Alexandra from Love Island is an MUA & these are her best tips, including the weird undereye bag trick she swears by…

Whether you thought Laura was the real MVP of Love Island, or that Jack and Dani’s landslide win was well deserved, we’ve got to say, we think our real-life BFF would actually be Alexandra.

Did you notice how whenever any of the girls had a big date or night out in the villa, she would use her makeup artist skills to transform them into absolute goddesses? Now that’s a good friend to have around.

GLAMOUR recently caught up with the stunning brunette to chat about her favourite products, teen makeup mistakes, and the weird trick she uses to banish undereye bags…

Before heading into the villa on her search for love, Alexandra spent the past four years working as a full-time as a makeup artist. A career choice that was spurred by an accident…

“I actually used to be a ballroom dancer, and I got injured and I had to have surgery on my knee, which kind of put me out of dancing”, says Alexandra.

“And by that point I hadn’t gone to university, and I knew I wanted to stay in the creative field, so I thought ‘well what do I love the most and what am I good at?’, so I went on to do a makeup course and haven’t looked back since.”

Despite her on-screen success, when asked if makeup artistry is the career she’ll continue to pursue, her answer was an ‘absolutely, yes’.

And with career highlights like creating looks backstage at Paris Fashion Week – “the couture shows were amazing!”, working with Rick Astley – “never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down“, we don’t blame her.

Alexandra admits she was probably the one who took the longest to get ready on Love Island, but during the day this would only be ten minutes or so, as the girls didn’t wear much makeup.

“I would cleanse my face, put on a tinted moisturiser and my classic, pink Vaseline, and maybe pluck out any stray hairs underneath my eyebrows.”

A morning routine very different to her teen days when she ‘had the thinnest eyebrows ever, wore Dream Matte Mousse all over my face and way too much powder’.

And when it comes to beating under-eye bags, her surprising secret is using haemorrhoid cream, Anusol.

“It helps the blood flow and soothes as well as moisturises the skin”, she says.

Best makeup tips

Not only is Alexandra amazing at doing her own makeup, but we sussed out a few of her clients and damn sis, check this out:

So of course, we stole her top 3 makeup tips:

1. Apply powder on your t-zone area first and then lightly dust everywhere else so you don’t end up looking too cakey.
2. Apply your eyebrow products on the end of your brows first, then use the excess product on the front of your brows, to achieve that feathered look and keep the heaviest bit of product on the tail.
3. I apply highlighter on my Cupid’s Bow and just the centre of my bottom lip to make them look a bit fuller.

 

Click here for HD Makeup Essentials (1 Day Course) training dates, or contact us for more information on this course.

We’re here to sing the praises of lip liner — because it really is necessary. Annnnd HD Brows have just launched a new line of lip liners (see what we did there!) called Lip Defines.

Over the past several years it seems the notion that lip liner is outdated is well…outdated. In case you’ve been avoiding this little wonder for your lips, let us fill you in on what you’ve been missing. Because lip liner can do magical things.

Lip liner adds definition to the lips

Who doesn’t want full, defined lips? Lip liner is the ticket to the perfect cupid’s bow. We find that pairing your lip pencil with a lighter, highlight pencil will keep the lip line clean and can create lift and definition to the lip. (This trick works wonders on thin upper lips.)

Apply the lighter pencil in bow of the lip, right above your lip liner shade to lift and highlight that area. And when gravity takes a toll we start to see the corner of our lips turn down, use the lighter pencil or concealer to highlight those corners creating a lifted and sculpted look. Try HD Brows Highlighter and Lip Defines.  

Lip liner prolongs the wear of any lip colour.

Applying lip liner before your lipstick or lip gloss helps prevent the colour from bleeding or feathering–making it a dream for dark lipstick lovers. We suggest using lip liner as a base. Simply lining and filling in your lips with a pencil will give your lip colour something to adhere to, thus increasing its staying power. If all that lip liner seems a little daunting, start with a clear lip pencil. Clear pencils do the same job as all the other shades.  

Even the lipstick averse can appreciate lip liner.

Lip liner is not just for the red lip loving set. Even if you’re not a big lip wearer, you can still benefit from lip liner. Pick a nude shade that is close to your natural lip colour and lightly trace the natural lip line to define the shape. Buff out the edges into the centre of the lip with a brush and layer with a clear gloss. We love HD Brows Lip Defines in Nude. It’s the no muss no fuss solution to a pretty pout.  

The right application makes a big difference.

For a smooth gliding application and a fluid line, we recommend prepping lips with a light lip balm before applying lip liner. Part your lips slightly (this will keep your lips closest to their natural shape) and apply the liner using light, short strokes. Always follow your natural lip shape–overdrawn lips are not a good look. If you start to draw the pencil across your lips and it tugs the skin, then the pencil is too hard. Try sharpening the pencil and warming the point between your thumb and index finger to soften it.  

Have we converted you into a lip liner lover? Tell us.