Yikes....Where have I been???

My apologies that I have been out of touch lately. This lil gal has been keeping me super busy but I love being her new mommy.  I am working on my X mas favorites...coming soon!

Amazing purse find at Disneyland!

So I have just returned from the happiest place on earth and I have to share with you my recent find. I have been a fan of the Harvey's seat belt bag for a while but when I saw the custom Disney line I was hooked! Made of seat belts and handcrafted in Santa Ana, California, this company has it all! Cool, durable bags that are sure to please everyone. I found one that pays tribute to Tim Burton's A Nightmare before Christmas.It's the Lola bag. 

Find your favorite today...http://www.seatbeltbags.com/nightmare-before-christmas.html

Beauty Books To Hone The Craft

As I mentioned in a previous post, I celebrated my birthday in September. A few of the gifts I received were beauty/makeup books. They are chock full of tips tricks and suggested tools to get your glam on. One of my faves is from celebrity makeup artist Bobbi Brown. Her Makeup Manual is geared for anyone who desires to learn more tips and tricks ranging from the everyday makeup user to the pro artist. She has basic tutorials with wonderful photos and she even gets into details regarding Pro Makeup Artist kits and creating a business as an artist.  

One of my other favorite artists is the late Kevyn Aucoin.  He was a brilliant master of make up and the beauty industry lost a genius way too soon. His captivating transformation of celebrities and everyday ladies makes us gape in awe of how he can transform a face and bring out the beauty of a woman.  In his book, Making Faces he delves into some of his secret tricks for using makeup like an artist with paint to a canvas. I highly recommend this book for beauty fanatics like myself. 

Both of these books can be found online or at larger bookstores. I have spent many hours pouring over these two books and others as well. For those of you who love the TV show, What Not To Wear, Carmindy also has a great book that showcases her talents and tricks. Also, make up artist Jemma Kidd whose makeup line can be purchased at your local Target store has a book that is similar to Bobbi Brown's in that it can be used as a tutorial guide for even the novice makeup user. Whomever your muse may be there a so many endless possibilities with makeup. I find myself mixing and matching colors and textures all the time. Trial and error is one of the best ways to learn. Please feel free to share your favorite artists and tips.

Birthday Beauty Haul

This past week I celebrated my 30 something party with a girls shopping spree. I had so much fun browsing the cosmetic counters in San Francisco. I made a bee line for Inglot and purchased a ton of products for only $200.00. MAC lovers out there please please please check out Inglot because you can purchase twice the amount of goodies at the same high quality for half the cost. They have every shade of shadow and lipstick you could ever want and can actually take home because it won't break the bank. :) Below are some pics of my goodies. I made two Freedom palettes and picked eye shadows and lip glosses. The Freedom systems come in many configurations and can be built any way you like them. Love purples... then load up these shadow cases with your favorite shades of eggplant to royal purple. Or want to create a natural eye kit? Then just select the shadows you want and the Freedom system shadows pop right into the metalic case. It's super easy and they have matte shadows and frosted and evertything in between. 

I added greys and coppers to my eye shadow kit

I kept my lip kit neutral ranging from peachy pink to mauve

Chanel Rouge Allure 105 Inimitable and Lip Definer Rouge Profond 57

While I was shopping I purchased a hot red lipstick from Chanel and their Premier Regard new shadow quad. A subtle yet very elegant look for a special night out. I have yet to fins a red that looks good on me but this one had a slight orange undertone that surprisingly looked really nice on my fair skintone.

Other goodies I found while out and about... Laura Mercier's Merlot lipstick. The perfect fall shade that looks great on a variety of skin tones.

Inglot's AMC 541 iridescent gloss and sparkle shimmer in silver and silver purple.

And finally...... An illuminator that can be used mixed or over your foundation for an ethereal glow. This was my most prized find as I have yet to find one that really works. Highlighters are just too strong but this gives the glow without the heavy reflection. All in all the trip was a success and I had an amazing time.  Great birthday memories.

Inspiration....Fall hair color shades

Jazz up fall with some of these hot color trends.... Who says your color can't match the season.

Edgy

Retro

Romantic

Modern

Review: Urban Decay's Naked Skin Foundation

I am in love with a liquid foundation again. I never thought it would happen but it has.  Urban Decay's Naked Skin Foundation goes on light but is buildable for a creamy smooth and moisturized feel that doesn't lead to shine. Wow! That was a long sentence. But seriously, I have tried and tried liquid foundations and I always go back to mineral powder. Some are too cakey, some are too greasy, some are just simply the wrong shade. Not Urban Decay. They even have a shade selector in the store to help you find your perfect match. All you have to do is hold the transparent tester up to your face. Each shade goes up 1/2 point. When you find the one that looks like your skin or blends in completely, you have found your match.

It is easy to apply, I have been using fingers but a sponge would work well too. Even a foundation brush and just smooth it in. I love the non greasy feel while my skin is still full of moisture and never cakey. Check it out at your local Urban Decay counter today. :) Happy Shopping. www.urbandecay.com

Good Girl Gone Bad

Ready to rock this wild look. Then arm yourself with a black shadow such as Urban Decay's oil slick or MAC's Carbon. Line eyes inside and out with a waterproof black liner and smoke out the black shadow just slightly above your crease. But how do you get that wet look you may ask?  Very simple, pick up MAC's Pro Longwear gloss coat. This non sticky gloss gives your eyes a wet look that adds that extra edge that shadow cannot give you alone. Bam! You are ready to slip into that Little Black Dress and indulge your bad girl side.

Coming Soon in October.... MAC and Marilyn

MAC's new muse is none other than Marilyn Monroe. Grab your handbags and head for your nearest store to bask in the retro glow... Here is a sneek peek of these fabulous colors.

Makeup Artist tricks

Making up my sister for her birthday party;photo courtesy of Kurt Gonsalves, KMG Design

I had a recent opportunity to work a charity fashion show event this past week. It was fast paced and a lot of fun. Granted it was by no means runway work but you do have to be fast and able to transition from one client to the next. This means having plenty of clean brushes, and multiple products on hand for every skin tone shade and skin type. It can be challenging to address the client in the chair in a matter of minutes but it's the part I love the most. The clean slate that lies before me is like a canvas to an artist.

Some of the tricks and tips I use when making up a face are ones I have learned from other artists and some I have created along the way. As Plato said.."Necessity is the mother of invention." 

Foundation woes...Blend multiple foundations together for the perfect match. If you have a couple of shades that work well with your complexion but just aren't perfect on their own then blend to get your true match. Some foundations have more yellow undertones or pink undertones. Blend a couple and test it on your jawline to find your perfect fit. You can blend using a painters palette or on the back of your hand. When you pat in makeup with your fingers the oils in your skin help to set the make up. I often use the back of my hand to mix eye shadow shades or to remove some from my brush. When applying dark shadows either place a tissue under the eye to catch the fallout or add some translucent powder under the eye. It can be brushed away with a face brush once the eye makeup is complete.

Lip gloss or lipstick is the right hue but too strong... You can apply the shade you like lightly and apply a clear gloss over it to set. Or you can mix a neutral shade with the color to tone it down. I have also been applying pigments over gloss shades to add a shimmer dimension. Or you can just line and fill your lips in with a lip pencil. Add clear or tinted gloss and your lip color is complete.

Cream eyeshadows make a wonderful base... You can use them alone for a quick look or add powder shadow and enhance the look in a more multi dimensional way.  Also MAC Cosmetics makes an amazing clear gloss coat that can be applied to bare or made up skin. This can be applied to the eyes without stickiness to give your shadow a wet or patent like shine. Works great with smokey eyes! I love using large palettes and blending and mixing depending on tones. Such as cool and warm. The result is muti tonal and it adds depth to the eye area.

Highlight & Contrast... Highlighting with pigments or creams is a great way to bring parts of the face forward or back. Back by minimizing them such as contouring the jawline and nose or highlighting by bringing the cheekbones forward. The play with light and dark really adds depth to your look and can slim your face and add interest.

Most importantly...Keeping brushes clean. I always always always wash all my brushes before any session. For stubborn dark shadows and liners on brushes use a little olive oil to break down the product. Pour the oil on a paper towel and swirl the brush around. Then follow with dish detergent and warm water. Make sure you do not get the brush handles wet as they can corrode and separate over time. Lay the brushes flat to dry and once dry you can squirt the handles with Rubbing Alcohol. If I need to do a quick clean in between I use Sephora's anti bacterial brush cleaning spray and 91% rubbing alcohol. I hope you have enjoyed these tips and trick and I have more to share.

Pigment tips and tricks

 I have been so busy with family engagements and preparations for my son's school, that I have been kept away from my blog lately. But I was able to play around the other day with some new eye shadows, pigments, and glosses tucked away in my kit. What I discovered from my own experimenting and from tips and tricks of others it that the possibilities are endless. I had the fortune of picking up a couple of Illamasqua pigments in Fuore and Beguile and they are amazing. Not only to they do triple duty but I bet I can find two or three other uses as well. 

 How many of you are completely bored with the shadows and lipsticks/glosses in your kit at the moment? My easy suggestion is to pick up one of these pigments and begin experimenting. It's like opening up a whole new kit of colors and special effects. You can use these pigments over eyeshadows, over lip colors, along the apples of your cheeks or around your eye area/temples for an ethereal glow or in the corners of your eyes for an extra pop of brightness.  Mix them with a little Vaseline and use them on your eyelids to give your lids a shiny glossy look. My favorite is adding a few pats of pigment over lip gloss. I use it to highlight the cupids bow of my mouth. It leaves your mouth with a nice nude lip and adds a pop of shine.  Here is a picture of how highlighting can add a whole new dimension to your overall look.  Highlighting your brow bone opens up your eyes and makes the color of your eyes more prominent. Highlighting the inner corners of your eyes gives you a more awake look. Highlighting your cheeks and around your eyes gives you a soft focus effect or "glow" around your face and highlighting your lips and the top of your lips or cupid's boy makes your lips appear fuller and attracts light to them making them shine and gives your face a nice glow.  You don't have to spend a fortune on pigments. These retail for $24.00 from Sephora.com but you can find some browsing your local drugstore. Look for shiny peach or silver colors. Loreal HIP had a few shadows last season that were perfect for highlighting.  Don't be shy and start mixing and experimenting. Remember, if you aren't happy with your first blend then try again. You are bound to find your perfect combination.

Highlighting adds dimension to your face and hides imperfections

ILLAMASQUA Fuore Pure Pigment

ILLAMASQUA Beguile Pure Pigment

ILLAMASQUA Beguile Pure Pigment

INGLOT AMC 251 Gloss

Smokey eyes and nude lips

I know, I know, what you are thinking. Oh so Kim Kardashian, but I just can't help it. Urban Decay has me so excited I can hardly wait for fall! Their Smoked Palette has been sending shivers up my spine and I need to get my hands on it stat! I have been settling for Benefit's Creaseless Creme Eyeshadow and liner in Strut to get me by in the meantime. Today I paired Strut with a Nars duo Tzarine and the result was a grey smokey haze. With my eyes so dark I opted for a very naked pout so I lined my lips in MAC's Naked liner and used Stila's Kitten lip gloss for added shine. I love the look of dark mysterious grey eyes and grey always make my blue eyes pop. Some of my other recent faves have been mixing the darker shades in Urban Decay's Naked and Naked 2 palette. Just be sure to stick to 2 to 3 shades or they will get lost on the lid. Too much mixing and you loose the allure of the shades.

Benefit Creaseless Creme Shadow and Liner in Strut

MAC Naked Lipliner

Stila Lip Gloss in Kitten

Wedding Makeup Day!

I had the honor of making up my beautiful friend Laura and her sisters for her big day last Friday.  I was so excited that I could hardly sleep the night before. Armed with my espresso and make up kit I got to work and lived in the moment that morning. Because Laura's wedding was being held outdoors and in high heat I knew I had to select a virtually bullet proof no shine make up. After much deliberation we went with Lancome's Teint Idole Ultra 24 hour in the fairest shade. 

Find at Sephora

I was able to use this for all the girls however, her twin had just come back from a beach vacation and had a gorgeous tan so I mixed the fair with a warmer shade to get the perfect blend. I am happy to say it stayed on all day and wore beautifully throughout the night. I used Bobbi Brown's gel liner in espresso ink and Dior show waterproof mascara. Laura wanted a natural eye so we opted for Dior's Nude Pink. It was perfect and I even amped up the pink with a tad of lavender from the Nars, Charade shadow duo. Just to give a slight accent to add to her bouqet. We went with Lancome's Rouge in love lipstick in Lasting Kiss and I used a nude lip pencil from Lancome to define her lip line. On her cheeks I wanted her to have a rosy glow so I patted on some cheek butter from Korres and they I finished it off with Tarte's blush in exposed. I highlighted the inner corners of her eyes with Illamasqua's pure pigment in static and used a fan brush around her eyes and the top of the cheekbone to add a bit of an ethereal glow. Here is a picture just after we finished with hair and makeup. Keep in mind we did makeup at 10 am and the wedding was at 5pm. So as the day went on and the lighting changed her cheeks and lip shades settled a bit.

Beautiful Laura

Lancome in Lasting Kiss

Korres Cheek Butter in Philla Rose

Tarte Blush in Exposed

Nars shadow in Charade

Brand to know....Korres

Known as Greece's fastest growing natural skincare company. Korres products can be found online and at Sephora stores.  Centuries ago, Greeks discovered the medicinal value of some of their native flora and began to explore their use as natural healing remedies.  Two decades ago, George Korres, pursuing his passion for natural homeopathic remedies, embarked on a journey that within a few years led to the founding of the KORRES brand.

I picked up a couple of their products today and I can hardly wait to give them a try.

I picked the neutral pink beige of this product

Korres Cheek Butter in Philla Rose-warm pink

Urban Decay's Smoked Palette

 Making the rounds at my local Sephora I stopped in my tracks when I spotted this lil baby. I love a smokey eye so this was a showstopper for me. All of these smokin shades are packed into a cool black zippered case. Check out these shades below and imagine the endless possibilities. Or just use the 12 hot look book inside the kit created by a pro makeup artist. $49.00 at Sephora or Urban Decay online.

The King of the Gel Liners

Looking for an all day... long wearing.... no tearing... sensation. Then Bobbi Brown has you covered. In fact this liner is sooo good that it won the Martha Stewart Wedding Award for the best gel eyeliner.  Pick up the gel lining brush from Sephora and you are set! Line all around your eyes for a dramatic look, or just on the top into the lash line to add definition to your lashes or perhaps try the every popular half line from the middle of your eye to the outer corner and all below. Or if you are feeling really daring draw on a winged liner look. Whatever your choose you will be happy you trusted your eyes to Bobbi for a no smudge no budge gel.

My first foray into theater...

I recently had the opportunity to provide the makeup design for a local theater company's upcoming production. Needless to say I jumped at the chance to create the looks. I spent the weekend with my makeup case and tools in hand thinking of concepts for each look for the various characters. What a fabulous time I had! Then, yesterday I presented my designs to the actors, director and producer.  I will return to complete the looks with the actors and do a makeup application later in rehearsals. Here are a few of my face charts and ideas that I presented yesterday. The theme was tacky intense makeup so you can imagine how fun this was.  Therefore, the makeup was heavy and full of color. I can hardly wait to see the finished looks during the show. I promise to post pictures.

Thinking about fall 2012...

As I was perusing August's issue of InStyle magazine I was blindsided with the fact that it's already time to start thinking about Fall 2012. Just when I got used to the warm 80 degree days I realized that my happiest time of the year is just around the corner. I am definitely a fall girl. Some of my most fond memories are of going school shopping with my mom at the mall when I was younger. I say fond because those days are long gone by over 20 years. Back then it was a struggle and argument to have to choose between my favorite Esprit and Benetton sweaters. Yes, I was a preteen of the 80's. Of course I wanted all of them. When I finally whittled my selection to a reasonable amount and brought home my goodies I had to painstakingly wait months before the weather cooperated enough to allow me to actually wear these colorful gems of yarn without suffering from a heat stroke. I can remember how I dog eared my favorite pages of Elle magazine and dreamed that the miniskirt I just purchased would drape as glamorously over my awkward thighs and butt as it did on the models who graced the pages of the magazine. Hey, a girl can dream....  

When I begin thinking about current fall trends that have been across the runways and in the minds of the hottest designers and stylists I wanted to focus on a few of my favorite emerging trends. One of my favorites is the Burgundy lip. For years bright red lips have been a signature look for many top models. But it seems for me, no matter how many shades I have tried I just feel like I can't rock a bright red lip.  Enter Burgundy... It's bold but not to harsh, it can be played up or played down depending on how you apply it. You can go all out and apply it with a lip brush right from the tube or keep it light by mixing it with a matte lip gloss and toning down the shade to a light purple pink. Whatever way to apply it it's simply gorgeous. One to try is Tom Ford's Black Orchid Lipstick, $48.00. Available online at Bergdorf Goodman. This beautiful burgundy shade in particular can be played up or down depending on your mood or occasion. Below you can see that this shade works with all skin tones and hair colors.

For a lighter look use a burgundy shade as a gloss like Kate Hudson below. It takes on a pink tone and looks sheer and fresh. Mix the color with clear gloss and tint as desired.

Or try it matte like below. Apply the lipstick and blot with a tissue. Place the tissue over your lips and blot translucent powder over the tissue. Remove the tissue and you have sexy stay in place matte lips.

One of my other favorite trend this fall, that isn't makeup related, but I love it anyway, is the blunt bang.  This can be rocked on short or long hair. Plus you can mix up your prim blunt bang with edgy cat eyes for extra attention. Meow!

Let's face it trends are eclectic nowadays. It seems that everything goes. Have fun with mixing different makeup looks with different hairstyles. Here are a couple more clothing trends I am loving at the moment. 

The denim chambray combo. Once a no no now it's a Oui on the streets of Paris.

Shiny denim. Too cool for school. This season is full of amazing new denim trends.

Colored denim is still around and now in fall colors to boot.