Nylon Burlesque shoot/sisters are doing it for themselves

I met an amazing stylist ,Tiffany, in New York last October during the month I spent there. We collaboarted on shoot which was amzing! and hooked up again here in London during her recent visit. Pictures were shot by Elizabeth a wicked photographer who I have worked with here in London and who I put in touch with Tiffany when she visited New York just after me.

Tiffany had a strong vision about clothes and sent us tons of looks and references, the mood was burlesque and Tiffany has an amazing collection of 40's and 50's costume and some badass accessories as well as some amazing masks she had hand made especially for the shoot! I knew I had to bring it! we didnt want to do a straight vintage make-up/hair look, so I put my creative thinking cap on and decided on bling and fluorescent. 

I found these gorgeous pots of aqua colour in Screen Face and knew they would pop against the dark green and blue hues of two of the masks Tiffany had made from Peacock feathers.  Next stop was the haberdashery shop on Portobello Road where I picked up a couple of bags of tiny Swarofski crystals.  I have had an idea for quite some time to do an eye make-up using just jewels and this seemed the perfect opportunity to try it out and the perfect fashion story to complement it. 

I knew I could execute the look, but to be safe and work out timing and positioning of the crystals, I tried it out on a generous friend of mine who gave her entire evening over to me.  It took HOURS! I stuck seventy -five of those little muthas on using tweezers and eyelash glue I then added false lahes and shaded around the crystals to add depth and emphasise the shape.

My friend said her eye felt really heavey! so I knew we were going to have to shoot quickly to stop any moaning from the model on the day.  Luckily this wasn't a problem as Elizabeth shoots super fast! and the model was a doll and didn't complain(much).

We shot in a warehouse in Willesden where I used to live, my old landlord Mathew is a set designer/props/art department and keeps all his amazing furniture, reems of fabric and everything else you could possibly think of  there (think a posh Steptoe and Son).  It also has a studio which a stills photographer rents a corner of,  but luckily he wasn't shooting that day so Mathew very kindly lent us the space for free and we had the run of it for the day.  Photographer, Photographers assistant, Stylist, three models, make-up/hair (me!) and assistant -all females! it was nice vibes all day and we created some amazing images......check out a couple of them here!

Video shoot

I got booked for this promo after sending a link to my website to a photographer I wanted to work with called Jamie James Medina who shoots wicked music portraits.  He sent back and email which was basically a nice" no" as he doesn't really use make-up artist, I then got a mail from him a few weeks later with an "actually..." as he was producing a video for Polite Company an indi production outfit he runs with a director called Yusef.  The band are called The Cheek and are a new signing to Universal, the single/video drops in May and was shot in a warehouse in (where else) East London.  It's set in a house party in the early hours of the morning and the breif was to make everyone look messy! it went against all my make-up artist sensabilities but was a lot of fun! smeared lipstick, false eyelashes dropping off and tons of glycerine applied with a stipple sponge, this gives the appearance of sweat  but doesn't evaporate under the relentless set lights.  I can't wait to see the finished video, it was shot on a D7 which is the uber camera being used on a lot of shoots, it's a camera that shoots both stills and moving image and is very compact enabling the camera man to really move around and catch the action.
 I think this band are going to blow they're catchy indie/pop and throughly nice polite, posh boys who know how to play their instruments!

I had a great assistant on the day who I hadn't worked with before but will definitly use again and the director and producer were really happy with my work.  Money? check something hot for the reel? check new client? check, check, check!  just goes to show, self promotion definitly works!

Grimey!!!

I did a shoot last week with JME and Tempah T, two of the hottest grime MC's on the scene from the crew Boy Better Know.  Male grooming is never the the most stimulating of jobs although it can have it's own rewards apart form monetary ;-) but these two had the small crew cracking up with their antics hamed up for the camera, and furiously trying to emulate JME's impressive Rubik's Cube skills!

It was shot on green screen by up and coming director James Taylor (Digital Dropout), who I also worked with on JME's last video for 'Over Me'.  He directs, edits and does the 3D animation in post production, it's gonna look hot!

watch out Dizzie, JME is coming up and he is one smart cookie, so polite! pretty easy on the eye and blessed with almost flawless skin! I'm sure these things matter in Grime...get me?

(Check out the pink 'light saber' BAAAADD!)

Dear Diary....

I've decided to confide in you and you alone all that inspires and thrills me. I will share the highs and lows, the squalor and glamour, the beautiful and repulsive, the jobs, conversations, gossip and people who I meet in this strange and unusual world within a world. I will document it all here on your pages Diary, all I ask is that you keep my secrets safe between your pages.
I think we're going to be great friends.

lots of love!

Miss Make Up. xxx