Sunday, October 10, 2010

Get the look - Blue Frosty

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bluefrostyproducts

What was used:
MAC Studio Fix NC20
Urban Decay eyeshadow Polyester Bride
MAC eyeshadow Chillblue
MAC eyeshadow Haunting
MAC eyeshadow Big T
MAC eye pencil Ebony
MAC Powerpoint eye pencil Engraved
MAC Dazzle lash black mascara
MAC brow liner Velvetone
MAC Lustre Glass Wonderstruck

*More coming soon!

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Lash-tastic!

Lashes, everyone loves them, they complete the look and you just can't go without them these days. So I decided to make a list of sites you can check out for lashes, what's affordable, which ones apply the easiest, and what's durable. In other words let's go shopping!

NYX - www.nyxcosmetics.com
I love NYX because of the price, you just can't go wrong. They're quality is not as good as let's say MUFE but with NYX you get what you pay for and they're products are still pretty damn good. As for lashes, they have two pages worth one is Fabulous Lashes for $4.50 each and the other Theatrical Lashes for $10.00 each.

Urban Decay - www.urbandecay.com
What can't I say about Urban Decay? I pretty much love everything this brand has to offer, from their eye shadows to their primer potion it's all amazing. A little more pricey than NYX but the quality is there and it shows! Urban Lash is their wonderful lash line which has 18 gorgeous sets of lashes and are very easy to apply. Each set is $15.00 which maybe steep for some, but for the variety of styles they offer I say it's worth it. Groupie and Little Wing are definitely my favorites, I suggest both of these.

Make Up For Ever - www.makeupforever.com
Talk about quality, Make Up For Ever is probably the best makeup I have ever used. In my opinion it's the best makeup for photography, everyday wear, etc. Everything lasts, nothing fades and although it maybe a bit on the expensive side you really get your moneys worth. Their lashes come in a wide variety of styles, colors and are all $15.00 each. You can get them at any Sephora or call a MUFE store closest to you to make an order. (Make Up For Ever NYC (212) 941-9337) They also have the individual lash sets for $15.00 each.

Sugarpill Cosmetics - www.sugarpillshop.com
From the creator of Shrinkle, comes Surgarpill Cosmetics. There's not much to offer for lashes but the two styles they do offer are giant. If you want big, black and bold lashes I suggest going here! Available are the Cateye False Eyelashes for $8.00 and the Dewdrop kisses False Eyelashes also for $8.00. Don't forget the Duo Adhesive!

Sephora Collection - www.sephora.com
Okay, not too big on the Sephora Collection. They offer some descent products but for the most part every thing I've ever used from them never held up as well as MUFE or Urban Decay. Yes it's good for the price and just for your normal girl every day wear. If you're like me, then it's just not enough for you. As far as their lashes, I like them. I've used them for many photo shoots. They're not as good as some of the expensive brands out there but they do the trick! At Sephora.com they have a descent variety of styles to choose from and are all $8.00 each except for the singles set which is $10.00.

Mattese Elite - www.matteseelite.com
From Ricky's NYC comes this makeup line. Not many are familiar with it but I really like it. It's one of those under dog makeup lines that not many pay attention to or just don't know about it. I really enjoy their loose shadows and their lashes have a wide range to choose from. All lashes are between $12.00 and $7.00 each, lots of colors, feathers, and more! If in NYC I suggest going to Ricky's to check out this line. There are a ton of these all over Manhattan.

Beauty from the Earth - www.bftecosmetics.com
BFTE is one line I haven't really experimented with yet. From the reviews I've read and the tutorials I've seen I'd have to say they seem to offer a really good range of products. Lots of loose pigments with tons of colors available and are all reasonably priced. If you're looking for lashes they sell a bunch of Red Cherry Lashes. I, myself love Red Cherry and for $5.00 to $2.00 each you can't go wrong at all for the price.

Japonesque - www.japonesque.com
Alright, not much to offer here for cosmetics but they do have a lot of brushes, cases, empty palettes and lashes! All lashes are between $7.00 and $15.00 a piece. There's not much of a variety but their quality is definitely worth it. They also have lash kits and Fast Lash - Thickening Fibers, for priming lashes.

Shu Uemura - www.shuuemura-usa.com
Shu Uemura is probably the most expensive but the best for false lashes. I know I say this a lot but you really do get what you pay for with these. Lots to choose from here, tokyo lash bar 2010 is very avant-garde and not typical for every day wear. Ranging from $65.00 to $12.00 each. The other lines they have available are natural, accent and fantasy lashes. These lashes are all from $16.00 to $27.00 each. A little on the pricey side but they look damn good!

Madame Madeline - www.madamemadeline.com
Got lashes? Never run out again is their slogan. This website is dedicated to lashes and sells a very large selection of lashes. They sell many brands including Red Cherry, Ardell, Andrea, Elise, and Japonesque. All lashes are between $1.95 and $8.00. Some lashes can even be bought in bulk, hence never running out. In need of lashes, this is the best site to go to!

*More coming soon! More looks and reviews...

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Get the look - Orange Peel

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What was used:
MAC Studio Fix NC20
Urban Decay eyeshadow Polyester Bride
Ben Nye Lumiere eyeshadow Iced Gold
Ben Nye Lumiere eyeshadow Tangerine
MAC eyeshadow Orange
MAC eyeshadow Ricepaper
MAC eye pencil Ebony
MAC Powerpoint eye pencil Engraved
MAC Dazzle lash black mascara
MAC brow liner Velvetone
MAC Lustre Glass Pinkarat


*More coming soon!

Sunday, September 26, 2010

New for Fall 2010! Part II

Continuing from the last blog, with new products available for Fall you should check out. Let's do some more shopping!

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics:
Loose Colour Concentrates (9 new shades) - $11.50 each
Lip Tar (6 new shades) - $12.50 each
Nail Lacquer - (10 new shades) - $8.00 each

www.occmakeup.com


NARS:
Blush (Douceur) - $26.00
Single eyeshadow (matte, 3 new shades) - $23.00 each
Lipstick (Rouge Basque) - $24.00
Lipgloss (Strawberry Fields) - $24.00
Soft Touch Shadow Pencil (Palladium) - $24.00
Duo Eyeshadow (2 new sets) - $32.00

www.narscosmetics.com


Lush:
Lovely Jubblies - breast cream- $24.95
Ultrabalm (all purpose balm for your bits) - $12.95
R & B (finishing hair moisturizer) - $18.95
Token to the Forest Gods - $1.95
Glorious Mud (muddy body mask) - $5.95
Brimstone (shower scrub) - $4.95
Stepping Stone (pumice and sea salt foot scrub) - $3.95
Keep it Fluffy (purple bath bomb) - $4.95
Grass Shower Gel - $29.95
Keep it Fluffy (orange bath bomb) - $4.95
Dragon's Egg bath bomb - $4.95
Summer Pudding soap - $5.95
Twilight bath bomb - $4.95
Mrs. Whippy bath bomb - $4.95
Fizzbanger bath bomb - $4.95
Tuca Tuca massage bar - $7.95
9 to 5 (cleansing lotion) - $17.95
Tuca Tuca Fragrance - $29.95
Black Stockings rub - $8.95
Silk Stockings rub - $9.95
Double Choc (lip tint) - $6.95
It Started with a Kiss (lip tint) - $6.95

www.lushusa.com/shop


Benefit Cosmetics:
Her name was glowa (limited edition set) - $36.00
the POREfessional (minimize balm for appearance of pores) - $28.00
Beauty Wonderland (limited edition set) - $36.00
Girl meets pearl (for the face) - $30.00
All you need is gloss (limited edition set) - $26.00
Prrowl (mascara topcoat & lip gloss) - $28.00
Beauty Be-Bop (limited edition set) - $60.00
World's best mascaras (limited edition set) - $29.00
the Fab lane (limited edition set) - $49.00

www.benefitcosmetics.com


*More coming soon!

Thursday, September 23, 2010

New for Fall 2010! Part I

There's tons of killer new products out there for Fall 2010 so I thought I'd cover it. Here is a list of what you can buy so let's go shopping!

Urban Decay:
The Book of Shadows Vol. III - $54.00
The Smoke Out kit (3 available palettes) - $34.00 each
24/7 Jackpot eye pencils - $39.00
Box of Potions (4 primers) - $49.00
Urbanglow Creme Highlight (4 shades) - $24.00 each
Lip Junkie Lip Gloss (11 shades) - $19.00 each
Urban Lash (18 lashes) - $15.00 each
Eyeshadow Primer Potion Professional Size - $29.00

www.urbandecay.com


NYX:
New brushes - ranging from $4.00 to $25.00 each
Eyebrow Sharper - $8.75
Sheer Tube Lipgloss (24 shades) - $5.50 each
Studio Liquid Liner (12 shades) - $4.50 each
Powder Blush (25 shades) - $6.00 each
Ink Nail Art (24 shades) - $3.00 each
Lip Gloss Palette (8 palettes) - $8.00 each
Ultimate Pearl Eyeshadow (18 shades) - $7.00 each
Super Fat and Skinner Eye Marker - $9.00 and $10.00
Concealer Jar (13 shades) - $5.50 each

http://www.nyxcosmetics.com/


Sugarpill Cosmetics:
Chromalust (7 new shades)- $12.00 each

www.sugarpillshop.com


Make Up For Ever:
Rouge Artist Intense (50 shades) - $19.00 each
Rock For Ever Aqua Eyes (5 aqua eyes) - $36.00
Aqua Cream (22 shades) - $22.00 each
Aquarelle (21 shades) - $20.00 each
Metal Powder (4 shades) - $22.00 each
Rock For Ever Eye Shadow Palette - $45.00
Strass shimmer/glitter (13 colors) - $20.00 each
Rock For Ever Star Powder & Aqua Eyes - $39.00
Eye Shadow Brush #5N - $22.00
Eye Shadow Brush #6N - $24.00
Eye Shadow Brush #17S - $28.00
Lip Brush #3N - $18.00
Eyeliner Brush #1N - $14.00
Eyeliner Brush #2S - $21.00

www.makeupforever.com


*More coming soon!

Monday, September 20, 2010

Makeup pet peeves and more...

Ok there are a lot of things females do with makeup that really drive me crazy. The whole point to makeup is to make yourself look and feel better am I right? It's the little things I just don't understand or maybe the big things about it. For instance, skin is number one as far as I'm concerned. If you're skin looks like hell chances are smearing a hot neon pink all over your lids is not going to make you look all that. I always tell models and have told friends to drink plenty of water, try to eat healthy and try to wash your face at least 1 to 2 times daily. The better your skin is the better you will look and then you can worry about putting that hot pink neon shadow on. If you look like you just smeared a greasy plate of french fries on your face it just isn't going to help your cause by making your eyes the center of attention.

Also, I don't understand why the packaging to makeup has become so important to women these days. Just because the packaging is something like a an eye shadow shaped into a pair of lips and has rhinestones all over the lid does not make it an awesome product! It could be the worst makeup in the world but just because the packaging has hot pink skulls and cross bones on it everyone goes crazy for it. As a professional makeup artist, I love experimenting with new products and I also love to use good products even if there is no bling to the packaging. For instances, Yaby Cosmetics is just a white plain palette but there makeup is probably the best I have ever used, and Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics as well. It also works with really trendy brands too and why everyone is still so obsessed with brands like MAC. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate MAC and I use some of their products in my every day makeup but the ones who only buy MAC and nothing else, I don't understand. There's so much more out there that is worth the money and brands with way better products. They could make an Uglydoll line from MAC and I still don't think I'd buy the whole line, (like that would ever happen) but would check it out of course.

There's other things too that I will never understand is why people choose to take makeup advice from someone who is not a makeup artist and does not understand how to use makeup the way it's suppose to be used. Just because you own everything from Makeup Forever, MAC, Sugarpill and Lime Crime does not mean you can automatically give everyone advice. I've seen plenty of people give really bad advice on how to use certain products. Plus, just because you own all these products doesn't mean you are makeup artist number one! Your skills could be terrible and if you're going to use more than one shade of eye shadow please make sure you know how to blend and use brushes. You don't want to make it look like you took a makeup gun and set it to whore. If that's what you're going for then I guess more power to ya, it just never looks good. I'm not saying I know everything about makeup or the products them selves, but the way I see some people these days...basically I don't get it. It's also helpful to go to a makeup counter and ask for help if you have any questions. Why act all high and mighty if you don't know how to use a certain product? Chances are you're just going to make yourself look like a clown if you don't know what you're doing and act like you do. I don't think Bozo the clown is a look anyone wants to go for.

Even with eyeshadow, it can be an issue if you don't prime your lids. If you want your eye shadow to last all day, I suggest primer since it will be your best friend. Women who don't use mascara should if you use heavy and crazy colored eye shadows. I hate when you see someone who has a ton of eye shadow on and no mascara because when you brush most shadows on you get dust. The dust will not only stain under your eyes but will catch on to your lashes and you will have color coated lashes. It's okay if you want different colored mascara but eyeshadow is not for your lashes. Also if you are using a messy eye shadow use a tissue to catch the falling shadow or use a loose powder to brush under your eyes and then sweep once you're eye shadow is to your liking.

Another thing I don't understand is why people recommend products to others they don't believe in or like. As for myself I would never and could never recommend a product I didn't like or believe in to someone. Apparently makeup is a competition now? Yes in the MUA world it is but for every day wear? Especially when you're recommending products to your friends and you tell them to buy something you don't even like? To me that's just silly, since I love to help everyone with any kind of question or any product they're curious about. I've only been doing makeup for almost four years now but I am very familiar with a lot of products out there. Some people are very allergic to certain products, so that is one of the biggies some don't pay attention to. Also price is a big factor but it's like this, you get what you pay for. If you buy a compact for your face from Cover Girl vs a compact from Make up Forever, you're damn right MUFE is going to be the better product. I also find the better products have better coverage and last way longer than those that don't.

Again, skin is the most important part to makeup I can't stress that enough. If you take care of your skin, the rest of the makeup will just flow with the look you are trying to achieve. I know I don't know everything but certain things in the makeup world are just common sense. Concealer can be your best friend but a lot of people can over do it, just like using a lot of foundation. (For a side note, make sure you blend your foundation, since you don't want that line on your neck or chin. It's just not attractive if it looks like you're wearing a mask.) You can frost your face like a cake until the sun does down and you're still doing to look like a mess. You need to figure out your skin type and the condition it is in in order to find out the combination of skin care products and makeup products you need. There are a lot of different skin types, finding the right foundation is one of the most important steps to makeup. I know a lot of people don't like to go to the makeup counter to figure out what shade of foundation they are but it's the best way to do it. If they try to up sell you just say you are not interested and are only there for what you came for.

Prepping skin is a big deal, at least to me. I always wash my face, moisturize, use primer on the areas that need it and then foundation or concealer which ever you prefer to do first. Eating healthy and exercise can also make a big difference in your skin quality along with drinking plenty of water, and don't forget the sunscreen if you are going to be out doors for long periods of time!

Link info:
yabycosmetics.com
occmakeup.com
sugarpillshop.com
limecrimemakeup.com

*Coming soon, tutorials and makeup product reviews!

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Shoot on Sunday

I have shoot Sunday @ 3pm, involving 2 models with one look a piece for Auxiliary Magazine, www.auxiliarymagazine.com. First look is a black smokey eye with nude lips and second will be a blue/purple eye with matte black lips.

I will be using the following products:
Smashbox photo finish for primer
Yaby liquid foundations
MUFE concealer/correctors
Kryolan Dermacolor concealer
MUFE HD loose powder
MAC mascara, dazzle glass
Yaby brow powder
Smashbox black creamliner
Naked Cosmetics eye shadow primer
MUFE eye shadows
Ben Nye lumiere eye shadows
Yaby eye shadows
Urban Decay 24/7 liners
Yaby blushes
Yaby bronzers
MAC lip mix
MAC eye liners
Fake lashes provided by Sally Beauty Supply
Cinema Secrets lip gloss
Yaby lipsticks

Also been picking up brushes @ A.C. Moore, very affordable and just as good as the brushes you get from Crown or Coast Scents. If you don't know about Crown Brush or Coastal Scents, here are the links:
www.crownbrush.com
www.coastalscents.com

*Will have more up soon, tutorials and reviews coming...