On one of my trips to Los Angeles a little while back I thought it would be fun to dress up, play around with some makeup and take some photos with my friend Zoetica Ebb. The lovely Cris Dobbins was our photographer who shot us in a quintessentially Los Angelean location, on top of a bridge in front of the dried up LA “river” (which brings back some memories of the spectacular car sequences in the film ‘Drive’).
Available from Sugarpill, Mac & Illamasqua.
All of the products pictured above have definitely become some of my makeup staples particularly for stage and shoot makeup. Mac Fluidline is a good all rounder for eyeliner, brows and eyeshadow base for loose pigment. Sugarpill’s Tako is a firm favourite because it’s so versatile. I use it under my eyes, on the brow bone and it also works for contouring the face in a pinch.
Illamasqua’s Pristine lipstick is a great matte black lipstick, although it can be slightly drying because it’s so pigmented. Normally I’ll use some chapstick before applying any Illamasqua lipstick to keep my lips hydrated. Illamasqua’s Pure Pigments are some of the loveliest loose pigments available at the moment, with Beguile being my favourite brow highlighter (as pictured in these photographs worn over Tako). The jars with the single hole sifter top that Illamasqua uses are great not only because they look luxe but also because it’s super easy to get to the powder.
Makeup tip: Mix your favourite moisturiser with Illamasqua Beguile Pure Pigment to create a shimmery body lotion that will make your skin look positively luminous!
The heart necklace featured in this shoot is from my brand A is for Arsenic. It’s the Bitter Heart necklace which combines the shininess of acrylic and the badassery of studs. I’ve worn mine to death as you can see with the studs starting to get a weathered look which I actually prefer! The tank I’m wearing underneath is from Obesity & Speed who make the softest and most comfortable tanks and I always try to pick one up when they’re on sale at Trash & Vaudeville.
The yellow green nail varnish you see in these photos is my all time favourite nail colour (particularly after I decided to dye my hair green/yellow). It’s Illamasqua’s Radium from my favourite collection called Toxic Nature. £14.50 might seem like a hefty price tag to put on nail varnish but it’s definitely worth it. Typically on regular nails I’ll get 2 weeks wear without chipping and on acrylic nails over a month using Illamasqua!
Zoetica has the most amazing lips and totally owns the black lipstick. I love how she paired it with the soft pink eye makeup. She also has a very intuitive sense of style which reflects the fact that she’s an incredible artist. You should check out her illustration work and her features on The Secret Guide to Alternative Beijing video travel guide.
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