Cover FX Masterclass

Recently I attended the Cover FX masterclass which was held in Selfridges London. I’ve never been to a masterclass so I was keen to get myself booked onto one, eager to see the buzz behind them and learn more about the brand itself……

I was pleased to find that we had a small intimate group. I always find that with a small group, you get more out of the class and is far more fun! I was greeted by Trevor O’Keeffe, Director of artistry & education for Cover FX and Derek Selby, Global Brand Ambassador.  When meeting them, I got an instant warm feeling! They were so nice and throughout the class they were attentive and made every effort to answer my hundred and one questions! (Oops! Sorry guys!).

So, what’s the story behind Cover FX? Derek, started the class by giving us a short history of how the brand came about. I was surprised to hear that Cover FX started off in a laboratory!!! It was co-founded by Lee Graff, who began her career as a Corrective Makeup Specialist. Her role was to develop products suitable to those with challenging skin conditions and; being based in Toronto, Canada, a very multi-cultural city, create products that would facilitate the broad colour spectrum.

The brand was then further developed by Chief Innovation Officer, Victor Casale, former Managing Director of MAC Cosmetics. It first launched in a health and beauty retailer, (kinda like a Boots) and from there on the brand took off like a rocket! Then hey presto Cover FX is a now a global brand, known for being cruelty free, vegan friendly and free of parabens, fragrance, gluten, mineral, oil and talc free! Making it the ideal brand for those with even the most sensitive of skin!

So, what did I learn at the masterclass? Derek had asked us if there any areas, that he would like us to concentrate on, so we could get most out of the class. Being a woman of south Asian origins, my questions naturally related to covering up pigmentation's. Pigmentation/discolouration, especially under the eyes or around the mouth area is very common in south Asians. And we continually struggle to cover these up and, or, even out the skin tone.

Have you ever noticed, how around the mouth area; it sometimes goes grey after applying foundation??? Not a pretty sight, so I was determined to learn from Derek on how to tackle this problem!

Derek beautifully explained that if you have a dark colour and add a light colour over it, what do you get??? You get grey or course!! Doh!! Like many women myself, we have been adding light over our dark areas, only to accentuate the discolouration!

How do you tackle it, you ask?!?!? By warming up the area! Colour correction is key here. Derek advised that to even out the skin area around the mouth, you would need to apply a peachy to orange corrector, (dependant on your skin tone) to counter act the pigmentation. Then apply the rest of your makeup over it. (By patting over it. Buffing over the colour correction would only move the product). The same principle applies to dark under eyes circles. By following this simple step, you will instantly get that even skin tone that you’ve longed for!

Want to know something great about Cover FX???? Your colour code is the same in all their formula’s! So, for example, if you are a G40 in the liquid foundation and you fancy getting a powder, you will be a G40 in that too!!  Talk about convenience!!

(Courtesy of Sephora)

This is such an innovative idea. And makes buying makeup so easy! With Cover FX you can be rest assured that your colour code is the same, whether you choose a cream foundation of a powder one. No more faffing about and trying to get colour matched.

It also makes buying the products far easier, especially when buying online. Just click and go!

At the end of the class, Derek, Trevor and the other makeup artists, kindly offered to help us with their products. Having raised the question of discolouration, I was keen to learn what products Cover FX have got to offer when correcting dark under eyes. Trevor took me to one side and we went through how to best cover up these up.

He removed my concealer, primed, corrected, concealed and then powdered! What people often forget, is that powdering will set your makeup and make it last long. If you don’t, your makeup remain wet.

Like myself, where you’ve been hit with the double whammy of dark eyes and fine lines, powdering is key to making sure that your concealer last long. The trick with reducing the appearance of fine lines, is to allow the concealers to rest first and when it sets in your lines, buff it in with your fingers and then powder over it. This will ensure that your concealer not only last longer but it will also reduce the creasing.

What I liked about this experience was that, Trevor took his time with me and explained every product he had used and advised on how to apply them.  We had a mini one to one session and had the opportunity to get to know each other. At no point did I feel rushed or that I was inconveniencing him. I was given a chart with all the products he had used.

So, are masterclasses worth they hype?! Makeup lovers out there! If you want to pick up tips and tricks from leading makeup artist and want to know how to make the most of your products, then a Cover FX masterclass is a must!  

With its ethos of being curtly free, vegan friendly, (brushes are also cruelty free and vegan friendly), this is the ideal brand! With 40 shades available, there’s is no doubt that Cover FX will be able to match you and leave you confident that you will not break out! I’m a strong believer that with all the development in science, there is no need for makeup brands to test products on animals anymore. 

Cover FX is a real contender and has ingredients you can rely on.  If you want good quality make up that isn’t going to damage the earth, (or you!), then Cover FX is for you! It is the future of makeup.