Makeup Monday with Ashlee Kellett

1. What makes you love the beauty industry?
My love affair began with the beauty industry very early on, it’s the confidence I see when a little lipstick is applied or lashings of mascara with a bit of blush, no matter the amount be it a little, or a lot, the inner beauty radiates when you’re looking and feeling confident and I love that makeup can do for that you.

2. What are your top three products your can’t live without?
My amazing Aspect Dr range of skin care! I can live without the makeup as long as my skin is looking and feeling fresh.

This is also something that I try and promote as much as possible too as makeup shouldn’t be there to cover imperfections and apply as thick as wall paint (I see this happen more often than not), its to enhance features. If you have problem skin then head to a beauty therapist and have your skin diagnosed, that redness that you’re trying to cover up may just need a decent dose of Vitamin A and a professional grade of beauty products dedicated to treat YOUR skin.

My personal favourite three products are Aspect Dr Deep Cleanser, Exfol A Plus Serum, and Resveratrol Moisturizing Cream. I don’t go anywhere without them. And if I’m allowed a fourth it would be my trusty Environ Sunblock – that’s in my handbag and applied every few hours!

….And if I have these products already stashed on my desert island, and I was packing a couple of makeup products, I’d look no further than the Bobbi Brown eyebrow palette, one – I wouldn’t go anywhere without filling them in just a touch, I still prefer the au-natural look so a little goes a long way when it comes to your brows but also if you’re stuck, you can dab a little on the pad of your finger and place in the corner of your lids (at the >) and create a natural soft smokey eye – easy! The other two would be Maybelline falsies mascara and my Pawpaw lip treatments. Great for the stranded beachy look ;)

3. Which regular beauty tips do you offer your clients?
That a little goes a long way! I see so many beautiful girls putting on far too much makeup, great for some nights out when you do want to go a little glam but chill it during the week and go out at night without makeup sometimes. Trust me it’ll up your confidence so much more than plastering yourself with loads of makeup every single day and lets be honest, I’m yet to meet a guy that likes that look. (I haven’t lived in LA though!)

4. What are the most common beauty mistakes that you think people make?
It surprised me a lot that most people don’t know their colours, which colours suit them best and enhances their eye colour. A lot of girls come to me asking if blue is the best eyeshadow colour for blue eyes still..

Eyeshadow for Blue Eyes:
Blue eyes are best enhanced by pale golds, minky browns, brown-greys, warm bronzes and purple shades, all of which can be used to create a smoky eye effect for fair skin. Avoid too much pink as it will make your eyes look redder.

Eyeshadow for Green Eyes:
Green eyes look amazing with yellow-toned beiges, dark greens and greys. To make everyone green-eyed with envy, plump for rich violets and purples.

Eyeshadow for Brown Eyes:
Brown eyes can carry off pretty much any colour but top choices are dark browns and khakis. Intense blue colours also make brown eyes pop.

If you have a dark skin colour, steer clear of silvery colours as they can look harsh on your skin. Choose something warmer with more golden tones.

Dark skin and Asian skin tones can also really work intense bright colours. Try bright rust colours and deep purples and lilacs.

If your eye has flecks of colour in the iris, highlight them with complementary colours. Hazel and brown eyes often have bronze or warm gold hints in them, so choose a rich yellow gold to make them ping.

5. What trends do you think are here to stay?
If you find yourself looking at makeup’s history you’ll find that most ‘trends’ have already come and gone a few times over the past few decades, and they always tend to linger around for a while afterward, I think its a matter of finding what suits you the most and playing with different variations of style and colour rather than following trends. Most are created on the catwalk anywho and we rarely actually see these brought into everyday life, apart from the true fashionistas. My style of makeup is more about creating beauty-looks for the individual than making sure you’re keeping up with the trends. What suits one will not always suit the other.

6. What is your main go-to beauty product? Why?
BB Creams (also known as Beauty Balms and/or Blemish Balms) were created by German dermatologists, they made a name for themselves in Korea and Japan, and then they caught on quickly worldwide. BB Creams are great little multi-taskers that combine ingredients such as vitamin C and antioxidants to help brighten, moisturize, prime and protect skin. All of these amazing ingredients in one bottle help eliminate the need to use so many products and simplify our daily beauty routines! They are probably best thought of as a combination of tinted moisturizer, serum and primer; they offer the functionality of both a primer and a tinted moisturizer but also contain many of the benefits of a skin serum. Plus SPF! Designed to give a more sheer, natural, and radiant complexion.

7. Do you have any special signature tips or beauty secrets that set you apart?
My signature tip as a makeup artist is really simple. Talking. Find out exactly what your clients wants and needs are and figure out how you best are going to achieve the clients look that she desires.

8. When you are out on the town, what beauty products are staples in your purse?
Out on the town? That rarely happens these days, a makeup artists working week is everyone else’s weekends, although if I am heading out for a dinner I’d possibly grab my trusty ‘Lady Danger’ lippy by MAC. Quick and easy to spruce any look up.

9. Who is your dream client that you would love to work with?
Dream client… argh there are so many! Rihanna would be one as she loves to experiment, and the same with Katy Perry, you’d be given a lot of creative license to just have fun with makeup.

10. Describe the most daring look you have created on a client or yourself.
The most daring look, I think that comes down to the individual really, some peoples daring could be a black smokey eye. Fashion work is generally the most daring although, most looks for most fashion editorials we do are quiet out-there, Avante Garde.

11. What was your most disastrous makeup experience? And how did you fix it? Goodness, thankfully none come to mind, maybe a few bad fake tans over the years and running for the exfoliating gloves at sonic speed!