IBS Makeup Haul

Just a taste of my IBS haul!

Last week in my Life Update blog, I told you about my trip to NYC to the International Beauty Show.  Well, today I'm going to share with you some of the amazing things I got on my shopping trip!

There were several nail polish companies there, and I was super excited to see Essie was one of them!  They were only $4 a bottle, and when you bought 5 bottles you got a sixth free.  It was a no brainer to give everyone convenient six bottle boxes to hold their purchases in.  Not all of my colors are shown in the photo, and I plan on doing a separate blog with individual swatches, but it was mostly pinks/purples and fun summery colors.  China Glaze was there as well for even cheaper, and I got two Textured colors, a Holographic color, and a Crackle among the regular colors.

There were very few makeup companies there.  IBS is really more about hair than anything else, and since I haven't started cosmetology school yet, I didn't want to spend too much money on hair products that I can't use to their full potential.  I do a fair job at styling my clients for their boudoir shoots, but next year I'm looking forward to buying some really nice shears and salon equipment for my in home set up.

Just a small sample of the stuff I got from Stila!

However, Stila was there, and they had so many good deals I just couldn't say no to! There convertible colors were 5 for $55!  I mean, really?!  Who could walk away from that?!  I had never tried them, so I was excited to pick up five beautiful colors.  I've used them at a couple of shoots already, and they are so nice.  I love that you can use them for lips and cheeks.  I've got a more in depth review coming up next week on them with some nice swatches, too.  Also in my bag were four more of their stay all day lipcolors, a lip and cheek stain (that I realized after one use I'm allergic to!), and some eye liners.  I love everything from Stila, and could have totally spent a couple hundred more buying one of everything, but I have to save some for The Makeup Show coming up in two weeks!

I also got some lipstick palettes for work from Mehron and some individual pans of my favorite colors for myself in some beautiful bright shades.   I'm one of those customers the people at the booths love.  I walk right up, rattle off all the specific things I need, and just hand them a credit card.  I shop from Mehron once a year, so refilling my favs is always a necessity by the time the shows roll around in the spring.

I can't wait to show you some swatches next week of some loose pigment stacks I got from Color Revolution.  They are so gorgeous!  You can see three of the four stacks I got standing up in the back.

There were lots of booths selling cute beauty industry related jewelry, and I loved this little lipstick necklace so much I couldn't walk away.  Next year I'll be sure to have a bigger budget for the "fun" stuff vs the "work" stuff. 

I'm such a sucker to a live demonstration on myself.  If you can get me to sit down in a chair to show me how your works, I'm already 90% sold.  I barely make eye contact with the people at the kiosks in the mall who want to buff my nails or straighten my hair blah blah blah.  I'm just not interested.  But at big trade shows, I'm there to shop for the best new products for my beauty arsenal, so you've got a pretty good chance of selling me a flat iron so long as it doesn't burn my hair off. And that's totally what happened.  I'm the proud new owner of yet another flat iron! haha.  But this was a fancy one that didn't cost only $19.99 at Target, so maybe I'll actually use it on myself for once.

Another random buy- a ring cleaning kit.  I've bought the solution from a bridal show before, so I know that the nice "professional" stuff is way better than the crap I usually pick up from Walmart's jewelry department, and this set was only $30.  Oh, and it was pink.  It came with a polishing paste, cloth, small basket for soaking, and a large bottle of the solution.

Not shown but also purchased were lots of makeup brushes (like I need anymore... I own over 300 already), a roll up makeup organizer, lash extensions supplies, some skincare from HydroPeptide, and other various makeup supplies like spatulas and metal mixing palettes. 

I got a new bag for my boudoir makeup kit, and after needing to carry it up the six flights of stairs to the studio this past week, and I can tell you it was worth every penny!  Best buy of the show, hands down!

Overall, it was a very successful trip, and I'm so thankful this year I brought a rolling suitcase.  It was a really long day.  I had to be up super early to catch the bus out of Arlington for the four and a half hour ride there, and then didn't get back until after 11 pm that night.  But the deals were totally worth it.  There's very little on my list that I need to purchase at the Makeup Show next month, but I'll still probably bring a suitcase with me anyway.  Inglot is going to be there, and I'm already thinking of the rainbow in my head of colors I want to grab...

Life Update and A Bit of An Apology

Here's just inside the entrance to IBS in NYC on Monday.  I'm so short you can't get a real gauge how far back it goes, but it literally takes HOURS to walk it all!

First let's start with the apology:  I'm sorry I haven't been blogging in almost two weeks!  Aack!  It's been one thing after another for the past week and a half, and this is literally the first time I'm sitting down to a computer in nearly two weeks.  And it's just my laptop, which I JUST figured out I can use an SD card with! Yay for learning new things.

This is what adventures in SuzanneLand has looked like for the past 9 days:

Monday, April 8th-  I got up at the buttcrack of dawn to drive an hour away for a photoshoot at a BBQ place for a local magazine.  Tons of fun!  I got to work with one of my favorite photographers in the area, Jonathan Thorpe, and one of my super beautiful model friends Jessica on this shoot.  I haven't seen either of them in almost a year, so it was extra nice to have them on set.  The theme was a bride and groom eating BBQ, and they got crazy messy- on purpose!- for the pictures.  I can't wait to see the final product, but I did snap a few phone shots for fun.  Here's one of them chowing down on the saucy mess!

Tuesday, April 9th- I actually had a day where I wasn't working, but it was time to get things ready for the final move what was supposed to be the following day...

Wednesday, April 10th-  Moving day... or Day 1 rather.  We moved our furniture in a Uhaul and figured we could get the rest in our van with trips back and forth between our house and my mother in law's house where we're staying until our new house is finished being built this June.  So much for that plan!

Thursday, April 11th-  After several pulled muscles, two Uhaul loads, and being up until nearly 1 am, we still weren't finished!  I also had a lash extensions client and a mobile spray tanning client in the middle of all that.  My right toes still have dark brown drip marks from where my gun leaked and I was wearing sandals.  (Note to self: When moving, leave yourself more than one available pair of shoes.)

Friday, April 12th-  Closing day.  We were able to get a moving company in the early morning to help us load up the rest of the stuff before the new owners took possession.  My back was so sore I could barely move, so I had to cancel my photoshoot at the boudoir company and find a replacement artist.  Thankfully, one of my team members Samantha was able to step in for me.  I treated myself to some ice cream for lunch, because honestly, it was an ice-cream-for-lunch kind of day.  My three year old loved the concept and has been asking for more "Frosty Moose!" for lunch since.  (It's going to be dangerous living about a mile away from such an awesome ice cream parlor!)

Saturday, April 13th-  Early wedding in Washington, D.C. for a group of uber blonde bridesmaids and bride.  She wanted them all to look like Barbie dolls, and we accommodated!  I finished out my day with some R&R at the spa for a facial, manicure, and pedicure.  This time I tried a shimmery dark blue on my toes, and I still don't know how I feel about it.

Sunday, April 14th- I slept.  For 14 hours straight and still was exhausted. Thankfully, I didn't have anything pressing on my agenda.  I had originally planned to go to NYC for The International Beauty Show, but since my ticket wasn't dated, I went on Monday instead.

Monday, April 15th-  Got up at 5 am to take a 4 1/2 hour bus ride up to NYC for The International Beauty Show.  Spent the next five hours walking every booth in the convention and hitting up the spa convention as well for even more amazing finds.  The deals were extraordinary, and I probably overspent.  Ok, so I totally overspent, but there were some things I just couldn't say no to.  I made out like a fox at Essie, China Glaze, Stila, and more.  I can't wait to show you guys some amazing new products!

As if IBS wasn't big enough, there was a whole other convention included in my ticket, The International Esthetics, Cosmetics, and Spa Conference.  I was in skin care heaven!

Tuesday, April 16th-  One errand after another, I did manage to fit in a quick round of golf with my husband before he left on his annual golf trip in Georgia with his father.  It's our tradition every year that I play 9 holes with him, which means that I only play golf once a year.  Which also in turn means I spend the first three holes getting hopping mad that I suck and not having a good time at all.  Logically, I know I can't be competitive, but emotionally it just drives me bonkers not to "do" what I'm thinking.  You know what I mean?

And that brings us to today.  It's after 7 pm, and in between boiling some pasta for my kids I'm typing this up.  I spent the morning watching The Hunger Games while my little guy watched Busytown and just enjoying it being the two of us.  Then it was time to get to work.  I had emails galore to return, and with six weddings, one wedding trial, and four upcoming boudoir photoshoots between now and the end of the month, I need to get ahead of the game or I'll lose my marbles.

What's your least favorite part about moving?  Is there anything you like about it?  Share your thoughts with me!

Top Beauty Apps

Just about everybody has a Smartphone these days... or an iPad, or an iPod that's basically an iPhone (minus the phone calls!).  This past week I've been test driving some of the top beauty apps available.  (And by "top" I mean the top ones that showed up by relevancy when I typed in beauty.  Read below for why some of these don't earn top ratings in my book.)  Now, these were on my iPad, so they are from the iTunes store. Not sure their availability for Android phones or tablets, but you can check out my Winners below and see for yourself on your system.

I also learned that some of my top beauty magazines have online subscriptions for free I can easily add to my newstand in iTunes.  No more toting heavy magazines with me everywhere!  Yay!  But I can't exactly dog-ear the pages for reference though. :(

The Losers-

1. Modiface Makeover: 1 Star.  This app is supposed to allow you to test run different makeup products on a photo of your own face to see how they would look.  The concept is solid. You take a photo of your own face and then can do test swatches on your actual features with buyable makeup products.  However, what it has in theory it lacks in application.  The colors are really sheer, so it's hard to say for sure if that's how the pigmentation will really look on you.  It's ultra unrealistic looking.  I tried out lipstick colors, and it didn't even overlap me lips.  It tried to, but there was on predetermined lip "shape" that is superimposed over my mouth.  It looked kind of like a child's crayon drawing.  There's also the Makeup (what the difference is supposed to be beats me) and Nails versions, but this was so bad I deleted them without even trying them out.

2. My Beauty Bible: 1 Star.  At first, I thought it looked really professional and user friendly in its layout. I was excited, but the free version is almost useless.  There are only five videos, seven photos, and I didn't bother counting the text tips (which were ridiculously basic).  They also make another app (which I didn't realize until I opened it, and it was almost identical) called How To Do Your Makeup Professionally.  There were even LESS videos supposedly in the paid version than My Beauty Bible.  And they aren't even professionally produced photos by actual makeup artists.  They are imported videos from YouTube.  Why people would PAY to have access to these when you can see them for FREE on YouTube is beyond me.  Color me annoyed.

3. BarryM Looks: 1 Star.  I was excited to see this, because I've heard such good things from other YouTuber's out there about the BarryM products.  Having seen them in action, I thought they looked to be great quality.  Apparently though, that doesn't translate to their app quality.  It looks like a 6th grade powerpoint presentation, with outdated graphics.  The videos have no voice and are very ameteurish with low quality resolution and lighting.  It's ok if you want to see how the products work, but they even show the quality of the products off well at all.  It looked like bad Wet N' Wild makeup from 1989.  They look super cheap.

4. How To Make Your Hair Look Fab: 1 Star.  By the makers of My Beauty Bible.  Enough said.

5. Mark.trends: 2 Stars.  This app is basically an ad for their new products.  Like an Avon catalog with 8 pages you flip through on an iPad.  You can get through it all in a matter of minutes.  But I gave it an extra star, because it does look really nice and professional.  Just with there was some interactive elements to it that made it engaging!

The Winners-

1. Beauty School by Typef.com: 4 Stars.  This app is great for beginners at makeup!  You input your personal traits (like hair color, skin color, skin type, etc) and select mini courses to show you basic application techniques.  You get written step by step instructions, videos, and product recommendations.  It's like all your basic beauty articles from a magazine in one place.  I recommend it if you are looking to start wearing makeup everyday (for work, etc) and need some guidance, or for young girls just starting to experiment passed lipgloss and mascara.

2. Beautylish: 5 Stars.  The winner by far, I love this app.  I've started using it a bit more on my actual computer through the website, but it allows me easy access to my account when I would rather work from the couch!  You can upload your own videos and connect to your YouTube account then link to the products you used.  It gives your audience instant buying power!  There's an online retail store, so they can purchase everything there all at once.  It's great for those people who don't want to have to search everywhere for the products used in their favorite tutorials.  You can also write and read reviews on hundreds of products, and there are awesome forums where you can chat with makeup and beauty enthusiasts from all over the globe!  Plus, you get $10 store credit for joining.  All for FREE.  (Keep in mind though that the credit is good for only 48 hours.)  I've already had a great time connecting with people and sharing my opinions.

The Contenders-

1. Celebrity Makeup Looks: 3 Stars.  It's basically full of YouTube tutorials featuring how to's on celeb looks.  Again, another app trying to feed off of YouTube's gurus to create their product.  The ads at the top of the page are distracting from watching the videos, and there's no way to get rid of them.  The description bar doesn't open fully, and you can't read much at all.  However, there are links that connect you to that guru's YouTube account, so you can subscribe and watch their videos through YouTube at a later time.  It's a decent concept, narrowing down the focus of the videos into one place.  But again, it's really just using the work that YouTube has done to create it's own app.

2. Bloom Beauty Trends: 3 Stars.  This is a good place to promote yourself or finding a professional near you, but I didn't see many members near me. I can see this becoming a big thing in the future, as more pros join and it becoming a great resource.  But it's really no more useful than YouTube itself.  You can find someone's profile and see their tutorials and education/references in one place though.

Do you have any favorite beauty apps that you'd like to recommend?  I'd love to hear about them!  Please leave me a comment below!

What's On My Beauty Bookshelf?

Every great makeup artist has to start somewhere.  Whether we are formally educated in a school or learn on our own, we need some kind of reference manual or guide to show us techniques and products and anatomy.  For some it is videos on YouTube.  For others it's articles in a magazine.  For me it was books.  Glorious books.  Maybe that just dates me as being in the over 25 group, but I've always had a love affair with books.  Something tangible I could hold in my hand, turn the pages, and lounge with by the pool on a lazy summer day.

My very first book was by Kevyn Aucoin.  Making Faces.  It was the epitome of makeup tutorial books, and I spent hours in my bedroom as a teenager emulating his techniques for applying makeup to transform the face. My face.  It was the foundation for my views on beauty and makeup, and I find myself longing for that copy I had so long ago.  Perhaps some day I will purchase a new copy, but for now its teachings remain safely nestled in my brain.  At least I still have my copy of Face Forward!

Here are some of the books I have on my beauty bookshelf right now that I love to pull as reference when I am working with a client.  Or even just for days when I want to brush up on their pearls of wisdom.  Either way, {some} have provided me with a fountain of knowledge over the years {while others I've recently picked up and put back down again}, and I hope that you can find some inspiration to transform your beauty routine as well!

Face Forward by Kevyn Aucoin
By the beauty master himself who inspired me to become a professional makeup artist, this book shows you not only amazing step by step instructions for full face makeovers, but insight into his life and relationships with some of today's hottest stars in Hollywood.  I am still amazed at the transformations he creates in this book, and his steps are both comprehensive in explanation and easy to follow.  A MUST HAVE for anyone who loves makeup!

Make-up Masterclass by Jemma Kidd
A former model, Jemma Kidd brings her perspective to the makeup artist world with a pretty good book for every day makeup wearers that want that next step in their application techniques.  I read this pretty far into my career, so I didn't find too much new information for my own repertoire, but I highly recommend it for consumers.

About Face by Scott Barnes
You see the YouTube videos everywhere on how to look like Kim Kardashian and J. Lo.  Well, Scott Barnes is the guy who created their signature looks with his highlighting and contouring techniques he describes in his book.  This has completely revolutionized how I apply cream foundations on my clients, and I love his techniques for adding shading to the skin prior to the foundation application.  This book really pulled together for me the methods only briefly described in these "tutorials", and I love the way it's looking in my own work.  A MUST HAVE for the professional makeup artist that really wants to take their foundation application to the next level.

Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual: For Everyone From Beginner To Pro
I think the title is a little misleading for us professional makeup artists out there.  I think it's really geared more towards the "beginner" end of the spectrum, which is why it's one of the first books I reach for when doing one on one consultations with my clients for "homework" reading.  I adore Bobbi Brown and would love to own all of her books some day, so I'm very happy to recommend this to anyone who loves a good beauty book.  But for those out there already making a living as a freelance makeup artist, don't expect too many pearls of wisdom on the application front.  There is however a great section in the back on careers in the industry, as well as a FANTASTIC reference for top makeup brand facts!

The Makeup Artist Handbook by Gretchen Davis and Mindy Hall
Once I knew I wanted to make this my full time career, I went straight out and bought this book.  I read it from cover to cover on my breaks at the Macy's makeup counter, hunched over my cup of chicken noodle soup from Au Bon Pain, slurping up chunks of french baquette soaked in broth along with my knowledge.  I think I initially bought every recommended product in this book, which touted them as the "industry standards" before learning to experiment and develop my own sense of style and what products worked best for me.  It teaches the fundamentals and science behind so much of the industry, I think it's an invaluable tool for those who want to work on production teams and sets of any kind.  It has a wealth of wisdom for set etiquette and proper procedures which can help make or break your career.

Cosmo's Sexiest Beauty Secrets  by The Editors of Cosmopolitan
I actually just picked this up from the used book store last week on a whim and found it cute.  Definitely for the everyday makeup wearer looking to find a new trick or two, or to step outside their ho hum daily routine and spice things up a bit.  Pretty much every tip in the book has been discussed ad nauseum by Comopolitan in their articles over the years, so if you're a long time reader of their magazine like I am, don't expect any new surprises.  A good, quick, light read though!

The Power of Makeup by Trish McEvoy
Got this last week from the used book store as well.  Read about a quarter of it and had to put it away.  I found this book more of a personal history for her and her brand, as well as a creative marketing piece for her products.  Perhaps I'll pick it back up again some day and finish it, but for right now I'll reach for my other "go-to's" first.

Forget the Facelift by Doris J. Day
This book is really great for those who have skincare issues they need to resolve.  A dermatologist with a thriving (as least it sounds like it is from her book!) practice in New York, she breaks down the way the skin works and the internal and external factors that play a part in it's health and aging process.  If you want to look younger, following her tips should really show improvement for you.  I love that she focuses not so much on the procedures and products, but the holistic skin care recipes and  spiritual aspect of inner peace to limit stress and reduce the aging process.  I'm looking forward to experimenting with her recipes and sharing my experiences with you!

Raising Eyebrows by Cameron Tuttle
I got this book super cheap last year at IMATS in NYC from the Benefit booth when I made a purchase.   I got a few copies and gave them to the artists on my team.  I've always been a brow girl myself, so I didn't really learn anything I didn't know per se, but it was a fun and interesting read!  One of my makeup artists, however, says that it's totally changed how she sees brows, so I'd highly recommend it to anyone who really wants to learn the perfect techniques for gorgeous eyebrows.

Product Review- Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 hr Blush

 

Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blush


From the company:

A long-wearing, supremely soft blush infused with Amazonian clay harvested from the banks of the Amazon River and naturally baked by the sun.

Product Performance: This 12-hour blush universally benefits all skin types for a fade-free, flawless finish in shades ranging from soft to vivid and matte to shimmer to suit a wide variety of skin tones.
Powered By: Amazonian clay minimizes oil in and around pores to balance skin and keep product in place while also hydrating the skin naturally to restore moisture, reducing the appearance of dry, flaky skin.

And now for my $.02:

Let me start off by saying, nobody from Tarte paid me or asked me to do this review.  I bought their Amazonian Clay 12 hr Blush in Blushing Bride last fall all on my own, with my own dollars.  I bought another kit from them that had a travel size of a color called Adventurous (which I will cry when I run out of b/c they don't sell it on it's own!).

Copyright Tarte Cosmetics.  This is a screenshot from their website of the Blushing Bride Color.

That disclaimer out of the way... I LOVE THIS BLUSH!  I really love the Adventurous color a lot better than the Blushing Bride color, but it's still a really great product and can be totally wearable even on my super pale skin.  When I want a more mauve/wine based color for a bit more drama, or I'm wearing cooler tones for my outfit and makeup but don't want to reach for a really Barbie-pink color, the Blushing Bride looks great.  I love how it has some soft golden shimmer to it.  However, Adventurous is way more my speed- the perfect blend of peachy pink with a non-glittery glow.

Click to shop

The 12 Hour Claim:

I find that this product goes on beautifully and really holds up to it's claim of 12 hours of wear.  It actually lasts longer than that on me, as I am often putting on my makeup in the wee hours of the morning for weddings and hitting the hay after midnight.  Can't say I'm totally stunning at that witching hour, but it's definitely better than 12 hours.  I do wear a high quality foundation (most times over a high quality makeup primer like Makeup Forever HD Primer), so I'm sure that helps with staying power vs applied over cheap foundation or just a powder.  No matter how good a product is, you have to give it something to grip to!

Copyright Makeup Forever from the Sephora website.

My favorite thing about these blushes, other than the fact that they wear so well, is that the case color matches the product color. Ingenious!  I don't know why more cosmetic manufacturers don't do this!  It's really such an amazingly simple idea, yet it makes it so nice for when I'm looking for exactly the color I want.

Watch my YouTube review video for more about why these blushes rock!  Looking to add some Tarte products to your makeup bag?  SHOP HERE and don't forget to sign up for their Pretty Perks program to earn great rewards for shopping online and FREE SHIPPING on orders of $40 or more!

How To Contour And Highlight Your Face

For this tutorial, I used powder products to contour (add shadows) and highlight (bring forward) my face.  I like using powder products, because I prefer to set my foundation after applying with a loose hydrating powder.  My favorite is Smashbox Halo Hydrating Perfecting Powder.  You could use a cream or liquid product to add your contour and highlight prior to your foundation for a more natural look or after the foundation for a stronger look and then add your powder over the top.

Products Needed:

*Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer- a matte dark bronzer with a delicious chocolate smell!
*Stila Eye Shadow in Kitten- careful this color is very very shimmery so use sparingly!
*Real Techniques Contour Brush
*Real Techniques Setting Brush
*Crown Brush IB106 Angle Blush Brush- from their Italian Badger line

Step 1:

* After you apply your foundation (watch how I apply it with a Beauty Blender™ style sponge here!), concealer, and powder, dip your angled blush brush into the bronzer and apply it under the cheekbone from the back of your cheek forward. Stop it just below the apples of your cheeks.  Repeat on the other side.  (Check out the video to see how I hold the brush and how to find where the perfect placement for your contour shade.)

Step 2:

* Using your angled blush brush, apply the bronzer at the temples and along your hairline to give some dimension to your forehead.  This will make the center of your forehead look brighter without having to apply a shimmery highlight in your t-zone, which could make you look oily or shiney in photos.

Copyright Too Faced Cosmetics. Image from the Sephora website.

Step 3:

* (Optional) Using the setting brush, apply bronzer in a narrow line down the sides of the nose to make it appear thinner.  Be sure not to take it all the way to the tip of your nose, or it could look dirty.  Blend it out very well so it's just the hint of a shadow and not a dark obvious line.

Step 4:

* Swipe the contour brush over Kitten and tap the excess.  Apply the highlight over the top of your cheekbones from just before the temples to just over the center of the apples of your cheeks.  Do this for both of your cheekbones to highlight.

Step 5:

* Without adding any more product to the brush, swipe the brush in a "C" shape over the outer edge of your eyes to bring a touch of radiance to your eyes and really bring out this area of your face.

Step 6: 

* Use your setting brush to get a very tiny bit of Kitten on the tip of the brush and swipe it down the center of your nose and over the bow of your lip.  Make sure to blend away any edges with your fingertip so there is no obvious makeup here.  You just want it to catch the light a bit and add a glow, not a frosted stripe.

Step 7:

*  If you need to tone down any of your contouring or hightlighting, use your buffing brush to soften the edge with a bit of your face powder.

Step 8:

* Don't forget to add some color to your cheeks!  Even if you don't want a real "pink" or "peach" color to your face, you should use a blush to blend the area between the highlight and the cheekbone together.  You can always try a very nude color with a hint of brown to it for a very "no makeup" look, but honestly I prefer something with a touch of pink.  Nobody's face is completely devoid of natural flush, so eliminating it has the tendency to make it look very unnatural.

How to Powder Under the Eyes and Around the Nose

Keeping your concealer from creasing under your eyes can be a major headache for some people.  Not only do you need to find a product that doesn't move and still gives you the right amount of coverage, you can't go and ruin that by applying your powder incorrectly.  Even if you don't have the perfect product, knowing how to powder it can at least give you better staying power until you do find that perfect product for you.

Personally, I love the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circle Treatment Concealer.

Then, I set my concealer with loose powder. Smashbox's Halo Hydrating Perfecting Powder is great because it works to hydrate the skin throughout the day, so it won't dry out your under eye and make it look more creased.  You can purchase both of these products at Ulta.  If you don't have an Ulta near you, the Maybelline products are available at any drugstore, and Smashbox is available both online and at Sephora.

Step by Step:

1. After you apply your concealer to your undereye area- Take a two-ply tissue and peel it apart so that you are left with an even thinner piece of tissue, and then wrap it around your ring finger.  Use that finger to gently pat away any excess pigment and oils from the products.  Once the concealer has been warmed up by your body, the concealer can move, so this takes away an extra that can settle into the fine lines and look cakey.
2. Dip your small fluffy brush into your loose powder and shake the excess off.
3. Lightly run the brush under the eye area to add some of the powder to the concealer and set it into place.
4. Lightly run the brush around the sides of the nostrils, upper lip, and your bottom lip to set any concealer you may have placed there.  The small brush will also allow you to target these smaller creases a larger traditional powder brush would miss.

Check out the video I filmed for my YouTube channel here!

Products used in this video were:

*Smashbox Halo Hydrating Perfecting Powder in Fair
*Real Techniques Setting Brush

Back to Beauty Blogging

It's 10 pm at night, and I've been fiddling with my old blog for a few hours now.  I think I've finally gotten it to where I want to be, but knowing me I'll probably meddle with it some more in the coming months.  It's been a long time since I've even looked at it, considering I'd moved on from my personal makeup business to a merger of my bridal makeup side of things with a wedding hairstylist to form the company Bridal Beauty Associates.  That completely consumed the last two years of my life~ in a very good way mind you~ but now that I've made the decision to leave the world of weddings behind after a very intense five years at it, it's time to go back to my roots- makeup education.

When clients would come see me at the makeup counters, they could expect a full education on the products they were buying. Knowing the ingredients, their uses, and the very in's and out's of a product was my passion.  I loved passing that information along to my clients, because I knew that an educated buyer was more likely to continue to buy from me.  And let's face it, those makeup girls in the department stores... we LIVED on our commissions.

Even now, working with brides and their families, I get questions all the time from women asking for my favorite product recommendations.  I'll get a Facebook message from a bride I haven't spoken to in years asking for a good replacement for her Mary Kay lip scrub or a non-smudging mascara.  Even the makeup artists on my team seek me out for the nitty gritty on everything beauty under the sun.  They are all excited about heading up to New York City on April 6th for IMATS (International Makeup Artist Trade Show), because they know I'm the kind of girl to score big and pass along the savings where I can.

But now that I've decided to make this my last year doing weddings, and I've turned over the wedding blogging duties to my business partner on the BBA blog, I'll be dedicating my efforts to bringing my readers the inside scoop on not only the best (or worst!) beauty products on today's market, but also tutorials and insider access to my life as a professional makeup artist.  (If you look back through the archives, I've deleted all the posts pertaining to my old wedding business and left just the product reviews and other general information.  From here on out, there will be general beauty related information posted.)

And because every good blog post should be accompanied by a photo, here's a recent image of me working!  Enjoy!