I See Beauty in All Things

Blog has moved!

2010-06-12T12:19:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

Thank you so much for checking out my blog. I have moved all of it to my website.

I will no longer be posting here. To check out my new posts and my recent work, go to www.brittany-lauren.com

UPDATE: So I have been busy working away and bad about posting up regularly on my blog. So I now have a Tumblr to give you little makeup bits during my busy times!

brittanylaurenmua.tumblr.com

And you can always see more photos that I don't have in my portfolio on my fan page at www.facebook.com/brittany.lauren.mua

Peace.

WEBSITE!

2010-04-25T20:20:00.001-07:00

I have my own website now!

Brittany Lauren

Check it out.

Love it!

Until next time.

Peace

Play Time

2010-04-24T22:20:00.000-07:00

Tonight I was checking out several makeup websites and blogs, when I decided that I wanted to do a new look with a OCC pigment that I have yet to try. The color was red iron oxide, and it looks like rust.

So I picked out my MAC eyeshadows in Flip and French Cuff and just improvised .

I started out with the Flip on the inner part of the lid and up into the crease. Then I took French Cuff and put it on the middle part of the lid and extended it out to the corner. Next was time to try the pigment, and I took my tapered blending brush and applied it to the crease and just kept on extending it out until I was satisfied.

To blend, I took my Maybelline Eyestudio eyeshadow quad in Irresistibly Ivy and used the lightest color with my blending brush and softened the harsh line of the pigment by my eyebrow.

For a little added effect, I took the Flip and put it on the inner corner of my eye and a little under my lashes using a pencil brush. Then from the outer corner in, I applied MAC 100 Strokes under my lashes up to the Flip.

Lined my eyes with Stila black smudge pot and an angled eyeliner brush. For mascara I used my new CoverGirl Lash Blash Fusion ( it is in a Black/Brown because I wasn't paying attention when I bought it and I didn't grab my favorite, blackest black. ) This is my new favorite mascara. It gives you volume and length and it last for a long time.

Blush was a cheeky cake in beach babe from POPbeauty.

Lips was my go to lip of MAC subculture liner, MAC Marquise'D Lip luster and Love Nectar Luster Glass.

The end result was exciting! I really like how the pigment turned out (in the pictures it is less vibrant then in person, but you get the idea)

Late night blog = strange face & pony tail

Until next time.

Peace.

Concept to Every Day look

2010-04-17T20:38:00.000-07:00

There are plenty of times that I will look through a magazine or watch a runway show and will be in awe of the makeup. But most of the time, those looks don't work for an actual look that you can wear out.

So how are you supposed to take that trendy runway look and make it work for you. The key is to see what the elements are:

No mascara ... try wearing a natural mascara or going for a brown colored one, instead of that jet black one that we all love.

Color all of the place ... try wearing more color on your eyes, or a bright blush, or even a bright lip stick (not all at the same time, unless you are going for that trendy "clown" look)

Nude lip with foundation ... find a good nude lip stick and put a little clear or light pink gloss on top (if you go for the foundation on your lips, be sure to put some kind of sheer pink gloss on top, unless you want that "dead" look)

Crazy designs ... don't draw arrows on your forehead, instead try mixing up your eye liner. Extend it out in a more dramatic cat eye, or place a few dots extending out from your liner.

These are just a few examples of ways to incorporate runway to every day.

Robyn, our makeup artist at Sally Hershberger, received some of the newest spring collections and shared it with me. The biggest thing that I saw was that there are some beautiful blushes out this season. As I thought more about it, I realized that my kit was in desperate need of some new blush colors. So, with my gift card and coupon in hand I headed off to Sephora find the perfect addition to my ever expanding kit. About an hour later, I decided on the NARS blush in "Desire". So I decided that I would create a concept look and then create an every day look to complement it. I was inspired to finally create a look that has been on my mind for several months (inspired by a yellow and pink rose) with my new blush.

The Inspiration

The Concept Look

The Every Day Look

The concept look has the yellow overflowing from the eye to the blush, and the blush was more contouring then on the apples of the cheeks. Then I dusted the yellow and gold eyeshadow on the lashes to give them that dusted look. The foundation was heavier as well to give it more of a porcelain look (which isn't hard to do with my already pale face!)

For the every day look, the foundation was more sheer and showing my skin ( and freckles) more. A little concealer under the eyes and then the UDPP on the lids.

Next, apply some white shadow on the lid and up to the brow bone. Take a tapered blending brush and apply some yellow and gold eyeshadow to the middle of the lid and in the crease. Blend well with the white. Then use the same brush and blend a light taupe brown in the crease to give you a little more definition.

Then take a pencil brush and apply a dark brown under the lashes on the lower lid. Take an angled brush and apply that same color as a liner on your top lid. Using an eyeshadow as a liner will give you a softer feel, which you want since the concept look is really soft.

Apply a brown mascara to the lashes, I used the L'Oreal Voluminous in black brown.

Take your blush and apply it to the apples of your cheeks and sweep it up to the hair line. Use a kabuki brush to buff the blush so it doesn't look so harsh. The blush used was the NARS Desire.

Use a kabuki brush again to apply some powder, I used the MUFE HD Powder.

Finally, line your lips and apply lip stick and gloss. The ones used in the look were MACs lip pencil in Subculture, Revlon's Matte lipstick in Nude Attitude, and MAC's lip gloss in Love Nectar.

Until next time.

Peace.

*******After I finished this post, I was on Sephora and saw that NARS has a look just like the one that I posted. The look I did was something that I have been working on for a while and it wasn't until after I was done, did I see the NARS photo. *******

Curtis-Conner Wedding

2010-04-07T19:16:00.000-07:00

Back in March I went to Florida for my cousin's wedding. I was able to do the makeup for her and her bridal party and her mom. It was nerve racking at first, but Michelle is so easy going that I felt completely comfortable the day of and was so excited to be able to be a part of her big day.

My mom found an old kit box that she had back in the days that she did nails, and she gave it to me to add to my kit. It made it easier to carry everything to and from the wedding. Before then, I had a small kit bag and then my old dance duffel to carry everything in.

Packed with eyeshadows, lipsticks and eyelashes up to my elbows, I headed out to The Tides. When I arrived, Michelle and everyone was already there and ready to get started. First thing, first...Mimosas!

Then I started working. My younger cousin Katie watched me set everything out. As I opened my kit, and the drawers expanded, she said "You need all of that!?"

It was priceless.

It took about 3 1/2 hrs to complete everyone, and I almost forgot to put mascara on Melissa (Michelle's sister) !

It felt so amazing to finish work and then go watch my lovely cousin marry the love of her life. The ceremony was beautiful, and the reception was a load of fun. Michelle felt beautiful, which made me so happy. The pictures turned out fantastic.

It solidified what I want to do, be a makeup artist!

Until next time.

Peace.

Cashmire Creations

2010-03-09T09:29:00.001-08:00

About a week ago, Megan and I did a photo shoot with Steph Fowler for a new clothing line. It was an amazing time. We got there around 2pm and started working on the models. They were two 17 year old girls, who were so sweet and beautiful. Megan did a fabulous job with the hair and I am so happy with how the makeup turned out.

First, we did pictures in the studio. She had the lights and everything already set up, so it took no time to get all of the pictures.

I was able to keep these cute gloves!

I also got this amazing hat!

Then we moved on to the pictures outside. These ones are my favorite. The late afternoon light was perfect and the girls look gorgeous.

For each girl I used mostly the same products.

The face was prepped with Smashbox photo finish primer, and then I put the MAC Strobe cream on their "T" zone so that it would catch some light. For foundation, CoverGirl TruBlends (as always) and the concealer was NYX concealer jars. I finished the face with MUFE HD Powder.

The eyes were primed with UDPP (original) and then I used the 88 eyeshadow palette for each girl.

The liner was the Stila smudge pot in black and the lashes are Ardell strip lashes with Eve Pearl black eyelash glue.

The cheeks were Estee Lauder blushes.

The lips were a combination of colors from my NYX lip palette (which is a life and space saver for my kit).

Steph was so great, and she let Megan and I keep a few of the pieces for ourselves.

If you would like more information on Steph's photography, check out her blog and website.

To book Megan for hair, you can e-mail her at mklammer21@yahoo.com

For more information on the clothing, check out Vintage Creations and Eko Chic

Until next time.

Peace.

Cretin's December Photo Shoot

2010-02-18T18:56:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!

So I have more pictures from the photo shoot I did with Megan back in December.
I am so excited to have these because now I will be setting up my website! I'm just going to be all over the place.

In other news. I did have some requests to do a video about beginners make-up. I am in the process of creating those videos for you. The will be a series of short tutorials on each part of make-up call Beauty Basics. They are coming! If there are any specific questions that you have, shoot me an e-mail.

Until next time.

Peace.

My Favorite Shot

2010-01-28T20:27:00.000-08:00

Here is my favorite shot from the photo shoot that I did back in December.

Until next time.

Peace.

Jaime

2010-01-04T19:15:00.000-08:00

My sister came to town and I was able to do up her makeup for a shoot that we did. We ended up going to the old Griffith Zoo and the Brand Library and my husband did all of the photography.

I did a light smokey gray look with some light foundation. The Smashbox Photo Primer worked really well. It smoothed out her skin and the foundation didn't cake at all on her. I also loved how the MUFE HD Powder took away the shine.

For my make-up, I did a smokey look and red lips using the OCC Lip Tar.

Until next time.

Peace.

Modern Classic Look

2009-12-12T18:30:00.001-08:00

Here is a new look using green, white and black and a new updo.

The trick with this look was to do a nude color all over the eye, a white on the lid, and then put a bright green color on the corner and into the crease and then put a little bit of black on the outer corner "v". For the blush, use Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Rose and the lips are a light pink gloss.

For the updo, I did a little upside-down french twist with a small bun at on the side.

The best part about this look is that it looks classic until you blink or look down, and then you see the pop of green on the eyes. And for the hair, from the front it looks like a standard pulled back bun, until you turn around and you see that it is a modern take on a classic look. Give it a try!

Until next time.

Peace.

First Photo Shoot

2009-12-12T09:16:00.000-08:00

Over the past weekend, I had the opportunity to work with one of our stylist assistants on a photo shoot for our portfolios. We went down to Downtown Los Angeles to a garage biker bar and began working. The style was big hair and 70s grunge. A lot of the makeup that I did for it was all different. The bigger the hair, the simpler the makeup was to keep it balanced. It worked well since in the 70s it was more about the natural face. For the wavy hair we went for some funky makeup and the infamous blue eyeshadow of the 70s.

All in all, I did makeup for 5 girls in 4 hours. It seem to just fly by, as soon as I was finished with the first, the next was in my chair and ready. The craziest thing about the shoot, though was how cold it was! California is going through its "winter" and usually it feels really great outside. But we had a big storm that was coming through and it was cloudy, so the cold was a little bitter.

Cloudy Downtown LA Skyline
Work area
The Bar

We won't have the photos for another week or so, so it will be a little bit before they are up.

Until next time.

Peace.

New Apartment and Fashion Book

2009-11-22T18:40:00.001-08:00

So we have moved into a new apartment. One of the most exciting things for me is the fact that now I have amazing light and better areas to take pictures of my work. So hopefully I will be able to post more pictures of each look.

I am also working on some new looks for an upcoming shoot that I am doing with one of stylist assistants at Sally Hershberger.

So I have been doing a lot of research on the 70s, since that is the era that we are going to work with. And during my hunt I found an amazing website. It is a catalog website called Iconography and it has a of a ton of Vogue and other fashion magazines that span back decades.

The shoot is in the beginning of December and I will be starting my portfolio. My goal is to have my book completely finished by next summer so I can start sending it to casting agencies. Once I have enough photos done, I will be starting a website as well. So look for that in the future.

Until next time.

Peace.

Fish Face

2009-09-27T17:36:00.000-07:00

I want to branch out and do other looks besides just beauty. So this is my first attempt to branch out.

This look was inspired by a fish. Below is the inspiration.

And here is the look I came up with.

Luckily I have a model that lets me do anything with her makeup :)

Until next time.

Peace.

Classic Look and Updo

2009-09-27T17:17:00.000-07:00

Sorry that it has been a while since I have posted. Busy time, but I finally did another look.

This look is a classic look done with browns, taupe and sand colors for the shadows, a winged eyeliner in black, a nude lip and a strong brow.

I have decided that I want to expand my skills to be a more well rounded makeup artist. So I am working on hairstyling in addition to makeup. I did this updo the other day.
It is a cross between 1920 with some Victorian thrown in. It actually inspired someone for how they want their hair for their wedding.

I am going to be doing some more work soon and will be posting it up. A few are actually for some guys. Also, Halloween is around the corner, so I will be putting up some looks for that!

Until next time.

Peace.

Smokey Orange Look

2009-07-26T13:55:00.000-07:00

In addition to doing video post and different looks, I am going to be posting up looks that I have done on other people. This first one was done on Krista, and it is a smokey orange look.

Krista Natural

Krista's Smokey Look

For this look you will need:

Face-
CoverGirl foundation
Smashbox Fusion Lights in Soft Dusk
MUFE Sculpting kit #2
MUFE HD powder
MUFE camouflage concealer palette

Lips-
MAC lip liner in Subculture
Revlon Matte Lipstick in Nude Attitude
NYX Sheer Gloss in Clear

Eyes-
UDPP
88 Color Palette (colors pictured to the right)
NYX e/s in Africa
MUFE Aqua eyeliner in Black
Stila Major Major Lash

I started off with the CoverGirl TruBlend foundations on her to even out her skin. I mixed 2 foundations colors to match her skin and blended it on the spots that needed it.

For under her eyes I used MUFEs camouflage concealer palette, patted the lightest color under her eyes and then added a little more foundation to blend it together.

Then I moved on to her eyes (I jump around a lot) and primed them with the UDPP. Then coated the lid, up to the brow bone with the white (1st color on the 88 palette) with a large e/s brush.

Next, I took the NYX Africa e/s and patted it on the lid up to the crease with a smaller e/s brush. Then take the golden brown color (3rd color marked on the 88 palette) and apply it the the outer part of the lid and bring it 3/4ths of the way in and blend it with the Africa color using a small e/s brush.

After that, take the purple brown (4th color on the palette) and apply it just on the outer part of the lid and bring it into the crease using a tapered blending brush. Depending on how dramatic you want to go, then you can drag it farther into the crease.

I added a little more Africa at the end because I wanted a little more of a pop. I also took the golden brown color (3rd on the 88 palette) and applied it with the angle brush under the lower lashes.

Line the eyes with black liner, curl the lashes and apply black mascara.

I also filled in her brows with a e/s and angled brush and set it with a clear mascara.

After I finished the eyes, I went back to the face and highlighted her cheekbones, used the NYX Africa e/s as a blush (use just a tiny bit, or they will look like a clown!) and added a little bit of bronzer.

For the lips, I filled in her lips with the lip liner and applied the lipstick and just a little bit of gloss in the center of her lips.

Finished the look by brushing the HD powder over her face to reduce some of the shine.

That is the final look for the eye.

Until next time.

Peace.

Stila 24K Gold Palette

2009-06-28T20:11:00.000-07:00

As promised, I did a look using the new Stila 24k Gold palette. The colors are amazing and the texture is very smooth. I used the Rose, Blue and Purple shadows.

Start off with priming your eyes, I used UDPP (as usual), and take a color close to your skin tone and apply it on the inner part of your lid and up to the brow bone.

Pack on the blue shadow on your entire lid and once you are satisfied with the intensity, take some of the rose color and blend it into the crease and halfway on the lid. Depending on how much blue you want, you can bring the rose color farther in.

Then, using my blending brush, take some of the purple shadow and blend it into the crease and blend it on the outer corner of the eye.

If you want a more intense look, take a angled brush and put some of the blue shadow on the inner corner of the eye and line the bottom, along the lash line, with the rose color and blend it into the blue.

Then line your eyes with black eyeliner, curl your lashes and apply mascara. I used Makeup Forever's Aqua Eyes liner in black and Stila's Major major Lash mascara.

Until next time.

Peace.

IMATS 2009

2009-06-22T09:37:00.000-07:00

This year I attended my first IMATS. I was so excited when I heard about it and found that it was in Pasadena, CA since I live just 15 minutes down the road from the convention center. I really wasn't sure what to expect, and I'm glad that I was able to go into it that way. It was very over whelming to see all of those vendors and these amazing artists in one place.

While I was there I was able to load up on some amazing products and learned a lot from the speakers.

Makeup Forever was one of the many companies that was there, and I have see a lot of their products at Sephora, but I never really bought any of their products. The artist that were there at the both were very helpful in explaining their products and helping me choose some items for my kit. Here is what I picked up:

HD Microfinish Powder

Camoflauge Palette #5

Sculpting Kit #2

Aqua Eyes Liner #0L

Next I headed over to the Naimies Beauty Center area and visited the Eve Pearl and Bobbi Brown area. I knew that I wanted to get the Black eyelash glue from Eve Pearl (which I did) and I just wanted to see some of the Bobbi Brown products. I wasn't really looking to get anything, but I wanted to check out the Shimmer Bricks at least. So I did and they were nice, but there wasn't anything that I was like "I need this for my kit now!" until she brought out the Rose shimmer brick and called it the perfect blush for a bride. AH! We tried it out and I instantly bought it. It is great. It has a little bit of a rosey color but isn't over powering. I cannot wait to use it for my brides!

Shimmer Brick

Then it was on to some seminars. There was everything from recreating icons in Hollywood to stories of Makeup Disasters to HD Makeup tips and tricks.

During some of these seminars they went over the new trends for fall. Here is what you should look for as far as makeup goes.

-Bare skin with blush being used more as a contouring agent, and only light contouring.

-Soft browns, moss greens and golden colors for the eyes.

-Straight liner, instead of winged.

-Red lip stain and no liner.

It is a very minimal look that is mostly focused on the eyes. I will be coming up with some looks that are good for work that can be easily turned into a night look with just a few products.

After some seminars it was back to the exhibit floor. I visited the Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics booth and met Maxi from the Lifetime show Blush. I have heard a lot about the Lip Tars and was looking forward to checking them out. Maxi showed me what they could do, and I was very impressed. They are a stain and a gloss combined, they are pure color that isn't really sticky. So I bought 3 of them in red, blue and yellow. They are great for mixing colors, and the red was an amazing lip color for me. I also bought 2 pigments. One is a shimmer white and the other is a rusty color. i haven't worked with them very much yet, but there will be some looks coming up with them.

I also found the 88 matte eyeshadow palette at one of the booths, actually it was at like 5 of them, and I am very impressed with it. I have done several looks with it and the key to working with this palette is having a great primer. I recommend Urban Decay's Primer Potion.

I will leave you with some photos from the Trade Show.

Until next time.

Peace.

Coming up...

2009-06-19T21:58:00.000-07:00

So sorry it has been a while since I have posted. It has been crazy around here. I thought that I would post up a little update for you about what is to come.

I have received my NYX order from the 10th anniversary sale and I am very impressed. Their eyeshadows are great and so I decided that I would try some of their lip products next. A review on those lip products and swatches are coming up!

I have also discovered that my local Nordstroms Rack has Smashbox and Stila products for $6-$10 for eyeshadows and lip products! I bought a dark blue Smashbox shadow and created a blue smokey eye look, which I will do a tutorial on.

Sephora is selling the Stila Charming 24K Gold quad palette for $10!! So of course I went out to the Glendale Galleria and bought mine. The colors are beautiful and a review and new look will be coming up with that.

Finally, the IMATS are this weekend in Pasadena. This will be my first trade show and I cannot wait!

I also have some news...I am now studying under the make-up artist Robyn Cosio (author of The Eyebrow and the make-up specialist at Sally Hershberger Los Angeles)

My first job with her is in July! So stories will be coming soon.

Until next time.

Peace

ELF Review

2009-05-02T21:01:00.000-07:00

So I think that I have given a some time to test out the ELF products and see how they hold up over time. There are some products that are really worth getting, and some that you can pass on.

Here is what was purchased:
- Candy Shop Liptin
-Shimmering facial Whip in Toasted
-Wet Gloss Lash & Brown Clear Mascara
-Shine Eraser
-Dramatic Lash Kit
-Liquid Eye Liner in Plum (before they came out with the new formula)
-Individual Lash Kit
-French Nail Kit in Clear, White & Nude
-Basic Brown kit
*This kit included:
-Brown Mascara
-3 Eyeshadows in a nude, light brown and dark brown
-Natural Lashes
-Brown Eye Liner (coffee)
-Eye Shadow Brush

First off, these products overall are pretty good. There are just a few that didn't work that great and then others that exceeded my expectations.

I am going to start off with the ones that worked great and ones that I highly recommend.

1) The Shimmer Facial Whip is great for adding a little highlight to areas that you want to bring attention to. I used it on my cheek bones and on my lips. You only want to use a little bit when using this product because it goes a long way. If you use too much then it will look clownish.

2)Wet Gloss Clear Mascara is some thing that I use everyday. I don't use it for mascara just because I like my lashes to look long and that doesn't happen when you have blonde eyelashes. What I use it for is setting my eyebrows. It gives it that finished and polished look. Next time I order I will be getting several of them at a time.

3)Shine Eraser blotting sheets are great and gross. They pick up oil and take the shine away from your face. I have become addicted to them. This is something that is essential to my kit.

4)The ELF Nail Polish is great. The French Nail kit is the one that I purchased, and it lasted longer then any of my other nail polishes. The nice thing about the kit is that it came with the stickers to help guide you to make flawless white tips.

5)ELF eyeshadow brush is one of the highest rated product on the website. The brush came with the Basic Browns kit. I now understand why everyone likes it. It picks up color great, it is a smaller brush, and it is a great compliment brush to my larger Sonia Kashuk eyeshadow brush. This is another product that I am going to buy a few of next time so I can have a few back ups in my kit.

6)The natural lashes worked well for my eyes. I wore them to work one day and received a lot of compliments. The glue that comes with the lash kits us awful. It is pretty much a gross old milk looking liquid that is expected to hold these lashes on your eyes all day...WRONG. I recommend these lashes, but buy glue some where else.

7) Candy Shop Lip Tins are really cute and you get a lot of gloss in the tin. I received this as a free gift, but I would recommend getting it.

Next are the products that worked ok.

1) The Basic browns eyeshadows worked pretty well. I really liked them at first when I was trying everything out, but the reason that these fall into the "ok" category is because even with a good primer underneath, they ended up fading together. If it is a look that you are going to only be wearing for a few hours, then they are great, or if you are only going to be wearing one color, then it would be great. My suggestion, if you are looking for a new look, then go for the "get the looks" kits, it is worth it for the eyeshadow brush and the lashes, and everything else that comes in it is pretty good.

2)The Eyeliner in Coffee that came in the kit is ok as well. It was just a little too light for me and it wore off during the day. For a $1 or getting it in the kit is pretty good.

3) The Brown mascara falls into this category for one reason, when first applied it looks great, but as it dries the lashes start to stick together and they get really hard. Not really comfortable. I do, however, really like the wand. For a $1, it is good.

Finally, these are the products that I wouldn't get again.

1) The dramatic lashes look great, but I don't like that you can see the white fiber that the lashes are attached too. When I tried to cover the line with some of my smudge pot it looked awful. Then I tried to cover it with liquid liner, that didn't work either. It ended up just being too much trouble with these lashes. If you want a really dramatic look, I would recommend looking at the NYX Cosmetics website and purchasing some lashes from them.

2)The liquid eyeliner is awful. It wouldn't go on smoothly and it just ended up flaking off. They have come out with a new formula that I haven't tried yet, so hopefully it is better now.

Overall, it is a great website with some great products. I enjoy getting new products and trying them out. Sometimes you find somethings that you won't want to live with out, and some of them are just ok, but at only $1-$3 a product, you can't go wrong.

Here is a look that I did with the Basic Browns kit.

There are a few things that are coming up. NYX is having their 10th anniversary sale until May 15th, so I bought quite a few things and I will do a review on their products that I have and that I am getting. Also I have done a few new looks that will be posted up and I am working on some tutorial videos. If there is something that you want reviewed or a look that you would like me to do, let me know.

Until next time.

Peace.

Wickedly Lovely

2009-04-16T19:54:00.000-07:00

Good vs. Evil

Glinda vs. Elphaba

This is my take on a look that a make-up artist did (check out makeupgeek.com). I wanted to see the looks together and decided to do one on each eye. This is not something I suggest you wear out to dinner, but just a fun little experiment.

As always, I started off with my UDPP to prime the eyes and then on the evil eye I used my gray Stila smudge pot as a base on my lid. This is done so that the green color really pops. It doesn't seem like it would work, but if you want a color to really pop, try the dark base...you will be surprised at the difference.

Next for the Good eye, pack on a white eyeshadow all over the lid and up to the brow bone. Next take a smaller eyeshadow brush and put a orange shadow (I used NYX Africa) into the crease and blend it on the outer corner of the eye. After that take some more white and blend it some more with the orange to give it a softer look. You can take an angle brush and put a sheer white shadow on the lower lid to give your eye a little more of a open look.

For the evil eye I used NYX green trio shadow. It is a bright green, dark moss green and a pale green shadow. Start off with the bright green and put it all over the lid. Keep on packing it on until you get it as bright as you want. Next take the darker green color and blend it into the crease. Depending on how smokey of a look you want, take some black shadow and put it on the outer corner of your eye. Blend in with the dark green and bright green. Then take the light green and blend it with the bright green and blend up to the brow bone. If you want a more dramatic look, take an angle brush and line the lower lid with the bright green.

Finally, for both eyes line the top lid with a black eyeliner. You can smudge some black liner on the lower lid of the evil eye. Then either apply false lashes, or apply black mascara.

I wear the evil look a lot to work, and people love it. It works great with red heads!

Try it out and let me know how it goes! I am working on doing some videos...so I will do this look soon.

Until next time....
Peace.

A new way to do the Smokey eye

2009-04-14T20:43:00.000-07:00

I have been reading the "Making Faces" book by Kevin Aucoin, which I suggest anyone interested in make-up should own this book, and there was a smokey eye look he did on Julia Roberts and I decided that I would try to do it.

Here is the inspiration:
And here is my rendition:

I really like the light color on the lid and the dark in the crease. It is a softer smokey look that could be worn during the day that will catch some second looks. So here is how to do this look.

1) Always prime your lid, top and bottom.
2)Line the Upper and lower waterlines of the eye with black eyeliner
3) Line the Upper and lower lash lines of the eye with black eyeliner and smudge it with your fingers
4)Apply white or a light shadow on the lid and brow bone
5)Apply a matte black shadow on the lower part of the lid (right above the lash line) and continue that into the crease
6) Blend the shadows into a smokey look and get rid of any harsh lines
7) Curl lashes and apply mascara
8) Apply blush or bronzer if you wish
9) Finish with a neutral lip and touch of light lip gloss in the center of the lip.

So I know that I promised a ELF review...and it is coming. I am still working with some of the products and testing them out. I want to let you know how they last all day and do a very detailed review. While I am working on that I will post up some more looks I have done.

Any questions, ask away.

Until next time.

Peace.

Stila Smudge Pots

2009-03-31T18:49:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I have decided that I will review products that I get in. So here is the first review. It is a short one, I promise.

Today I received my Stila shipment and my ELF one. I was expecting the Stila, but ELF surprised me today! I was so excited and I couldn't wait to get home from work to try out my new toys.

First up I will do the Stila Smudge Pots. I bought them from Hautelook.com during one of their Stila sales and got 3 smudge pots and a brush for $15. I was lucky and it only took about 2 weeks for it to come in.

You only need a little bit on the brush to line the whole eye. The black is a little messy to work with, but you can do a very sultry look with it. The bronze is beautiful. It has hints of gold in it and would look amazing by itself on the eye. I'm not sure what I am going to do with the gray color yet, but it looks good. I might be able to use it as a base for a smokey eye...we will see.

Below is some swatches of the smudge pots. The top is black, then bronze, then gray.

They do have to dry, so be careful because they will smudge (hey, it's in the name). But once they are dry, they are good to go. It doesn't seem like it becomes caked or crack. Since you only use a small amount, it will last a long time as well. I highly recommend these pots, just remember that they will take a little bit of practice if you are used to using a pencil or liquid liner.

Up next will be my ELF review. There are several products and kits that I bought that I will go over. A lot of ELF reviews I have seen do not have a lot of pictures or swatches of the products, so I want to get that together. But so far I am very impressed...

Until next time.

Peace.

Out of the Box

2009-03-29T10:41:00.001-07:00

"The future belongs to those with open minds and open hearts, who can appreciate beauty in all of its forms"
-Kevyn Aucoin, author of "Making Faces"

I have started reading "Making Faces" and I absolutely love it. There are a lot of people out there that set rules on make-up, such as when to wear dark colors and how long it should take you to put on your make-up. Kevyn Aucoin doesn't agree with the philosophy that there should be set rules for make-up. He talks about how there are things that are common sense rules that you should follow (like don't put lipstick on your eyes), but the other rules just constrain the artist. There are days where it will only take me 5mins to do my make-up and I follow the "day-time" rules (like wearing more neutral colors and not over doing it), but then there are the days that I wake up and I just want to do a rocker look and go to work with a smokey eye. Luckily I do work in a place where that is ok. Obviously if you work in an office environment, you are going to want to look a little bit more polished, but if you are in college or work in a place that doesn't restrict your make-up, then why should you restrict yourself.

When I woke up yesterday I decided that I would go out of the box and try a new look. For me, my routine is usually the same for work...prime the eye, do a light color on the inside, medium color on the lid and throw in a little dark color on my outer "v", line with a eyeliner pencil, and then mascara. It is a formula that works for me, but then I realized that there are so many other ways that I could do my make-up and it is Saturday, so lets play. I went for a 80's rocker look and did some white matte shadow on the inner corner of my lid and a little on the lower lash line and then smudged some matte black shadow on my lid up to the crease and on the lower lid under my lower lashes. I finished the look with a little bit of satin gray shadow in the crease and then just a tiny bit on the brow bone, lining the eye with black eyeliner and then with some major black lashes. It was a huge hit at work and my husband even liked it a lot. Unfortunately, I didn't take and pictures. I will when I do the look again.

So, I want to challenge you to think out of the box with your make-up. The next time you have a day where you aren't really going anywhere, try a new look. Take some time and play with colors you wouldn't normally put on and you might find a new look. Everyone has a different face and make-up looks different on everyone. You may just find a look that you love!

Until next time.

Peace.

New Era

2009-03-23T21:28:00.000-07:00

Hello,

I figured for my first post I should tell you a little bit about myself.

I have always been a creative and artsy person. For years I danced at a studio and would draw all of the time, but when it came around time for me to figure out what I wanted to go to school for, the rational side of my brain kicked in and I went into a science field. During college I studied a few areas of psychology (Human Factors and Neuropsychology) and I learned a lot. I planned that I would go to graduate school and become a researcher, but things changed. First, I didn't get into the graduate program and second, my husband and I moved to California.

The change in plans ended up bringing me back to my passion of creativity and art. I now work in a high-end salon, where there is a collision of mega talent and creativity. Being in that environment and seeing people living their dreams made me step back and think about what I really want to do next. Why can't I go into the creative field? As my dad says, I am 22 years old and I can always fall back on psychology...so just take a chance and try something new while I can. So that is just what I am doing.

Over the next year I am going to be learning and researching as much as I can about the beauty industry. I want to know how everything works from the fashion runways to the Hollywood film sets. I am saving up money to go to Make-Up Artistry school so I can become licensed and work on sets. I have a passion for creating art on faces and I am going to cultivate that passion into a career.

This blog will be used for showing my work and letting you know what I am doing to make this my career. I do not know if I will be doing tutorials or product reviews yet or not. I will, however, be posting up my inspirations for some of my creations and I will keep you up to date on what is coming next. Feedback is always welcomed.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog.

Until next time.

Peace.