a lesson in make-up

When it comes to her resume, make-up artist Cassie Lomas certainly has her shadow daubed finger firmly on the beauty pulse. She’s created faces for magazine shoots and red carpet events for 14 years including The BAFTA’s and the MTV awards, as well as dusting her make-up brush over Lady GaGa, Minnie Driver, Holly Willoughby and Jenny Frost. All of which makes her the perfect ambassador as Bourjois’s celebrity make-up artist. However, not content to rest on her laurels, Cassie has just added another colour to her make-up palette - opening up her own make-up academy.

“I wanted to open the academy to give people the opportunity to enjoy a successful career in make-up, as well help women who struggle with trends and application,” Cassie tells me. “It’s been a dream for years to have my own school, and I believe I can provide a great framework for budding make-up artists who want to get into the industry.”

Located in Manchester (Cassie’s home town), the school aims to teach all the trickery and skills to make your mark in the fashion and TV industry. All tutors have been cherry picked by Cassie where there’s only a maximum of 12 students in a class, ensuring everybody is given personal attention. For further information on courses and classes visit: www.cassielomasmakeupacademy.co.uk

In the meantime, I’ve quizzed Cassie on her top 10 products which you can start adding to your make-up repertoire:

1. Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream, £23. “It always makes a model smile.”  And rightly so. The texture is delicious, where it can be swiftly slicked over dry lips, cuticles and used to give a sexy gloss to brows.
2. Benefit Brow zings, £22.50. “Perfect for immaculately groomed brows that stay defined all day.”  Use the natural shaded powder for filling any gaps and the angled brush to blend.
3. Chanel nail polishes, £16.50. “Simply because their colours are always amazing and make fingertip impact. Set by dipping fingers into cold water.”
4. Bourjois Little Round Pot Eyeshadows, £5.99. “These work wonderfully, as the pigments are intense and they blend with no effort at all.” Furthermore, the baked powder formula can be applied wet to really pop the colour.
5. Daniel Sandler Watercolour Fluid Blusher, £10 (www.danielsandler.com).  “It gives amazing cheek colour with ultimate staying power. I often see blush applied too high, so smile, apply to the apples of your cheeks, taking up to the centre of the ear.”
6. Laura Mercier Secret Concealer, £18 (http://www.spacenk.com/). “Covers blemishes amazingly well without leaving the skin looking overloaded. Apply after all other make-up.”
7. Shu Uemura UV under base mousse spf30, £28. A weightless formula that evens out skintone and texture for flawless appeal. Keeps make-up staying true through the day.”
8. Bourjois 3D Effect, £6.99 “Sexily plumps and glosses your pout.”
9. MAC Face and Body Foundation, £23. “A water based formula that’s easy to blend and looks super natural. You can layer it to build up coverage where needed.”
10. Diorshow Mascara, £21.50. “Inspired by the runway, it leaves lashes luxuriously thick, lengthened and curved. For a false lash effect, comb extra layers on the outer corners of the lashes to accentuate further.”

the diva detox

Tinsel. Champagne. Mistletoe. Yes, it’s that time again when kisses are stolen, champagne is popped and your reputation and immune system can both take a yuletide battering.

My take on surviving parties – especially the corporate kind is simple. Keep away from the photocopying machine, and don’t slob over or treat your CEO like a new best friend after too many warm wines. Be warned: it can make all that career ladder climbing this year immediately redundant.

A kill joy I may sound, but recognising it is the season for jolly ho-ho nights, I’ve turned to nutritionist Anita Ellis for her savvy wellbeing insights. This means you can enjoy the festive celebrations night after night without placing too much trauma on your liver. Read. Take note. And thrive!

• Drink plenty of water to limit dehydration of body cells on the day you’re your partying. Alternate one alcoholic drink with one glass of water, and drink one pint of water before going to bed. Keep the loo door open!
• Increase antioxidant levels, especially vitamin C and E during the party season to fight free radical damage from alcohol.
• Forget builder’s tea and drink green tea. It has large and strong quantities of flavonoids, antioxidants which help protect the liver.
• Take the Chinese herb Kudzu (available from health shops). This stops cravings for alcohol and has been proven in trials to break addiction to alcohol. For the morning after a heavy night before, drink two cups of the ‘sobering up tea’ made from the Kudzu vine Xing-jiu-ling.
• Start taking Milk Thistle supplement now. It’s a potent antioxidant which speeds up the removal of bile, strengthens the liver and promotes the regeneration of new healthy liver cells.
• To sweat out a hangover and heal the stomach, upon rising drink a glass of boiling water that has been allowed to cool, along with a squeeze of half a fresh lemon and a sprinkling of cayenne pepper.

• Take Vitabiotics Wellwoman Inner Cleanse, £8.95 for a month’s supply – buy now and it will party proof you well into the New Year. It’s formulated to help cleanse and purify your body (if not your soul!) whilst helping to maintain the immune system.