love: occ airbrush makeup

this is my natural beauty mix

the perfect fix for:

a natural bride

day to evening makeup

or a smokey, if you use the dark shades

occ: airbrushed on the skin

occ airbruh makeup can be applied via airbrush or traditional makeup brushes.

leaves a natural satin finish

soft and sweet neutrals on the eyes

mac: cream blush and highlight to keep the skin looking lush  

what's your go to combo for natural beauty?

Prime time: work it allll out with a good primer, plus a little bit of this and that.

By now you have to know that a good primer is key to the flawless face. Even if you're not a big makeup wearer; don't you think you should place something in between your skin and your makeup?

Even the oily girls (like me) know that most primers have silica oil, an oil absorbing ingredient to help minimize oil, and balance out the skin.

Pores appear smaller.. skin smoother.. I'm not preaching but hey,

no matter what kind of makeup I'm using, or doing.. she isn't getting it without the foundation of a moisturizer and primer first. 

My favorite: Smashbox Photo Finish 

You know I'm a girl about prepping and priming the skin.

I'm also all about manipulating products and using multi-taskers.

I don't always get to check out my prospects before I go to do their bridal trials. And usually don't for photo shoots either. This knocks out the opportunity to check out what they have going on with their skin, under areas, etc.

 I make sure that I tackle every gig prepared to the fullest. 

Or at least the knowledge of how to get my products to do exactly what I need them to do in any situation.

MUFE High Definition Primer: Keep this on duty for smooth skin that will hold up  before needing a touch up.

Freshen up:

Use a drop of primer on the finger tips and smooth it over makeup, to refresh and soften your look.

Doing this will put your skin in soft focus mode, instantly.

For quick under eye clean ups:

Smooth the under eye area over, with a drop of primer on a synthetic brush or #252 Concealer Brush.

You'll make a quick clean away without disturbing your makeup.

MAC Cosmetics Lustre Drops in (L) Pink Rebel and (R) Sun Rush

Mix it up a little:

My favorite thing to do is mix my primer with a lille of MAC's Lustre Drops.

It reflects back light and gives the skin a more flawless effect. 

Works nice over makeup as a diffused highlight 

or 

under makeup as a skin perfecting primer that exudes radiance.

Love this trick in the under eye area, over a thin layer of concealer. 

Eyes will appear refreshed and the primer will smooth out creasing and texture under the eyes.

Oh!

And you'll want to do this by buffing the product in with a #224 Blending brush. 

A little will go a long way!

Enjoy trying this on yourself or your clients. It's never failed me!

Get Photo Shoot fresh with this look..

This look is 'Signature' worthy!! 

I love the bold lip for evening too.. this is a perfect switch up to tur your day look into a hot night look.

Makes you instantly 'photo shoot fresh' for any after work event.

And..

this hair look is the most, for naturally curly or straight hair.

Throw in that upside down french brain in the back.. and pull and tuck that oversized bang back.

MAC Cosmetics Ebony Eye Pencil

How to get the lip:

OCC Cosmetics Lip Tar in Tarred


Use

*Use Ebony Pencil to give the lip some boundary!
For a slightly softer feel try this:

MAC Cosmetics Cyber Lipstick
The effect will be a deep, rich plum.

MAC Cosmetics: Nightmoth Lip Pencil

On the eyes:

MAC Cosmetics : Ricepaper Eye Shadow

MAC Cosmetics: Print Eye Shadow

MAC Cosmetics : Shroom Eye Shadow

1. Place Ricepaper in the very inner corners of the eyes with

#219 Pencil brush.

2. Pat Shroom over the lid with #242 brush.. pat just over the ball of the eye;

then gently blend excess using #224 blending brush, up to the brow, 

this will be your highlight.

3. Use #219 Pencil brush to place a clean stroke of Print right below the brow

bone. this line should be on an angel, right along the bone. Next, blend

in a wind shield wiper motion in to the crease of the eye.

4. Use MAC's Graphblack Technakohl, just below the lower lash line.  

Use this on the water line too.

Then blend and soften the line with Print and the #219 brush.

5. Use MAC's Graphblack or a black liquid liner to line the upper lid. 

Cheek Hue:

1. Use MAC Cosmetics Sincere Blush for a soft, flush of peach warmth 

on the cheeks.

Wedding Prep: Pre Bridal Skin

Okay so... I can't really help you with the ALL the details but when it comes to the beauty of the day.. Your girl's got you covered.

We know how important wedding day beauty is, it's what makes you actually feel like a blushing bride.

So you don't get overwhelmed, we'll tackle this in stages.

First things first.

Skin:

That blushing bride glow is all about your skin. You can be stressed while planning; 

but don't let it show on your face!

Get it together and start prepping!

1. Book a course of facials 3-6 months prior to your wedding. This will give your skin time to show improvement.

**Problem skin? Start treatments from vitamins to Flax Seed Oil; light peels to Retinol

2. If you produce excess oil don't deprive your skin of moisture. Try adding Vitamin A skin care to your regimen to balance out oil production. 

*Drinking lots of water will help.

*And always blot away!

3. Avoid bags under they eyes. Soak cotton balls w/ Rosewater stored in the fridge. Use the day before and the morning of your wedding.

*Cool tea bags are good too!

Follow these tips and your skin will bet set!

Next we'll cover makeup, but you'll want to choose your dress, flowers and hair first to help draw inspiration for your look. Its should all be a flow in the picture of your own perfection.

Getting prepped to do Full Body Bronzing via Airbrush.

This is how you get Bronze perfection from head to toe. Airbrush Tanning is where its at!

If you watch this little video clip long enough (at about 0:40), you'll see me. Prepping Kayla for her Bronzing session.

[summer] Kayla Hendrickson Steps Into Suvara [video]

Random: question

Watching my faaaavvorite movie

 'love jones'

Listening to Larenze Tate's character Darrius 

Darrius: If you had to be stranded on a deserted Island.. and could only take one of your exes who would it be? [That's the thing.. with the exception of ____________ I can't stand to be around any of them for more than a few minutes at a time.]

hmm..

Find your Chi with Yoga

There was a time when I would start every day with Yoga. 

Even when I was pregnant with my son Aaqil, I'd still get my Yoga on.
I remember, toward the end of my pregnancy, it was the only thing that reminded me that I still had some control over my body.

It helped for me to take that time to re-focus my energy for the day.

All the negativity or tension from the night or moment before would release and I would feel NEW.

Sometimes we forget, to literally, get our minds right before hitting the world or calling it a night.

Over the years I've replaced some  most of those am sessions with a good cup of coffee. Sure, it holds the comfort of eyes wide shut. But it's not the same.

Try adding it to your mornings or nights (even mid-day) for a week and see why its the best form of meditational stretch.

less stress..

better outlook..

better days..

better rest..

better sex..

you'll be more focused.

These links are a good start:

Yoga 101

7 Life Improving Benefits of Yoga

This one goes both ways..

Lighten up on your moisture team in the summer..

Jack Black: Eye Rescue

Jack Black is a men's skin care line, which is another reason why it's perfect for the under eye area in the summer. 

Since men tend to sweat more, their skin care is a lot lighter.. Usually gel-like and quickly absorbed.

This one has got all the right stuff! 

like:

Caffeine: Wakes up the eyes and reduces puffiness

Hyaluronic Acid: Smoothes and soothes the skin

Omega 3: To brighten 

Best thing for erasing the evidence of a restless night from the eyes. Yours.. and his.

Hotter than July..

When the heat is on.. Makeup gets to fading off. 

It's an evil for my fluffed and filled in brows during every heat wave, when suddenly the ends of my brows get a bit faint.

And I'm am not a 'sweater' at all.

I can leave one gig and go to the next looking like something the cat drug in from the Sahara desert.  

No Bueno!

 So, a heat/waterproof combo is a must! A MUST!

I can't really live without dark eyeliner and brows.. 

MAC Cosmetics: TechnaKohl in Graphblack

I like this liner for lining just below my bottom lashes. You can still smudge it, when its first applied but once it sets.. its set.

MAC Cosmetics: Fluidline in Dipdown.

Use an angled brush after wiping off the excess product and feather it into the brow to fill in, in between hairs. Brows will stay put. This is a gem for use on the water line of the eyes too!

For a concealer that will erase your boo-boos without slipping away..

MUFE: Full Cover Concealer
Use a fluffy shadow brush in circular motions for seamless blending. 

For the oil stricken.. Don't get caught strolling around without these to keep a fresh face.

Boscia: Green Tea Blotting Linens. 

They're infused with Green tea: Nature's anti-oxidant, so it does more than gently lift oils.. It refreshes the skin too. And beacause it's fibers are heavier than the rice paper sheets, you won't need to go through 12 of them to freshen up.

And of course even with the simplest face, one can not go out without a good mascara. 

It's worth spending a little extra for a waterproof mascara that will do more than sit on your lashes.

 Yves Saint Laurent Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils Waterproof Try it in Signature Violet or Majorelle Blue

Lived in.. Smoked Out Eyes

It's that sexy, steamy eyes look that you get when you have one of those party night that end with you passed out before removing you makeup.

When your eyes have an intensity and sex appeal that almost makes you want to work around the eyes.

This look is super easy, making it my favorite for evening eyes.

Its opposite of a clean look. 

It says, yeah I may have sweated a little before arriving.. but so what?

Vixen eyes for sure!

ICEBERG - Charlotte Tilbury created "lived-in" eye make-up at Iceberg, using MAC Eye Kohl in Smolder and MAC PRO Chromagraphic Pencil in Black Black for sexy, smudgy eyes.

Here's how to get it:

 

 

MAC PRO: Black Black Chromographic Pencil

 

 

 

 

 

1.Use Black Black on the water line, both on the bottom and on the top lid, right below the lash lines. 

2. Then work the pencil right on top of the lash line to make the lashes appear thicker and to give an intense line around the eyes.

 

Then,

MAC Cosmetics: Smolder Eye Kohl

 

1. Fill in the eye lids, beginning at the lash line, and ending just below the crease of the eye with 

Smolder.

 2. Blend and smudge the lines in both upper and lower lash lines with MAC's 219 Pencil Brush

3. Apply a thin layer of MAC Pro Gloss Texture over the lids. 

4. Use Mac's 239 Shader Brush to control the shape of the eye. 

5. Lightly smudge, gloss reside, beneath the lower lash line using 239 Brush 

(as close to the lashes as possible). 

6. Quickly dust translucent powder using MAC 224 Brush, just below your smudged line to prevent, running.

7. Apply a healthy coat of mascara to top and bottom lashes or a strip of faux lashes.

 

** Use a Q-tip to keep it clean

Keep it sexy and have fun with it!

Color Independence

 Happy 4th!!

Better hold on fast.. before the summer speeds by.

Here's some summer color inspiration.

Loved this color combo!

Essie and OPI

I can never make up my mind. I rarely go for one color.

Dating A Royal by OPI

 

Baby's Breath by Essie

'Baby's Breath' is closer to a bone color than it is to being pink. I really like this color.  
It's a nice alternative to Fiji by Essie, which looks nuts-o on my complexion.

and
'Dating A Royal' couldn't be any more perfect for a blue. Doesn't look crazy or harsh at all.

I can try... but I can't live without color.

Touche! Finally more color

touche e'clat collector by ysl: $45 at nordstrom



if you haven't already tried ysl's picture perfect correcting pens..
you obviously don't know what you're missing.
it discretely conceals and reflects back light.
perfect for hydrating and waking up tired eyes.
before now you may have had to compromise a bit, by going with a lighter shade. with 20 years in the camouflage game, the good people at ysl cosmetics, have blessed us with deeper shades!

the pen takes the work and fuss out of cover-up.
with this pretty sleek casing.. you have to add this to your makeup bags and kits (fellow makeup artists, get ready for your clients praise).

Easy summer lip!

For an easy summer lip.. no liner necessary.. keep it neutral

Nice and easy.. but still a sexy lip w Lancome "Summer 2012"

Bronze Cocoa Juicy Tube by Lancome

over

Oh My! by Lancome 

Anyone can wear this combo!

Bronze Cocoa, Juicy Tube: Lancome

Oh My! Color Design Lipcolor: Lancome