Hello There Bright Eyes!

How do I make my iddy bitty eyes look bigger?

I semi-covered this on my previous post "Look Refreshed sans Sleep this Holiday Season!" but at your request, I am now writing about it in more detail.

To open your eyes up a bit, use either a white, or light beige/cream colored liner on your inner, lower lash line. This will also help camouflage any redness you may have from the lack of sleep.

With your usual eyeliner & mascara-black, brown, etc.-only line the top lash line. This will take the attention away from your red or puffiness on the bottom of your eyes and make your eyes look more awake and open.

Whatever eye shadow you use, make sure to steer clear of reddish hues such as pinks and purples; these will bring out the redness in your eyes and make them look puffy or teary.

Any other questions? Just leave them in the comments section below, thanks a bunch!

The Beauty in Indian Makeup & Accessories

In the spirit of adorning (and adoring) ourselves with beautiful jewels and clothing, we see the Indian clothing, headpieces, and accessories as a trend this summer as well! 

They show us the beauty and elegance that the culture brings and an inspiration that we can all use. For me, these pieces inspire a “take no prisoners” approach to makeup. Doesn't mean we need to overdo it, just add flair and not be shy about it.  

While the rest of you makeup can be just as stunning, the eyes are the main focus for creating this look. Colors that can be used for your eyeshadow are turquoise, coral, bronze/burnt orange, gold and even reds and purples. 

Kohl liner should be used around the rim of your eyes to emphasize the look, followed by dark mascara and lashes for that extra “Umph!” 

Depending on the eyeshadow that you use, you can either match your lips (for example, purple or red) or do a golden hue to compliment the look.  Finish off your look with a bronzer or coral blush to tie it all together.

Whatever look is your style; these are definitely empowering styles that can be pulled off with a good dose of confidence!

The 60's!

The period between prim & proper ideals of the ‘50s and saucy sexiness that was the ‘70s. Such a time of growth and experimentation and , as it always is with self expression, makeup was no exception.

To bring this look to life, we begin with  Eyes and create the Doe-eyed effect. Soft and innocent with that flirty kitten edge. Begin  by using light eyeshadow-such a blue, pink, or even white-as your base. add dimension by creating a high crease with a darker eyeshadow. 

This is usually done with so shade of black and to create this look with a modern twist, you can use a liner-liquid or pencil-to make it more dramatic. If you want a softer look, you can use either a brown or a soft black as the eye shadow. 

Line the inside of your eye with a white pencil to make your eyes look bigger and brighter and finish off by adding a flirty, "come hither" lash! 

On your cheeks, the color should be a "barely there" soft pink. The shade will depend on your skin tone and it should be applied  on the apples of your cheeks. Do this by smiling to find the apples of your cheeks and blending the blush out towards your temples. 

Finish up your look by using pale, soft pink lipstick with a bit of gloss. Your groovy look is now ready! Hope you enjoyed reading this!

Peace & Love!

DIY Smokey Eyes

The illusive smokey eye. Seems so easy to do, after all, it's usually just one color right? So why do we have such a hard time attaining it on our own? Here are my tips on how to create this look for yourself and look like one smoldering lady.

After applying your foundation and cleaning up your eyebrows...

• Apply primer (or concealer in lieu of primer) on your eye lids
• Highlight your upper lid near your eyebrow arch
• Use black eye liner pencil and apply on lower lid so that it covers it entirely. (this helps the eye shadow stick to your lid & maintain the color)
• Using black eyeshadow and a flat brush, pat the shadow over the lower lid.
• Once you have done this, use a round blending brush and blend out the eyeshadow between your top and lower lid to create a seamless fade.
• Using a smaller brush, smudge black eye shadow under your eyes (careful with fallout)
• Optional - Finish by highlighting the inner corners of your eye with either your highlighter or using a high pigment shade (gold, shimmered black shadow, etc.)

Also worth mentioning, smokey eyes can be created in ANY COLOR! So be creative now that you know the technique-possibilities are endless!

Did you try this out yet? Let me know how it worked out for you!

My first published article With Avant Garde Magazine

Hello there! Recently I had the honor of having an article published in Avant Garde Magazine, along with getting my work on their cover for their June issue!

I was super excited to see it and thought I would share just a bit of what I wrote about so here it goes:
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Avant Garde Magazine
Have you seen the new movie Great Gatsby yet? Even if you haven't-I haven't, but did read the amazing
book-you know that it’s out in theatres and is definitely making a statement. The makeup & hair that
are featured in the film are amazing and will be an inspiration for summer looks.
 

Accessories for your hair should include scarves, cute headbands, and head slides (think super cute
bobby pins). These are fun and easy to use accessories whether you have long or short hair. You can
create the looks by curling your luscious locks or maybe putting your hair up in a loosely-formed bun.
If your hair is short, all you need to do is straighten it and apply an accessory of your choice.

Makeup may be minimal, but a red lip always makes a statement to match the sizzling nights of
summer. To create the look, black liquid liner should be applied to the eyes. You can make your eyes
dramatic by wearing a smoky eye or for a “Day” wear, simply use a nude or barely there eye shadow.
To match those crimson lips, opt for a pink or berry color blush and voila! You are now a Gatsby girl!

Enjoy the magazine and take your pick on the outfits and accessories to create your own Great Gatsby
look!

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If there is anything you want to read about or maybe just dying to know how to create a certain look, let me know!

Beach Waved Hair

I created this look for one of my clients this past weekend and it looked so good on her that I decided to do it on myself. Now, I have short hair which is just now starting to grow so it didn't look quite like hers, but if you have hair shoulder length or longer, you should be able to create this look on yourself. And the bonus? If it's messy or not perfect, that's even better!

This is the look we used as her "inspiration". The lovely Blake Lively. The second is my hair so you can see the comparison.




So here it is! You will need a wand or a curling iron, about 1inch or so, some clips to part and pull your hair back, and some shaping hair spray (which you can get at your usual hair supply stores).

Start by sectioning off your hair. I start at the bottom and work my way up. Grabbing a small chunk of your hair, start at the root of your hair and wrap it around the curling iron. If you are using a curling iron, you will not need to open up the clamp.

Note-The strand should not be wider than the barrel of your wand/curling iron.

As you are wrapping the hair, twist the hair strand simultaneously so its nice and tight. Wrap the hair all the way and hold the ends with your fingers. PLEASE be careful not to burn yourself. Even if the ends of your hair don't get curled, don't worry about it. This look is meant to be messy and by no means perfect, so that should be fine. If you are worried about burning yourself anyway (I have done it myself), there are gloves that are made for using hair tools which really help.

Repeat this step until you finish curling your entire hair. Let it cool down and then run your fingers through it as a comb to undo the curls. Keep doing this until you get the right "wave" that you desire.

Once you have done this, spray in a little shaping hair spray (shaping spray lets your hair move and not become stiff while holding the style). I usually flip my hair to give it more volume and that added 'tude.

And now you are done! Please let me know if you try this and how it worked out for you. If you have questions or comments, please post them here for all to learn as well! Thanks a bunch!

Spring is in the Air!

Now that Spring is inching closer, we can start thinking about all the fun, bright colors for the season. The inspiration for this season is the beautiful flowers that are growing all around us. Subtle makeup lovers have the option of wearing soft pinks, corals, and lavender hues. If you are more extravagant with your makeup, you may opt for bright emeralds, fuchsia, or reds.

Because colors will be so subtle, it is important that you have a close to flawless looking canvas (your pretty face!). Make sure that you are taking time to wash, exfoliate when needed and hydrating your face. Once you have done this, apply your foundation and set it with powder. You are now ready to contour and highlight! (for tips on how to do this, check out this post)

For your eyes, you can chose corals, blues, pinks or greens. Whatever color you are working with, I recommend the ‘less is more’ approach. This doesn’t mean you can’t be bold; your look should just maintain a feel of airiness. Start out with an eye primer; if you do not have one, you may use your concealer to create a base for the shadow to stick to. Apply your eyeshadow lightly and then work up the color to your desired hue. An added gold or pearlized shadow on the inner corner of your eyes will also create an immediate pair of bright eyes. If you are just doing bold liner (top only), then use a light nude eyeshadow as the background for it. Lashes are great accents and really make your eyes pop!

For your lips, you should go bold with orange, corals! This is a great look and goes well with every skin tone. If you would rather go a bit mellowed out, you can still have fun with the colors and opt for raspberry, light pink/peach shades instead. Whatever color you decide on, wear it proud! For a quick plumper-upper, dab on some highlighter to your cupid’s bow and right under the center of your bottom lip.

Finally, bronzers or light peachy/pink colors for your cheeks will do the trick for creating a fresh, Spring look. To make sure you don’t overdo it on your cheeks, here is a quick trick. Once you have applied it, squint your eyes while looking in the mirror. Your blush should barely be visible  to you; if you can see it clearly, then you may need to dab some off.

Please send me your comments and pictures about this post; I would love to hear from you! Thanks for reading!

Should Men Wear Makeup?

Question asked by a friend of mine and I must admit, I had to ponder it for a bit.

For TV, music videos, photo shoots, the answer you get from me is a definite YES. We all have something that needs a little touch up here and there and by no means are men different as far as the camera is concerned (sorry guys). 

But should men wear makeup as part of their day-to-day?

I think this becomes a question of personal preference. If you are going to do this gentlemen, please follow these instructions to help you do it the right way. After all, why should women be the only ones who get to look flawless? Unless you are going for drag or rock star makeup, the key is subtly in applying it. Great men’s makeup is one that no one can tell it’s there. A one on one training with me or any makeup artist is class is a great way to learn the basics, but until you come see me, here are some quick tips:

Start by covering any blemishes, purplish under eye circles, or red splotches with a green undertone. Green cancels out the redness and irritation on your skin. Be sure to blend this out really well.

Next, cover these areas with a light cream based foundation, matching your skin tone as close as possible. I prefer to not use a concealer on men, as it has a tendency to show more than foundation. If your skin tends to be dry, the concealer will also cause your flaws to show more than it actually hides. Blend this very well! If you use too much foundation or it is not properly blended, it will show! I would recommend investing in a duo fiber brush such as the one shown below. This will help maximize blending and minimize your risk of an uneven application.

To create an even skin tone, cover your entire face with a very small amount of foundation and again BLEND, BLEND, BLEND. You can dab the foundation onto your face with the brush and then blend. The key is for it not to show.

Afterward, apply a bit of loose powder on the nose and forehead if needed to set the foundation. Don't forget any shinny or oily areas. As a finishing touch, go over your lips with chap stick, which will bring out you natural lip color

If you have questions on this or would like a one-on-one training session, please feel free to contact me. All comments and feedback are welcomed!

Contouring & Highlighting: finding the balance between dewy and too shiny

 

What is a great illuminator to make your skin look dewey and glow without looking too shiny?

There are many different types of illuminators out there and while many work great, it is also important to know how to apply them. The two that I use are bareMinerals READY luminizer (The Love Affair) which is a powder and Stila All Over Shimmer (*3) which is a liquid.

I apply the powder once I have applied my foundation, set it with translucent powder. The chart below shows where you should highlight and contour as well. NOTE: It is important not to overdo this as it will make you look shiny and overdone. Your skin should look slight shaded (when you contour) or highlighted and not obviously done. Blend, blend, blend! I use a brush, similar to this one for both highlighting and contouring, though the size of the highlighting brush is slightly smaller.

Ways to test if you are on the right track: 1) With a mirror and good lighting, turn your face side to side; you should be able to see a hint of glow and no more than that. 2) Take a picture on your phone and review it; this should show you how you will look in the sun or in front of cameras.

The liquid illuminator will be tested the same way but application is slightly different. You can apply it over your foundation, making sure only to this in the appropriate areas (see chart). If you happen to overdo it and do not want to take all of your makeup off, simply go over the areas with a small amount of your foundation. Once this si done, set your entire face with a light layer of translucent powder. You may also use the liquid foundation on your entire face for an all over glow by mixing a small amount of the illuminator with your foundation. Follow this with a light layer of translucent powder.

When you highlight, you will also need to contour to balance out your face. When contouring, you should opt for a color that is two shades darker than your foundation and no more than that.  You can use bronzer, contouring powder, or even eyeshadow (yes, that’s right!). You can also use darker foundation, but I find that powder gives you more control over the application. Using our handy dandy chart again, those would be the areas to contour. Not everyone needs to contour every single area that is shown and some areas might be trickier than others so I recommend at least doing your cheeks and under your chin/throat area. It would be a good idea to consult with an artist (like me) on a one-on-one consultation to figure out what your needs are and teach you personalized applications.

Follow these steps and you will be a glowing goddess, ready to conquer the world! Please share your comments when you try this out; I would love to hear from you!

Texturizing Hair Spray; Is it for you?

What does texturizing hairspray do? How does it help when styling hair?

Texturizing hair spray helps you create volume and lets you style hair without making it flaky or too stiff that you can't mold it to your liking.

For example, if you want the beachy hair look, you could use texturizing hairspray to create the look without it losing the style (but still manageable). I have short hair right now with a sharp long edge towards the front. I love using texturizing hairspray to add volume and give it the "messy" look.

 

Have any additional questions? Let me know!