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!

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!

Glad I could help this lovely lady cover that shiner....Ouch!

Someone had a little too much fun on their birthday!

When covering a bruise it is important to remember to color correct. Remember our handy color wheel?

My client's bruise was mostly a dark blue shade, in person at least. If you look at the color wheel the opposite of blue is orange. Therefore, in order to cancel out the blue we would have to apply an orange product onto the bruise then follow with concealer. I applied a sheer layer of Chilli Lipstick to counteract the blue. When I grabbed the bright burnt orange lipstick my client looked at my like I had 2 heads! I assured her that this was a KEY step in order to conceal her bruise. If you apply concealer on top of a bruise or tattoo without doing any sort of color correcting the end result will look grey and muddled.

After lightly applying the Chilli Lipstick all over her eye area I dusted on a small amount of powder. Lightly powdering after each step helps build layers without the product caking.

On top of the powder I used a sponge to apply Studio Finish Concealer. The sponge allowed me to apply a heavier layer of concealer. Again, I set this step with powder.

Luckily that was all we had to do. Sometimes it is necessary to repeat the concealer and powder a few more times. Do as many layers as needed, if the end result looks a little heavy or made up just spray a little Fix + and buff out the edges.

This technique can also be used to conceal birthmarks, tattoos, and scars.. 

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 :)

It's getting to be that time in our lives when we need to shed the college girl look and grow into a more mature style. Transitioning from sweat pants and last nights smeared eyeliner to business attire and lipstick can be quite the adjustment, but at some point we all must do it! A girlfriend of mine contacted me this evening asking advice on how to look more mature for her upcoming job interview. This really got me thinking! As young women entering the workforce we face a significant struggle when we want to be taken seriously and seen as educated professionals. The challenge becomes even harder when we are cursed, and at the same time blessed, with a juvenile appearance. As a young twenty something, I can share the frustration of many young women fresh out of college. Being qualified for a position and being turned down simply because of a young and inexperienced appearance can be very frustrating!  Here are a few tips to help you prepare for that upcoming interview at a "Big girl" job!

1. Do your eyebrows! Keeping your brows groomed and filled in will add an instant lift and structure to your face. If you are blonde choose a shade darker than your hair, and if your hair is dark be sure to chose a shade lighter than your hair! You'd be surprised how something so simple can make such a difference!

2. Wear foundation. Yes, even if you have good skin! Whether its a tinted moisturizer or full coverage, foundation will help even out and brighten your skin. I would suggest going to your local makeup counter and having one of the artists match you up to the proper foundation. Don't be afraid of that "cakey" look! If you are matched to the right kind you wont be cakey! Remember- the key to having good looking foundation is to use proper skin care!

3. Wear a lipstick with some color! Berry and rose tones tend to look good on most people. Stay away from pastels and nudes which tend to look young and trendy. Look for more classic timeless shades that aren't too dark or bright for the office. I love Viva Glam 6 from MAC with Half Red or Whirl lipliner- looks great on almost everyone! For darker skinned girls try Sheer Plum lipstick with Plum, Cork, or Chestnut liner.


A few more helpful tips...
*Use mostly matte shades. A subtle shimmer on the eyes is alright, but try to avoid using more than one shimmery shades. Also, use a matte blush or bonzer.
*Stay away from pastel or bright blush, go with a more neutral shade. Some good colors include Tenderling, Blushbaby, Coppertone, and Raizin, to name a few..
*Leave your dark smudgy eyeliner behind! Smears and smudges always scream "Party girl" to me. Save that great eye kohl for the weekend.
*Less is more! Don't let your makeup draw attention away from your qualifications!


Good luck! :) 

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!

I've been on a bit of a hiatus lately, but as of tonight I'm back in action! As most of you know, I recently transferred to another MAC that is a bit closer to my house...Can't beat a five minute commute! Between transferring to a new store, and the chaos of every day life, my blog fell to the bottom of my to do list. Womp. Womp...
So, to get back in the swing of things, here are a few photos from shoots, weddings, and of course HALLOWEEN!

     Halloween was great! It is, understandably, my favorite holiday of the year! Although, I'm sure most makeup artists would agree with me on that one. Since Halloween fell on a Wednesday this year I was fortunate enough to have Halloween appointments almost every day of the week leading up to the 31st.

     Matt, my boyfriend, went as Jack the Ripper (seen above). Since his identity is unknown I decided to make him look aged, tired, and "corpse-like." We used a light foundation all over, and I contoured him heavily with cream and powder products. The new MAC sculpting creams worked great for this project! I was able to contour his face as well as create lines and wrinkles. To set the contours and to give his eyes a tired look I used grey and mauve toned eyeshadows. Quarry and Haux by MAC were ideal shades for the look we were going for! For the veins under his eyes I used a cream blush from MAC called "tea petal."

   Eli was SUPPOSED to be a vampire! He showed up at my house with a last minute change of plans: Zombie makeup. Luckily, he's my friend....and I had a latex piece of "rotten flesh" lying around. Using spirit gum I attached the piece to his cheek and blended out the edges by building up a few layers of liquid latex.  I also put a very thin layer of liquid latex across his forehead, this later served as peeling flesh. Once that was completely dry I applied a light colored full coverage foundation over his face, ears, chest, and hair. Then I darkened they eyelid and area under the eye to give the illusion of a deep-set, hollow eye. I added a few veins using a blue paint pot, and finally set everything with a loose powder.
   To "zombiefy" his skin I tugged and pulled at the liquid latex on his forehead to create "holes" and "peeling flesh." Using MAC contour creme and fake blood I colored the wounds accordingly.

     Earlier in the week I decided to play around with some makeup during a fit of boredom. I took inspiration from my Halloween costume last year, as well as several other doll makeup images found on Pintrest and Google.  The first thing I did was conceal my eyebrows using a glue stick and concealer.  There are a ton of tutorials on Youtube that give step by step instructions on how to do that! For my skin I mixed Vanilla pigment with a light full coverage foundation, this gave the skin a plastic shiny look. I set the foundation with translucent powder and sprayed Fix + to maintain a dewy finish. After the skin was done I drew on an exaggerated cartoon like eyebrow using Blacktrack Fluidline. I used matte purple shades on the eyes and made sure to apply the makeup in a very round shape to make the eyes look big and doll-like. I Finished the eyes with eyeliner, black on top and white kohl on bottom, and false lashes. I applied the lower set of lashes below my natural lashline to enlarge my eyes.
     I applied a bubblegum pink blush on the apples of my cheeks in a circular shape and added some freckles with my Fluidline. Still using the Fluidline, I drew a glasgow grin and a cupie style lip.

What did you dress up as for Halloween?

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!