Tag Archives: Ashburn VA makeup artist

Makeup

MAC Cosmetics Spring 2012 Collection

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I had the pleasure of being invited to a MAC cosmetics sneak preview last night of the new collection. The line to get in the store was wrapped around the mall, all with eager MAC lovers waiting to get the first look at the new spring line. Once in the store amidst the cocktails and hors d’oeuvres were flowing and there were stations set up to look, try and see what will be available in a few weeks for everyone.

Photo Courtesy of MAC Cosmetics

The new line is called “Shop, Shop, Shop and Cook, Cook, Cook” Spring 2012 Collection.  The color palette is bright, vibrant, fun and will catch your eye when it lines the store shelves.

The Shop, Shop, Shop collection is a Shop ’til you drop with a tongue-in-cheek collection that elevates the everyday into the extraordinary.

The Eyeshadow Quad Palettes are as follows:

  • Call Me Bubbles – cool-n-spicy coral eyeshadows
  • Shop & Drop – violet inspired quartet or eyeshadows
  • Colour Added – a mixture of teal, white, charcoal and yellow.

SHOP MAC Cremeblend Blush is creamy and easy to blend:

  • Optomistic Orange – a bright orange
  • Florida – a bright coral/pink
  • Restore Dazzle – rich plum
Photo Courtesy of MAC Cosmetics

Spring Lips dish it up with these shades of color:

  • Innocence, Beware – light yellow pink
  • Watch Me Shimmer – bright pink-orange
  • Naughty, Saute – bright pepto pink
  • Quick Sizzle – bright pink
  • Dish It Up To Shop – berry pink
  • Runway Red – rich red blue

MAC Kissable Lipcolour has a creamy look and feel in five colors:

  • Enchantee – light blue pink
  • Woo Me – light pinky nude
  • So Vain – muted dirty coral
  • Scan-delicious – blue fuchsia
  • Flaunting It – grey mauve
Photo Courtesy of MAC Cosmetics

COOK MAC Collection brings the gourmet glamor.  The recipe for kitchen kouture in savory shades for eyes, lips and dishy nail lacquers.

Fluidline Gel is a simple way to make a gourmet ling with a silkier finish than a regular eyeliner:

  • Midnight Snack – soft black
  • Added Goodness – blackened mauve
  • Wholesome – blackened brown

Tendertone Lip Balm is the next generation of lip conditioner that combines the look of a gloss and lip balm:

  • Tread Gently – soft lime green with yellow pearl
  • Purring – sheer tangerine with pearl
  • Hush, Hush – sheer gold with yellow gold pearl
  • Hot ‘n’ Saucy – soft cherry red

Not Yet Dishy Enough? Nail Lacquer will finish the look of in one of these three colors:

  • Al Fredo – bright acid green
  • Kid Orange – coral
  • Salad Dressing – midtone dirty aqua

As with all special edition MAC Collections these are limited and once they are gone they are gone.  So, if you find one you love don’t hesitate with purchasing, or you may miss out!

Uncategorized

Homemade Fall Pumpkin Face Mask

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You know that it is fall when you walk by a coffee shop and can smell the aroma of pumpkin infused into the coffee or in the loaves of bread fresh out of the oven. However, what you may not realize is that pumpkin is a great skin ingredient. It has natural exfoliating acids and anti-oxidants that are great for resurfacing and re-texturing. Pumpkin works on calming breakouts down, brighten your skin and soften the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Here is a great homeade recipe that I came across a year ago and it is a favorite of mine and can be used for all skin types.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup pumpkin
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon almond milk (if you have dry skin)
  • 1/2 teaspoon of honey (if you have dry skin)
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (if you have oily skin)

Directions

Puree 1/4 cup of fresh pumpkin into a thick paste then add the egg. If you have dry skin add the almond milk and honey.  For oily skin skip the milk and honey instead use apple cider vinegar. Mix well and apply the mask and leave on for 10 to 20 minutes. Rinse with cool water.

Celebrity Beauty

Get Selita Ebanks Red Carpet Look

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  Model Selita Ebanks rocked the red carpet at the Cirque de Soleil opening of “Zarkana” in New York.  Celebrity Hairstylist to the stars Ricardo Rojas styled the Models tresses in a sleek and chic hairdo.  We were lucky enough to get the tips on how to create this look on  your own and be red carpet ready for all your events.

 

How to Style:

  1. Apply a pea size amount of KeSari Indian Oil Hair Serum on the ends of slightly damp hair to keep your hair frizz free.
  2. Blow dry hair with a medium-sized round brush
  3. Once hair is dry, define a dramatic side part starting at the front of the forehead and smooth hair down.
  4. Once hair is completely slick, finish the look by applying the KeSARI Indian Oil Hair Serum throughout the hair for all-night shine and manageability.
Makeup

How To Achieve A Hot Summer Makeup Look

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(Photo Credit: She Knows)

With this summer’s record-breaking heat and humidity at an all-time high, what is a girl to do to keep her makeup from melting away? Here are some tips to achieve a hot summer look that is gorgeous, fashionable and sure to be a hit at the summer parties.

1. Start with a primer both for your eyes and your face.  There are some great products out there, one of my favorites is the Smashbox Anti-Shine Primer. It mattes your skin and then helps your foundation stick.

2. Next I apply eye makeup, before foundation.  To get a great smokey eye try using Lorac’s 3-in-1 Waterproof Eyeliner Pencils. The color is fantastic and they go on smooth and don’t budge so your smokey eye stays smokey.  And it has a smudger on the end, to give you a little smoke in the corner.  For shadow try Make Up Forever’s Aqua Cream. It goes on creamy, dries into a powder that is waterproof and does not crease.

(Photo Credit: Make Up Forever)

3. When it comes to foundation for a hot summer look, less is more.  Think about using a tinted moisturizer instead of foundation. However, you will need to find one that still has strong coverage for even skin tone and longevity.  My personal pick is Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Tinted Moisturizers.  They are thin enough to feel light, but thick enough to look like foundation in pictures.

4. Instead of blush, I go with a bronzer to get the sun kissed look that reminds me of summer.  Add it to all the places the sun naturally hits your face: forehead, cheeks, bridge of nose and chin.  use a light touch and if needed you can add more than one layer.

5. Lips is a matter of taste, however, with a great smokey eye, I go light on the lips so as not to look overly done.  One option is to use a waterproof lip pencil, so that you are not constantly reapplying at the party.  A great option is Make Up Forever Aqua Lip Pencil, which you can color the entire lip with and add a touch of color without the hastle.

6. Finish the look off with MAC Fix +, it is a great spray and will set your makeup.

Stay cool and beautiful!

Celebrity Beauty, Makeup

August 2011 Cover Of Vogue: How to Get Sarah Jessica Parker’s Makeup Look

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(Photo Credit: Vogue.com)

If you are like me, then the cover a magazine is all about the look that the model is wearing.  I also always look to Vogue magazine for the season’s next look and then look to the makeup to see what is trending and how to get the cover look.

Sarah Jessica Parker is the American Vogue August 2011 Cover Girl.  Her look is classic both in clothing and makeup: flawless skin, a heavily lined eye and a natural pink lip.

Here is how to get SJP’s look for yourself.

1) Start with prepping your skin with a great moisturizer and a primer.

2) All about the eyes.  First what sets her eyes off is the well shaped and shaded brow.  Use a brow brush to shape and then a brow pencil or powder to define the brow.  Pick a light neutral shade of shadow and apply below the brow.  The eyeshadow on the lid that was used is ExpertWear Eyeshadow in Night Sky by Maybelline, which is a shimmery dark shadow.  However, you could use a chocolate brown to get the same effect and use a light hand on application as the lid is not heavily shadowed.  Line both the upper and lower with a black.  In the picture, the makeup artist used Unstoppable Eyeliner in Onyx.  Mascara is an important feature and use the darkest black you can find.

3) Sarah Jessica Parker’s skin looks flawless and a great way to get yours to look the same is to choose a matte foundation.   To get the great shimmer that is seen in the photo use a product like MAKE UP FOR EVER Uplight. It is a silky gel that reflects and diffuses light to give you a natural but radiant skin.  I mix this with the foundation so that the skin looks flawless and a great finish.

4) As for cheek color with this look go very light both in color and application.  It is really gong to be more to contour fabulous cheekbones. In this photo no cheek color was used, just foundation and lighting.  However, you can add a little if you would like to add some glow to your skin.

5) Her lips are in a lip color shade that is very close to her natural shade with a light pink color.  If you want to amp this color add a lip liner in a brown to add a little bit more color.

Makeup

Concealer That Does Cover Your Dark Circles

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I am constantly looking for an under eye concealer that really will cover the darkest under eye circles.  As a makeup artist I need something that will work on almost everyone, so that I do not have seven or eight products that I have to pick through with each client.  I need one product in several shades that will make my job easier.

While I have worked with and used several different lines and types, I have found that many of them are a yellow based concealer which only makes the circles look gray or darker.  I am also need a product that is not too thick so as too draw attention to what I am hiding.

While I was at The Makeup Show NYC, a trade show of classes, products and fun, I came across a brand line that swears by its concealer.  In fact, it is what has made their line famous.  Eve Pearl Cosmetics founded by Eve Pearl, who is a makeup artist for the entertainment industry.  Eve Pearl Cosmetics has a “salmon” concealer, that is lightweight, creamy and comes in shades to blend in to a variety of skin tones.  I was impressed by Eve and her company as the products are: cruelty free, paraben free, petrolatum free, oil and mineral oil free and fragrance free.

Photo Courtesy of Eve Pearl Cosmetics

I purchased a concealer trio and decided I would use it on all my clients as well as myself this week and really see what this concealer can do.  On myself, I noticed that the concealer blended well covered up my circles and finished off my look.  My clients this week have been impressed with my skills in covering there dark circles.   Which I know is a testiment to the product.  However, the best moment was I had a client this week who is severely sensitive to products and if she has a reaction she either breaks out into hives or her eyes constantly tear.  I used the Eve Pearl Concealer and she had no allergic reaction.
I am so excited with this purchase and who recommend this product to any consumer professional or makeup lover.  I love finding new products that hold up to the test.

Makeup

Summertime and the makeup is flawless

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As the Summer shows no signs of cooling and a warm Fall is on the way, there are products and tricks that can be used to help brides and bridesmaids keep their makeup looking flawless.

Anna was a bridesmaid for a wedding in Key West this summer. While I did not travel with her to the sunny – and humid – Keys, we had a makeup consultation and practice session so that she could apply her own makeup.

The bridesmaids were dressed in aquamarine color gowns, and the wedding took place on the beach. Anna wears minimal makeup on a daily basis and while she wanted to look great in pictures, she also wanted to go with a softer, natural look. I decided that we should go with a sun kissed look that would complement her coloring and fit the style of the wedding.

In order to begin the combat against the humidity, I used Smashbox anti-shine primer. This product helps keeps oil under control and foundation from running. It should be applied after moisturizer and before makeup.

I used a liquid foundation to match Anna’s skin and then opted for a bronzer – instead of a blush – to highlight her cheekbones and give her a sun kissed glow. The eye makeup featured a lighter smokey eye, only lining the top lid and not the bottom. I used several coats of mascara so the lashes would stand out. By going with a lighter eye, we could highlight her skin. The lip color was a combination of brownish pink that looks great and is more of a neutral tone. To finish the look (and my last step in making sure that her makeup would hold up), I used MAC’s Fix+ which is an aqua spritz that helps finish and set makeup.

After Anna came back from Key West, she sent me a note: “I was concerned about the heat and my makeup coming off, however the products were amazing! I just received the album and was pleased that my makeup stayed on all day and night. They are definitely products worth purchasing for any upcoming event you may be attending. Thanks, Tracie, for the tips!”

While this wedding took place outside of Virginia, the products are perfect for the HOT steamy weather of  Northern Virginia.

Makeup

Things to ask a Makeup Artist before Booking

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Booking a makeup artist for your wedding should be like booking any other vendor. There are questions that you should ask to make sure that you have all the information before your big day. It also will help you decide before the trial if the artist is a good match for you.  Ask to look at the artist’s portfolio or check it out if it is online. This will give you an idea of what style of makeup your artist typically does and if he/she works with brides.

If you are having your videographer or photographer shoot in HD (high definition), is your artist able to use makeup that works with HD?

Is airbrushing an option?

What products does your artist use? This way you will know if you have any allergies to the brands. And if you do, can your artist work with your personal makeup?

Will your makeup artist travel to you on your wedding day? Is there an extra fee for travel?

Will your makeup artist do bridesmaids and the mothers? What are the rates?

If you want the option for after ceremony touch-ups, what is the charge?

If the groom has rosacea and/or breakouts before the wedding, can the artist do a touch-up for him? What is the fee?

Be sure to schedule a makeup trial. If you’re doing engagement photos, have your trial the same day. This way you can test the makeup and have it professionally applied for your photos.

A makeup artist should also ask questions to find out your personal style and to make sure he/she can achieve a look that will meet your expectations. Here are some questions to expect:

What does your everyday makeup style look like?

What is the style of your wedding dress and hairstyle?

Are you having an indoor or outdoor wedding?

What time of day is the wedding taking place?

What are your wedding colors?

Do you have any allergies to product brands or ingredients?

Makeup

Airbrushing – for everyone or just models?

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The Makeup Show NYC is more than a trade event. It brings the makeup artist community together with product displays and demonstrations, along with seminars taught by the best artists in the fields of print, film, television and beauty. The best part is that as a makeup artist I see the latest products and trends to bring back to my clients.

Airbrushing has been used in print, film and television for several years and with the advent of HD technology, airbrushing exploded. Many brides ask me if airbrushing is the best option for their big day or just a fad. After the last few days, I found that airbrushing is gaining enormous popularity in mainstream makeup. Every other booth and major makeup company at the show had their own airbrush line.

Airbrushing applies a light spritz of foundation and actually creates a more natural look. While it may seem like it adds a ton of makeup to the face, it in fact does the opposite –  which is why it began with print and specifically HD Television. A professional applies it lightly and then builds upon those layers to get the desired effect. This technique is also a great way to hide blemishes.

If your photographer and videographer are going to be filming in HD, you may want to think about airbrush makeup or at least ask your makeup artist if they are using a product that will work with HD technology.