A New Year Begins

Now that 2024 is over and a new year begins, we are glad to be able to say that while we have been quiet things have not stopped. In the coming months we will be more focused than ever with a focus primarily on the relaunch of JamesC as a creative consultant and various in house projects moving forward coupled with work with a select number of private clients.

The final few months of 2024 were not ideal in many respects with sudden and drastic changes within the personal we had to slow down some of the more public work that we do but blogging was always going to be a big part of our focus coming into 2025 and it is with that in mind we want to preview what is coming up:

As JamesC makeup artist I have been working quietly on redesigning and redefining my work and while that has meant issues taking on new projects it has not stopped me working on the revamp with a new, fresh site and set of goals in play for the new year. I will be bringing back the behind the brush blog as part of the new site which will focus on consulting and gradually into my own working space/lab that I will be using to give a refined and more focused area that will be a photo/video space and lab for work that will come under The Lost Project Media banner.

Naturally we will continue to support indie talent and offer our services as a PR blog for actors, film and TV projects, etc so that they can promote their projects and welcome people reaching out to talk via email.

Stay tuned to the blog for further updates and news!

Business and Life

Although it may seem we have been neglecting things of late that is far from the truth. Business and life has continued all be it a little quieter due to changes within the family that have slowed down some of our more ambitious plans, we are still working hard and will be posting increased updates and launching our creative director JamesC’s website very soon having secured a new domain tailored to his working plans.

We are very much on top of the work we have and arranging some very important meetings that will lead to a series of collaborations within the film and commercial sphere and JamesC will be working closely with the Sons of Adonis line on ad campaigns with other new elements being discussed for the future of the brand, in the meantime we are working with JamesC on the ad campaign for the range and in particular the sample kit that we will be blogging about soon.

There is also a real push with artist Stewart Nicol Soutar on the commercial that will see our team and in particular JamesC, working on ad campaigns and additional merchandising projects that have been discussed for the new year.

In summary, there is so much more to the business that we are building slowly and this is giving JamesC in particular, a much needed boost after the last few months where the focus and energy has been inward rather than outward.

Stay tuned for further updates and news.

A Must See Brand: Narrative Cosmetics

As a makeup artist by trade, I am always looking for new options to add to add to my working kit that will add to my work or give me a wider range of options. Having found Narrative Cosmetics, in particular the FX range, I am really excited about the possibilities to create and for my work in film and TV the budget friendly side that will be a major plus going forward.

While the range offers up a wide array of beauty oriented products, it was the cream palettes from the FX range that first caught my attention and after a little research I can see there being so much more to the Narrative Cosmetics line that needs to be seen.

The FX range covers all the basics and with the addition of a YouTube channel with tutorials, you can utilize the range to create anything from a simple bruise to a creature with minimal fuss and maximum impact. Designed to meet the highest professional standards Narrative Cosmetics is fast becoming the go to brand for creatives across mediums.

Competitively priced, and expanding the range to support a wide range of requirements, you can go from theatrical to HD standard easily and with film and TV being a primary focus of my work, access to silicone compounds for quick wound creation or going old school with wax, the medical grade adhesive is a must see for the cost alone, Narrative has the scope to be a real kit staple.

If you are a makeup artist, no matter the stage of your career, passionate about FX and makeup then I strongly recommend you check out the range from film to fashion you will find something that will boost your kit and open up new potential in your creative work without losing out on quality.

To learn more about the Narrative Cosmetics range see:

Narrative Cosmetics Website.

Narrative Cosmetics YouTube.

Narrative Cosmetics Instagram.

Narrative Cosmetics Facebook.

A New Addition To The Lost Library

A new addition to the lost library is the fantastic book by Begona F Martin titled Special Makeup Effects & Prosthetics - An essential guide, a truly fascinating and well structured look at the potential of special FX and prosthetics aimed at the cosplay market, it offers up a wealth of information, resources and tips that will be beneficial to a wide range of creatives from makeup artists working in media to cosplayers looking to up their game.

With her extensive background in the arts as well as FX, Begona’s (BB to her friends) book is to me, a must read for those looking to expand their knowledge and test the waters of flat moulds and silicone, with step by step images and detailed explanations of each process with cost-efficient recommendations that will help those on a budget looking to get more creative in their work taking you through materials and techniques in a way that is easy to follow and insightful.

From the images to the text, it is all created by Begona over two years showcasing absolute passion for not just the special FX industry but sharing the skills that she has gained over the course of her career.

To learn more about the book or to purchase from her range of ready made FX or just to follow her work see:

Begona F Martin Website and Store.

BBFX Etsy Store.

Begona Martin Instagram.

Cosplay Instagram.

Talking Business with Lukey Lukey

Something we find fascinating is the desire and passion behind brands, Lukey Lukey is a great example of this with the line already gathering attention we wanted to find out more about the beginnings and future of this eye-catching collection.

Lukey Lukey is a curated, yet all encompassing color range that has really grabbed people's attention. Can you tell us more about the line and how it all started?   

 It all started for me during the lockdown. I had been working in the beauty industry as a stylist, colourist and educator for well over a decade, and I had just started a new career as a freelance beauty editor. It was a nice change of pace from the type of work I had been doing for the longest time. I always felt like there was something missing from my career. Whenever I achieved what I set out to do, I wanted to move on to the next thing immediately. I never felt fully content with what I was doing. Finally, it just hit me: I need to start my own brand. Once I had that "Aha moment", everything just became really clear to me. I was grateful to be working fully remotely at the time because it gave me enough time to research everything that I’d need to know to start my own business. The hard work started there, but my vision was crystal clear, so to me the hardest part was already complete. 

When you were designing the Lukey Lukey range what was the driving force behind the look?   

 Lukey Lukey, it’s branding and everything about the aesthetic is like something that’s been trapped inside my head that’s always been yearning to break out. I can’t explain how easy it all came to me. It didn’t even “come” to me, I just let it all out. I knew exactly how I wanted everything to look, how I wanted the logo to be styled, the type of models I wanted to use, everything just flowed very easily. Getting to be creative and design all of this was a dream for me. My mother is an artist and she painted the original artwork, with me instructing how I wanted it to look. It’s such a fond memory of the brand's creation. 

You chose to lead with a cream blusher collection for your brand, is there more planned for the future and can you share with us your plans?   

“ Yes! Blush is very near and dear to me and my journey in beauty! I was always self-conscious of blushing and having rosy cheeks, so it was me taking back my power!”

Trying to celebrate our insecurities – as difficult as that may be at times. I also find blush interesting in terms of colour theory; colour has always been my passion, in every avenue of my life. I have so many plans for future launches and where I want the brand to go. A collection takes such a long time to create, I started planning the second collection before Dream Cheeks – my first collection – even launched! 

Is there any advice you can offer to aspiring entrepreneurs entering into the beauty industry? 

 It’s competitive, so you need to have a very clear idea of what you want to create. Once you know what you want and you are confident in your choices, trust your instinct. Nobody knows what you want to achieve as clearly as you do. It’s great to have a few people to bounce ideas off, but once you make a decision you need to have the confidence to stand behind it. Running a business is difficult enough without doubting yourself, you need to be sure of yourself, always. 

To learn more about the brand or to purchase see:

Lukey Lukey Website.

Lukey Lukey Instagram.

Lukey Lukey Facebook.

Lukey Lukey TikTok.

Sons of Adonis Concealer: A Kit Must Have

We are incredibly proud of our association with the Sons of Adonis range, so much so our creative director JamesC, was able to consult and is extremely grateful to have a concealer brush with his name on it as part of the collection. As a concealer aimed at the men’s grooming market we can see the advantages for both the consumer and professional and will address key aspects of this here.

With a current 3 shade range, this is a good pro starting point for mixing and will easily fit into your working kit and offer up a premium product that not only works but suits a wide range of different applications.

In what has become an increasingly HD world, men are more and more expected to be camera ready for meetings and presentations, TV appearances, film work and family photographs to name but a few occasions that are integral to life now.

Something as simple as a touch of concealer can wake up your look for an interview, or presentation in the office, and lets not forget the ever present Zoom calls that we are frequently asked for these days. Yes, I too have had to “Zoom” and give speeches and needed that little extra edge that Sons of Adonis gives to make me look respectable.

From a makeup artist perspective JamesC understands that a product like concealer needs to be pro grade (which this is) and stand up to the rigors of a shoot as well as look natural in the real world.

The Sons of Adonis range is our personal go-to for work across genres and features heavily in the work of the lost for good reason and we plan to show why with a Q and A blog with founder Shakti Sood who developed this range and has put a huge amount of time into the product to meet the needs of his clientele.

To learn more about the range or to purchase see:

Sons of Adonis Website.

Sons of Adonis Instagram.

Lukey Lukey Cream Blush Revolution

As many will know, JamesC has an obsession with blush, so when he came across the debut collection from Lukey Lukey of 4 universal shades of cream blush it was a match made in heaven.  

Luke Nolan the founder behind the colour collection has developed this to be a consumer dream and an artist must, from the chic blue packaging to the carefully curated cream colours, this brand is designed to meet artistic standards and colour theory methods while enhancing beauty with minimal fuss and maximum impact.

From a purely artistic point of view this range has the hallmarks of a bridal staple, a film/TV artist must, and an editorial plus when it comes to a working kit and throw in the potential to sell the product in your salon Lukey Lukey Blush is set to be a go-to across the spectrum.

Produced in Europe, the range may be small but has the potential to make a big impact and has the support of The Lost Creatives team as well as our own JamesC who is already plotting out looks for this spectacular blush. 

To learn more about the collection or to purchase see:

Lukey Lukey Website.

Lukey Lukey Instagram.

Lukey Lukey Facebook.

Lukey Lukey TikTok.

Timeline Updates

While the blog and other elements have been very quiet of late, we do apologize for this, it does not mean we have been idle. In fact it is the opposite with so much in the works we have had to set deadlines for projects and new launches before time really ran away and we lost track of what is being done.

Some of the domains we own are now due for renewal and we are using that as the baseline for soft launching websites and taking down some of the older work to make things as clean as possible.

With a wedding under our belt, in what will be a two-part package, there is some really beautiful images coming from that which will showcase our creative director and founder working as well as our beautiful bride.

Lost Creatives is going to be changed dramatically as well with new galleries being worked out to match the upcoming Lost Project Media site that will be the home of our video and print work, a mix of editorial and commercial campaigns, more on this later.

James will be launching a fresh new site which as a makeup artist he wanted to be a whole set of new work all tailored to the lost identity and brand and completely different from his previous site with a focus on the commercial.

In the next week we will be doing a very interesting set of blogs piece about indie brands that popped up on our radar and will be playing a part in the working kit of our house artist. Both of which are interesting and will offer very different perspectives on a makeup kit as well as product usage and placement.

With an end goal of updating not just the websites but our other networking sites such as Vshowcards, by August we will be well on our way to the whole new look and entirely different brand identity than when we started and it is truly exciting to see how things have developed from where we began.

Project Notes

A habit our creative director JamesC picked up when living in India that we are actively pushing again, is keeping a notebook and pen to hand, ideal for writing down phone numbers or emails, sketching ideas for photos or as we know he did frequently, outlining plots for TV or film projects.

JamesC has in the last few weeks come up with ideas that will work as short films for festival entry or expanded into a much longer concept that need to be padded to suit the plans for 2023.

Festivals are going to be a very heavy focus of the work ahead, we have spent a lot of time checking options of annual, quarterly and by far our most favoured, monthly film festivals that take film and photo projects.

Of course our favourite book for filmmakers “Don’t F*ck Up Your No Budget Film” by Ivan Peric, plays a heavy part in our thinking because this insightful first hand account of low budget creation is designed to shape your work into a commercial project and works well with our own thinking and add to this the very savvy and again, first hand account of Patricia Jones book “Opening Doors for Working Class Actors” which when combined with Ivan’s book has the scope to create a great combination and open up the projects we have to fresh talent and with the right focus and marketing (kept within a budget) see a series of smaller films and Web TV projects built with a commercially viable slant that will benefit all involved.

We will be using the Vshowcards site for casting and actively encourage people to check them out not just because we think it is a fantastic network site, but for the various casting calls that are available.

Expanding notes on our plan will be slow released through the blog and we will be working hard to get this push running with the Lost Agency supporting it and of course led by our own JamesC who will be front and centre with upcoming interviews including the Behind The Scenes Podcast, amongst the other elements at play.

Stay tuned for more updates and sneak images of our notes.

Mykitco Brush Box: The Artist Solution For Shoots

When it comes to kit for pro makeup artists (and aficionados) Mykitco has become the go to brand focusing on brushes, tools and storage, they are an artist brand at heart understanding not just the changing face of the business but being on top of the creative needs of its customers base which is why the latest addition to the range: My Brush Box TM is a savvy addition to the brand.

As we all know, how we work as artists has changed with people being more aware of hygiene and looking closer at the way we store our kit, brushes in this case being one of the most important, the Mykitco Brush box is a real plus on that front for a number of reasons:

Brushes can be packed to suit the work at hand with multiples for a shoot being placed in the box on both sides or *as illustrated above, with brushes and small palettes that can be stored quickly and easily to access during a shoot in a set bag such as the Backstage Buddy available in small, medium and now a large backstage buddy option, without risk of damage as they roll around in the bag.

With its core of artistry led design at the heart of the business, it is no surprise that artists including our own JamesC, have taken the brand on as go-to for their professional needs.

To learn more about the Mykitco range or to purchase see:

Mykitco Website.

Mykitco Instagram.

For details on their pro discount click here.