Happy New Year!

Wow! What a year. It sure has been an eventful one! Our wedding was in June and it turned out beautifully. I married my other half and my best friend. The planning pushed my creative side to the max to say the least. I had some beautiful brides this past year to make glamorous for their special day. It's a special job to make a bride feel their best and to know you have such a big part of the day is really rewarding. I feel like I got out of the box this year with creative coloring. It's not a world of getting a million foils anymore, which I am thankful for. Haha. And lastly, I was proud of stepping out of my "fear box" and joined the choir at my church. It's been a long time coming. I grew up singing and I had pretty much put it aside when my life was in a direction that my confidence was low. I'm glad I can start singing again and help be a part of an awesome worship team.

I hope 2014 is full of awesome beginnings for you and that you can discover that you are given talents for special reasons. I hope you find that some of the best rewards are free, and to love your family and friends fully because they are a blessing to you even when they aren't perfect. Know that you are worth it and you deserve to be happy, everyday, for your whole life.

To the best year yet.
   -  Jen

Urban Decay products!

I am pumped to be an Urban Decay Pro now! If you are a makeup artist they give you an opportunity to be a part of their special program which is awesome. I think the most recognizable product of theirs is the NAKED eyeshadow palettes. They are awesome and they last forever. I couldn't wait to get some new makeup to try! So here's what I'm trying out and I'll let you know what I think about it!

Merry almost Christmas everyone!

http://www.urbandecay.com

Super saturated high gloss lip color in "Naked", Whoa these are like butter. 

"good karma" foundation brush blurs your makeup to an airbrush finish

This primer Is The Best. The original is fantastic. This is "Sin" which is a golden tinted primer

Razor sharp finishing powder. This is the cherry on top, makes your skin look flawless.

These dual end eyeliner pencils accompany their best selling palettes. They last all day. 

Lip junkie gloss. Peroxide is a lovely light pink, smells great. Not sticky. 

Drugstore makeup: Wet n Wild

 How can you resist the makeup area at CVS or Walgreens? I can't that's for sure. I am a forever fan of a Revlon grow luscious mascara. It makes your lashes grow, I'm serious. I quit using it a while and they were short again. I grabbed a few things today and I may have a new favorite lipstick. And shocker.... it's from wet n wild. I wish they would change their name, it's creepy. Lol. But this Fergie lipstick "Fergie Daily", is the bomb. It's creamy and has a good amount of pigment.
I also got the Perfect Pair eye wand which has an eyeliner and shadow in one stick. I'm interested to see the staying power on that one. Normally cheaper liners aren't strong enough to last all day, but some can with primer.

I can't believe Christmas is two weeks from today! I'm not done shopping! Eeek!

Fergie Daily is a great dupe for MAC Honeylove 

New product to try! Fake Bake Face Self Tanner

I have not had much luck finding a great face self tanner that will give you great color without being greasy or that isn't good for sensitive skin. Most can break you out with the oils and fillers that may be ok for your body, but not your face. I've used Fake Bake products in the past and liked them so I'm giving this a try! Face tanner is perfect for the winter because I get super pale and look sick. Haha.
It's nice to have a little healthy glow!

I'll give an update after I use it about a week!

UPDATE- I'm obsessed. It gives you a glowing complexion And my skin looks really smooth. It seems like it has better clarity and more evened out texture which is lovely. I wouldn't recommend re-applying throughout the day because you don't want to look like the only thing that's tan is your face.
So far I haven't had sensitivity either. LOVE!

http://fakebake.com/home.html

The description from the Fake Bake site!  A Breakthrough in Anti-Aging! Featuring Apple Stem Cell Technology*  The Face by Fake Bake Platinum has combined our award winning self-tanning formula that contains  premium DHA and Erythulose for longer lasting, natural looking results with the latest anti-aging  ingredient - *PhytoCellTecTM Malus Domestica - created from stem cells extracted from the rare  Swiss apple Uttwiler Spatlauber. With age, the number of skin stem cells decreases and their ability  to maintain and repair the skin diminishes. Plant cells are totipotent, meaning that every cell has the  ability to regenerate new organs. It is this characteristic that has been harnessed within The Face by  Fake Bake Platinum to ensure the longevity of your skin stem cells, essentially delaying biological  aging of your essential cells.  * Long lasting self-tan * Gentle formula suitable for sensitive facial skin * Delays biological aging of essential cells * Preserves youthful look & skin vitality  * Contains anti-aging peptides * Combats the effects of oxidants * Free from artificial preservatives So basically it's a self tanner that has anti-aging properties and is great for sensitive skin. And  If it keeps your skin from aging too then Wonderful!!

The Importance of Brushes

We have all used them.....those plastic eyeshadow applicators with the sponge tip. Thinking of using one to apply eye shadow makes me cringe. I'm not gonna slap your hand if you love them, but graduating to a great eyeshadow brush will Change Your World.. I'm not calling anyone out but (cough cough, mom.) :)

You don't have to spend a fortune for great brushes. ELF and has some great ones in their studio line. If you can catch the CYBER monday deal tomorrow ( December 2nd ) the whole site is 50% off with the coupon code CYBER50. That's an awesome deal, especially since they are already cheap. I'm planning on getting some myself. Why is it when you're Christmas shopping, it's hard to not buy things for yourself too? Haha.

I know most makeup artist are partial to MAC and Sigma brushes, which are awesome, but I personally think the affordable ones are just as good for the everyday woman and makeup artist too.
Here's some of my favorites!


Happy December!

Eyeslipsface.com 

nyxcosmetics.com 

ecotools.com

Soniakashuk.com

E.l.f. Small angled brush 

Great for applying gel liner or eyebrow powder 

One of my favorite eyeshadow brushes of all time. 

Sonia Kashuk pointed blending brush 

Ecotools airbrush concealer brush 

Great for applying under eye concealer 

E.l.f angled blush brush 

For applying powder blush or contouring with bronzer 

E.l.f. Angled contour brush 

Great for softening lines on a smokey eye

E.l.f studio Stipple brush 

Great for applying liquid foundations 

E.l.f. Studio contour brush 

Great size for blending in crease 

Some of my Color favorites from the past year!

I love color transformations and some of my clients have been really brave this year and have changed up their look. That's the great thing about color. It's not a forever commitment! You can change it with the seasons to keep it fun. If you always wear your hair up, that's a sign it's time for a change! I love a good bun, but if you only wear a bun....girl.. it's time to change it up. Hair is a woman's greatest accessory. Step out of the box and try a new look! If your hair looks great, you Feel great. Life's too short to have bad hair! :)

Here's some of my favorites and a couple before and afters of my dear clients!
Have a great weekend!

P.s. - I can't wait to see Catching Fire today! Eeeeeeeeeee

Fall smokey Eye

Every woman needs to try a smokey eye once in her life! It can seem a little on the heavy side, so you can always do browns and coppers instead of black to soften the look. It's really stayed popular and has become more of a natural look than, "I'm going to the club any minute" look. It's fun to change it up! I never wear the same eye makeup everyday. Change up your color pallete and keep it fresh.

I would say always go back and reapply your eyeliner to really ground the look. Whether you use brown or black a liquid liner will set off your smokey eye. Have fun!

I used Virgin from the Urban Decay NAKED palette on the entire lid, and then packed on creep in the outer corners and blend it into your crease really well. I then pressed NYX walnut onto the lid to warm up the deep brown. Then I lined with Elf waterproof liquid liner and Revlon grow luscious mascara! 

NYX Walnut 

I should of curled my lashes ;) 

Have a great day! 

My favorite skincare products-Pharmagel

This year I have been Loving the Pharmagel products! They are awesome. I had previously been using the Peter Thomas Roth line which is great, but a little on the expensive side. My skin has been so much better and is smoother and clearer. Don't get me wrong I'll still have a monthly breakout, but it's not near as bad as it used to be. I also didn't have bad skin for weeks before it gets used to new products, which is super nice. Try this line out!

Pharma Clear Antibacterial cleanser - am. and p.m.

This medically proven, fast healing antibacterial cleanser quickly breaks down oils, residue, and excess sebum on the skin and hair follicle as it deeply cleanses pores. Powerful antiseptic Tea Tree Oil targets acne producing bacteria and combats bacteria all day. This exclusive formula lifts away dead skin cells and encourages healthy skin renewal as it calms irritation and redness.

I use this after my cleanser a.m. and p.m. I may need something a little heavier for the winter months.

Pharmagel Hydr0xy-10 - I can't say enough great things about this moisturizer. It's really helped even out my skin. If I have a breakout it's gone in the morning. The Glycolic Acid really brightens your skin and has anti-aging properties. It's never too early to start fighting wrinkles!

A lifting, firming and moisturizing lotion concentrate for the face and body, contains 10% Glycolic Acid and Salicylic Acid (BHA). BHA works at deeper levels in the skin for longer lasting exfoliation and cellular renewal benefits. Glycolic Acid offers gentle, all natural exfoliation and cellular renewal. HYDRO2XY-10 also contains stabilized oxygen for rapid penetration, providing increased cellular renewal with lifting and firming benefits. HYDRO2XY-10 revitalizes, firms and rejuvenates. Wrinkles, fine lines and sagging skin are diminished.

Enzyme Ex-Cell exfoliating facial scrub- once a week 

This is an awesome exfoliating scrub that has a nice grittiness to it. You don't want to exfoliate too often because your skin would get dried out. This polishes and brightens and gets heavier makeup off. Love! 

Gentle micronized polishing grains from walnuts combine with the revitalizing, anti-aging benefits of papaya enzymes to slough off dry, dull skin layers and stimulate cellular renewal. Just one treatment refines pores, firms skin tone, smoothes surface texture and makes dull, discolored skin appear brighter and clearer. Allantoin calms freshly exfoliated skin so that even sensitive skin will benefit from regular use. Excellent pre-shave treatment for a smooth, close shave.

I will say I think my skin is generally sensitive and these products are really calming and do not cause irritation. Having a great regime is important and makes you more confident! 

Winter Color inspiration - VS Angels

Morning lovelies! The Victoria's Secret fashion show is coming up, so pictures are everywhere and I can't help but swoon over their amazing hair! The Angels are known for their shiny long length, rich color, and signature wave. It would be strange if they had straight flat hair right? Here's some of my favorite hair colors from this years show! 

Alessandra's golden medium brunette with warm dark blonde Balayage highlights keeps her skin glowing.

http://www.beautyheaven.com.au/beauty-blog

Lilly is famous for her beautiful balayage. It's more of a deeper caramel tone this season with a darker base so it creates this pretty depth perfect for colder months.

http://designyoutrust.com

Doutzen's hair is a great winter blonde since it's a sandy dark blonde with shimmers of a buttery blonde so it has some depth to it. 

http://beautyeditor.ca

Candice has a multidimensional blonde with golden undertones to keep it rich. How gorgeous right? 

http://www.becomegorgeous.com

Adriana has a glossy deep brunette with tons of shine. It's neutral at the base with a little gold through the ends so it doesn't appear drab.

http://news.instyle.com/

The day Finally came: the 20/20 tour had arrived

Can I just start out by saying how much I LOVE Justin Timberlake. I mean being a Memphis born girl I have an extra special place in my heart for J.T. He is hands down one of the best performer's of all time. I was a crazed NSYNC teenage fan so he's been a favorite of mine for around 13 years. That's a Long time for an artist to still be relevant these days. He continues to be an all around artist and not to mention the best Saturday Night Live host. My best friends and I have been counting down the days until this show. We sat two and two so since we switched seats at intermission we had the best of both worlds to enjoy the show. I am seriously depressed its over! If there was a clinical post J.T. show sadness, I have it. It was unreal how good he is in concert. We didn't want it to end, and he didn't let anyone down singing all his newer hits and singing his old album too. Come on, You know you'll always love "Cry me a river."

If you can see the 20/20 tour, GO. You won't regret it.

For the show I wanted to do a luminous highlight and cranberry smokey eye. The berry colors are really great for this time of year. It really warms up the eyes and looks great on all eye colors!
Here was my makeup for the night!


- A J.T. Fan Forever!!!! :)

These MAC pigments were from an older Dazzlesphere Smoky Berry holiday set. These last forever since the pigment is so strong. I layered spicy smoke and rose light to create a warm smokey eye. 

I used the Magic Lumi highlighter in Light to really brighten the under eyes and cheekbones. 

I love this highlighter! It really pops without being too strong.

Stay inspired! 

Have a great week! 

Highlighting and Contouring

Hello Lovelies! I thought I would post something about makeup that I LOVE to do. A lot of professionals rely on highlighting and contouring to make Hollywood faces look their best. The dark areas create depth and the highlighting "pulls" those areas forward. You want to accent the places you want brighter and darken the areas you want to minimize or sculpt. I think this artistic side of makeup  has become more popular for the everyday woman. It can be a soft or strong look depending on what intensity you are wanting to achieve. For some it may be heavier than their everyday look, but I can't go without a good bronzer year round! Bronzer lovers unite!

One famous face that adores a heavy contour/highlight is Kim K. That girl loves bright under eye concealer! While sometimes it's a little heavy, she pulls it off!

My favorite bronzer to contour with: NYX matte bronzer in Light or Medium
Make sure it's Matte, ones with sparkles will just look like a giant sparkle in photos. :)


My favorite highlighting concealer: Dream Lumi touch in ivory and MagicLumi in Light

Also here's some beauties that have some great H/C information:

http://www.maskcara.com/2012/11/10/hac-yourself-flawless/

http://www.kissablecomplexions.com

Here's an example of where to highlight and where to contour!
P.s. - I look like I have a beard :)


             

Making a triangle shape under your eyes helps cover dark circles and opens up your face 

These are the areas you contour with darker foundation or matte bronzer

The most important thing is to make it believable and blend, blend, blend! You don't want any harsh lines. 

The brushes you use are super important too and make it easy to do it quickly.

Kim's is a strong H/C while mine is a softer version 

 This is a great example of where to highlight and where to darken.

Have fun lovelies!