Eyelash Curlers

I think that eyelash curlers are something that women either love and use on a daily basis or they never use one. I am guilty of belonging to the second group. However, I recently went and bought one at Target and I was really impressed. I bought the ELF version which was $1 which is probably about as cheap as you will find one. Now should you even bother using one? I would say yes. Curling your eyelashes helps to open up your eyes and makes your lashes look longer and fuller. Anyone who follows my blog or has ever had their makeup done by me knows that I love lashes and this is the next best thing to applying false ones. Having said that I am going to give you some guidelines to using the eyelash curler in the most effective way.

First off never use an eyelash curler with your mascara already on. It should only be used prior to mascara application. Mascara can cause your eyelashes to stick to the curler which could result in your lashes being pulled out.

Second, many people will tell you to warm up the curler before use. This is fine but make sure not too get it too warm which could cause you to burn your eyelids. This could also cause your eyelash curler to leave a crease in your eyelashes. If you are going to warm up your curler make sure to check the temperature before you use it.

Last, do not use waterproof mascara if you are using an eyelash curler. Now when I say do not use it, I don't mean just when you use the curler. I mean don't use it at all! Waterproof mascara is very drying to eyelashes (I personally believe it should only be used on very rare occasions). When you mix dried out lashes and a rubber strip being pressed against them, you have a very dangerous combination. I was attending a makeup class one time and the instructor told us about a girl that he was using an eyelash curler on and everyone of her eyelashes fell out due to dry brittle lashes from using waterproof mascara. I do not think that any of us want to have to go without our eyelashes, so stay away from the waterproof mascara.

Eyelash curlers can be purchased at any drugstore or makeup counter. They range in price from $1 to $20. One particular curler that has a very big following is by Shu Uemura. You can find it at Sephora for around $18. Many women swear that this is the best one that you can buy. I am planning on buying one pretty soon so I will let you guys know what I think.

Tip for Eyeliner

I know for me I seem to constantly go for a black or brown eyeliner as I am sure most women do. However, lately I have been mixing it up and using different colors of eyeshadow as a liner. All you have to do is use a eyeliner brush and get it wet. You can use any eyeshadow color that you want. Sometimes it will take a couple of applications to get the color as dark as you want it. I personally have tried purple, navy blue, and green. Try to use a more neutral color as your base color though because too much color can look overdone. The possibilities are endless though. This is a really fun way to spice up your makeup without having to do anything too dramatic. Plus it will save you money because you are using eyeshadow that you already have. Try it! I know you will love the results!

Honesty is the Best Policy

I have been so blessed to have gotten to be a part of many weddings over the last 6 months. One thing that I have found that a lot of brides are scared to do is tell me what they really think about their makeup. Everyone has a different way that they like their makeup so sometimes what I think looks good you may think needs a little tweak. My goal as a makeup artist is to make sure every woman that uses my services looks and feels absolutely amazing. If there is something that is bothering you about your makeup and you don't tell me you won't feel amazing. Trust me when I tell you that it does not in any way hurt my feelings if you ask me to change something. Some of my brides that have been the happiest with their makeup were not afraid to speak up and tell me what they were thinking. I feel blessed to have had clients that are so sweet they are scared to speak up, but trust me I would rather you speak up then not say anything. I look at doing makeup as a team, no matter what my skill level is, I cannot master your look without your input. This is another reason why if you can find a picture that is the look you want it is awesome. So just remember next time you are getting your makeup done "Honesty is the Best Policy". I promise each one of you right now I will not take any need for changes personally.

My New Favorite Place to Buy Makeup!

My new favorite place to buy makeup is Target!! I know you are all thinking "Really, Target?" But I am telling you Target has many lines of cosmetics. The best thing is unlike my other favorite Sephora, Target will not leave you broke when you leave. They have lines such as Sonia Kashuk, Boots No. 7, Jemma Kidd, Pixi and their newest line E.L.F. (Eyes Lips and Face). First off I love Sonia Kashuk's makeup bags. They are so cute and stylish and not very expensive. I personally bought my Brush Roll and personal makeup bag from this line. Boots No. 7 is a line from the UK that has great skin care products. I am currently using a moisturizer from them that I absolutely love. It is called Advanced Hydration. In case you have never heard of ELF it is a makeup line where almost everything is $1. As someone who is obsessed with makeup I have always wanted to try this line. However as a somewhat skeptical person I keep talking myself out of it. So the other night when I was at Target I saw these products and decided to give it a try. I bought a lip gloss that was $1 and let me say that I was pleasantly suprised. Currently the Target at Tulsa Hills only has a few products from the line, but I have heard that they will eventually carry the full line. The best thing about it is that even if you don't like the product you are only out $1.

So next time you are at Target wander over to the cosmetics aisle and check it out for yourself. You will be glad that you did!

Christina's Wedding

On September 19th I was lucky enough to be a part of Christina's Wedding. The girl's got ready at the Ambassador Hotel, which is absolutely beautiful. Christina is the sweetest girl and looked absolutely beautiful. Her photographer was Chris Humphrey and he was nice enough to send me some pictures of her big day.

Product I Love: NARS Orgasm Blush

I am going to start reviewing products on a regular basis. I am starting with a product that I love. As someone who is pretty much obsessed with makeup I have always heard about NARS Orgasm Blush. Everyone always swears it is the best blush. So last time I was in Sephora I decided to see what all of the hype is about.

Price: When you first see the price you will think much like I did that it is expensive. It runs $25. However, blush is a product that lasts forever. So consider it an investment.

Color: As far as the color, it is perfect. It is a peachy pink with a gold shimmer. As someone who has done makeup for a long time I can tell you that this color combination looks great on almost anyone. The only exception to this is for women with very dark skin colors. It gives you that pretty glow that might follow this products namesake. For me it works for all seasons, even when I was at my darkest this summer it still looked great.

Overall: I would definitely recommend this product if you are looking for a great blush that you can wear everyday. Remember that if it isn't dark enough at first you can always layer on more product. However, if you are not sure about this product, go to Sephora and try it on for yourself.

Hot Trend this Fall

One color that is hot this fall is Purple! Purple is a color that looks good with all eye colors. Now I am not talking about lavender, I am talking about deep purples. (Think eggplant or amethyst)

Now how do you pull it off. Well lets start with a small step, this is for those of you who are not quite sure you are ready to go all out with this. Try using a deep purple liner, this is something small that will give you a different look.

If you are a little braver, try doing a smoky eye with a deep purple. Try light at first and then you can go darker as you feel more comfortable. I would recommend using a silver or champagne color as your base color. If you try to use a light purple base color it can be a bit much.

Another way that you can use purple is on your lips. There are many pretty berry colors of lipstick or lipgloss. However try to stick to just one area of your face to use this color. So if you do lips don't do eyes and vice versa.

I have also seen alot of really pretty purple nailpolishes. I think it is a much more subtle alternative to black nailpolish.

This is definitely a trend that absolutely anyone can try. Have fun with it!