I mean, Kim Kardashian is one of the most beautiful women in existence....maybe not the most talented, but we can't have it all now can we?

Anyway, this is Margaux. She pulls of the Kim look beautifully! I was happy to have such a lovely client to work with!

Kim's signature look consists of a few main focus features:
Smokey eye with lots of lashes- of course
Heavy contouring and highlighting
Nude lip
Flawless skin

There is an insane amount of detail that goes into creating this look, I think I will do a series of detailed posts regarding Kim Kardashian's makeup. In the mean time here is a brief overview..

Skin:
*Any good makeup application starts with a good foundation- skin care. If you take good care of your skin your makeup with look better and wear better throughout the day! Kim's skin is always clear; even when she is photographed without makeup on, there is not a pore or blemish in sight.
*Pick a foundation that is best suited for your skin type and your skin's needs. Whether it's a sheer coverage or full coverage is up to you. Everyone needs something different. Kim wears a very full coverage, but she is also in front of cameras constantly, so keep that in mind when you are shopping for a foundation.
*Choose a concealer that is a few shades lighter than your skin. I like to apply the foundation first, then apply the concealer to all the high planes of the face. This will be your "highlight." There are a ton of videos on the web explaining this technique in depth...
*In order to maintain that strong highlight you will need 2 powders. One for the highlighted areas and one for the rest of the face. For example: Margaux wore an NW20 powder under her eyes, but a NC35 on the rest of her face.
*You can also contour with a cream product, but on Margaux I used powder. Blunt blush is a good choice for medium to deep skin tones, but make sure you start with very little and gradually build it up! The contour cremes from MAC are great if you have a little more time on your hands.
*Kim always adds an extra highlight on top of everything else to add a bit of shimmer to her face. I prefer Cream Colour Base because it adds a luminous look without being glittery. It mimics the texture of dewy skin, which looks more natural but is still noticeable. It also tends to photograph better than powder highlighters.

Eyes:
*Kim has a full brow, but it isn't overly defined or "tattooed" looking. If you already have a full brow just fill in the sparse areas with a little bit of shadow and you're good to go. Margaux is blessed with perfect brows, so I had to do very little work in that area. If your brows are thin and sparse, like my own, try using a pencil to thicken them up a bit. Be sure to use light pressure to avoid having a heavy drawn on look.
*Usually Kim's smokey eyes are in neutral shades like browns, golds, and black. On Margaux I used (from light to dark): Nylon, Saddle, Brown Down, & Carbon. Under her brow I applied Brule as a highlight. We added a clean winged out liner using blacktrack and smudged Smolder Eye Kohl into her lower lash line.
*Kim ALWAYS has on falsies, and usually they are on top and bottom. Margaux went for a more natural approach and we just loaded up on Extreme Dimension Mascara. For Kim style lashes try #36 lashes on top and a few individuals on the lower lashline

Lips:
*A nude pink or peachy shade is key! A few go to colors are: Viva Glam 5, Creme Cup, Modesty, Hue, Viva Glam 2, Pure Zen, Fresh Brew, and High Tea
*If your lips aren't as full as Kim's grab a lip liner that is just a hair darker than your lipstick to give the illusion of fuller lips!
*Don't forget gloss! Kim wears creamy shades with high gloss to show off her full lips!

Keep practicing and you'll have the Kim K. look down in no time!

From left to right:
1. Prime eyes. I used MAC Painterly Paint Pot. I prefer my finger, but you can also use a synthetic shadow or concealer brush.
2. Apply Bronze eyeshadow all over the lid using a flat shader brush. I always grab the 239 or 242 for this...The more dense the bristles the more color payoff!
3. Using a deep brown, I used Bloodline pigment, and a 219 pencil brush pack the color on to the outer corner of your eye in a sideways V shape. Extend the eyeshadow a little bit further out past your lashes, this lays the groundwork for that elongated cat eye look. Bloodline is a limited edition pigment, but you could also use Smut, Handwritten, Embark, Mystery...any dark matte brown.
4. Sweep a 217 or 224 blending brush all along the crease to blend out the two shades you just applied. Focus on only touching the bristles to the crease area and try not to touch the lid at all! Blend up and out to create a gradient cat eye effect. Don't over blend! Over blending will just muddle all the colors together.
5. Take any small eyeshadow brush and apply a shimmery light color to the inner corners of your eyes. I used Nylon. This lightens the look and makes your eyes look brighter and well rested. If you have naturally wide set eyes you can skip this step.
6. Highlight under the brow bone. I almost always use Vanilla. I prefer a matte highlight, but any light shade will do.
7/8/9. Apply a black eyeliner to the top lashline, water line, and then smudge into the lower lashline with a 214 brush. I used Blacktrack fluidline, but you could also use Smolder or Feline Eye Kohl for a super smudgy smokey effect. You can also wing out your eyeliner to enhance the cat eye effect created with the eyeshadow!
10. Finish with mascara!

TA-DA! Good luck!

On the second Friday of every month MAC at Saks Fifth Avenue in Westshore Mall will be hosting Girl's Night Out classes! Our goal is to bring in loyal clients who are interesting in learning technique, trends, and products. Each month we will focus on a different theme or trend. This past GNO event focused on achieving the perfect red lip and holiday eye makeup to go with it. Everyone seemed to have a lot of fun and learn new tricks and techniques! Feel free to email me if you are interested in attending future classes. 

Here are a few photos from the event..

Overall it was a great success! I can not wait for next month's event!

We all get in makeup ruts. I constantly find myself grabbing for my "neutrals" palette when I'm in a rush for work and then throughout the day I'm saying "I need to wear more color." Luckily, one of my staff members (THANKS ELISA!) gave me a few homework assignments and made sure to assign me colors I rarely wear. 

12/6/12:
I applied Designer Purple Pearl Glide liner all over the lid as a base - The Pearlglide liners are AMAZING! They are super bright and glittery, and what girl (or queen) doesn't like glitter? You can wear them as an eyeliner, or in my case they make a great base color.
Next, I loaded up a 239 brush with Young Punk mineralize eyeshadow and pressed it into the liner. This shade is equally glittery! The photo just doesn't do it justice! *Note to self: buy a real camera.*
I blended out the crease with Kid eyeshadow, a neutral flesh toned brown. Doing that blended out the purple so you couldn't see any harsh lines. 
My highlight, as always, was Gesso under the brow. And on the inner corners I used Vanilla Pigment.
I finished with Boot Black Liquid Liner and lots of Zoom Lash Mascara!

12/7/12:
I started off by applying Undercurrant Pearl Glide Eyeliner all over my lid and blending out the edges, fading the color upwards past my crease. I've decided I need these in EVERY color!
After that I took Spruce, a crushed metal from our Guilty Passions: Brilliantly Cool holiday kit, and applied it on the inner and outer corners of my eye with a 219 brush.
Using a 239 brush I pressed Old Gold pigment onto the Pearlglide liner on the center of my lid.
To blend out all of the edges I used a 224 brush and applied Kid to the crease.
My brow highlight was Vanilla, and I finished it off with Blacktrack Fluidline and my usual #3 lashes.

Don't be afraid to try new things! Breaking makeup habits and forcing yourself to try new products is the first step towards becoming a successful artist! 

"How can I make my eyes pop?" is a question I hear all the time. If your goal is to enhance the color of your eyes then there are plenty of tips and tricks to make that happen! Color choice is the best way to bring out your eye color. I feel like I'm beating a dead horse, but I've gotta bring it up....the color wheel. Dun dun dun...

Color theory is really very simple! If you want to make one color stand out pair it with it's opposite, or it's complementary color. For example, the opposite of blue is orange-- so copper, gold, peach, and reddish brown tones will compliment blue eyes the best. Side note: grey and black looks great on blue eyes too! 

If you have green or hazel eyes clearly you don't want to wear red eyeshadow, at least I hope not! The next best shade would be purple, and any variation of it. I prefer purples with a lot of grey in them for every day use, since purple can be a bit bright for the office and what not. Try taupes, muted purples, and eggplant colors!

Brown and hazel eyed girls always look great in blues! Blue is a hard shade to wear without looking like Mimi from Drew Carey, so look for navy tones to start off and then venture into brighter shades. Instead of a black smokey eye try using an off black with a hint of blue!

Earth tones and neutrals look great on everyone, so don't forget about those "boring" browns and creams when you're picking out your new colors! Also, don't limit your options to these rules! This is just a loose guideline to help you pick colors that will compliment your eyes. There's no reason someone with green eyes cant wear green eyeshadow and so on..

Happy shopping!

I finally forced myself to wear some color! Hooray! I used several shades, which I am not used to doing. I like to keep things pretty minimal...But I am still really happy with how it turned out!

Products Used (All MAC):
Painterly Paint Pot
Coral Crepe Paint Pot (Limited edition)- Lid only 
Rule Eyeshadow- Lid
Magenta Madness Pigment - Crease
Grape Pigment/Contrast Eyeshadow - Outer V
Just Eyeshadow - Inner corner 
Freshwater Eyeshadow- Lower liner
Vanilla Eyeshadow - Highlight
Blacktrack Fluidline, Haute & Naughty Mascara, #3 Lashes...

I know that's a lot! But work with what you already have and try to add your own spin to it! Good luck :)

I rarely wear bold, bright, colors on my eyes, so today Bonnie sat me down and we played with color!

Not the best "after" photo, and please excuse my overly done brow. I filled it in for a photo for my previous post.
She used Gorgeous Gold, Electric Eel, Stars N' Rockets, Contrast, and a purple liquid liner...

THANKS BONNIE!

I have decided that for the next week I am NOT ALLOWED to touch any of my "Neutral" Palettes. I am going to challenge myself to work with more color and less neutrals...I don't know how long that'll last!

Everywhere I turn I see some hot mess brows! Ladies, let's all work together to fix this eyebrow epidemic! As a makeup artist, and I'm sure many other MUAs can attest to this, we love a good brow. The problem lies here- what is a good brow for YOUR face? Not everyone can rock a strong sculpted brow, and not everyone looks great with a thin arched brow. Let's start with figuring out which brow shape is right for you...

     I'm sure we've all seen some sort of variation of the above image. This is a great guideline for shaping the brow and customizing the shape to fit your face. I won't delve too deep into plucking/waxing, but I will share my number one piece of advice: follow the natural shape of your brow! It's a simple tip that is quickly overlooked. Once you have a wax, or go for threading, pluck only the small hairs that grow back over time. Leave the longer hairs alone. Over plucking can leave you looking sad, angry, concerned, and on more mature women it will add age. Keep in mind that a fuller brow is more youthful, however it can also be very masculine on some face shapes. I would suggest going to a professional and having them shape your brows to suit your features.

     Once your brows are groomed they are ready to be filled in! If you are blessed with a beautiful full brow, you can skip this all together! However, a majority of us could use a little brow enhancement.
     I prefer a sculpted brow, but one that is on the more natural side. I only fill in portions of the brow that need filling. Personally, I find that if the brow is completely filled in it can overwhelm the face and give a "tattooed" effect....

Yep, that's me a few years ago. Why anyone let me out of the house like that is beyond me. Clearly I don't have any loyal friends! This is a prime example of what NOT to do!

Moving on....
Here is my updated brow routine in a nutshell:

1. Comb the hair in the direction that it grows. For most people, including myself, the hair will grow up and out.
2. With a pencil or shadow, whatever your preference, draw a line along the bottom of the brow. I prefer to start in the center and work my way out. This helps avoid an "overdone" look. I use both Fling pencil and Omega eyeshadow from MAC.
3. Take an angled brow brush, like the 266 or 208 from MAC and move the brush through the brow to blend the pencil or shadow. This will move the product throughout the remainder of the brow without having to add more, leaving a more natural look. Combing through the hair also helps blend everything together.
4. With a concealer brush, like the 195, and a concealer of choice, I prefer Prolongwear Concealer in NC15, trace along the perimeter of the brow. There is really no trick to this. Simply follow around the edges of the brow with your concealer to "carve" out the shape. This gives a precise, crisp, line..If you like a super natural effect I would suggest skipping this step.  Try to choose a concealer no more than 2 shades lighter than your skin.

I will leave you with a photo I stumbled across this evening...This truly goes to show how the shape of your eyebrows can completely change the shape of your entire face! 

     Ok Y'all! Here's my first go at a Pictorial! I used the Jungle Camouflage palette from the Corrine Roitfeld collection, you may still be able to find it at your local MAC counter, or you can find it on the MAC website under "Face Kits." This is an AMAZING product. It has all of the necessary colors to create everything from a natural eye to a very dramatic smokey eye. Under the eyeshadows lies a creme bronzer that can be used to contour or as a bronzer/blush. Definitely a new favorite of mine, and it has a great price point of $44!

Step by step:
1. Prime entire eye. I used MAC Painterly Paint Pot. You can use a concealer brush, I prefer my finger. This step is a MUST! Skipping out on primer can cause your eyeshadow and liner to crease and fade!
2. Using a shadow brush, like the 239 from MAC, pack on the lightest shade all over the lid. The trick here is to press or tap the shadow on to the lid rather than use a sweeping motion.
3. Using the lightest brown shade and a 224 brush I swept the shadow across my crease. If you don't know where that is, or you don't have a crease, follow the shape of your eye socket.
4. Take the dark brown shade and a stiff pencil brush, I used #219, and pack the shadow on the outside corner of the eye, also known as the "Outer V." Don't worry about blending yet, just apply the shadow until it is as dark as you want it.
5. NOW BLEND! I prefer a 217 brush. Focus on blending just the dark brown shade. If you run the brush across your entire eye it will muddle all the colors together and it will all look like one color. I like to just work in small circles over the area that needs blending.
6. Highlight under the brow with the lightest shade.
7,8,9. Liner: I used Blacktrack Fluildline and a 210 brush. First I lined my eyelid straight across. Once I had a good line I created a wing on the outer corner. I lined my waterline with Fascinating Kohl from MAC. White eyeliner is great for making the eyes look bigger, well rested, and to reduce redness.
10. Finish with mascara! I chose Zoom Fast Black Lash.


Let me know how it works out for you!

Graphic eyeliner is a classic staple look that will never go out of style!
Trends regarding the style and shape change seasonally, but the basic principle
will always be around. All you need is a liquid or gel liner and a steady hand!

Dont be afraid to put your own spin on it! Add a different color, texture, or shape in to the mix and you may be impressed with what you come up with!

I stumbled across this liquid liner tutorial online. Simple and to the point!