My Summer Brides

This has been one crazy summer for weather! My brides this summer have been stellar. They have planned from other states and perservered through rain and humidity. All the while looking radiant and beautiful, from the inside out.....

This past Saturday, my bride asked me a question that wasn't in the normal wheelhouse of makeup questions. She recognized that I spend a considerable amount of time with brides on their wedding day and asked me how they reacted or what they felt during that time. She was in a state of calm at that moment and wondered if that was normal...lol. I told her I was sure she would run the gamut of emotions leading up to "the walk" which will most likely result in her heart thumping in her chest!

Since I don't usually get asked a question too far off of what I am there for, I carried this thought home with me and reflected on it a bit more. I have been married for almost 19 years and I have only this advice to impart.... Savor all of it....Stop, enjoy, and reflect often on this day. It's hectic and can get away from you. Take time alone, laugh with friends, and revel in your beauty when you see yourself for the first time before you take that walk down the isle.... 

I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting all of my brides this Summer, you are such sweet girls! Many blessings to you in your marriage and in your life! Here's to the beautiful weddings of my Fall brides!

 

The Blossoming Bride

I'm blogging today because I'm feeling a little creatively stiffled....I have done quite a few weddings this year and I have had the pleasure of creating looks for some beautiful women. However, I feel the need to put out some information to all brides, who might not be aware of all the different makeup looks there are in within your grasp! 85% of women want the look of the smokey eye, while the other percentage want to get really creative, which I love and adore,  (i.e Rockabilly or Vintage brides). Don't get me wrong, the smokey eye is a fantastic look to emphasize your eyes, but let me introduce you to another look that has me so excited to do this season....The Blossoming Bride look!

When I think of this look, I think of outdoor weddings and photos amist Cherry trees, Lilac trees, and Orchards. This look is youthful, radiant, feminine and floral inspired!

Lets start with foundation...Airbrush! It's a light water based formula that sits on top of the skin for an absolutely flawless look that allows skin to breathe.

Lips: If you choose your lips as a focal point, make sure you are comfortable wearing the shade you choose. Don't choose red if you aren't extremely comfortable wearing red. Test out lip colors a few months before your wedding.You also don't want to choose a shade that your fiance has never seen you wear. I've heard a lot of men say they don't want their wife walking down the aisle looking like a stranger. Of course not, can you imagine the look on his face!  Wear them during a night out, or just around your house. You want to make sure you can rock the color you choose without feeling self-conscious and unsure about your choice.  If you choose this look, I suggest a pop of pink for a summer wedding. Nothing says summer like pink and there is a great pink shade created for every skin tone out there.

Eyes: Select eye shadows that look light and fresh! Such as soft pastels, delicate pinks, blues, light grey, white, or greens. When applying shadow, I would just apply a wash of your desired colour over eyelids and keep the application light. Liner should be kept close to the lash line to create definition.

 

Lashes are an absolute must! Enhancing your lashes will make your eyes stand out and make them look really pretty, whilst adding that feminine touch! I would use either a lightweight quarter strip lash or individual pieces, to enhance natural lashes, without making them appear too heavy.

This look is simply stunning and will be beautiful in your wedding photos... Whatever your makeup choice is, just know that a pre-trial is best if you are on the fence about choosing! Don't wait until the "day of", get with your makeup artist and discuss it! Please feel free to visit my board on Pinterest for some inspiration. http://pinterest.com/makeupninja/bridal-makeup/

 

Big lashes, Tangerine Lips, Peaches and Cream Skin, Oh My!

Adios Winter! Spring is here and I for one, couldn't be more pleased to say goodbye to my winter blues! I am excited to share with you a few of my favorite 2013 Spring Trends....



Coral and Tangerine lipstick are my favorite color hues for lips. It's a classy and sophisticated alternative to red. Wear the bold hue with a minimal eye and a paler coral with a smokey eye.

Lashes! I am a huge fan of trio lashes, three lash pieces on one strand. These blend in effortlessly with your natural lashes for a dramatic pump to a smokey or minimal eye makeup look.

Give any complexion a Peaches and Cream look with the right blush shade!

Fair skin with a warm undertone should use an apricot shade as an overall highlighter. A strong peachy yellow tint goes well with your coloring.

 

Fair skin with a cool undertone should use a peachy-pink color because it balances warmth. Try a whipped texture for a natural, flushed from within look.

 

Medium skin with a warm undertone should try an amber hue, which will make you glow. The mix of yellow, orange, and beige gives a subtle dimension to medium-warm skin.

Medium skin with a cool undertone will benefit from a balance of pink to achieve a subtle spring flush. Try a sheer tawny rose shade on the apples of cheeks.

Deep skin with a warm undertone could easily pull off a neon bright with their strong warm base and deep golden undetone. Choose a cream base formula for a luminous sheen.

Deep skin with a cool undertone needs an orange powder with a strong neutral base for their cooler skin tone that radiates tangerine tints. Keep it looking like a natural flush!

 Enjoy the warmer weather to come as we look forward to the summer trends!

To Prime or not to Prime

So....Your makeup slides off your face or disappears during the day. This is a common complaint I hear a lot! Are you using a primer? If you don't know what it means to prime your face, listen up... I'm about to make your day!

The 24 hour holding agent for your foundation, why not? We paint our nails, our house etc., why not our faces? When building a beauty regimen for ourselves, a face primer is often overlooked. Back in the day, makeup artists didn't have high tech primers that produced amazing effects such as refining our skin's texture, evening our skin's tone, or minimizing our pores.

When selecting a primer, think about what it is that your skin needs. Is it for photography or for everyday, with a bit of SPF? A primer with silicone is excellent for giving makeup that fresh look, but can show shiny spots in photography. If you have a color correcting issue like redness, opt for a color correcting primer with a green pigment, while a pink tint can liven up a dull complexion.

Whatever your foundation problem is, it's sure to be corrected with a primer suitable to your skin type. You will be so glad to know this come the hot humid months of summer!

Blah....January.

The only good thing about January for me is my sweet Momma's birthday. The weather we are having where I live is dreadful and the holiday spirit and glitter is all but erased. Yes people, I have the blahs....

This is suppose to be the new year and the start of new beginnings, I should be revived and joyful! Instead, two weeks into January and I have the winter blues. If you are with me, we need some mood enhancing beauty products to perk us up. Here are three products that have made me feel more like, maybe getting on my exercise bike? :)

I am starting with Aromatherapy, the smells of peppermint, grapefruit, and lemon can be inspiring and invigorating to say the least! I am currently trying John Frieda's root awakening to invigorate and energize, because let's face it, those are the key words here! This shampoo and conditioner gently cleanses your hair with a scent of peppermint and a slight cooling sensation. I would also suggest a visit to the Bath Junkie to create your own blend of inspiring scents.


Moving onto the category of dull and dry skin, try incorporating a lotion with some caffenine such as Jergen's Skin Firming Advanced Moisturizer. Nothing is worse than dull itchy dry skin! It's hard to believe that caffiene not only gives you energy, but can also diminish the look of fine lines and cellulite when used over time.

Lastly, a punch of color for my cheeks. Loreal Visible Lift cream blush in a peachy color that is infused with tourmaline pearls to bring about that radience that is lacking this time of year. It's a hybrid cream/ powder formula that won't settle into pores and fine lines, but rather gives you a flawless even tone.

I hope your moods will be lifted with anything you decide to try and keep in mind that Spring Break isn't too far off!

Tis the season for a red pout!

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Someone asked me if I buy a new red lipstick every season, of course I do! I am also constantly asked about how to choose the right shade of red for your skin tone, so here is a little direction in that area....

If you’re very fair with a porcelain or ivory complexion, you should go for sheer colors. 

If you wear a sheer red it could be warm or cool. You don't want to look gothic so you want something sheer so it’s a lot more wearable. Almost between a lipstick and a gloss.  Also for light skin tones if you’re going to go with the lipstick rather than a gloss, select a red shade with a blue undertone. A good way to test if your lipstick has a blue undertone is by marking on a plain white piece of paper to see if it has more blue, yellow or brown tints in it.

When you are medium-olive toned you can go a little cool and a little warm. A lipstick with a little yellow and blue combined is good. Many red colors have either a yellow undertone or just brown or blue. Medium skin tones can do all of the above! So lucky..:)

For darker skin tones, you need a darker, richer, burgundy red. A little of brown and yellow undertone. The problem with dark skin is a too blue undertone looks too pinky so you need a burgundy or brown base to it.

Far too often women miss out on wearing this wonderful shade for fear of picking the wrong color, I hope this helps, so you can have some very merry lips this season!

Golden Eye

Golden eye.... Sounds like a James Bond movie right? Not this time....It's the golden look carried over from summer, with a little kick that will warm up your holiday!

I have been obsessed with gold eyeshadow all summer and now it's time to take it into this season , but punch it up a little for a dramatic smokey look that's different from the traditional smokey eye. The key to this look is in smudging/ blending the liner!


Step

1. Prep and prime face

2. Sweep a velvety gold or bronze gold shadow from brow to lid. I use MAC shadow in Woodwinked because it's one of my favorites.                

3. Optional to take a medium brown shadow to the crease.

4. Take a darker brown like Urban Decay's Twice Baked Chocolate Brown and line upper and lower lash line.

5. Highlight your brow with a white shimmer shadow such as MAC Dazzelight.

6. Use a black liner to tightline your eyes for that added "pop!"

7. Coat with black mascara.

This is the look that will enhance any eye color and goes with just about any outfit for this season.

Tightlining

   
I just  love when I disover a new technique that changes my beauty routine...For me such a discovery was Tightlining, a technique to give you the illusion of a bigger, more natural eye... It's perfect when you want to give off that "not trying so hard" beauty vibe!

Tightlining is when you apply liner to your upper lash line, sort of like drawing roots on the underside of your upper lashes, right at the waterline to make your eyes stand out and give the illusion of fuller lashes and bigger eyes.

How To Tightline Eyes with Pencil or Gel Eye Liner

1.Using clean fingers, gently lift your lashes upward (this step is only necessary if you find it easier to tightline). You'll see tiny gaps between your lash hairs, which you'll be filling in with eye liner.

2.Using either a gel or pencil eye liner, lightly dab the eye liner in between each individual lash (as close to the root as possible), to fill in your lash line and make it look fuller. Start at the the inner and work to the outer corner of your eye.
3.To intensify the look, tightline your bottom lash line as well. It's the same concept as the top, but you'll be filling in the space between your lower lashes.

 

Tightlining is my favourite elegant ‘no makeup’ makeup look. For people who prefer nude makeup or light makeup, but still want to appear awake with deep eyes, tightlining is the way to go!

 

 

 

 

Bridal Makeup Breakdown: Bride Christine

My bride is gorgeous to begin with, but I love seeing how makeup transformed her into a more glamorous version of herself. I never want my bride to look like the makeup is wearing her. My pet peeves for bridal makeup is when the makeup is too caked on, the eye makeup and brows are too severe, and the lips are too over done.

The look of the day had a classic feel with warm tones to go with the exceptionally hot Tennessee heat wave! The makeup I chose for Christine had soft hues of gold, latte and chocolate that suited her skin tone very well.
 Here is a list of products I used to create her look on this most special day!

Face:
Airbrush Foundation in Natural Beige
Concealer in Light/Medium
Makeup Forever HD Setting Powder
MAC Blush in Blush Baby

Eyes/Brows:
MAC Brow Pencil in Coffee
MAC Dazzelight as a highlighter
Chanel Ombre Shadowlights in Chahut in crease
MAC Brun Satin eyeshadow on lid
MAC Eye Khol in Smolder to line eyes
Lancome Definicils Mascara in Blak
Andrea Individual Lashes

Lips:
MAC Nice'N' Spicy Lip Pencil Pro Longwear
MAC Viva Glam Lip in Angel
Hard Candy Mouthing Off Sheer Lip Shine in Sweet Treat

Brittany Connor Photography did a beautiful job of capturing the beauty of this bride!

Vibrant eyes... This ain't your Mother's eyeshadow!

I am loving the vibrant eyeshadow colors on the market by MAC, Sugarpill, and Medusa! They are perfect for summer, but blending is key!

 The most vibrant colors should stay closest to the lashline, fading as it reaches your eye's crease. Just know that all skin tones can't handle every color on the palette.There are some shades of eye shadow that will just work better on your skin than others. When you're shopping for eye makeup, choose colors that work well with your eyes and your skin color. Your eye shadow should make your eyes pop, but not overwhelm your skin tone. Blue shadows are great for blue eyes, and softer shades like purples and pink are fantastic on women with darker eyes and skin. If you have pink skin (as opposed to a yellow base), avoid pinks or purples.

To begin the appication, start with highlighting your brow with the lightest shade you want to use.
Since you will save the most vibrant color for next to the lashline, use a color a little lighter in the crease. For example, and vibrant blue at the lash line and a paler blue in the crease. Make sure you get the paler color all the way into the crease of your eye, as well as a little on top of the most vibrant color next to the lash line. To get rid of the line between the two shades of eye shadow, blend the two eye shadow colors together using your finger. Your eyes should pop!

If you decide to use vibrant eye shadow, the rest of your makeup has to be subtle. Your lip color should be relatively natural. Not only will this keep the attention on your eyes, but it will also prevent any of your makeup colors from clashing with your shadow. This is an intense trend in makeup and practise makes perfect, and not a clown face!

Pretty Pout

Lips are such a vital part of a women's appearance, maybe that's why women are rushing to the plastic surgeon for fillers....Before you go to the enhancement doc and come out looking like a Koi fish, try some simple techniques with lipstick/gloss and lip liner!

If thin lips are what's stressing you, trace a line just outside your normal lip line with a liner matching your lipstick. You are faking a line, so don't overdo it! Fill in with the lip liner and add gloss to the center of the lips to draw light and make lips appear fuller. Play up eyes and use a more neutral shade on lips.

If you have uneven lips, with one side fuller than the other or one lip is fuller than the other,  use concealer to balance them out. Trace lip line with liner so that the lips match up and then add lipstick in the same shade. Stay away from clear gloss as it may accentuate uneven lips. Instead, opt for a gloss in the same shade as lipstick.

If shapeless lips are getting you down, trace the "V" in the center of the top lip a little heavier when lining to emphasize it,  and then apply two coats of lipstick for durability.

If you are born with full lips, then flaunt it! A lipstain is gorgeous in all shades and lasts all day. Full lips are what we all want so use lipgloss for a natural look or leave it when using a deeper hue.... When applying makeup, feel free to down play eyes to draw attention to the beauty of your pout!

Just remember, if you feel the need to go get a filler, please don't go overboard and please be educated on the procedure! Or.....

Cat Eye

Cat eye makeup is making a huge comeback! Making up your eyes in this fashion adds to their appeal, and can make you look, mysterious, seductive and glamorous. While everyone would like to accomplish the art of  getting that feline look, it requires skill and the right techniques. A wrong step could lead to terrible results, and make you look like you were trying and it was an epic fail...and everyone knows....:)

Step 1: Use the tweezers to remove any eyebrow hairs that might stray in the way when you are working on your eye makeup. Once this is done, use concealer or foundation to minimize the presence of dark circle underneath. Everything should be clean to allow the liner to stand out.

Step 2: For a classic cat eye look, use a vanilla colored eyeshadow from brow to lid blending as you go.

Step 3: Start on your eyes with the eyeliner. Hold the outer end of your eyelid taut and with a steady hand, work your way from the inner eye towards the outer end of the eyelid. End the line by sweeping out and up slightly. Use the eyeliner to thicken the line that you have just drawn. If you do not have a steady hand, apply a few light dots with the eyeliner and then fill them in, smoothing out the dots as you go.

Step 4: Lashes!  Curl them with eyelash curlers so that there is more definition added to your eyes. Apply a few strokes of mascara, or if you have sparse lashes, add in some lash pieces. Recoat with mascara and use a little comb to take care of any clumps.

Step 5: Add the final touch by enhancing your eyebrows with an eyebrow pencil! This is such an important step in framing your face!

Why Makeup?

Throughout history women have used their imaginations to enhance their beauty when there was no such word as "makeup".  They used berry juice for blush and lipstick, as well as egg wash for foundation and even flour for powder. There are many reasons that women like to use makeup and the most important, is to feel more beautiful!  Makeup is a fantastic creation, invented to make a woman feel so much better about herself and how she looks when she sees her reflection in the mirror.

I, personally, do not go out in public without makeup on! Even if it's only some concealer, mascara, and lipgloss.... It's not because I don't feel good about myself, it's simply me, taking a little extra time to make myself feel more beautiful. So many women, (me included) have either the occasional blemish or even acne, and feel much better when they see it covered up. So, when we wake up in morning with a pimple or blemish on our face it's comforting to know that there is something out there that can camouflage it! 

When I apply makeup to a woman, I only enhance the beauty that is already there. It will bring out your top features and help hide those features you don't want to show to the world. Makeup can be used for a woman to create the desired look for any special occasion. Whether you are looking for a dramatic evening look, a sleek professional work look , a flawless look on your wedding day or even just a clean and fresh look. They all can be acheived with the correct application of makeup. Make yourself feel even more beautiful than you already are with what is on the market for us: makeup!  Or me, to help you put it on...:)

Easter Glam!

Pretty bonnets and patent shoes...Chocolate bunnies and plastic eggs...
As I focus on the day my Savior rose, in the back of my mind is also the question..."What's my Easter look gonna be?" Because I am a woman after all, and it is in our nature to put the "gussy" in gussying up for Easter!

Dress, check....Shoes, check...Makeup? I want a sweet, soft shimmery pastel look to go along with the feel of this holiday. Think, touches of iridescent powder or cream, applied to the high points of the face—namely, the cheekbones, temples and bridge of your nose.
Dusting of shimmery violet, pink, gold, or silver on lids with black liner for a touch of drama and "pop!" Blush in various shades of pinks and berries with lips that are rose hued or nude and glossy.

Fair skin is making a comeback, but there's something glam about a tan paired with the season's bright makeup colors. Warm up fair skin by dusting bronzer on your decolletage, along the hairline, and the hollows beneath your cheek bones.
Wearing a pretty Easter sun dress? Create the illusion of long, slender legs by reaching for sunshine-in-a-bottle (airbrush tanning for a perfect look) or a lotion with iridescent shimmer, down the front of your shins. The result is subtle, but sure to make your legs glow. Very important, don't forget the Easter pedicure. Play up your tootsies in shimmery, pastel colors or bright hues. I am on my way to get mine now!

Makeup and the Mature Gal

No matter what the age, when a woman sits down in my chair, she usually has to tell me everything she thinks is wrong with her. "It's hard out there for us who are not 20 anymore" or "why bother, I don't really wear makeup anyway", are things I hear alot. Insecurities don't just plague the over 30 set though. "I'm overweight because of stress", or "I have breakouts and freckles because"....
In your 50's sometimes you just give up, but you don't have to.... When doing a makeup on a mature bride recently, I took one look at her makeup bag contents (which was out of date) and realized that sometimes we need to be taught how to makeup ourselves up each decade of our lives...

If people are reintroduced to themselves and shown how they can look at 40, 50, 60, they get a new sense of excitement! When I light up a woman's eyes with color, or camouflauge some flaw that they have been looking at for the past 20 or so years, they are amazed and they start to see themselves differently. Just looking good is the name of the game and anyone can learn to play, with shaped brows, defined lips, and a  balanced out skin tone. Please don't feel like you have to resort to drastic measures to feel good about yourself, like surgery. We both know that those procedures can put you one step away from "the crazy face club!" Try things like exercise, drinking lots of water, and eating a clean healthy diet. So you have fine lines, so what? Embrace your good points and play them up! Being over 40 is not a negative thing anymore....Things are changing!

Bridal Makeup Looks: Part 3

For the bride that just can't do the other choices, the neutral look is for you! Who knew such mellow makeup application could be so stunning! Neutral makeup with just a "pop" of pink, peach, or bronze is perfect for those laid back summer weddings. Add a touch of shine on tops of cheekbones and a little under eyes to bring out radiance. Play up neutral eyes with false eyelash pieces, while tightlining between lashes and lid to create some drama. Last use a soft lipstick or gloss to top of this easy, fresh look!

Bridal Makeup Looks: Part 2

If smokey eyes are just not your thing, maybe classic is more your taste! Classic Old Hollywood: This is a gorgeous look that never goes out of style and one of the easiest to re-create. It's all about defined brows, flawless skin, bold lips, and flirty eyes. I would suggest that you check with your groom if you just have to have those red lips. He might not be so excited to have his wedding kiss show up all over his mouth! Your foundation should last long and not look powdery or caked on. Your skin should look radiant and fresh and not shiny and oily looking. For wedding makeup I recommend, of course, Airbrush Makeup!

Bridal Makeup Looks: Part 1

To be or not to be, the smokey eyed, classic, or neutral bride is a question that is often put on the back burner during wedding planning. Therefore, on the day of their wedding, many brides, and also bridesmaids, elect to continue their standard daily makeup style because they often fear branching out and looking too different or having their makeup appear caked on.
My favorite is the smokey eye for the wedding day makeup. It's a step away from the normal routine. It is quite versatile, and can be romantic, formal, sultry, playful, and even sometimes surprisingly natural. Though it has the reputation for being dramatic, when applied correctly, it can be extremely elegant and help enhance the bride’s underlying beauty.

Keep the lip color neutral to make the eyes pop and stand out among all else. It will draw the focus in on the eyes while keeping the rest of the makeup much more subtle and natural.  This technique looks amazing in photos and makes eyes "pop!".  There are varying levels of shading, and it is usually best to keep the darkest for evening weddings. I usually choose from either a charcoal or chocolate smokey eye, but don't be afraid to play it up with colors like green or deep purple. What ever your color choice is, you can't go wrong with this look!

Makeup and your wedding photos

Makeup plays a huge part in walking away with flawless wedding photos! Hiring a professional who is skillfully trained in makeup application ensure that shine areas, smudges, and unnatural shadows are avoided. Makeup after all hides those problem areas we all have; under eyes, cheeks, and lips. If these areas are ignored, it will show in photographs and in turn, make us look aged in the photos.

Down the road, when the wedding is a happy memory, your pictures and videos will be the momentos from that most special day.  Makeup artists are familiar with how the camera reads and translates various colors. The cost of a professional makeup artist is modest in comparison to the cost of a look you don't like, captured forever by the camera....

Have you ever noticed how hair and makeup really do improve a person’s appearance on camera?
Granted, not everyone wants to look like they are wearing a lot of makeup, that is why it's important to find a pro whose style you like. Be sure you are able to convey your ideas to them, and don’t be afraid to let them know if anything doesn't sit well with you. Any true professional will not take your criticism personally, they are only trying to make you happy as well as accomplish the look you are going for.

Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your entire life. Most brides dream about this day from the time they are little girls until the actual day itself. You find the perfect man, the perfect dress, the perfect style, and now it’s time to find the perfect bridal makeup look!

I hadn't seen a particular friend in a while, and when I did, she had a weird suprised look on her face. Upon further study I finally realized, that her eyebrows were higher than the McDonald's arches. The way she plucked her brows was just wrong on so many levels. Don't let your brows convey the wrong message about what you are feeling! If you are not already going to a professional to get waxed or threaded, let me help you with the proper way to groom your brows.

 1.) Cleanse skin with a washcloth and warm water. If you are worried about pain, you can use baby Oragel.

2.) Brush eyebrows out with the comb end of your brow brush

3.) Sit under natural light or a bright light with a good mirror or magnifying glass.

4.) Make sure your tweezers are a good pair with the slanted ends.

5.) Start tweezing...Tweeze hair in the direction they grow in, being careful not to pluck to many at one time.

6.) Never tweeze above the brow. I start in the middle of my eyes or (the Unibrow area), then move to clean up the beginning area of the brow.

7.) The best brows have a slight arch, think (Megan Fox)!  To find yours, take a long eyeshadow brush or pencil and hold it parallel to the outside edge of the iris, or the colored part of the eye. Where the brush meets the brow is where the highest part of your brow should be. Tweeze the hairs underneath the arch.

8.) The unibrow area should be equal to, or a little wider than, your eyes. To find  out where your brow should go, take the brush or pencil and hold it parallel to the side of your nose. Where the brush meets your brow is where your brow should begin. Tweeze the hair in between.

Step back every so often to see your progress. If you over pluck, there is nothing you can do, and the hair may not grow back like the hair on the rest of your body. Soothe with aloe gel after if you have redness. Fill in where nessecary with an eyebrow pencil when applying makeup. Your brows are a very imortant part of your look, they are the picture frame to the picture!