I know so many of you were impressed with the makeup looks on X Factor this year as much as I was so I thought it would be great to share with you what Julia Carta, X Factor’s amazingly talented makeup artist, carries in her kit and uses on herself. That’s right dolls you’re being given a holy grail of information here! If you’ve never heard of Julia before she is an incredible makeup artist to the stars. She has worked on the likes of Sienna Miller, Miranda Kerr and Vanessa Hudgens as well as being Simon Cowell’s personal makeup artist. With that in mind I’m pretty sure you’ll be interested in what products she uses on such perfectionists and you’ll be surprised at how affordable some of them are.
A few weeks ago whilst watching the show I noticed how flawless the contestants skin looked and I was especially impressed at how Julia camouflaged the dark circles beneath their eyes. Its recommended to apply Sheer Cover powder with a So Eco Powder Brush (£8.50 Tesco, Amazon & Sainsburys) which is described as “a fabulous makeup brush, which is environmentally aware as well. The bristles are beautifully soft, and give a flawless application”. However, looking good on the outside is no good if we feel rotten on the inside. Julia has been taking Functionalab Collagen10 (£3.69, 60ml, Boots). Beauty isn’t just skin deep, so make sure to look after yourself from the inside too. Collagen10, from Boots, are small enough to carry around in a kit bag and have the strongest dose of collagen! They don’t taste bad either, which is always a plus. She also uses New Image Eneger Effervescent (£3.99, 20 tablets, http://highstreettv.com). With long working hours and constantly being on her feet, Julia needs to keep up her energy levels healthily.
For years I have been using a Tangle Teezer but Julia likes using the Wet Brush UK (£6.95, http://www.sallyexpress.com). People often forget that your hair is an outfit you wear everyday, and that the right hairbrush is just as important as using clean makeup brushes! Wet Brush glides through thick, long hair without tugging and damaging hair. The may be one to try as it has a handle too which is missing on the Tangle Teezers.
We all love a bit of fake tan now and again (or every week!) and Julia’s team used Leighton Denny Sun-Belieable Bronze Me on Xfactor 2013 (£9.59 http://www.leightondenny.com. Sun-Belivable Bronze Me is a great instant fix for a touch of colour on the skin.
Another product which she swears by is BeautyLab Black Diamond Serum (£90, Harvey Nichols). Beyonce is a fan of a more expensive Black Diamond serum so this sounds like a good alternative. Julia has been using BeautyLab London’s Black Diamond on Sam Bailey! This sounds like a divine product that I’m hoping to try soon, If Black Diamond Serums are good enough for both Ms Carta and Mrs Carter then I’m sure it is good enough for everyone of us.
Us beauty junkies love to keep our nails tip top which reminds me I’m in desperate need of a manicure. Julia loves Sensationail (£60, Starter Kit, Boots). Schedules can sometimes be unpredictable which makes it near impossible to book in a nail appointment. Thank goodness for Sensationail, painted and dry nails within 15 minutes which last a couple of week! I’m sure many of you will have a lot to add to your Christmas list now!
Thanks for sharing this with us Julia.
You can follow Julia on Twitter – @Julia_Carta
Have you tried any of these products? What are your thoughts?