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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!

Happy Christmas eve everyone!

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!

Emma got married in August 2021 at The Gilstrap, the Newark Registration Office. While we had some worries early in 2021 as to if the wedding would go ahead or not (pesky COVID!) she managed to keep her wedding date as planned and partied hard. Emma's not a big makeup person, and wanted a super light look that freshened her up.

The lovely team at The INKEY List recently sent me some goodies for a new range they have launched!

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...

Louise and Luke got married in Elvaston Castle in September 2019. You might have already seen some photos from their wedding day on my blog here, and you'll also recognise Louise from my interview with her as Kickass Gatherings. She very kindly answered my interview questions and so I wanted to share them here, and more images from her gorgeous day! One of the smiliest brides ever, and she also had my lovely vintgae hair pal Sarah from Pin Up Curl on styling duties. 

I was considering writing this as a blog myself, and I may still do it one day but today, this blog comes to you from my client Heather in a review she left me on Google... have a look here if you don't believe I didn't write this DREAMY review myself.

Starting a skincare routine can be daunting as heck. What order do you do things, what things should I put on - is there anything I can realistically leave out? Do I have to spend all that money? Now I'm no skincare specialist, and I'll never claim to be one. If you've a thirst for knowledge about all things skincare then I wholly recommend Caroline Hiron's Skincare - The No Nonsense Guide - it has incredible advice in it and more knowledge than you could ever imagine! There's also two incredible skincare specialists I recommend in Nottingham if you're looking to get specific help. 

However, here are my tips for all skincare types!

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.

I never work on International Women's Day. It's the 8th March, and every year - along with my birthday, and my work anniversary, and Christmas - I buy myself a nice cake and a bottle of champagne! I absolutely make sure that I book the day off in my diary in advance. I wholly believe in celebrating myself on International Women's Day and think you should too! Especially as this year it falls on a Friday.

Last year I wrote a blog recommending some of my favourite female wedding suppliers who're doing great things. This year's theme is #InspireInclusion - here to celebrate those people who raise you up, bring you under their wing, who'll speak about you in rooms you're not in, and who will cheerlead you when you're rocking and comfort you when you're sobbing. There's very few people that will do that so selflessly, so this blog is here to celebrate those that I've found provide that incredible support and do things every day that will inspire inclusion in all that they do. 

Happy bank holiday Monday everyone! I'm hoping that the sun is shining but I'll be honest, I'm over in Ibiza so I've no idea what the weather is like in the UK. Don't hate me too much!

Hello, lovelies! I'm back to tell you about another gorgeous boudoir makeover day I'm doing with the fabulous Tigz Rice in London's finest art deco bar, Fontaine's on Sunday 6th and Monday 7th November 2022.

Mollie and Ben had to reschedule their wedding from March 2021 to May 2021, but they sure partied hard anyway. They could only have restricted numbers allowed at their wedding, but they were determined to get married - and got married they did! And today is their first wedding anniversary so I'm here blogging about their wedding to celebrate - congratulations Mr and Mrs Douglas!

I can't believe that Becca and Matt had their day a year ago today! Becca had to reschedule their wedding a stonking four times; from April 2020 to September 2020, then to March 2021 and finally September 2021! When they got married there were thankfully no restrictions in place at all and they could have the day they'd always wanted. 

My last wedding of 2019 was with the lovely Charlene and her babes at Swancar Farm Country House. Getting married just before we entered 2020, the venue was still decorated for Christmas which you just know is going to be beautiful!

Mel and Gawin finally got to say their "I dos!" in January 2022, having had to reschedule from October 2020 and February 2021. She married her beau Gawin at Morley Hayes, in Derbyshire. 

I've been doing wedding makeup for twelve years now (I surprised myself when I looked back at my diaries for it!) and have seen so many different weddings with so many different traditions. More and more of my couples are looking to set their own traditions for their weddings, and I'm 100% here for it! I'm particularly looking forward to celebrants being able to legally marry people, and all of my couples based in England being able to get married outdoors without restrictions. Those in Wales and Scotland can get married wherever they want; how cool is that!

Wedding makeup doesn't have to be anything other than unique to you. There are no rules to follow, but I do like to impart such guidance as below. But remember, you're the boss and you get to choose what you take away from them.

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 :)

Leigh got in touch with me super early, in October 2018 for her February 2020 wedding. Have I said how I love it when people book me in advance because they want to make sure they can have me for their wedding day?!

I've known Jo probably about 9 years now through work, and she's always been a joy to be around. She's so kind and caring, her personality is just infectious and you can't help but feel good around her. I've done her make-up a couple of times for special occasions but when her and long-time boyfriend Damien got engaged, she booked Lucille's Locks and myself ASAP for her wedding makeover team.

I decided early on this year not to do Christmas presents with friends or family, but to donate to some charities close to my heart. I'm going to donate what I would've spent on presents (Framework, CALM, Heads Together and MOAS) and instead of going to be booking in some mates' dates! Exchanging time is far more valuable to me when I'm this busy so I'm looking forward to planning some of them in for the coming months.

You might recognise Louise on my blog, as she's been featured a couple of times now - both as a bride and on my International Women's Day blog this year! This time she's here in her professional capacity as a a professional Humanist celebrant, aka Kickass Gatherings!

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!

Sarah from Pin-Up Curl is my work-wife! We work on loads of vintage weddings together, and I know that any wedding morning I'm with her, we'll have an absolute blast. I'm gutted that it's now over a year since I've seen her and worked with her, and can't chuffing wait to see her! Here's a little catch-up with her about the last 12 months and her future plans...

(by Shot by Amy)

Morning lovelies! I'm currently on holiday in Malta so I'm not around right now so here's a review from one of my lovely brides in 2014/2015. I don't know who it was as it was an anonymous review from a bride who voted me to win Best Make-Up Artist in the East Midlands at the Wedding Industry Awards!

I'm bringing back my recommended supplier interviews! There's still a few on my recommended list that I haven't interviewed, so I figured I'd catch a few more for 2023. Starting with the lovely Robyn aka Perfect Silhouette Hairdressing. I wrote about her for International Women's Day too as she's making great waves both in a hairstyling way, winning National awards, and for the LGBTQ+ community in setting up All In Love; an inclusive wedding fair in Lincolnshire. Here's a bit more about her and her business!

Jenny got in touch with me in January 2017 about her wedding in June 2017, but due to a mix up with an email address, I wasn't able to get in touch with her! Technology well and truly failed us, and I took to Facebook to look for people with her name and surname. Alas, I couldn't find her so couldn't let her know I was available for her wedding makeup. This made me sad because she'd said she really liked the photos on my website! Fast forward to June 2017 and unfortunately, the make-up artist she'd booked had been taken ill and she contacted me again with the right email address and I was still available! We arranged a trial, high-fived on the make-up and breathed a big ole sigh of relief.

Vintage wedding makeup and pin up wedding makeup have been hotly requested styles of makeup requested of me in the 12+ years I've been doing weddings. For a good few years between 2010 and 2016, I was one half of Flashes and Lashes; a vintage-style makeover photoshoot collaboration between myself and Luna Photography. I didn't have any specific interest in vintage but I think because of this experience it's become almost one of my signature looks with wedding makeup. It's a timeless look that suits so many people, guaranteed to be elegant and sophisticated while still able to amp it up to be as glamourous as you want!

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)

As you know if you're a reader of my blog or have ever had a 1-2-1 make-up lesson with me, I adore Illamasqua products. They are cruelty-free, have a background in stage make-up (so their stuff stays put!), they have an extensive vegan collection and they actively encourage individuality - you want a deep sea blue and green lipstick? They've got it! Every year, Illamasqua have a January sale and I held out as long as I can because now I know that they'll keep adding things as the month goes on. I hopped over on Friday to have a browse through... Go. Go now. There are some AMAZING bargains!

Wollaton Hall needs no introduction; if you live in or around Nottingham, you'll know it! For those who aren't from Nottingham, it's a Grade II listed Elizabethan house within the Nottingham City boundaries and is a little slice of calm. It's home to Nottingham Natural History Museum, two different types of endangered Japanese deer and most famously known for being 'Wayne Manor' from Batman's A Dark Knight Rises.

The glee in my heart when Hannah contacted me to tell me she was getting married and was I available on her wedding day made me squeal at my desk.

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.

Kirsten and Chris had their festival themed wedding in September 2021 at the wonderful Sherwood Glade. Getting ready at home in Sherwood with her besties and brood, she then drove herself to the wedding at Arnot Hill in her open top car. What a rockstar!

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!

Helen Sutcliffe is a wedding hairstylist with over 10 years experience of being a freelance wedding stylist. Being a cruelty-free wedding makeup artist, I flippin' love that she's so staunchly cruelty-free - beauty products don't need to be tested on animals! Helen's got such a lovely calming presence on a wedding morning - she's the quieter version of me, watching everything that's going on, and looks after her bride in such a gentle and loving way. I love that she always (ALWAYS) has a half way treat of a can of Diet Coke!

I caught up with her for my first recommended supplier interview of 2024...

August 2018 went by in a bit of a blur as I did more weddings that month than I'd ever done before. During the lockdown, it's been great going back through my photo archives to find weddings to blog, and I came across Ruth and Tim's big day. I spoke with Emily And Katy Photography who captured the day at The Walled Garden in Beeston and browsed their beautiful images. I've also included Ruth's review of hiring me which truly made me cry!

Lottie and Emma got married at the lovely Cockliffe Country House in July 2023. They'd originally planned for 2020, but then EVERYTHING happened and they postponed to 2021. Seeing how things we're in early 2021, they decided to postpone their wedding reception to 2023 so that COVID could absolutely chuff off and they would be safe in the knowledge their wedding celebrations would be as full throttle as they initially planned!

And it absolutely was, but they had damn good reason to celebrate. Not only had they dealt with the pandemic, they relocated back to Nottingham after living in London for 10 years. Lottie also underwent emergency urgent spinal surgery the week of her legal ceremony. A rough couple of years, but these two were ready to let their hair down...!

Lottie and Emma both answered these questions seperately by email so don't know what the other answered, haha!

Here's my list of year-round goodies that you absolutely MUST have in your make-up bag or on your dressing table.

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!

I've known Lizzie for quite a while as I work for the same company as her, and I'd done her make-up a few times for Flashes and Lashes' shoots. She emailed me in September 2014 to ask about wedding availability for August 2015 as she wanted to check if some of her favourite suppliers were available before she booked the venue... how honoured am I?!

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...

Laura contacted me in December 2015 about her July 2016 wedding, which was lucky as it was my last available date in July 2016! She was really keen to get a trial booked in so that she could cross me off her to-do list, so she came to me in February 2016. It was also neatly timed on her 30th birthday so she was truly pampered before having an evening our with her hubby to be. We changed up her lipstick though. Can you believe this woman has always been self-conscious of her lips? Her lip shape is absolutely MADE for lipstick to be applied!

Rebecca came to me to ask about wedding hair and make-up after a bit of a disastrous trial (her words, not mine!) She knew what she wanted but the other make-up artist hadn't done what she'd asked. She booked in with myself and Lucille's Locks, and the Dream Team bundled our way to Repton in Derbyshire on a bank holiday weekend.

Laura and Joe may have got married in 2016, but I'm mega behind on my blogging and I absolutely wanted to share these photos from Humpston and Bull Photography. Every time I have to submit images somewhere I want to put one in from Laura's wedding because she looked sensational; just look at that smile! 

So I’m Sali, I’m 29 and I’ve lived in Nottingham for about ten years. I hail from Wrexham in Wales and have been a make-up artist for around 8 years now. My nickname on moving to Nottingham was Salimoo and when I needed to decide on a business name, Ms Moo Make Up was just a natural choice.

Thanksgiving is usually a US and Canadian tradition and whatever your feelings on it, I think the main thing that's important these days is that people spend time together and appreciate each other. I'm looking forward to celebrating the holidays this year and I figure now is a nice time to do a little reflecting and thanksgiving myself!

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?!

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!