Just eye's...

I think I speak for most "Artist" as I write this blog entry, we DO not enjoy just doing your eyes!

Picture having your car vacuumed, shampooed, and having all the interior polished as if it was right off the the assembly line. Then, picture the exterior chipped, nicked, dirty, and the tires drug through the mud. It doesn't make much sense does it? Well, that is exactly what you are asking when you want someone who does make up for a living and has a passion for a perfect finished look to "Just do your eyes." Your skin is the foundation or the exterior, and if you think you don't have any blemishes or an uneven skin, you are probably 3yrs old, because that's the last time you went without the environment affecting your skin. So, next time you ask a professional artist to do your make up, let them do what they have worked so hard learning to do!

My newest brow obsession...

If you haven't heard of Lily Collins yet, you will know her very soon. She is the daughter of Phil Collins and Jill Tavelman. Besides her abilities in journalism, acting, and modeling, she has the most amazing brows! They are at the top of the Google search page and the brows have their own twitter page...really, not kidding! 

She is the newest ambassador of Lancome. In January you will see her in all the Lancome advertising for their launch of " Ballerine", Spring 2014. It's no secret I have a thing for brunettes, I just love dark hair, its one of my favorite looks when I do make up, ( if you don't have dark hair,

I still like doing your make up, so don't get your feelers hurt). Stepping up on the pedestal with Kate Winslet, and Emma Watson, Lily embodies the grace and charm needed for this position. I know I  will have great  brow tear sheet examples to show my clients!

THE WINDOW TO YOUR SOUL...

To know your eye shape is to know the combination to the lock of the vault that holds the Hope Diamond. Seriously, you can unlock the prettiest "You" by knowing what to do with your eyes.

Because I care so much about making the ladies of the world feel pretty, I'm sharing a secret that makes me a superior make up artist. Follow these rules and you will never feel ugly again!

1) Close set eyes: Use light colors on the inner corners, and extend the outer corners using dark colors. Line outer corners, use mascara on the outer corners.

2) Deep set eyes: Apply light colors on the lid, with a deeper color on and just above the socket line, blending up and out.

3) Hooded eyes: This happens with age; Use matte colors in the medium to dark and keep eye makeup simple.

4) Almond eyes: Considered the "Perfect Eye" any technique will work.

5) Down turned Eyes: Apply liner close to the upper lash line and blend shadow along the socket line in the outer 2/3 of the eyes. Curl and apply mascara to lashes, it helps lift the eye.

6) Protruding Eyes: The best way to shade this eye is use medium to dark matte colors.

What a little mascara will do...

We all are dealt a hand in life, rather because of our environment, lineage, or social class. But, when a person is dealt the hand of a terminal illness, its pretty hard to swallow. Unless you are Talia Joy Castellano. Talia, a lot like most pre-teens loved make up, and while fighting two-forms of cancer neuroblastoma and leukemia, she started making tutorials on Youtube of how to apply make up, nail art, and her health updates. She wowed so many people that CoverGirl cosmetics named her honorary spokesperson. Her motto on her Youtube channel was "My wig is my Makeup." One of her wishes was to go on the Ellen DeGeneres show and do her make up, not only did she achieve that, Ellen got her the gig with CoverGirl. I know many people who complain about the fairness of not being built thin, or wanting a better financial lifestyle, but when you take in the reality that you are not fighting for your life at age 13, your complaints seem trivial. Talia passed today ( July 16, 2013).

"Having cancer has been a gift, yet a horrible, horrible terrifying thing," she added. "But I've gotten so many benefits from it ... having a YouTube channel and having to inspire people and having people look up to me and explaining to you guys how I adore and love makeup -- using it as my wig -- and having so much self-confidence and going out to the grocery store without a wig. It's amazing but the journey of having cancer was amazing but every journey has an end."

Talia Joy Castellano

1999-2013

This post is for the Serious Make up junkies...

There are the make up enthusiast, they buy what Allure Magazine says is the top 100 brands and there are the people who stay on the pulse of whats being created from Cover Girl Cosmetics to Tom Ford Cosmetics. Of course, you know I'm the latter. I'm on a list of 10 brands that send professional whats happening with their launches along with testers. I am a make up snob, I have to have the best in the industry and I have the client that expects it. It sets me apart from the rest, my kit holds the prestige brands that celebrities find hard to digest purchasing. Believe me, the kit is insured!

If you haven't heard by now about Le Metier de Beaute, you have missed out on an intense line of make up and skin care. I was introduced to it in 2010 and had to literally buy one piece a month till I was able to say I had the key pieces. The pigment of the shadows and blushes are beyond any others ( except Tom Ford Cosmetics). The packaging is so clever, you pick the color story you would like and then it is put in a kaleidoscope kit custom done for you. I never thought there could be a way to have all my favorite lip glosses in one compact without making a huge mess, well Le Metier figured that one out. I have one of the prettiest reds in the same kit with a beautiful gold nude. One of the stars of the line is the loose powder, it melts on the skin like silk charmeuse. I apologize ahead of time for the price point, it's not for novice, this is the big league ladies and gents.

Hue pay dirt...

I have been asked about my skin a lot lately, I think it is due to my amazing phone camera. What I don't want to discount is my mother's amazing genetics, her skin is like whipped chocolate mouse. She has never worn foundation and she puts Vaseline on her face, yep you heard me....Petroleum Jelly! I've never witnessed a blemish in my 42 years on her face. So, I'm pretty fortunate to get her skin's tone and texture. I didn't start wearing make up till I was 23 years old and even now, I don't wear a base or foundation. I have used Iman Cosmetics Luxury pressed powder for 18 years. I do like to play with concealers from all brands like any dark-circle-totting consumer. What is amazing about the Iman powders are the abilities to match skin tones with an odd undertone. They come in 3 categories: Sand ( Yellow), Clay ( Sienna or orange), and Earth ( Red). I'm able to match Asian, Hispanic, Latin, African and everything in between with Iman's beautiful velvet finished pressed powders. If you are a person of color and seem to never be able to match your skin tone when looking for a powder or foundation I admonish you to look into this great line. For $15.99 at Target and $18 everywhere else you can't go wrong!

Aaliyah is wearing Iman luxury pressed powered in Clay Med Dark

Marie Is wearing Iman luxury pressed powder in Sand light Med

Here I am without makeup and with Iman Luxury pressed powder in Earth Dark and Makeup forever full cover under eyes.