Smoky Makeup with Tom Ford

I recently went to the Tom Ford counter at Selfridges for a makeover, and liked the results so much, I decided to recreate it step by step here.  There were a couple of things done during the makeover which challenged what I automatically do when applying my makeup - I never apply eyeliner under eyeshadow for a smoky look, for example, nor do I apply sparkly eyeshadows lightly on top of deeper base colours.

This'll be a long one, so click on under the jump to see the steps and the finished look.

Wedding Makeup

When my friend Amanda asked me to help out with her wedding makeup, I was more than happy to help, but also rather terrified.  I mean, I think I'm reasonably good at applying makeup on myself; I'm used to the needs of my skin, my own bone structure, and the best way of opening up my eyes.  Someone else's face poses much more of a challenge, particularly if it's for arguably the biggest day of their life.

Anyway, we had a bit of a trial and came up with the vintage inspired look above.  Amanda herself seems happy, and looks absolutely gorgeous, so I'm feeling confident that we can pull it off on the Big Day.  The list of products used is far too long to be listed in its entirety here, but the highlights are:

• Shu Uemura Stage Performer Instant Glow
• Giorgio Armani Face Fabric #2
• ELF HD Powder
• Lancome Hypnose Drama Waterproof
• GOSH Extreme Art Liner in black
• Inglot cream blush and Laura Geller Sugar Free Raspberry powder blush
• Giorgio Armani Lip Wax #4
• MUD eyeshadows with UDPP
• Dr Hauschka bronzer to contour

Would you be comfortable doing your own makeup on your wedding day, or would a professional makeup artist be a must-have?  Have you ever done a friend's makeup on their big day?  Pass on your opinions, experiences and tips in the comments!

Makeovers by The Powder Room, Carnaby St

Disclosure - services provided free for review

A couple of weeks back, Gemma and I headed over to The Powder Room, a retro beauty parlour tucked away in London's Carnaby Street area. The Powder Room is run by the Powder Puff Girls, a crack team of manicurists and beauticians who also bring retro chic to London's ladies at various events and on-site sessions. The Carnaby location is a "pop up shop" (we keep hearing that phrase - we think it means that they're temporary). Despite this, it's lavishly decorated and deeply atmospheric.

Our mission was to try out two of their £15, 15 minute mini makeovers. Gemma opted for the Speedy Hairdo, and I road tested In a Jiffy makeup.

Inside the shop, attention to detail is everything, and we found all aspects of the experience to be well thought out and beautifully presented - from the pink party ring biscuit provided with my cup of tea ( served pink floral cup and saucer, obv) to the pink sticker on the lid of the MAC Fluidline that was used to give my eyes a flirty 50's flick. The pink-handled makeup brushes were carefully sanitised between uses (of course) and Gemma's stylist went the extra mile to get her bouffant just right, even though it overran the allocated 15 minutes for the service.

The Powder Room use Paul and Joe cosmetics, and I was offered a choice of shades for my multi-colour eye look. Above is a page from the "look menu" that we were given to help us choose how we wanted our makeovers to turn out.

Here's a "before" picture - I'm makeup-free and Gemma's hair is unstyled.

Here's the finished results

Look at that handiwork!

If you're into the retro glamour iconography thing (think Benefit, Bettie Paige, pin up stars), this place will be right up your street. It's also a fun way to perk up your look before a night out, or to give your appearance a bit of "oompf" for a special occasion, whatever your personal style. The staff are great at listening and tailoring their services to their customers.

At £15, the services we tried were extremely good value for money.

Visit the Powder Puff Girls at www.thepowderpuffgirls.com to find out more about their services and locations. You can also shop online for their favoured products (which are used in the makeovers), including Paul and Joe, Mavala and Dianne Brill.