is still a natural looking highlight - seriously cannot go wrong with this product! 

Mac cosmetics pro concealer palette

I have not always been a fan on mac concealer - especially if it is studio fix! But this palette really did change my mind, I use the darkest concealer in the palette to shade in the hollows of my cheekbones, I also use this to contour my nose and it works a treat (usually I am never happy with contouring on my nose!). Not only that, the corrector in the palette mixed with the lightest concealer makes a great highlight too! 

Anastasia Beverly Hills contour palette

I am pretty obsessed with this powder palette, the shade fawn is actually my favourite colour to contour with! It is a lovely soft brown colour, which gives the illusion of a natural contour! Great for someone who wishes for a light subtle definition on the cheekbone area, the shade banana is a great pressed powder to set your under eye concealer with too as it uplifts the colour enhancing the highlight! 

Sleek cosmetics contour palette CHEAPER ALTERNATIVE!

Sleek's contour palette is the most affordable product mentioned in the list as it is a cheap dupe for all these high end make-up products. This has got to be the drug store God send for contouring because the pigment pay from this palette is superb! If I am travelling this is most definitely my go to palette as it had the highlight which is a lovely dupe for soft and gentle by Mac! And a beautiful bronze blush to give you that sun kissed glow! You really cannot go wrong with this beauty buy! 

Now, with my personal experience using these products, I must say I prefer neither over each other as both powder and cream products work well for contouring but I actually prefer cream contouring, then setting it with powder contouring to emphasise the definition on my contour. What is your preferred contouring technique? 

Hope you enjoyed this post! 

Love,

Taran x

My favourite highlighters

Hi beauties!

So on my Instagram recently a few of you have been asking me what my favourite highlighters are and what better way to tell you: let's blog it! 

In this post I have included my favourite high-end and drug store highlighters! That way there is something for you, if you do not like to splash on one small product .. (Not all of us are as crazy as me) 

Product list: 

(Left to right) 

Milani cosmetics - Bellissimo Bronze

Mac cosmetics - Soft and gentle

Make-up Revolution vivid baked hightlighter - Peach lights 

Nars - Albatross

MeMeMe Irridescent complexion illuminator - Sunbeam 

So I put together these five beauties just because I thought it would be great to have a few dupes in this post too; especially for Mac soft and gentle & gold deposit just to name a few! Lets get started!

Milani cosmetics - Bellissimo Bronze (Baked blush) DUPE ALERT! 
OK so I will admit to something before I start here, I sort of cheated with this product because it is actually a baked blush but the sparkle in it could pass off as a beautiful dupe for Mac cosmetics highlighter in 'Gold deposit'. It is absolutely gorgeous on the skin, and I must say it is a go to product for you girls who love a bronzed look!

Mac cosmetics - Soft and gentle (Mineralise skin finish)
EVERY woman out there is familiar with this highlighter, if you do not own it then you must have most definitely heard of it! The classic, nude natural looking highlighter perfect for your subtle and dramatic looks! You cannot go wrong! Love LOVE love this highlighter, it is a must in my kit!

Make-up Revolution - Peach lights (Vivid baked highlighter) DUPE ALERT!

This is a great dupe for Mac cosmetics highlighter in 'Soft and gentle'. Although the name is 'Peach lights' the product itself has a slight pink undertone to it, apart from that it is a great cheaper alternative to the Mac mineralise skin finish! A go to most definitely if you are just starting out or want a highlight that is not too pigmented!

Nars - Albatross DUPE ALERT!
I LOVE this highlight, simply because of its beautiful rich golden tone! It is a pressed highlight so it is not baked as the other products, and the colour is white but do not let that put you off! Once this product has been brushed onto the skin it leaves no colour, but reflects off the most beautiful golden sheen ever! It is most definitely a must! An amazing dupe for this product is the Make-up Revolution vivid baked hightlighter in 'Golden lights'.

MeMeMe Irridescent complexion illuminator - Sunbeam DUPE ALERT!

This was the VERY first highlighter I had ever purchased, I still swear by this product and always have it present in my kit if I ever feel as though there is not enough highlight or dewy finish to the skin. The reason why I picked this illuminator is because this product is very versatile; you can mix a little with the foundation or even just place a few dots on the cheek bones and blend! Due to the liquid consistency it is great to blend out and does not look harsh once applied. I definitely recommend this product to all my fellow make-up artists just because it is a great little back up to place in your kits! 

This post was requested by a few of my lovely followers on Instagram and a few of my clients, I hope this post has been helpful! If you have any requests please do leave a comment below or leave a comment on my Instagram! 

Instagram: @tarankaurmua 

Love,
Taran x

Favourite product picks for professional photo-shoots!

Hi beauts,

If you have been following me and what I have been up to you will notice that I have been involved in quite a few professional photo-shoots. Since I have been involved in many through out my make-up artist journey, I thought my next blog post should be on my favourite recommendations on my go to make-up products for the camera! 

So, for those who have never been involved in a professional photo-shoot and are just starting out here is a little insight into what it involves:

Firstly, it is important for you to have an appropriate date to fit the shoot simply due to the fact that it will be an all day shoot, especially if you are new to this experience. Of course, you would need yourself to create your magic, a model to create the magic on and of course a professional photographer with a studio!

Photo-shoots are definitely a one of a kind experience. It is the best way to get to know professionals and see how you work yourself in an environment of the same sort. It is definitely an experience which will help you build yourself as a professional in the industry of make-up artists. 

Now on to the recommendations for photo-shoot make-up! Many of my shoots have been based on Asian bridal and fashion looks. The top make-up products which I have picked, are essentials within my make-up kit and are great products to use in and out of studio! 

When creating a make-up look for a professional photo-shoot, do keep in mind that you will have to be slightly more heavy handed that usual. This is because the lighting in the studio will wash most of the make-up away, so the key trick is to apply just enough so that the make-up still shows through the photos captured on camera! 

Foundation and concealer picks

The best foundation picks, I must say would be the Kryolan TV paint sticks and Mac studio fix fluid. These products are perfect to use in and out of the studio, the liquid foundation is perfect for beauty shots and the TV paint sticks, for more of a heavier make-up look for example Asian bridal! My favourite concealer to use most definitely is the Mac Pro studio fix concealer palettes! They come in a range of different colours which are the essentials required for your professional kit, the palette comes in shades light, medium and dark. These are also great for contouring!

Blusher and highlighter picks 

The best blusher products in my books, would be either the Sleek blush palettes or MAC blushes. These blushes are insanely pigmented and will definitely show up on the camera, alongside the heavy artificial lighting set up in studio. The greatest and my all time favourite highlighter is Illamasqua's hightlight in Gleam! If you cannot get your hands on this highlighter then you can for sure use, Nars Albatross or MAC's soft and gentle the all time classic! 

Brow product picks
The best brow products, must go to the one and only Illamasqua brow gel in strike. Alway's shade in your brows a little darker than usual to make them stand out for the shoot! Of course, do not go over board with the shading but you get the point! Another awesome product to use on the brows for a natural finish is MAC's eye-shadow in Brun!

Hope this post has helped at least a few of your ladies, who are considering booking a photo-shoot for your make-up portfolios!

Love,
Taran x

Rose gold neutral smoked

Hi beauts,

If you have been following my instagram for a while, you will know that I used to create picture collages of make-up looks I would create on some days. I did it for a short time but then stopped! BUT I have decided to start them all over again! 

If you would like to know what products I used in the picture collage below then keep reading! 

Product details:

Eyebrows - Illamasqua brow gel in 'Strike'

Lashes - Red Cherry lashes in #415

Eyeliner - Avon kohl stick in black, Collection2000 liquid liner pen

Eyeshadow - Illamasqua cream pigment Hollow, Tarte cosmetics 'Tartlette palette', Make-up Revolution foil shadow in 'Rose gold'

If you like this post, follow me on Instagram to keep up to date with regular make-up posts! 

Instagram: @tarankaurmua

Love,

Taran x

Superdrug facial buffing sponge

Hi beauts,

Hope you are all good and well, today's post will be about a lovely new and affordable addition to my current skincare regime. The facial buffing sponge by Superdrug!

If you know me, then you will know that I tend to search for the perfect way to cleanse and polish my skin, I have seen the Clarisonic and really want it however the price is quite something in itself! So I though let's see what I can find at a reasonable price before I splash the cash!

The facial buffing sponge by Superdrug really is something great to have in your daily skincare routine. It gently removes dry skin and deeply cleanses the skin on the surface of your face as well as your pores beautifully too! I find that it most definitely polishes off my nose very nicely too (and the pores on and around my nose are something I am quite conscious about). 

The sponge has a slight harsh texture to its surface to carry out the cleansing and gentle ex-foliation using your daily face wash and cleanser however if you feel like you are in the mood for a deep and thorough ex-foliating cleanse then you can also use this with a facial scrub! 

This of course will be slightly harsher on the skin, so try to limit the use of both to a minimum to avoid irritation or redness on the skin. 

In my opinion this little beaut of a sponge is a must have in your skincare routine and to top it all off it only retails at £1.99! I mean what more could you ask for right? 

Definitely recommended for those who also suffer from acne, this little addition to your regime will help you keep your pores clean from all that dirt and bacteria helping to improve your skin! 

Hope you enjoyed reading this post! 

Love, 

Taran x  

DIY: make-up brush conditioner spray

Hi beauties,

So as you can tell I have taken a liking to making DIY products and have been using cute little packaging to store all my DIYs in.

I spent my whole afternoon washing my make-up brushes as you know that is part of the deal if you are a make-up artist! Whilst washing my brushes I thought to myself how can I condition the brushes without using conditioner and keeping my hands under water, why not make a little spray! 

So today's DIY post will be on how to make your own little brush conditioner - the trick to keeping your brushes beautifully soft for longer! 

Materials:

- decorative paper (optional) 

- scallop paper cutter (optional) 

- travel spray bottle  (click here to get the same bottle as me for a reasonable price!) 

- organic conditioner (any will do)

- fragrance oil (I chose Jasmine but this is optional) 

- double sided tape

Instructions:

1. Cut the decorative paper to size so that it fits around the diameter of the travel sized bottle

2. Label the bottle 'brush conditioner' and stick the scalloped cut out paper to the decorative paper with double sided tape, leave this to one side - we will be sticking this after the mixture of the spray is complete! 

3. Open the bottle and squeeze in 1/3 of the conditioner

4. Now pour in 2/3 of water to fill up the bottle 

5. Add a few drops of your chosen fragrance oil and screw back on the spray nozzle! 

6. Stick double sided tape, on the back of the label you created with the decorative paper. Stick this around the bottle to create your finished DIY! 

YOU'RE DONE! 

Shake the bottle well before use, and spray your brushes when you feel they need a little TLC!

You can also use this on the ends of your hair if your hair feels a little coarse and dry! 

Hope you enjoyed this DIY post! 

Credits:

Thank you to All in packaging for sending me this product for my DIY project! It works a treat!

Love,

Taran x

Party: Nude two piece

Hi beauts,

So last week one of my lovely friends decided to throw a little private party for all us girls to let loose and have fun! 

All with uni stress, work and other life commitments keeping us busy, we all deserve a break at some point don't we! So this was our little break - a fun evening jam packed with great music and delicious party food! 

Below is the outfit I put together for this party, this outfit is perfect for a night out with the girls! Keeping it simple yet on trend - you cannot go wrong! 

Outfit details: 

Nude two piece - Boohoo 

Clutch - Warehouse 

Heels - New Look 

Hope you liked this post! 

Love,

Taran x