Paul & Joe Beaute Masterclass

I recently attended a makeup masterclass with Paul & Joe Beaute.  Paul & Joe Beaute  is a makeup brand that was launched by Sophie Mechaly in 2002 following the success of her fashion brand by the same name. It is named after her two sons Paul and Joe, and is famous for its pretty packaging and stylish seasonal collections. 

I have to admit that although I have always looked at their packaging and thought it looked so beautiful and feminine, I have never really looked into the brand itself simply because I knew they didn't really have shades that suited my skin tone.

It was great to be able to go the the masterclass and learn more about the brand, the ingredients and whilst sadly the foundation shades are way too pale for my skin tone, the formulation is lovely and there were several other products within the range that would work for darker skin toned women.

The trio eyeshadows are gorgeous and allow you to build up the colour

These blushes mix so well and go on beautifully

Beautiful range of nail colours

Image credits go to the lovely Jo from patentpurplelife

The masterclass was led by Craig Ryan French, an internationally recognised makeup artist  and the creative beauty director for Paul & Joe Beaute.  He shared information about the new summer range and also took us back to some of the core Paul & Joe products. Having never used the brand it was great to see a demonstration of the products and to hear how he likes to use the range. 

He also shared some fantastic makeup tips, some of which I have been testing out:

1. Using a brush rather than your fingers gives you a more smooth and even finish when applying foundation
2. Use a brush over a makeup sponge as a makeup sponge soaks up 90% of the product
3. Only apply your foundation where it is needed and with a light hand, what you want to create is the illusion of flawless skin rather than flawless illusion.
4. If you are wearing your hair up for an event, apply a little foundation over your ears as well. Your ears are one of the first places to go red or flush if you are hot or embarrassed which could really contrast against your makeup.
5. When applying makeup to your skin, you can apply a bit more where your skin is thicker e.g your cheeks and less where the skin is thinner e.g under your eyes. Otherwise it causes creasing
6. Only powder your skin where it is needed. It stops your face having that powdered look or looking too flat
7. When contouring your cheeks, take your dark coutour shade and blend upwards. Blend your highlighter downwards. Using this technique gives a real definition to your cheeks
8. When shaping and filling in your eyebrows, never go darker than the fullest bit of your brow if you want a more natural look.