Sunday, December 6, 2015

Beauty gift guide 2015


I stress about getting just the right gift as much as anyone. So if you’ve got a beauty-lover on your list…. Here are my favorites, simple to mix and match to create the perfect package of gorgeousness.

Perfume



Womanity

My fragrance preferences are clean, woody, and foodie (sweet and/or spicy). And if this perfume hadn’t already been made, this is what I would create. I just love it and it will always be on my list. I guarantee compliments anytime I wear it.
Buy: http://www.muglerusa.com 

Haus of Gloi 

www.hausofgloi.com

This site gives you or your giftee an amazing range of scents to create your perfect mix for soaps, lotions, oils, and more.  Amazing and creative gift for those creative and adventurous types.



Body Care


C. Boot Ginger Sugar Body Scrub 

Hands-down favorite scrub ever. I was never impressed by what I found in stores, so I’d always created my own. But when I tried this one, I was hooked on the yummy fragrance of sweet ginger.  It’s beautifully effective at making your skin feel silky and new without turning your shower into an oily safety hazard!

Almond Oil

If you’re looking for a lightweight, natural moisturizer, this is my pick. Sinks in easily to the skin without a greasy feel. And it’s easily accessible at most health stores.






Beauty Tools


Crown Brush Syntho Series

Especially when this comes around on Haute Look for super cheap… These are my must-own brushes. Incredibly soft and durable. I’ve never had them shed, go ruff, or fail me in any way.


Sephora Smoky Liner #24

Perfect smudgy bottom lash line. Done!





Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge

Granted, I’ve never used a Beauty Blender. But when you have a sponge that works as well as this one, plus it features a unique flat side aaaaannnd it’s ¼ the price… Fughetaboudit. I blend my foundation, concealer, contour, cream blush to perfection then use the flat side to set with  my loose powder.



Hot Tools Marcel Wand 

I have this in two sizes. But the most requested "big loose curls", I use the 1 1/4" wand for that look. You have to note, there is a definite learning curve with these wands. The barrel and clamp move in ways you're probably not used to. I highly recommend using a heat glove at least the first few times you use this. I still have scars.......
However, once you get the hang of using it, you won't go back to another wand. Perfect curls with massive lasting power!

Makeup

Sephora Waterproof Contour Eye Pencil

The colors in this range are amazing. My favorite is called "Fairytale" (shown on left), teal green with multicolored reflects. They're dirt cheap and rival any higher end offering. 






Girlactik Matte Lip Paints

One of my favorite beauty brands. These are the clear winners for best liquid lipsticks that I've used. They are very lightweight and don't dry down and leave your lips flaky in a few hours. Dream lip products.


Kat Von D makeup

I doubt there is a dud in her line. I'm frequently asked what my favorite brand is and she has it. My favorites are the powders (eyeshadows, contour palettes, blushes). She doesn't mess around with poor quality, and her whole line is cruelty free. If I were a collector of anything, it might just be her palettes. I could get back ups of back ups and be pleased as punch.


 My list


Face Paint by Lisa Eldridge

Lisa is one of my favorite makeup artists. Best known for her celeb clients like Kate Winslet and  Kira Knightly. This is a perfect gift for the person who's into makeup and probably already has everything. That's why it's on my list ;)
It's not an instructional work, like most beauty books. Lisa provides here an interesting outlay of the history of makeup and the way it's been used from centuries past to the last few decades. 


I hope this short guide gave you some great ideas on how to bundle the perfect gift for your friend or family member who is either just starting or already neck-deep in the world of cosmetics and beauty. 
Happy holidays.
:)


* All images sourced from Google*

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Dat Fleekness!

[Oh heyyyy, that's my face! All shadows are Kat Von D Innerstellar palette. Brows are Anastasia Beverly Hills pencil and pomade. Lashes are.... huge! I don't remember what I used]
 
I asked on my Facebook what I should blog about today, and one reply was "eyebrows on fleek!" LOL. So I'm actually going to take that idea and run a bit in a different direction with it.
 
If you're on instagram for any length of time, you'll come across memes about bad eyebrows. It's actually become quite the compliment now to mention how good a girl's eyebrows are. And as someone who has to DRAW the majority of my brows on, I can't say that I don't also enjoy someone saying something positive.
 
But instead, I won't be outlining an eyebrow tutorial, because you can find that anywhere. What I'm going to write about is preferences and styles of makeup. I've learned so much of what to (and not to do) via social media, youtube, and makeup classes. But what you'll have to take with you after all of it, is that makeup is an art. And art is subjective. As much as I love a good dramatic eye or lip, my true passion is flawless skin.... without a filter. And that's where the craft is for me. Especially when I'm short on time, I'm going to focus on skin instead of eye makeup. Why? Because I want my client to take tons of selfies and not open FaceTune once to fix a harsh line!
 
 
 
[My client Amber and her husband, Brandon. I wanted to give Amber the perfect smoky eye for this special night in Vegas last week, but I couldn't do what I wanted. Because my cab never showed up, I ended up being more than 15 minutes late. I had to do the best I could with a little over half an hour application time. But as you can see, she glowed and looked beautiful.]
 
I just find it funny how if you pay attention to what is trending on Instagram and other social media outlets, it's the "more dramatic the better" approach. And perfectionism leads the race. Filters on filters. Even video gets filtered and edited into a brand new creation.
 
[Case closed: These three pictures were taken at the same tutorial class online. The picture on the left and the upper right were taken at the same time. This class featured a front camera and a zoomed side which they ran simultaneously during the live feed. I kept waiting for the artist to grab his blending brush.. but he never did! I took screen shots of the feed because I couldn't believe what was happening! What's funny, is that when the uploaded the final cut to the site, they removed the zoomed angle shot. And what you found all over instagram was the bottom right, highly photo shopped image.]
 
 
[Here's the other problem I have with all the filtering you see on social media, it can make you feel bad that even though you're doing your best, it just never measures up! At least that's how I felt in the beginning. In the above picture of Vivian, I went all-out on the filters on the right side, but left side is untouched. To me, I don't know what these makeup artists are trying to sell with making all these changes....]
 
So where I go for inspiration to improve my skills are actually the HD pictures taken at red carpet events. Those cameras don't hide ANYTHING. I love following makeup artists who take the same eye for makeup. No harsh edges. No filtering. But naturally enhanced beauty.
 
To me, when someone sees how beautiful one of my clients look, I don't want them to notice their makeup first, but the confidence and natural beauty shining through. But that's just my aesthetic. And if you love heavy contour and stick-straight cat eyes, you rock that shit out!

Fleek out your brow with all the pencils, pomades and concealer you want! Some people do a jaw-dropping job at it.
My aesthetic is as natural as I can get away with, at least most of the time!
 


Friday, September 4, 2015

How I made a custom powder contour kit for my pale-skinned roomie.

 
[Jessica was more tan on this evening when I did her makeup. I was having a Katie Holms smoky eye moment that night]
 
How many contour kits are out there now? More than you can shake a blending brush at, for sure. And while I personally love the Kat Von D kit as well as the brush that goes with it, it's not built for everyone. And many that are offered on the commercial market don't seem to completely fit the fairest of skins, and even if they have one or two colors that fit, the rest of the kit is typically unusable.
When I asked my roommate, Jessica what she'd like to add to her makeup collection, she said she wanted some beginner powder contouring options. While I favor creams, not everyone feels confident enough to use them.
 
So here's my beginner-friendly contouring "kit" for super fair skin.
 
 
Starting with the Blush Brush from E.L.F
This is one of my favorite contouring brushes. Forget your name brands, aside from the Kat Von D brush, this is my favorite.
 
Taupe and Nude.
I chose two colors because they bother offer something different. Taupe casts more gray tone while nude is slightly rosy and warmer. When I contour, I rarely use just one color. If you look at your face and pay attention to the colors, you'll find that it has a gradient with the natural shadows. At the high points you have a lighter version of your own skin (the highlight section). As you transition into the darkness or shadows, you move to your natural skin tone, a darker version of it (usually a slightly warm or taupe) and then the grey or darkest color. This is why I bought two colors. When she wants to give more life to her face and enhance the definition, she will follow that same pattern. A small amount of deep color and more of that lighter transition.
What I also like about these particular powders is that they are fine and not very pigmented. Harder to mess up and therefore great for beginners. You can always add more, but it's very hard to take away.
 
 
The only slightly more expensive aspect of this collection. But well worth it. This is another soft powder built for naturally fairer skins. It won't pull orange and the fact that it contains no shimmer means that you'll have a natural look to your skin.
 
My steps for natural contouring:
1. If using liquid foundation, set with a light layer of loose powder (check out other posts for product recs)
2. Use Nude powder around perimeter of face. Sides of forehead, upper hair line if you want to lower it (optional), slightly on (not under) cheeks, jawline, and with a fluffy eyeshadow brush upper sides of nose (not flat sides as that can make your nose look wider)
3. Use Taupe on areas of face that you want to make a more dramatic change in. For Jessica, sides of forehead, backs of cheek (only slightly below, go too low and your face will sag) and a small, fine line on upper sides of nose.
4. Use bronzer to help blend and unify the look. Applying where sun would naturally tan the face and avoiding areas you want to highlight. And if the face and neck are lighter than the rest of the body, use bronzer on fair areas to create balance.
 

Monday, August 31, 2015

Overhyped and Underwhelmed..... My recent disappointments

 

     The feels.... especially if you're one to watch a lot of YouTube or read many blogs. These beautiful makeup junkies get so excited about a certain product and you can't help but want to buy it for yourself. If only to look half as good as they do using it.
     A little over two years ago, I was well-invested in the YouTube beauty community. Watching hundreds of tutorials, monthly product favorites and reviews and in turn, watching my makeup collection grow from a modest desk top organizer to literally consuming my bathroom closet. And for those who don't know anything about the aforementioned: on YouTube, many people create beauty channels to share beauty tips and makeup instruction... or that's how it was back when it began. Now, it's become a career for many people. Millions of subscribers and hoards of "gurus" making bank off of marketing for makeup and skincare companies. While many are forthright with admitting they have products sent to them for review, they usually don't share the fact that some companies will only pay the YouTuber if the video is a positive review. And thus... the naïve are sucked into opening their PayPal wallets. And that's not the only way we get suckered. But I'm not here to bash anyone for paying their bills.... dude, I have YouTube videos and they make me money as well.
     Nor am I here to dis any makeup company, as for each product I have here to complain about, something else from that company is frequently used in my makeup kit. But the products listed below are personal fails because they didn't work for me, but might just be your favorite new find. So, "grain of salt".
 
 
     This woman is gorgeous... not up for debate... But damn, I can hardly use anything she's produced up to this point. Since I started with talking about YouTube, I'll roll out with the queen herself, Jaclyn Hill. I've been a fan since she first started, and in the few years she's been making videos, she's embodied the Cinderella story dream. She's great at what she does and how she can get anyone excited for a beauty product. She's also teamed up with a few makeup companies to create her own makeup products. Unfortunately, they don't work for me much. And that's what actually inspired this blog entry.

Personal Fail: Champagne Pop highlighter  
Here's the video in which Jaclyn introduces her new highlighter with Becca cosmetics.
Now, what gets me is her insistency that it will work for alllllll skin tones. Well, long story short, nope. Not for me nor any of my fair-skinned friends. If your highlighter is darker than your skin.... it's not a highlighter. And that's what I found to be true for us. Now, I will say, that when I use it on my medium to dark skinned clients, it's a total win. I've used it a lot on my competitors as well and loved it. The other issue I've had with this product is how powdery it comes off with a brush. I just can't use my fan brush with it if I want more than a sheer finish.
 
Alternatives:

NARS Albatross for intense glow
best for neutral to yellow undertoned fair to light-medium skin


MAC Soft & Gentile for medium to buildable glow
best for neutral to pink undertoned fair to light-medium skin
 
Girlactik Face Glow in Natural for subtle glow
best for neutral to pink undertoned fair to light-medium skins, especially those not wanting to enhance texture or fine lines
My Girlactik makeup haul video (no shame!)
 
 
Fail: Jaclyn Hill colab with Gerard Cosmetics
I'm not even going to call this one a personal fail because aside from the colors neither reading true in the above picture (these are lighter and with a softer pink hue than in person) or on my skin which pulls any warmth in a lip color to an orange hue, the formula itself is hard to wear. I find the lipstick to be very dry and often patchy, and the glosses to be incredibly thick and goopy. Also the pink shade of gloss, the packaging leaks to the point I've covered the gold seams with super glue, which only hinders the leaking. I fell like a rock for Jaclyn's hypnotizing excitement and beauty. I've kept Buttercup lipstick in my purse since purchasing but cannot wear it alone. I've given the Buttercream lip gloss an honest effort since gluing the packaging. I keep it with my daily makeup and often apply it in the morning to abandon it there. But when the other lip products didn't work for me, into my kit they went and have stayed unused but for once.
 
Alternatives:
Girlactik lip products. Human* and animal cruelty free plus they are one of the most-used in my kit as they are creamy, comfortable to wear and beautiful.
 
 
* I'll be covering fair trade, human rights, and slavery in the beauty industry in a future post.
 
Fail: Smashbox BE LEGENDARY LONG-WEAR LIP LACQUER
Patchy. Sticky. Stinky.
Thumbs down.
 
Alternatives:
NARS lip gloss
this color in particular Orgasm is used on 75% of my stage makeup clients.
 
Fail: Make Up For Ever Ultra HD
I've sampled this product a few times, really hoping that I just had it wrong upon first impression of the new formula. But sadly, no. And I've mentioned my disappointment for this new foundation in a previous post. It's thicker, dry and patchy compared to what I considered a flawless foundation with what MUFE gave us previously.
 
 
 
 

 Alternative: Marc Jacobs Re(marc)able Full Cover Foundation Concentrate
Although this product will not dupe the old MUFE HD, this foundation is beautiful one-step high end product. I prefer this way more than MJ's other foundation. I do recommend using a primer with this product, especially if your skin doesn't receive liquid foundations well. I can go without primer or adding my usual froo froo products if I use heavy moisturizer.
 
Fail: Glamglow Supermud Clearing Treatment
Simply doesn't seem to live up to the claims and it's ridiculously expensive. I never noticed an improvement in my skin clarity at all with this little over-hyped pot.
 
Alternative: I don't have a mask alternative. I have found skin care products in other areas that give me what I was looking for out of the above.
 
Personal Fail: NARS Ita brush
I bought this guy when it was near impossible to get your hands on it because of it's immense popularity. The hype was that THIS WAS THEEEE CONTOUR BRUSH YOU NEEEEEEDDD!
Uhhh, not really, in my opinion. I do still use it in my kit on client with more angular faces but it's a rarity still for a few reasons. I don't like sharp contouring on the face because it doesn't look natural. And though it's more easily achieved with this brush, it's not what I'm after. And mostly I dislike this brush because of the bristles. Constantly bleeding ink and have gotten very frayed in the short time I've owned it.
Alternative: ELF Blush Brush
This brush is nicely pointed like the Ita, although it's a completely different shape. The price point is also much more agreeable. $3 compaired to $55. I actually keep 4 of these brushes in my kit. ELF actually does brushes quite well for being so inexpensive. I have no complaints about this one. I also find it easier to defuse my shadowing with this brush compared to the Ita.
 
 
 

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Low-Key Gorgeousness for the Non-Makeup Girl

       Most of my clientele are "gym girls" who hire me for stage or photo shoot glamming. Frequently, I'm asked what I would suggest for girls who don't want to spend too much time on their makeup. Here are some of my best tips for pulling it together for an effortless-looking day face.

[Admittedly, there's a bit more going on in this transformation than a slick of mascara. But Danielle really shows how a bit of brightening and shine can wake up the complexion. Photo isn't edited, lighting darker in first photo because I seem to like to get in my own way.]

       Looking good doesn't require much more than enhancing your best features and using a few tricks to improve areas that need a bit of a boost. I'm going to cater all the following suggestions toward still being low maintenance whether you want to put more effort into it or less.

#1 Frame your face.


Brows, lashes and lips can go real far. Add some fullness to your brows on the daily or pump them up and give them structure for date night with gels or pomades.
Low-key: brow pencil or eyeshadow
Upgraded: gel or pomade

        If you're blessed with long, full lashes, all you might need is a few coats of mascara and a curler. But for us mere mortals, we need some heavy artillery to get the drama for a strong look. I've always noticed that combining two mascaras will give me my favorite look, and I've never found that paying $30 for a high-end brand ever gave me superior results.
Low-key: drugstore lengthening and volumizing
Upgraded: full strip lash or individuals/clusters for super easy application

         I'm as laid-back with my own lip goops as it gets. I very rarely ever fuss with lipstick because I'm frequently drinking water, so it just comes right off. So my quick fix is a pigmented gloss. But if I want to be more bold and still make my gallon-guzzling gains, liquid to matte lipsticks have great staying power.
Low-key: gloss and liner to add definition
Upgraded: liquid lipstick

#2 Hide discoloration: Dark circles under the eyes, little red friends, or hyper-pigmentation around the mouth or nose can be distracting and make you self-conscious.


Dark under-eye circles: For blue-toned circles, use a pink or peach toned color corrector. They come in cream and liquid forms. These goes under your normal under-eye concealer and do not replace them. If you have dark skin, play with more yellow or mustard orange tones until you find the right combination. It's important to note, that the darker your discoloration, the more pigmented you'll need your corrector to be. A sheer liquid will not give you full coverage of a deep, dark circle.

Hiding pimples: If you are using a cream foundation, it will double as a concealer for your face demons by adding a concentrated dot of it after you apply your base. This is my typical method when doing photo shoots. If you're using a BB cream or liquid foundation, use a slighty waxy or dryer concealer in cream or liquid form on top of your foundation and set with light powder to avoid caking. Same goes for hyper-pigmentation. I like concealer palettes because they give you lots of options for multiple issues. For example, if I'm hiding sun damage, I will play with pink and yellow tone combinations until the spot looks diluted but not ashy in color. Once the foundation goes on top, it should be invisible.

#3 Give yourself foundation options.


You don't always need a full-coverage foundation. I actually have rarely used a full-coverage product unless I need to completely change the skin color. Knowing how to use corrector and concealers appropriately will allow you to get away with a sheer or medium coverage foundation and avoid a heavy feel.
Low-key: Mix your favorite foundation with your moisturizer before applying and create your own BB cream that has your perfect shade, coverage, and ingredients.
Upgraded: Find your "winter" and "summer" foundation shades and keep both on hand. Mix thru the year as your skin color changes.

Favorite Skin Base Products (summer 2015)

First blog post!
Since I'm so frequently asked what my favorite products are, I figured I would start there. My favorite feature to focus on is skin. Whereas many people think of eyes or lips first when talking about makeup.... I feel like true skill and beauty is in the subtlties of texture and invisible layers of base products. And skin is unforgiving. Poor reactions between products against the wrong skin texture or tone, and it’s next to impossible to hide in person. So these are my staples, brought to every job and trusted to get the best look for any client!
 
[links to purchase on all product names]
 
[Skin products used for Nicole's look above: Embryolisse Lait Creme, milk of magnesia. MAC and NARS concealer, RCMA foundation for contour, MUFE HD Foundation. Hourglass lighting powders. MAC highlight and contour. Body Bling on body. All other colors are custom blends created by me. Above image is unedited or filtered! Ain't she just the prettiest little lady?]
 
 
We HAVE to start any great look with skin care. The following I am loyal to:
 
Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peel Extra Strength Formula : used only if my client has flaky or tired skin. Instant rejuvination and game-changer for a perfect base for foundation.
Embryolisse moisturizers : I love the Lait-Creme Concentre for all dry and normal skin types. I use the Hydra-Mat Emulsion anytime I'm doing a more matte or long-wearing look. These are more often than not, the only primer/moisturizer I will use.
Milk of Magnesia : Yeah, of course not the intended purpose of the product, but it's absolutely my favorite way to block oiliness and makeup breakdown through stage, shoots, and long days. And though it drys to a white, chalky layer on the face... absolutely undectectable under makeup. 
 
Foundation/Base:
 
Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Aqua Foundation Illuminator : I blend Sheer Beige into any foundation to which I want to give a warm/mildly pink subtle shimmer glow. I frequently use it to thin my cream foundations as opposed to a standard oil.
RCMA Foundation : If I were to only ever use one, this would be it. Buildable, adjustable, longwearing, and beautiful. Having the palettes are great for my kit. I can do correction, color-matching, contouring etc for any skin tone.
Honorable mention for Make Up For Ever HD Foundation in the original formula. Since it's relaunch, which I've not found to be as creamy or blendable, I'm clinging to my stash! Another favorite for film and photography.
 
 
Conceal and Correct:
 
MAC Studio Sculpt Conceal and Correct Palette : Wishing MAC sold the light pink tone separately, I use it on myself everyday to hide my blue circles under my eye. It's also used on many clients as well.
NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer : If I need to give the skin a bump of light under the eyes or in the "highlight" zones, this product is smooth and lays beautifully.
MAC Prolongwear Concealer : It's a makeup artist's standard for a reason. It does the job and holds up well. I have noticed that one must pay attention to their moisturizing routine as well as skin hydration on the day intended for wear. This product can quickly emphasis dry undereyes and I would say I usually don't have to set this with a powder because of it's drier formula.
 
 
Contour:
RCMA Foundation: takes it again. Using the palettes and contour color wheels are all I need.
Kat Von D: I have two of these palettes. I think that says enough! I can easily make almost a whole face out of these shades.
Mac: These sculpting powders are soft and blend beautifully. I just wish MAC were cruelty free.
 
Highlight:
Soft & Gentile: This is a daily go-to highlighter on myself. Whereas the chunks of occasionally obvious glitter used to bother me, once I have my whole look blended together, they've been brushed away and you're left with a glow that looks a whole lot more expensive than it really is.
Mary Lou-Manizer: Go-to shade for my pale clients. No chunkiness. Also makes for a lovely eyeshadow.
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette: Without a doubt more subtle than the previous two. But one of my favorites to give a full-face glow that doesn't look over-done. My favorite for more mature skin.
 
Setting Powder:
RCMA Translucent: Game changer. Mic drop. Show's over, folks. I call it my "bullet-proof" setting powder for any skin type.
Rimmel: I finish my daily face using this firm but light setting powder under eyes and in fine lines. Used with a flat-top brush, this gives me seemlessly blended skin.
 
 
Hopefully that was helpful and gave you some ideas for great products to add to your collection! Let me know what you think!