Wigs.

Wigs have been used for thousands of years for many different reasons. They were first worn by the Ancient Egyptians in order to protect their heads from the sun. The use of wigs then diminished until the 16th century when they worn worn to improve appearance as well as protect the head from head lice, hair was often shaved and a wig was worn instead. In the time around the 1660's wigs were used to show social status with men from a high social rank wearing them which made wig making become prestigious. 17th century wigs were very elaborate and expensive to make, made from human hair and sometimes horse and goat hair as a cheaper alternative.

During the 18th century wigs started to become smaller and elaborate, and were adopted by professions such as barristers and ministers as part of their uniform. The use of wigs to represent social status then died out, they became used by some armies as part of their military outfit and are now used today by a number of people and for many reasons: for example to disguise hair loss and to change the appearance of hair.

fantasy make up

The Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland: To recreate this look I would firstly use white foundation for the base, I would conceal the eyebrows and then draw eyebrows in using liquid eyeliner and use blue eyeshadow going all the way to the brow bone. To complete the look I would use red lip line to line the lips giving them a heart shape and then fill in with red lipstick.

The White Queen from Alice in Wonderland - To recreate this look I would use white foundation and powder for the base, fill in the brows to make them look more dramatic then use pale pink/red shadow around the eyes and then use a dramatic dark red on the lips.

Halloween Makeup

To recreate this skeleton look inspired by Lady Gaga's born this way video I would use a white base on the face and neck and then use black to cover the eyes and sides of the mouth. I would then add in the bone details using a grey colour and shade in parts of it to make it look realistic.

To recreate this creepy doll look I would apply white thickly to the face, then use black eyeshadow for the eyes and add false eyelashes on the top and bottom lashes to give a dollish looking effect. I'd then highlight the cheeks using a reddish pink shade and also apply this colour to the top of the eyelid. To finish off I'd use bright red lipstick and give the lips a dramatic doll-like shape and go over the eyebrows in a darker colour to make them look fake.

This weeks task is to explain skin conditions. I suffer from having dry skin prone to redness and breakouts, I am going to be writing about how I overcome this problem.
Firstly I use an exfoliator which removes any dead skin cells from my face, making your skin look more radiant and healthy, and feeling smooth. This dermalogica daily microfoliant is hypoallergenic and therefore good for sensitive skin as it wont make you break out.
Next, use a cleanser to clean your face and remove any product or dirt which may be blocking your pores. This body shop cleanser is great for sensitive skin as it contains aloe vera which calms the skin.
A toner is good for refreshing your face and getting rid of any redness to balance out your skin tone. This lush cleanser is made from all natural ingredients so is very good for your skin and the lavender and rose water helps to nourish dry skin.
If you have dry skin it is really important to moisturise well. This dermalogica skin smoothing cream is an intensive moisturises which gives your skin tonnes of nourishment to keep it hydrated. I use this twice a day to keep my skin nourished and smooth, it is hypoallergenic so doesn't irritate the skin or clog up your pores.

Once a week I use this Lush 'BB Seaweed' face mask to rejuvenate my skin and give it a little kick to help recover from all the make up I put on my face! This mask is amazing for taking away redness and evening out your skin tone. It is made with all natural ingredients and absolutely no synthetic preservatives so it is really good for your skin and leaves it looking and feeling flawless.

Make up through the ages.

I have chosen to write about makeup in the 1960's as It's my favourite era for makeup and fashion and I enjoy recreating these looks and giving them a modern up to date twist.

In the 1960's women were changing from being housewives to becoming working woman and pursuing careers . After the war ended in 1945 there was a consumer 'boom' with people becoming more interested in fashion and cosmetics as they had been deprived of that for so long during the war. Women wanted to look glamorous and fashionable.

The Make up look of the sixties was bold dramatic eyes and polished eyebrows with neutral shades on the lips - dark red lips was frowned upon on young women. In the 60's the fashion designer Mary Qaunt brought out a range of cosmetics in more up to date formulations than beofre with innovative cheek contour shades and highlighters which seemed to have revolutionised make up at the time. She provided information leaflets and diagrams to show how to apply the makeup to get the wide eyes, hollow cheek eye look which was fashionable at the time but very different from the make up trends of past eras.

On the eyelids a pale base was used and then a darker colour was used to highlight the crease of the eyelid, eyelashes were as long as possible and women frequently drew eyelashes on the bottom line of their eye, replicating the makeup of the likes of Twiggy and Edie Sedgwick, this gave the illusion of massive eyes. The rest of the make up was kept neutral, with cheeks being contoured to give the look of good bone structure. I love the 1960's make up look as it is a lot cooler and classier than the fake tanned, over powering looks that are fashionable today!

My 5 favourite make up items.

I am constantly on a quest for the perfect foundation and Chanel Vitalumiere is my favourite so far. It is designed for dry skin so provides plenty of nourishment and gives the skin a radiant, dewy glow without making your skin feel dehydrated or look cakey. The foundation gives a medium coverage, I like to build it up to give a fuller coverage.. I think that this foundation blends into my skin perfectly and creates a natural, flawless finish and gives the skin a radiant glow, which lasts all day. At £33 it is quite expensive, however I think it is definitely worth it and a little of the product goes a long way.
The NARS 'orgasm' blush has become a must have cult product in the beauty community over the years and I have to agree. The blusher has a smooth, silky constituency and is highly pigmented so it applies really well and is easy to blend. The shade 'orgasm' looks good on any skin tone, it is a pinky peach colour with some subtle specks of gold in it. I love it because it brightens up my face and gives my cheeks a healthy glow which lasts all day. As NARS is an american brand this product is quite hard to come across, you have to order it online and it costs roughly £20 which I think is a good price as it is a great product, I use it mostly ever day and still have tonnes left. The packaging is also looks really good and comes with a mirror.

My favourite mascara is Chanel Immitable Volume mascara, my eyelashes are naturally quite straight and this product gives them a curl as well as making them really long a voluminous. This mascara never goes clumpy and although it isn't waterproof it still never smudges or runs.

I got the Urban Decay palette about 5 months ago and genuinely don't know how I lived without it before, I've used it every day since I got it. It features 12 urban decay eyeshadows, there isn't a single shade I don't like or haven't worn, all the shades compliment each other perfectly and there is so many looks you can create with just this palette. The eyeshadows are of really high quality, they are very well pigmented and the colour stays put throughout the day. I got this palette for £35 which I think is a bargain as usually a single Urban Decay eyeshadow will cost you about £15! You also get a primer and brush with it and the eyeshadows last ages, excellent value for money.

As I have really pale skin it is almost impossible to find a bronzer which won't make me look like I've caked myself in mud, but this bronzer by bourgeois gives my skin a natural looking glow. At £7/8 i originally thought it was quite pricey for a low-end product but it does work better than any high-end bronzer I've ever used so I reckon it's a bit of a bargain really. It smells really nice too, which is always a bonus.

Style Icons.

My first style icon is Swedish singer/songwriter Lykke Li. I admire her ability to make the simplest of outfits look cool and chic. She usually sticks to wearing simple neutral shades such as blacks,greys,cream etc but mixes up different materials and adds quirky jewellery to gave her outfits a more edgy feel. She makes short skirts and bare legs look classy by teaming them with baggy loose fitting tops, which gives her look an androgynous feel. She is proof that you don't need to go overboard in order to stand out and look different and that when it comes to fashion sometimes 'less is more'.

My second style icon is Pete Doherty. I love how he takes inspiration from 1940's/50' menswear fashion for example trilbies, macintosh's, tailored suits and brogues and pairs them with fred perry polo shirts and accessories such as rosary beads, giving his outfits a rock and roll edge whilst still looking dapper. I am inspired by the way he dresses and like to mix up vintage clothes and brogues with leather jackets and modern accessories, to create an edgy, quite androgynous look.

My final style icon is Chloe Sevigny. She aways looks effortlessly individual and quirky and I admire her as she proves that you don't need to plaster yourself in fake tan and skimpy clothes to look hot, she always looks classy but cool at the same time.