EVALUATION

When first receiving the project brief I was really excited and intrigued with the possible final outcomes as we have never done a full 'beauty' project before and it is the style of make-up I most enjoy. We were all given different brands to write about and I was at first apprehensive being given NARS as I did not know much about it, but after researching it I really loved their make-up products, style and the story behind it. 
As a couple of weeks passed, the brief began to change a lot, confusing myself and others. The amount of final images and style they were meant to be kept changing, resulting in a final decision of them having to be inspired by our brand and a total of 5, which I was fine with but was confusing and annoying that it took so long to have a final decision. The Illamasqua section of the project was also altered a number of times with the amount of final images, first there was two looks, then one, then the dates were completely mixed up.
As our practical seminars started there was no knowing that there could ever be a problem but after a short couple of weeks our make-up tutorials were repetitive, always doing foundation and bases, then they all of a sudden stopped, resulting in us not having any knowledge, education or practise for this project. Having Yvonne call in sick for the majority of our project was disappointing as she was a great make-up artist with amazing skills to share, but I found her ability to teach non existent and her manor with people quite abrupt and rude. For a couple of weeks Lottie was willing to cover lessons which was very kind of her as she is very busy as it is. When the course organised to have Marijana come in for 2 sessions it really helped lift my spirits, confidence and taught me a lot as she has experienced so much and she is an amazing make-up artist. 
The hair practicals were faultless, Lottie ensured every seminar was on, in which she was organised, on time, and incredibly helpful as always. I really enjoy hair as it it but the skills she had to offer really helped me expand my knowledge with hair. I also think she was great with any help of any make-up and the camera when shooting looks, she would always offer to check images, help with lighting and shooting. 
As Yvonne was off for the majority of this project we therefore also did not receive any theory lessons to go with the project and resulting in us receiving a couple of emails attached with work to do to post on our blog. I do not feel this was enough help and guidance to fill out our blog with substantial research and theory.
The Illamasqua section of the project I found a little out of place, I felt it did not really correlate with the 'Beauty and the Brand' aspect and maybe should have been completely separate. I also didn't feel that it was a major part in the project as it was introduced but then dismissed until it came to the actual timed assessments. The whole thing was rather messy and confusing, but it was great having a visit from Spob and Charlotte and they are great to listen to as they have amazing experiences and knowledge. 
Apart from having trouble knowing where to begin with the practical and theoretical side of the project, I can see how much potential it could have had if it had more structure as the skills we will walk away with are priceless, I loved the unit despite the issues. I enjoyed having to create looks linked with my brand as it was a starting point for designing and you had to think like a make-up artist with a task. The looks I have created I am really proud of, but I do wish I had done more practising leading up to the final shoots. I feel my time management is still not perfected as I shot all my final images after Easter leaving me a little rushed. I also feel, because I left it so last minute to do my final looks I did not necessarily use model that would have been my first choice, therefore jeopardising my looks, but considering I am happy with my looks, except I believe I could have done better in a smokey eye and eyebrows/eyelashes/eye liner images. 
Overall the idea of this project was amazing, I loved the themes, final images, practical sessions with Lottie and Marijana, as I now have great portfolio images for freelancing in the future plus a huge set of skills and knowledge on beauty make-up. I feel it's a real shame that having Yvonne was a let down and disappointment as she is very talented and has lots to share but I feel she was not cut out to teach. 

REFERENCES

Some websites I used to create my blog... 

INFORMATION & RESEARCH = http://www.narscosmetics.co.uk/

INFORMATION & RESEARCH = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NARS_Cosmetics

IMAGES = https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=nars&hl=en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=j9VnU-PvMJCB7QbsmIDABg&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ&biw=1242&bih=585

IMAGES = https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=nars+makeup+looks&hl=en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=o9VnU8X-EIGRO-yYgZAK&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ&biw=1242&bih=585

TECHNICAL FILE SIGN OFF SHEET

FINAL METALLIC / PEARLISED LOOK

FINAL EYEBROW AND EYE LINER LOOK

FINAL STRONG SMOKEY EYE LOOK

FINAL STRONG LIP LOOK

FINAL FOUNDATION LOOK

FINAL ILLAMASQUA LOOK

IDEAS AND PLANNING FOR: FINAL METALLIC / PEARLISED LOOK

NARS INSPIRED MOOD BOARD

NARS STYLE...

• Very shimmery/glittery eyes with matching or nude/brown lips
• Lots of contour and highlight
• Can be matte /glossy skin base
• Slicked hair down or up in high ponytail/bun
• Very alientistic/robotic/futuristic/harsh

FINAL FACE CHART

TEST SHOOTS

Final ideas for look...

MAKE-UP

• Even, medium coverage skin base and perfect match
• Little powder, lots of contour/highlight
• Filled in brows with shadow, black mascara
• Subtle bronze shimmer/glitter around temples
• On eyes, blend of gold/bronze/silver shadow/shimmer and glitters created with smokey eye techniques
• Bronzed/nude lips with shimmer to match the eyes

HAIR

• Slick back and high up ponytail with hair wrapped around hair bobble to hide bobble.

CONTACT SHEET FROM FINAL SHOOT

IDEAS AND PLANNING FOR: FINAL EYEBROWS AND EYE LINER

NARS INSPIRED MOOD BOARD

NARS STYLE...

• Main focus is usually eyes 
• Simple/traditional 'cat-eye' flicks in black
• With or without bright/nude/natural lips
• Matte or glossy skin with contour and highlight
• Hair tends to be slicked similarly to metallic looks or big and voluminous
• Gives off a lot of 'attitude' 

FINAL FACE CHART

TEST SHOOTS

Final ideas for look...

MAKE-UP

• Even/medium perfect skin match coverage skin base to cover up any blemishes etc
• Little powder and normal contour/highlight
• Fill in brows appropriate colour with shadow subtle gold/beige eye shadow on lids, little black mascara on top and bottom lashes
• Simple traditional thin gel eye liner on top and bottom lash lines with small flicks, thin/natural but long false lashes on top lid.
• Lips a poppy purple to match the 'attitude' look

HAIR

• Deep set side parting all back-combed and hair sprayed over with small side section twisted into a grip back, all giving a 'rock chick' look.

CONTACT SHEET FROM FINAL SHOOT

IDEAS AND PLANNING FOR: FINAL STRONG SMOKEY EYE

NARS INSPIRED MOOD BOARD

NARS STYLE...

• Full coverage of shadow when doing smokey eyes
• Lots of darker colours, silver/greys/blacks/purples sometimes goldy and other colours
• Either brightly coloured lips or nude lips to compliment the eyes
• Lots of contouring and highlighting, sometimes blusher
• lots of colour continuing around the lower lash lines
• Hair has a huge range with these make-up designs, down and straight/wavy/curly, big/flat up/down, slick etc  

FINAL FACE CHART

TEST SHOOTS

Final ideas for look...

MAKE-UP

• Medium, even coverage with foundation/concealer covering any blemishes etc
• Powder, contour/highlight cheekbones/temples/nose
• Fill in eyebrows with shadow and black mascara on top and bottom lashes
• Full coverage of eye shadow on top lid up to brows using mixture of silver/grey/purple/blue shadows and shimmers into lovely shape and blended into lower lash line
• Pale peach/bubblegum lips

HAIR

• Top section back combed backward, into side fishtail plait, pretty 'girly' hair to match the pink and purple colours of make-up.

CONTACT SHEET FROM FINAL SHOOT

IDEAS AND PLANNING FOR: FINAL STRONG LIP

NARS INSPIRED MOOD BOARD

NARS STYLE...

• Main focus is lip, not very often heavy eye make-up
• 'Sweet and pretty' brows and lashes
• Perfect skin with contour and highlight, skin can be mate or dewy
• Lips come in variety of red shades, mainly ruby/blood/burgundy red, not often pinks or oranges
• Range of lip shapes and sizes although majority have quite an angled pointy cupids bow, but depends on chosen model
• Hair tend to be large with curls and lots of volume, rarely straight, flat or up.

FINAL FACE CHART

TEST SHOOTS

Final ideas for look...

MAKE-UP

• Even, medium coverage with perfect colour match covering any uneven patches/blemishes
• Powder with contour and highlight on cheekbones/nose/temples
• Goldy/beige eye shadow on lid, little shadow to fill in brows, black mascara on top lashes
• Using a red lip pencil, outline outer lip line, fill in with red lip mix ensuring perfect/symmetrical/even coverage

HAIR

• Big/tight/natural bouncy curls and waves, side parted back combed a little at root and throughout curls to give volume and sexiness to match the overall make-up look.

CONTACT SHEET FROM FINAL SHOOT

IDEAS AND PLANNING FOR: FINAL FOUNDATION LOOK

NARS INSPIRED MOOD BOARD

NARS STYLE...

• Flawless
• Variations of matte and dewy/glossy
• Little or medium coverage, never non or overly heavy
• Always contoured/highlighted, sometimes blush
• Natural looks have nude/pale natural pink lips
• Hair looks naturally wavy or straight, sometimes slick and fresh 'out the shower' look

FINAL FACE CHART 

TEST SHOOTS

Final ideas for look...

MAKE-UP

• 'Wet look' 
• Minimal base, cover all blemishes/dark uneven patches with perfect colour match using foundation/concealer
• Keep dewy so little powder subtle contour/highlight around nose/cheekbones/temples
• Small amount of brown mascara and brown shadow to fill/shape brows.
• Nude/peach pink lips in keeping with natural theme

HAIR

• Freshly washed all wet combed back behind the ears down the back and hair sprayed into place.

CONTACT SHEET FROM FINAL SHOOT

RESEARCH: METALLIC OR PEARLISED

• Metallic and Pearlised can be seen as quite futuristic, alienist, glittery etc.
• Lady GaGa and Kesha are both known for their love of everything glittery and metallic.
• Illamasqua have a huge range of products that come under this category and have provided us with vast amounts of make-up designs and looks.
• It does not have to be harsh with deep metals and glitter, these looks can also be soft and silvery and pink similar to colours of fish scales and mother of pearl.
• The film Hunger Games, the characters living in the Capital have a unique style some of which have very metallic/pearlised make-up designs.
• This make-up fashion reverts back to 80's and 90's where make-up was quite fun and playful and sometimes childish or the complete opposite of it being more hardcore and rock/punk, either way it consisted of lots of metallic colours, glitters, pearly looks, which was seen in Club Kid/New Romantic fashion and a famous individual David Bowie.

RESEARCH: EYEBROWS AND EYE LINER

• TIMELINE: 20's brow is round and thin arch, shaved off pencilled in like a banana arch, 30's thicker inner brown arches round thinner with a slight point, 40's brows are a lot thicker and rounded on the inside and with a higher point, 50's brows are the Marilyn era a lot thicker with a high angular point, 60's were very natural and brushed upward, very groomed and played with what you had similar to Tiwggy's, 70's no eyebrows at all were rather fashionable.
• Nowadays it tends to be a vast range and mixture of all of these although recently it was fashionable to have a very square angular brow and then it has suddenly changed to o'natural like Cara Delavingne.
• Eye liner can range from simple waterline only, small upper flick only to enlarge the eye, huge cat eye flick meeting with a bottom lash line, fancy curls and twirls, huge thick filled in lid and flick etc, there are constant new ways of styling eye liner depending on your style, eye size/shape etc.

RESEARCH: STRONG SMOKEY EYE

• Traditionally done in silvers/greys/blacks or golds/browns/creams/beiges but can be done in any colour.
• Most popular shape is cat eye effect, elongate the eye into a flick.
• Can be done to make eye rounder and more doll like.
• Very glamorous way of doing a make-up look and looks great with or without eye liner/bright lipstick.
• Tends to be shimmery to create a more sophisticated beautiful look but can be done in flat colours.
• Scarlett Johanson loves mixing it up with different coloured smokey eyes, such as; blue, green, orange, pink etc.

RESEARCH: STRONG LIP

• Most commonly a red lip.
• Red lip can be any shade of red, pink, purple etc.
• Most famous for tradition red lip is Marilyn Monroe.
• Currently most famous for red lip would probably be Rita Ora.
• MAC's Ruby Woo is one of the most popular shades of red sold.
• Different shapes; full, thin, cupids bow could be angular, rounded, non existent (Miley Cyrus) straight edged, rounded, smiley/miserable (corners of mouth) etc.

RESEARCH: FOUNDATION

• Less is more, only use on areas with uneven skin tone, blemishes, dark circles etc, aim is to create illusion that the model is wearing no make-up and has naturally perfect skin.
• Colour match is vital for a natural look.
• Use correct primer/foundation/concealer/highlighter/translucent powder depending on gloss/shine/matte finish.
• Conceal as well as use foundation if needed more coverage in certain areas.
• Contour subtly/deeply depending on look, either use 1-2 shades darker 2-3 shades darker in certain and wanted areas, forehead, sucked in cheeks, jawline, outer nose, under bottom lip, collar bones. (Makes areas smaller/thinner etc)
• Highlight similarly to contouring but with lighter shades, in areas such as, mid forehead, upper cheeks, lower cheeks, below/above brows, bridge of nose, above cupids bow, chin. (Makes areas larger, more visible)
• Use blush to create the look of natural flushing not like a doll or too artificial. (Pinched cheeks effect)
• The rest of the make-up has to be light in order to compliment the natural base.

IDEAS AND PLANNING FOR ILLAMSQUA TIMED ASSESSMENT

As our concept is FUTURE, I looked into seasons. I thought what if we styled out hair and make-up depending on what the weather was, similar to a mood ring, depending on the temperature it would change colour. 

I am a massive fan of Disney and I have been addicted to the film Frozen therefore really liked the idea of creating a wintery look, blues, silvers, whites etc. So I created a moodboard and practised on myself the way I felt my look should end up. 

I finally decided on a finished look. I chose to have blues and silvers as contour around the forehead and cheeks, a blue smoky eye and silver/blue lip all on top of a natural base and subtle contour and a little mascara to top off. The hair I decided on fully crimped to create volume and then a large puffed up top, twisted at the back with a glitter silver ice butterfly pinned in to the side. Here are is my final test shoot and face chart.

 

CONTACT SHEET FOR FINAL SHOOT