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I have dreamt of doing a makeup course for ages and it still
is something I so desperately want to do but
to get in with an accredited school the fees are just somewhat out of my
reach. Some start from around £2000 and can range up to an incredible £8000.
There is just no way that at this moment in time (and probably at any at other
moment in time) I’ll be able to afford what they’re asking, it’s disheartening
but I guess it’s just the way it is. Not to mention the fact that the majority of schools are
based in London and getting there/staying there while I do a course isn’t
really a viable option. Aaaanyway enough sulking….to console myself a little at
the irritating reality, I found the Cassie Lomas Makeup Academy in Manchester on
the web and after schmoozing through their multiple courses I found the one day
beauty basics course. I was literally over the moon that I’d found something
that was both affordable and where I knew I was going to get advice and tips
from an expert. I also couldn't believe it was in Manchester! London usually gets all the good stuff so having this up here in the North is actually refreshing! So with this in mind I booked on for the 26h of September at a price
of £75.
So more about CLMA, it is owned and run by the
very talented MUA Cassie Lomas. She’s worked with many a celebrity and has
recently featured on the ITV daytime show “Star Treatment” which ran in August.
She opened up her own academy in her home town of Manchester back in 2011 and
it has flourished ever since! It is located in the very quirky Northern Quarter
and the studio itself is beautiful. It has a very underground basement feel to
it but Cassie has dressed it in a way that allows for space and light to flow
with big lights and white walls. The minimalism of the studio is accessorised
with copy after copy of Vogue and Elle sat along a naked brick wall, there
for when the budding makeup artist needs a fresh bout of creativity. The MUA
stations are also very well thought out, there are around twelve stations with
dressing room type mirrors sat on large wooden dressers with heavy black
chairs, it really is where you would want to be when learning the tricks of the
trade.
When I spent the day there I was greeted by Helen, who I
later learnt was actually Cassie’s mum. She works behind the scenes, making
sure the cogs keep turning and has such a big and lovely personality that she is
definitely hard to forget! She immediately made me and the other girls feel at
ease by offering us tea and scones which I was more than happy to indulge in!
We then met Sophie and Collette, Collette was going to be our tutor for the day
and she was so lovely. She was incredibly easy to talk to and made us laugh as
she went through demonstrations of matching the correct foundations to skin
tones and telling us basic steps of skin care. I’m aware of many of the basic areas
Collette talked about (as I do spend half my life on youtube and on beauty blogs!)
but I learnt something knew in the area of concealing. She showed us how to use
different coloured concealers from greens to reds and explained what they were
for and how they colour corrected. I had never properly looked into how colours
worked on the skin and it is definitely crucial in understanding the art of
makeup so having Collette tell us this was really interesting. Alongside this
we looked at contouring, highlighting, bronzing and blush. Contouring and highlighting is something I'm always trying to perfect so having someone there to demonstrate the proper technique was
something I was thankful for!
The CLMA also has a whole range of different products
to choose from and play with so I was able to mess about with brands I hadn’t
used or come across before. I used MAC Face & Body for the first time,
after wanting to try it for so long! Another product I used was the Daniel
Sandler Watercolour blushes, I haven’t ever tried anything from the Daniel Sandler
range and these watercolours were incredible, keep meaning to order myself some!
Aside from being able to use the academy makeup we also took in our own makeup
bags and brushes so that we could get advice on the best way to use our own
products. It was great to see what products the other girls used too, I love
hearing what people like and dislike and what they would recommend so I really
enjoyed this aspect of meeting everyone. It was a really laid back and fun day
and nothing was too serious, we all had a laugh, especially with one girl who
had a whole bag of MAC products and brushes that she’d never even touched!
I would really recommend this course if you are completely
new to makeup or don’t have much confidence in its application. It is a basic beauty day and it concentrates on
the personal application of makeup and how to apply basic products. I am
knowledgeable about much of what Collette talked about simply because I am
makeup obsessed and spend hours reading reviews, blogs and watching tutorials
therefore I think I would benefit from something more advanced. However it is perfect if you have never properly
indulged in makeup before and it can also make for a great present for a fellow
female who may love a day of learning the basics.
I’m really glad I got to go and experience the CLMA
even if it was just for one day, maybe at some point I’ll be able to call
myself a proper CLMA student but for now a girl can only dream!
Visit the CLMA website at www.cassielomasmakeupacademy.com
* Above image taken from the CLMA website, not my own image. Happy to take it down if requested.
Han X
