Foxy's Frightful Fashion Fix

For this weekend's Halloween antics, I dressed as my 'stage name'- the Fox!
Makeup & hair was inspired by Topshop Unique AW11. Although, I apparently looked more cute than scary! (Foxes can be evil, can't they? After all they used to eat the chickens on my Grandma's farm when I was little- bad foxes!!)







Anyhow, enough about foxes!



My gorgeous friends Sophia (above) & Christel both held Halloween/birthday parties at theirs and I must say all guests went to fabulous effort on the night as far as costumes were concerned. However, I do feel for anyone holding a house party as the clean up must be horrendous! (sorry girls, I was in no fit state to help on Sunday... I blame you!






And the best Halloween award goes to:
PHIL
once again you have rocked Halloween with totally fabulous look (Mr Skeleton) .......Mr Vampire ain't bad either!

MX

Heaven's on Fire

The beautiful Annabella Barber by Rupert Tapper.
Seriously loving the vibe of this editorial!
MX

Ginge of The Week!

In keeping with this week's frightful fashion theme I've been very much inspired by the work of Tim Walker. He always manages to capture beauty with a surreal dream-like twist. Imagine thinking up such unreal concepts and actual making it come to life?! This weeks Ginger honour goes to the star of his Tim Burton inspired editorial which graced the pages of Harper's Bazaar back in 2009. With her electrifying acid orange locks and extreme texture, she who shall remain nameless is my Ginge of the Week!



MX

Pumpkins n Perfume

Halloween parties are all about being as vampy and sexy as possible so it's only fitting that your fragrance also follows suit.

Here's Makeup Marple's top 3 Halloween Fragrances:

1. Black Orchid by Tom Ford

2. Hypnose by Lancome

3. Ghost Deep Night

MX

Vampire Chic by Terry Richardson

- Marple loves it!
MX

Halloween = Dress Up Fun!

Me & my Welsh Lamb (that year I was Fetish-Cat of some kind!)

With plenty of Halloween parties just around the corner, as per usual I have no idea what I am going to dress up as... The last couple of years I have ended up as a cat of some description -yep, original I know!

As a child, I don't think we ever dressed up for Halloween (my mum thought it was all about evil witches and so on) however, I was quite envious of the kids I would see on American Tv shows dressing up and coming home with a bag full of sugary treats from trick or treating! (Any festival that involves lollies & sweets sounds good to me!!)

I never even dressed up for it until a couple of years ago, now it seems like all of London goes crazy for the excuse get dressed up and party!
Some people are so clever when it comes to such ideas. My friends Sophia & Phil are both fab when it comes to costumes and makeup looks for halloween. They always come up with something amazing and I can't wait to see what they do this time round....

This year, my flat mate, Amy is planning to dress up as a good old school style pumpkin- can't wait to see that one!!

Really it's just a fun excuse to dress up and be crazy cats......
Any costume ideas for me will gratefully accepted!

With Christel last year, this time it was a Daisy Lowe inspired kind of kitty

Sophia in one of her amazing creations- this time a murdered Beauty Queen!

MX

DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME!

Tonight, I have realised 2 things:

1. How much I rely on technology these days
(I have been without iPhone or iPad since Friday and organising my life is becoming an impossibility!) no google maps, email, Facebook, whatever. Gggggrrrr! Which also explains my lack of blogging this weekend.... Sorry.

2. Colouring your own hair is NOT easy
My message when it comes to colouring your hair-
DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME!
Trust me, I've repaired many a DIY job in my salon days, even if it's to save money, it will end up costing you more in the long run! There is a reason why we train long and hard to specialise in colour (yes, I admit- I coloured my own roots tonight, it was sheer desperation due to my crazy, busy schedule but it does feel good to be a Ginge again!) Even for me, it was pretty tricky- you can't see the back of your head (duh!) Now I'm a shade of rich, vintage copper- just in time for winter!

Mx

Ginge of the Week: Karen Elson!

Ginger Queen, 

Karen Elson 

Vogue Italia's October cover star holds this week's ginger honour!

Sporting a lush shade of soft amber hair colour which looks amazing next to the cool, grey wintery tones on the cover. Her hair colour is complimented by her porcelain skin and vintage red lipstick. 

(I love this simple and oh so beautiful makeup!) 

 Cover captured by the talented Stephen Meisel and his dream team.

MX

A Good Cause

With my makeup collection/obsession bordering on out of control, I admit I can't bear to throw anything away! However with move house #2 just around the corner, I know it's a great opportunity to scale down. If like me,  you have loads of unused makeup or cosmetic items, think twice before just throwing them away or letting them sit in your cupboard until way past expiry date. Why not send them on to "Give and Make Up" which is a non for profit organization that provides everyday essentials and things we often take for granted to women who are victims of domestic violence. Items such as skincare, makeup, hair products, baby care products are all gratefully accepted. As stated on their site- 'if you would happily give it to a friend we'll take it' as a guide.

I strongly believe that everyday essentials that make us look good and feel good are vitally important to women in this position. As I'm doing a mass clear out before I move house, I will be sure to send my excess beauty items their way. It's a cause worth supporting.
MX

Monday Funday

Today is the final day of 'Salon International', which is a massive, 3 day hair industry event- held at Excel in London to showcase everything in the industry from products & education to talent. Hairdressers come from all corners of the earth in a quest to find out what's happening in the world of hair.

I'm heading down, excited to check out the British Hairdressing Awards gallery. This includes the collection we worked so hard on earlier in the year when I was part of the Hob Academy Artistic Team, which I am pleased to say made it through to the finals. I can't wait to see Akin's amazing British Hairdresser of the Year entry in all its glory in the gallery too!

And also friends of mine who have worked so hard and totally deserve the recognition of their work as finalists, such as Angelo Valillo from Zulo and Holland (up for Eastern Hairdresser of The Year) and Gary Gill (who is up for Southern)- just to name a few.

Oh to be a fly on the wall on judgement day!!

Once my trip to the gallery is complete, it's off to watch my super stylists, Angelo and Jake battle it out on the Fellowship Stage for their place on next year's FAME Team. Good luck boys!

MX

AW Makeup Harry Potter Style

Back in July, Emma Watson aka Hermione from Harry Potter, graced the pages of Vogue to further prove her style cred. Enviably, she is wearing the amazing Prada mermaidesque ensemble that I love complimentd by that lush shade of rioja-red on her lips. Could she be any more on trend for AW?? I wish I was half as cool (and rich) at 21!!
Although strong lips and eyes is more of a night-time look, I've been wearing dark lips with a matte finish (Diva by MAC is my current favourite), a really subtle flash of metallic colour on my eyelids (such as Loreal Chrome Shine in Silver Brown) finished with lots of mascara for day. It's a great way to use the statement lip colour without feeling OTT at the pub for Sunday lunch.... Speaking of which... It's lunch time now!

MX

Nail Rock = Nail Art Made Easy!

Last night after my mega busy week, I decided to be very rock n roll and spend a Friday night in! After dinner & bath, luxury treatment on my hair & face mask, I decided it was time to sort out my nails as they have been seriously neglected the past few weeks.

Seeing all the nail art at LFW got me a little inspired but seeing as I don't have the patience or skill to DIY (I mean, you may be able to do something cool on one hand but how on earth would you do the other one yourself??)

Nail Rock to the rescue!! They are basically easy to use nail stickers (they call them wraps) that you can cut to size and then stick on top of your nails for instant nail art effect in three simple steps! Easy! And not to mention right on trend! In fact Nail Rock was used on the catwalk at some of LFW's recent shows such as Aminaka Wilmont and Meadham Kirchoff.


1. Prepare your nails- remove nail polish & trim to desired size
2. Select the nail wrap that matches each nail for size (they can also be trimmed down to fit)
3. Smooth nail wrap onto your nail, removing any air bubbles with you your fingers

So there you have it, in just 3 steps!


Bling-tastic nail art in a flash thanks to Nail Rock! I went for a metallic animal print style. (please excuse my ET like fingers, my hand modelling days were over a long time ago!) Nail Rock comes in a variety of designs and are really reasonably priced too at under £10. If you're bored of your nails and feel like something creative, I suggest you give them a try!

MX

Ginge of The Week: Megan!

This week, I have been on a whirlwind tour of the UK, creating the makeup looks for the fabulous Loreal Professionel Catwalk Showcase tour.

In Glasgow on Monday (although I wasn't there long, I thought was a great city and will definitely be back to explore soon) I met the lovely Megan who was one of our models in the show. 

With her beautiful natural ginger colouring and golden copper locks which she wears so beautifully- 

Megan is well deserving of her place in the Ginger hall of fame!

MX

Vogue Italia September Issue Editorial

From the September issue of Vogue Italia, shot by the amazing Steven Klein. I'm loving the surrealism of this shoot- not to mention the strong eye makeup and dark vampy lip colour to get us back into the AW mood... After all, Winter is nearly upon us!
Mx

Louis Vuitton Goes All White @ Paris Fashion Week SS12

Louis Vuitton's SS12 Collection, showcased in Paris last week, also followed the pure trend showcasing a collection of all white in a myriad of textures and fabrics. Featuring a giant carousel which added to the playful innocence of the collection it was the polar opposite of mood generated from their previous AW collection which controversially featured Kate Moss smoking on the catwalk!
MX

SS12

AW11/12

Oh no Kylie!

Ok Kyles, I still love you, however, am not loving the new hair hair colour! It's far too dark and harsh for you... Leave the brunette to Dannii, that's her job.










You may or may not have seen this week, Kylie has made a switch over to the dark side!
Perhaps she was bored of being blonde and not having so much fun after all!? Whatever the reason, I think she has gone a little bit too dark and cool in tone, although it does make her eyes stand out. Dare I say it, but as we get older it's best to stick with warmer shades as they are more flattering against the skin and will maintain a more youthful look. All she needs is a gentle cleanse to remove the denseness of that dark chocolate shade and go more 'milk chocolate'. Or maybe she can go for a sophisticated shade of Autumnal Copper- so she can get on the Ginge of The Week list!?
Which Kylie do you prefer??
MX

Ginge of The Week: Florence!

For the first time in Makeup Marple's history we have a

Ginge of the Week for a second time: 

Florence

After a breathtaking performance on the catwalk of Chanel, Florence is now part of Karl Lagerfeld's fashion machine. In keeping with the underwater theme and flaunting perfectly styled vintage copper locks -she reminded me of a Chanel version of Ariel from The Little Mermaid.

Click on the title of the post to see footage from the amazing show & Florence's performance- 

she comes in about half way through!

MX

Red Alert: Miu Miu I Love You @ Paris fashion Week

It was all about strong red eye shadow to compliment the rich ruby red tones and vintage prints as seen on the catwalk for Miu Miu at Paris Fashion Week. While I'm not sure that this is a look everyone can pull off, the colour palette rocking the runway at Miu Miu was a strong contrast to the pure white and metallic collections seen at Chanel, David Koma and many more for the coming season.

MX

BBM: Garnier Eyecream & Concealer in One

This week's 'Bargain Beauty Must-have' (BBM) is the 2 in 1, eye cream and concealer roll on by Garnier. As I suffer the massive inconvenience of super dark circles under my eyes (this gets worse if I don't drink enough water) I am constantly on the look out for solutions I can use every day that don't cost a fortune.

With it's handy roll on applicator, it contains hydrating ingredients and light reflecting minerals, to provide coverage, moisture and illumination that could even be comparable to YSL's Touché Éclat (however, a cheaper alternative).

It covers up dark circles whilst providing moisture at the same time and comes in three different shades- light, medium and dark. Despite my pale complexion, I actually use the medium shade as I found the more 'orangey' tone counteracts the darkness under my eyes.

For minimal dark circles, you could use it on it's own to illuminate the under eye area. If you need a more hardcore coverage like me, I follow up the application by gently patting my regular concealer under the eyes (the skin under the eyes are extremely fragile) followed by a light dusting of translucent powder with a soft brush to set it in place all day long.

MX

Speaking of Florence....... Chanel SS12 Preview

Chanel's SS12 Collection, unveiled today at Paris Fashion Week, as to be expected, did not disappoint! Capturing an underwater theme with a pure beauty feel, Ginger Queen- Florence was the star of the show. Performing live from a giant shell on the catwalk (sounds mad, but it worked!) she secured her place in the Lagerfeld fashion machine.....




The clothes featured a delicate colour palette which consisted of ice white, nude, oatmeal, rose and pewter pearl. There was a multitude of textures and finishes within the fabrics ranging from matte to pearl shine and more reflective finishes, even metallic silvers which could be likened to all kinds of treasures you find in the sea, such as shells and pearls.
Hair carried on the underwater theme with a wet look finish and strong side parting, embellished with pearls. Florence's locks appeared to be freshly coloured for the occasion in a more sophisticated vintage copper shade.

Makeup was pure and beautiful, with a pearl like sheen to the skin.
Overall it was not just showcasing a collection, it was a show.
This must be underwater love.....
MX

Loreal: AW Catwalk Showcase Tour- Belfast

It was off to Belfast early this morning painting faces for the first night of the AW Catwalk Showcase Tour. Starting here in Belfast, it travels all through the UK featuring Loreal ID Artists to show the hair industry inspiration and looks straight off the catwalk for the coming season.
MX

Preview: Cristina Adami SS12, Look Book

Yesterday, I was working on a look book for designer Cristina Adami, doing hair & makeup for her stunning SS12 Collection. Her designs are beautiful and feminine, featuring draping silhouettes created with chiffon featuring beading, butter-soft leather and vintage lace which incorporated a colour palette of warm and cool nude tones. The whole collection, much of it featuring hand sewn embellishment consisted of dresses for special occasions, which would be a treasured addition to any girl's wardrobe. Cristina has also designed for Florence & The Machine (see left!) and there was a definite 'Florence' influence in this collection.



Like most shoots I have worked on recently, I can't show you the finished project just yet but can't wait to share it with you when it's all done!





Makeup & hair was fairly understated to create main focus on the clothes. Due to London's hot, hot conditions this weekend- plenty of translucent powder was needed to keep the shine at bay!
MX