As a personal stylist I’m always learning and I love sharing my newly discovered tips and knowledge with my readers.  So when I was approached by fantastic local photographer Andrew Jackson to come up with some styling hints and tips to feature on his blog and help his clients look their best for their Viva Boudoir portrait shoot, I couldn’t say no!

It's essential you wear the right underwear everyday as it ensures your clothes fit correctly, and are the most flattering they can be.  But when you’re being photographed in your underwear it’s even, more important that you look and feel you best!

Here's part one of a three part feature I pulled together for Andrews’s blog, to help his clients find the perfect underwear, best fit and most flattering style for their portrait shoot. 

Part 1

Choosing the right underwear.

Thanks to the likes of Gok and Trinny and Susannah, I’m sure you’ve all heard about dressing to suit your shape, and some of you will know how to do this, but if you’re not wearing the right underwear it all goes to waste.  You’re underwear forms the foundations of your outfit.  If you don’t get it right, your clothes will be ill fitting and unflattering.

Before you can start to address what underwear you should be wearing, you need to undress and take an honest look at your figure.  Don’t use this as an opportunity to point out all the parts of your body that you’re unhappy with, instead (and it’s not as hard as you might think) put on a more positive hat and acknowledge your best bits.  For example, you might have a great waist, or fabulous legs. 

Next, look at your proportions.  Are your shoulders narrower than your hips?  Do you have a long body or long legs?  What do you need to do to balance out your proportions and create the perfect hourglass shape?  Once you’re armed with this information, you can start to make an informed decision about what underwear is not only going to give you the support you need, but be flattering too.

I’ll be discussing what underwear is best suited to which shape in part 3, but for now here are some hints to help you determine your shape

Neat column shapeColumn figures are fairly straight up and down.  Shoulders are in proportion to the hips and they generally have a small bust.

Curvaceous hourglass shape Hourglass figures are curvaceous with a generous sized bust.  Shoulders are in proportion to the hips and they generally have a small waist.

Broad apple shape Apple shapes are broader on the top half than the bottom half.  The waist is less defined and they generally have fabulous legs.

Curvaceous Pear shape Pear shapes are smaller on the top half than the bottom half.  They will have a small bust and a tiny waist.

In Part 2, we’ll take this information and start to talk about the best fit and how to achieve it

I met Charley at Melanie Giles’s hair salon in Bath, she was so enthusiastic and passionate about what she does and, so good at it, that I thought we just had to try and work together.  Since then, we’ve been scheming and have some great things in the pipe lines...watch this space!

 Make-up artistry has always been Charley’s passion as she watched her mother, former head of make-up at Glyndebourne Opera House work backstage. The creativity and buzz of her mother’s job fascinated her.

Charley went on to train at The Glauca Rossi School of Make-up in London followed by The London College of Fashion which giving her the skills and confidence to work in the Fashion Industry.  She then went on to work on magazines such as Good House Keeping, Red and Grazia building a reputation for creating fresh and modern looks.
One of her regular clients is DUO boot’s which has taken Charley to the South of France, Spain and most recently Norway to create fashionable make-up looks for their advertising campaigns.

When she is not shooting her focus is on Bridal and Teaching women how to apply their own make-up.

Charley’s philosophy is that make-up is fun and creative. After all if you make a mistake with make-up you can amend it, if you buy the wrong shade of lipstick you can mix it with another to make it work. This enjoyment of make-up is something that Charley encourages with every one of her clients.
Me: I love styling myself and putting different outfits together but my make-up tends to be an afterthought.  What advice would you have to encourage me to try and be more experimental with my makeup?

Charley: It’s so easy for women to get into a routine with their make-up. It’s becomes like skincare, cleanse, tone, moisturise and go. I suggest that when you look at your wardrobe for a revamp, get your make-up bag and all of your make-up dotted around the house and review this too. Ask yourself some questions: Do I use this? Does it suit me? And more importantly, how long have I had this? Piece by piece detox your make-up bag. Take a picture of yourself without your make-up on. Do your make-up as you usually would from your newly detoxed make-up bag and take another picture, outside in broad daylight. Now compare the pictures. Be honest, what is really working for you and what isn’t. Is your foundation making you skin look enlivened and fresh? If not, get rid of it. Just like I imagine the wrong underwear kills a great outfit, the wrong foundation can let all your make-up down. Once you’ve whittled you make-up down to few bit’s (if any) you think really work for you have a play, and learn the techniques that suite you. The great thing about make-up is you can take it off! So just have fun with it! Soon you’ll know what suites you and have the room and new found confidence to be more experimental.

Me: I have my favourite make-up ‘staples’ – my Bobbi Brown bronzer and my eyelash curlers.  What are yours, and what should every woman have in their make-up bag?

Charley: Oh, this is a tough one. Well, for me my make-up ‘staples’ are changing all of the time but at the moment again another Bobbi Brown number with her Shimmer brick in ‘Bronze’. I use this on my cheekbones for a highlight, my eye lids, dellocatage and pretty much anywhere I want that post holiday ‘glow’. I am never without Vaseline, I mix it with lipstick to custom make my own tinted lip balm, I smudge it over eye liner for a wet look smokey eye for gig-going, cheekbones for a bit of a glow, it is a multi use product I am never without.

A couple of staples I believe would be universally useful in a woman’s make-up bag would be a liquid highlighter and a multi use lip and cheek colour. My favourites and staples in my professional kit are NARS Illuminator in ‘Super Orgasm’. This is a product once added to high points of the face or mixed with foundation adds a pretty glow to lack lustre skin, perfect after a late night.

My second one would be Stilla’s Convertible Colour for lips and cheeks. This is the perfect product to reach for when you’re pushed for time but is also a great one for day to day. All you need is tinted moisturiser, Black mascara and this product on lips and cheeks and you’re ready out the door looking fresh and fabulous in no more than five minutes.

Me: I’ve recently come back from holiday where I found it too hot for my normal makeup routine...my make-up slid right off and didn’t match my skin tone once I’d tanned.  What do you recommend for those of us off to hotter climes this year?

Basically you want to avoid products with a powder or creamy texture as they will sweat off. Look for waxy, non greasy and preferably water resistant products. With your base skip foundation all together and just use concealer. I recommend Laura Merciers Secret camouflage. This product is waxy in texture so very long lasting in hotter climates. You also mix it yourself to suit your skin tone so perfect for holidays. Use it to even out your skin tone and that’s your skin done. For eyes skip eye shadow because it will just slide off. Instead use a wax based waterproof liner, I love MAC’s, and lashings of waterproof mascara my favourite being Maxfactors false lash effect waterproof formula. Finish the look with a lip and cheek stain. I am never without Becca’s Beach Tint for a water resistant pop of colour that is designed to withstand the demands of the beach.

Me: My make-up is normally quite natural looking but on my wedding day I wanted my look to be stronger without feeling like I was looking at someone else in the mirror. I must admit, this was hard to achieve...I probably needed someone like you there on the day!  What’s the most important advice you can give to any bride to be, when they’re deciding on their make-up for the big day? 

Charley: Although it sounds cliché the most important thing is to be yourself. Weddings give women strange ideas for their make-up because the pressure is laid on thick to impress. Some brides sit in front of me and say “I want really smokey eyes” or “I want red lips!” when the most they wear day to day is sunscreen, mascara and lip gloss! I know you want to impress the numbers on your wedding day but believe me if you go too far out of your comfort zone you will feel uncomfortable.
Wedding make-up for me is all about making the skin look amazing and then I work on the rest depending on the brides style and the style of their dress. When choosing idea’s for your wedding make-up by all means experiment. For example if your dress has a 1950’s style to it look at going for a Red Lipstick, stain or a Liquid line but try it first. See if you like it, see how people react, take photographs! Don’t just jump in head first, have a play, look through magazines so when you sit down with your make-up artist you have a really good idea of what you want.

Me: Do you have a style icon that influences your own style?
Charley: It’s a bit of a cliché but, Kate Moss. I love the simplicity of her style she oozes off duty model with everything she wears and it looks like her second skin, so comfortable yet stylish, and that is the style I go for with my make-up as well.
Me: Where do you get your inspiration from when you’re working with your clients?

Charley: It depends on the job. If I’m shooting it will be pictures from backstage at fashion shows, prints, textures and colours. If it’s Bridal or my Lessons my inspiration comes from the client sitting in front of me. Every time a woman sits in my make-up chair she tells me everything she hates about herself and usually those things are the first things I actually really like about them. I look at their great features, who they are the way they dress and turn that into a look that works for them.

Me: When I’m helping clients to build their perfect wardrobe, I stress the importance of investing in staple pieces – items of clothing that they’re going to wear again and again.  In your opinion, are there any items of make-up that are well worth investing a little more in?  And what can you get away with spending less on?

Charley: First investment, your skin. Take care of it, watch it and give it what it needs. This is less about skin care products and more about your health.  You need to spend money on your base products more than anything because if you get that wrong it lets the whole look down. I find the one product that women are spending the most on, they should be spending the least amount of money on, and that’s mascara. You should change it every 3 months so it makes sense to spend less and the best mascaras I have used are high street brands my favourites being Maxfactors False Lash Effect and Mabylines Great Lash.

Me: The most common mistake I come across when I’m working is women buying an item of clothing because it looked great on their friend.  In your opinion, what’s the most common mistake women make when choosing make-up, and how can it be avoided?

That’s actually quite a common mistake with make-up as well. A woman will buy a lipstick because it looked great on their friend when it’s completely the wrong shade for her.  The most common mistake is too many women settle for products that don’t work well enough for them. Part of my make-up lesson is to go through my clients make-up bag with them. Time and time again they will have a product which is the wrong colour or formula for them and when I ask them if they like it “it’s okay” is the response. If it doesn’t work for you, don’t use it. If it’s not exactly right for you, don’t buy it. When I buy an item of clothing I have to absolutely love it and it has to fit like a dream the same goes for my make-up.
Me: Shopping for clothes and styling is second nature to me, but shopping for make-up is another matter entirely!  The huge choice is so overwhelming and a little confusing that I never step outside my comfort zone.  What advice can you give to others like me who want to experiment a little more?

Charley: I do a lot of my make-up shopping both for myself and my professional kit, online. It takes away the pressure. You can also narrow it down to product, brand, and colour, whatever you are looking for and then you can check it out online for reviews before you buy it. The only things you never shop online for are Base products.
Look for make-up styles you would like to try from a celebrity look, in a magazine, or in a film that you think may suit you. Get a few bit’s online to re-create the look, look up how to do it maybe even try an online tutorial and just give it a go. Make-up is fun, it’s creative and most importantly it comes off so go ahead and experiment.

Me: I love the trend for 50’s style make-up – the strong cat eye style liner as modelled by Lilly Allen on the front cover of Elle magazine this month.  Is this easy to do and can anyone carry it off?

Charley: The great thing about this look is yes, it can be adjusted to suit everybody. However it does take practice to get it right. My recommendation is to go for a Gel liner like MAC’s “Black Track” for a strong look or “Dip Down” an Expresso brown for softer take on the look.  If you are working on more of a budget try Maybellines new Gel Liner, although it only comes in black it’s great quality and the brush is fabulous! Try using a more precise brush like Bobbi Browns ultra fine eye liner brush or you may work better with an angled brush such as MAC’s 266 Small angle.

First look straight ahead in the mirror and draw on the outer flicks. The Flick should start from the outer corner of your eye and be in line with the end point of your eye brow in angle. The flicks length should be no longer than the halfway point between the outer corner of your eye and the end point of your eyebrow. Once you have got the flicks even on both sides complete line from the inner corner of your eye along the lash line to the end of the flick.  The thickness of the line depends on how much lid space you have to work with. If you have a larger lid space you can play around with the thickness if you haven’t keep it skinny enough so you can see equal amounts of lid and liner.

Me: I tend to stay loyal to one make-up brand, is this a good idea, or is it better to mix things up a little?
Charley B: It’s nice to see the same brand in your make-up bag because it all goes together and you feel you can trust the brand. However, different brands will be better for different things and you are seriously missing out if you don’t look elsewhere. Also you could be really over spending on something you could find to be better on the high street.
However if something really works for you, stick to it because it is hard to find products like that. But if something could be better but you keep re-purchasing because it’s a brand you trust you need to get out there and play the field a bit because something fabulous and possibly cheaper could be waiting for you.

Well, I’m all inspired to go and experiment with my make-up and I’m sure you are too!
For more make-up tips or booking enquiries you can contact Charley via e-mail  charleybrunskill@aol.com

Charley on shoot in Norway.

I know it’s getting a little late in the season to talk swimwear, but I’ve been asked about it so much in the last week and the truth is that we all leave shopping for swimwear until last minute anyway.  It’s one of those things we put off doing until we absolutely have to!

I recently recently came back from my holiday; it was fantastic, super hot and so relaxing.  I must admit though, that before I went it took me a stupidly long time to hunt down the perfect swimwear.  Like most of you I’m sure, I have my body hang up’s and the thought of bearing all on the beach fills me with dread.  I don’t enjoy looking for swimwear at the best of times, changing room lighting is never flattering and if you search online, you’re faced with beautiful bodies modelling gorgeous bikini’s that just won’t look the same on me...it’s enough to make me give up before I’ve started!   Eventually I plumped for a fifties style ensemble, I think it worked.

• Book yourself in for a really good spray tan a couple of days before your holiday to give you a boost of confidence when you first step into your bikini.  If this scares you a little, there are some really good moisturisers that give you a little tint everyday, this way you can build up a tan to the colour that you want.
• Think about your shape; what points do you think are your best? I know it’s easy to sit there and list the things you don’t like about your body, but instead, think about what your best features are it’s far more rewarding.   Understanding this will help you to choose a bikini or swimsuit that flatters you and makes the most of your fabulous curves.  Now think about what you need the swimwear to do?  If you’re big busted then you’ll want something that offers good support and lift.  If your pear shaped then you’ll want to emphasise your top half, broaden your shoulders and draw the attention away from your hips. 
• Choose a set that gives you the support you need. The range of swimwear that comes in cup sizes has really improved and will make all the difference when you’re going in and out of the pool.  Freya and Fanatasie have some lovely sets.
• If you’re a different size on the top and bottom (as a lot of us are) then go for bikini separates that can be bought in different sizes, rather than a swimsuit.  Not only will it ensure the perfect fit, but it also means you’ll have different styles to choose from too so will be able to pull together the most flattering bikini set.  If you’re not up for showing your midriff, then tankini’s make a great choice.

Ditsy floral ruffle bottoms, Florance and Fred by Tesco

Bikini shorts, £4, from Florance and Fred by Tesco

Tankini £10 from Florance and Fred by Tesco

• Have fun, don’t’ go for plain black, there are some really pretty prints around at the moment, from flirty florals to animal prints with attitude.

Swimsuit, £10 from Primark

Red or Dead Dora Tankini £75 and briefs, £25

Bikini set £10 Oasis

• Don’t lose your style.  With the huge choice of swimwear out there you’ll be able to find a style that reflects your own look.  Whether you like something a little edgy, or something more classic there’s something out there for you.

Swimsuit from Limited Collection at Marks and Spencer, £29.50

Tassle bikini, Very.com, £25

Bikini set from Next, £22

• Enhance your shape.  I know you wouldn’t normally think of swimwear when you want to enhance your figure, but there’s some fabulous swimwear out there that can cinch you in and give you the most fabulous waist – some even make you look like you’ve dropped a dress size. Although a bit more pricy, it's well worth the investment.

Miraclesuit from figleaves.com, £144

•  If you don’t feel that you fill the cups as you’d like to, then consider purchasing some bikini pads to insert in the cups.  They’ll give you the little boost you’re after.
• Think about your cover-up.  This is as much of an important part of your sunbathing days as the actual swimsuit.  How many times have you walked to the pool bar and wished that you had something to wrap up in?  Sarongs are the obvious choice, but if you want to try something different then why not opt for a sheer maxi dress, a play suit or even just an oversized shirt.
• Top your poolside-look off with a hat or head scarf, some stylish sunglasses –aviators are my favourite and add a sweep of shimmering bronzer for the finishing touches.  I know this all may sound a little much but if it means you’re going to feel confident by the pool then it’s got to be worth it!

Paul & Joe Limited Edition ASOS Exclsuive Bronzer - Siren £21

All Images courtesy of PRshots.com

I’m sure most of you have read or heard that some shops are going to be introducing ‘magic mirrors’ into their fitting rooms, but have any of you experienced them?
I’ve been in shops where they’ve obviously tilted the mirror away to create an elongated trimmer looking figure, but these curved mirrors are a new one on me. Apparently a new breed of curved mirrors that give shoppers the impression they’ve dropped a dress size are making an appearance on our high streets… this is only my opinion - but doesn’t it all seem rather like a con? How many times have you got home, excitedly clutching your new purchase, only to try it on in the comfort of your bedroom to be overcome with disappointment that it just doesn’t look as good as you thought it did?

We should embrace the fact that we’re all individual and different shapes. Every one of us has something good to show off and we shouldn’t need a fancy mirror to convince us to buy something. It’s just not true that to look good, we need to be slimmer; we just need to have some body-confidence.

My advice for confident shopping is to understand your body shape; I don’t just mean whether you’re pear, apple, hourglass or column, I mean really know your shape. Take some time to assess yourself in the mirror, be honest and don’t focus on the parts of your body you’re not too happy with. Try and look at your whole figure – from top to toe. What are its proportions? What are the assets you should be showing off – waist/legs/boobs, you get the idea. Now think about how you might balance out your proportions, for example if your top half is smaller than your bottom half then consider wearing clothes that will enhance your bust and broaden your shoulders, and avoid clothing that makes your bottom half appear bigger than it is(pleats and detailing around the hip area are a definite no no).

Once you start to understand your shape you can begin to balance out your proportions and most importantly, start to enhance your best bits! So, next time you go shopping and you think the mirrors are being unusually kind, ignore them. If you’ve picked styles that enhance your assets and balance out your proportions then you’ll look fab in the fitting room and at home.

I’d love to hear your comments about magic mirrors so please do share!