Wednesday 20 January 2016

JUST A HINT OF RUFFLE

Ruffles are a key Spring/Summer trend for 2016. If you can’t quite face embracing the full on spanish flamenco ruffles that graced the catwalks, then here are our best picks that you will find on the high street now.... with just a hint of ruffle! Just pair with your favourite skinny jeans and heels.


1. White Ruffle Front Shirt - Asos £35

2. Ruffle Pullover Sweatshirt - Banana Republic £55

3. Ruffle Front Shirt - Reiss £145

4. Gingham Ruffle Shirt - Topshop £39 

5. Ruffle Floral Tee - Topshop £34

Tuesday 12 January 2016

BEAUTY FLASH

Make-up & Hair Lorraine Milligan, Photography Will Whipple 






The art of STROBING…luminosity and highlighting of the bone structure, in a flash!
The word ‘strobe lighting’ you may associate with the disco light craze of the 90’s? Well how about creating light beams across the face, bringing features forwards, as apposed to contouring the features to create depth, with dark matte palettes? Take your skin finish back to basics this New Year, keeping your make-up base fresh and dewy, blurring any fine lines and tired skin, with this illuminating skin trend.



Prepare your flawless base using a light, radiant finish foundation such as Christian Dior Diorskin Nude Skinglowing make-up (RRP £32.50) for a light, even complexion, with a transparent, natural appearance.
Glace a translucent powder over your T zone such as NO.7 translucent pressed powder (Boots £11.50) with its velvet soft, weightless finish.

My favorite highlighter for natural Strobing is Mac Studio Sculpt Defining Powder (£22.50 in 8 shades) which gives a near matte veil of light to the skin...
Where to apply?...
Under the eyes in a triangular point to the cheek
Centre of the nose on the bone.
Centre of the forehead, between the brows sweeping up and outwards.
Under the nose (above the top lip)
Centre of the chin.

Add some extra luminocity with Smashbox L.S Lights Blendable Cheek (and lip) (Smashbox.co.uk £25.00) in ‘Hollywood and Highlight’ for fair skins or ‘Venice Beach Bronze’ for dark skin tones….Glance this beauty on top of the cheek bones, blending away upwards towards the temples, for a ‘light flash’ glance.

If you haven’t perfected the contoured look of 2015, you will love this ‘Strobing’ trend, for a fresh Spring look!

Lorraine x
www.lorrainemilligan.com

Wednesday 23 December 2015

CHRISTMAS LUXE EYES - METALLICA

Make-up and hair Lorraine Milligan
Photography Camille Sanson

With luxe fabrics gracing the party scene, with glittering lurex and sequined glamour, why not add a bit of shimmer to those smokey party eyes!?

Ditch the safe blacks, browns and greys and opt for the coppers, golds and jeweled hues in deep blues and greens for a dramatic or demure take on the traditional ‘smokey eye’





If cream effect is what you are after, but in easy application form, then try Bobbi Brown longwear cream shadow sticks (Bobbi Brown/ John Lewis £21.00). You can slick this onto your lid from lash line working up to the socket and with a soft blending brush blend the edge to avoid any harsh lines, taking a sweep of colour under the bottom lid and creating that ‘cat’ eyed shape.

Take the colour this season, into the inner socket of the eye and finish the look with a slick of black mascara to add some drama and definition.

Add a nude lip to keep the dramatic impact focused on the eyes, I love MAC Crème D’Nude (Mac Cosmetics £15.50) Pat the edges of your lips to break the line and make your pout look bigger and totally kissable!

Lorraine xx
www.lorrainemilligan.com

Sunday 20 December 2015

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat...

Well Christmas is nearly upon us and I am hosting Christmas lunch for 8 people. I love entertaining and it's been a few years since I hosted the main event so I want to make sure I get the table setting right.....oh and the food of course!

 
1. CRACKERS. I love these Chevron crackers from sohiavictoriajoy.com £35. Whether my budget with stretch to them is another matter...but I love them none the less.

2. CHARGERS. These can be used for glam or paired back themes. I bought mine years ago and they have lasted well. Try Ebay.

3. NAPKINS. Gold Chevron & Silver Stars. Waitrose £2 for 20.

4. PLACE SETTINGS. Forget expensive elaborate place settings. Brown luggage labels, black ink and stamps. Get yourself to Hobbycraft and go create.

5. NATURE. I love to bring a bit of nature into my table settings, either as a centre piece or as part of the place setting. I am thinking fir, pine cones and berries and maybe a white rose or two!

6. CANDLES. I love candles.H&M have a great range at great prices and I picked up these few the other day. 
 

Keep a look out for the finished look on Instagram on Christmas day!

 

Monday 14 December 2015

Christmas Make-Up Wish List

“I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus...”



Well so would you, if he delivered these 5 Make-up Bag must haves for this seasons delicious make-up trends, straight into your stocking...

“…Underneath the mistletoe!”


CHANEL – Le Blanc de Chanel multi use illuminating base £33.00 
A universal make-up base that lights up and enhances the complexion, with a magic halo of light. With it’s Pore minimizing properties of witch hazel, mattifying minerals and a touch of Christmas licorice extract, for an even flawless finish, this is every make-up lovers dream. Used sparingly mixed with your favorites Chanel foundation, or applied with a brush under your base to conceal dark circles or redness, it’s a magic highlighter! I prefer to apply to clients central T zone and as a ‘V’ under the eyes onto the upper cheek, for a subtle contoured look.


Bareminerals lasting line longwear eyeliner £15.00 (£11.25 online) 
The name’s a give away, this slick liner will not budge and can be applied as a fine line to the base of the upper lashes or as a dramatic 50’s style flick. It glides on effortlessly and boasts a built in sharpener and an angled smudge tip, if you fancy a more blended edge. It comes in 8 shades including this season’s lux bronzes, but every make-up bag should have a staple LBL! (Little Black Liner)


MAC Powder Blush – ‘Blushbaby’ (fair skins) ‘Pinch Me’ (medium skins) ‘Breath of Plum’ (dark skins) £18.50 
The contoured bone structure takes a well-earned break for the Christmas season and is replaced by the ‘Snow White’ of cheek trends, the feminine frost nipped apple of the cheek. With its strong pigment, a subtle kiss of this delightful blush, will give the cheeky flush of colour you desire. Pout to find your perfect apple!


Pure Colour ‘Burgundy’ Matte Liquid Lipstick £3.99
Matte liquid lipstick? Yes, New Look have nailed this classic in the form of a high pigment gloss. Full coverage and a velvet texture, applied with a sponge applicator tip, means you can top up on the move and finish this classic look off to a T!


Sanctuary Spa Shimmer Body Butter £15.99 (Amazon) 
 Make-up should also include the body and with lux fabrics being adored this season, do not forget the parts of the body you dare to bare. This body butter not only gives your skin a subtle sparkle, but moisturises, making your skin soft to the touch.

Tuesday 8 December 2015

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS



Valentino Rockstuds £620 I dream about owning some Valentino Rockstuds. This season I love the burgundy ones and would wear them with everything from jeans to dresses. There are so many other colour options to choose from you’re bound to find some you love!

Gucci Soho Cross The Body Bag £650 I don’t mind spending a little more on a nice handbag as they can really transform an outfit. I love this Gucci bag which adds a pop of colour but is also extremely practical being across the body. If red isn’t your thing you can get it in other colours too and if you can’t quite afford the £650 price tag, GAP do a very similar one for £24.95!

Adidas Stan Smith £64.99 I own a few pairs of trainers but I am hoping for a pair of Stan Smith originals for Christmas. Easily worn casually, with dresses and tailored outfits. A wardrobe basic!

Olivia Burton Watch £70 I can’t remember the last time I wore a watch and I think it’s because I don’t really own an every day watch. This Olivia Burton watch is a great every day classic watch that will go with every outfit.

The White Company Cotton Robe £55 A simple robe for every day use.

The Topshop Make Up Bag £15.00 I love little quirky items that make you smile when you look at them. This make up bag did just that when I saw it in Topshop the other day. I am hoping my daughter is buying me this for Christmas. 

The Gap Boyfriend Link Stitch Hat £14.95 The weather here hasn’t yet started to get really cold, but when it does I want to be prepared and this bobble hat is on my wish list. I love the colour of it, it is called Rich Eggplant.

Geometric Triangle Two Way Sterling Silver Ear Jackets by OTIS JAXON SILVER JEWELLERY £29.75 I have recently discovered earrings again after having my ears pierced at 16 and then never wearing them. My earring collection is therefore limited, but growing, and my favourites this season are ear jackets. I am hoping Santa might bring me these.

What’s on your Christmas wish list?

Tuesday 7 January 2014

COLOUR POP - BRINGING SUNSHINE INTO THE NEW YEAR!



We wave farewell to 2013 and welcome in the New Year and a palette full of colour to brighten up even the dullest day.

Pastille and neon hues spring off the catwalks for S/S ’14, from soothing lavenders, sea green turquoises and grassy greens to baby blues and mellow yellow - A festival of colour – but how do they all work together?

There is a simple ‘tool’ and ‘rule’ I teach for colour use.

The TOOL is every make-up connoisseurs must have - the ‘Colour Wheel’



There are colours to compliment every skin tone, eye and hair colour. Embrace your colour wheel and understand the simple rule - Pick your colour and look at the opposite colour on the wheel to see what will compliment it and the hues of colour that surround it on the spectrum, for diversity and to make your eye colour ‘pop’.

For instance, if you have blue eyes, warm burnt orange tones will bring your eye colour to life – you may think orange? It’s not for me – so go for a copper brown and see how this theory works, or a russet blush?

Green and red work well as a team (think Christmas) Again, you may not favour a red shadow, but using a warm brown on the eye or a matte red lip that is still in the forefront of lipstick trends will make those green eyes ‘pop’.

Earthy Brown eyes are the most diverse eye colour and you lucky ‘peeps’ suit most shades. Try bringing out the golden tones and make your eyes appear more hazel, by adding purple to your mobile lid?

Have fun mixing and matching!


Now here comes the RULE …


The RULE - I have named this the ‘4 C’s’

Yes to COMPLIMENT and CONTRAST

No to CLASH and CLOWN

DO pick hues of colour that blend well together and are pleasing on the eye, sticking with a couple of complimentary shades and their variety of tones.

DON’T mix too many colours on the face, think ‘eyes, cheeks, lips’ and make sure colours don’t clash! Play up the eyes, play down the lips and visa versa.


Key looks for this season:

  • Neon blue flashes of block colour on the lid, blended up into the socket line.
  • Matte neon orange, or red lips, blotted for lasting colour wear.
  • Keep your base make-up to a minimum, it’s about bare faced beauty as we head into Spring.

Lorraine x

www.lorrainemilligan.com