My Faves from The Oscars 2016

*Disclaimer - expect a lot of ridiculous words like "bae" and "slayage" or words to that effect - apparently I'm a Tween!*

I know I'm a week late with this but better late than never!

At this years Academy Awards the beauty and fashion standard was set so high and I don't think there was many people that didn't look amazing - but here are are a few of my faves!

Rachel McAdams

She definitely won the red carpet for me. Her entire look was perfection! The thigh high slit, the halter-neck, the open back, the makeup - She didn't do a single thing wrong! The gorgeous dress was an August Getty Atelier number that hasn't even been shown on the runway yet - I believe it is being shown at Paris Fashion Week. I love that her stylist opted for silver accessories to make it look extra chic. Her Makeup Artist (who just so happens to be her sister) showed us the perfect way to use colour on the eyes without it looking too much - I definitely need to get my hands on that green Chanel eyeshadow!

Dress - August Getty Atelier | Shoes - Stuart Weitzman | Jewels - Niwaka | Makeup - Kayleen McAdams using Chanel | Hair - Mark Townsend | Styling - Rob Zangardi and Mariel Haenn

Emily Blunt

Girl Crush Alert! This baby pink Prada dress compliments her skin, hair and makeup perfectly. oh -and her baby bump! I love that her stylist, Jessica Paster, matched her earrings to the pattern of the jewels on her dress without it being too much. The rose gold and bronze makeup was a perfect match with this angelic look.

Dress - Prada | Shoes - Sophia Wenster | Jewels - Niwaka | Bag - Judith Leiber | Makeup - Jenn Streicher | Hair - Laini Reeves | Styling - Jessica Paster

Lady Gaga

This Gown Suit by Brandon Maxwell is the perfect representation of Gaga's style. Different but still elegant and absolutely stunning. Again, the rose gold makeup was gorgeous and I love the way her hair was perfectly sculpted into a timeless do that complimented her outfit -SO GLAM. Also, how bloody amazing was her performance! That song gave me goosebumps and I definitely think it should have won the Oscar over that crap James Bond song! Gaga never would have made any faux pas Sam Smith! #shade

Gown Suit - Brandon Maxwell | Shoes - Brian Atwood | Jewels - Lorraine Schwartz | Makeup - Sarah Nicole Tanno | Hair - Frederic Aspiras

Chrissy Teigen

Another girl crush right here! Her and John Legend are absolute couple goals (Someone stop me, I sound like a tween!) She is slaying with her pregnancy looks recently, including this one. She shows here that you can still dress like a fox whether you're pregnant or not! When it comes to her makeup I would have liked to see a tad bit more colour on her lips - something not so nude brown but I will not argue with the amazing Mary Phillips! Her hair was the star of the beauty show for me though. The messy braids were ON POINT.

Dress - Marchesa | Shoes - Stuart Weitzman | Clutch - Swarovski | Jewels - Lorraine Schwartz | Makeup - Mary Phillips | Hair - Christian Wood | Styling - Monica Rose

Rooney Mara

I am in love with Rooney's angular and daring hair and makeup look. She went all out by making a statement with lips, eyes and hair. The epitome of cheekbone SLAYAGE (seriously, someone stop me!) The triple bun was amazing! I loved the contrast of her dark hair and dark lips with her bright white dress and skin. Rocking it for all Pale Gails out there (Like me!)

Dress - Givenchy Haute Couture | Jewels - Fred Leighton | Makeup - Kate Lee | Hair - Adir Abergel | Styling - Ryan Hastings

Saoirse Ronan

Now this is how you make sequins look elegant! The plunging neckline and open back are daring but she pulls it off so well. I can't tell you how much I adore the colour. I also love her mismatched-matching earrings. They add something unusual but in a subtle way. The makeup is just a simple smoky eye, but on her light grey eyes it is just beautiful!

Dress - Calvin Klein Collection | Shoes - Roger Vivier | Jewels - Chopard | Makeup - Mai Quynh using Chanel | Hair - Adir Abergel | Styling - Elizabeth Saltzman

Alicia Vikander

Another girl crush! I'm so happy she won an award for The Danish Girl, she was incredible in it!This is how you wear yellow - Take note, Cheryl! (Cheryl wore a similar yellow outfit to the BRITs this year and I HATED it. It looked so tacky!)  This dress is not my usual style or colour but I love how everything goes with it. Her hair and makeup is so effortless yet chic. The half up half down bun hair style is something we haven't seen on a red carpet before but after the success of this, I think we'll be seeing a lot more of it!

Dress - Louis Vuitton | I cannot for the life of me find who her glam squad is, or if she even has one! But whoever they are, they did a stunning job!

Highlights of the Night

This year was so much better than last year. I loved that there was a wide range of winners and that they weren't all from one film (except Mad Max, that won everything!) But I mean that it was nice to see that Best Director didn't necessarily lead to Best Film etc. 

I think we can all agree that Chris Rock did a fantastic job at hosting, especially with all the controversy that has been happening this year. He handled it so well but he is one of the biggest comedians so I would expect nothing less! 

Lady Gaga's performance was insane as I have already said. She brought me and I expect many people to tears. 

I have to say though, that my favourite moment was Louis C.K's speech before he gave out the award for Best Documentary Short. He is one of my favourite comedians and I am 100% up for him hosting it next year (as I think many people are!) 

And Leo, my bae, finally won an Oscar! WOOOOO! 

Who were your faves from the Red Carpet? What were your highlights and do you think the right people won? 

Hope you enjoyed this post and don't forget to follow me on twitter/instagram etc. 

xo

instagram | @lauragibbmua

twitter | @lauragibb93

Double Denim

Photographer | Sarah Brown

Stylist | Megan Shaw

Model | Samara at Boss Model Management

This photo shoot is one of my favourites for a long time. Even though the makeup and hair is fairly simple throughout, it turned out great and the photos are amazing! 

Here are the products I used to create the looks; 

Skin

Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre Moisturiser 

Benefit The POREfessional Primer 

Kiehl's Lip Balm #1

MAC Face and Body Foundation 

Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer

MAC Prep + Prime Highlighter (For under eye correction)

Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel - Bronze Universal

Benefit Watt's Up Highlighter 

Bourjois Healthy Balance Powder

Bourjois Delice de Soleil Bronzing Powder

MAC Margin Blush

MAC Whisper of Gilt MSF

I used my hands to apply the foundation to make it look even more natural. Then on anywhere that needed extra coverage, but not full on concealing, I mixed some of the Bobbi Brown concealer with the Face & Body foundation and patted it on using a buffing brush. 

Eyes

Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel - Bronze Universal

MAC Groundwork Paint Pot

Kat Von D Immortal Lash Mascara

I used whatever bronzer was left on the brush on the eyes just to warm them up before applying the Paint Pot. Groundwork is the perfect colour to use if you want an earthy, natural colour. 

Brows

Soap&Glory Archery Eyebrow Pencil - Brownie Points

Maybelline Brow Drama - Dark Brown

Samara has amazing eyebrows so I didn't need to use much product - I just applied a bit of pencil wherever it was needed and brushed them through to blend it together. 

Lips

MAC Lip Liners - Subculture + Whirl

MAC Lipstick - Velvet Teddy

Charlotte Tilbury Lipstick - Nude Kate 

I tend to always mix lipsticks and lip liners to get the perfect shade. I think it was especially important to mix a few shades for this look as I needed the perfect natural colour. I lined the lips and then applied the lipstick and blotted the lips to take most of the product off again.

Hair

Look 1: For the first look, I just brushed out Samara's hair and swept it over to one side. I added some Moroccan Oil to stop any frizziness.

Look 2: All I did for this look was put half of the hair up in a messy top knot. Nothing complicated!

Look 3: I did a dutch braid from the front of the head going back to the nape of the neck. I pulled the remaining hair into a low pony.

Look 4: For the final look I wet her hair and scraped i back. I then pulled out bits at the front and added some salt spray to add texture.

Look 1, Look 2, Look 3, Look 4.

Behind the Scenes

Next stop Vogue for Sarah! | Megan doing her thing. | Behind the Camera

I hope you enjoyed this post. I am still trying to figure out how to put these posts together but I think it's slowly starting to work! 

Like I said before, I loved this shoot and I'm so happy with how the images turned out. I will link everyone's websites/instagrams below. 

Sarah | www.sarahbrownphotography.co.uk

Instagram @sarahbrownphoto 

Megan | meganshawstyling.carbonmade.com

Instagram @meganshaw_styling

Samara | www.bossmodelmanagement.co.uk

Pumpkin Studios | www.pumpkin-studios.co.uk

Instagram @pumpkinstudios 

Hope you enjoyed! 

xo 

Instagram | @lauragibbmua

Twitter | @lauragibb93

lauragibb.squarespace.com 

Best of the Bunch | Highlighters

I'm a serious highlighter junkie at the moment - it's just amazing! I don't feel like my makeup is complete until I have it on and I always use it on clients. I feel like a lot of brands make highlighters that are glittery and chunky and gross, but I have searched high and low and found my favourites...

1. Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks. £32.50.

As usual, Bobbi Brown have come up with the most natural, yet beautiful product. I have it in the Rose shade and it is stunning when swept on top of a pink blusher to really light up the face. It's not too obvious or in-your-face and is therefore perfect for everyday wear. You can also double up this as eyeshadows. (bonus!) I think there were only 2 shades when I bought my first one, but now there are plenty to choose from. I assure you, you won't be disappointed!

2. MAC Soft and Gentle. £23.

I think everyone in the world owns this highlighter and it's probably one of MAC's best sellers. It is a beautiful light pink/champagne shade - it's quite hard to describe but it's gorgeous and gives a great finish on the skin.

3. Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow. £49.

Not only is the packaging stunning, the 'glow' part is beautiful. (As is the bronze side, but we're talking highlighters here!) It gives you a gorgeous golden glow that suits most skin tones! It isn't shimmery and it looks very natural. Don't get me wrong, I know it is pricey, but you are getting a contour colour as well.

4. MAC Whisper of Gilt. (Limited Edition)

I know I shouldn't really put a limited edition product in this list, but I've heard that MAC have released it more than once, so you may well be able to buy it at some point. Every girl who works at MAC who has seen my makeup kit gets very jealous that I still have mine. They say they are always praying for it to become a permanent product. It is a beautiful warm gold shade that I love using on girls with darker skin tones. Of course it works for everyone but I think it looks extra special on darker skin tones. The texture is a lot softer that Soft & Gentle (ironic).

5. Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Baked Powder. £25.

This is actually a finishing powder, but there is a highlighting shade in the mix. It might sound odd, a matte radiance highlighter, but it's beautiful. This is by far the most natural of the bunch. It really does give that (not to sound cliche) lit-from-within look. It is very sheer, so perfect for the daytime but you can build it up if you're heading for a night on the town!

So those are my favourites and I am just now realising that there are no high street products on my list, so please give me some recommendations!


xo

twitter | @lauragibb93
insstagram | @lauragibbmua

Product in the Spotlight: Nars All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation

I think I have found my perfect foundation. 

I know that sounds a bit over the top but I don't care, it's true. I had heard so many good things about this foundation but I was still quite sceptical because it's so annoying when hyped up products are a disappointment. I really don't have anything bad to say. 

Nars' claims; 

"Full, natural-looking coverage with unexpectedly weightless, 16-hour wear"

I would say full coverage is accurate - if you have any acne (as I do) you will have to dab on an extra coat in certain
areas but that's the same with most foundations. 

Natural-looking? 100%. 

Unexpectedly weightless? 100000%. Again, I'm always dubious when brands say weightless foundation as it almost never is, but this really is! There was one day that I only remembered I had it on because I rubbed my face. 

As for 16 hour wear, I'm not sure as I haven't worn it for that long yet. Usually 12 hours is my limit and it lasts well for that long so I would imagine 16 hours is a fair bet. I hate it when brands say "24 hour wear" Who even wears their foundation for 24 hours on the trot?! 

I love the natural glow it gives the skin - it doesn't feel greasy and doesn't make me feel the need to wear powder. It's great for my oily skin - I'm not sure how well it would work for those with dry skin as it feels like it could potentially cling to dry bits, but I will try and test it out on dry skin and see what happens. 

It comes in 20 shades which is great - I got Mont Blanc, but I don't think it's quite right for me (it's a bit pink) so I'll be giving a different shade a try. The perks of being a makeup artist, if something isn't quite right, throw it in the kit! 

As always with Nars, the packaging is beautiful (this is my personal fave) and, I think everyone will be pleased to know... IT COMES WITH A PUMP! Woohoo! If you've never used a Nars foundation before then you won't have experienced the anger you get when you realise you have to buy a pump separately. 

It retails at £32 which is average for a high end foundation - still pricey, but totally worth every penny. 

Let me know your thoughts! 

laura xo

twitter | @lauragibb93

instagram | @lauragibbmua

Secrets of the Red Carpet | Soap Awards 2014

Recently I was lucky enough to travel down to good old London town to Soap Awards 2014! I was going to do the makeup for the gorgeous Mandip Gill (who plays Phoebe McQueen) and some of the crew from Hollyoaks. 

Mandip decided that she wanted a very simple black flick and a deep berry lip. Most of the products I used were Mandip's herself (foundations, lipstick and eyeliner) which was good if she needed touch ups throughout the night. 

She didn't want any eyeshadow, so I just used Brown Down eyeshadow from MAC to set the concealer I used on her lids. I used a little bit of the Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer to Contour as well and set that, again with Brown Down. 

To really make the lips standout, I used the highlighter (Whisper of Gilt) on her cupids bow - very subtle, but works amazingly. 

This look went absolutely amazingly with her dress which was a beautiful golden, sparkling dress. 

She loved her makeup, which obviously made me very happy! Here are a few pictures and below are the product details...  

MAKEUP

Face

MAC Prep+Prime Skin Base Visage. Revlon Photoready Foundation. Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Foundation. Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer. MAC Pinch Me Blush. MAC Whisper of Gilt Skinfinish.

Eyes

MAC eyeshadow - Brown Down. Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Liner. L'oreal Volume Million Lashes. Eyelure Girls Aloud " Nadine" Lashes.

MAC Diva Lipstick

Lips

MAC Vino Lip Pencil. MAC Diva Lipstick. 

I just want to say a big CONGRATULATIONS to the cast and crew of Hollyoaks for winning "Best British Soap" this year! 

I hope you enjoyed and please recreate this look on yourself!

xo 

twitter | @lauragibb93

instagram | @lauragibbmua 

Secrets of the Shoot | Tropical Abundance

Photographer | Chloe Anne Charnock

Designer & Stylist | Rebecca Horner

Model | Abbe @ J'adore Models 

Makeup | Laura Gibb 

MAKEUP

Face 

MAC Matchmaster Foundation. Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer. 

New Cid ibronze - Rio. MAC Whisper of Gilt Skinfinish. 

Eyes

Base - Collection Teal Gel Liner. Lid - MAC Feeling Fresh e/s (limited edition). 

Inner Corner - MAC Chrome Yellow e/s. Outer Corner - Bourjois Blue e/s. 

Liner - Soap&Glory Blue My Mind Smoulder Kohl. Black Mascara. 

Lips

Top - Illamasqua Titivate Medium Pencil. Maybelline ColourSensational Lipstick - Pink Punch (170)

Bottom - MAC What A Blast! ProLongwear Lip Liner. MAC Morange Lipstick. 

BEHIND THE SCENES

Left | This was the brief I was given (already exciting!) Right | Becky acting as Chloe's head rest... I don't even know. 

This shoot was a fab change for me as I rarely get to do colourful shoots. It was a dream to be able to finally play around with my new colourful eye shadows and eyeliners! 

The main reason for the shoot was to showcase Becky's handmade (and absolutely bloody beautiful!) scarves for her final major uni project. 

The photos have turned out even better than I could have imagined, Chloe is an amaaaaazing photographer and I have already told her that we have to work together again! 

Here are the girls details for you: 

Chloe | www.chloeannecharnockphotography.com 

          | instagram @chloeannecharnockphoto

Becky | www.rebeccahornerdesigns.co.uk 

           | instagram @beckyhorner

Abbe | www.jadoremodels.co.uk 

I'm still trying to think of ways to put together and set out these posts so if you have any ideas or suggestions, let me know! 

Hope you enjoyed! 

xo 

twitter | @lauragibb93

instagram | @lauragibbmua 

Behind the Scenes: 26th March 2014 - "Honey or Tar"

The Look

Makeup: 

Skin - The model had amazing skin so obviously not much was needed... 

MAC Face and Body Foundation 

Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer (From my BBU Palette) 

Cheeks - I didn't use any blush as the weather was cold and I wanted a natural glow, so just contour was used... 

Illamasqua Sculpting Powder Duo (Lumos & Heliopolis) 

Eyes -  We just wanted a high gloss on the eye, so all I used was a Lipgloss... 

MAC Clear Lipglass

Brows -  I spiked up the brows to make it more high fashion... 

MAC eyeshadow in Charcoal Brown 

Schwarzkopf Silhouette Hairspray 

Lips -  I mixed a few lipsticks to get the perfect coral shade... 

Bourjois Sweet Kiss Shine Lipstick in Juicy Tangerine 

MAC Lipstick in Morange

MAC Pro Longwear Lip Pencil in What a Blast! 

Hair: 

Originally, we were going to do a wet look hair style, but it was far too cold outside so all I did was brush the models hair behind her ears in a centre parting. 

Left: This really shows the glossy lids and the spikey brows    Right: One of my favourite shots!

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My photographer friend Rosie Woods got in touch with me about this shoot and of course I said yes! She wanted to showcase a few pieces of clothing that had been designed and made by some of the final year students at Manchester School of Arts. 

We shot around the Ancoats area of Manchester, near the Northern Quarter and Piccadilly. This was great because there are some really great grungy back drops to contrast with the bright bright clothes. 

Now time for behind the scenes!

This is what i meant about the contrast.. 

Rosie working her magic! 

Left: The makeup chair isn't always very glamourous!   Right: We were joined by some friends on set! 

I really enjoyed this photoshoot.. If you want to see all of the photos then check out Rosie's website. 

Photographer: Rosie Woods www.rosie-woods.co.uk

Designers: Rhiannon Buckley and Helen O'Donnovan 

Model: Niamh @ J'adore Models http://www.jadoremodels.co.uk/niamh

Hair & Makeup: Me, obviously! 

Hope you enjoyed! 

love xo