Category Archives: Photos

Makeup Before and After; It’s all About the Liner

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There aren’t too many of us who wear a full face of makeup every day. In fact, I meet mostly mascara only girls when I’m beautifying brides and their maids for weddings. This particular girl was one such case from a wedding several weeks ago who wasn’t comfortable in a lot of makeup which I’ve learned translates to ‘don’t put a lot of eye shadow on me.’ No problem.

Bringing out the eyes doesn’t require a lot of shadow anyway, it’s icing on the cake once you get a good contrast going by using a rich liner and some lashes. Here’s how it went down;


Before: great skin and a cute smile, she’s already looking good!


After: Some rich black liner all the way around the eyes and a few coats of mascara on a false lash are really all it takes to get the relaxed look she wanted.


A close up of the liner kept neatly in her water line on the bottom. A smudgy look would’ve felt too heavy for a girl who typically keeps it pretty natural.


I used NYX Retractible Eye Liner in Black, a deep black that holds its depth even in the waterline.


She loved Hourglass Extreme Sheen Gloss in Fortune, just enough color and shine.

If you’ve never gotten into shadow (or just don’t understand how to apply it), ditch it altogether and focus on liner and lashes. Getting that combo down will give beautiful contrast and make all the difference.

Makeup Before and After: Mom of the Bride

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I was the Makeup Artist for a bridal party over the weekend with a great group of girls and a gorgeous mother of the bride. I mean seriously, her skin rivaled that of most 30 year olds, it’s near perfect and completely natural – a combo I don’t normally see after a certain age.

Anyhoo, I had to share her before and after photo with you because (as I’ve said before) you don’t need to pile it on to get a beautiful result. I got to use my decadent La Mer Treatment Fluid Foundation and The Powder, both of which get a ton of use in my kit. They have ideal consistencies, the foundation is creamy with a hint of luminosity so the skin looks bright and full of life while their powder is virtually undetectable on the skin. It’s so airy light that it doesn’t settle which is why I use it to set eye concealer all the time.


Treatment Fluid Foundation


The Powder

Now a look at the pics.


Janet, gorgeous even before


…And after

After evening out the skin, I brought out her eyes using grayish plum shadows, Ardell Demure lashes and gray liner along the top lash with a rich brown for her lower lash line for a subtle contrast that keeps the darker color on top where it’s needed most. Top it all off with some pinky cheeks and lips and you’ve got a full on glam look that’s wedding-day beautiful.

Makeup Before and After: Camille

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Another great before and after with Camille, a bride I met recently for her makeup trial-run before her big day in October. She has huge blue eyes with a ton of lid space and a perfect crease- most women need surgery for lids like this. Her fair skin just needed a little bronzing, some pink lips, and taupe lids to get the perfect amount of pop. With fair skin, keep in mind that color is amplified so it’s easy to go overboard without realizing it. Sheer formulas and a light bronzer are your friends.


Beautiful Before..


…And Beautiful After

My Hero Products For the Look:

Estée Lauder: Pure Color Illuminating Powder Gelée from their limited Fall 11′ Modern Mercury Collection

Lighter in color and weight than most bronzers, this illuminating gel-powder gives the skin natural warmth without deepening the tone too much. I used it to frame her face, extending down her neck for a seamless transition. There’s no need for a spray tan on your wedding day, bronzer gives an even (and predictable!) application every time.

Alima Pure: Press Pass Limited Edition Shadow from their Fall Runway Collection

Alima’s Press Pass is a sheer, smokey taupe to punch up her blues without a heavy or smokey look – it’s a wedding not a night club. When looking for shadows to suit your skin, keep in mind the weight of the formula and not the actual color; fair skin is flattered by sheer shades and deeper skin tones can wear more saturated ones. Measure the shadow’s weight by applying swatches of the color on the back of your hand, if you can’t see any skin showing through from behind the shadow it’s not a sheer formula. The more skin that shows through, the more sheer it is.

Tarte: LipSurgence in Frisky

Camille, like me, isn’t a big lipstick wearer, but a lip color is essential when photographs are involved. I LOVE (and wear) Tarte’s Lipsurgence lip tints. They’re a sort of tinted gel balm that give enough sheer color   to avoid looking washed out. I have a more neutral one I wear daily, then a punched up version (like Frisky) that I wear for TV appearances.

Heavy vs Sheer. Keeping weight in mind when choosing color will open up new doors for fair-skinned ladies looking to keep it feminine without overdoing it.

Makeup Before and After: Catherine

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I’ve been remembering to bust out the camera when I see brides for their makeup pre-wedding trial runs lately which is great because who doesn’t love a good before and after makeup pic? Catherine is gorgeous and just as sweet. For her fall wedding, we wanted a neutral colored eye with a dash of plum peppered in and pink lips and cheeks. Here’s the short list of what I used to create the look (lashes were Ardell 110 btw, the ones I use most.)


Click image to enlarge.

Cheeks:

NYX Rouge Cream Blush in Hot Pink

This is some of the best cheek color I’ve used. It’s creamier than Stila’s popular Convertible Color with a perfect consistency that’s so easy to apply and blend. It beats out Stila’s (and many other) versions, and it’s what I’ve been using under powder blush for a guaranteed all-day color pop.

Lipstick:

Estée Lauder Pure Color Gloss Stick in Honey Pink:

There are few rules in makeup, but lips and cheeks matching will always be the standard for a look that flows so I applied some pinky lips to match her pinky cheeks. Even a non-lipstick wearer can get behind Lauder’s Pure Color Gloss Stick, the sheerest and shiniest option for those who want color without the weight.

Lip Gloss:

Smashbox Limitless Long Wearing Lip Gloss in Limitless:

A gloss from Smashbox is hard to beat, they aren’t sticky and the colors are right on the money. Limitless is one of those shades that flatters all and gives the right amount of shine for a sexy pout. It gets a lot of use in my kit.

Serum:

Make Up For Ever HD Elixir:

This light as water serum flies a little under the radar, but it’s an essential in my kit. It’s so dry here in Colorado (especially in the summer) which leaves skin thirsty, and makeup doesn’t look good over thirsty skin. Before priming, I always add a few drops of HD Elixir to the skin for a big drink of moisture that disappears allowing whatever you’re adding on top to melt in like magic.

Eyes:

Rain Cosmetics Diva Eye Shadow Quad in Viva Las Vegas:

Vegas-based Rain Cosmetics made a big splash in the world of beauty as a super glam line of makeup essentials as fun and glitzy as its home state. I love this shadow quad which includes a neutral base shade, two matte browns that can double as liners, and a peachy pink that flatters all skin tones. They have a ton pigment and they blend and wear really well. It’s one of the very few non-mainstream brands that made their way into my kit- which says a ton about its quality.

Eye Liner:

Make Up For Ever Kohl Pencil in 10K:

One of the best color stories for fall 2011 is MUF’s Smoky Couleur Collection, filled with plum and jewel tones that are so deliciously sexy. I used their 10K violet liner instead of a harsh black shade to bring out Catherine’s gorgeous blue eyes on both the top and bottom lash lines as well as her lower rim.

Finishing Powder:

Tarte Smooth Operator:

Don’t underestimate the oil absorbing power of Smooth Operator. Its finish is as good as any and its ability to keep skin shine-free without a chalky finish is unparalleled.


Beautiful in the before.


And beautiful in the after.. Click for full sized images.

Four Seasons Denver Shoot with Broxton Art Photography: Part 3

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We were lucky to have 2 talented photographers for our Four Seasons Denver shoot last month, so part 3 highlights uber photog Travis Broxton of Broxton Art. Not only a top-tier shooter, but one of the nicest people I know. Enjoy a few of my favs from our shoot at the Four Seasons Denver.

Posing against a Denver skyline in a suite so massive, it had a workout area, full kitchen, office, and a sauna.
His signature editing of this photo adds a special drama and richness. I love it.

 

Up close you can see the full strip of bottom lashes I added to make her blue eyes sing.

 

A hard crease with a soft, shimmery lid offset for a dramatic look.

 

Look #3 of the day was her Breakfast at Tiffany’s moment.

 

Our last shot of the day. Dramatic, dark, magical, and freezing. She and I were both fighting off colds and were literally shivering outside waiting for the lighting setup.

-What I Used-

Lips: Estée Lauder Pure Color

For her first look (up close shots) I used Lauder’s creamy Pure Color lipsticks and blended together 2 shades (below) to create a not-too one shade or the other look. I wanted the mauve as a base with a shot of perfect pink over top.

 

Estée Lauder Pure Color Lipstick in Mystic Mauve

 

Estée Lauder Pure Color Lipstick in Pink Lolita

Mascara: Hard Candy Lash Ink

For our final look we went Audrey Hepburn all the way. This meant undoing a little  drama from the previous peacock themed photos and letting a more natural beauty shine through. The giant feather lashes compounded with hours of makeup changes left her eyes really irritated, so we went lash-free for this look. I instead used a few coats of Lash Ink. I wanted a no-smudge, no-fuss lash that wouldn’t need touching up throughout the rest of the shoot. Lash Ink is brilliant because it blackens lashes for several days in a way that water, rubbing, crying, and sweating can’t destroy.

Cheeks: h.wood.beauty Cream Blush

Popping the cheeks with color is what a fresh bridal look is all about. I used Cream Blush in Azalea from h.wood.beauty, a richly pigmented yet easy to blend pot of brilliant color.

h.wood.beauty Cream Blush

If you have a wedding coming up and are looking for one of the best photogs in the country (he travels everywhere), you can see more of Travis’ work HERE.

Click HERE for more info on the brand new Four Seasons Denver.