Photoshoot in Blythswood Hotel & Spa 21/08/2012

 

Tuesday's shoot was for a magazine which is under wraps at the moment. I was very excited to work with the amazing team we had put together. Photographer- Oliver Schneider, Hair-Gail Rankin International, Stylist-Paula Howard@pollyannas, Model-Victoria Middleton.

The Blythswood hotel and spa is outstanding, with its grand lobby, enchanted staircase and boutique bedrooms it oozes style and elegance, and coupled with Victoria’s unique look I knew it was going to be a successful shoot. The first look we did was a really polished, yet contoured nude skin with a nude, taupe lip colour. Victoria has amazing skin so my job wasn’t all that difficult however getting that polished effect without making the model look as though they are wearing a ton of makeup is always an art.

PRODUCTS USED FOR FIRST LOOK

STROBE CREAM-MAC

FLUID SHEER-NO 2-GIORGIO ARMANI
LUMINOUS SILK FOUNDATION NO 4-GIORGIO ARMANI
HIGH PRECISION RETOUCH NO 2-GIORGIO ARMANI
SHADOW-VANILLA, JEST-MAC
BROW SCULPTER-ESPRESSO-TOM FORD
MASCARA-YSL
BRONZER-GIVE ME SUN-MAC
LIPSTICK-MIXED BLEND FROM PALLETE-MAC

 

We shot the first images in the main lobby. I always love doing shoots and watching the onlookers reactions. The Blythswood is an upmarket hotel with quite a fashionable clientele but next to Victoria they didn’t have a look in although I am biased.

The next look we did was quite daring, Oliver had an idea to put a stocking over the face. This did come out fantastic in the end however he got me to try it out first which was not a good look for me! I wish i had taken a picture but I'm sure you can imagine... bank robber with a pig nose! With an alteration to the stocking we managed to reduce the squashed effect and it really was a very unique and quite stunning look, however the images will reveal all when they are ready.

 

 

The next change we had for the makeup was a coral lip to go with the cute dress Paula had for the next series of shots. I mixed Tom Ford Wild Ginger with Mac Costa Chic. I love mixing colours so you don’t end up having the same look on different shoots, it also gives you an array of different finishes.

 

 

The last of the polished skin look was a plum colour for the lips where I used YSL lipstick in Belle de rose. Victoria has an amazing lip shape so she can carry off such a dark shade perfectly. After using copious amounts of makeup remover we finally got the dark plum lip colour off ready for the last look.

For this, Smokey eyes with dark red lips and a more matte complexion.

PRODUCTS USED FOR SECOND LOOK

LUMINOUS SILK NO 4- GIORGIO ARMANI

LUMINOUS SILK POWDER NO 4-GIORGIO ARMANI
HIGH PRECISION RETOUCH-NO 2-GIORGIO ARMANI
SHADOW-EYES TO KILL NO 13+2-GIORGIO ARMANI
MASCARA-EYES TO KILL EXCESS-GIORGIO ARMANI
EYELINER-LIMITED EDITION WATERPROOF KHOL BLACK PENCIL-GIORGIO ARMANI
BRONZER-‘GIVE ME SUN’-MAC
LIPS-ROUGE D’ARMANI 406-GIORGIO ARMANI

The last shots were my favourites, mainly due to location, in the penthouse suite of the hotel. This was a stunning setting looking over Glasgow including its own lift, private bar a stunning marble bathroom. I wish i had taken pictures but hopefully you will see how amazing it was from some of our shots. Victoria and I were in our element exploring the penthouse whilst Oliver set up. Back to business and were ready to shoot again, time for some sultry underwear. Paula had some gorgeous underwear sets with her. I loved them all!

We shot some on the super king size bed, which P.Diddy has slept in, and some outside on the balcony where a good few office workers got a slightly racier lunchtime view than normal.

 

Time was ticking on and the day was coming to an end......

 

A few jumps on the massive bed later and it’s a wrap! I had an amazing day with the team and cannot wait to see the finished article in the magazine.

 

until next time...

 

Dream, Believe, Achieve

 

Louise Ballantine

CELEBRITY MAKEUP ARTIST

 

 www.louiseballantine.com

Product Review - Luminous Silk Foundation

I couldn't think of a better way to kickstart my blog than to write a review about my favourite foundation – Luminous Silk Foundation from Giorgio Armani. So... here we go...

Feather-light, oil-free fluid foundation with Micro-fil technology. It glides on seamlessly with a natural finish and leaves a velvety smooth & silky complexion. With its long-lasting, buildable coverage from sheer to full, it is suitable for all skin types.

I use it on almost every bride as it does not transfer, it works beautifully in front of the camera and it does not have SPF so it wont give that ‘white flashback’ look.

Likewise, it's perfect for Print and TV work as it makes the skin flawless and is HD friendly. Any good makeup artist should have Luminous Silk as a staple foundation in their kit. Oh, and it has won ‘Best Foundation’ 7 years in a row for INStyle magazine.
 

One of the many reasons I love this foundation is it's soft, dewy finish – and I think that only a liquid foundation can deliver that. The texture of this product is definitely the most sublime I have ever used. It gives a youthful, dewy glow without being shiny and greasy as it is oil free.

Luminous Silk is for all skin types, it works especially well with dry skin due to its luxurious texture. For oily skins, I would recommend using the Luminous Silk Powder on top or a few hours after application to keep shine at bay.

Some of the celebrities who swear by Luminous Silk:
 

- KATE BECKINSALE -

- KATE WINSLET -

- MEGAN FOX -

 

The Giorgio Armani Luminous micro soft crystals have a very soft texture and give the skin a smooth and comfortable feel. Further, because the microcrystals are made in an oil free base, they are described to “capture the gloss” of skin and generate a radiant light. When applied in successive layers, these crystals fill up the spaces in the skin, maintain hydration and also provide a basis for a firm foundation.

When used on a regular basis, the luminous formulations are said to make you look young, wrinkle free and gorgeous. The end result? Micro-Fil products create a weightless veil of make-up, which can be layered, for a seamless finish

 

This weightless quality is exactly why I adore Armani Cosmetics, and in particular the Luminous Silk Foundation
 

Application

Apply with a blender brush for a radiant air-brushed finish. With its "MicroFil Technology" it will never go cakey which, let's face it, is an essential in the rule book of good foundation days. It doesn’t clog my pores as it's non cosmodgenic which is essential if you wear foundation everday.
 

(Shade swatches provided by karlasugar.net)

Coverage

Luminous Silk has a fantastic shade range catering to all skin tones and undertones (warm, cool and neutral.) I use the shade 6.5 when I have self tan on which is a perfect match and for (au natural) days, I use 4.5.
 

 
By the way….

• £34
• Oil Free
• Long lasting
• Paraben Free
• Non cosmodgenic
• Perfume Free
• Exclusively sold in House of Fraser, Jenners & Harvey Nichols in Scotland

In summary...

Overall, I’m in love with this product! It makes for flawless skin without a heavy foundation look. It redefines foundation!

Until next time guys...... Dream, Believe, Achieve!

Louise Ballantine

Celebrity Makeup Artist

www.louiseballantine.com