Merry Me

Tis the season to be jolly, which also means lots of holiday festivities!

Working ladies: If your office is like most, they will throw a party directly after your work day, which means you will need a "freshening up" session.

Welcome a much needed cocktail faster, versus appearing half-tired plus exhausted from your 7 am wake up call, by cutting your session time in half.

Freshening: Directly after applying your make-up in the morning, lightly spray your face with Make-Up Forever Mist & Fix.

Groggy to Glamorous: It will set your make-up for the entire day, so your face will continuously stay looking so fresh and oh so clean...

Warning: Do not over spray, all you need is a spray for each side of your face = 2 sprays.

The holidays are also an ideal time to experiment with colors and adding a touch of merry to your make-up style!

Option: Smoke your eyes with a hint of black, or a darker shade of shadow and try to balance the emphasis on your lips with a deep pink shade to match your eyes.

Eyes: I used a cream base and added a deep purple on her crease to give her an edge versus making it appear too smokey.

Lips: A deep pink mixed with a gloss to complement her eyes and cheeks, while giving a balance to her look.

A Political Statement

It's rare to see women in politics on anything other than CNN. Michelle Obama has not only taken on the role of our first lady, but in my opinion, since Jackie Kennedy, she's transformed herself into a political fashionista!

Fearless: I adore this shot from her Vogue photo shoot, the contrast of her navy blue makeup with a pink lipstick, with her stunning dress gives her a timeless, yet sophisticated look.

Accessorize: Her eyes are bold with a black shadow and a nude lip gloss, paired with a chic necklace.

Make a statement: By accessorizing with not only with your make-up, jewelry, and dress, but most importantly with a handsome date!

Colorblind

The art of beauty.

A Soul Search...

I made an unexpected trip to Bloomingdales to re-stock some needed items.

I arrived with my list, I left with no soul, since that's what I provided as payment.

For your soul: Estee Lauder Re-Nutriv, under eye cream, promising to keep the area hydrated, wrinkle free, and repell dark-circles. Retail price: $100

Beauty is pain: I will try out this so called "miracle" in a cream, and write a review in a few weeks!

What's in a dollar, or two?

On average, I spend anywhere between $50-100 per month on make-up essentials such as foundation, liquid liners, and lipsticks/gloss.

I could go the generic route, but sadly I have made a lifetime commitment to most of these products, and can't cheat my way out of spending less money, which led me to ask:

Question: What are 3 essential make-up items you can't live without?

Most to least:

Christmas wish list: A new soul, lots of new make-up. Thanks Santa!

Roses are red, Violets are blue

You'll soon catch on to my admiration of the color purple.

In an earlier post, I discussed purple eye-shadow combinations, but if you are looking for a simpler way to excite your eyes, you can start by using your favorite color of: Mascara, Eye-pencil

Experiment: A blue mascara and line the top and bottom of your eye with the same color eye-liner pencil.

BADgal Mascara comes in a Navy Blue and you can purchase at any Sephora store.

Don't be blue: You can pick your color of choice, and play with mascara and eye-pencils, and maybe some shadow to line the top/bottom of your eyes.

Gloss, Set, Go!

A gloss is just as significant as your choice in lipstick. Sometimes, using a gloss by itself can be more beneficial if you're looking for a little shine and a lot of spark!

My favorites include MAC's line of glosses, they are a little sticky, but the colors complement so well, even if you use them without any lipstick.

Preferred: Cultured, Nymphette, Revealing

Cultured: A hint of pink + purple = Ideal

Nymphette: A mix of golds and pinks give you the perfect gloss to mix with any lipstick.

Revealing: A brownish, nude shade that complements your lips by itself, or a lipstick of your choice.

MAC has a range of brands they are promoting based on seasons, like the Dazzleglass lipglosses, which combine a mix of shimmer in the color and look fabulous on your lips!

Personal Favorite: Moth to a Flame, which is a mix of neutral glossy earth tones with a hint of shimmer, and wearing it alone give your lips the perfect amount of shine.

If you're typically just looking for a lip shine, with no color, my suggestion is a clear LipGlass by MAC or Juicy Tubes by Lancome.

Pain: Do not rub your lips to blend the lipglass in, it's extremely sticky and will prevent any kiss exchanges you're planning...if you're a shine-seeker, Lancome would be a better option.

Gain: Both products provide a glossy shine to your lips and you'll soon become addicted!

Make-Up Evolution

Evolution: A gradual process in which something changes into a different and usually more complex or better form.

A brief glimpse of make-up evolution...

See No Evil

There are all types of liquid liner brands I've used, and my recommendations for my 3 essential picks:

1. MAC Cosmetics - Black liquid liner

2. MAC Cosmetics - Liquidlast Liner

3. Estee Lauder - Zero Smudge Liquid Liner

I have a pet peeve with eye-liner that smears, which is almost impossible to control, so your two choices are to carry Q-tips with you, or use a smudge-free liner which won't budge and give you a fresh look all day.

Disadvantage: If for some reason you are lining your eyes, and it's not completely straight, smudge-proof/waterproof liners will usually dry quickly and be difficult to take off.

Advantage: A smudge-proof liner plays a massive role when you are trying to obtain your signature "cat-eye" look. By lining just the outside of your eye, you can secure that it will not smear all day.

The "cat-eye" is a personal favorite of mine, partially because my eyes are almond shaped and it gives a distinct appeal with or without any shadow, and you can play with different colors.

Rihanna's make-up style is admirable, and I have yet to find out her artist, but she's a fan of the "cat eye" and utilizes it with a range of different colors for her eyes and lips.

You can literally transform your eye shape by the lining to make your eyes appear bigger or smaller, based on your color and lining direction.

Dare to be different: Use an electric blue liquid liner by MAC's Liquidlast line to achieve the "cat-eye" look and match it with a striking pink lip and blush to contrast the blue eyes.

Ordinary to Extrodinary

My passion for make-up artistry involves a range of experimenting with bold colors and styles. Art itself isn't based on the variety of colors you use, but more importantly how they are utilized.

I am a huge fan of switching your day to night looks, but here are some examples of where a woman's make-up style isn't defined by the quantity she puts on her face, but more so the quality of how she applies it. The following women exemplify the true meaning of beauty in its simplest form.

Aishwarya Rai: Her stunning eyes play a major role in her choices of using earth tone colors for her lips, cheeks, and eyeshadow.

Beyonce: A liquid liner can go a long way when you're seeking a simple, yet vibrant look. I love that she lined her eyes just at the top with a slight curve, and used colors to accent her natural features.

Angelina Jolie: I have rarely seen her wearing more make-up than this, but I'm a fan of her simplistic nature. Liner is used at the outside of the top and bottom, which is said to make your eyes look bigger. Less make-up means more emphasis on accessories, as seen with her emerald earrings...I'm green with envy, but my loyalty lies with "Team Aniston"

The Shining

Do you ever wonder how to produce a bronzed + shimmer cheek? Blush's primary role is to transform your cheek from dull to rosy, but if you are looking to define your cheekbone area and add some spice, I would follow these simple steps...

I start by bronzing each cheekbone area with MAC cosmetic's loose bronzer powder and follow up with their loose shimmer powder, and finally add a hint of blush.

Warning: Do NOT go shimmer or bronzer happy.

Final Result: An emphasized cheek area with the perfect amount of glam.

When it Rains...

Think Pink!

Some of my favorite pink shades are from MAC cosmetics. You can experiement with your favorite shade or try pinking your lips with colors like Snob, Bombshell, or Giddy

Find a way to brighten your day!