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I recently wrote up this list for BODY, the Body Dysmorphia (BDD) charity I volunteer for. Lauren the CEO asked me to write a quick list of things that are cheap/easy to do that will help you feel better about you. So if you have 5 minutes for self-care or 50 minutes, there's something in here for you.

Next week is International Women's Day (it's 8th March) and I'm here to celebrate all the incredible women in my area of the wedding industry who drive forward and lift others up. With the theme of #EmbraceEquity here's some of the my personal favourites within my industry that I want to sing about, and are doing things that should be shouted about.

2015 has been incredible for Ms Moo and for me personally. I've tried to tot up my top 5 moments/achievements of the year for both!

We are all feeling the cost of living the last 18-24 months, and no more so than at Christmas! So I'm back again with my Christmas Gift guide for all beauty lovers, but breaking it down into price guides and aiming more at the great stocking fillers.

Welcome to the season of sparkle and joy! As the festive spirit takes over, what better way to celebrate than by giving the gift of glamour? This Christmas, immerse your loved ones in a world of beauty with my carefully curated makeup gift guide.

Whether you're shopping for a makeup enthusiast or someone just starting their beauty journey, we've got the perfect picks to make their holiday season merry and bright.

Investing in the right kit as a makeup artist is so important; when you're working on a number of different faces, you want to be assured that the products in your makeup kit are going to have your back! But as a makeup wearer, noone wants to buy the wrong stuff either. Not in a cost of living crisis, and not when the price of makeup keeps increasing. So I've put together five of my kit essentials that I'll be recommending time and time again, to makeup artists and to makeup lovers alike. And at the bottom of the blog are my discount codes you can use for buying the below products, and 1000's more!

I posted this blog back in September 2016 about my eyebrows and me. The appointment with the salon I had booked my eyebrows with didn't go ahead, and it did knock my confidence a bit; my eyebrows are really important to me, and not having had any for 10+ years it was really disappointing to be treated so badly. But it didn't deter me in finally getting them done, it just took me 6 months to find time where I could get them done!

Everyone should experience luxury when having their makeup done! After all, it's a special occasion and you deserve to feel truly fabulous, from a wedding day to a day out on the town! That said, I don't think that any animals should be harmed for us to feel this good.

It's why I've been a cruelty-free makeup artist now for over 10 years. That means I won't support brands that sell in countries where animal testing is required for their products to be sold. No products in my kit have been tested on animals, and a very large portion of it is vegan too - which means that there are no animal derived ingredients used either. 

Sadly there's a lot of brands out there that do still test on animals - Nars, MAC, Dior, Bobbi Brown, Benefit, L'Oreal, Estee Lauder, Elizabeth Arden, Elemis, Clinique, and Armarni, to name a few.

There's no need for animal testing in this day and age. You can absolutely have luxury products that are cruelty-free! I will always endeaver to go above and beyond to make sure the items in my kit will deliver impeccable results. 

So here's a few brands that I keep in my kit that you can be assured also have good ethics!

Being in the business for over a decade, I've picked up so many tips from weddings about beauty preparations before the big day that I'd love to pass on to my brides to be!

Okay, so now it's reeeeally pretty cold and we need to do something about the effects it's having on us. The cold mornings are biting at your nose and toes, your lips are chapped and your skin is drier than a desert. Central heating and air conditioning are awful for your skin. Before this winter really takes hold, take 30 minutes out of your evening to do this and Save Our Skin! If you’re like me, you’re skint in prepping for Christmas so I want to keep this cheap as chips and you can use a lot of ingredients from your kitchen and store cupboard to look after your face. Free beauty treatments? Woo! Maybe you can get your partner or a mate to help or even join in :)

(by Luna Photography aka Flashes and Lashes)

Getting to know me! I know that I have been around a long flippin' time in the make-up world, but I figured I'd let you into some bits and pieces about me!

FAQ

Hey, I'm Sali! If you didn't know I'm a specialist wedding and events makeup-artist with well over 10 years of experience and pride myself on having really high standards of service.

If you're looking for a wedding makeup artist, here are some frequently asked questions (FAQs) that I often encounter that might help you when considering booking me!

New year, new me! Hahaha! If you're anything like me then that phrase will make you laugh hard. I'm still the same old Sali who can't be bothered to wear makeup on a daily basis haha!

But it's the new year, and if you're looking to take up something new (or give up something) then I'd wholly recommend a new skincare regime where you promise to look after your skin. Here's some tips to get you going.

I'm fizzing with excitement that I'm going to be working with the inimitable award-winning boudoir photographer Tigz Rice on three makeover days in London in early 2022!

I've had the privilege of being at flippin' loads of wedding mornings; here's the expert advice I've picked up over time which may help you on your big day...

As a make-up artist, it's my job to ensure that your face is picture-perfect on your wedding day.

What you probably won't see on your wedding morning is me watching your face and your body language. I'll watch your expressions and what your face is saying when you're not speaking, see how you're breathing and if you're doing a panic. What you say, how you say it, and what you don't say are all really important to me to make sure that you're ok.

Lucy contacted me in 2020 to book her and Adam's wedding in for 2021, full of hope that the world would've returned to normal. Alas it wasn't, so we shuffled to 2022 and her and Adam did the paperwork earlier. They weren't compromising on their big wedding reception at the lovely Setcops Farm! 

On meeting Lucy, she had two stipulations - she absolutely wanted me to use my Bridal Eyes eyeshadow palette, and wanted a red lip. So, that's exactly what we did!

On the big day, I got her and her three bridesmaids ready super early in the morning as Lucy had some engagement photos done with Adam and their dog Aria before guests arrived. They were super relaxed about their morning and because of it, they just had the absolute best time! As you can see from their photos below :)

Later this month it's going to be Danielle and Kenton's 8 year anniversary so what better time to share my little interview with Danielle! They got married at Hackwood Farm in 2014.

We all remember that super hot weekend in September, right? The one with the 35 degree weather? Yeah, that's when Kristy got married! She got ready with her bestie Nikki, and her Mum Sandy at The Mercure in Nottingham, before marrying JP at the The Lord Mayor's Parlour in the Nottingham Council House in an intimate ceremony followed by a meal and a knees up in the evening. It was THE HOTTEST morning I've ever known, but she absolutely kept her cool because she wasn't at all worried about her wedding and had planned the day exactly as her and JP wanted it. 

Remember that it's your day, so do it your way! Do exactly what YOU both want.

Let's be frank here; if your skincare game isn't on point, then your makeup won't be. You could have half the beauty counter in your makeup bag, but you need a 10/10 skincare regime! So here are some top tips for the winter to get your skin through it in one (gloriously moisturised) piece...

When clients get in touch about booking me for wedding makeup, I'm often asked what's in my makeup kit and what products I use. Once you've come to my studio in Hockley in the city centre of Nottingham, you'll soon see the extent of my kit!

You wake up, you don’t know what time it is, you don’t WANT to know what time it is but you know you’ve got that thing to go to today, and you really don’t want to but you really have to and why, oh why did I have that Sambuca to finish the night... does this sound familiar?! C’mon, let’s not beat about the bush here; holidays are comin’, as are the hangovers. Dirty indulgent hangovers from all the dirty indulgent festive booze...! Here's a photo of me from over 10 years ago after a Christmas party. It is NOT pretty; but it's here to show that I know how awful you can feel (and look, let's be honest!) the morning after the night before when you did all those sambucas...!

I've known Nickie through the alt online scene for a fair few years now (Facebook says 5 years, but I reckon longer with the age of Myspace!) she is the owner and founder of Devolution Magazine and The Alt Collective, a fashion and art charity event that started in 2009. She's a one-woman machine with a dedicated contributing team working on the only alternative independent print magazine out there covering fashion, music, art, tattoos, lifestyle culture and photography; Devolution recently released Issue 40 of the magazine signifying 10 years of actual print! A decade of independent publishing is an incredible feat.

Zoe emailed us to say; "I have been struggling with my weight since forever and have decided enough is enough. I'm going to stop abusing my body, and celebrate it! To mark my change in attitude, I want a new fun-loving, burlesque-inspired look and was wondering if you would help me? :)"

You can bet your butt we can help!

So how is everyone's skin holding up this summer? Between dodging rain showers and the baking heat, I think I’ve just sweat a lot!
The sun might be sporadic but we need to be prepared for it. Following on from my other summer skincare post, as today is the first day of August let's make the effort to look after our skin. Here are some super easy things you can start doing every day!

There was once a girl with dry skin who thought she’d never find a foundation to ever make her skin look good. She searched for that wonder product for all her years, and never did her one true foundation come to being. Sad, the felt she’d never get good foundation coverage until she met her fairy make-up godmother who gave her some skincare advice...

Primers are a great part of my makeup kit, and I love telling people in my 1-2-1 lessons how they work and what they are all for. I have a range of my primers in my kit because I need to be prepared for all skin eventualities so you certainly won't need all of these.

I can remember starting this blog in late 2015 and writing up my review of the year and wondering how I was ever going to get to write a blog each week - well I've done it! I've managed 51 blogs in 52 weeks which is astounding for me; and there's more to come! I did a list back in August 2016 of everything I've done this year, so I've managed to add on the other months to compile the below list. Are you ready?!