Last Thursday I found myself sat in one of my favourite shops, Meggie’s in Stow-on-the-Wold, barefaced and in front of a group of women I barely knew. So far, so out of my comfort zone…
I’d been invited along by lovely Meg and the timing couldn’t have been better. To put it bluntly, my face needed some help; I’d recently had an allergic reaction and my skin was looking far from fresh and glowing. But this was a Makeup Masterclass, and I was the willing volunteer.
Cue Maddy.
Educated at the London College of Fashion, Maddy has worked for several premium cosmetics brands as a makeup artist covering fashion weeks, business launches and much more. She then returned to the Cotswolds and set up her business, Wedding Paint, turning her talents to making up the faces of blushing brides.
Maddy greeted me with the warmth of an old friend and we quickly got chatting whilst others arrived. We all browsed around Meg’s beautiful shop, picking up little gifts for home. We might have enjoyed a glass of fizz before finally taking our seats too… Oops!
Each seat was adorned with a beautiful gift bag featuring a hand drawn name tag, courtesy of the super talented Emerald Paper Design. Inside, there were goodies from MOA, 100 Acres, a promo voucher for a manicure at The Nail Boudoir, a 10% off voucher for Meggie’s and some fab makeup samples too.
The Makeup Masterclass
Maddy began the masterclass by asking for a volunteer. I usually never put my hand up, but it is testament to her warmth and friendliness that I willingly volunteered. Once I was in the proverbial hot-seat, Maddy took us through the importance of a good skincare routine, demonstrating how to remove your makeup properly. She explained that consistency is the key to achieving a glowing complexion – once you have a routine that works don’t keep swapping products, or you risk confusing your skin. It makes complete sense.
At this point, I had to ask Meg about the products she uses. Her skin is flawless and I wanted to know her secret. It turns out that Meg uses a skincare range from her shop. MOA is completely natural and has, in Meg’s own words, totally transformed her skin. She’s a fab advocate for the brand as her complexion really does glow!
Maddy gave us the lowdown on some of her favourite products, as well as some useful techniques for cleansing more delicate parts of the face such as the eye area, before moving on to a Q&A session, answering questions on redness, natural beauty products, best budget buys, and so much more.
Tips and Tricks
Then, Maddy set about creating a natural spring/summer makeup look, and began by matching the base to my skin tone. I am normally pretty hesitant about foundation as I find it oxidises badly on my skin, turning orange very quickly. Every girl’s dream look of course. Maddy explained one of the best ways to avoid this was to opt for a long wear formulation. Who knew? Maddy of course!
Maddy went through every single stage of the application process – giving us plenty of tips and teaching us some tricks of the trade along the way. My favourite gem had to be the eyeliner and mirror trick. Do you struggle to apply eyeliner neatly because you can’t get close enough to see? Put a handheld mirror under your chin and look down. Problem solved. Seriously, I have no idea what I was doing before this session…
We paused for a break halfway through the demo, which gave us all plenty of opportunity to chat, shop and enjoy some tasty cupcakes, made by fellow attendee Gemma from The Little Cotswold Kitchen. They were so good!
Maddy then finished off the spring/summer look on me, using a Bobbi Brown product. I simply need to get my hands on it! Pot Rouge is a 2 in 1 cream blush and lip stain – I love a multi-use product and the colour is perfect for enhancing my natural lip colour. You can see the result for yourselves below.
Maddy took some final questions before finishing with her top two recommendations; a long wear foundation and an illuminating face powder. We all left more enlightened, with smiles on our faces and excited to try out the new techniques we had learnt the next morning.
Where can I find Meggie’s?
Meg runs a variety of creative workshops at Meggie’s in Stow-on-the-Wold. This involve some fab local businesses. Check out her workshop page for more information!
Huge thanks to the lovely and super talented Kayleigh Adams Photography for the brilliant photos. If you are in need of a professional, please do check her out!